ALOHA "TEAM AWWWRITE!!!"
SOME OF YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS STORY OF ME COMPETING IN MY 1ST RACE.
MY COUSIN TROY FROM WAIMEA, HAWAI'I TOLD ME THAT HE WAS COMPETING IN THE "TRY-GO-ATHON" - 1/2 MILE SWIM, 3.4 MILE RUN, AND 4.6 OR 2.4 MILES PADDLE BOARDING. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THIS, I SAID TO HIM I'VE NEVER PADDLE BOARD BEFORE SO I CAN'T COMPETE. BUT TROY ALSO SAID THERE'S A "SWIM & RUN" ONLY WHICH I THOUGHT I COULD PROBABLY DO THAT. AT FIRST I WAS NERVOUS AS I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS GETTING INTO AND AT THE SAME TIME, PART OF ME WAS SAYING, "GO FO BROKE... WHAT I GET FO LOSE!!!"
SO I DECIDED TO DO IT AND I TOLD TROY THAT I WAS IN!!!
I HAD ONLY 2-3 WEEKS TO TRY AND PREPARE FOR THIS RACE. UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS PLACE TO SWIM IN BETHEL, ALASKA SO I COULDN'T DO ANY SWIMMING DRILLS BUT WHAT I DID DO WAS I STARTED DOING RUNNING DRILLS WITH THE HELP OF MY FRIEND & COACH, CHRISTI WHO IS A MARATHON RUNNER AND SHE PUT ME ON A RUNNING DRILL SCHEDULE TO HELP ME BE READY FOR THIS RACE.
SO LETS FAST FORWARD TO WHERE I'M IN HILO, HAWAI'I 1 WEEK BEFORE THE RACE. TROY AND I MEET UP AT "RICHARDSON'S BEACH" TO DO OUR 1ST SWIMMING DRILL PRACTICE.
AS I WAS LOOKING OUT AT THE OCEAN... I TELL MYSELF, "DA CURRENTS LOOK PRETTY ROUGH". BUT I STILL WANTED FOR DO THIS.
SO OFF ME & TROY WENT IN TO THE OCEAN AND HE GAVE ME SOME VERY GOOD POINTERS AND TOLD ME HOW TO KEEP MY LEGS UP TO AVOID DRAGGING AND USE MY ARMS MORE THAN MY LEGS SO I DON'T TIRE MYSELF OUT QUICKLY. AND MOST IMPORTANT... BREATH... LOL!!!
SO I OFF SWIMMING AND FOLLOWING TROY OR I TRIED TO... LOL!!! WE SWIM LIKE MAYBE 100 YARDS AND BACK AND THE FIRST THING THAT COMES OUT OF TROY'S MOUTH, "HOOO BRAH... YOU NEVAH SWIM LONG TIME EH???"
BUT STILL THAT DIDN'T STOP ME. WE STILL DID COUPLE MORE DRILLS AND LAPS AND CALLED IT THE DAY.
4 DAYS BEFORE RACE DAY ME AND TROY WAS HANGING OUT IN "WAIPIO VALLEY" HAVING LUNCH AND THEN TELLS ME, "EH YOU KNOW WHAT... YOU SHOULD ASK TIA FO DO DA SWIMMING PORTION CAUSE SHE WHEN SWIM ONE ROUGH WATERS CHALLENGE AND FINISHED IT!!!"
I STILL SAID TO TROY, "NAH... NAH... NO WORRIES... I GOING DO'EM BY MYSELF".
NOW THE DAY BEFORE THE RACE, I'M ON THE PHONE TALKING TO TROY AND WE'RE DISCUSSING ON WHAT TIME WE GOING MEET UP AND WHAT WE GOING DO AFTERWARDS. TROY THEN SAYS TO ME, "EH... TODAY THEY GET THE 5K RUN AT COCONUT ISLAND, YOU SHOULD COMPETE IN THAT RACE..."
AGAIN MY REPLY TO THAT, "TROY, I NOT GOING BACK DOWN AFTER I ALREADY COMMITTED MYSELF TO THIS!!!"
