Monday, June 6, 2011From The Daily News of Open Water Swimming

The Finish After 68 Miles

Penny Palfrey will finish on a white sand beach after going through a beautiful
 coral reef on Grand Cayman Island's eastern coastline, escorted by Jeff Kozlovich
 of Honolulu and Richard Clifford of New York City.

Photos from Penny's Cayman Brac to Little Cayman channel swim courtesy of Image by Spike.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source

Swimming, Running and Biking

Cha Cha Cha Salseria in Hawaii Kai is a great post race
 hangout where some of Oahu's best athletes come
to relax, refuel and talk story

It's time to answer some questions that have been piling up in my in-box. Many recently have been about Penny Palfrey and her now Two attempts to swim the 75 miles from Oahu to Kauai. Is she over it now? No, she is not. Had dinner and a few Marguritas with her at Cha Cha Cha Salseria in Hawaii Kai before she went back to Australia. We talked about the next attempt, agreed for the need to gather as much info as possible about the man-o-war and pondered other possibilities such as a full suit of some kind. We also swapped stories about sharks,  hitting the wall and what other extreme things we'd like to do. Her story about the Great White that swam under her right after the start of her Santa Barbara Island swim got my attention and she seemed to like my story about the Military Sub that went under me while I was paddling off Oahu's South Shore. We agreed that we each should write a book someday. Right now we're busy creating the content.

The day before Penny's swim I heard from Steve Munatones that some Hollywood producer heard about the swim and was sending an outdoor sports photographer to film it from the escort boat. We were all stoked, especially Penny. He was in LA, had his ticket and was on his way to the airport in a cab when he got a call from the company lawyer saying he couldn't go because it was too dangerous and there were liability issues. We swapped a few lawyer jokes on the boat none of which I want to repeat here.

How is the 2817 mile challenge going? As expected the start was exciting but the whole middle part was was lacking in publicity and donations. I'm now in the home stretch. Next Im entered in the XTERRA Trail Running World Championship . It's a half marathon at Kualoa Ranch and I'm doing it barefoot. In December a double circling the island - one full loop  (140 miles) and then the other loop ( 112 mile Dick Evans route up the middle of the island) non stop. In January Laurel Dudley ( who was part of the original Blue Planer Run-around-the -world) and I are planning a big get everyone we know involved extreme event. Check back for more on this. Remember that we are doing this to raise money for Blue Planet Network so they can help the millions around the world who are in desperate need of clean drinking water. Did you donate?

Questions About My 2817 Mile Challenge

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 click on the comments link at the end of this post. I do read and respond to all questions.

Jeff Kozlovich Interviews Katie Spotz about Her Solo Non Stop Row Across the Atlantic Ocean

I have been following Katie Spotz and her Row for Water campaign since early fall. Her story is inspiring and includes over $80,000 raised for Blue Planet Run to  provide safe drinking water to those who otherwise would go without it. I've now taken up the challenge and will go on 2817 miles of endurance adventures (the number of miles she rowed ) to raise money for the same cause. Katie set the bar high but her story is so inspiring I think I'll be able to do it.

-Jeff Kozlovich

You are the youngest to row the Atlantic solo nonstop. But that's only half the story. You had to do a huge amount of organization and planning, chasing down sponsors  to get your adventure funded and crafting a campaign to raise money for Blue Planet Run.

Can you explain how that part went?

Before I took my first strokes across the Atlantic, I spent about two years planning and preparing. I spent much more time sorting out the logistics, the gear, and the boat than the physical preparation. I trained about an hour a day, working to increase endurance with a mixture of high-intensity cardio workouts, weight lifting focused on strengthening the core and back and weekly long rows on the erg machine. An essential part of training included trial rows on Lake Erie. But endurance is much more of a mental challenge than physical. A year before the row, I worked with a Sports Psychologist who helped me break down the challenge into manageable steps or phases. I have also participated in extensive meditation retreats, the last one in which I meditated twelve hours a day for ten days straight without any sort of human interaction similar to the isolation at sea. 

 What crazy replies did you get when you started asking for sponsorship?

