Monday, July 31, 2006
Cruising day today. We basically spent the day checking out the boat and eating. We started off with sleeping in, then we went to the gym. Around one, we had showered and went to get “breakfast,” eventually eating in the aqua spa café.
For dinner, this was the first “formal” night. Also, aunty Miki had planned a cocktail party, which included a photographer. Mike looked very handsome in his new suit, and I wore the black strapless cocktail dress. I gather black was a popular color that evening. All the men and almost all the women were in it.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Vancouver to Alaska, Cruise day 1
Sunday July 30, 2006
Vancouver->Alaska
We woke up this morning at 6:00 AM by alarm. We had also scheduled a wake up call at 6:10 in case the alarm didn’t work. When the phone rang, there was nothing on the other end, just silence. Odd, but I guess effective.
We showered, and went down to Main street where we eventually stopped at a café called “Waves.” They only had breakfast burritos, which sounded good in theory, but weren’t so hot in reality. Still, it was a funky little place with decent seating and free wireless internet.
Eventually finishing breakfast, we made our way back to the hotel, checked out and met everyone else downstairs at 9 AM when the bus arrived. We somehow crammed all the luggage in underneath, and drove off, eventually arriving at Granville Island where we had an hour and a half to wander.
The Granville Market is an amazing thing. We were getting rather jealous looking at all the amazing food. It’s a foodie’s paradise with all sorts of fresh fish, sausages, cheeses, fruits, veggies, and just about any other ingredient you can think of. I think we would blow a bundle there if we had a kitchen.
We did buy two bottles of wine at a store there. We took recommendations from a girl with glasses. She saved us when we told her we planned to smuggle them onto the cruise ship. She told us to be sure to put them in checked bags, rather than carry ons as they scan the carryons (she was right, they did). Since we were planning on doing the opposite, we were very grateful for the advice. Even if the wine isn’t so hot, she’s forgiven just for the tip.
After this, we all got back on the bus and went to the mall near the pier. We had 45 minutes there, and Mike and I picked up small bottles of hand cleaner (I couldn’t find mine before we left) and some lip balm (labello, which they don’t sell back home). At the very last minute, we found a Starbucks and I got my final Green Tea Frappacino until we reach a port.
Back on the bus, and 10 minutes later we were off and heading towards customs. The bus driver took care of our luggage, we only had to deal with carry-ons, which was very nice. We had to go through several lines: one for security, one for customs, and one for getting our room key, and then finally on the boat.
The boat itself, The Celebrity Infinity is enormous. It dwarfed the Norwegian Cruise Line boat docked next to it. As we boarded, they provided Champagne and Mimosas. We grabbed a champagne each and headed over to the shore excursions line as we had been neglectful in making those reservations. So, we booked the incredibly expensive glacier trek and a hiking trip, and then headed to our cabin.
Room 9132 is ok. The room itself is nice, oddly enough, the bedspread brings it down quite a bit. The room would look much better with a less threadbear cover, but the rest of it is fine. I do notice the inevitable signs of wear and tear, but we have a balcony and that makes up for a multitude of sins.
We grabbed a late lunch sitting on an outdoor deck in the back of the ship. The food (salad and veggies for us) was quite good and the staff seemed very friendly. We wandered around a bit and entered a give away (which we didn’t win), and eventually made our way back to the cabin where we found our luggage waiting outside the door.
As we unpacked, there was a knock at the door and we met our stateroom attendant, Meriam. It’s strange unpacking to such a degree, but nice to not be living out of a suitcase, which we plan not to touch for the remainder of the trip.
At 5, we had a lifeboat drill where we had to go down to deck 4 (from 9) and stand around listening to euphemisms for “we’re sinking” while we all wear large orange life vests. People on the dock laughed and took pictures, but we know they’re jealous they aren’t coming.
45 minutes later, we were finally back in our cabin getting ready for dinner which was supposed to be a six. While we were getting ready, there was another knock at the door, and Meriam brought in a covered dish which contained chocolate covered strawberries from Mona (the girl we booked the cruise through). Very nice touch. Since we were about to leave for dinner, we put it in the fridge for later.
Even though it was casual night, we still had to put a little effort into our clothes as we can’t wear jeans. It turns out we were the best dressed people at our table. It also turned our that we were the only ones at our table for at least a half an hour. I don’t know what the hell that was about, but apparently the habit of being late doesn’t reside solely in Aunty Lynette.
We went ahead without them and we were into the second course when everyone finally arrived. We are seated with all the family: Aunty Miki, Uncle Stan, Lana, Nicole, Conrad, Grandma, Aunty Keala, and Uncle Harold (who apparently hadn’t been out of his room in three days back at the hotel).
Mike and I had the same things until dessert: Shrimp Cocktail, Tomato Bisque soup, Caesar Salad, Prime Rib, and dessert. I had the Crème Brulee, and Mike had the Raspberry Cheesecake. Everything was excellent, except the salad was too drenched in dressing for my tastes, so I ate very little of it.
Our water’s name is Nestor, but we aren’t sure if that’s his first name or his last. He seems very nice and helpful. He’ll be our waiter for the entire cruise.
After dinner, we went to see Aunty Miki’s room, which is actually a suite as they had grandma with them too. It’s beautiful. There’s a separate bedroom with a walk-in closet and a wide-screen plasma TV. The bathroom has a whirlpool tub and a window to the living room, which has panoramic windows. The rooms are located in the front of the ship and stick out a bit. There is no balcony, but they had floor to ceiling glass and the effect is really something.
Later, we walked around the ship checking everything out and at 11, made our way back to our room. We sat outside with the strawberries and the cheaper of the two bottles. It wasn’t bad. A little more fruity than we’re used to, but a hint on the dry side. Has a great smell. For $12 Canadian, it was way better than the $8/glass wine we had with dinner (the name escapes me). Went well with the strawberries too.
When we finished the strawberries, and were just chatting, we caught the distinctive smell of Marijuana. Leaning over the balcony, I noticed a young guy in a white tee shirt and baseball cap way up ahead on the same floor. He was clearly the one as I saw him take a puff and when he turned and saw me, he pulled away from the railing and neither he, nor the smell made a reappearance.
After describing what I saw to Mike, we both realized that it was likely Conrad. The area we saw him in was about where his cabin is, and I can’t imagine there’s another stupid teenager right around there. We plan to mess with him tomorrow, mentioning in front of others how we smelled pot from our balcony while he’s in earshot. It just blows the mind that he’d be stupid enough to smuggle pot across an international border. I wonder if he realizes what could happen.
