RAS Update August 2011

     So I did a mini RAS, a little less than half the distance. The course was a 11 mi. Run from Ala Moana beach park to Moanalua Bay in Hawaii Kai. Then directly after I did a 11 mi. Paddle downwind from Moanalua Bay back to Ala Moana beach park. 22 miles of testing really helped me look for what to focus on.
     The answer simply is everything. The run itself almost murdered me. The paddle after was not too bad but because I was so tired from the run I didn't have enough energy to catch "bumps" or open ocean swells correctly to help push me along and make my paddle effecient. In all the run took 2:45min. and the paddle took me 3:12min. My own idea of the time I alloted for this was not too far off from what I predicted which put the run at 2:15-30min. and the paddle at 2: 30min.
      What does this all mean? Well, a co-worker did a good job at putting it in perspective. "You are trying to do too much. You are not ready. You're gonna end up hurting yourself going like this. You have to build your base up." By base she meant strength, endurance, and technique. "You should try and focus on strength training the next couple of months. Try paddling five days a week and weight training/isometrics about 2-3 times a week." As much as it hurt my pride to admit this she was correct, "You have to have a good base to start training from so you can focus on technique especially while learning to catch bumps. You have to get in shape." Again, she was right. The test not only proved her point but slapped me with it.
       As I stand I am in shape to lifeguard but not to go that extra step that I want to take. I could not repute the logic; I see people all the time who try to do more than they are physically capable of doing. They get hurt. I don't want to practice against what I preach to the public on an almost weekly basis.
        The next posts will focus on my training as I come to them. I will go over everything from my diet to my strength training to my technique and cardiovascular training. I hope you come along for the ride, life is good and for all of this training is not only to show all the time and energy it takes to go to the next level but to show perhaps that this is what life is for me; making yourself the best that you can be and enjoying all the steps along the way. Aloha and I hope to one day see you out there in the water. - Paul

Beautiful day today!

Aka moana beach park today. Waves are waist to head high. Swell expected to increase by evening.

RAS Training Grounds

My Training grounds for RAS:
Ala Moana Beach Park/ Magic Island

Ala Moana Beach Park is a beach and park area approximately just over a half mile long located on the Makai(ocean) side of Ala Moana shopping center. With a closed swim channel just over 1k (1000 meters)long and a side park officially known as "Aina Moana park" but known among locals as "Magic Island" it is a good place to run, (both on the sand which is about 3/4 of a mile and on the paved walkway/bike path which once around is almost 3mi.)prone/knee paddle and stand up paddle. It is also a good place to test new equipment such as prone/knee paddle boards, stand up paddle boards, fins, etc... Given that I spend almost all my time there, I couldn't be happier to use the park as best I can to train. I also use it as a start off point for open water swims and paddling to Sans Soucci Beach/Kaimana Beach at the end of the Waikiki area. Sometimes I also go out to the Honolulu Harbor Buoy. {If you want to see my any of my routes that I mention here; follow me on twitter (http://twitter.com/WatermnsJourney) there you can click on my twitter updates and follow my routes on Google Maps.}

Kewalos Basin to Diamondhead Point
This open expanse of water is great for training. Going towards Diamond head from Ala Moana you have to work against the trade winds when paddling or swimming. Given that I will be working against the wind most of the time from Kailua Beach to Kokohead point, its definitely needed! Coming back from Diamond head point towards Ala Moana I can practice "catching bumps" or paddling onto small open water swells to gain extra speed and decrease my time per distance. Even though this stretch is open water and currents/tides/swells do come into play with how I take my route to and from point A to B; it is pretty shallow between the Ala Moana Lagoon and Kaimana Beach. You can see the bottom almost all the time with depths ranging between 4 feet and 30 feet as I go over lava reef fingers sticking out into the open sea. When swimming across this stretch, you can really feel the difference with the currents especially on low tides. More about that on a future swim blog here at waterman's journey.