Creating the Row for Water campaign was an adventure in itself! Although my many sponsorship rejection letters were fairly polite, I did receive a few emails right before I left explaining that rowing the Atlantic is a death wish and that the chance of me getting eaten by a shark is very high. 

Which  was more difficult, the logistics or all that happened after leaving the dock in Dakar?                                                                                           

The challenges on land and at sea where different but overcoming it all made the experience that much more rewarding. There were moments at sea I didn't know where I'd find the strength to continue on and there were days in the preparations stages where I questioned whether the efforts were going to amount to anything. 

Can you share some of the joy, any moment when you felt liked you belonged out there alone in the Atlantic? 

For a large part of the journey I felt present;  there’s no need to think beyond the moment. The high moments were filled with abundant wildlife, endless sky, and the simplicity of life on a rowboat. As I was approaching the fourth-way mark of the journey, I wanted to do something special to celebrate. The decision was made for me when fins started to appear. Moments later my boat was surrounded by a pod of ten or fifteen dolphins. They swam so close to my boat, I could nearly touch them. I felt like they were giving me a show mid-Atlantic by doing flips and tricks for twenty minutes.

I'm trying to figure out how intense those 10 plus hours a day of rowing  were. How many strokes per minute and do you have any idea of your average heart rate during your rowing?

My main goal was to be able to wake up and do another 10-12 hours of rowing the next day. I really had to pace myself for the 10,000 daily oar strokes so I wasn't working at a racing pace. Not only would this burn me out in the first day, but it would leave me vulnerable to injury. 

 I have always been curious about how you adapted to a largely dehydrated food diet. Did you notice any difference in performance? Did it take time for your body to adapt?

What was your favorite dehydrated meal?

What is your normal on land diet like?

My diet as sea and land are very different. At times, I struggled to force food down and keep it there! During the first two weeks, I lost my appetite due to the extreme heat. There were certain foods that worked on land but at sea , I had different food cravings and preferences. The one dehydrated meal that I enjoyed the most was fettuccine alfredo from a company called Enertia Trail Foods. Although the dehydrated meals helped me get in my daily 4,000-5,000 calories and keep the weight of the boat down, now that I'm on land again, I'm not going anywhere near these meals!

The one thing I missed the most at sea was fresh fruits and vegetables. While I did bring a sprouting kit on board, the first thing I was looking for once I arrived was watermelon (and, yes, they had it waiting for me). My diet now is filled with lots of fresh fruits and veggies. For breakfast I usually have yogurt and fruit, lunch a hearty salad and/or soup, and dinner a lean meat with more greens. 

Most endurance athletes are a bit older, mostly because of the mental/emotional component. You are a young endurance athlete. How did you decide that ultra distance events were for you?

It started small with my first marathon at age 18. Before this challenge, I wasn't particularly athletic so it was a thrill to realize that these challenges are available to me and all walks of life. I realized that I was the person holding me back by doubts and fears, and that the real challenge is the mental component. With endurance, no matter how fit your body is, there comes a moment where you're faced with a wall. And it's the mind that allows you to overcome.

After the first marathon, I was curious (very, very curious) to see how far I could go. A few adventures later (running across two deserts, swimming a 325-mile river, rowing 3,000-miles across the Atlantic, and a 3,300 mile bicycle ride across America) and I'm still hungry for more!

You are now an internationally respected endurance athlete so I'd like to get your take on Penny Palfrey's 72 mile open ocean swim attempt.

Huge kudos to Penny! She seems to be well-prepared, trained, and supported. With any endurance challenge I think its important to have your head on straight, especially with facing unknown dangers and Penny looks like she's taking the right approach. I'll be watching and cheering on from Ohio!

I've been following your adventure for many months mostly feeling inspired but on occasion feeling down because I can't go on a similar adventure.  I have decided go on 2817 miles of endurance adventures in the coming year here in Hawaii to raise money for Blue Planet Run. Out of respect for all you have accomplished with your Row for Water, that is the number of miles you rowed across the Atlantic.  Right now I'm in the oh my god what did i get myself into phase. Any advice for me?

When I was a bit younger and looking at other people's adventurous lifestyles, I remember feeling a bit jealous too. But that mindset will may not get me to the adventures so I started to look at what was within my reach. Adventures are available to all, whether it means sneaking in a two hour row across a lake or 70-day row across an ocean. 