So, now it’s about 12:40. We should be in the inside passage tomorrow.
Vancouver->Alaska
We woke up this morning at 6:00 AM by alarm. We had also scheduled a wake up call at 6:10 in case the alarm didn’t work. When the phone rang, there was nothing on the other end, just silence. Odd, but I guess effective.
We showered, and went down to Main street where we eventually stopped at a café called “Waves.” They only had breakfast burritos, which sounded good in theory, but weren’t so hot in reality. Still, it was a funky little place with decent seating and free wireless internet.
Eventually finishing breakfast, we made our way back to the hotel, checked out and met everyone else downstairs at 9 AM when the bus arrived. We somehow crammed all the luggage in underneath, and drove off, eventually arriving at Granville Island where we had an hour and a half to wander.
The Granville Market is an amazing thing. We were getting rather jealous looking at all the amazing food. It’s a foodie’s paradise with all sorts of fresh fish, sausages, cheeses, fruits, veggies, and just about any other ingredient you can think of. I think we would blow a bundle there if we had a kitchen.
We did buy two bottles of wine at a store there. We took recommendations from a girl with glasses. She saved us when we told her we planned to smuggle them onto the cruise ship. She told us to be sure to put them in checked bags, rather than carry ons as they scan the carryons (she was right, they did). Since we were planning on doing the opposite, we were very grateful for the advice. Even if the wine isn’t so hot, she’s forgiven just for the tip.
After this, we all got back on the bus and went to the mall near the pier. We had 45 minutes there, and Mike and I picked up small bottles of hand cleaner (I couldn’t find mine before we left) and some lip balm (labello, which they don’t sell back home). At the very last minute, we found a Starbucks and I got my final Green Tea Frappacino until we reach a port.
Back on the bus, and 10 minutes later we were off and heading towards customs. The bus driver took care of our luggage, we only had to deal with carry-ons, which was very nice. We had to go through several lines: one for security, one for customs, and one for getting our room key, and then finally on the boat.
The boat itself, The Celebrity Infinity is enormous. It dwarfed the Norwegian Cruise Line boat docked next to it. As we boarded, they provided Champagne and Mimosas. We grabbed a champagne each and headed over to the shore excursions line as we had been neglectful in making those reservations. So, we booked the incredibly expensive glacier trek and a hiking trip, and then headed to our cabin.
Room 9132 is ok. The room itself is nice, oddly enough, the bedspread brings it down quite a bit. The room would look much better with a less threadbear cover, but the rest of it is fine. I do notice the inevitable signs of wear and tear, but we have a balcony and that makes up for a multitude of sins.
We grabbed a late lunch sitting on an outdoor deck in the back of the ship. The food (salad and veggies for us) was quite good and the staff seemed very friendly. We wandered around a bit and entered a give away (which we didn’t win), and eventually made our way back to the cabin where we found our luggage waiting outside the door.
As we unpacked, there was a knock at the door and we met our stateroom attendant, Meriam. It’s strange unpacking to such a degree, but nice to not be living out of a suitcase, which we plan not to touch for the remainder of the trip.
At 5, we had a lifeboat drill where we had to go down to deck 4 (from 9) and stand around listening to euphemisms for “we’re sinking” while we all wear large orange life vests. People on the dock laughed and took pictures, but we know they’re jealous they aren’t coming.
45 minutes later, we were finally back in our cabin getting ready for dinner which was supposed to be a six. While we were getting ready, there was another knock at the door, and Meriam brought in a covered dish which contained chocolate covered strawberries from Mona (the girl we booked the cruise through). Very nice touch. Since we were about to leave for dinner, we put it in the fridge for later.
Even though it was casual night, we still had to put a little effort into our clothes as we can’t wear jeans. It turns out we were the best dressed people at our table. It also turned our that we were the only ones at our table for at least a half an hour. I don’t know what the hell that was about, but apparently the habit of being late doesn’t reside solely in Aunty Lynette.
We went ahead without them and we were into the second course when everyone finally arrived. We are seated with all the family: Aunty Miki, Uncle Stan, Lana, Nicole, Conrad, Grandma, Aunty Keala, and Uncle Harold (who apparently hadn’t been out of his room in three days back at the hotel).
Mike and I had the same things until dessert: Shrimp Cocktail, Tomato Bisque soup, Caesar Salad, Prime Rib, and dessert. I had the Crème Brulee, and Mike had the Raspberry Cheesecake. Everything was excellent, except the salad was too drenched in dressing for my tastes, so I ate very little of it.
Our water’s name is Nestor, but we aren’t sure if that’s his first name or his last. He seems very nice and helpful. He’ll be our waiter for the entire cruise.
After dinner, we went to see Aunty Miki’s room, which is actually a suite as they had grandma with them too. It’s beautiful. There’s a separate bedroom with a walk-in closet and a wide-screen plasma TV. The bathroom has a whirlpool tub and a window to the living room, which has panoramic windows. The rooms are located in the front of the ship and stick out a bit. There is no balcony, but they had floor to ceiling glass and the effect is really something.
Later, we walked around the ship checking everything out and at 11, made our way back to our room. We sat outside with the strawberries and the cheaper of the two bottles. It wasn’t bad. A little more fruity than we’re used to, but a hint on the dry side. Has a great smell. For $12 Canadian, it was way better than the $8/glass wine we had with dinner (the name escapes me). Went well with the strawberries too.
When we finished the strawberries, and were just chatting, we caught the distinctive smell of Marijuana. Leaning over the balcony, I noticed a young guy in a white tee shirt and baseball cap way up ahead on the same floor. He was clearly the one as I saw him take a puff and when he turned and saw me, he pulled away from the railing and neither he, nor the smell made a reappearance.
After describing what I saw to Mike, we both realized that it was likely Conrad. The area we saw him in was about where his cabin is, and I can’t imagine there’s another stupid teenager right around there. We plan to mess with him tomorrow, mentioning in front of others how we smelled pot from our balcony while he’s in earshot. It just blows the mind that he’d be stupid enough to smuggle pot across an international border. I wonder if he realizes what could happen.
