As Dina Vento and Barbara Anderson run on Puu Road in Kalaheo, they’re having too much fun. They’re talking, laughing and grinning as they glide along on a warm Monday evening, the miles passing almost unnoticed.
Wait. Aren’t they training for the Kauai half marathon on Sunday? Shouldn’t they be working harder, running wind sprints in a final, grueling workout? Shouldn’t they be focusing on pace and figuring out their splits?
Nah. That wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable as a nice, relaxing run together.
“Look where we live,” Anderson said, looking around at the beauty surrounding her. “We live here and we’re able to train 365 days a year.”
The Kalaheo women aren’t that serious about racing the clock, but they are serious about staying in shape, feeling strong and fit and pushing each other along the way.
For the sixth straight year, they’ll be out there for the 6 a.m. start of Kauai’s largest road race. Some 400 are entered in the marathon, and another 1,300 or so in the half.
Vento and Anderson, longtime friends, are looking forward to a fantastic run at a great event. Both trained a little more this year and expect to beat their personal best of just under two hours.
“We’re going to go faster this year,” Dinah said with confidence.
If they tire, they know where to go for inspiration: They’ll look in their hearts, where they’ll find Kauai’s Malina Pereza, who died at the age of 26 in June after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia type M4.
It is in her honor that Vento and Anderson, as well as some of Malina’s relatives, will be running on Sunday.
“We’re doing this in memory of her,” Anderson said. “She wanted everybody to be healthy in mind, body and spirit.”
They said it’s the camaraderie of the day and the race that makes them want to be part of it. They train with friends, who motivate, encourage and tease each other, start to finish. You’ll rarely see either of these women out running alone. The memorable moments come when they’re running side by side, swapping stories about family, work and life.
“We solve the world’s problems while we’re running,” Vento said.
And faster, too.
Vento was the serious runner who had completed several marathons. Anderson had never been a runner and didn’t think she could run.
Vento convinced her otherwise.
Anderson became a believer — and became a good runner, too.
“She had to train me and I had to be accountable to her. I knew she wouldn’t let me bow out,” Anderson said. “She had to be accountable to me because she had to train me.”
Anderson has completed the Honolulu Marathon twice — and even better, stays well during races, too.
“I used to get sick all the time, but I finally learned how to cure that, so she won’t have to be waiting for me at the bathrooms anymore,” she said, smiling.
They prepared for this race by running several times during the week, and longer runs, 10 miles, on weekends. Both say the half marathon, which includes the uphill through the Tunnel of Trees, is a difficult course early on. They get through the tough, early miles by sticking together. The second half is downhill, so they have more fun, relax, and let their legs free.
Vento and Anderson, by the way, will be easy to spot during Sunday’s race. Both will be wearing tutus that will put them in an adventurous spirit.
“You’ll see us on the course,” Vento said.
They’ll be the ones having the best of times.
