LIHU‘E — Even the more hard-core runners on the island take a 10-mile run seriously, with attention to pace and other factors. Maynard Shea, 53, of ‘Ele‘ele, who had been running 20 miles a day for four months in a
LIHU‘E — Even the more hard-core runners on the island take a 10-mile run seriously, with attention to pace and other factors.
Maynard Shea, 53, of ‘Ele‘ele, who had been running 20 miles a day for four months in a row, recently switched to 10-mile sprints in order to try to build up his speed in hopes of qualifying later this month for the Boston Marathon.
He also hopes to raise funds for the cause of wiping out breast cancer when he makes his first-ever trip to Florida to participate in the Third Annual 26.2 With Donna, The National Marathon To Finish Breast Cancer, Feb. 21, in Jacksonville.
His goal is to finish in three hours, 30 minutes, with the magic mark 3:40 to qualify for Boston, he said.
He has been selling hats, stickers and T-shirts not only to raise travel funds, but also to donate a portion of the proceeds for breast-cancer research, and raise awareness that all should be thankful to live in the paradise that is Kaua‘i, he said.
Many of his friends have been affected by breast cancer, he said.
Shea leaves Thursday for Florida to allow himself time to get accustomed to the climate change, he said.
He finished the 2009 Kaua‘i Marathon in 4:37, has completed the Honolulu and Maui marathons, and is planning on competing in two Florida marathons while he is there.
He said he is thankful both of the Florida courses are relatively flat. The second event is in Miami’s Little Havana district, he said.
An athlete all his life, Shea said he just started walking, then slow jogging and next thing he knew he was running.
“Now I got a cause why I’m running.”
This run is dedicated to those with breast cancer, living or not, and for Hawai‘i and Kaua‘i, he said.
He tries to run in the early morning, usually along Kaumuali‘i Highway, to see the sunrise and beauty of the island. Songs on his personal stereo system help him set and keep an even pace, he said.
An evening shift supervisor and security officer at the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands near Kekaha, Shea talked about his 808 4 Lyfe designs.
“We all diamonds, we all precious and we all special,” he said.
The “808” in the designs is the area code of “the great state of Hawai‘i.” The diamond is a precious stone, and the “4 Lyfe” is so no one will forget where they came from, “how precious we are as people,” said Shea, who last year had those sentiments permanently attached to his skin in the form of tattoos.
A ring of seven smaller diamonds under the main logo represents his children, ages 18 to 32: Stewart, Kimberly, Jocelyn, Marques, Jordan (rapper “Lord Jord”), David and Michelle. Farsyde Tattoo in Hanapepe did the work.
While in Florida, he will stay with his girlfriend, Luba Bozanich, a psychotherapist he met during the 2009 Kaua‘i Marathon.
“She kind of enticed me into going into this one,” he said of the breast-cancer marathon.
He wanted to thank all who have already contributed, and invite any others to call him, 651-5109, or send donations to his mailing address, P.O. Box 473, ‘Ele‘ele, HI 96705.