"RACE DAY"
ME AND TROY MEET UP AND WE GO TO THE STARTING LINE AND REGISTER AND DO ALL THAT STUFF AND NOW THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS. I SEE PLENTY PEOPLE ALL GETTING READY AND NOW WE ARE AT THE STARTING LINE UP. THE OFFICIALS GO OVER THE RULES AND SAFETY PROCEDURES AND OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT... THE AIR HORN BLOWS AND OFF WE GO!!!
THE FIRST THING I HEAR AND SEE IS THE SOUND OF THE WATERS AS BE STIRRED UP AS ALL THE OTHER COMPETITORS HAS PROPELLERS ON THE FEET. I WAS SAYING TO MYSELF... "WHAT???" BUT I WENT AND STARTED SLOW AS TO NOT GAS MYSELF OUT. I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT I USED A SNORKEL SET AS I CAN BREATH BETTER WHILE I'M UNDERWATER AS I DIDN'T WANT TO SWIM WITH MY HEAD UP FOR THE MOST PART. SO BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING, AS I WAS SWIMMING AND I THOUGHT I HAD A GOOD PACE GOING BUT ONE PROBLEM... BECAUSE I'M NOT LOOKING OUT AND MY LOOKING DOWN INTO THE OCEAN... THE CURRENT HAS SHIFTED ME WAY OFF COURSE... I MEAN SO OFF COURSE I WAS HEADED TOWARDS "KINGS LANDING"... LOL!!! AND TO MAKE THINGS EVEN WORST... MY MASK STARTED TO FOG UP AND I'M ALREADY BLIND BECAUSE I'M NOT WEARING MY GLASSES AND I DON'T WEAR CONTACTS EITHER. NOW I'M SWIMMING BLIND AND I'M BEING TAKEN OFF COURSE BECAUSE OF THE ROUGH CURRENTS. BUT I STILL DIDN'T GIVE UP... I REFUSE TO... IN FACT I DIDN'T EVEN FEEL TIRED!!! SO I JEPT PUSHING FORWARD AND DOING MY BEST TO STAY ON COURSE AS I TRIED TO SEE WHERE I WAS GOING.
NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN... I HEAR THE SOUNDS OF THE JET SKIS AND I HEAR THE GUY SAY, "YOU ALRIGHT BRADDA??? TURN AROUND ALREADY... EVERYBODY WHEN FINISH AND SWAM BACK TO SHORE AND STARTED RUNNING!!!" NOW WHEN I HEARD THAT I WAS LIKE WHAT??? ALREADY??? HOW CAN??? BUT NOPE... I STILL MOVED FORWARD AND I WASN'T GIVING IN... THE CURRENT REALLY MADE IT CHALLENGING AND MORE FRUSTRATING BECAUSE AGAIN I WAS SWIMMING OFF COURSE. THE LIFEGUARD TEAM WAS GETTING CONCERNED AND TOLD ME TO TURN AROUND AND SWIM BACK... BUT I STILL PUSHED ON AND I SAID THEM TO AT LEAST LET ME FINISHED HALFWAY AND THEN I'LL TURN BACK. AND THEY LET ME CONTINUE.
AS I WAS SWIMMING TOWARDS THE 1ST BUOY AND CIRCLED AROUND IT, I FELT A SENSE OF REALLY WANTING TO STAY IN THE RACE AND FINISHED THE ENTIRE SWIMMING COURSE. THE OCEAN WAS DEEP AND DARK BUT YET BEAUTIFUL... IT WAS THEN I FELT THE "CALLING" TO COME BACK HOME TO KEAUKAHA. THE "CALLING" TO START COMPETING IN OCEAN SPORTS IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. THE "CALLING" TO COME BACK TO MY ROOTS. THE "CALLING" TO COME BACK TO WHERE I WAS RAISED. THE "CALLING" TO COME BACK TO A PLACE WHERE I LOVE TO BE.
