Yelp 365 Challenge #237/365…read more Since 2011, I've been on a quest to be healthy. From joining up with SOHI Fitness and then reluctantly training on my own, I've actually done 4 runs since then. The Great Aloha. Ford Island Bridge Run. The Color Run. And now I can say...The Spartan Sprint! Aroo! Aroo! What an experience. I knew there would be obstacles. I knew there would be mud. I knew I had to hydrate myself from reading their website blogs especially because from most of their reviews, it's uphills, downhills, over and under the obstacles or shimmy up the obstacles. My experience: Parked my truck. The walk to the site was about a mile and a half. Got my bib and racing chip. Bag check-in: $5.00 with your name and bib number attached (thank goodness). Note: Very organized-thank you! Start line. Stretch. Jump. Leg lunges 1st obstacle: climb 4 foot wall 2nd obstacle: under the wall. Go through water...it's ok 3rd obstacle: climb over 5 foot wall Going through creek/stream. I'm thinking bacteria. I'm thinking of that survival show, Naked and Afraid. Note: I chose not to run and decided to just pace myself because I knew majority of the race was uphill. 4th obstacle: Climb up a netting to get to the path. Run (or walk) 5th obstacle: Slide down into the mud. Climb over and crawl under the barb wire. Note: If you have a hydration pack-I would recommend you leave it with the volunteers as you finish this obstacle 6th obstacle: (around the bend) 6 foot wall. Tried-didn't make it because I cramped. My first set of 30 burpees Tried running up the hill but got seized in cramps...BOTH LEGS and I'm thinking "Oh hell no...I ate all those bananas, wheat bread and Gatorade to be brought down by cramps?!" One girl stopped and massaged my right calf (thank goodness I shaved my legs that morning!) While I'm resting, the group asked if I wanted them to call anyone? NO. I wanted that medal. I shared with the girl to go because I didn't want to hold her up. She reluctantly went but I told her I'd be fine and will just rest for a bit. I drank from my hydration pack that had 4 tabs of the Nuun electrolytes. I got up and walked up. And up. And up. Around the bend for a water station. 7th obstacle: Climb over a seven foot wall. There were young adults so willing to help me over. Yay! No burpees. Run (or walk like me) 8th obstacle: 8 foot wall. Again, young adult and participants going their SECOND time around helped me. YAY! No burpees! Walk down and up. 9th obstacle. Tire pull. (Easiest one) 10th obstacle: Cinder block pull (One block for girls, two for the guys) *easy* 11th obstacle: Monkey bars. Tried it once and fell. 30 burpees. Boooo 12th obstacle: Sandbags. Huff. Huff. Pant. Rest. Huff. Huff. 13th obstacle: Atlantis lift? Carrying a block from one end to the other with 5 burpees. 14th obstacle: Climbing across a wall without falling off. 15th obstacle: Crawl under barb wire in a mud pit (BLECH) 16th Obstacle: Rope Climb. Yeah-I have no upper body strength. 30 burpees. Slide down and run around the bend. 17th obstacle. Slide into mud. Climb a slanted wall with a rope and climb down. Let's just say that I didn't make it and fell onto my back on the side with a cut on my arm. The volunteer told me as I climbed out of the water, "You tried-run on!" I didn't hesitate-I ran. That's right, I wasn't going to say, No, I'll do the 30 burpees" Jump over the fire. Go through the great and wonderful gladiators. Seeing my husband cheering me on was one of the best things to see with the guy holding my medal. Grabbed my finishers shirt (they ran out of headbands) and washed off. Trekked back a mile and half to my truck and knocked out when I got home. Tips for Spartan Races: 1) Train for it especially if you're going for timing. Check out Spartan website for their WOD 2) Hydrate well-don't be stupid and think its ok, it won't be when you cramp up. Read the Spartan blogs-great tips 3) Use shoes that are good for hiking or trail running. I used my Vibrams Sprydion and I love them! 4) Use clothes that have dry-wick NOT cotton. 5) Expect the unexpected and have fun!!! Boom-I did it. If I can, you can too.

