The race day has come. Waking up at four in the morning was just an essential component to execute a successful race day strategy. Even this early in the morning my body felt awake and energized. Great aloha Run is in three hours! After a pre-race breakfast, Nate and I drove to the starting line early to get a warm-up in and have no rush.
Coming back from a foot injury I did not know what to expect from the Great Aloha run. I was out for the whole month, which was very unusual for me, the pain in my foot prevented me from running.
Nevertheless, before this first race of the 2014 season, I felt confident that my body didn’t lose much fitness and speed. I believed I would be able to still pull out a decent race. Moreover, I’m very pleased with where I’m at in my running right now. The strength I built in training for the Honolulu Marathon last year has really carried over into the training for the Great Aloha Run.
When we got to the starting line of the race, there were thousands of runners. Being in the dark surrounded by so many runners reminded me of the spectacular and joyful Honolulu Marathon atmosphere. The adrenaline was pumping and when I heard the gun I was ready to let my legs go. The raindrops felt amazing and the temperature was perfect in the morning. I couldn't ask for more. For the majority of the race, I felt like I was doing a tempo run rather than racing because I was maintaining a steady pace. My legs were fresh and light. The last quarter of the race the win was so close, so I finished with a hard sprint entering the Aloha Stadium to cross the finish line. Even though it kept raining, it was a beautiful morning and I felt satisfied with my first race result of the 2014 season. My fitness is close to where it needs to be and I have time before my next competition, so I’m running with serenity and confidence and letting even more improvements come to me. Thank you to everyone who was out there supporting me!