Race reports · 2023 · by Jay
Kailua Beach Shark Chase 2023: 4.4 miles on the sand
The July video calls it a fun shark chase at Kailua Beach. The timing sheet has me first in my age group, less than a second behind Michelle.
This was a beach run in the middle of July, six weeks after Honu, in the week we were easing back into anything that looked like training. The July video calls it a fun shark chase at Kailua Beach, and that's about how it felt: 4.4 miles on the sand, no goal, and nobody watching a pace. The timing sheet tells a slightly different story. I was first in my age group and Michelle was fifth in hers, and we crossed the line less than a second apart, Michelle in front, which tells you we finished it together and also tells you who was in charge of the finish.
Running on sand is a different sport, and 10:53 a mile sounds slow until you've tried to hold it on a beach. Nobody's pace means anything out there, which is the point of doing one of these six weeks after a race where the pace meant everything.