So last week was not the kind of week that will get you in shape for a 350 mile trip of windsurfing and kayaking.  Work and laziness have a way of de-motivating me.  I know that I should just get out of bed earlier but that might require more self-discipline than I actually have. 

The week was not a total loss; I did get in a few days of resistance training and a day of aerobics with some light paddling on the weekend.  My diet is in need of some serious work though. 

This week will be better.  I feel a change in the air.

 

See you on the water.

Trey

 I was able to do a SUP session on Lake Jackson on Saturday after work.  The weather was great but the wind was light and inconsistant.  I was able to paddle for about an hour and than set the sail for some light air sailing.

 

Here is a photo of the next KUIANA.  I will have it ready for the EC and it will be crazy cool!

 

 

Here is a summary of my fitness program for this week.

 

Monday -upper body resistance training

Teusday  -  20 mis on the bike

Wednesday-  upper body resistance training

Thursday -  wimped out

Friday - upper body resistance trining

Saturday  -  paddling and sailing

 

I have a long way to go to be ready for the EC. 

Time to get into EC shape!!!

With only 88 days left to get into shape for the Everglades Challenge I have decided to post my fitness goals and accomplishments on a weekly basis.  This will help me stay focused and motivated for the next three months.  I have much work to do in getting the KULEANA ready for the race and twice as much getting myself ready.
To help me get from here to there I have developed the fitness program I call...


                                        "THE FIT FOR ADVENTURE LIFE STYLE"

• Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings: 45 mins. of circuit training - four sets (25,20,15,max reps)  per exercise.
• Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays mornings: 30-45 mins. of interval aerobics to include paddling and cycling.
• Saturday afternoons (after work): long windsurfing sailing or paddling.
• Every other weekend: camp from boat for practice loading and seting up camp gear.
• Flexability exercises along with meditation to be done in evenings.

Time on the water is the best form of training for long distance windsurfing, but having to work 6 days a week is putting a real damper on my leisure time.  I am far from being a fitness junky, so staying motivated will be a real challenge.  So please post some positive vibes and keep me motivated!!

Until next week...Leave nothing but a wake!!!

Into the sunset!

Some guys spend their Saturday afternoon on the golf course, others on the mower.  I prefer to spend it on the Kuleana doing some fishing and exploring.

 

 

Sunset on Tampa Bay

The Kuleana is wide enough and stable enough to put a large cooler on the deck and comfortably fish. 

I didn't even break the camera

Note the cooler with the rod holder.

It was a fantastic afternoon of sailing. The winds were out of the west at a light 6 to 8 kts.  As the sun set in the west I ghosted along on a down wind run back to the boat ramp. 

Taking time to explore the island.


While some sailors wait for high winds to go windsurfing, with the Kuleana I can sail in any type of weather and still have a great time.  What a great way to watch the sun set!



 

Sanibel Island

June 1^st.

Winds out of the SW at 12 - 15kts with gusts near 18kts.

I was to meet Josh (aka Tidetraveller) to discuss the possibility of using the Kuleana for the Everglades Challenge (http://watertribe.org/) a 350 mile adventure race down the west coast of Florida.  Josh successfully completed the 350 mile race this year using a Hobie Adventure Island.   Josh, being a true adventurer, wants to complete the race on windsurfer or paddle board.  So to give him a chance to test sail the Kuleana and perhaps determine if it would work for such an adventure we agreed to meet on the causeway leading onto Sanibel Island. 

The weather was great for testing the boat.  We had a nice strong wind blowing from the WSW with an occasional rain cloud as a frontal system moved across the state.  Josh brought along his stand-up board that he had retro-fitted for a sail.  We spent a couple of hours racing back and forth in the bay comparing notes and discussing possible options for the race. 

We both agreed that with some modifications to the design at least one Kuleana will be at the starting line for the 2013 Everglades Challenge.

Since I was in the area I thought I might as well spend a couple of nights on Sanibel and do some exploring.  I have heard lots of good things about the area but have never been made the time to visit.  So after a few hours of sailing with Josh we packed up and I headed for the Periwinkle Campground on Sanibel Island. 

