Wednesday, November 10, 2010

 

 

Race the Sun II - 140 miles for clean water!

I've been going through all the photos and video this morning - reliving it all. What an intense day.I started At Magic Island on my bike planning to ride around the island clockwise to Makapu'u and then paddle back to Magic Island. Self supported I no longer think its possible unless I want to do most of the paddle in the dark. I was dealing with the trail from hell (quite beautiful unless you're trying to ride across it on a road bike), heat and humidity, strong headwinds,dehydration , a crash and ten flat tires! Somewhere on the North Shore I realized I wouldn't make it back to Makapu'u in time to paddle back. I was disappointed but knew I was going to get back to where I started on my own.

Fifteen straight hours of biking (with a bit of hiking with a bike on my shoulders), most of it with what I thought was a bent rim from the crash ( my back rim was badly scraped and wobbling the last 80 miles but this morning I put a new tire on it and it rides smooth) and I had to rethink my plans. A solo unsupported 140 mile trip around the island was going to have to be good enough because I wasn't going to get to Makapu'u much before dark to do any paddling.

Lots of people thought I should stop. A crash, bent rim, ten flat tires and way behind schedule - everyone would understand.  Everyone except a young boy in some third world country who heard about Blue Planet Network and how they could  possibly bring clean safe drinking water to his village so he and his family wouldn't have to drink out of the sewage pond. 6,000 people a day DIE from not having clean safe drinking water, mostly children. I was biking and thinking what I would say to this boy about why I didn't finish, about why I couldn't raise enough money to help his village. I was going to finish if I had to crawl back.

Now you have to do your part. Thirty dollars is I'm asking. My Goal is $25,000 by the end of March. Please donate
This adventure has been a great learning experience and I intend to blog about all the details and everything I learned about fitness and endurance adventures in the days to come. Check back for that.

With a sincere desire to help raise awareness and funds for the many in our world who do not have access to clean, safe drinking water, I will go on various endurance adventures including running, swimming, biking and paddeling around the Hawaiian Islands that will total, in miles, 2817 and will complete this challenge before my 51st birthday on March 28, 2011. For all of my efforts I simply ask that you imagine a life without clean water, read some of the info on the website and then make a donation of at least $30 to Blue Planet Run to help toward my $20,000 goal.


Read the Full Story Here

Why Blue Planet Run?  


I've been getting lots of questions about my 2817 mile challenge.

If you didn't read my original post describing what I'm up to and why, please read it here.
Basically I was inspired by a  young lady who ROWED across the Atlantic Ocean. Because of family and career responsibilities I can't row the Atlantic or any other ocean.  Katie Spotz rowed an amazing 2817 miles and did it to raise awareness and funds (over $80,000) for Blue Planet Run, an organization dedicated to bringing clean safe drinking water to those around the world who do not have it.
I'm going to stay at home here in Hawaii and go on 2817 miles of adventures (before April of 2011) to raise money for the same cause. My current goal is to raise $25,000.

What kind of Adventures count toward your total?
I'm not just going to count every mile I move over the coming year so I came up with a list of "adventure guidelines" :
Paddleboard, kayak or OC1 - 10 mile minimum to be counted
Swimming - 3 mile open ocean to count
Running or hiking - 8 miles to count
biking - 20 miles in a day to count
Sailing canoe or Sport catamaran - 20 miles to count.
Nothing in a car or plane counts. Physical endurance adventures only.All adventures will reflect my respect and love for these beautiful islands.I'll be taking lots of pictures and video.

Some Adventures will be near the minimum as I do have a family, job and a business to attend to. Some will be island to island paddles and some adventures all the way around Oahu. Scroll back on this blog to get some ideas of my past adventures

Why Blue Planet Run as a cause?
I did my homework. Blue Planet Run has an impeccable international reputation for using funds donated honestly and wisely. They have only a few managers and lots of workers in the field. The projects are openly explained and peer reviewed. They got their name from the way they started off raising money, with an around the world run. And now many hundreds of thousands have clean drinking water who otherwise wouldn't. I want to help, too and it feels great to be part of this team.

Are you doing this alone?
Sometimes yes and sometimes I'm going with friends. One of the runners who was lucky enough to be on the Around the World Relay who will be doing a run/paddle relay around the island with me. Other friends too will be joining me from time to time. If YOU want to join in the fun just email me at kozhawaii@gmail.com and we'll set something up.

Any other incentives for people to donate?
For every $150 someone donates I'll give an hour of my Fitness Training Services to that person or someone they choose to give it too. Get fit and spare a child from having to drink out of the sewage pond.

How do we track your progress?
By the end of this week I'll have totals on my website and blog and all of the longer adventures will be tracked  real time (updates about once an hour ) on the blog.You can also follow me on Twitter at kozhawaii

What's next?
In June I'm going to have another Race with the Sum. I'm going to start at Magic Island at exactly sunrise and bike to Eva, turn up the west side and ride to the end of the road, run the bike around the Ka'ena Point trail, bike across the North Shore, down the east side to the Makai Pier across from Sea Life Park where I'll have my paddleboard waiting to paddle back to Magic Island before the sun sets. Can I do it? It's a hundred mile bike and 25 mile paddle adventure and it will be exciting and close and I need you to do your part and donate at least $30 to Blue Planet Run. My blog will have updates every half hour on that one. Check back often. On both my blog and website you'll see a big blue square that says Team Blue - Blue Planet Run. Please donate.

I'm calling this the "2817 mile adventure for water". I'm not sure I like that. If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know.

If you want to comment, make a suggestion or ask questions the best way is to leave a comment on my blog.
I do read and respond to all questions.