Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Train-cation in Maui!

By train-cation, I don't mean rail travel....I mean training while on vacation!  One of the reasons I chose to spend a couple weeks in Maui, apart from escaping the incessant winter rain, was to help motivate my training.  Although I realize that packing lycra and spending copious amounts of time exercising while in tropical paradise is not for everyone, for me it was a chance to re-invigorate my love of running and riding while not worrying about how to effectively cram 14 hours of workouts into a busy work week.

And what a train-cation it was!!  Highly recommended!  Despite the lack of a formal workout schedule I managed to trample over 400 kilometers of pure Aloha fun by foot and pedal.  There was lots of interesting new terrain to explore, some amazing weather and stunning scenery - hence, most of the rides and runs involved a lot of stopping to gawk and take pictures (I will tell you it was to take pictures, but mostly it was to catch my breath).

I was also able to participate in two fun road races to remind myself how hard it is to run fast in Hawaii!  The headwinds, heat and humidity are certainly very challenging and not something that I have been accustomed to during the cold, wet, soggy Vancouver winter.

One of the other *best* parts of train-cation is that the third required triathlon activity known as "swimming sucks" was relegated to fun swims only. Aimlessly following black lines in pools is strictly prohibited while on vacation.....only beach swimming with turtles and dolphins allowed!!  And let me tell you, swimming doesn't suck nearly as much in lovely clear, blue water.

Some favorite pics from traincation!

Amazing ride in Upcountry Maui with sweeping views over the west coast of Maui...
Stunning vistas from the Munro trail in Lanai
Our dolphin greeting in Lanai, hello hello!
Awesome views of the West Maui Mountains
Aah, the red dirt you can never remove from your runners....but worth it!
Sometimes even P2s get beach breaks!
Awesome place for a rest stop in Kapalua!
Although Maui has some incredible beaches, I personally cannot imagine not exploring past the obvious tourist destinations and trying to capture a bit more of the personality of the island.   Certainly the most incredible parts of the island, in my opinion, are those that take a little more effort to pursue - and admittedly I have probably not even scratched the surface of everything that Maui has to offer in the several times I have visited!  The misty forests of Makawao, the rolling greenery of the Upcountry, the vast lava fields in the south and the desolate beauty of Lanai, all taken in by foot or by cycle, are quite the wonder to behold indeed.  The smell of the sea air, the eucalyptus, the birds....what an amazing way to experience the land of Aloha.