My wife and I did the Hawaii Spartan Sprint at Kualoa Ranch along with almost 5000 other people. We…read morearrived at the ranch around 8 a.m. and walked 1.5 miles to get to the staging area and starting line. The surrounding was lush and green with the awsome mountain range as our backdrop. If you've seen Jurassic Park, Kualoa Ranch is where they shot the scene with Dr. Grant and the two kids running from the pack of ostrich like dinosaurs then hiding behind a big fallen tree. Registration tents, packet pick up tents, bag drop, etc. were well organized. Our wave was at 9:45 a.m. so we watched a few waves start there sprint to get a feel for our start. We coudn't wait. There were 15 obstacles and the course is about 3.5 - 4 miles in distance. There were walls of different heights, a river we had to walk through, up and down the side of the mountain, two mud crawl while avoiding barb wires, mud walk, forested trail (single file only), monkey bars, semi truck tire carry and pull back, cement cylinder carry walk and back, pulling cement blocks tied to heavy chain up an around a hill, sandbag carry up and around a hill, dry river bed run, a wooden wall with little wood blocks for grip so you can get across, a ramp with ropes you can use to get up and over, climbing over a stone wall and then a wooden fence over a barbed wire fence, the rope climb starting with your body half submerged in mud and muck, jumping over fire and then the gladiators before the finish line. I probably forgot a couple of obstacles. The terrain and the difficulty of the obstacles made this the most fun race my wife and I have done up to date. We did the Tahoe Mudder back on July '13 with friends and even though the Mudder is 10+ miles up and down Northstar Ski resort, the Spartan Sprint at Kualoa Ranch is a lot more fun. (helpful hint: We run marathons so it came in handy as a lot of people started to loose stamina as soon as they had to run up hills. We just jogged past them as they were winded). Also Spartan has a course for children that is safe and looks fun. We've already signed up for the Super Spartan in Las Vegas, April 2014. Looking forward to more fun with our friends Adam, Peter, Yoshi, Chris, Joe T.

Top 5 Reasons I Love The Warrior Dash: 1. Proceeds go to…read moreSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital 2. Easy registration process online 3. Free beer and entertainment! 4. You can feast on a tasty turkey leg after the run. 5. You get a free t-shirt, viking hat and a medal at the run. Basics: -About a 3 mile mud run with about 15 obstacles. -Obstacles include a lot of climbing and crawling. -Photos are taken throughout the race; you can view photos online about a week after the run. -1 free beer after you complete the run. When you first get there, you turn in your waiver forms and show your ID to pick up your bib/number, free hat and free shirt. You then proceed to another tent to show your ID so you can get your wristband to drink beer. They also offer free back check so you can check your belongings in instead of keeping them in the car. Everything gets dirty at the Warrior Dash, including your car. Parking is in an open field and the field gets muddy, so everything will need a wash after the Warrior Dash unless of course you toss your shoes and clothes which a lot of people do. I've done the Warrior Dash two years in a row now and the obstacles are pretty much the same except they change the order a bit. When you register, you sign up for a certain "wave" which is the time you begin but in all honesty, you can start at whatever time you want. If you show up early, you can begin early as no one is really checking to see what wave you belong in. It seems like all of the obstacles are towards the end of the race. You run through the empty field for a while then you hit a few obstacles and towards the end, the obstacles are back to back with very little running in between. Obstacles include crawling in the dirt under barbed wire, climbing over walls, climbing up cargo nets, repelling down a wooden wall with rope, jumping over fire, and swimming through a mud pond. Overall, the Warrior Dash is a ton of fun. If you don't like getting dirty or are afraid of heights, this isn't the run for you. But if you don't mind getting muddy and like to challenge yourself, this is a run you should definitely sign up for. Just say yes to mud, sweat and beer!

