KSP - the Finals

On wednesday, I was lucking to see the finals of the KSP world tour in almost perfect conditions.
My pictures do not reflect the quality of the event, but you can have an "On site" feeling.
Saw Kai Lenny, Mitu Monteiro, Roby Naish and Pete Cabrinha, Top Hat , etc...

Sea of Kites

Result board

Pete Cabrinha's interview

6+ Sets

Slashing waves like metronomes

Lanes was pumping as well

Winner's podium, Kai Lenny - local champ - on the right.

Looking at this event, you can tell that Kitesurfing is miles away from Surfing in term of popularity, at least on the Pro Tour.  Less than 100 persons were watching, even if that was a week day.
The action is cool, but the level of those guys makes it very difficult to read. It looks like a choreography that repeats itself over and over.
Pick the wave, Bottom turn, Slash, Repeat.
It is too perfect to be true, or interesting, in a competition perspective.

Still impressive, of course, when you know how difficult it is to perform at your / my actual skill level.

In any case, it was funny to hang out in the middle of the pro crowd.
Like a pro.

My life without pants

But with a surfer short.

This is a first rule when you are working at home : "Get dressed".

Obviously, you need to start your day somehow.

Scott Berkun wrote a nice book on the underground of working remotely and how a company can embrace it culturally, fully. And how it is proven to work, under some specific setups.

Cover of the book

I have been working remote for more than two years now.

And it works for me.

I could go on and on about the positive and negative aspects from both side, employee and employer.

But I have another of summarize it:

Remote work is an amplifier. Good practices, Work output, focus, social aspects, work and life balance, production values, enterprise culture, you name it.

If your enterprise is doomed to fail because of disorganized production practices, it will only go faster with remote people. Soon, they will be wandering around, asking what to do and how to do, when people on site will just be sitting at their desk chatting on Facebook.

If you have trouble to focus at home to work, I bet you are not the most productive either in a more typical workplace environment.

Gecko working remotely from home.

Myself ?

Amplification leads to optimization. I am excessive in what I do, I cherish my spare time and my life and work balance, and I like to work hard to create awesome things.

It fits me like a glove.

It allows me to optimize a lot of aspects in my life or in my work that are impossible in a typical setup. Commute. Meetings. Communication. Output.

If you follow my thought, you should realize that if you find yourself incapable to do your actual work from home (if the job is "remotable", of course), it is likely you are not doing your job on site at your full capacity.

IMHO.

Kite Surf Pro World Championship Tour

This week we are blessed to see the finals of the tour at Hookipa.

http://www.kspworldtour.com/

Yesterday the wind was pumping, and today should be even better.

There was some waves...

I will try to go check this out today.

Kai Lenny, a Maui native

Before Jumping in the water myself... somewhere else ;)

Kick'in the bucket... list

While reading "you are an iron man" - I know , I know , it might be a subject for a later post! - the idea of the bucket list - reference to the movie - came back again as people seems to be trying to check off things to "be done" before the end. Chatting with captain Paul during the Hawaiian sailboat trip last week, lots of people sign on nowadays to tour the islands on sailboat, taking the risk of seasickness or fighting other fears just to cross it out of their "Bucket List".

In the world of apprentice marathoners, it seems to be a recurring idea too.

"Running a marathon" - Checked.

Blue sky and Cumulus are back

What is disturbing in this idea of bucket list is the lack of consistency or implication in the "item" issued of the list. Doing it - crossing it off - closing it doesn't really matter, in my opinion.

This marathon is only a post on the way. Only a practical goal to define a time line and force focus. The achievement itself doesn't fundamentally matter, although I really will try as hard as possible to reach it. 

Another way to walk the path.

Another Sunset in Paradise

My hope is - by walking the path -  to change definitively my approach of my life style, mind and body, and the relationship with people around, starting with my close family.

Claiming "I am a Marathoner" is very different than "I am doing a Marathon".

The more I am thinking about it, this idea of "Bucket list" is pretty idiotic, but I get the point of trying to reach for our inner potential or unrealized desires.

Assuming that you realize the fact that actually achieving it is far less important than the simple act of  trying to reach out for it.

My 2 cents in my bucket.

16 Miles, GPS certified

This time, I did not let anything to the chance. Picked a road, with Miles post all along, and did some google maps distance check and review.

I did not want to come short of a couple of miles.

Start at the Winery, around 7AM

Piilani Hwy all by myself this time

8 Miles. The road continue toward Hana.
This time I will go back ;)

Deserted South shore of Maui

Haleakala, from below

Still have to go back

My personal favorite

Never forget, you are on Hawaii

Race summary. This last hill was tough.

This time everything went as expected. Sky was overcast, temperature was ideal. Plenty of fuel and water, few cars on the road in the early morning. Next time, I would like to start even earlier, to see the sunrise.
Only little "surprise" to think about. Even if there was some hills, this is as flat as you can find on Maui. (Almost), and with good conditions my average speed is still at 6m/ph, or 10 min the mile.
I dont really care, in term of performance, however, that makes the marathon, in a best case scenario, around 4:20, in the inconceivable event I could maintain this speed for this time.

I would have prefer to run faster, just because you run less.
4 hours and half. That is a long long long run.
I might even be tired at the end :)

Dead calm

Is it the calm before the storm ?

For people who know the island, it is pretty rare to see the smoke of the sugar cane refinery straight to the sky, at 5PM.

Things are boiling, Things are happening ;)

Pretty mellow day with a good 1 hour swim (45 laps ;) at the Pukalani pool this morning, and a couple of beers with a friend visiting from the main land. Rare enough to be signaled !