Ala Moana to Honolulu Harbor Buoy
When I want to see how blue water gets so deep it looks purple, I take a paddle out to the Honolulu Harbor Buoy. The buoy can be seen on the horizon from Ala Moana Beach. It's about just over a mile and a half out there. It has been a good starting point to paddling over open water. I usually take a 12' standard rescue board out there and knee/prone paddle it. Using the stock prone race paddle board I cut good 20 minutes off my time!

Hawaii Kai to Sans Soucci/Kaimana Beach
This is the typical downwind run paddlers of all kinds use from stand up boarders to One man canoes and downwind knee/prone paddle boarders. It is fun and a good place to really get into "catching bumps." With the wind at your back you can really get some speed going down from swell to swell. Once Blackpoint is reached you can get knocked around with swells bouncing off the cliff face. The water is very rough needless to say.

Moana Falls Run (6miles)
Running from Dole St. and the McCulley St. bridge, it is three miles up Metcalf to University Ave. to Manoa Ave. to the Manoa Falls trail head. From there it is an easy run back. It's my starter run to get used to going up steep grades.

Dole St. to Tantalus and back to Dole Street/McCulley (11mi)
This is by far probably one of the longest training runs I'll be undertaking. I am going to try and make it after a few runs up to the Manoa Falls trail. It is absolutely beautiful but also practical with a lot of tree cover to help keep me cool. I'll have to take plenty of water with me though as there isn't much on that long long run in the way of restrooms or water access. This is probably as steep as the Pali Hwy that I'll be running along.

Get your mind right

This is a good article written by Dave Kalama. I definitely will keep this in mind for the RAS coming in August.
Get your mind right

Race Against The Sun

What is the "Race Against The Sun?"
Earlier this month(May 2011), I decided to follow along with my friend Jeff K. and run with him on his own set course he calls "The Race Against The Sun." Beginning at Ala Moana State Beach Park it is a 15+ mile run straight through downtown Honolulu, up the Pali Hwy, then down the old Pali road to Kailua Beach Park. From Kailua Beach Park it is a 23+ mile paddle upwind to Makapu'u point, then around Hanauma Bay,then downwind to Black point, around Diamond Head point, then back to the Ala Wai Harbor Channel to end back up at Ala Moana Beach Park.

If all this sounds like a full day-it is. We will start at day break and hopefully I will be able to make it back just before sunset. I plan on running the course at a 7min/mi pace. Going up the hill over the Pali I am sure I will be slowing down some. The paddle will be the toughest part coming off the run it will be going against the wind which can be grinding! Eventually the wind will be at my back as I come around Hanauma Bay which I am sure will be a welcome relief. In true spirit for Waterman's journey I will be posting up videos of my training for both the run and the paddle portion of this "race." I have already been given good training advice From Jeff K. who has done this course before.

Goggle Map Overview of the Race:
Copy and paste into your browser to see Google Map overview of the race course:
Run portion: http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-advanced-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm?sigupverifyemail=631b5d22842e4efaddd00397f98f161b&username=Watermansjourney#loginbox"
Paddle Portion: http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-advanced-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm?sigupverifyemail=631b5d22842e4efaddd00397f98f161b&username=Watermansjourney#loginbox"

Why do this course?
This course is a good start to learn a few things about what I can do-not only on the water but where my endurance lies. I love a good challenge and challenges like these really help you to put yourself in perspective. It is always a good thing to know what you can do and gives you an idea of how to push yourself to a higher plane of performance. In doing this challenge I can also learn a few other things, like how to train better. It is not enough to just run run run and paddle paddle paddle-although I will not argue that time spent running and paddling will help to improve technique and performance to certain extent. Using a combination of distance runs (paddling/running), sprints, and certain days to focus on technique, I hope to improve not only my endurance speed but also my efficency in paddle strokes and running.

Running and paddling (and swimming) are good indicators of your overall cardiovascular capabilities. To me, they go hand in hand with your ability to push yourself into bigger surf and rougher water conditions. Regarding Ocean Safety-which is what I do for a living; this can mean the difference between making the rescue and getting your victim to shore or wallowing out in the surf and being unable to maintain your job performance. I love what I do and I really, really care about people, I would not want to put people in jeopardy because I only do the minimum. I want to train on and in the water to be the best I can be. As these posts progress, you will find me not only doing longer distance runs and paddles and swims, but also see me push into bigger surf and rougher water conditions. I will talk about training, equipment, conditions and where I stand by what I have done, what I can do, and where I can push myself to go. It is my hope that you also do this for yourself within a safety consientious perspective as well.