As I type, my shoulders and lats still feel the burn from pulling myself up the ropes and over the…read morewall obstacles, a couple of many along the 3 mile route to the flame jump and mud crawl to the finish. This was my second Warrior Dash race, the last one Michael W. and I completed in Seattle had very similar obstacles but a complete opposite experience, In the Hawaii version, the obstacles were much easier because they were dry (at least they were when we ran at 12) and the run was tough because it was blazing hot. In WA, all of the obstacles were extremely muddy and wet and way more treacherous so I'm glad we ran when we did! The greatest part of this event is they encourage you to party! Don't throw your timing chip away along with your mud-caked shoes - it's a token good for one free beer! I think with experience the event will only get better, this being the inaugural WD in Hawaii I don't think they anticipated the logistical nightmare when at 2:00 or so the skies dumped down tons of rain and thousands of people rushed to their cars to get out causing a 2+ hour logjam of vehicles stuck in the mud and just stuck trying to leave Dillingham Ranch. Otherwise, the race itself and short but fun festivities to follow was awesome.

What an awesome event with aid stations every 17 miles. I did the 100- mile ride, started at 6:15am…read morewith the crowd, stopped, eat, drink and went tot the bathroom at every station, and got back by 3:30pm. At the start, the ride was well organized. Riders lined up accordance to their speed. I lined up at section A which allows me to ride faster. When the started horn was blown, everyone inches forward in order, soon enough, we are on our way. The first aid station was at Sandi beach. Poi donuts were served, unfortunately, I missed it, and followed the police officer's direction to continue left, where the aid station was on the right. The police officers were very helpful in directing traffic, and gave us priority to go first without stopping at the lights. The aid stations also has bike repair and adjustment if you need air or raise your bike seats. When we arrived at the 100 mile turn around, there were Spam Musubis waiting for us, so delicious! On the way back there were also 3 stations to eat, drink and restrooms. Everything was well organized. Highly recommend!

Rode the Century Ride again. I rode it in 2015, 2019 and 2022…read more This was just as good as the first two rides. The HBL does a great job with this ride. They do a fantastic job with instructions at the start and have excellent signage at all of the turns. If you want an extremely scenic ride, I recommend this event. You have great views of the ocean and the tropical environment most of the way. I cycle a lot and highly recommend this event.

Yelp 365 Challenge x 2 #272/365…read more Yelp 100 Review Challenge #16/100 "Bring sally up I bring sally down Lift and squat Gotta tear the ground" I thought of this song as I was running all over Aloha Stadium yesterday getting very intimate with the yellow sections, the orange sections and FOUR of the spirals going up and going down. The "gotta tear the ground" part is probably relating to the total of 120 burpees I did because I did not do the monkey bars, failed epically at the football toss and spear throw, and waved my hand at the rope climb that everyone who was shopping for t-shirts at the Swap Meet could watch. And let me just say...as I sit here at my desk typing this review, my thighs are on fire. Not "this girl is on fire" but my thighs are on fire. My calves are taking a beating, which is why I am using calf compression socks underneath my pants because it helps. Anyhow, they have also held this Spartan Race Stadium Sprint series at Fenway Park and other stadiums around the United States and international (i.e., Mexico), which is 3 miles with 15+ obstacles. Because no mud or trails could be replicated into the stadium scenery, Spartan Race utilized the stairs, the sections, the spirals and the locker rooms to give Spartans and Sparkles (people who were about to become Spartans when they cross the finish line) to make up for the trails that is normally used for their off-course trail races. The starting line began by gate 5 with waves of 15 going every minute to prevent bottlenecking. You started running up the stairs into the north end zone. All zones used (north, Makai, south, mauka) running up and down the yellow sections and orange sections as well as running up or down the four spirals. In between the running up and down the sections and spirals, you encountered the following obstacles (30 burpee penalty if you cannot complete an obstacle): -6 foot wooden walls at the spirals that you had to run up -Tire pull on the third level bridge -Traverse wall -Hercules Hoist (sand buckets) -Monkey bars -Football toss -Spear throw -Water bucket carry -Lava seats /squats -Orange section row climb -Over, under, through the wall (to exit north end zone tunnel) -30 Step ups / jump ups (on the field) -Fifteen burpees in the locker room (south end zone) -Rope climb outside the entrance of the aloha stadium / ticket booth -Hands-free pushups (locker room) -Cargo net climb -Gladiators to the Finish line! What did I earn after I crossed the finish line: -memories that will forever be shared at family dinner because I ran this with my son AND dad! AROO! -A beautiful medal specifically made for this event -A finisher's shirt -Cramping in my calves -A sore body -And short-timer's memory because I have pre-registered for their Spartan Race trifecta weekend event that will consist of the Spartan Sprint (3+ miles); Spartan Super (8+ miles) and Spartan Beast (13+ miles) If you are interested in doing a Spartan Race and have signed up for the upcoming race but unsure of what to do, Spartan Race has free workout of the day as well as food of the day that gives great tips and suggestions to prepare for a race. There is also Spartan workouts that are held at Patsy Mink park in Waipio or HI Life Athletics that you can sign up to join their workout classes. Spartan Race street team also holds outings to Koko Head to build up the Spartan Spirit (AROOOO!) to get you excited and looking forward to race day. Overall: Price: Get the early bird special or look for a Spartan Race Hawaii Street Team member (Me! There are also other yelpers who are part of the Spartan Race Hawaii Street Team too!) for promotion discounts. Staff and Volunteers: Amazing! Pre-race and on-site, they were helpful and encouraging. Recommend: Definitely Obstacle course racing is a great object lesson of life. You have obstacles that you can either stop and not progress or go over, under, or around the obstacle to push through no matter what situation you are facing in life. For me, there is no excuse especially when it comes to life because you have to breathe to live and this is exactly what Spartan Race will teach you. Get off your couch, do something and start living. ***Forgot to add that there was also a small obstacle course for kids on the field and they earn a finisher's shirt and medal too. There was entertainment with music by Chaotic Five and there was also a zipline too!. There were vendors also, which I must make a note to check out Arm Bar(?) because they were giving out samples of their juice***

