Kaiwi Channel Swim Race

Registration is Open
The Registration process is OPEN for the 2014 Ka'iwi Channel Swim - 2 and 6 person teams racing head to head across the Ka'iwi Channel from Molokai to Oahu. The date for the swim is August 23, 2014.
The race will start fronting the Kalua Koi Resort on Molokai at 6am and will finish at Sandy Beach, Oahu with an 8pm cutoff time.
Please read all rules and regs carefully. Here are the basics.

Relay swimmers must touch or tag each other in the water at Start/finish of EACH swim leg.
Relay swimmers must keep the same order throughout the swim.
Each swim leg is ½ hour.

And obviously all teams need an escort boat.

With the experience of the 2013 Ka'iwi Channel Swim still fresh in our minds, fellow race Director Steve Haumschild and I are excited and hopeful about the 2014 Swim. We learned a few things last year.

We got as high as 9 confirmed registrations last year and only 2 teams raced. That caused much pondering on our part. We really needed to address that issue.

The main issue is that while you, the team captain, are really stoked and ready to sign up and buy the plane ticket, you still have to get five friends to all get the the same time off work and meet on Oahu the last week in August. Apparently most teams last year couldn't manage this.

This year we're going to help. Below the posts on this sight, on our FACEBOOK page and through email, we will be keeping a list of single swimmers or teams looking for more swimmers. So if you can't or don't want to put together a swim team or are looking for more swimmers for your team, we'll be keeping a list. Have half a team? We'll put you in touch with the other half.

This is an extreme swim. Actually part swim and part expedition. Its not going to be a huge race with lots of teams. We're guessing between 8 to 12 teams this year. We'll keep you posted on that but you'll have to wait for at least June for any meaningful numbers.

As long as the confirmed registration totals are under 15 teams we are only giving awards to the top 3 teams. However we will keep a list on this blog of the times and rankings of all swims. We'll rank them male, female and mixed both under and over 40 average age. As the years go by you'll know where you stand even if there weren't enough teams to make that meaningful in your particular race. And we'll be mentioning everyone at the post race party this year.

The cost for a six person team is $2000 and a two person team is $1200. We're really looking for a good early indication of interest so 20% off if you register and pay before April 1st.

Registration button is to the right. Fill out the info on the form and we will send you an invoice by email that you can pay thru PayPal with your credit card.

Keep checking back both here and on our facebook page for updates as this race evolves.

Remember, we're a small race (so far but we have big plans) and we can easily answer questions and help you with the logistics. Ask questions!

-Jeff Kozlovich, Race Director

Optimizing Strength Training for Running and Cycling Endurance Performance

Optimizing Strength Training for Running and Cycling Endurance Performance
Date:  Nov. 4, 2013

Many runners and cyclists recognize the important role strength training and flexibility play in maintaining elevated performance and avoiding injury. Surprisingly, an equally high number of runners and cyclists do not engage in adjunct work to support their endurance endeavors.

Researchers from Lillehammer University College in Norway analyzed the effect of combining endurance training with heavy or explosive strength training on endurance performance. Using endurance-trained runners and cyclists, researchers analyzed the outcomes from specific training regimens on running and cycling economy.

 Interestingly, running economy is improved by performing combined endurance training with either heavy or explosive strength training. However, heavy strength training demonstrated a more effective measure for improving cycling economy.

Additionally, researchers suggest concurrent endurance and heavy strength training can increase running speed and power output at VO2max. According to the authors, improved endurance performance may relate to delayed activation of less efficient type II fibers, improved neuromuscular efficiency, conversion of fast-twitch type IIX fibers into more fatigue-resistant type IIA fibers, or improved musculo-tendinous stiffness. Regardless of the specific adaptation, endurance athletes should employ resistance training as a complement to their running and/or cycling regimens.

From - National Council on Strength & Fitness

High Volume Running Versus Cycling on Immune Function

High Volume Running Versus Cycling on Immune Function
Date:  Oct. 28, 2013

Motivation for exercise should be a good thing, but having too much motivation can lend itself to an increased risk for overreaching.

 Overreaching occurs when the body is put under levels of physical stress that it cannot recover from prior to the next training bout. This creates an accumulative effect that manifests into overreaching before eventually becoming a chronic condition of overtraining syndrome.