So, now it’s about 12:40. We should be in the inside passage tomorrow.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Trip: Honolulu->Vancouver
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Last night dad took DH and I to the airport. Our flight was on Air Canada at 8:50, so we dropped off the car at mom and dad's just before 6:30 (after picking up a splitter at radio shack) and then we switched cars and headed over H3. At 7, we pulled up to the terminal and DH and I both rejoiced at seeing no one else unloading. Then we came to a stop, and realized no one was unloading because everyone else was already there. Bummer.
Fortunately, the line moved quickly and we were soon greeted by a very friendly agent. She gave us our seats and when we realized that we were assigned to the middle section with an aisle and a middle seat, we requested different seats. She told us the flight was very full, but she would see what she could do. So she gave us our boarding passes and then told us to find her at the gate in a little while. In all this, she almost forgot to check our bags. She never even weighed them, and we had spent so much effort making sure the big bag was under the limit.
We went and bought Chocolate Chocolate Chip Frappaccino from Starbucks for us to split (earning the envy of a little boy who walked by) and headed for the gate. The agent from before was already there, and she told us we had great timing, and then gave us the window and aisle on the left side of the plane. YAY, no-one sitting next to us! What a nice lady. Mike says her name was Kris. We should write a letter or something.
The flight was uneventful. They served us a meal (only because it was international) and then showed a movie starring Anotonio Banderas (dance something or other). It was ok, although rather formulaic, especially at the end when the kids take over the ballroom.
The flight was just over five hours and the time difference is three hours, so about 5:30am, we arrived in Vancouver. Going through customs was almost a non-event. The line wasn't very long, probably just people from our plane, and they didn't even ask us if we had anything to declare. So, one stamp in our passports later, we were officially in Canada.
Our first order of business was to get some cash, so after an initial misfire, we found a working ATM that eventually took our card once I got mad at it. Then we caught a cab to the hotel, the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel on Kingsway. It's ok. The rooms are rather humble, with the smallest bathrooms I think I've had yet, but there's a restaurant with cheap food downstairs, lots of shops and other restaurants nearby, a free paper, and cheap internet access. Could be worse.
We got to the hotel, and our room wasn't ready yet, so we went to call Aunty M when we discovered our phones didn't work in Canada! Crud. So we asked for the room number for the B family and got three. Trying one, we got Aunty K who came downstairs to get us. We met up with Uncle S for breakfast and then they let us sleep in their room until ours was ready. They went in the bus to go pick people up at the airport and do a little sightseeing.
Eventually, we got a room, slept a while, and then showered and went out. The neighborhood seems slightly seedy, but generally safe. I see a lot of new businesses opening up, and a lot of new condos being built. It looks like it's in a rebuilding period. The new things are all very nice, and the old looks like it's being brushed away.
We tried to get a new sim card for our cell phone, but the guy at the store did a trial run and it didn't work. Our phone seems to have a block on it, so we are trying to get that removed. We also tried to follow one of Rachel Ray's recommendations and try a dim sum place about a mile away, but it appeared to be booked for a wedding. The bride was right at the door greeting people, so we backed out.
Eventually, we just grabbed a slice of pizza and made our way home. We're doing pretty good, ready to sleep some more, but ok. I seem to be coming down with a cold, but hopefully I can avert the worst of it.
Going to bed, planning on watching a movie on the computer.
Last night dad took DH and I to the airport. Our flight was on Air Canada at 8:50, so we dropped off the car at mom and dad's just before 6:30 (after picking up a splitter at radio shack) and then we switched cars and headed over H3. At 7, we pulled up to the terminal and DH and I both rejoiced at seeing no one else unloading. Then we came to a stop, and realized no one was unloading because everyone else was already there. Bummer.
Fortunately, the line moved quickly and we were soon greeted by a very friendly agent. She gave us our seats and when we realized that we were assigned to the middle section with an aisle and a middle seat, we requested different seats. She told us the flight was very full, but she would see what she could do. So she gave us our boarding passes and then told us to find her at the gate in a little while. In all this, she almost forgot to check our bags. She never even weighed them, and we had spent so much effort making sure the big bag was under the limit.
We went and bought Chocolate Chocolate Chip Frappaccino from Starbucks for us to split (earning the envy of a little boy who walked by) and headed for the gate. The agent from before was already there, and she told us we had great timing, and then gave us the window and aisle on the left side of the plane. YAY, no-one sitting next to us! What a nice lady. Mike says her name was Kris. We should write a letter or something.
The flight was uneventful. They served us a meal (only because it was international) and then showed a movie starring Anotonio Banderas (dance something or other). It was ok, although rather formulaic, especially at the end when the kids take over the ballroom.
The flight was just over five hours and the time difference is three hours, so about 5:30am, we arrived in Vancouver. Going through customs was almost a non-event. The line wasn't very long, probably just people from our plane, and they didn't even ask us if we had anything to declare. So, one stamp in our passports later, we were officially in Canada.
Our first order of business was to get some cash, so after an initial misfire, we found a working ATM that eventually took our card once I got mad at it. Then we caught a cab to the hotel, the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel on Kingsway. It's ok. The rooms are rather humble, with the smallest bathrooms I think I've had yet, but there's a restaurant with cheap food downstairs, lots of shops and other restaurants nearby, a free paper, and cheap internet access. Could be worse.
We got to the hotel, and our room wasn't ready yet, so we went to call Aunty M when we discovered our phones didn't work in Canada! Crud. So we asked for the room number for the B family and got three. Trying one, we got Aunty K who came downstairs to get us. We met up with Uncle S for breakfast and then they let us sleep in their room until ours was ready. They went in the bus to go pick people up at the airport and do a little sightseeing.
Eventually, we got a room, slept a while, and then showered and went out. The neighborhood seems slightly seedy, but generally safe. I see a lot of new businesses opening up, and a lot of new condos being built. It looks like it's in a rebuilding period. The new things are all very nice, and the old looks like it's being brushed away.
We tried to get a new sim card for our cell phone, but the guy at the store did a trial run and it didn't work. Our phone seems to have a block on it, so we are trying to get that removed. We also tried to follow one of Rachel Ray's recommendations and try a dim sum place about a mile away, but it appeared to be booked for a wedding. The bride was right at the door greeting people, so we backed out.
Eventually, we just grabbed a slice of pizza and made our way home. We're doing pretty good, ready to sleep some more, but ok. I seem to be coming down with a cold, but hopefully I can avert the worst of it.
