“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”

- Steve PreFontaine

]]> http://jennykalmbach.com/2012/05/27/1883/feed/ 0 jennykalmbach 20120527-115802.jpg http://jennykalmbach.com/2012/05/23/cnn/ http://jennykalmbach.com/2012/05/23/cnn/#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 08:32:15 +0000 jennykalmbach http://jennykalmbach.com/?p=1860 ]]>

Last week I had the opportunity to paddle with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and the “Lucky Seven” from CNN Fit Nation. The Lucky Seven are a group of CNN viewers who were selected to join the Fit Nation team with the goal of racing the Nautical Malibu triathlon later this year. They were on the Big Island all week swimming, biking, running and preparing for the months ahead.

We met at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows in the morning and spent an hour paddling around the lagoon. It was such a great experience and I’m so stoked to have been able to meet such an inspiring group of people.

After a quick beach lesson, in which I went over the basics of paddling, we hit the water! The North winds were filling in, which made it a little tricky, especially with the low tide and shallow reef, but that didn’t stop us from having a good time.

There were 15 of us in the small lagoon, and at times it looked like we were playing the paddling version of bumper cars. Glenn, who fell a couple times at the start, vowed not to leave the water until he got it, and soon enough he was paddling across the lagoon with everyone else. Jeff paddled around until he found the turtles, at which point, he ditched his board and jumped in to swim with them. Sanjay and Rebecca clearly had paddling experience and were extremely helpful in giving the first timers some tips. Carlos, Adrienne and Rick all picked it up quickly, cruising around, smoothly avoiding any near collisions. Nancy was a natural on the board and looked as if she had paddled for years. April, the Fit Nation trainer, was immediately hooked, venturing out past the lagoon in search of something more. She says she found a new hobby, I’m sure it won’t be long before it becomes more than just a hobby! Denise was amazing to watch, she stood up quickly and in no time she was sprinting from one side of the lagoon to the other. I told her about the 32-mile Molokai to Oahu race later this summer and I think I’ve convinced her to do it next year! There really needs to be a “Fit Nation” relay team… any takers?

Each of the “Lucky Seven” have overcome obstacles in life and powered through. They are proof that even when life gets tough and things don’t go as planned, you never give up. I was impressed by their determination, spirit, good humor and great personalities. Although I only spent a couple of hours with them, they left a mark on me. I wish them each the best of luck over the next few months and I hope to join them at the 2012 Nautica Malibu triathlon in September and watch them cross the finish line.

 A huge thanks to Garmin, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Naish for making that day possible and the crew from CNN Fit Nation for all their hard work!

I was excited to test of the new Jaime Mitchell Survivor race format and I loved it!! It involves a little bit more technique, tactic & overall fitness and takes a lot of the luck out of it. I wasn’t planning on going fast in the first lap, there were 16 girls and the top 10 made it through to the next round but as we started paddling out I found myself in the lead, so I settled into a comfortable rhythm, rounded all the buoys and headed to shore. The 5 minutes in between each lap was just enough time to catch my breath, drink some water, take in a few Gu chomps and focus on the next round. Of the 10, only 5 made it through to the final. Again, my goal was to aim for top 3, that way there was no chance of being accidentally knocked out and not making into the final round. I finished that lap in 2nd and was pumped, one lap to go! Those 5 minutes went by really fast!! I focused and waited for the gun to go off. The last round was not my best start but I managed to make up some ground quickly and caught up to Candice and Gillian. In that final lap, Gillian and I battled it out til the very end. I made a few tactical errors that I regret but all in all I enjoyed the race and I was stoked to finish in 2nd place. I was also really happy to be able to race on the new Naish MC-12’6 which is out later this summer. It’s light and super fast! I was amazed how easily it caught the glides, which makes a big difference in such a close race!

All in all, it was a great weekend and a good start to the race season. A huge thanks to Kona Brewing Co for all the support this weekend, Rebecca, you are AMAZING!! Thanks also to Naish, Garmin & 2XU and all of my sponsors who make it possible for me to do what I love to do! Thanks also to the race organizers, media & volunteers who put so much time and energy into making sure we all have a great time.

Thanks Reid & Katie for the photos!

On Oahu for the Waikiki Paddle Festival!! Excited to race in the new Jaime Mitchell survivor race, as well as the long distance Hawaii Kai run (hope there is good wind), the 4 person relay and the Watermans Challenge which involves swimming, prone paddling and standup paddling. Looks like we are all in for a really good time!!

“Make the most of yourself, because that is all there is of you.” -Ralph Emerson

“The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness.” – Maharishi Mahesh

“In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” -Baba Dioum

“Live simply so that others may simply live.” -Ghandi

Enjoyed an afternoon picnic at the beach with some good ole Kona Brew. The seasonal Koko Brown is DELICIOUS!!

An unexpected W swell rolled through yesterday- SUP surfed til I could paddle no more! So much fun!