Day 2: Seabee 5K and Haleiwa

Ugh, I thought we had to get up early yesterday but this is worse! Even the birds are still sound asleep and it's pitch black outside when we check out. You're probably wondering what kind of vacation is this but I've been aching to run a race in Hawaii and the Seabee 5K at Pearl Harbor was the only one going on while we are here. I'm a bit worried about being admitted to an active naval base without a greencard but supposedly I will be granted entry for the race. On the plus side, traffic is light and we'll be able to do a lot of sightseeing today.

Pre-race breakfast consists of a banana, some POM juice and an energy bar in the car. Definitely, the worst prep ever, but I am going to be running on Hawaii!!

We end up getting lost on our way to Ford Island and unknowingly end up at another security check point where the guard looks at us like we're crazy. Luckily he then directs us to the access point for Ford Island, where after a cursory glance we're allowed on the base. Yay! It's really happening!


Amazingly it is STILL dark out when I pick up my packet and timing chip. After a looong bathroom visit (the lines, not the visit) and a warming up by the side of the road it's time to line up. At first I'm a bit disappointed by the base; it looks so ... normal? Don't know what I was expecting really, but this is like suburbia USA. Except it's Hawaii so there's palmtrees!

Wow, is that the sunrise over Pearl Harbor?! How lucky am I to witness all of this! I only wish I could stop to take pictures for you all, but it seems there's a race going on and I'm in it.

There's a couple of girls in front of me with a decent pace and I try to stick with them but after a while they start getting away from me. It's only a little after eight, but to this jetlagged, Maryland girl it feels sweltering! And as it turns out afterwards I've been running slightly faster than my usual race pace ... no wonder it felt like a struggle!

One of my furry competitors -- and yes, he beat me!

At the water stop I almost get taken out by a crazy stroller, yikes! We're still passing more monuments ... how amazing is this?! The last push for the finish is up hill and I'm queasy from the effort when I spot a girl off in the distance and that's all I need to propel me the rest of the way. She doesn't hear me come up behind her and when we turn for home I cut to the inside and sprint past her and finish in 27:12.

No, I didn't win anything for my efforts but it sure felt good! Oh, and I got a cool T-shirt and bib just for running ... plus we're on the base now so we might as well take advantage of this opportunity.

First we stop by the USS Oklahoma -- a very nice memorial that proves more difficult to photograph than I'd anticipated.

Then, the USS Utah on the other side of the island.

Fun with filters

 

Last view from the base before we cross the bridge

Since we are leaving Honolulu we make sure to stop by the swapmeet for a bit of shopping and a quick bite. Amazingly, among endless rows of vendors we find our favorite from last year where we pick up amazing bread with meat and cheese baked into it and a fresh fruit stand that sells bowls of cut up fruit with some of the more exotic varieties in it.

 

The drive to Haleiwa leads through some amazing scenery; one of my favorite parts is coming down a Hawaiian Christmas tree lined highway with views of the ocean in the distance. 

 

 

Haleiwa is a sleepy little surfers town on Oahu's North shore where quite possibly roosters outnumber people. As you might have guessed the options for lodging are limited so we found a quirky place on AirBNB.

It takes a few tries before we manage to locate the property and communication with the owner has been spotty so we're a bit worried when we don't see anyone around. After a couple of "oh crap, now what?" moments someone else show up and let's us in. Phew.

We take our swap meet lunch over to the nearby break and watch the surfers rip it up in the distance. Amazing how different this place looks from last year when the ocean was glossy and breaking close to shore .... now it's a giant churning, white wash monster out back.

Yummy swap meet lunch bread!

Next we stop at Haleiwa Beach park to watch the action at Puena Point and take a quick dip in the ocean. Can't wait until my lesson tomorrow!!! Or in surfer slang: so stoked!!

With all these crazy waves I can't wait to see what Pipe is like today. Last year I was able to get some sweet pics there, but alas the air is thick with spray casting a haze over all of my pictures. Here too the glossy waves I love so much have been replaced by tumbling walls of white water. Still, watching the surfers here is a treat!

The violent waves actually work out nicely at nearby Shark's Cove, sending the spray shooting sky high until it's impossible to tell where the wave ends and the cloud begins.

 Obviously not a good day for snorkeling, but still a nice sunset.

 

When I'm standing near the water's edge a strange little girl shows up and starts talking to me a mile minute about imaginary seals and then talking to the seals. Uhm. What do you say to that? Help! Parents? Anybody!?

When we walk back into the house our host Cab is sitting in the entryway in total darkness. He's dark skinned and when he suddenly moves and opens his eyes only the whites of his eyes are showing. Talk about a good startle lol ... for both parties I think. He's a cool dude though and I'm glad we finally get to meet him.

Mexican for dinner at LuiBueno. The receipt reads: 1 fresh catch taco, 1 GOB taco as combo, ENT BB fish taco. Now what could that be? Some kind of Mexican fish tacos for sure. If I remember they were ok, nothing special.

Breakfast: ABC store
Lunch: Aloha Stadium Swap Meet
Dinner: LuiBueno
Hotel: AirBNB host