Some of the best moments in endurance are those oh my god, what did I get myself into phases. It means you are stepping outside your comfort zone and that's the best place to grow, learn, and experience. For two and a half years, I asked myself that same question while planning, preparing, and executing the row. You're certainly not alone and with a bit of belief in yourself and you capabilities, I have no doubt that you can cover your 2817 miles of endurance adventures. Just believe and enjoy because it might not be long before you're asking for more!

You achieved your dream and are on your way to achieving  much more. Any advice to those still just dreaming?

I was the worst on my college crew team and I firmly believe we are all capable of achieving much more than we may think. Often, the number one thing to hold ourselves back is just that, our self. 

What are you planning for your next adventure?

Before setting off on my next adventure, I would like to write a book about the trials and tribulations preparing for and taking on my solo row across the Atlantic. For my next adventure, I would like to cycle from South to North America, visiting safe drinking water projects along the way. My mission would be to learn and share with others where the donations have gone and the lives affected as a result of the row. 


Click here to donate to Blue Planet Run

Penny's Swim

In case you haven't heard, Penny Palfrey is going to attempt to swim from from Oahu's North Shore to Kauai sometime late next week. 72 miles and 30 to 40 hours of unknown challenge. No one has done this and if she makes it, well, she will have accomplished one of the greatest feats in sports history.  Interview with Penny and
The Australian news did a story about her adventure

The month of March and the workouts...

 Hi again! I am Selen Yildiz and I am working with Jeff Koz as some of you might know. Click on the link below for my more info about me and to follow my blog:


http://selenyildiz808.blogspot.com/



My workouts got more intense in march and my weaknesses in my body started to speak up. I got sick during my second week having to skip my Tu and W workouts, and on Th, after a 1000m swim i had to stop because of right wrist pain. I was afraid of hurting my wrist more so I had to skip my 100m*5 sprints. on monday, on my 3rd week, I went out surfing to try my new short board only to suffer; it turned out the board was too short for me and I needed a long board, an 8-footer or bigger. I was able to paddle it out to the surf at Diamond Head but my shoulder began hurting soon and my neck got very stiff. I still made it to the surf, but couldnt catch any waves. I was too tired by the time I got there, and the waves werent big at all, which made it even harder. So, I'm selling my board to get a long one.


Thanks to my surfing fiasco, I had to skip my Tu and Th swimming work out on my 3rd week due to shoulder and neck pain. I didnt want to hurt them so I figured it would be best to wait. On F, I walked on sand for about 45 min after a 45 min Pilates and a massage session with Bryan Jordan from Pilates Training Center in Kailua. Bryan worked on my stiff neck mostly, and on the trigger points on my my right arm below the elbow, and shoulder. It turned out I need to do more stretching- because all the swim muscles on the shoulders hurt too much when pressed. Bryan is very attentive to my body's needs and gives massages accordingly. He is also very good at teaching Pilates and making sure you do the moves with the right posture. To contact Bryan, bryan@SacredBreathHealing.com; (808)782-9595. 




On Sat, I went swimming in Waikiki to make up for the skipped workouts. After swimming for 1000m, I swam a set of three 100m sprints, and I stopped after that getting anxious about  my shoulder. On the weekends, I either hiked or kited, but I didnt get much kiting in because of wind. I'm happy the summer is approaching with steadier trades which means a lot more kiting or windsurfing time. 


I just got back from my Maui trip and I am more pumped than ever to get back to windsurfing which I havent done for a while. I was lucky that my spring break was in my resting week- the 4th week of every month, so I didnt have to worry about exercising while cruising on the island. It felt very good to be back on Maui and to be around some world-class windsurfers. I am hoping to spend some time there after I graduate this semester and try sailing and kitesurfing Hookipa. There arent many people windsurfing on Oahu anymore- many of the former windsurfers switched to kitesurfing. On Maui, windsurfing is still very big and you get to interact with world-class, bad-ass sailors, which inspires you to become better! And, did I mention the killer deals you get on gear? I got two posters signed by Francisco Goya, the guy who inspired me to follow my dream of living in Hawaii when I had contacted him by e-mail 5 years ago from Turkey. Back then, Hawaii was nothing but a dream. He told me his own unique story saying that I would find my own unique way of realizing my dream, which would be even more rewarding.  He was completely right. I received 100% scholarship and ended up on an island in the middle of nowhere dreaming of turning pro in windsurfing! Windsurfing and I decided to stay friends, however, and I fell for kitesurfing. :)