Tiffany Y always gets the reviews right!…read more Aloha Stadium was a different experience! For me, it was time for me to get a little crazy. I was fortunate enough to have done it TWICE in the same day. I participated in the Hurricane Heat which is the first run of the day. It is untimed. We started with a mini workout and ran the course with the people who put the race together. The second time I did it was the timed event. I actually wasnt sure if I was going to be able to run the second time, which is the one that "counted". My legs were already beginning to feel like jello and running the second time was a little harder because I already knew which parts of the run I was dreading! However, I finished it and in a time that was quicker than I thought. If you run in a stadium, expect to do a lot of bleacher running. I dont want to give up a lot of what we did because it will probably dissuade you from wanting to do it. But dont dog it until youve tried it. Stadium series is gone, you missed your chance...but be ready because theyre back in August, and this time....it will test your mental and physical strength!

What a great Sunday morning run! I wasn't excited about waking up at 4:30 in the morning to make…read moresure we could get parking and jump on the bus, but everything went very smoothly when we arrived. Parking was full in the Park 'N Ride by the time we got there at 5:20, but there was still plenty of parking at Costco. The bus line in the Park 'N Ride was very organized. There were plenty of buses and we only had to wait a couple minutes before boarding. After a short ride to the start line, we met up with our friendly Yelp group members. It was great for us to meet some new Yelp folks and snap a few photos as the sun started to rise. (We missed you, Victoria and Mel!) The sound system was pretty good considering how strong the wind was in the early morning. The race organizers gave some announcements, welcomed us with an oli, and made sure everyone was arranged prior to the start of the race. They reminded everyone that walkers should be in the back, which made for a pretty smooth start once they blew the starting shell. The route was clearly marked and coned off. I loved that they had nice mile markers every half mile for the race, as well as informational signs about important landmarks along the way. The water and juice station was organized, although it would have been helpful to have another rubbish bin if possible. The end of the race was very organized. They called out the names of runners as we crossed and had alsoplenty of hydration and fruits. (The cane water was so good!) The military and service flags at the finish line were a lovely touch, too. They also recycled our timing chips for us. The view was beautiful along the way and I really enjoyed the race, even if that heartbreak hill gave me quite a challenge.

