Wahiawa Pineapple Run 2011

Today I accomplished another goal on my 101 in 1001 list.  I completed the Wahiawa Pineapple Run 2011!  Now, I can cross this event off.

I had such a crazy, yet amazing day.  In the morning, my best friend and I were running late to the Wahiawa Pineapple Run, frantically searching for nearby parking.  Luckily, she was able to squeeze my car past two other cars, so that we could park in an open area. I can only imagine what others may have been thinking, as I tried to direct her, yelling "watch out for the mirror!" and other cautionary notes.  For next time, I will know to show up at the run much earlier because parking is hard to find.

After parking, we began heading towards the starting line with only minutes to spare.  I was surprised by the amount of people at the run.  I thought there would be many more people, but it seemed like a small-scale event.  I was so glad to have participated in it though because the money is for a good cause and you get a free pineapple in the end. 

While running, I thought it was great to run by many of the places I've only driven past for years.  I haven't been in the area for a long time and felt like I would have an opportunity to experience a neighboring town again.  It was even better running in the morning, towards pineapple fields, while heading down hills with a mountain view.  Then, we ran past a waterfall (man-made, yet beautiful none the less!) and lake Wilson, which I've only seen from a distance.

As I was dying to finish after miles of running, I knew the end would soon be near when I was pleasantly surprised by my best friend who came back to look for me, so we could run at the end together (even though she had already finished 10 minutes earlier!).  It helped motivate me to finish the run faster, even though I felt dizzy after not exercising for weeks.  In the end, it was worth every moment though and I'm so glad to have finished sooner than expected.

After crossing the finish line, it was time to cool down, get some water, a banana, and of course, my pineapple! 

For those of you interested in running in the Wahiawa Pineapple Run, it is a lot of fun!  It is a smaller-scale run, but you'll have an opportunity to run in the "country" and explore a new town, quite different than Honolulu.  Also, the money is for a good cause and it is worth waking up early for, especially once you cross the finish line and receive your pineapple.  Where else can you experience such a unique run?

The potential downside for some runners may include not being close enough to pineapple fields.  Also, you have to be careful because although there are cones and police officers on duty, some cars can still be quite aggressive.

I hope that next year, you might consider running in the Wahiawa Pineapple Run.  The experience itself is worth waking up for, so sign-up next May and join in! You'll be sure to enjoy this unique run.