Research

So, today Ritchie and I went down to http://www.eastcoastkayaking.com/ for a our first real foray into the world of kayaking. Met a couple of great blokes down there who gave us the knowledge, and it seems we'll be back to see them sometime in the next couple of weeks for a full day lesson. Can't wait.

This Saturday

Fellas,

I just contacted Rohan from http://www.eastcoastkayaking.com/. They have a Mirage 580 and a Mirage 530 to try out - $35/hour. They take the rental cost off the purchase price, if we buy from them. He's also got something else there comparable, but he recommends the Mirage 580 for a Bass Strait crossing - he's got his there in the shop fully kitted out for expeditions that we can look at too.

We're booked in for 9am.

First paddle challenge

How about something like this - Hampton Pier to Portarlington Pier, 35.5km?

http://www.eastcoastkayaking.com/events.htm#acrossthebay

Which kayak?

Boys,

It's almost been a couple of months since my last entry. A fair bit has happened; I did the 13.2km Great Train Race (Puffing Billy) on 1st May, but shortly thereafter rolled my ankle and haven't done any exercise since. So I've probably lost all the fitness I built up since the start of Feb, which is pretty devastating.

Anyway, I'm going overseas on the 15th for a few weeks, and while I'm gone I want you to sort out this kayak business. In fact when I get back (22nd July at this stage), I want all this to have been figured out so we can start paddling once a week.

1. Which kayaks will we buy?
2. Where will we store the kayaks (a boat club would be preferable), and how much does it cost?
3. Are rentals an option in the short-term?

This thing looks like the business - http://www.mirageseakayaks.com.au/mirage580.htm - check it out:

Many of these craft have travelled thousands of kilometres - including a non-stop straight line Bass Strait crossing by Stuart Truman in 2008.

DO IT!

Run for the Kids over, what next?

On Sunday I completed the 14.38km course in Run for the Kids. Pretty stoked. It was the first fun run I've ever done and probably the furthest I've ever run in one hit. According to my watch I did it in 1:16:30, however I stopped for a slash just before the Bolte so my official time will be a minute or two longer.

It wasn't actually as bad as I was anticipating, I wasn't particularly puffed at the end of the run, although my legs were killing me so I couldn't run as fast as I would have liked. I've had hip problems recently and it started to show only a few kilometres into the run. I'm an old man... Also it was really congested and I constantly had to slow down until there was an opening to run past. Fitzy and I started together and ran the first 2km in 00:11:30, which is 00:01:30 off the pace I'd normally run. I reckon if I could have just run the course without anyone in my way, and my legs weren't giving me grief, I would have been close to 01:10:00 which was my original goal. So considering the circumstances, I'm happy with my time.

The run itself was great, the weather was beautiful and the view from the Bolte was amazing. The run through the Docklands and along Southbank was really nice too. It was cool running in the middle of the street, quite novel, something you can't do very often. Once a year I guess. 'Eye of the Tiger' was playing as we came into the Docklands, and despite the fact there were Nike posters everywhere which for some reason bothered me, it was actually seriously motivating!

So now that I'm getting fit, I figure should keep this up. I'm doing the Puffing Billy run in a couple of weeks, and I want to do the half marathon in the Melbourne Marathon in October. I picked up a brochure for "Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team" after the race that had a heap of upcoming fun runs on it - http://au.srichinmoyraces.org/

I’m considering doing 1 fun run a month from now until we depart in March. There’s one on 29 May – see http://au.srichinmoyraces.org/events/melbourne

I think you boys should get on board. Otherwise you're going to be so far behind you won't even be able to see the spray from my paddle, let alone eat it. Except maybe Stevo.

And just remember, in the great words of the running sage Sri Chinmoy; “Life is velocity. Therefore I want to run fast, very fast.”

On Track

I ran 11.8km in 59:15 last night - my best so far over that distance - 5:01/km and I'm getting closer to running Run for the Kids in under 70 minutes (14.38km requires 4:52/km). It's less than 2 weeks away now so I probably won't get there, but I'll be close. Feeling good.

Also I weighed myself this morning and I'm 90.5kg, which means I've pretty much lost all the weight I stacked on eating burgers and parma's trying to get over 100kg (I was 90.6kg before I busted my shoulder snowboarding, and I hit 102kg). Need to build up some strength and put on a few kg's in the gym though, we're not running to Tasmania...

Kicking goals!

More Running

Well, I haven't kept up the running 3 times a week, it's more like 1.5-2, but I did 5.5km in 26:10 this morning which is 4:45/km - my best so far. Still a bit off Stevo but I'm sure I'll get there, eventually. Run for the Kids in 2 and a bit weeks!

Not Running

A lot of my friends are preparing for "Run For The Kids"... I'm not.

I haven't been inspired to run since I tripped over a shoelace and injured my knee almost a year ago. I fell crashing to the ground outside the Royal Children's Hospital, it was before 7am and not many people were around, but the construction workers and hospital catering staff did laugh heartily at my expense. I had wounded pride and a f*cked up knee. I haven't run very far since...


It's not like I'm being lazy (still playing soccer on Monday nights, still going to the gym a 2-3-4 times a week) but I am worried about my aerobic fitness will leave me kilometers behind the rest of the guys when we get to kayaking Bass Straight.

That said, what sort of fitness do we actually need to do this kayaking trip? Surely the ability to run with a pack of 10,000 nerds through the city for "Run for the Kids" requires something completely different to 2 weeks of kayaking?

- Nick

Running

Stevo and I ran 5.5km this morning around Albert Park Lake. Did it in 27:10 (4:56/km), although I'm pretty sure Mike could have done it in at least a minute less if he wanted to.

Run for the Kids is fast approaching (http://www.r4k.com.au/), April 17 which is a month away today. That's a 14.38km event and I had it in my head I wanted to do it in under 70 minutes. I think I will seriously struggle to run under 5:00/km for that long, 2 weeks ago I did 11.6km in 1:01:30 which is 5:18/km (plus Run for the Kids has a huge uphill with the Bolte Bridge). I haven't run since then until today... Mistake. I was doing really well from when I started my training in Feb, doing 2 short runs and 1 long run a week (plus basketball twice a week which I'm still doing). It's very easy to let it slip.

I wonder how fit we'll need to be to make this kayak trip...

Documenting the journey

Fellas,

In addition to documenting this journey via text here on the blog, I'd like to capture a heap of photo and video so we can put a big video together at the end. I'd like to record training sessions, planning and general kayaking discussion, actually just anything between now and when we complete the trip.

We're (or at least I am) already about 5 weeks into fitness training now, so I'm not the 102 kg I once was, I think I'm down to about 95 kg now. Still got a bit of a gut though, so I will photograph it for our records!

Speaking of documenting the trip, we need some gear like this:

- http://www.goprocamera.com/
- http://www.launchhelmetcams.com.au/self-contained
- http://www.gadgetbuy.com.au/index.php?/action-camcorders/headcam-head-mounted-mini-video-recorder.html

"Bass Strait kayaking attempt" complete

I set this thing up weeks ago and haven't written anything yet, I thought it was about time.

Interesting news; a bunch of dudes just crossed the Bass Strait in ocean racing skis... The first time ever apparently.

Bass Strait kayaking attempt
Posted Tue Feb 15, 2011 11:50am AEDT
A group of adventurers is preparing to paddle across Bass Strait on ocean racing kayaks, setting out from Port Welshpool in Victoria later this week.
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/15/3139218.htm

Paddlers brave Bass Strait for new record
Updated Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:36pm AEDT
Seven Victorian adventurers have become the first group to paddle ocean-racing skis across Bass Strait.
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/28/3150883.htm