1st Event

There's a first time for everyone, and mine was Sunday.

Brown Bear Bash. In the Peaman series of races. 1/3 mile ocean swim followed by a 3.1 mile run.


Making the walk over to Kailua Pier. Gorgeous sunny morning!


Getting ready to hop in the water.


Here goes!


I made it. Swim in 20 minutes or so. I forgot to start my watch.


Getting on the shoes for the run. T-bonz had watched others stand on their towels to dry their feet. I wouldn't have done that. Good tip, coach.


That's me in the black long-sleeved. I totally missed seeing T-bonz on my sprint to the finish. I just wanted to finish the run.


Finished!


Getting signed out.


Here's the turnaround at the mid-point on the run. It took forever to hit the turnaround!

I definitely learned how not to train for an event. With the move and all, I only got in two short jogs in the week before. Yeah that will not work. And the ocean swim is so very different than swimming in a pool. In the ocean there are no walls after 25 meters. No resting. No pushing off the wall. So this first one showed what to improve on: open water swims, transitions, running, training. Everything.

Link to the results in the local paper, West Hawaii Today.

My First Time

Everyone remembers their first time. I hope mine is good too!

My first event of this kind is on Sunday! Only a 1/3 mile swim in the ocean followed by a 3.1 mile run.

Sounds easy enough, yes, but it will be my first time going back-to-back that way. Woohoo!

2 Days

Whoa!

3 Days

"It is Tuesday"
"Nah. It is Threesday"

4 Days

Here is my current top 5 of the most delicious things I have ever eaten...

In no particular order...

Baby back ribs with sides of baked beans and mashed potatoes at Jim n Nicks
Super Jumbo burrito at Alfonso's
Mocaljete Norteno at Mezcal
Carne asada Torta at Real de Minas
Super loco moco at Big Island Grill in Kona

5 Days

Soon!

6 Days

There is still stuff in the house, but we're OK with that. Each thing can be categorized as going on the plane, selling on eBay, donate, or trash.

The final trash pick up service is on Tuesday. Between that and donating stuff we are in a good spot. Anything left in the house after that can be tossed out by our realtor. We still have to be able to live in here until we go on 8/10!

We still have a few small things to do in the house. Paint the molding in a closet, put up a new closet door, fix some molding around the patio door. Small things. All the big painting is done. All the big work is done. Well, when Frank and Max get boarded we have to clean very thoroughly - big task, yes, but relatively small when compared to what we have done.

We ate lunch at Bar Louie today. Trying to use up the gift card and tot card from my winning Rock the Tot. Still a ways to go...

34.. Not Days, Tacos!

After being postponed twice, the next taco eating contest finally went down at Mezcal. There would be 9 guys and 1 girl (Brooke, she of the all-girls taco eating contest in September last year).

We're getting seated. Jimme to my left and Mark in front of me. Find your competition and keep an eye on them.

We're in the first round here. In the first round we had 15 minutes to eat 20 tacos. White corn tortillas, chicken or veggie, cabbage, and a little sauce. We all had to drink a lot of water to get the tacos down. Jimme absolutely flew threw his plate of 20 in 9 minutes! He secured his spot in the finals.

Mark finished 2nd, a second or two before me. Then Brooke. Here I am scooping up the innards. I dropped probably 1/2 of the innards of each taco because the tortillas were shredding apart as you ate them.

Jimme, Mark, and me are waiting to go into the 1st overtime round. In the 3 minute final, before this, Brooke ate a couple and Jimme, Mark, and I each ate 6. So we three were doing it again!

In the 1st overtime (3 minutes again), Jimme ate 5. Mark ate 6. I ate 6. So Mark & I go to a 2nd overtime. In the 2nd overtime, it was 1st to eat 5 tacos. After I ate 2, Mark was on his 2nd and thankfully for me his food came back up and this time he couldn't hold it in. So...

I won my last contest in Colorado! Pretty sweet! Of the 5 individual contests at Mezcal, I won 4 of them (2nd place in the other). And Jimme & I won the Valentine's Day couples contest! My totals in tacos eaten: 28-28-27-27-32-34. My 34 tacos eaten bested the individual record by 4. And it beat the team record (32, held by Jimme & I) by 2! Nice!

Taco Rob rocked the mic for the contest! He was great! Thanks to everyone at Mezcal! Aloha!

And a big hug to T-bonz for coaching me through all these challenges and contests! She couldn't be at all of them but she tried to be at most of them. She puts up with all of my stupid crap I do -- always with the best smile ever! I love you!