Summer begins

I signed up to be a counselor at Camp Ranoca, a city affiliated summer day camp, just as school ended and have been herded through the various training sessions required by the city for the last 3 weeks. Monday kicks off the start of the 8 week day camp that is based in Umstead and Durant Nature Parks in Raleigh. Camp was an obvious choice for a summer job since I needed to stay in Raleigh to continue Ironman training (11wks to go) and it beats lifeguarding or working indoors. Plus I can ride my bike to work (about 17 miles round trip). I worked at a summer day camp in Chapel Hill for years after going there as a camper myself and was even the director one year so I know the game. No doubt in my mind that working with kids is appropriate Ironman training in itself.

Wednesday, Adam and I made a second trip in 2 weeks to the Bonsal train station just south of Jordan Lake and a good 55-65 mile (depending on if you get lost the first time) ride for our "Long Rides" for the week. We are averaging about 17 mph with stops which I think is pretty indicative of what our actual race pace will be. Running is going steady with no knee problems to report. Wishing I had a stronger base but what can you do except use what you got. I have definately improved since the shamrock 1/2 marathon. Swimming is going swimmingly. Tues. was another long swim (~2miles) and a recovery swim yesterday after the long ride. Overall feeling good. A little sore today and SLEEPING A LOT lately all of which I hope are signs of getting faster and stronger. My goals thus far with 11 weeks to go are to finish injury free and, if I pace myself successfully, maybe even run/jog the whole marathon.

Frisland is out of the water as of last week and Adam and I are still on for a trip up to Crown Point Marina next friday to begin work. Ian has been making friends with other sailors at the marina who are also on the hard and all have been admiring our boat. A special celebrity appearance on Sunday is also planned as Graham Brynes of B and B yachts has agreed to come up and survey the boat with us as well as help us a little with the in's and out's of cruising and all that other stuff that only a true salty dog knows and only a guy as nice as Graham would tell us newbies. We are looking forward to spending time with him on the boat. Thats all for now. Off to the gym.

Kerr Lake Try....

Last weekend I successfully completed my first triathlon, an Olympic distance, at Kerr lake. It was a small one with just over 300 participants in all. I came in 113 out of 188 men overall and 7th out of 9 in my age group with a total time of 2:47:56. Here are the male age group results.

My breakdown was as follows and the averages for my age group.
Swim: 30:37 (avg time- 28:20)
T1: 3:04
Bike: 1:13:46 (avg time- 1:10)
Run: 1:00:31 (avg time- 55:30)

As you can see, I was just slightly below average in all cases but I am getting faster every day. I averaged just over 18mph on the bike and felt strong on the swim. I had the second slowest T1 in my age group so thats something to work on but I'm not really racing anyone but myself and for Ironman, it will be worth the extra time to get comfortable. I also passed a lot of bonkers in the last mile and a half of the run when I felt really strong having held back in the beginning not knowing my limits completely which paid off I think.

Training continues for the Louisville Ironman in Aug. Just 12 weeks left!!!!

What now you ask

To pick up where the story left off, Adam and I successfully sailed Frisland up the Alligator river leaving Bellhaven at O-gawd-hundred and picked up Alan Witt and Andrew just north of the Alligator River Bridge (which is on channel 13 not 9 by the way) late Saturday afternoon. Then after crossing the Albermarle Saturday night we continued our way up and arrived in Coinjock Sunday before noon. Continuing into the Pungo river area we motor sailed up the windy river and navigated the numerous bridges and even went through the Great Bridge Lock that dropped us down a somewhat disappointing 12inches.



On the home stretch to Hampton we got an up close and personal look at the VA waterfront industry before sailing past Portsmouth and Norfolk and the Theodore Roosevelt Norfolk Naval Station. After crossing Hampton Roads we pulled into a slip right next to the Hampton Marina Hotel, settled her in and hit the local bar for some drinks. We also met up with Adam's girflfriend Julie here who would accompany us on the final stretch to Crown Point.

