Pele's Bath

Jeremy's here!  It isn't Kona without him.  This is definitely and "us" experience and even though I've been having a blast doing all sorts of neat things, it just isn't the same.  After I picked him up from the airport we didn't go back to the room, instead we went exploring.  Remember how I was trying to find unique things this trip?  Well, one of those things was Pele's Bath.  It is a lava tube near the shore where you can watch the waves rise and fall.  But part of the fun was finding it.  I had a GPS coordinate and was surprised that it was down in the Energy Lab.  We parked the car and went exploring.  It was a surprisingly short walk from the car.  I don't know if it was the cloud cover and the lighting or if it is always that beautiful, but we spent 45 minutes there watching the water go up and down.  We were hesitant to stand too close at the beginning but overcame our fears and stood right on the edge.  When a particularly large swell came in and the bath overflowed, we expected to be pulled back into the hole.  But it was the strangest sensation!  The water bubbled up but had zero pull back down.  I almost fell in trying to overcompensate for the current that wasn't there.  It was a great find.

 

Jeremy also brought out the rest of the cheering squad.

Smash Sisters

The best part on being on Team Smashfest Queen (besides my favorite tag line of #SetGoalsSmashGoals), is running into these inspirational women around the venue.  The team keeps growing, but there is a core of women who I see prestty regularly and look forward to running into; Robin, Taryn, Amy and Megan specifically.  It's a lot of fun to wear all the Smash gear around so we can find each other.  This year the kit was beautiful and so easy to spot.  

Thanks for always supporting and inspiring each other ladies!  There were so many of us on the island this year!

Fellow Fishy

The triathlon world is a small world, and you often run into people you know when you least expect it.  Last November Carly ran into Jeremy at Ironman Arizona where she earned a Kona slot.  Since then we've been in touch and it's been so fun.  I haven't really talked to her since we graduated high school so reconnecting has been awesome.  She needed a place to stay on the island for a couple of nights before the rest of her family arrived, so I invited her to stay with me.  We spent two days together checking out the course, wandering the Expo, going to brunches, and doing all things Ironman.  These events are so much better when you get to share them with someone!  Thanks for being an awesome friend Car!

Women for Tri breakfast...with a view!

Introducing her to the Queen K

Checking out the swim course.

Pictures out at the coffee boat!  I made it out there this year and I love this photo.

The expo and Ironman Village

Checking in baby!  Last year this made me cry.  This year I just smiled from ear to ear.

The parade of nations.

The underwear run.  (Actually this was hilarious.  As the runners came back to the finish I noticed they were being led by a five year old kid!  The whole crowd decided to let him take the lead and I thought it was the sweetest thing ever.)

And a final beach shot.  On our last night together we watched the sunset on the beach and it was spectacular.

Heroes of Hawaii

On the event schedule it listed a Heroes of Hawaii event.  I had no idea if it was a dinner, a luau, or what it was.  But I am still trying to experience everything that is uniquely Kona so I went.  I was a celebration of Hawaiian culture.  There were local experts who taught us about coconuts, hula, fabric stamping, lei making, gourd percussion, and so many other fun games.  It felt like a Polynesian Cultural Center experience just on a smaller scale.  I loved it.  

Towards the end of the evening we were privileged to watch some hula dancing by a local studio.  There were nearly ten different dances that were all different styles performed by performers of all ages.  It was beautiful.  My heart was so full and I found myself thinking about my Dad for most of the performance actually and his love for the islands.  

Trying to show off all the fun things I did that night.  My kids would have loved it!

 

Papakolea Green Sand Beach

Taper week looked a little different since I was already on the island.  I didn't have to take travel fatigue into account and I really could just rest that last week.  So what did I decide to do with my time off?  Go hiking of course.  One beach I hadn't been to yet but has been on my itinerary every visit, is Papakolea Green Sand Beach.  In order to reach it, you have to hike three miles each way.  I didn't think the kids would enjoy that adventure when they were here, and other visits it was too close to race day to use that kind of energy.  This time, I had time.  

I needed to be back in Kailua for a massage, so I had to start this adventure really early-like hours before sunrise early.  As I was pulling into the dirt parking lot (after an hour and a half drive in the dark) the sun was just beginning to rise and I saw the most beautiful colors.  

I parked my car and started walking the direction I hoped was correct.  When researching this beach, all of the websites said that in the past you could catch a ride with locals in the backs of trucks for a fee.  Yet in recent years they've been outlawing that as the trucks have been damaging the sand dunes.  I didn't quite know what that looked like, but as I walked on I could see exactly what that looked like.  The ruts made by the tires were sometimes six feet deep.  I have never seen ruts like that.  With the glowing sunrise they had a certain quality to them, but I can see why the parks department wants to protect the land.  

The walk in was so pretty.  The shore was coarse and the waves were rough.  I took my time and enjoyed everything along the way.  

As I was getting close I saw a huge black hill rising up in front of me.  At the bottom of that hill, accessed by two short rickety ladders, was the green sand beach.  I scrambled down the ladders and rocks to reach the sand.  Up close it looked just like crumbled iron pyrite.  It was so pretty.  It had an olive green tint to it, so I can see where it received its name, but it wasn't a striking green.  It was pretty down there.  I watched crabs scramble along the sand as I ate my second breakfast.  I didn't have long to linger and had to head back before I was quite ready to go.  

On the way back I started meeting other hikers coming in and I was glad I had the morning to myself.  At the car I saw the local trucks ready to haul people down to the beach and was even more grateful that I had chosen to experience this my way.  It was such an incredible hike.  Jeremy would have loved it.  The kids probably would have been happy avoiding the sunny, windy, barren hike out there.  I would absolutely go out there again.

 

Two-Step Healing

One problem with putting a lot of type-A, over achieving athletes in one space is that there is bound to be some friction.  Jocelyn decided to fly her family in a week earlier than planned which meant our house was full.  Not only that but by that point in our training we were all a little tired and a little irritable.  It reached a point where I decided it was time for me to leave. It was only a day earlier than planned, but is still meant that I was feeling very lost and hurt.  I spent Saturday night crying because of what happened back at the house, and Jeremy rescued me by finding a convenient hotel for me to stay.  Sunday morning I woke up still feeling bruised from it all.  I went to church, which is always pleasant, and then I wanted to spend the rest of the day somewhere peaceful.  I decided to drive to Two-Step beach because I've always liked the atmosphere there.  Along the way I had a couple of "God is watching out for me" moments.  A barista decided to comp my sandwich, which felt so good because I didn't like to pay to eat out after church.  A man at a farmer's market gave me the last banana malasadas for free and I just started bawling.  Down on the beach I found a quiet place to eat my meal and just watch the moody sea and sky.  

For the first little while I watched snorkelers, then I was pleased to see dolphins come into the bay.  I watched them come up for air, splash around, and even jump and spin for us.  It was exciting.  I wish I could have been in the water with them.  

Once it began to rain I went back to my car feeling much better than I did when I arrived.  Two-Step is special.