AS I WAS SWIMMING BACK TO SHORE I THEN SAW THE A SCHOOL OF 4 TURTLES SWIM RIGHT PASS ME AND THEN I SAW THE REEFS AND THEN ALL THE FISHES AND THEN THE BLACK SAND AND THEN I MADE IT BACK TO SHORE... OF COURSE WITH THE HELP OF ONE OF THE LIFEGUARDS TO GUIDE ME BACK AS THE CURRENT WAS REALLY ROUGH AND I BELIEVE I WOULD'VE ENDED UP AT "LELEIWI BEACH"... LOL!!! BUT AS I REACHED THE SHORE... ALL I HEARD WAS A CROWD OF PEOPLE STILL CHEERING ME ON AND IN THE MIST OF THAT CROWD, I SAW MY DAD. I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS WATCHING ME COMPETE BECAUSE I DIDN'T SAY MUCH TO HIM EARLIER. BUT THE SIGHT OF SEEING MY DAD MADE ME WANT TO CRY JUST BECAUSE I LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND ALTHOUGH I WISH I BONDED WITH HIM EARLIER IN THE YEARS... I'M JUST HAPPY AND GRATEFUL THAT WE ARE BONDING NOW AND FOREVER.
SO I’M OFF TO CHANGE INTO MY RUNNING SHOES AND OFF I GO RUNNING DOWN THE BEAUTIFUL KALANIANAOLE AVENUE PASSING ALL THE BEACHES THAT I USE TO SWIM AT WHEN I WAS A CHILD. IT BROUGHT A LOT OF MEMORIES AND GOOD ONES TOO. ALL THE MORE I WANTED TO RETURN HOME FOR GOOD. BUT AS I REACHED THE HALF WAY MARK OF THE RACE, I STARTED TO REALLY FEEL MY LEGS CRAMPING UP, THEN MY BREATHING WAS GETTING OUT OF RHYTHM, AND THEN I ENDED WALKING FOR FEW MINUTES AND THEN CONTINUED ON AND SWITCHED MY RUNNING TO INTERVALS. AS I WAS APPROACHING THE FINISH LINE I WAS NOW SUPER EXHAUSTED AND WHEN I CROSSED IT… IT WAS THE BEST FEELING EVER, ALTHOUGH I DID FEEL EMBARRASSED FOR FINISHING LAST THINKING I WOULD BE MADE FUN OFF, I JUST CONTINUED TO KEEP MY HEAD UP.
SO AFTER THE RACE MY DAD CAME AND DROPPED OFF MY CAR KEYS AND THEN I DROVE BACK HOME TO SHOWER AND CHANGE AND THEN HEADED OVER TO HILO BAYFRONT TO JOIN UP WITH THE OTHER COMPETITORS AND HAVE LUNCH. I BROUGHT MY DAUGHTER KAHEALANI AND MY NEPHEW MAKAPI WITH ME. AS I WAS IN LINE MAKING MY LUNCH, I STILL FELT EMABRRASSED AND I GOT BECAME SHY AND WAS QUIET UNTIL ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBER WHO CAME UP TO ME AND WAS IN SHOCK TO HEAR THAT I CAME FROM ALASKA AND SHE THOUGHT I WAS LIVING IN HILO. SHE ALSO WAS IMPRESSED TO HEAR THAT I’VE HAD TRAINING AND I’VE BEEN AWAY FROM HOME FOR SO LONG AND YET I WAS ABLE TO FINISH THE RACE. SO AFTER HEARING THAT, I FELT RELIEVED AND THEN MY COUSIN TROY AND HIS FRIENDS CAME JOINED ME AT THE TABLE TO EAT WHILE KAHEALANI & MAKAPI WAS EATING AND PLAYING AT THE SHORELINE. I MET TWO “AWWWESOME” GUYS, JEDO AND JEFF WHO ARE STEADY COMPETITIORS IN THESE TYPES OF RACES. THEY WERE VERY FUN AND GOOD TO TALK WITH. LOTS OF LAUGHTER, ESPECIALLY FROM MY COUSIN TROY. HE WAS TELLING THEM HOW WAS TRYING TO GIVE ME FRIENDLY WARNINGS AND TRIED TO GET ME TO “RUN ONLY” AND SKIP THE SWIMMING. AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER… IT WAS ALL FUN AND LAUGHTER AND I THEN BECAME VERY COMFORTABLE AND FELT LIKE I WAS PART OF THE OHANA. IT WAS THEN I KNEW I WANTED TO COMPETE AGAIN AND MORE THAN EVER. I HAD VISIONS OF SEEING ME TRAINING HARD IN ALASKA AND HAWAI’I FOR UPCOMING COMPETITIONS. IT LIT A FIRE ALL OVER AGAIN AND THIS TIME I’M THE FIRE BURNING FOREVER.