Alan and Andrew departed here and we really enjoyed having them on board to help us with the journey. Adam, Julie and I shoved off around 6am and with Julie still sleeping, we hoisted sail over the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. We bore off North with a south wind and Julie awoke to be handed the wheel while Adam and I set the spinnaker which we happily flew with the favored wind. I conked out around this point in the quarter berth and woke to Adam's voice on the walkie talkie next to me telling me to fire up old faithful so we could pinch it up past a channel marker that we over stood. I asked where we were and like magic Crown Point was dead ahead and we pulled in within minutes. What a nap. Upon arriving, we began the task of unloading EVERYTHING from the boat in preparation for the hauling. After all was removed she had lost a full 6 or 7 inches on her draft. It took two heaping truckloads to transport it all to Ian's garage.

Tuesday was spent at Ian's Dad's place on the York river doing some wake boarding and wed. morning I sorted all the stuff in the garage cataloging stuff we are keeping and other stuff for sale. Adam and I made it back to Raleigh late Wed night.

In case I have not mentioned yet, Frisland is the boat that Adam and Ian recently purchased and that will be home for Adam, Ian, Anna and I on our 3 year circumnavigation that begins in November of 2009. The project is called EYE (Expedition in Youth Education) and was developed by Adam and his friends while at William and Mary. Time changes things and the original crew of 8 or 9 has been paired down to just 4 but the goals are the same. To circumnavigate and connect with schools in the US in a pen pal type relationship hopefully utilizing technology to allow us to produce monthly documentaries of our travels as well as update blogs and send emails.

A month of sailing

Well, its been a while since I have done much more than sail up the east coast. This month I have sailed from Key Largo, FL to Tybee island, GA then I hopped aboard Frisland in Beaufort, SC with Adam and Ian who left from Fort Lauderdale the weekend prior.

Tomorrow I am headed back out to Belhaven where we left the boat on Tuesday and will be completing the move to Crown Point Marina in Virgina. Where we will haul the boat for the summer. Pictures can be found on the NORSA blog. I'll be sure to fill in all the details upon my return.

Tybee Carnage

Alan called in today to check on the status of Frisland, but he also had some Tybee 500 updates.

So after Day 1 of the 2008 Tybee 500 Team Velocity was sitting in 3rd place. After Day 2 they had fallen back in the standings, but still within an hour of the leader. The major catastrophe for the day occurred when Captain Trey fell off the boat and broke the rudder linkage, so Alan had to grab the rudders, one in each hand, and go recover Trey from the chop. And to top it all off this was caught on video from a helicopter!

I'll keep an eye out for the video and put it up here...it sounds like a blockbuster.

Rolex Video

Training for Ironman continues. Tybee approaches. Exams are almost over. The summer is on its way. Parents are in Cedar Key this weekend for the Boat meet with the CS20 and my mom will finally get to try out HER boat.

In other news, my awesome crew Hudson made this sweet video with footage from the Rolex Regatta. Take a look.

Training

Training is in full swing for the to-be Ironmaner's for the upcoming Louisville Ironman in August. Last weekend we did a 116 miler to Virgilina. This weekend, Mike and I drove over to Chapel Hill to ride with Sandybottom and her friend Kim Ring and we did a nice 43mile ride around Jordan lake averaging a cool 15mph. Yesterday I got in a mile at the pool before a thunderstorm rolled over Raleigh. With 20 weeks left to go, it is training "prime time".

In other news, good luck to NORSA member Julie Brockman who is running in the Boston Marathon RIGHT NOW and her support crew, namely Adam Domanski.

Welcome to Virgilina

Team NORSA rides again. Adam has the report on the Team NORSA Blog. Also check out Tim's Pics.

"On Sunday, April 13th, NORSA cyclists Alan Stewart, Mike Rhodes, Tim Josey, and Adam Domanski successfully completed the epic Raleigh to Virgilina, VA road ride - a 116 mile trip from central North Carolina, north to the Virginia border town of Virgilina, and back.

