...then its back to work, and I am just about ready. Hawaii has been cool and I have enjoyed the break from training but my body hasn't quite recovered the way it should. I have been doing a large volume of water activity, surfing, diving, spearfishing, boogie boarding, body surfing...you name it, I have been doing it. Unfortunately, I haven't rested quite as much as I would have liked and I'm going to do my best to get back to the theme of this trip which was "do less".
My roomate, Brad Walker, and I relocated to the west side of Maui last week and it was a great move. The water on the west side (Lahina) is much more suited for underwater activities and we have speared enough fish to feed us both every night. Lahina is a tourist town, much like most of Maui... but Lahina is virtually all tourists and resorts so the atmosphere and mood over here is much more relaxed and enjoyable. I have just about had my fill with the local "attitudes" and was delighted to hang out with a more pleasant crowd.
The last week was a whirlwind of activities, with alot of help from the Pacific Whale foundation. The week started off with a snorkel tour of Molikini crater and "turtle town" followed by a dolphin cruise out to the island of Lanai. It was a great tour because I saw all 3 species of dolphins out here, bottle nose, spinner and spotted dolphins. The spotted dolphin pod was over 100 in size and they put on an impressive aerial display, jumping out of the water over 10 feet high. Next was a submarine tour of the bottom of reef outside Lahina at 130ft deep and a para-sailing boat ride that was cut short due to a rainstorm. Since then I have been spearfishing everyday for several hours and have collected enough fish to live on for several days, and have gotten a few surf sessions in on the north-west swell that came in the middle of the week.
My coach, Ty Sevin gets to Maui for his vacation tomorrow morning so it will be fun to hang with him and show him around and probably get some quality golfing in. I have exactly 7 days left on Maui and am looking forward to getting back to San Diego and starting my training for the 2011 season. The High Tech High track team should be in mid-fall training and I cant wait to line up a full schedule of training and workouts at the Olympic Training Center. The only remaining question is the condition of my knee...only time will tell if it holds up when I start training...here is me, holding my breath and crossing my fingers.
M++
Who me?
- Mike Hazle
- I'm Mike, an athlete on the Roster of In the Arena, a nonprofit organization that anchors the highest-caliber role models in underserved communities with the aim of effecting positive and lasting change in today's youth. You can view my profile on ITA's site by clicking here, or you can email me by clicking here .