December 7, 1941 is a day that most people who live in Hawaii remember for it is the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked. I wasn't alive at this time but throughout my schooling it has been a day and time that we learned about. In elementary school I was given an assignment to interview someone that was alive during the attack (I interviewed my grandma) and in high school we read books like Farewell to Manzanaar and also visited the Arizona Memorial for a field trip. Pearl Harbor has always held a fascination for me because of the rich history and all it stands for. When you visit the Memorial and stare down into the depths of the harbor to see the sunken battleship iridescent rainbow oil on the surface of the water you can't help but feel a powerful draw for eternal world peace.
This year was the 15th Ford Island Bridge Run. Back in my non-runner days it's always been a race that intrigued me. The Bridge connecting the main island to Ford Island was built decades ago and cost millions of dollars. It's not a bridge that you drive on often and when you do, there's no stopping. I had the opportunity to run on the bridge last year when we stayed on the Navy Lodge and it was beautiful. The island itself is beautiful as well, with old cottages, the Mighty Mo Battleship and the USS Bowfin submarine (you can tour them as well). The island also is home to the Pacific Aviation Museum. A little museum with planes and rich with information and history. You can also host parties there as our friend Kathy did (great venue!).
Anyhow, it's a run that I have always wanted to do and this year I finally took the plunge and signed up with a bunch of friends. It is the run that almost didn't happen since I was unsure whether I would be able to run 10K so close to my first Half Marathon. However, knowing that the course was relatively flat and with the idea that it was "too crowded" on the bridge to really "race" I signed up with my hubby and my running friends. Two of our friends even signed up to run with their two kids in jogging strollers!!!
The days after the Half Marathon I took it relatively easy and had the mindset that Saturday's Bridge run would be nice and relaxing. I ran a slow 10K on Thursday for my Marathon Clinic homework and felt strong. I was ready for the race.
On race day we woke up early and arrived at Richardson Field to meet our friends. The energy in the air was positive. I had my camera ready and charged because I intended to stop and take pictures of the island and all the history as I ran.
The gun (horn) sounded and we were off to run across the bridge onto the island. Since the bridge is narrow the start was a little harrowing. Some people were walking, some people were stopping with no warning, the bridge was on an incline, and we had to weave in and out of the craziness. I also wanted to make sure that I got some shots of the Arizona Memorial which was just so close to us from the Bridge.
I did the run with my husband and my pacer buddy Sheryl and we ran strong for the race. We were at a less than 10 minute mile pace and my body felt good. At about the 4 mile marker I noticed that my time was good and very near to my personal best that I had recorded for a 10K at the Women's Pacific race a few months ago. I reminded myself that this was supposed to be a slow and easy run for fun. Still...I kept thinking that I was doing well, feeling fine and could run a fast race. At about the 4.5 mile run mark I decided to make my move and picked up the pace. But at mile 5, I looked up and saw the Bridge incline and felt the wind coming down strong and straight at me. I decided to just go for it and started picking people up ahead to pass. I took them down one by one and made it over the bridge and up the last incline back on to Kamehameha Highway. The finish line was just ahead I could go hard but saw the condition of the road; uneven hole-y gravel and a finish line on Richardson Field with more holes. I decided to ease up (smart) and finish.
At the end I felt great and enjoyed all the yummy food they served (popsicles, Portuguese Sweet Bread, chocolate mile, gatorade, bananas) and relaxed with my friends. We stayed for part of the awards ceremony and were stunned to learn that the finishers finished in 35 minutes (we were still on mile 3 at that time!). It was a great race and great day.
When I got home I was a little bummed to learn that I only finished 37 seconds shy of my personal best time. I realized I could have easily beat it if I had entered the race with a different mindset. Nevertheless, it's another fun race that's in the books and run with friends and family. :)
See results here:
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| USS Bow Fin Submarine |
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| Arizona Memorial |
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| Look at the Swag! |
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| Finisher's Shirt |
Great pics! Great job to all of you. That sounds like a great race!
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