Here is the race from my viewpoint as a ocean safety consientious person:
My experience level:
I have limited experience paddling such long distances in open water.
I have limited experience paddling a "stock" prone paddleboard.
I have plenty experience running long distance (although not up to marathon distance) and I have had some training running cross country.
I have plenty experience running over trails as well in cross country.-I need to get back up to speed.
My abilities:
I have had plenty experience making mid distance paddles on a stock rescue boards over the years-so I have a basic idea of what to semi-expect (standby for videos!)
I know how to run decently to make the distance required to get to Kailua.
I am a quick learner and have access to a good stock paddleboard to train on (mahalos to my good friend Bianca S. for lending me a good stock paddleboard to learn on.
I have a good idea how to train to do long distance with help from my friend Jeff K.
I feel that I can do this and can make the effort and time needed to train for this.
My equipment:
I have a borrowed stock paddleboard on loan from my good friend Bianca S. to train on and run the race on. It is a 12' long prone paddleboard by C4 waterman and has been used in races before. It is in excellent shape and designed for distance paddling.
I planned to run in vibram five finger shoes but on the account of short time in which to get them i will just use a good pair of running shoes and jammers to run in. On my paddle I will invest in a good rashguard to stay comfortable and dry.
Most importantly, I will be using a good waterbottle/ camel back and plenty of cliff bars to stay hydrated and keep up my energy.
The Conditions:
The run will mostly take place on flat surface asphalt/cement, and once going down the Pali it will be a slippery trail with mud and wet rocks. The hill going over the Pali is gonna be a bummer to get up and over without fail I am sure. I will just have to spend some time practice running up hills in the Makiki area and running over flat ground in the Honolulu area.
The first half of the paddle will be in roughwater against the wind type conditions. The second half in downwind conditions. Being on the southshore of the island we generally have trade winds blowing from the northeast towards the south/southwest. I will have to spend plenty of time going both with and against the wind. I also need time and experience trying to catch the small bumps going downwind to help me along in improving my time and effeciency paddling.
Respecting The Enviornment
I will be running with Jeff K. during this race but as he is in excellent shape and has the experience running this course I will have a good challenge trying to keep up with him. The run portion follows along the Pali Hwy so keeping an eye out for traffic is a must and the wet trails at the top of the Pali on down I will have to keep an eye out for slippery conditions (it rains a lot in that area) On the water I will have someone following and checking me in from shore with a good pair of Binos at certain waypoints I will have designated by then. I also have to make sure that I can handle going against rough upwind conditions as they can put you out to sea if you can not power through them.
In short;
As You can see I have a lot on my plate, but I have a good idea what to expect and I have been talking to a few people with experience paddling and paddling in the areas that I will be going through. Check back to see where I am at in training. The race is going to be in mid- August 2011. I have a few months but in the words of Robert Frost, "The woods (the seas for me)are lovely, dark, and deep/But I have promises to keep/And miles to go before I sleep/And miles to go before I sleep."

Test video One (1)

Four Principles of Water Safety

In any endeavor, you can usually find basic ideas that always remain true (Principles) to that which you are learning. I spent the last 11 years now in the ocean learning how to surf and swim in it among other things. I spent the last eight as a lifeguard in three different water safety agencies between California and Hawaii. While working with these agencies I learned that there are some common themes that keep recurring when it comes to being safe in open water. I thought about the best way to identify them in a simple and easy to remember manner so that no matter what it is that you are trying to do in the water-you can always think about them as a checklist, or as a guide to help keep you safe. So here goes:

The four principles of water safety are: Know yourself, Know the conditions, Know your
equipment, and Respect the water.

