Hawaii is known for its warm weather, beautiful beaches and tropical atmosphere. But my side of the island is even better.

Kaneohe boasts breezy trade winds, a breathtaking sailboat-dotted bay and the majestic koolau mountains. The cool weather, hills and diverse landscape make it the perfect place to run. Even in the August heat, I’m blessed about the town I call home.

  
My favorite are my long runs, because I run from the foothills of he koolaus down to the touristy Kailua beach and into the flatlands of waimanalo. I’m either running at the base of Jurassic park-like mountains or along the glittering coastline.

  My 15 mile run last Sunday was he longest I’d ever ran, ever. And the surroundings made it an awesome and surprisingly easy experience! I even picked fruit along the way and munched on mangoes and guava instead of icky chemical energy gels. Plus, there’s a certain beauty to eating fruit right from the land.
  
My 12 mile long run the week before was a little tougher, but still gorgeous. I took a more hilly route and fought some humid rain, but running under the shade of palm trees and along the foothills made it so much better.

I feel so blessed to live where I do. Sure, Hawaii is insanely expensive, crowded and full of tourists, but it’s a totally different life when you choose to make the island home.

Love & Aloha,

Nikki