My UltraMan Hawaii did not exactly go according to plan this year as I did not finish the race. While I was for a short time disappointed in my DNF this year my reason for entering the race was to travel the circle of Hawaii once again and experience the ohana (family), kokua (help) and aloha (love) that sets UltraMan Hawaii (and Canada) apart from all the other races, both long and short I have been part of. Though not a finisher this year I satisfied my reason for entering.

The nuts and bolts were that I injured my back about 1.5 miles into the 6.2 mile swim. As I swam longer it became increasingly difficult to keep my hips up in addition to kicking. Finally out of the water after watching jellyfish speed by in the opposite direction to my travel for a good hour I got on my bike. The bike is normally my happy place but every revolution of the crank arms reinforced there was something wrong with my back. At last I was off the bike after a very unpleasant 90 mile ride. On the massage table my therapist was surprised at the rock like quality of my low back. Upon rising the next morning and finding myself unable to stand up straight I decided to DNF and race another day.

Injuries are a good thing. The I Ching tells us “the superior man respectfully appreciates the cycles of increase and decrease…external ploys will not put and end to the natural cycle of deterioration. Time will. Nurture your mind and body… Look for wisdom in your acceptance of the times.”

When we injure ourselves it is a call from our body and our mind to pay closer attention to our actions, the processes we are using as we move towards our goals in life. For me getting injured at UltraMan was not planned but rather just something that naturally occurred for some reason not defined or clear to me at present and for a reason that may never make itself known to me.

I am however in control of how I choose to process this turn of events. In 1995 when I dropped out of the Race Across AMerica (RAAM) due to dehydration and bronchial illness I allowed anger to determine my process. 10 years later when I dropped out second race ever I used reflection and meditation to process my feelings. This year I was grateful for all the positive times I had in preparing for and taking part in the race itself. Traveling around the island with the rest of the race (with a stop for a fried rice loco moco in Hilo with Clar) allowed me to celebrate and appreciate the efforts of the Ultramen and UltraWOman (there you go Suzy!) taking on the challenge of the race.

The depth of ohana of UltraMan extends far beyond the three days spent going around the island. An early morning swim and breakfast with Martin and Gary, top quality crewing from Ken, Cicero and Clar, caring massages from Juliet are all part of this family. Seeing the look of happiness spread as a smile across Giorgio Alessi’s face as his brother Ricardo finished his first UltraMan Hawaii serves to illustrate the important role of ohana in this race. The concept of kokua, too numerous to detail, surfaces frequently throughout the event, both in the days before and the days after UltraMan Hawaii.

Standing at the finish line on Day Three I was feeling a bit disconnected from the race, even perhaps a bit lost. We are told that once you are an UltraMan or UltraWOman finisher, you are always an UltraMan or UltraWOman. Despite 2 previous finishes here I was feeling bummed I did not finish this year. As Clar and I stood there our “Ultramom” Jane Bockus came over and placed a lei around my neck and gave me a huge hug. The aloha contained within that hug and lei brought me back to the ohana, the kokua and aloha that makes UltraMan Hawaii unique.

Winter has come full force to the Midwest and it will be a bit until the ice melts and I can ride outside. A Hawaiian Tropic Killer Whale watches me ride in the basement as I train for new adventures. I was once asked about ultras “where does it end?” and I had no definitive answer to the question. I still do not. But Dr. Hunter S. Thompson once said: So we shall let the reader answer the question for himself: "Who is the happier man, he who braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?"

Bring on the storms!

CJ