So, I am just starting. There are so many aspects of my health I need to work on that it's crazy and overwhelming. Last friday, while I was getting a massage from Bryan Jordan, I felt way too much pain on my lower back close to my tailbone. He said the bone there could have moved. He said the name of it, but there is no way I can remember it! He referred me to a chiropractor. As of now, that area still hurts. Plus, I am still sometimes in pain because of my bruised tail bone. I believe that my right wrist pain is caused my a misplaced bone as well. My lower back hurts even when I am swimming, especially when I swim breast stroke. I hope a chiropractor visit will solve my joint and lower back problems once and for all! Oh, that would be sooo good... wouldnt it Jeff? :)

 Some photos I took on Maui... I thought I'd share...Enjoy!

HONOLUA BAY 

JAWS

Interview with Penny Palfrey

Penny Palfrey may not be able to pronounce it, but she’ll swim the Kaieiewaho Channel anyway.

Come April, Penny Palfrey will be watching the weather, the wind in particular. Palfrey is a native of Australia, a 47 year old grandmother who likes chocolate and challenging swims even more. She’ll be in Honolulu in April to attempt a swim many experienced swimmers consider impossible: the 72 mile stretch from Oahu to Kauai. Jeff Kozlovich asked her why this channel, why now and why anyone would want to swim in the ocean for almost 40 hours.

Right now the Kaieiewaho Channel is impossible for me to pronounce, but I would like to try to swim it.(I must get some lessons on that when I arrive in Hawaii). I'd like attempt the Kaieiewaho Channel because I swam the Alenuihaha and Maui Channels last year, not only did I love what I saw of Hawaii during that visit I learned a lot during my two channel swims there.My husband Chris and I wanted to come back to visit Hawaii again this year and attempt another channel, the Kaieiwaho is my pick.I know 72 miles is very far, and I know it will be a difficult swim.I've been gradually building my marathon swims for many years now.

After becoming the first person to swim from San Miguel Island to California mainland in September 2008, I became the second person and first woman to swim the Alenuihaha Channel in March last year, then the first to swim from Santa Barbara Island to Point Vicente, California in September I decided on Hawaii's Kaieiewaho Channel.

It will take a great deal to complete this crossing, I'm building a great support team who will be imperative to the success of the swim, we'll also be hoping for a spell of good weather.

How far do you swim a week? Where? In a pool or in the ocean. Do you do anything else besides swim? Have any particular training philosophy? You just mentioned you build on your previous swims but what do you do in between?

I generally swim 6 times per week, 5 pool swims and one long swim in the ocean per week, (the sea here isn't great for open water swimmers), My distance is usually around 65 - 70k per week when in full training, plus two gym programs per week and land work the other four afternoons, which involves stretches, palates and band work. I have one day off per week.

My training philosophy is to work hard, be consistent but listen to my body.

Can you give some details about your diet? Meat lover, vegan? I'm thinking you eat a lot of fish.

I'm a fairly healthy eater, generally I avoid fats and eat a balanced diet. I do eat meat, I've a history of being iron deficient I also eat lots of vegetables and salads, I love seafood but usually save that for restaurants, my preference is shell fish. I love chocolate, but it's got to be good chocolate.

What are the most difficult swims you have done so far and why? Anything really scary happen on these swims?

All my swims have been different, some are difficult to organize, some are difficult because of busy starts in races and some because of distance or conditions. Cook Strait between the North and South Islands on New Zealand was difficult since the water temperature was 14-15 degrees C ( 56-58 F) and there were strong currents, The English Channel is challenging, my swim from Santa Barbara Island and San Miguel were difficult in that they were firsts with lots of unknowns and my swim from Big Island to Maui is certainly up there as one of the most difficult due to the weather conditions and the distance I swam.