Going to bed, planning on watching a movie on the computer.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Tinman Triathlon!
Sunday, July 23rd, 2006
Today, I did the Tinman! I am a triathlete! On the way over, I prayed for no accidents and no flat tires. Not walking on the run and coming in under my predicted time (3 hours) would be bonuses, but no big deal. I got everything I ever hoped for and more. My race went better than I could have imagined. No accidents, no flats, no walking (except through the three aid stations as I have not yet mastered the art of drinking while running), and nine minutes under the time I was shooting for!
I was up around 2:50AM and left the house at 3:30. The race packet said parking would be scarce. They lied. Just after 4, I pulled into the lot we go to all the time for our training days, and it was wide open. Maybe 10 cars were there of about 150 or so stalls. Check in was from 4 to 5:30, so I imagine it filled up not too long after though.
By 4:30, I had managed to get someone to write my number on me and went into the bike area. I got a great spot on my wave's rack right at the end of the rack. It was right in front of the chute that we run through after the swim, so no searching for my bike. I set up my stuff and mentally went through my transitions a few times to make sure I had everything laid out right. I did the standard bathroom run and then got my timing chip from the race organizers.
I was feeling a little uptight at this point, so I lathered on the sunscreen, tucked my swim cap and goggles into my swim top strap, and taking part of a pb&j sandwich, headed for the beach. At this point it was still an hour from my start time at 6:05. I was in the last wave, and happy for it. It was still completely dark, and the idea of swimming in darkness wasn't one I relished, so being last gave the sun a chance to come up. Also, there wouldn't be anyone left to pass me and bum me out. It's all good.
I sat down and leaned against a coconut tree and looked at the ocean. The sky was clear and the water calm. In the darkness, the lights of Waikiki twinkled along the shoreline curving out to the right. It was just beautiful. It seemed that everyone was in their own world, very little conversation, so all was quiet. It struck me again how lucky I am to live here.
After a while more and more people congregated there, and eventually I saw some people I knew. We all talked story for a bit and faster than I would have imagined, the first group was getting in the water. These were the elite athletes along with men 20-30 years old. I never even heard the start, it turns out it was being done by a guy with a bull horn. You don't hear him unless you're in the water. Odd. Anyway, suddenly, the water turned into one of those "piranha" scenes you see in cheesy movies. It started to boil and thrash as they all started to swim. Visually, very entertaining. I was amazed at the speed at which some of these guys can cover 800m. In about 8 and a half minutes, the first guy was dashing out of the water while most of the pack was still at the half-way point.
The crowds parted to let the competitors dash into the chute towards the bike rack. At one point, a couple of guys swung wide and came out way to the side of the chute and the crowd had to point them in the right direction. I guess the leader of that small group didn't sight things quite right and the others just followed him. When he started up the sand, he looked up, saw the crowd (and no chute) and look of befuddlement passed over his face for a second until he took the hint of the people pointing to the side and he dashed off.
One wave at a time, all my friends and training partners went in until eventually I was alone, with a bunch of other people in black caps. This was the 30-34 women along with relays. Excepting a few guys who must have been doing relays, it was all women. The guys made a few comments about how fortunate their circumstances were. We made our way into the water and I was amazed at how warm it was. I've swum at Queen's beach at all different times of the day, and it's always been on the cold side and at least a little murky. Today was perfect. It was like bathwater, and so clear. You could see every detail on the bottom.
The bullhorn announced the one-minute warning, then started the ten second countdown where I started my watch timer, and then we were off. The swim went about as well as could be expected considering it's my first time in a large group start. Since swimming isn't my strong suit, I positioned myself near the back of the pack. I didn't really get kicked, but we all felt each other up a bit before we spread out some. I think I finished somewhere in the middle, but I didn't look back as I ran out of the water and up the beach. I was stripping off my cap and goggles when I saw mom and dad, which was cool as I wasn't sure if they had come (Mike wasn't there as he had to work).
Did my first transition without a hitch and started to dash for the bike exit when I had to grind to a halt for mom to take a picture. I wasn't too happy about that at the time, but I was sure happy about it later (details to come). Out on the bike course, I initially didn't feel too strong. I was heading into the wind down Kalanianaole when I thought maybe I was hungry. So I put a piece of pb&j into my mouth and promptly gagged. Hmmm, that was unexpected, but I persevered and eventually managed to swallow, and...all was well. Don't know why it didn't want to go down, but once in its destination, it was soon converted to fuel.
I went along the course and eventually made my way up heartbreak hill and at the top I caught a second wind. Suddenly, I felt great. I blazed down the hill and started picking people off one by one. One girl tried to pass me back, but I caught her and never saw her again. The return trip was a blast, I don't know why the first half was so whimpy, but I'd rather get better over the course rather than weaken. In what seemed like no time at all, I was heading into the bike chute. I jumped off and started to run, and then there were gumby legs. It seemed that my legs lost all bone structure for a moment and just decided to do whatever they felt like. Ok...so I walked quickly for a few steps and then they were fine again and I dashed off, pausing for another gritted-teeth photo.
2 minutes or so later (and another photo stop) I was out on the run. The run starts with a loop around the zoo and then a left from Paki onto Monserrat which is basically a big long uphill. Oddly enough, I remember almost nothing about going around the zoo. I know I did it, but other than a tiny recollection of some volunteers on a corner, it's like it never happened. The hill on the other hand, I can't forget. It looms above you and your tired legs. So, looking down like an ostrich putting its head in the sand, I labored up the hill. This wasn't going well, but I know this hill always sucks for me and I get better once over the top. Sure enough, at the top of the hill, I hit the first aid station and was soon on the downhill.
Around now I got a decent rhythm and I think my pace increased throughout the run. Even going up diamond head was no big deal and I was able to pass quite a few people, which gave me more motivation. Then you finally hit the corner of Kapiolani park and your brain screams "It's not fair, I'm at the park, I should be done...Where the HELL is that finish line?!" Eventually you round a corner and there it is, so you accelerate (ok, it was imperceptible, I'm sure, but it felt like it), and soon, I was done and someone was molesting my ankle to steal my timing chip.
I walked into the finishers area and the runner who had finished just in front of me leaned over and started heaving. I'm not sure if that means she had a good race or not, but I got out of there rather quickly. The rest of the morning was spent comparing stories and we had a post-race party in the afternoon. I finally went to sleep at 9 last night and slept for 10 hours straight.