AS THE AFTERNOON ENDED,WE ALL WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS AND I DID PROMISE M COUSIN TROY THAT WE’LL MEET UP MORE OFTEN AND REBUILD OUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE HOW IT USE TO BE WHEN WERE LITTLE. I ALSO SAID TO MY NEW FRIENDS, JEDO & JEFF THAT I WILL KEEP IN TOUCH AND SEE THEM WHENEVER I RETURN TO HILO, HAWAI’I.
SO I RETURNED HOME AND SAW MY DAD HANGING OUT IN THE GARAGE AND I COULD TELL HE HAD SOMETHING TO SAY BUT HE ALSO HAD THIS GIGGLE LOOK ON HIS FACE TOO. SO I SAID TO HIM, “OKAY DAD… JUST GIVE IT TO ME… TELL ME WHERE I WENT WRONG, OR WHAT I SHOULD’VE DONE BETTER”.
THIS IS WHAT MY DAD SAID TO ME, “I WAS WATCHING YOU FROM YOU FROM THE LELEIWI BEACH PARK PARKING LOT, AND WHEN I HEARD THE AIRHORN BLOW, I SAW THE CROWD OF PEOPLE TAKING OFF FAST… I SAID TO MYSELF… I KNOW HE’S NOT IN THAT CROWD… LOL. BUT AFTER THE CROWD TOOK OFF, I THEN SAW YOU. YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WAS CRUISING BUT I ALSO NOTICED YOU WAS SWIMMING WAY OFF COURSE AND THE CURRENT WAS REALLY ROUGH AND THAT IS WHEN I HAD TO GO DOWN TO THE SHORELINE AND MAKE SURE YOU WAS GOING BE OKAY. TO BE HONEST… I WASN’T LAUGHING ANYMORE… I WAS WORRIED. AND I WAS TELLING MYSELF IF HE NO CAN STAY ON COURSE THEN I GOING JUMP IN AND SWIM TO YOU AND BRING YOU BACK. BUT THEN I SAW THE LIFEGUARD TEAM JETSKI TOWRADS YOU AND THEN I KNEW YOU WAS GOING BE OKAY. ALTHOUGH YOU WAS OFF COURSE YOU STILL WASN’T GOING GIVE UP… THAT I KNEW YOU ALWAYS HAD IN YOU… YOU HEART WAS IN IT SINCE THE DAY YOU WAS BORN. AN NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TOOK FOR YOU TO COME BACK TO SHORE… ALL IT MATTERS IS THAT YOU WHEN FINISH. AND I STAY PROUD OF YOU FOR THAT. RIGHT ON SON… I GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE TO TEST YOURSELF. COME NEXT TIME… GARANZ YOU GET’UM DOWN. YOU NOW KNOW WHAT FOR DO NEXT TIME”.
AFTER HEARING THAT… ALL THE MORE I WANT TO COMPETE AGAIN… BRAH… I WANTED FOR COMPETE THE NEXT DAY!!! BUT WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT AND INSPIRING WAS THAT MY DAD WAS THERE FOR ME THE WHOLE TIME. EVEN THOUGH I NEVAH TELL HIM AND I NEVER TRY TO GET HIM TO COME, IN MY HEART I REALLY WANTED HIM THERE. AND I WAS SO HAPPY HE CAME DOWN FOR SEE ME COMPETE.
SO THERE IT IS FOLKS… MY SHORT VERSION OF MY STORY COMPETING FOR THE VERY 1ST TIME!!! AND I’M COMING BACK MORE STRONGER THAN EVER AS COMMITTED… AS PROMISED… AS DETERMINED AS ALWAYS!!!
AWWWRITE!!!
WAIPA
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