I guess the scariest thing that's happened is that a week after I swam the Alenuihaha Channel our friend Mike Spalding from Maui was attempting the same swim and was bitten by a Cookie Cutter shark. He was removed for the water and spent several days in hospital, but since has made a full recovery, thankfully.

I've been watching a lot of the winter Olympics this past week. Lots of great athletes - most in their teens and twenties. You are a 47 year old mother of three. Can you give your perspective and some of the pluses and minuses of being an elite athlete in what many think is way past your prime. Do you think your age is effecting your speed or endurance

I swim because I love to, it doesn't bother me what other people think.

I think this a much bigger story because you are married, mother of three and a grandmother in your late forties. Much bigger than if you were single and 25. So could you elaborate a bit more about your age and how it effects (or not) your fitness level and how you manage to be an elite endurance swimmer even after you raised a family and became a grandmother.

Hmm I'm having so much trouble answering this question. I'm nowhere near as fast as I was when I was 15, that's for sure......over a short distance in the pool that is. But I'm not sure that when I was 15 I was mentally or physically capable of doing some of the swims I'm doing today. Also big part of success is opportunity. When I was young I didn't have the opportunities that I'm fortunate to have now. It's only over recent years as the children have grown up that Chris and I are able to enjoy a little more travel and during the past few years we've enjoyed 'a bit of a swim' while on our holidays.

I do train hard, though on the days I'd like a sleep in Chris is up and raring to go and vise verse so I guess we motivate one another.

It's often a juggle and tiring to run the family, the business and do all the training, often something has to go...usually it's the house work and gardening. Also we don't have much of a social life since we're up at 4am most days, but we more than make up for that with the wonderful friends we make around the world who share our love for open water.

Your husband is a swimmer, too, so I think he understands, but what do your kids say?

Yes, my husband, Chris, may be attempting to swim the Kaiwi Channel during our visit to Oahu.What do my kids think? Well, they're grown up now and mum's always swum so it's all ho hum to them.

What or who inspired you to get into long distance swimming?

When I was about 12 my mum bought me a book about Captain Mathew Webb who was the first person to swim the English Channel in 1875. Ever since, I’ve wanted to swim the Channel. When I was 13, I was unable to spend the summer in Dover as I had two sisters and both my parents worked. After retiring from swimming at 16, I'd put the idea out of my head. I've always loved swimming in the sea, though, and entered my first 2.7k open water race here in Townsville for fun and fitness after my first child was born more than 20 years ago.

Can you give some explanation of your stroke and breathing technique?

I have small hands and feet, so I have a high stroke rate to compensate, 86 per min when racing, I think it was steady at 76 at the end of 18 hours in the SB channel. I breathe every three strokes during training, but that often drops to two when I do a long swim and I will adjust my breathing easily depending on the direction of the swell or side the boat is escorting me from, though I have a preference to the right.

You are going to stand on shore and jump in the water somewhere near Ka'ena Point on Oahu and start swimming toward Kauai. What do you eat and drink on the way? (Some good chocolate perhaps?) How often and how long do you stop to refuel?

I "feed" every half hour, this is usually Endura carbohydrate replacement drink and gels. It's passed to me by my crew in a drink bottle on a rope. I drink the contents, drop the bottle and continue to swim while the crew pulls the bottle back in by the rope. A good feed should take less than 10 seconds, though some will be a little longer. I'll be giving my crew a 'menu' which will also consist of cappuccino, chocolate and warm, sloppy porridge (oats).

What do you think about during those long hours of swimming?

I try to answer this by saying it's a bit like driving a car, my mind is always on what I'm doing but also wanders to all sorts of things. It does take quite a bit of concentration to stay in the correct position beside the boat. I like to watch the crew and see them watching me. I think about my stroke, the people who have helped to get me to where I am, the people who have supported me and sent me messages. I like to know how I'm doing. (Always the truth) I think about the weather, the swell, the sea life that I see, the night swimming is amazing with stars above and phosphorescence below, it's like being in the middle of space. I look at anything that's happening around me, other boats, land, my feeds.....swim, swim, swim...