The aftermath: My timing chip was defective...AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH. Not happy. They lost all my times except my final overall. Here's where the pictures came into play, each one had a timestamp, and as she took pictures before and after my bike and run sections, I can calculate within 20 seconds or so my times. So here's what I got:
Overall: 2:51:40.9
Swim (800m) and T1: 19:30
Bike (40k): 1:27
T2: 2:10
Run (10k): 1:03
All in all, it was a good day. I don't know what I would have done differently, and as for my first triathlon, I'm very happy with how it all went. Of course, it didn't take me five minutes after crossing the finish line before I started thinking about how I can improve for next year. One year ago I was being a couch potato, and I just finished a triathlon. It's shocking to me, but I'm sure happy about it.
Today, I did the Tinman! I am a triathlete! On the way over, I prayed for no accidents and no flat tires. Not walking on the run and coming in under my predicted time (3 hours) would be bonuses, but no big deal. I got everything I ever hoped for and more. My race went better than I could have imagined. No accidents, no flats, no walking (except through the three aid stations as I have not yet mastered the art of drinking while running), and nine minutes under the time I was shooting for!
I was up around 2:50AM and left the house at 3:30. The race packet said parking would be scarce. They lied. Just after 4, I pulled into the lot we go to all the time for our training days, and it was wide open. Maybe 10 cars were there of about 150 or so stalls. Check in was from 4 to 5:30, so I imagine it filled up not too long after though.
By 4:30, I had managed to get someone to write my number on me and went into the bike area. I got a great spot on my wave's rack right at the end of the rack. It was right in front of the chute that we run through after the swim, so no searching for my bike. I set up my stuff and mentally went through my transitions a few times to make sure I had everything laid out right. I did the standard bathroom run and then got my timing chip from the race organizers.
I was feeling a little uptight at this point, so I lathered on the sunscreen, tucked my swim cap and goggles into my swim top strap, and taking part of a pb&j sandwich, headed for the beach. At this point it was still an hour from my start time at 6:05. I was in the last wave, and happy for it. It was still completely dark, and the idea of swimming in darkness wasn't one I relished, so being last gave the sun a chance to come up. Also, there wouldn't be anyone left to pass me and bum me out. It's all good.
I sat down and leaned against a coconut tree and looked at the ocean. The sky was clear and the water calm. In the darkness, the lights of Waikiki twinkled along the shoreline curving out to the right. It was just beautiful. It seemed that everyone was in their own world, very little conversation, so all was quiet. It struck me again how lucky I am to live here.
After a while more and more people congregated there, and eventually I saw some people I knew. We all talked story for a bit and faster than I would have imagined, the first group was getting in the water. These were the elite athletes along with men 20-30 years old. I never even heard the start, it turns out it was being done by a guy with a bull horn. You don't hear him unless you're in the water. Odd. Anyway, suddenly, the water turned into one of those "piranha" scenes you see in cheesy movies. It started to boil and thrash as they all started to swim. Visually, very entertaining. I was amazed at the speed at which some of these guys can cover 800m. In about 8 and a half minutes, the first guy was dashing out of the water while most of the pack was still at the half-way point.
The crowds parted to let the competitors dash into the chute towards the bike rack. At one point, a couple of guys swung wide and came out way to the side of the chute and the crowd had to point them in the right direction. I guess the leader of that small group didn't sight things quite right and the others just followed him. When he started up the sand, he looked up, saw the crowd (and no chute) and look of befuddlement passed over his face for a second until he took the hint of the people pointing to the side and he dashed off.
One wave at a time, all my friends and training partners went in until eventually I was alone, with a bunch of other people in black caps. This was the 30-34 women along with relays. Excepting a few guys who must have been doing relays, it was all women. The guys made a few comments about how fortunate their circumstances were. We made our way into the water and I was amazed at how warm it was. I've swum at Queen's beach at all different times of the day, and it's always been on the cold side and at least a little murky. Today was perfect. It was like bathwater, and so clear. You could see every detail on the bottom.
The bullhorn announced the one-minute warning, then started the ten second countdown where I started my watch timer, and then we were off. The swim went about as well as could be expected considering it's my first time in a large group start. Since swimming isn't my strong suit, I positioned myself near the back of the pack. I didn't really get kicked, but we all felt each other up a bit before we spread out some. I think I finished somewhere in the middle, but I didn't look back as I ran out of the water and up the beach. I was stripping off my cap and goggles when I saw mom and dad, which was cool as I wasn't sure if they had come (Mike wasn't there as he had to work).
Did my first transition without a hitch and started to dash for the bike exit when I had to grind to a halt for mom to take a picture. I wasn't too happy about that at the time, but I was sure happy about it later (details to come). Out on the bike course, I initially didn't feel too strong. I was heading into the wind down Kalanianaole when I thought maybe I was hungry. So I put a piece of pb&j into my mouth and promptly gagged. Hmmm, that was unexpected, but I persevered and eventually managed to swallow, and...all was well. Don't know why it didn't want to go down, but once in its destination, it was soon converted to fuel.
I went along the course and eventually made my way up heartbreak hill and at the top I caught a second wind. Suddenly, I felt great. I blazed down the hill and started picking people off one by one. One girl tried to pass me back, but I caught her and never saw her again. The return trip was a blast, I don't know why the first half was so whimpy, but I'd rather get better over the course rather than weaken. In what seemed like no time at all, I was heading into the bike chute. I jumped off and started to run, and then there were gumby legs. It seemed that my legs lost all bone structure for a moment and just decided to do whatever they felt like. Ok...so I walked quickly for a few steps and then they were fine again and I dashed off, pausing for another gritted-teeth photo.
2 minutes or so later (and another photo stop) I was out on the run. The run starts with a loop around the zoo and then a left from Paki onto Monserrat which is basically a big long uphill. Oddly enough, I remember almost nothing about going around the zoo. I know I did it, but other than a tiny recollection of some volunteers on a corner, it's like it never happened. The hill on the other hand, I can't forget. It looms above you and your tired legs. So, looking down like an ostrich putting its head in the sand, I labored up the hill. This wasn't going well, but I know this hill always sucks for me and I get better once over the top. Sure enough, at the top of the hill, I hit the first aid station and was soon on the downhill.
