Unlike the New Year’s celebrations on the Island of O’ahu, where firecrackers begin popping about 5 pm today, the crescendo building around 10 pm with fireworks across the sky and at midnight the sound reverberates across the valleys and a blue haze covers the island,and unlike the happy gathering of my family and friends tonight and into New Year’s Day, the end of my running year was a fizzle.

My arrival in Hawaii was two days before the Hawaii Kai Ultra Run sponsored by the Hawaii Running Project. This is a run with participants running four different distances, the shortest being the 1/2 marathon and longest 100 miles. My plan was to do the 1/2 marathon distance as a tempo run, part of my buildup to my spring marathon.

With race dates Saturday and Sunday, December 16 and 17, runners could start as early as 3 a.m. on Saturday or start as late as 11 a.m. on Sunday. I planned to be in Hawaii Kai to start at 6 a.m. Saturday.

Hawaii Kai is a beautiful neighborhood with wonderful ocean views. The run took place near Sandy Beach in Kalama Valley Park. On a 3.34 mile loop, runners run to the valley then back toward the ocean. The Project sets up an aid station mid-course.

\

Alas, my plan fizzled after I left a children’s holiday concert on Friday and within an hour was having chills and fever, flat on my back. Still, I thought if I didn’t feel well enough to run Saturday morning, I could still do a start on Sunday morning. That didn’t happen. Five days later, I drug myself off to urgent care. Finally, two weeks later I feel like I have thrown off this virus and am ready for the New Year. 2023 running may have ended in a fizzle but I will be trainin strong for 2024.

Happy New Year to all and happy and healthy running, hiking, walking, whatever keeps you moving.