Cross Training- Hawaiian style

Last month I was fortune enough to be able to go to the Big Island and Oahu. I sacrificed a few morning runs so I could do some hikes (so worth it!). I wanted to keep up with training and my fitness, but also not be too worn out for hiking. My legs aren't strong enough yet to be able to handle everything. Unfortunately with my husband's broken foot (2014 has not been kind to our bodies), long or difficult hikes were not going to be possible. I tried to make the best of it by picking out the short, easy ones with good views.

Kilauea Iki trail

how often can you walk in a volcano crater?

Supposedly a 4 mile hike, although my Garmin put it at 3.43 miles. You start off in the jungle/forest and slowly descend down to the crater floor. It is about 400 feet deep so it's not too bad. Next you walk through the crater, past the vent. It is surreal being on a crater (which originally was 800 feet deep but after the eruption in 1959, filled with 400 feet of ash and lava). The first parts were rough and broken up boulders. The second part was smooth and flat. It was really easy until the end. You climb 400 feet in what felt like .1 of a mile (ok maybe an exaggeration). Lots of switchbacks to get up. Nothing hard, just slightly tiring for our out of shape bodies.


Diamond Head

Honolulu from the top

The gran daddy of the tourist hikes. 1.5 miles round trip. This was not a planned hike, but we had time to kill and decided why not. It is an easy hike up a dirt path. Even though I switched to sneakers, I saw people doing it in flip flops which is definitely doable. You go into the crater first then start at the base and work your way to the top. There are great views of Honolulu from the pillbox. Side note: close to the end there are two routes to the top. The longer, winding incline and going straight up using the stairs. We chose the stairs going up and the path going down.


Lanikai Pillboxes Trail

Kailua on the left, the path in the middle, and Lanikai on the right

Of the three hikes I did in Oahu, this was most like a normal hike and my favorite. It is short, but steep at points. I saw a couple of people in flip flops, but sneakers would really help. There is also no shade past the first part so it can be a hot hike. There are breezes at the top of the ridges, but the trail sometimes is sheltered from them. The views were nice from the start. The Moks (below) and Olomana. 

yes the colors are this awesome

Makapuu Lighthouse Trail

This one barely qualifies as a hike. We woke up early so we could hike up it by sunrise. Unfortunately for us, the clouds got in the way and we never really saw the sun. The trail is short- about 2 miles roundtrip and is paved. It is an incline the entire way, but something every age could do.


Hopefully I will make it back to Hawaii within a few years. While I love the Caribbean for the beaches, I love Hawaii for being an active beach vacation. Hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing, ATV, horseback riding, sailing. I mean I could go on and on about what to see and do there.