Today's walk turned out to be better than expected with the threat of rain and dark clouds on the…read morehorizon. It turned out to be a cool and breezy walk the whole way. This year they were a little more organized than last year by letting the runners in the road first and then the walkers. Last year, a lot of pissed off runners because everyone was let on the road at the same time thus leaving the runners to zigzag between walkers. This is a fairly easy walk with the exception of the leans in the road is what really gets to me. That would be my only complaint. I did notice they opened up the walkway a bit wider at the bottom of the hill. I would assume they knew they were expecting a bigger crowd and needed to accommodate as much as possible and it was a bigger crowd. I did manage to worst my best time walking by nine minutes. I don't know how that happened because I didn't take pictures along the way. Might have been from Sophie stopping to tie her shoe laces or the Island Princess caramel popcorn the night before. Regardless of the outcome, it was still fun as hell. Lots of water, apple juice, watermelon, bananas tangerines and vanilla wafers to refresh and bring your sugar back up near the Halau. We parked at the bay nearest the bathroom so it wasn't that much if a walk back to the truck after the finish line. Definitely looking forwards to doing this again next year.

This inaugural triathlon was my third 70.3 event, and my best time so far. While it might be easy…read morefor people who are naturally athletic to roll out of bed and swim 1900 meters in the ocean, ride their bikes for more than 56 miles, and then run for 13.1 miles in the blistering heat, I'm a triathlete who struggles with her run. HOWEVER, I have been training with Boca Hawaii since January 2014 for the Honu Ironman 70.4 on the Big Island, and for Kawela. The training has resulted in improvements in all three sports for me, a mere mortal. Kawela was excellently executed. Even the run in the middle of the swim was actually quite fun. I know that some people probably didn't like it, but it made sense to have us run back to the start rather than swim against the current. My time was 18 minutes faster than my Honu swim (counting the run!). I take my time in transitions to be sure I have my nutrition and sunscreen. I don't mind spending a few minutes getting this right so that I do not bonk on the road. It paid off. My bike ride was perfect, despite a broad swath of sand on the North Shore fronting the ocean that had me fishtailing for about 10 feet. I credit time in the saddle for not falling. By the time I'm through with 56 miles on the bike, I'm ready to run. Not that I'm ready to run 13.1 miles ever. I was tired of being on my bike. Compared to other triathletes, my run is my most difficult event. I can pass women in my age group in the swim and the bike, but they all get me in my run. My plan during this off season is to run more. Transition was at Camp Erdman. We exited transition and headed to Kaena Point, then out to Mokuleia Beach Park. We did that three times. I took advantage of the cola, gels, ice and water at all of the aid stations. They never ran out. I also depended upon the aid stations for emotional support. At each of the stations were coaches, volunteer teammates, and Tri-Mates married to triathletes and familiar with the drill. Each of them assessed how we were, encouraged us with just the right push, and ensured we were always safe. I was one of the last triathletes to finish. But I was thrilled to finish faster than my Big Island Ironnman 70.3 events at under eight hours. That's a big deal for me. I also got third place, and I know it's because other women in my age group either struggled, volunteered, or were traveling. While big showy Ironman events do have a lot of swag, sponsors and shiny bright stars, Kawela easily matched them in attention to detail. This included about 50 police officers who cheered us through the intersections. It is so exhilarating when a police officer holds up an intersection of traffic so you can go through. What do you do? Big shakka alohas for everyone! You can ask any super star triathlete who was in Kawela if they thought it was a well-executed race. It was. But what's really important is how the rest of us feel. For an entire day you feel like you're just as super as the fast kids. The awards ceremony began at 2 p.m. and Raul Boca was nowhere to be found. I was a little disappointed, but I'm pretty sure he was out there on the course supporting the last triathlete who was struggling to finish. That's what you can count on with a Boca Hawaii event. That's the sort of relationship you enter when you train with Boca Hawaii. Recommend.