Around now I got a decent rhythm and I think my pace increased throughout the run. Even going up diamond head was no big deal and I was able to pass quite a few people, which gave me more motivation. Then you finally hit the corner of Kapiolani park and your brain screams "It's not fair, I'm at the park, I should be done...Where the HELL is that finish line?!" Eventually you round a corner and there it is, so you accelerate (ok, it was imperceptible, I'm sure, but it felt like it), and soon, I was done and someone was molesting my ankle to steal my timing chip.
I walked into the finishers area and the runner who had finished just in front of me leaned over and started heaving. I'm not sure if that means she had a good race or not, but I got out of there rather quickly. The rest of the morning was spent comparing stories and we had a post-race party in the afternoon. I finally went to sleep at 9 last night and slept for 10 hours straight.
The aftermath: My timing chip was defective...AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH. Not happy. They lost all my times except my final overall. Here's where the pictures came into play, each one had a timestamp, and as she took pictures before and after my bike and run sections, I can calculate within 20 seconds or so my times. So here's what I got:
Overall: 2:51:40.9
Swim (800m) and T1: 19:30
Bike (40k): 1:27
T2: 2:10
Run (10k): 1:03
All in all, it was a good day. I don't know what I would have done differently, and as for my first triathlon, I'm very happy with how it all went. Of course, it didn't take me five minutes after crossing the finish line before I started thinking about how I can improve for next year. One year ago I was being a couch potato, and I just finished a triathlon. It's shocking to me, but I'm sure happy about it.
Tinman Triathlon Eve
The race is on Sunday, stupidly, I started getting ready (relatively) late on Saturday. I frittered away the day thinking I had time, and suddenly the hours accelerated, and the day was over. Never again. Next time, I will prep everything two nights before or the morning before the race. I ended up running around gathering things when I really should have already been in bed.
Devoting all that thought to what I needed for the race just amped me up and created a little anxiety where there had been none before. If I had gotten everything ready two nights before, that would give me that time to contemplate anything I had missed, which is my primary anxiety-inducing thought. Also, dashing all over the house gathering things elevates the heart rate, so you're not exactly ready to climb into bed. So, two nights before, from now on!
As it was, I climbed into bed around 9, but couldn't fall asleep until after 11. When you are getting up at 3, that's not good. Fortunately, when I did fall asleep, I slept hard. Not the fitful sleep I had before the marathon. When the alarm went off, I would have liked more sleep, but the adrenaline did the job of getting me up without being too groggy.
What I did right:
- took a shower right before I went to sleep. It's one less thing to deal with in the morning, and it helps to cool you down before getting in bed on a hot night.
- eating - I'm writing this after the race, which went well, so for future record, I'm recording what I ate. On Friday, and Saturday, I drank only water (barring the green tea frappaccino I craved on Saturday morning, oops). I noted what I ate Thursday through Sunday's race. Note that Thursday absolutely sucks nutritionally, but it didn't seem to do too much harm. Friday and Saturday were ok. I think Sunday went almost perfectly nutrition-wise. No bonking, and it seemed I got a surge of energy each time I started to feel weak.
Thursday:
oatmeal
half an eggplant-parmesan sandwich
nachos and margaritas (bad jen!)
Friday:
oatmeal
1 slice thai veggie pizza
thai chicken/veggie curry
Cobb salad
Saturday:
oatmeal
green tea frappaccino
Tuna sandwich on whole grain bread
Veggie whole wheat pasta salad minimal w/ butter/olive oil/white wine sauce (artichokes, broccoli, bell pepper, zuccinni, sun dried tomatos, and capers)
Sunday (race day):
3:15am - oatmeal
3:30-4am - fruit smoothie in car on way to race
5:00am - 1/3 of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
~6:25 (T1) - 1 'espresso love' gu
~7:00 (bike course) - one 1.5" square of pb&j which did NOT want to go down. next time stick to gu.
~7:50 (T2) - 1 'espresso love' gu
packing list:
I used the smaller-than-my-normal-bag pink bag since I was going to need to ride my bike with it. In it, I crammed:
towel (left in the car to cover the seat afterwards)
two rags (one to sit on, one to wipe feet with)
water bottle (to wash feet with)
goggles (bring spare)
swim cap (official one if provided)
helmet
socks
bike shoes
shades
bike jersey
sunscreen
blister-shield
run shirt
running shoes
Misc things that needed to be done the night before:
fill water bottles on bike
lay out clothes: swim top, tri-shorts, long-sleeve shirt, yoga pants, socks, hairband, watch
make pb&j sandwich to eat before race, cut up and put in fridge
put food (3+ gus and opened bag of shot bloxs) in bento box
put sticker number on helmet
put number on bike shirt
put number on run shirt
put number on bike (note, my water bottle was too big and got stuck once the number was on. use a smaller water bottle in the front holder)
get oatmeal bowl ready
mix fruit in container for smoothie and put in freezer
put blender in living room with towel to deaden sound
Misc things that needed to be done on race day:
eat oatmeal
make smoothie
put sandwich in bag
get number written on arm/leg (someone was there to do this)
make sure chip works (hear a beep after going over a mat? this cost me)
Devoting all that thought to what I needed for the race just amped me up and created a little anxiety where there had been none before. If I had gotten everything ready two nights before, that would give me that time to contemplate anything I had missed, which is my primary anxiety-inducing thought. Also, dashing all over the house gathering things elevates the heart rate, so you're not exactly ready to climb into bed. So, two nights before, from now on!
As it was, I climbed into bed around 9, but couldn't fall asleep until after 11. When you are getting up at 3, that's not good. Fortunately, when I did fall asleep, I slept hard. Not the fitful sleep I had before the marathon. When the alarm went off, I would have liked more sleep, but the adrenaline did the job of getting me up without being too groggy.
What I did right:
- took a shower right before I went to sleep. It's one less thing to deal with in the morning, and it helps to cool you down before getting in bed on a hot night.
- eating - I'm writing this after the race, which went well, so for future record, I'm recording what I ate. On Friday, and Saturday, I drank only water (barring the green tea frappaccino I craved on Saturday morning, oops). I noted what I ate Thursday through Sunday's race. Note that Thursday absolutely sucks nutritionally, but it didn't seem to do too much harm. Friday and Saturday were ok. I think Sunday went almost perfectly nutrition-wise. No bonking, and it seemed I got a surge of energy each time I started to feel weak.
Thursday:
oatmeal
half an eggplant-parmesan sandwich
nachos and margaritas (bad jen!)