You mention just how important your crew is. While at the airport before they swam from Molokai to Oahu, Bill Goding and Forrest Nelson had some words for me, when I was part of their crew. Forrest gave me a mini lecture on how I had to believe in this swim as much as he did and Bill said I could only pull him out of the water if he became unconscious. Bill, Forrest, Neil and I will be there to help you in any way we can. Anything you want us to know?

Forrest is a wise man, a strong swimmer and a dear friend. I hope he will repeat his lecture before my swim. Before my first Channel crossing I was told there's two ways out of Cook Strait, you swim to the other side or you wake up in a hospital. I swam to the other side and will do my best to do that again this time. We'll hold a team briefing when my crew has arrived in Oahu to go though the many aspects of the swim. I'm extremely happy to have Forrest, Bill, Neil, you, Jeff and possibly my husband, Chris, with me for this swim, it will take a huge effort from us all and I think each of us is aware of what's involved.

Editors note: Sometime in late April, the exact date depending on the weather, Penny will attempt to swim from Oahu’s North Shore to somewhere on Kauai with the “A-Team” support crew of her open water swimmer husband Chris, watermen Bill Goding and Forrest Nelson both with many channel crossings to their credit, friend Neil Vaughan who has crewed and paddled for Penny and Chris many times in the past - plus me and my paddleboard.

As long as there is cell phone reception, I’ll be giving regular updates during the swim that will be posted on this blog (kozhawaii.blogspot.com) and twitter.

-Jeff Kozlovich

Adventure Based Fitness Training

Lots of people have been asking me about my "adventure based fitness training" so I thought I'd take some time and explain my perspective.

People go to a personal trainer for a variety of reasons. For most its either to loose weight, to look better physically, to get stronger and fitter and to learn something about leading a more healthy lifestyle and the physical and emotional benefits that result.

All of these are good sound reasons but most people have a very difficult time following through on them.

I put a lot of thought into a better approach and eventually realized that what I do for me will be great for all my clients.

I pick an adventure type goal (like my last one: running from Magic Island over the mountains to Kailua Beach and then going back on my paddleboard.) and then outline a training program to get me in peak shape for my adventure. That works! If all I focused on was the goal of being "in shape" I wouldn't be very motivated.

Ok, I'll bet your thinking that kind of goal isn't realistic for everyone. Of course everyone needs their own adventure goal. Something that you can't do now but could with a few months of focused work.

I remember Karla who didn't like the sun, the wind and especially didn't like salt or chlorinated water. Yet she has found adventure in the stairwell of her condo. When I first met with her she couldn't make it to the second floor and three months later after loosing 16 lbs. and having her blood pressure and LDL cholesterol drop she made it to the 14th floor - more excited than I've EVER seen her be. She's a different person really. Stoked now about life because of a little adventure, some exercise and a healthier lifestyle.

It took me a month to get Tom to make his adventure the Koko Crater hike (the one straight up the side on the railroad ties.) He really wanted to see that view and get some photos but didn't believe he could do it. Three months later this 70yo grandfather now has enough photos from the top to clog the email in box of both his kids and grandkids.

Some other adventures in the works are a beach walk (I think a little wading is involved too) from Kailua to the Makai Pier by Sea Life Park. That's about eight miles. A swim from Portlock (China Walls) to Black Point (five miles) is also in the works. That one will be a real adventure for a mid thirties businessman who used to swim competitively in high school and college but has done little swimming since. His kids are excited too.

I know some people like the gym atmosphere and sometimes gym workouts are an important part of training but I've never seen anyone have a life changing experience on the stair machine. I do see that quite often though on mountains, in the ocean and sometimes even in stairwells.

I am a Certified Personal Trainer accredited through the National Council on Strength and Fitness. I am also an EMT and Ocean Safety Lifeguard.

I charge $50 per hour. The basic package (also the minimum package) is $50 a week - a one hour session and all the email and phone coaching you need and the day by day workout schedule you need to have a successful adventure. We can add hours as necessary - or not. Some well motivated people are fine with the meeting once a week. Some people need much more.
I don't charge anything for the first meeting.

Send me an email, tell me a little about you and we can get you started on a life changing adventure.

kozhawaii@gmail.com