 Overreaching has been linked to alterations in immunity and increased risk for illness; and while endurance athletes seem to be at higher risk, little is known as to the specific response in running versus cycling.

 Researchers compared inflammation, muscle damage and soreness, as well as innate immune function responses to a 3-day period of intensified exercise in experienced long distance runners and cyclists. Subjects were tracked over 12 weeks using a specific Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) model. During week five, test subjects exercised continuously for 150 minutes each day for three days at 70% VO2max. In addition, blood samples were collected before and after the 3-day period of exercise. Researchers analyzed the blood samples for markers of muscle damage, inflammation, and innate immunity and oxidative burst activity. By comparison, runners experienced significantly more muscle damage, inflammation, and delayed onset of muscle soreness. 

Interestingly, the 3-day period of exercise caused significant downturns in the innate system, but between groups there was no difference in the response pattern. Due to the fact that no group differences were measured in either 12-week URTI severity or symptom scores, it would seem both modes of exercise create an increased risk for illness when overreaching occurs in response to training volume. 

The severity though for overtraining syndrome may be higher for runners as the 3-day period of functional overreaching resulted in substantially more muscle damage and soreness, and systemic inflammation. The impact of running compared to non-weight bearing exercise warrants consideration when training at higher volumes. (Brain Behavior and Immunity, 2013)

From National Council on Strength & Fitness

Ka'iwi Channel Swim Race

First Team Swimming Race across the Ka’iwi Channel set for August

Ka’iwi Channel Swim race directors, Steve Haumschild and Jeff Kozlovich, are announcing the first ever team race across the 28 miles of Ka’iwi Channel from the west shore of Molokai to Sandy Beach on the east shore of Oahu.  The race will be held on August 24, 2013 and is limited to 40 teams of 2 or 6 swimmers.   Kozlovich thinks that the race will “…put some meaning back into the word epic.”

While there have been 29 swimmers recorded as having crossed the Ka’iwi Channel on their own, this is the first organized team race across the channel.  Both Haumschild and Kozlovich have served as personal escorts to various world class open water swimmers (Bill Goding, Penny Palfrey, Darren Miller, Oliver Wilkinson, and others) and their experiences led them to imagine an event that would bring the giants of the field to compete with, and against, each other, with a healthy representation of the open water swimming community joining in on the fun.

This race isn’t just for the giants.  Haumschild and Kozlovich are hoping  there are some “giant-slayers” that will jump into the fun by forming their own teams or joining ranks with the giants.  Local swimmers, with plenty of credentials of their own and Ka’iwi Channel experience, are encouraged to get in the water as team members or team support.

This is shaping up to be one incredible race that will strengthen the open water swimmer presence in Hawaii and create amazing memories and friendships.  Haumschild sees the race participants as “… some of the most competitive, experienced and trained athletes in the world.”

Registration for this race opens on March 15, 2013 and more information can be found on the Ka’iwi Swim Race website:  kaiwichannelswimrace.blogspot.com or by contacting Jeff Kozlovich at kozhawaii@gmail.com.

Inspiring Video of the week

Xterra Maui 2012 Video

Ironman Kona 2012 age group results

As the sun rose and the professional wave started the age groupers from 60 countries around the world watched on for agonizing 30 minutes before they could start their day.

