@postaday 149; #postaday2011.

I heard the runner leave early this morning for the Hibiscus Half Marathon, so I slipped out of bed to assess the weather. Wind? Still blowing like an emm eff. Fully committed to a ride each day on this three-day weekend, I knew it didn’t matter. I would have to face the elements. Instead of willingly pedaling into pain, I decided to skip the hills. I launched at 7 a.m. and spent half my time riding into the wind and half my time having it push me along.

My stats, courtesy Garmin Connect:

Here’s my dilemma. If I see someone up ahead and I realize I’m getting closer to them, I know I’m going to pass them. But if I pass them, they get all hu-hu and kick it up. They don’t want to be passed (neither do I!), and they will hang onto me until their testosterone levels are fully restored and then some. Drives me crazy. Why are you riding so lazy ass style that I can catch you and then kick it up to prove your a more manly woman or more manly man than me? Why?

In Aina Haina I passed a pair of guys who were yacking like high school girlfriends and riding at a leisurely stroll. On the highway I noticed they were trying to catch me, so I got out of the saddle and rode away as fast as I could. I just wanna ride. If I diminished your manliness, excuse me! On the way back, I passed a woman I see riding all the time. In fact, whenever I see other women on bikes, I’m convinced they are way better than me. Their equipment is amazing, and they have awesome kits with sponsor names all over them. What’s it like to be them? But today I pass this woman and I expected the fight. So when I passed her, I powered away,attempting to nail another coffin. She had no fight. Good. I win.

John says I’m competitive. I dunno. I just get tired of seeing the rabbits in front of me, and then I hate being a rabbit, too. Haha. Plus, I’m a cutter at heart, right? Certo!

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Today at Diamond Head Lookout I was asked by a woman who was participating in the Hibiscus Half Marathon if I would take her picture. I said, sure, but she’d have to pose with my bicycle the Scatt! She did and she told me what she was doing. Melissa Johnson, she of the Pink Ribbon Tutu, is a travel agent from Florida. She told me she was in Hawaii assessing hotel properties for her clients. This sort of research coincides nicely with her mission to do 12 half marathons in 12 months around the country (subject to lengthen as she is starting to enjoy herself and sees more events on the horizon she’d like to take on), in an effort to promote breast cancer awareness and its research. After I took her photo with her phone, I made her pose with the Scatt for my phone, and I told her I would put her in my blog today.

Melissa, best wishes to you and your philanthropic endeavor. You are a blessing to family, friends, and strangers who see your silly little pink tutu with the ribbons of those women who have struggled with their battle. Aloha & Mahalo for enduring Hawaii’s heat. I’m sure the warmth of those you encounter filled your heart forever.

By the way, John is pleased with his time in the Hibiscus Half Marathon. He’s enjoying a looooong nap on the sofa. Hmmm. I could use one of those!