My husband thought it would be fun to do the Great Aloha Run this year and invited our boy to join him. Our boy was excited about the plan and we thought he would do just fine on the 8 mile race course between the Aloha Tower and the Aloha Stadium based on a couple of 5 mile hikes he has done successfully.
However, when race day arrived our boy apparently just wasn’t feeling it. Maybe it was from staying up past his bedtime the night before, or because he had to get up early on race day, or because of the way the stars were aligned…? Hard to say, but instead of the Great Aloha Run my family members did the Great Aloha…what’s the best word…walk…meander…shuffle…carry?
Let’s just say their forward progress was slow. My husband reported that our boy walked about a half of a mile, MAYBE. The rest of the time my husband carried him on his hip or up on his shoulders. He’d taken our Ergo carrier so it would be easy to carry him piggy-back style but apparently our boy boycotted that idea.
Their frequent stops also affected their pace. They stopped for pictures with policemen, fire fighters and mile markers. They stopped for snacks and porta-potties. When our boy was walking he was enthralled with the reflectors on the road, the rock walls they passed and countless other details most of us would overlook and stopped to check out all of them.
Somehow, in spite of all of this, they completed the course before the roads were opened up to traffic. And somehow they BOTH enjoyed the activity and want to do it again next year!
Do it yourself on Oahu:
• You’ll have to wait a year, but the Great Aloha Run is held every year on President’s Day. It is a charity event and proceeds go to local charities. About 20,000 people participate each year.
• My husband’s advice: “If your child’s age qualifies them as a ‘stroller child,’ take a stroller!”
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