Most folks probably view going on holiday as an opportunity to relax, drink cocktails and work on a lovely mahogany tan. I imagine these folks will also spend a considerable amount of time choosing just the right outfits for these holiday pursuits, and quite rightly so. I, on the other hand, spent a lot of time ensuring that I had packed just the right outfits and accessories for running in 30 degree heat, with a few other 'civilian' items of clothing thrown in for good measure.
Although I'm more than keen to go for a run on various holiday destinations, I also like to ensure that what I'm doing is reasonably safe and spent some time looking on the internet for safe places to run on the 3 islands that we were visiting: Oahu, Big Island and Maui. I needn't have bothered doing this for Oahu, for on the first morning of the holiday I decided to run around the outskirts of the Diamond Head Crater and was among hundreds of other people also walking and running. With severe jet lag and only 2 hours of sleep I was able to run/walk for 55 minutes and was rewarded with my first breathtaking views of Honolulu.
Big Island was a bit more daunting as where we were staying was more isolated and surrounded by little other than dense bush. As I was in the midst of a half marathon training plan, I wanted to keep my fitness up and opted for a run along one of the roads near the south coast of the island one evening. After about 10 minutes I turned back. I didn't feel comfortable as a lone female runner on a country road, with cars passing by and nothing but trees on either side. Every little rustle in the bushes made me jump and every time a car passed by I was convinced they would stop and bundle me in the back. Perhaps I was being a little paranoid but I think in situations like that it's better to trust your instinct and turn back if it doesn't feel safe.
My favourite run on Big Island was quite unexpected and involved running inside a volcanic crater in the Volcanoes National Park. We had visited the national park previously and had seen people walking across the Kilauea Iki Crater from a viewpoint on the crater rim. I longed to be able to walk across those trails; something my husband and I wouldn't have hesitated to do before we had a child. But it would have been a bit much to expect a 4 year old to manage a walk like that in such heat, so we opted for a short, shady walk to the Thurston Lava Tubes instead. Later on that evening, whilst thinking about the long run I needed to do at the weekend, I contemplated the idea of running across the crater I had seen and adding on a run round the crater rim back to the Jaggar Museum. Well, I'm so glad I did as it was one of the best runs I think I've ever done.
I began at the Kilauea Iki Trailhead, with the gas plume of Kilauea in the background and followed the trail to the Thurston Lava Tubes.
At the Lava Tubes I followed the sign taking me down to the crater. This was an exciting experience as never before had I descended into a volcanic crater. Once inside the crater I could feel the heat rising from below and could see steam vents scattered across the crater. The 'path' was marked by piles of stones and undulated over old mounds of lava. I could barely call this a run as every few minutes I had to stop to take photos. When I got to the other side it was so steep that it became a hike back to the rim of the crater where I followed the path towards the Jaggar Museum, past more steam vents, through some forest and out onto the rim for a stunning evening view of Kilauea.
When I finished my run and met up with my husband and little boy at the Jaggar Museum I was told that the volcano was pretty active, that lava could be seen spurting inside the crater and that only 4% of people get a chance to see this. What an incredible ending to a fabulous run.
To me, running whilst on holiday makes me feel really part of the place I am visiting. I no longer look like a tourist as I could be someone that lives there out for their run. There is also something very appealing about being in a country where running and having an active lifestyle is not only common, but the norm. To be greeted with a 'good morning' and a smile from people out walking and running is refreshing. And to be able to ditch the layers and wear a pair of shorts is simply liberating.