I am out for the week-end, then the reality of the training plan is my long run is scheduled for tomorrow morning.

16 miles, on Kula Highway starting as early as possible to avoid incoming traffic.

6AM anyone ?

I am planning for a least 2:30 of running, I am hesitating between fear and excitation.

It is getting serious.

Flat and Calm

Becalmed when on vacation on our dream island.
Great, I am up to running anyway ;)


GIFT from F-ONE KITE on Vimeo.


But there is always a place on earth where it is firing !

Disappointed

For my come back to my running plan, I miserably failed today.
I tried a new path, and roughly counted 14 miles using geo distance (http://www.geodistance.com/).
I struggled for more than 2 hours under the killing sun (more than 81°F), slowed down with a beach run - running in the sand is never easy - and eventually fought tooth and nail to not walk, eventually assuming that I reached my goal of 14 miles.

Spreck's ville bike path

Sky was blue and clear, 25mph wind on the nose on the way in. A good day for kitesurfing. Maybe I should have.

Paia Town

Was super excited to reach Paia, Surfer Town, from Kahului. Seemed like a fair run.

Not even 13 Miles, and more than 2 hours

My Cellphone GPS is usually way-off, then I don't really pay attention.
This time though, sky was clear and It was pretty accurate (too accurate ?).
Anyway, I did not even reach 13 miles, less than my half marathon, and spend way more time and struggled like a mad man. I would assume the heat was part of the counter-performance, or maybe it was just a day-off.

In any case, my first tough when I arrived to my destination, was :

"It will be hard".

Well, I guess it was to be expected. Running a marathon has not been labeled in the easy category.
Anyway, I decided to bank week #8.
Next week, 16 miles.

"It's gonna be hard."

Too much

You don't want my playlist. No, Really, you don't want it.

Special dedication to Lofo, who give me a kick in the butt when I am thinking to walk.


"

Et même quand trop c’est trop

C’est encore pas assez.

C’est trop tard, j’ai bien trop de défauts

Et encore trop de bornes à dépasser.

"
 

Even when enough is enough

This is still not enough.

It's too late, I have too many flaws


And too many miles to overcome.


Sometime, getting older, your music tastes will evolve, I have been said, all my youth. 

Mines actually did.

they got worse ;)

Peahi - November 13

Went to Peahi yesterday afternoon.
The surf was down (relatively speaking, compared to the morning), and the action too.
There was still a dozen of surfer in the water, between long boards and skis.

Mud path toward the shore

Nice 2 miles walk in the fields

Traffic Jam in a cane sugar field

People are staring

Peahi is breaking

Lots of white water

The dots are surfers

Coast is wild on the NorthShore

Walking the mud path could have been pleasant if that was not for all the cars (lazy people).

The coast is wild and point of view small and crowded.

Still, seeing helicopters and the actual wave breaking was worth it.

Not sure I want to surf it though.

Ever.

Hookipa was huge

On the way back, I stopped to Hookipa. Well. "Smaller"but messy. and still Huge.

Real pictures of the event on Jimmy Hepp 's page:

https://www.facebook.com/jimmie.hepp2/media_set?set=a.591316507572684.1073742046.100000830216933&type=3

Triple Overhead anyone ?

Was thinking to unshelve my paddleboard today, but it seems more a day to go watch Jaws.
Cannot see anyone in the water, it just looks, well, too big.

Lots of water at Kanaha

When Kanaha is too big, Hookipa is insane. And Jaws is firing.

20 foot swell could mean 40 foot faces

Eh Eh

30 Ft. average max
(i.e. 20% of the time you can find bigger waves on a set)

Maybe better to go for a run and try tomorrow instead ;)

Reset

With the week of vacation closed, and the January 19th date line approaching, it is time to get back to serious running. Note that I always ran at least 15 miles a week since I stopped my training program around one month ago. My loosing weight attempt of last month failed miserably with this week of sailing. I will try to continue to limit my food consumption to the same ratio during the second part of the marathon preparation.
Anyway,
It is time to get serious if I want to be able to make it.

I can do it !

I decided to go back to week #8 of the program with a long run of 14 miles. That will give me a couple of weeks of buffer just in case I slip.

14 Miles long run for this week

Here is the goal.

Maui Oceanfront Marathon

At the same time, the ocean is firing huge swell on our coast. Anyway, my priority goes for running, then we will see what I will be able to catch. One thing at a time.
Exciting!

Back on Land

After one week of vacation/ training, I am back to reality - If Maui is close enough from reality. It was a great week of sailing - training - I am now Advanced Coastal ASA certified, on top of my Bareboat US Sailing certification ;). Doesn't mean much but it was refreshing to go over the basics of sailing and the terminology.

Boat on Oahu next to Secret Island

Unfortunately the weather has been very clement for us during this week, almost too quiet. We still had more than 20+ knots and 10 feet waves to cross the channel to Molokai, but overall, it was pretty mellow.
Little surfing, couple of runs on deserted Molokai, morning swims (saw my first shark reef !) and lots of sailing, of course.
I wanted to stress my sailing skills around the "challenging" Hawaiian waters, but it ended up manageable.
Few pictures to close this chapter.

Jurassic Park

Waikiki madness

Hard to tell if you are not used to read the sea, but that was quite rough.

Deserted beaches on Molokai

Sunrise

That's me

leeward Lanai

Hard at work

We had some rain and rainbows

Overall, A very nice week which gave some time to reflect on my next steps and goals.
To be continued...