Periwinkle Trailer Park & Campground is a nice park that has a limited number of tent sites.  I was able to reserve a site with electric hookup but never needed to use the electric.  Here in Florida, June it can get pretty uncomfortable to sleep at night, so I brought along a fan.  But because of the overcast rainy weather on Friday the temps were pleasant and I had no trouble sleeping in my tent.

Once I had my tent set up and camp in order, I set out to explore the island by bike.  I thought ahead enough to remember my bike and I am glad that I did.  Sanibel has a great bike trail so once you are on the island you don’t really need to ever use your car.

If you get to Sanibel you have to visit Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grill.  Order the Yucatan Shrimp.  You will love it!!!

On Saturday I rigged the Kuleana and sailed out to some of the islands north of the causeway.  Some of these are great for camping on, and would make a great stopping point if doing the EC.

This island just a few miles north of the Sanibel causway would make a geat place to camp.

Can you find the trail through the mangrove?

Another beautiful Gulf coast sunset on Sanibel Island... decompression time.

 Sanibel is a great place to visit. 

Fishing (or not) on the KULEANA

Two weeks ago I rigged the KULEANA for some stand-up-paddle fishing and headed over to Bishop Harbor on Tampa Bay.  This area is one of Tampa Bay's best fishing spots with lots of turtle grass and mangroves for the redfish, sea trout and snook.  Of course, the fish had nothing to fear from me.  In fact, I could hear a collective sigh of relief coming from the bay as I loaded my cooler and rods onto the boat. Truthfully I would rather paddle around than fish.  I have an incessant desire to see what is around the next bend or what might be lurking in the next deep hole or what is up the next mangrove tunnel.  I suppose it is a version of ADD, but I just can't sit still long enough to actually figure out what the fish are biting on.  But thats OK, right?  The way I see it, I am having a great time and I am helping my fellow fisherman by increasing his odds of catching the fish I am too distracted  to catch. 

 Note the cooler with rod holders.  The cooler also serves as a seat when I get too lazy to stand.

 The water was just too tempting; I had to go for a swim.

                          I suppose the other fishermen in the bay thought I must have fallen in.  It was a nice refreshing swim.
                                                                            

Of course, I could not come home without taking out some of the trash left behind by others.  Notice the new bait bucket I found in the mangroves, it still has the tags on it.

On my way back to the boat ramp a storm began to form in the east providing a nice rainbow.

Looking back towards the west and Bishop Harbor the sun began its descent into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Another beautiful day on the water!  The fish were safe and I had a nice workout.

My next trip will be to the Sanibel Island area in a couple of weeks.  Do you think the fish down there will be as safe as the ones in Tampa Bay?

Kuleana living along the Peace River

As the skies began to clear here in central Florida, after two days of much needed rain, my wife and I decided to take a walk along the Peace River.  I did not have the time or energy to make it to the Gulf coast, but I wish I had.  The winds were blowing in the 20kts+ rang.  It would have been a great day for wave sailing.  So rather than letting the great weather pass without getting outdoors and enjoying the beauty of the river we took a walk.  

Our mantra at KULEANA ADVENTURES is to do our best to live in a responsible, sustainable way.  As you can see from the photos, we took a few minutes to clean up the area.  The part of the river we visited is frequented by people who kayak, fish, hunt for fossils and other wise use this section to enjoy being in the outdoors.  Not everyone is going to have the same sense of KULEANA living that we do, so we try to make up for what they lack by going a bit out of our way to clean up what they leave behind.  It’s not hard and we find that we actually feel good about what we can get done in just a few minutes of work.

Who knows what sea turtle or water fowl or bottle nose dolphin we might have saved by taking the time to pick up the trash left behind by others.  And it makes the great outdoors look nice for the next person.

Do you know what the most common form of trash found in our oceans is?  Take a look at the “findings” from the 2012 International Coastal Cleanup. 

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/marine-debris/2012-data-release.html

The KULEANA life style means enjoying the privilege of living on a beautiful planet, but at the same time taking care of it by living in a responsible way.  It's really not that hard to do!