By Emma Bishop
When the washing machine of age groupers race started, the waters proved a challenge for some. There were no super-fast times reported, but a statistic that is becoming more and more familiar is age groupers having the honor of the overall fastest swim split.
It happened in Vegas at the IRONMAN World Championship 70.3 when Hayley Chura, from Atlanta, GA posted the fastest swim split ahead of professional Jodie Swallow. Chura repeated that on Saturday with a swim time of 53:45 – giving her an overall female-best ahead of the fish that is professional Doctor Amanda Stevens, who posted a 55:09.
In the men’s swim it was once again an age grouper taking the swim prime. A swim buddy of 1994 IRONMAN world champion, Greg Welch, Caine Eckstein is a multiple winner of the Ironman series in Australia. For those not in the know, the “Kellogg’s Nutrigrain Ironman Series” down under is an endurance surf event, and Eckstein is the only athlete to win the Coolangatta Gold more than twice. Eckstein posted a swim best of 49:23 ahead of professional Andy Potts. He was also the only athlete to go sub-50 minutes.
Even with the tougher swim conditions, every athlete who startedthe swim completed. This left the Grimm Reaper (our timing director) very happy!
The bike course, however, proved less than friendly.
Reports early on during the pro race were not favorable and, at the midway point, mile markers were being blown over. It was torturous out there – more so than usual and the times were reflected with some athletes narrowly missing the cut off, including legendary 82-year-old Sister Madonna Buder coming in a little over 10 minutes too late.
It is every age group female’s dream to ride a five-hour bike and just one lady made that grade today. Stefanie Adam, from Belgium, spent five hours in the saddle and came off the bike with a 10-minute lead. The 34-year-old led as overall female age grouper for most of the race until the final two miles when she was overtaken by Hilary Wicks (NZL) who went on to snatch the overall female amateur win. Adam suffered another set back when Danille Kehoe (USA) also passed her in the final moments to grab second overall. It didn’t end there and the roads of Alii Drive did not provide any respite for the slowing Adam as Australian Kim Jaenke made a pass and took third overall by just 32 seconds.
It was not all a loss though for the Scientist from Belgium - she was still quick enough to become AG 30-34 IRONMAN World Champion.
In the men’s age group race we mentioned earlier that Australian Caine Eckstein was first out the water. He held the lead and was battling with Andy Gardener up to mile 90, but when the lead age groupers came in off the bike Christian Muller of Germany had come through to take the lead and post the fastest bike split.
40-year-old Muller headed out onto the run with Eckstein and Gardner in pursuit. As the miles ticked away the faster runners moved through the field and chasing Muller was defending age group champion Sam Gyde of Belgium and Australian Matt Burton. Muller managed to hold off the younger charges and the 2009 AG World Champion led the run from start to finish to take the 40-44 age group and honor of overall first amateur and 24^th overall.