Sounds simple right? Well, there is a lot involved with each of those ideas if you really think about them and keep them in mind. Here is how I think about them:

Know Yourself:
This is more than just a philosophical statement. Knowing yourself means in physical terms, that you know your abilities(i.e. novice, intermediate level), your limitations, and also just as important what your goals are. If you want to learn how to swim out in open water then you need to know how well you can swim in a pool, how comfortable you are in currents, what your endurance level is, etc.. If you want to swim in an open water race then you need an even greater understanding of those things I just mentioned. In surfing this can also mean that you know how much confidence you have in your abilities. You don't want to pull back because you are too scared to make the drop in large waves, you can get hurt by becoming a part of the lip and going head over heels over the falls. You really have to know what you can handle and be prepared for it mentally. I could go on and on with other examples but we need to move on.

Know the Conditions:
This is probably something that you will never stop learning, especially if you decide to move on to greater and more physically demanding activities in the water. Learning the conditions of the water means not only learning the multitude of variables there are (I.e. wind, swell direction, tide, currents, the bathymetry of the bottom, sand bars, reefs, ledges etc) but also what variables to consider for what it is you are doing. Scuba divers don't need to know the size of the waves that are breaking above their heads, but they may need to know what the currents are doing in the area they are diving at that may be caused by the swell causing the breaking waves. Some people spend years learning these things. If you talk to experienced watermen you will be surprised how much information they can tell you about a particular area (of beach and water). There are sailors who can tell you there is a landmass nearby just by looking at the currents around their boat. Knowing the conditions means you develop and fine tune your attention to detail. It means that you study the area (beach and water) that you are going to be doing your water activity in. (I.E. studying your entry and exit points at the beach so you can get in and out safely even if the conditions develop into something more serious and threatening.) Knowing the conditions can make or break your session in the water. Always study the conditions and keep learning about them, especially if you are going to an area that you have never been in before. Moving on....

Know your Equipment:
Talk to any lifeguard or waterman and they can tell you how important it is to know what your equipment can do and what condition it is in. Knowing your equipment means that you take care of it because it takes care of you. (This is probably coming from my Marine Corp days, Ask a Marine what his rifle means to him and you'll see why.) If you were to swim out on a big day at the beach with waves crashing overhead, you don't want to find out that the reason your fins came flying off was because you had swim fins on instead of surf fins-which are designed to work in waves. Nor would you want to realize that you left your fins in the sun all the time and the crystallized rubber cracked and your fins failed you when you needed them the most. That's from a lifeguard's perspective. But you can probably see how this can relate to anything else you would use and rely on in the water. One other thing about knowing your equipment, you should try to learn the tradition of where your equipment came from. This is giving respect to the tradition of those who came before you using whatever it is that you use. (I.E. Tom Blake developing the first hollow balsa paddleboard to surf and workout on in the off-season for waves in California.) I take time to learn as much of the history about surfing, lifeguarding, swimming, etc as I can. It helps you develop a sense of respect for what it is you do, and take pride in doing it.

Respect the Water:
One thing about working with the water, it humbles you. It is also good that it should. When you respect the water you keep in mind the forces of nature, or the will of God or whatever it is that you believe. For this situational awareness is what pops in my head; being aware of what is going on around you at all times. When you forget or become complacent the water will be quick to remind you who is boss. And believe me when I tell you from personal experience, it can seriously injure or kill you when that happens. I've gone out with waves way too big for the board I had (know your equipment, right?) at El Porto in California and I will never forget being dragged underwater along the bottom for what had to be a hundred yards at a time, wallowing in foam and trying to breathe, literally I was fighting for my life. I quickly learned to seriously think about everything I was doing then and on to this day. I was lucky that day and remember it vividly. Be humble. It's that simple. Respecting the water means you come prepared for whatever it is you are doing, getting in shape both physically and mentally (know yourself).

There you have it-the four principles. There is SO much more I could talk about for each of them-eleven years worth of experience. I hope you consider them because they could save your life-they have for me. As I write in this Blog I will probably talk about them a lot, and reiterate them over and over in different ways. They might also work for a lot of other things as well-maybe mountain climbing-I'm sure you have to know all those things before you go risk your life going up and getting into situations on rock faces where all you have to rely on is only yourself or you are responsible to a partner who is with you.