Boca did an awesome job putting on this half. I enjoyed the point to point format. I believe the…read moreswim must have been short, there is no way I swam that fast! I think they were serving warm Pepsi Max on the run, no good. Pepsi Max is a low calorie, sugar-free drink, we need sugar at that point. Mountain Dew was nice, recommend normal, full strength cola, with ICE or at least COLD. Consider taking our run bags the morning of the race. I think there was plenty of time to get our bags to T2 while we were swimming and biking. Run distance markers were off based on GPS. Road support for the bike was excellent. Run aide stations every mile would have been better, that was a hot, shade free run. 1.5 mile aide stations were too far apart. The prerace brief was good, it was advertised as 15 miutes, it was actually 45 minutes. Recommend changing the name , such as, "Kawela Half", "Kawela Half Iron", "Kawela 70.3", or something like that. The name is a little weird. The timing people agree with me based on their website. Overall, it was an excellent first year event. It is nice to have a long course here on Oahu; I will do it again next year!

Whether you live on Oahu or you don't, this triathlon is a must do!!! Do you long for a fun but…read morechallenging course dabbled with gorgeous views and almost no elevation climb? Do you wish we could go back to the races where volunteers are enthusiastic, competitors are encouraging to each other and you walk away with the feeling that you just had the best race ever?? Here it is folks. Raul put together a hidden gem of a race. Imagine swimming with the current, biking along the gorgeous shorelines of the east and north shores of Oahu. Every intersection you hit, a cop is there giving you preference to the cars. Sag wagons are visible more often than needed asking if you need anything. The 13.1 mile run is made up of 2 loops, passing fellow competitors and feeling their pain.. Every mile has an aid station full of Gatorade, water, gels and ice. Although a gorgeous route, the heat is scorching but it paled to the enthusiasm of the volunteers and cheering crowds. This is the ultimate energy boost to get you through the finish line. Finally, at the finish line, music, cheering, and good food await you. What more can you ask for? Oh wait, did I mention the gorgeous finisher's long sleeve dry fit shirt with original artwork and design from Mariane Uyehara? Don't take my word for it, do it! I like saying I told you so.

What a beautiful course! The scenery was a welcome distraction throughout all those miles on the…read morebike. I enjoyed being able to see other athletes multiple times while on the run, especially getting to see the top guys. Usually on courses they are way out in front and you just see them cruising at the finish while you're crawling across the line. It was nice to be able to see them gutting it out alongside you. The volunteers were friendly and encouraging along the way, and thank goodness for all those aid stations! Great organization and race officials kept things rolling smoothly and kept the competitors safety a priority. Massage tables at the end were a great idea!

Yes, you got a t-shirt, hat, and food after the race, but there was nothing given for finishing the…read morerace if you want to call it that. 400 m swim, 12 mi bike, 3.2 mi run. The water temperature was perfect! But the current was wicked! So wicked that swimmers were offered a tow and allowed to finish the race! According to the rules, that's grounds for cheating. If the current was impossible, a decision should have been made to reroute the course or not count the swim towards final completion time. After I finished, I asked a person in charge at the end about getting towed and I was told that if a person looks like they won't place, then they allowed towing! Really??? Also, waiting for the police to clear the road so that you may enter and exit Kamehameha Highway for the bike ride, skews your time. The road was scattered with gravel and broken glass, no one bothered to sweep it before the "race". And the run, although pleasant through the wooded areas, also took you across sand and rocky coral beach. A nice way to end up with a sprained ankle. By the way, the announcer said "its a beginner race" and obviously doesn't take into account how majority of people wouldn't ever attempt a triathlon! If you won't give out a metal for trying, then at least give us some credit! If you want to do a REAL triathlon, don't do the Haleiwa Triathlon! Do the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Triathlon. Not only do you get a completion metal, you are competing against a lot of hard core military athletes that will put you through the test. And Kaneohe Bay is much calmer than Haleiwa during high surf advisories!

1.5 mile run on an angled beach in four inch sand. GRUELING!…read more Other than that, this was a quick sprint tri to get ready for the Honolulu Tri in May. 500m swim, 12mi bike, 3mi run. Free shirt, free hat, free sticker, free mini pack, free water bottle. Food after finishing had all sorts of fruits, muffins, and drinks. Also included some good live music, acoustic style. This was my first time doing this one. It was fairly organized, had police blocking off roads, and there were volunteers throughout the course cheering/handing out refreshments. It's definitely a good beginner tri for those starting out.