PC athlete, 24-year-old Royal Marine Joe Townsend, was racing here for the first time via a PC lottery slot. His previous best was 12:40 and he smashed that on Saturday with 11:35:52. Inspiring and motivating you can read Joe’s story here: http://bit.ly/SWOgXG.
And finally, in the men’s 80 plus category we had four men vying for the title that Lew Hollander has held for the past two years. It was not to be Lew’s day, though. 80-year-old Hiromu Inada did his first IRONMAN in Japan at 77 and had a DNF. Qualifying in Korea he was here last year and pulled from the swim. Inada did not consider himself an IRONMAN until he finished Kona. And he became an IRONMAN today in true style with a sub 16-hour time.
As the clock counted down to the stroke of midnight multiple IRONMAN 77-year-old Harriet Anderson crossed the line with 41 seconds to spare. What a great way to end the day.
Age Group Winners:
Male:
18-24 Matt Burton (AUS) 9:01:21 Swim 1:00:40 Bike 4:52:22 Run 3:03:43
25-29 Marcio Neves (PRT) 09:08:43 Swim 1:01:Bike 4:57:32 Run 3:04:50
30-34 Mathias Dietze (GER) 09:09:02 Swim 59:12 Bike 4:53:53 Run 3:10:32
35-39 Sam Gyde (BEL) 09:06:09 Swim 1:12:02 Bike 4:43:46 Run 3:04:54
40-44 Christian Muller (GER) 08:54:17 Swim 1:04:00 Bike 4:43:42 Run 3:00:51 FIRST OVERALL Amateur
45-49 Preben Jacobsen (DNK) 09:17:22 Swim 1:01:19 Bike 5:01:51 Run 3:07:37
50-54 Wolfgang Schmatz (GER) 09:31:50 Swim 1:05:45 Bike 5:10:19 Run 3:10:05
55-59 Pedro Oviedo-Montoya (ESP)10:05:48 Swim 1:11:25 Bike 5:19:41 Run 3:25:58
60-64 Rick Simpson (USA) 10:55:16 Swim 1:07:50 Bike 5:42:36 Run 3:59:17
65-69 Mink Zeilstra (NLD) 12:01:09 Swim 1:13:48 Bike 6:01:16 Run 4:35:37
70-74 Milos Kostic (CAN) 12:15:41 Swim 1:50:33 Bike 6:13:Run 3:56:33
75-59 Georg Schrader (GER) 14:30:56 Swim 1:40:35 Bike 7:13:43 Run 5:18:45
80 Plus Hiromu Inada (JPN) 15:38: 25 Swim 1:49:34 Bike 7:42:08 Run 5:41:51
Male PC
Joe Townsend (GBR) 11:35:52 Swim 1:22:40 Bike 6:58:36 Run 3:03:10
Male HC
Andre Kajlich (USA) 10:30:19 Swim 1:14:12 Bike 6:53:34 Run 2:16:43
Female
18-24 Allison Linnell (USA) 10:16:31 Swim 1:03:18 Bike 5:41:03 Run 3:27:55
25-29 Danielle Kehoe (USA) 09:51:07 Swim 1:07:30 Bike 5:11:26 Run 3:27:33
30-34 Stefanie Adam (BEL) 09:53:50 Swim 1:03:36 Bike 5:00:42 Run 3:42:38
35-39 Hilary Wicks (NZL) 09:50:03 Swim 1:02:41 Bike 5:16:06 Run 3:25:15 FIRST OVERALL Female Amateur
40-44 Amy McGrath (USA) 10:13:42 Swim 1:07:28 Bike 3:23 Run 3:28:31
45-49 Gabriela Harnischfeger (GER) 10:37:36 Swim 1:12:13 Bike 5:27:11 Run 3:52:18
50-54 June Ward (AUS) 10:58:40 Swim 1:13:05 Bike 5:53:40 Run 3:44:07
55-59 Laura Sophiea (USA) 11:09:30 Swim 1:11:06 Bike 5:47:34 Run 4:02:13
60-64 Judith Laney (USA) 12:27:51 Swim 1:11:09 Bike 6:42:51 Run 4:24:28
65-69 Cherie Gruenfeld (USA) 13:35:14 Swim 1:25:05 Bike 6:54:13 Run 5:07:53
70-74 Beatrice Burns (USA) 15:28:11 Swim 1:58:28 Bike 7:30:37 Run 5:42:37
75-79 Harriet Anderson (USA) 16:59:19 Swim 2:10:18 Bike 7:37:50 Run 6:49:36
Female PC
Amy Dodson (USA) 14:03:32 Swim 1:42:45 Bike 7:07:07 Run 4:52:02
Female HC
Yasuyo Tonoyama (JPN) 12:21:01 Swim 1:18:58 Bike 6:44:53 Run 4:04:50


