The Odyssey--A Juicy Reward

I picked the Honolulu marathon because, frankly, if I'm going to run that far I wanted it to be somewhere warm and beautiful, with great beaches and even better food. My family all quickly jumped on board and they are using this marathon as an excuse for a winter vacation. Alas, my eldest brother, Andy, and his wife, Rita, who live on the east coast can't make the trip because it is too close to the holidays but we will think of them when we hit our favorite local saimin houses and Leonard's for malasadas. My other brother, Paul, decided to train for the marathon as well, despite the fact that he has a 4-year-old and a 4-month-old to entertain.

Above and beyond the personal satisfaction I will get out of completing this mystical distance, my mother has offered to take my brother and me out to dinner at an incredibly nice restaurant if we finish all 26.2 miles. The restaurant is Orchids at the Halekulani Hotel. I have been dreaming of eating there for years.

This alone, will sustain me at around mile 22 when my legs feel like bricks heading around Diamondhead. This has kept me from calling it quits. You can see the way to my heart, right?