By Sean “Peaman” Pagett | Special to West Hawaii Today The past few weeks may have been quiet in our local multisport world, but here at our Frozen Pea Production headquarters we’ve been constantly tossing around ideas and silly things
By Sean “Peaman” Pagett | Special to West Hawaii Today
The past few weeks may have been quiet in our local multisport world, but here at our Frozen Pea Production headquarters we’ve been constantly tossing around ideas and silly things that will help create more fun at our events.
In the Jan. 13 column, I was able to share all the information anyone and everyone would need to “be a pea” from Jan. 29 until July 15. The good news is that we’ve also got eight more fun, free things to do between Aug. 5 and Dec. 30.
As a reminder, all pea events start at 8:03 a.m. All are free with no sign-ups or boring paperwork. All you have to do is pick up a pea schedule at one of our events or The Club in Kona or check out the legendary Rani “The Roadrunner” Tanimoto’s website, bigislandrunning.com. If our calendar leaves you confused — that’s great because you are the perfect candidate to join us in our peabrainitis and peamania.
Part 2 of our pea calendar series starts with our most challenging event.
Held on the first Sunday of August — this year Aug. 5 — The 6.5-mile Pedal Till Ya Puke and Run Till Ya Ralph, 3.5-mile Papa Pea Pedal or Plod and the Mad Dog Mile, which begin on Kaloko Drive, are all challenging, beautiful and, in my peabrain, fun.
We generally have a lot of runners, walkers, road cyclists and mountain bikers, but as always we are ready and willing to create a pod (division) for anyone on a unicycle or someone who wants to run up the mountain backwards.
The Mad Dog Mile honors Peaman Hall of Fame runner Karl “Mad Dog” Honma, who has the record for the most Run Till Ya Ralph victories. Our event theme will be the Tour De France, and when all our winners cross the line we’ll enjoy some stinky cheese, sparkling ciders and, of course, some Swiss or Belgian chocolate.
The third Sunday of August (Aug. 19), our wacky bunch is back at it with The Brown Bear Bash and Sunny Sprint. The 1/3-mile swim and 3.1-mile run bash and the 200-yard swim and one-mile standard pea-wee course sprint both start next to Kailua Pier at the usual time of 8:03 a.m. At this event we honor “Brown Bear” Haspe for his superhuman support of his wife, Sunny, before she passed away from cancer. We, of course, also celebrate Sunny’s love for her family, courage and the loving light that she continues to share with us at every pea event. Wearing bright colors or anything with a bar or sun on it is encouraged.
In September we play again on the second Sunday — Sept. 9. We get to salute the world and honor our Hall of Fame pros Bree Wee and Luis De La Torre. At the Wee and DLT Whirled Peas Biathlon, the 3/4-mile swim and 3.9-mile run and pea-wee course usually attract a few early arriving Ironmen giving us an international feel. We also get to celebrate the start of football season by wearing our favorite high school, college or pro team logos and colors.
October is highlighted by the Peaman Thrash and Dash that takes place 15 days after the Ford Ironman World Championship. This year it will be Oct. 28th. The event theme will be Ironman Fever and, of course, Halloween and all of its merriment.
In November our calendar shows us two fun things to do. The first is the eighth annual Wobble and Gobble Run/Walk. The 6.4-, 3.5- and one-mile run/walk takes place at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Jason and Melissa Braswell of The Big Island Running Co. are the organizers of the event that starts on the Lako Street side of the Walua Road jogging path.
It’s a great way to being a day of gratitude, and it really fires up your brain and belly for a day of good food, football family and fun. For details call 327-9333 or check out bigislandrunningcompany.com.
On Nov. 25, we close out the month with our double biathlon known simply as Post Pigout Peamania. Always the Sunday after Thanksgiving, PPP is a great way to exercise both your brain and body with a clockwise 1/4-mile swim and two-mile run/walk followed by a counterclockwise 1/4-mile swim and two-mile run/walk. The usual pea-wee course is also a two-loop race. All our usual pods will be available and anyone who wants to do just one loop is very welcome to join us in the loony world of peamania.
Finally it’s December and once again we get to be jolly twice.
On Dec. 23, Peaman Ohana family members Rani Tanimoto and Penn Henderson will help us out by hosting the eighth annual Jingle Bell Beach Run. Please make a special note that this fun, free run/walk will start at 7:30 a.m. Both 3.1-and one-mile courses will be out and back along Alii Drive. The theme is simple: jolly, jingles and the love and fellowship of Christmas.
On Dec. 30, our pod comes together to celebrate the day I was hatched with Peaman’s Birthday Bonanza. The 1/2-mile swim and 3.9-mile run/walk and usual pea-wee course start on the beautiful sands of Kaiakeakua Beach right next to Kailua Pier. Like all of our biathlons we will get going at 8:03 a.m. and besides celebrating a slightly belated birthday, we can also be grateful that we’ve been able to enjoy another year of fitness, family, friends and fun.
Call 938-2296 with questions, comments or any creative suggestions. Also please call that same number if you have anything to contribute to our FPP fundraising garage sale on Feb. 11. The huge facility-wide sale will be at Great American Storage and will be between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Our main goal is to share things and stuff not being used with someone who can use them.
Happea birthday Winnie The Pooh who just had his big celebration on Jan 18.