Originally from: http://ironman.com/events/ironman/worldchampionship/a-testing-day-in-the-saddle-for-age-group-athletes-in-kona?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ironman%2Ftopstories+%28Ironman.com+Top+Stories%29#ixzz29X1nB0MT

Kona Ironman 2012 Race Results

For the sixth year in a row, an Australian takes the IRONMAN World Championship presented by MyList.

By Kevin Mackinnon

Earlier this week Chris McCormack was asked how much longer he’d continue to compete as a professional.
“Until the younger guys retire me,” he said.
Today one of his countrymen might have just taken care of that for him. as he kept the IRONMAN World Championship title in Australian hands for the sixth straight year.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in,” said Pete Jacobs of winning the IRONMAN World Championship and keeping the title in Australian hands for the sixth straight year. “The guys who have won before me I look up to as idols and almost inhuman. Crowie (Craig Alexaander, who has won three titles to go along with McCormack’s two over the last six years) performs here every year – this is the first year he had a bad one. I was confident that if I had a good day, I could win. I ended up having a great day.”
A great day it was. Jacobs continued the tradition that Alexander set last year, staying in the front few athletes from virtually start to finish on a day that featured some of the toughest conditions seen for the IRONMAN World Championship for years.
After Andy Potts led the way out of the water, the early stages of the bike ride looked more like a short course race than an IRONMAN. Defending men’s champion Alexander seemed determined to push the pace, turning the tables on his rival McCormack, who suddenly found himself isolated and chasing the lead group. McCormack would eventually pull out, while Alexander found himself struggling to stay with the lead group and barely finishing in the top-20 at the end of the bike. (The classy three-time champ eventually ran his way to 12^th)
By the time the race reached the climb to Hawi, the winds started to really pick up and the men we considered most likely to push the pace on the bike were at the front – Marino Vanhoenacker and Sebastian Kienle led the way, steadily gaining ground on the rest of the field – just as they did earlier this year in Germany at the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship.
On the way down the hill from Hawi, though, things went awry for Kienle, who got a flat tire. While he had a spare, he couldn’t get the valve extender off the tube, so he had to wait for tech support to help change the tire. Once they did he was back on the road, but had lost almost five minutes.
That left Vanhoenacker on his own to finish the ride along the Queen K, which he did in impressive style. Vanhoenacker finished the ride 8:28 ahead of Jacobs, who put together an incredible ride to lead the rest of the men in the chase of Vanhoenacker. Not typically known as a great cyclist, Jacobs was doing his best Alexander imitation, finishing the bike ahead of men considered amongst the best in the sport on two wheels: Frederik Van Lierde, Dirk Bockel, Faris Al-Sultan, Romain Guillaume and Kienle. (Last year Alexander improved his bike split by a whopping 13 minutes to take the title here in Kona.)
Out on the run Vanhoenacker looked like he might just hold his lead to a first title here in Kona. After losing about 15 seconds a mile for almost the first 10 miles, things started to come undone for the Belgian. By 16 miles, Vanhoenacker had been passed by the fast-moving Jacobs. A few miles later Vanhoenacker would pull off the course at an aid station and eventually live up to his pre-race prediction: he would either win the race or be hauled off in an ambulance. It wasn’t quite that dire, but he did end up taking a medical vehicle back to Kailua-Kona.
Which left Jacobs in the position of just needing to hang on for his first world championship title. As he ran his way back up from the Energy Lab towards the Queen K for the epic last seven miles of running, a classy Alexander ran across the road, gave him a high five, and told him to “relax, relax, relax.”
Behind Jacobs, Andreas Raelert was putting together the fastest run of the day, getting over a disappointing start to once again put himself in contention for the win. While he couldn’t catch Jacobs, he did manage to run himself into second, only to suddenly find himself in a head-to-head battle with Van Lierde over the last mile.
Suddenly finding himself behind the Belgian with a mile to go, Raelert remembered the day two years ago when he lost this world title to McCormack. Once again he was passed on the fateful downhill about a mile away from the finish, but this time he responded. After falling 10 seconds behind, he surged passed Van Lierde and held on for his second runner-up finish here in Kona.
Van Lierde would hang on for third, followed by Kienle and then Al-Sultan, who was a popular addition to the top-five.
Men's top 10:
1 8:12:18 3 Pete Jacobs Sydney NSW AUS
2 8:17:49 16 Frederik Van Lierde Menen BEL
3 8:17:53 2 Andreas Raelert Rostock GER
4 8:19:58 6 Sebastian Kienle Hohenklingen GER
5 8:21:21 15 Faris Al-Sultan Al-Ain ABU ARE
6 8:24:36 8 Timo Bracht Eberbach GER
7 8:25:09 51 Andy Potts Colorado Springs CO USA
8 8:26:46 40 Timothy O'Donnel Boulder CO USA
9 8:27:51 27 David Dellow Mooloolaba QLD AUS
10 8:30:23 18 Dirk Bockel Munsbach LUX
You can follow our full day of coverage of the IRONMAN World Championship presented by MyList here.

You can reach Kevin Mackinnon at kevin.mackinnon@ironman.com

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Originally from: http://ironman.com/events/ironman/worldchampionship/pete-jacobs-keeps-the-ironman-world-championship-in-australia?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ironman%2Ftopstories+%28Ironman.com+Top+Stories%29#ixzz29LW0YaLK

Ali'i Drive "Dreams"

Oliver Wilkinsen Swims the Kaiwi Channel

The weather looked good except for the massive north swell. Captain  Matt Buckman, his first mate John and I powered over to Molokai where we met Ollie Wilkinsen whose plan was to swim the Kaiwi Channel between Molokai and Ohau. At about 3:40 am  Ollie Wilkinsen jumped off the boat, dodged some large swells, swam to some rocks at La'au Point, quickly scrambled up and off and started his swim to Oahu. The few hours of darkness were uneventful and Ollie was making very good time toward his destination of Sandy Beach. The winds were light the first 2/3 of the swim and then they picked up out of the south west ( a fairly rare wind around here) and the last six miles or so he was swimming into a strong breeze.

He swam up to Sandy Beach at 4:45 pm, 13 hours and five minutes after he started. Congratulations Ollie. You made it look easy!

For Oliver Wilkinsen's own story about his trip across the Kaiwi Channel Check out his blog

Mullaghmore Head

An Amazing Visualization of Ocean Currents - By Adventure Lab