25th Annual Great Aloha Run (Walk)

This morning the kids and I were up around 5am to get ready to head downtown to participate in the 25th Annual Great Aloha Run. It's a 8.15 mile foot race....but we loaded up jogging strollers and walked it! My walking buddy Gina convinced us to go with her and her 3 kids. So, here is a recap of our early morning:

4:45 Wake up and get the kids up and ready.
5:20 Left the house
5:40 Arrive at Aloha Stadium
5:40-6:10 Inch through the stadium parking lot waiting for a parking spot.
6:15 Load the bus to head downtown to the starting line

6:30 Got off the bus and started walking the several blocks to the starting point (why the buses couldn't drop us off any closer is beyond me, didn't they know we had a long walk ahead of us!?!?!?!

McKenzie and thousands of people waiting to start!

7:00 Race started, but due to our stroller status, we had to wait until the runners and non stroller walkers got going first. Which was fine, I didn't want to be in the middle of the 20 thousand person mob!

My friend Gina had a double jogger, so her 3 year old and Trevor rode in that. They are the best of buddies, so it worked out perfect. Addison rode in my jogger, and the older kids walked!

Waiting...

7:00-7:30 Walk like crowded cattle up to the starting line.
7:30 Crossed the START line and things finally opened up.

Meridith pushing Addi, McKenzie in the background

It wasn't much after milemarker "1" that the little ones were ready to get out and do a little walking. Helen and Trevor held hands while they walked (ran); safety first!

The first couple miles were great. The sun was just coming up and their was a nice breeze in the air! It was a gorgeous morning!

Meridith pushing Addi, Trevor, Helen, McKenzie pushing an empty double jogger.

Look! Mile marker "3"! Is that all???

9:00am Mile Marker 4... HALFWAY!!!!

We walked under the freeway for about 4 or 5 miles. It was nice and shaded... Then we walked up the on ramp and into the sun. Then as a terrible tease, off in the distance we could see our finishing point...the Aloha Stadium, clear off in the distance!

Addison did great. She was entertained by all the people around her. She even kicked back for a while with her feet up on the stroller tray. Then...between mile marker 8 and 9, she gave up.

10:15am Coming around the bend on the home stretch! Aloha Stadium...what a beautiful sight that was!!!

10:28 Down the ramp to the finish line inside the stadium

10:30 FINISH!!!

Trevor running through the finish line.

Addison at the finish line

I made t-shirts for all the kids the night before. They got lots of attention because of them:
"MY DADDY IS IN IRAQ"

Addison, McKenzie, Helen, Robin, Joe & Trevor in front

We got our finishing t-shirts, free water and donuts, forgot my camera at one of the stations, wiped out and nearly face planted in front of lots of people running back to find it, lost Trevor briefly in the crowd, sat on the curb and snacked and took a breather....and then loaded up and went home. It was a long, beautiful, fun, crazy, exhausting morning.

Trevor was in and out of the jogger a lot. He was probably sitting in it a total of 5 of the 8 miles, but when he was out, with all the running around and back and forth with Helen, I think he made up for the miles he sat. It wouldn't surprise me if he walked a full 8 mile

11:45 Back home
12:30 Naps ALL around!

It was definately an experience! I think the kids had a great time and it's something we will all remember from our time in Hawaii!