NORSA had attempted the trip back in December but was hampered by 40 degree temperatures and cold rain. The cyclists made it only halfway to Virgilina and turned back at the town of Stem, NC. Virgilina remained in their sights however; and April 13th proved to be the day when the weather and everyone's schedules cooperated.", and Adam said it best,

"The only disappointment from the trip was for Alan and Adam, who experienced a painful revelation of exactly how far the Louisville Ironman will be."

Here are some GREAT pictures.

The Tybee Approaches

The Tybee 500 is nearly upon Trey and I once again. We have liquidated used parts from Trey's Garage in hopes of scraping together some extra cash and have been calling in all of our sponsors for help with the hotels, gas and boat expenses this year. We have some great sponsors this year including Dry Inc. that will be donating dry-shits, T-shirts and team collared shirts. Very nice. McLube has given us some hot new product to try out on the hull. WilderGFX is back with us again this year as is Atlantic Boat and Supply and FRE Robline. Also with us is Murrays who also helped my Dad and I with some hardware on Dawn Patrol for the EC. Even with all that it is still a great challenge to keep funding in the green and we are busting our butts. Anyone near the eastern shore of florida or SC should not hesitate to come out to the finish or Start of one of the legs. Here are some shots from the Tybee last year. Can't wait.

International Rolex Regatta 2008

Back from the International Rolex Regatta in St. Thomas and back to the grind. Trey and I flew down to the virgin islands to participate in this cool race for the second time. This time, Trey raced with another sailor friend of ours John Casey an experienced cat sailor and multiple year winner of the Tybee 500 in past years. They raced on a 22 foot Supercat catamaran with a modified "tall rig". I raced with our sponsors son Hudson on a Hobie 16. Here we are on the second day of racing.

Friday was very rough and very windy. Seas 5-7 feet and winds gusting to the high 20s. Hudson and I made to the start of the first race, a 13 mile distance race, but about 15 min. in a gust pitch-poled us and we went straight into turtle (completely upside down) where we promptly lost a rudder pin to the deep. With one rudder, we righted the boat and headed in by necessity. It was a good call and many other beachcats had also headed in that day.

Trey and JC on the suffered worse luck. They were cut off by a cruising trimaran just after the start and with F18s above and below them at the downwind start, pitch-poled badly. They tore their jib and lost their mast rotator. Nonetheless they completed the first race but retired from the second unable to sail to windward effectively without the jib that had to be taken down. With an 18 boat fleet of beachcats. We were both taken out of contention on the first day. Oh well.

Here Trey and JC after getting their Jib repaired and finally getting somewhere on the last day of racing.

On Saturday, I got in 2 races with rock star crew, Hudson before we flipped in a downwind mark rounding and had trouble righting the boat with water in our mast. We retired after a long struggle to get back upright. Trey and JC blew out a second jib this day on the first race and went in for repairs but did not come back out.

Sunday, Hudson was recovering from some burned legs from trapeezing all day and I crewed for another friend of ours, Mark Chong on his I-20. We did alright but mostly just had fun. Trey and JC had more problems when their wire Jib halyard blew up on them on the last upwind leg. Sigh.

We took Sunday evening off and went down to a small public beach bay for some food and swimming. I had a snorkel and goggles with me so I went exploring. I saw Trey an JC entering the water and right as I was yelling to warn them about the HUGE sea urchins I had seen there....you guessed it. JC ended up with 19 urchins spines in his heel. OUCH. We couldn't hardly believe the bad luck we had had. But by now we could only just laugh at it. Except for JC who was in pain and not laughing that much.

It was hard to feel beaten too long though. We had beautiful weather and the water is crystal clear. Overall we all had a great time even though the race did not exactly go as planned.

Thanks to Eric Tillet and Alan Friedman from the BUZZ radio station for the great time again and making it all possible. Thanks to everyone who helped us while we were down there.

I'm still working on my write up for the EC but it IS coming along. Right now my focus is school, with sponsorship for the upcoming Tybee on the side.