Time to Regroup

There have been some big changes at work this past month, all good so far, but it's been stressful and very busy. Also, my recent running injury still has me pretty laid up, both emotionally and physically.

It's really time to regroup. I'm in that place emotionally where I need to focus my energies back towards healthy and positive.

The Yukon1000 is only a year away (July 2009), and there is lots to do. It's about time for Kristen and I to start up a website, work on sponsors, develop a training plan, and find a kayak. Anyone out there have a used Seaward Passat G3 for sale?


Lots to do!

Not Meant To Be

Looking through a newspaper the other day, I happened on this, a very fortuitous and telling horoscope.

"In his folksong "Farewell to the Gold," Nic Jones tells the story of a failed gold prospector. After two years of finding no more than a few flecks of the precious metal, the unlucky man is giving up his search.

Farewell to the gold
that never I found.
Goodbye to the nuggets
that somewhere abound.
For it's only when dreaming
that I see them gleaming,
down in the dark deep underground.

If I'm reading the omens correctly, Sagittarius, it's time for you, too, to say goodbye to a quest that hasn't panned out. Yes, it'll be sad. But here's the happy ending. Within a month of the time you surrender, you'll be led to a better quest with more chance of success."

So... I appreciate the patience and support you've given me as I followed another dream and attempted to pursue a different challenge and interest (Ironman). But I've come to realize it's not to be, this was really part of my past and is not my future.

To give this up now not only gets me back on the water where I belong (my real passion), it will also allow me to continue to enjoy the fun and fitness benefits of swimming, biking, and running that I love and enjoy, at a level that fits more beautifully in my life now.

Today is Wednesday, and I'm really looking forward to the weekly Wednesday night fitness paddle tonight at Jordan Lake.

Everyone Else is Sailing

Friday morning Paul and I drove down to Tybee Island to see Alan and Trey finish their catamaran sailing race, the Tybee 500. Team Velocity Sailing finished in 3rd place, this is a great finish considering the breakdowns and other problems they had during the week.

After the awards breakfast Saturday morning, we drove Alan to Beaufort SC, so he could catch up with Adam and Ian, who had started sailing the newly purchased Eye of the World sailboat (a 40' Rhodes Reliant built in the 60s) from Fort Lauderdale (where Adam bought the boat) to Virginia, where it will be docked while they work on it over the next 16 months.

We arrived home Saturday evening. This morning I got in a 45 mile bike ride, then began working a bit on my Greenland skin on frame kayak. Next weekend, Paul and I plan to get our sailboat "Dawn Patrol" out on the lake for our own bit of sailing.

Back in the Race

I think I'm back in the race!

The ortho visit diagnosed my knee problem as Baker's Cysts, an accumulation of excess knee joint fluid behind my knees. They prescribed mega-doses of ibuprofen, said my 2 week rest was a good thing, and told me to go ahead and give it a try.

The bad news is that the development of Baker's Cysts is secondary to a definite knee problem, though we don't know what that is. Probably just my life catching up with me.

The opinion was as long as I don't have painful popping and crackling, and no knee swelling, I'm okay to get back to training, thought the cysts might still get bigger and be uncomfortable until they either disappear or start draining inside the leg.

I have to admit the news came with mixed emotions. I'd almost wrapped my head around this Ironman not happening, and had even started making some weekend paddling plans over the next couple months. But I'd told myself it was this year or never, so I have to give it my best shot.

They gave me no promises, and I'm not sure they were very optimistic I'd make it through the training. But, we'll see. Went out and did a great 25 mile bike ride late this afternoon.

I'm feeling very behind schedule now having missed the last 2 weeks, but then again, so have Alan and his roommate Adam, also planning to do this Louisville Ironman. Both have been busy this past week sailing.

Alan is finishing the Tybee 500, which has been so exciting to follow every day at the Tybee500 website and the Catsailor website and forum. Really rough surf landings, launches, broken boat parts, and even falling off boats.


Meanwhile, Adam is sailing the new Eye of the World sailboat from FL to VA, that the boys are planning their world sail in next year. Mike has been keeping up with this adventure on the Team Norsa Blog.

SOF Building Continues

With a bit more free time, I've put in some stitches on the SOF. The bow section is skinned, just need to deal with the point. I hope to finish the stern this weekend, quite a bit is done already. Cockpit could be sewn in weekend after next.

I'm thinking hard about the paint finish, and hope that doesn't have me agonizing for too long. Building this kayak has already taken too many years. I had originally planned to paint it black, now I'm leaning towards a brown with black paint used for some decorative artwork, for a more subtle look.

There is very little out there on the Internet regards artwork on SOFs, there is no tradition for it, yet I thought I would find more among recent builds. Although my SOF was made using traditional techniques, I'm feeling the need for my own hand print on it. Possibly a simple border around the deck using a native style pattern.

Sidelined

I've been sidelined with a running injury for about a week and a half now. Not sure what's going on, all was well until an 8 and then 5 miler earlier last week. I have discomfort and swelling behind both my knees. It actually looks like someone stuffed ping-pong balls under the skin behind my legs.

I'm seeing my Orthopaedist on Thursday, until then I've not been running, walking, or biking. I'm pretty discouraged. It's taken me years of hard work to overcome previous running injuries, and things were going pretty well.

So with training plans on hold, we spent Mother's Day up in the mountains visiting and helping our daughter Tana move. Can't think of a better way to spend my day.

Alan's Race

Being a proud Mom, I've posted a couple of photos of Alan and and his sailing partner Trey (a new NCSU graduate) of Team Velocity during their first leg of the Tybee 500 today. They came in 3rd today, and that was after having to fix a spinnaker problem after the start.

Also in the race are Jamie Livingston of Team Tybee and Steve Lohmayer in team Marley Yellow. Jamie and Steve, competing against each other this year, usually sail together as Team Tybee. WaterTribers know them as lumpy and Bumpy, 1st place record holders of the 2008 WaterTribe Everglades Challenge.

Cedar Keys Mess-About

We had a great time at the Cedar Keys small boat mess-about last weekend. It was a bit of a long trip for such a short weekend, but well worth it. There were about 50+ sailboats, all shapes and sizes, and quite a few home built boats like ours. Everyone got in some great sailing for most of the day Saturday with a nice ocean breeze allowing us to sail all around the keys in the area. Sunday was more of the same. There are some great pictures here.

I had my first ride in the 'Dawn Patrol' and even took the helm for awhile. Paul's quite good at it, while I've got a long way to go. I'm far from being a convert, and truth be told find it a bit stressful, but I'm determined to work on it, and have started looking for some sailing lessons at the coast.

Meanwhile Alan is out of school for the summer and is currently in Key Largo getting ready for Team Velocity's race in this years Tybee 500 (Key Largo FL to Tybee GA). We'll probably go down to Tybee next week to see the boats finish the last leg of the race. It's pretty exciting racing with the Nacra I20 performance catamarans. We'll be following the race on the race website, Team Velocity's website and the Cat Sailor Forum.

Photo above is of Alan and Trey during last years Tybee500. And then there is this exciting video of last years racers battling their way through the surf (Team Velocity are the 2nd and 3rd boat attempts on the video).

Gone Sailing

I'm finally going to sail on our new Core Sound 20, can't wait. I'll write up a trip report after the weekend.