It started around 3 in the morning on Presidents' Day. (Actually, for me, it began about 2.5 months previous with getting in shape to run more than 10 feet without puking, but that's another story, sort of.) The drive to Aloha Stadium was quick and parking easy to get at that time. There were many people ahead of us, though. We took a couple of sleepy-eyed pictures of ourselves and got on the bus for the free ride downtown to the starting point at Aloha Tower.

After a two-hour wait, it was finally time to get in position for the race. Finding a spot to start from took quite a bit of time in itself. We just kept shuffling closer to the starting line. The military formation runners took off 10 minutes ahead of time, and then the cannon went of and the people started ... walking. Seemed like at least five minutes before we actually passed the start line, but finally we did and began jogging between and amongst the old, young, able, and not. Soon, Debbie took off on her own nine-minute pace, and I continued to plod along at my 12-minute pace.

The first six miles or so were all flat, and pretty easy going. Going up the first bit of hill, I began to feel the heat of the day and the dizziness that could have heralded a heat stroke. "Neat," I thought, "I'm getting a running overdose. Went straight past the runner's high that those people always talk about." Probably wasn't really that serious, but, seeing as how I wasn't going to win any great prizes here, I slowed to a walk, which was strangely more painful than continuing to run. After five minutes I was able to go on, no problem. Two more hills convinced me to take two more five-minute walks.

Soon after the last water break, Debbie appeared with the camera and got some shots of me finishing. We got separated after I went back inside, but our walkie-talkies got us back together. After a bit of time inside to make sure we didn't win any prizes, we went for pancakes and sausage.

You can go to Great Aloha Run's site, click the link to see the Finishers' Times. Back in 2001, our times would have been there, but that was then and this is now. My time was 1:35:12 (11.67 minute-per-mile), and Debbie's was 1:14:08 (9.09 minute-per-mile). Subtract five minutes for the walk to the starting line and five from mine for the wait at the second group of portapotties. =] I was 4,488 out of 17,942 finishers and 3,145 of 6,668 men and 330 of 716 guys my age. Debbie was 1,461 overall, 271 of 6,450 women, and 46 of 785 in her age bracket. There were 20,352 entrants, 7,620 women and 7,930 men, plus 4,755 "Sounds of Freedom" military formation runners.

I often remember that race, especially when I'm on the treadmill—the sites, the scenery, the thousands of other racers, topping the last hill and seeing the Aloha Stadium come into view, mugging for the official photographers of the race. Fantastic.