Instead of on my bike, I spent spring break in Hawaii just relaxing. I learned a few things. First of all, 7 hours in a plane (from Houston to Honolulu) left my butt hurting more than any 6+ hour ride I've been on. And despite the movies, games, magazines, and books available (I ended up reading both of Lance Armstrong's books) to me on the plane, the 7 hour flight was more of a fight against boredom than any ride I've ever been on. I've never been a fan of taking long breaks from the bike, but after the trip was said and done I learned that breaks can actually be a good thing.

Hawaii was great. It was 80 degrees and sunny every day. Compare that to the 40 degrees and raining crap I came home to earlier today. It was great to see so much physical activity around me- people running in the park, riding around town, swimming in the ocean, and so on. There were pedestrians everywhere, something you just don't see that much here in Indiana. And if a trip was out of walking distance there was almost certainly a bus going to wherever you wanted to go. I wish I would have had a day to ride in Hawaii, but I was too busy checking out beaches, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, and typical tourist stuff like that. Besides, could it be that Hawaii would be too perfect for a ride? I mean, if you're not fighting off cold weather, rain, bad roads, or inconsiderate drivers, then how do you feel like you accomplished anything worthwhile?

Isn't it funny how sometimes we even need a break from the things we enjoy the most? I see cycling as a break from the world, so why do I feel refreshed after my break from that break? Sounds like a question for me to ponder while I break out of my break and do a century tomorrow.

Enjoy some pictures. The first one is a bike rack in Oahu. Yes, they all look like that. I loved those. The second one is a view from Diamond Head. The third one is the sunset on the beach. I have no idea who those 2 kids are, but they made for a nice picture.