Friday:
oatmeal
1 slice thai veggie pizza
thai chicken/veggie curry
Cobb salad
Saturday:
oatmeal
green tea frappaccino
Tuna sandwich on whole grain bread
Veggie whole wheat pasta salad minimal w/ butter/olive oil/white wine sauce (artichokes, broccoli, bell pepper, zuccinni, sun dried tomatos, and capers)
Sunday (race day):
3:15am - oatmeal
3:30-4am - fruit smoothie in car on way to race
5:00am - 1/3 of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
~6:25 (T1) - 1 'espresso love' gu
~7:00 (bike course) - one 1.5" square of pb&j which did NOT want to go down. next time stick to gu.
~7:50 (T2) - 1 'espresso love' gu
packing list:
I used the smaller-than-my-normal-bag pink bag since I was going to need to ride my bike with it. In it, I crammed:
towel (left in the car to cover the seat afterwards)
two rags (one to sit on, one to wipe feet with)
water bottle (to wash feet with)
goggles (bring spare)
swim cap (official one if provided)
helmet
socks
bike shoes
shades
bike jersey
sunscreen
blister-shield
run shirt
running shoes
Misc things that needed to be done the night before:
fill water bottles on bike
lay out clothes: swim top, tri-shorts, long-sleeve shirt, yoga pants, socks, hairband, watch
make pb&j sandwich to eat before race, cut up and put in fridge
put food (3+ gus and opened bag of shot bloxs) in bento box
put sticker number on helmet
put number on bike shirt
put number on run shirt
put number on bike (note, my water bottle was too big and got stuck once the number was on. use a smaller water bottle in the front holder)
get oatmeal bowl ready
mix fruit in container for smoothie and put in freezer
put blender in living room with towel to deaden sound
Misc things that needed to be done on race day:
eat oatmeal
make smoothie
put sandwich in bag
get number written on arm/leg (someone was there to do this)
make sure chip works (hear a beep after going over a mat? this cost me)
OTT: #24, 25, 26
This is the final week before the triathlon, and I did no training with the group. Here's what the coach sent out:
Monday: easy 40' T.T. and easy 40' run.
Tuesday: no training. stretch
Wednesday: Swim at Queen's beach (nobody did this as there was the potential for jellyfish that day and we had a group pre-race dinner at Buca di Beppo scheduled for later that evening).
Thursday: short super easy run and bike. One hour max.
Friday: short swim with a couple of bursts of 30-60 seconds. 10-15m total.
What I did:
Swam 1300 on Thursday.
Oh well. Hey, at least the pre-race dinner was good!
Monday: easy 40' T.T. and easy 40' run.
Tuesday: no training. stretch
Wednesday: Swim at Queen's beach (nobody did this as there was the potential for jellyfish that day and we had a group pre-race dinner at Buca di Beppo scheduled for later that evening).
Thursday: short super easy run and bike. One hour max.
Friday: short swim with a couple of bursts of 30-60 seconds. 10-15m total.
What I did:
Swam 1300 on Thursday.
Oh well. Hey, at least the pre-race dinner was good!
Monday, July 17, 2006
OTT #24: Bike/Run
Saturday, July 15
Rode the Tinman route and then we were supposed to do a 15 minute jog after, but I didn't do that part. During the ride, I had an accident and I figured it would be best for me to go get some ice on the knee I banged up.
The accident? There was a dump truck in the bike lane. It extended a little bit into the lane on the left. There was a Mercedes in the lane that was slightly blocked by the truck, but it started to accelerate as if it was going to pass the truck. Seeing this, I looked back to make sure I could merge safely into traffic to get around the truck, and when I looked forward again, the Mercedes had stopped! I ran into the back right corner of the Mercedes and fell over (fortunately, I fell out of traffic).
The Mercedes? It drove away. I don't think they even know I hit them. As they drove off, I noticed a mark on the back. I'm not sure if I dented it, or if it was a dirt line from my tire. If it's a dent, they're sure going to be pissed off when they find it.
As for me, I'm ok, just my knee is a little tender and I have a lot of scrapes and bruises. All should be fine for the race next week though.
Rode the Tinman route and then we were supposed to do a 15 minute jog after, but I didn't do that part. During the ride, I had an accident and I figured it would be best for me to go get some ice on the knee I banged up.
The accident? There was a dump truck in the bike lane. It extended a little bit into the lane on the left. There was a Mercedes in the lane that was slightly blocked by the truck, but it started to accelerate as if it was going to pass the truck. Seeing this, I looked back to make sure I could merge safely into traffic to get around the truck, and when I looked forward again, the Mercedes had stopped! I ran into the back right corner of the Mercedes and fell over (fortunately, I fell out of traffic).
The Mercedes? It drove away. I don't think they even know I hit them. As they drove off, I noticed a mark on the back. I'm not sure if I dented it, or if it was a dirt line from my tire. If it's a dent, they're sure going to be pissed off when they find it.
As for me, I'm ok, just my knee is a little tender and I have a lot of scrapes and bruises. All should be fine for the race next week though.
OTT #23: Swim/Run
Wednesday, July 12
Queens Beach. 1 lap swim. Run the Tinman course (6.2m). This run went great! I ran the whole thing, and I did a good pace. It took just under one hour (shy about 30 seconds), including four stops for water. The last two miles or so, I caught up with Glenn and we pushed each other to the end. It was a good strong pace and at the end he thanked me for pacing him. This cracked me up because I was about to do the same to him. I thought he was pacing me! I guess there's a bit of competitiveness in both of us.
Queens Beach. 1 lap swim. Run the Tinman course (6.2m). This run went great! I ran the whole thing, and I did a good pace. It took just under one hour (shy about 30 seconds), including four stops for water. The last two miles or so, I caught up with Glenn and we pushed each other to the end. It was a good strong pace and at the end he thanked me for pacing him. This cracked me up because I was about to do the same to him. I thought he was pacing me! I guess there's a bit of competitiveness in both of us.
OTT #21: Swim, Bike, Run
Saturday, July 8
Today was a run-through of the entire Tinman course. We met at Queen's beach, both our group and the other Boca tinman group together. So we did the entire swim, bike, and run. We couldn't do proper transitions as there was no-one to watch our stuff.
Here are my times:
Swim 18m
Bike 1h 40m (ugh)
Run 1h (didn't do the whole thing)
I wasn't too happy with how today went.
Swim: I went out too fast. I'm not a fast swimmer and I shouldn't act like it. Going out fast only leaves my winded and floundering, so for the race, I should just cruise along.
Bike: Today was very windy. Between the wind and all the stoplights I got caught at, I wouldn't have expected a good time, but I still didn't expect as slow a time as I got. I wasn't going all out as they told us to do this moderately.
Run: This just sucked. I did the run as they instructed, leaving out the 18th ave-Elepiao section. It took about an hour, but that section probably cut off about a mile. I did a lot of walking up the hills. On flats and downhills I did fine.
In trying to find an explanation for my poor performance, it could be a poor diet the day before or lack of sleep. For some reason, I couldn't sleep at all last night. Perhaps it was the caffeine in the soda I had (although that was around 6pm). As for the diet, I had a high-protein, low-carb dinner the night before and in general, just didn't pay attention to what I ate. I'll have to do better for the days leading up to the race.
Today was a run-through of the entire Tinman course. We met at Queen's beach, both our group and the other Boca tinman group together. So we did the entire swim, bike, and run. We couldn't do proper transitions as there was no-one to watch our stuff.
Here are my times:
Swim 18m
Bike 1h 40m (ugh)
Run 1h (didn't do the whole thing)
I wasn't too happy with how today went.
Swim: I went out too fast. I'm not a fast swimmer and I shouldn't act like it. Going out fast only leaves my winded and floundering, so for the race, I should just cruise along.
Bike: Today was very windy. Between the wind and all the stoplights I got caught at, I wouldn't have expected a good time, but I still didn't expect as slow a time as I got. I wasn't going all out as they told us to do this moderately.
Run: This just sucked. I did the run as they instructed, leaving out the 18th ave-Elepiao section. It took about an hour, but that section probably cut off about a mile. I did a lot of walking up the hills. On flats and downhills I did fine.
In trying to find an explanation for my poor performance, it could be a poor diet the day before or lack of sleep. For some reason, I couldn't sleep at all last night. Perhaps it was the caffeine in the soda I had (although that was around 6pm). As for the diet, I had a high-protein, low-carb dinner the night before and in general, just didn't pay attention to what I ate. I'll have to do better for the days leading up to the race.
OTT #22: Bike/Run
Monday, July 10
Met at Boca for a bike/run day.
Bike:
1' hard, 1' easy
2' hard, 1' easy
3' hard, 1' easy
4' hard, 1' easy
5' hard, 1' easy
4' hard, 1' easy
2' hard, 1' easy (I didn't skip 3, it just wasn't done)
1' hard, several minutes rest
Followed by 10 30" hard, 30" rest intervals.
The run as a 30 minute out and back with hills thrown in as we want. This part went really well. I felt fast and strong. I did a lot of hills and seemed to recover quickly.
Met at Boca for a bike/run day.
Bike:
1' hard, 1' easy
2' hard, 1' easy
3' hard, 1' easy
4' hard, 1' easy
5' hard, 1' easy
4' hard, 1' easy
2' hard, 1' easy (I didn't skip 3, it just wasn't done)
1' hard, several minutes rest
Followed by 10 30" hard, 30" rest intervals.
The run as a 30 minute out and back with hills thrown in as we want. This part went really well. I felt fast and strong. I did a lot of hills and seemed to recover quickly.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
OTT #20: Swim/Run
Wednesday, July 5
Ala Moana swim with drills. Finger-drag, Side-swim, Fist-swim, etc. Then a 20 minute temp run. This went well. I held a decent pace, but Tom had me soundly beat. I discovered I have to go back the way I came because I did a loop and found out that the second half of the park isn't long enough to match the first half, so I had to keep running past the stopping area to make the 20 minutes.
Ala Moana swim with drills. Finger-drag, Side-swim, Fist-swim, etc. Then a 20 minute temp run. This went well. I held a decent pace, but Tom had me soundly beat. I discovered I have to go back the way I came because I did a loop and found out that the second half of the park isn't long enough to match the first half, so I had to keep running past the stopping area to make the 20 minutes.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
OTT #19: T.T./Run
This Monday was the first day of two "hard-weeks." We did the Turbo-trainer workout followed by a run at Kakaako Waterfront park.
Turbo-trainer:
5' on, 1" off (on is at the hardest pace you can smoothly maintain for the time. 95-100 rpm.
4' on, 1" off
3' on, 1" off
2' on, 1" off
1' on, 1" off
Then we did 10 iterations of 30" on, 30" off. The "on" pace was the hardest we could handle. About 95-100rpm.
For the run, we went to the waterfront park. We went to a vent pole at the top of one hill and had to run from there, down the hill, then back up another hill to another vent pole. We just kept going, no rest, up and down, over and over. I don't know how many iterations, but we ran for about 15 minutes.
The coach said this was a big "deposit into the endurance bank." I think I did rather well overall, so hopefully, it bears well for the future.
Turbo-trainer:
5' on, 1" off (on is at the hardest pace you can smoothly maintain for the time. 95-100 rpm.
4' on, 1" off
3' on, 1" off
2' on, 1" off
1' on, 1" off
Then we did 10 iterations of 30" on, 30" off. The "on" pace was the hardest we could handle. About 95-100rpm.
For the run, we went to the waterfront park. We went to a vent pole at the top of one hill and had to run from there, down the hill, then back up another hill to another vent pole. We just kept going, no rest, up and down, over and over. I don't know how many iterations, but we ran for about 15 minutes.
The coach said this was a big "deposit into the endurance bank." I think I did rather well overall, so hopefully, it bears well for the future.
OTT #18: Swim/Run
This Sunday, some people were doing a triathlon at Barber's Point, but the rest of us were to do the workout on our own. It was a 1500m swim and a 4.5 mile run. I did the run first and then the swim. The run went well in spite of it being rather hot out. It was 10AM, but it was a good breeze so it wasn't too bad. I only did 1000m of the swim. The pool opened for lap swim at 11 AM on weekends, and it fills up rather quickly.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
OTT Class #17: Swim/Run, repeat
Met on Wednesday at Ala Moana. We swam for 10 minutes and then ran over to the beach in front of the Hilton. Swam there for 10 minutes (got stung by something along the way), then ran back to Ala Moana and swam a final 10 minutes. I think we went to the other beach to put in perspective how nice Ala Moana really is.
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