Ultra Marathon Paddling

Fourth of July Zuanich Adventure

2008-07-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hayden's First

Fourth of July

Zuanich Park, Bellingham

Few places in Bellingham compare to Zuanich Park for 4th of July fun. Nestled alongside Squalicum Harbor – and the same location as the start of the Ski to Sea kayak leg – Zuanich becomes temporary home to many hundreds of revelers, all of us fitting nicely into two categories: Partying people-watchers and party-people worth watching.

In the late afternoon, Heather, Hayden and I loaded up the van with our “Best of Americana” toy collection, including BBQ grill, Frisbee, skateboard, Hayden’s exer-saucer, a beach blanket, and a bag of food from Trader Joes, and arrived at the park by 6 p.m. There to greet us were the Burnette’s – Mischa and Danielle and their wonder-daughters Maddy and Abby. And before long, our friends Dennis and Liz Flaherty showed up with their two incredi-boys Hayden and Kieran and their Aunt Shaun.

Decked out in his patriotic leisure suit gifted by Grandma ‘Berta, Hayden got the whole crowd in the mood for fun with some Independence Day Hand Surfing under the giant American flag.

Then he and Mama hit the slide together, Hayden squealing all the way down!

The Burnette’s took turns tearing up the sky with their stunt kite, and the Flaherty Boys tripled up on the longboard for a session of sidewalk surfing!
We all feasted on BBQ roast beast and mango lemonade as the sun crept toward the horizon, lighting up the downtown west-facing windows like flares.

Then darkness set in, and the celestial explosions cracked open the night sky to the collective ooh’s and ahh’s of thousands. Heather and I were curious and unsure what Hayden’s reaction would be to the way-past-bedtime light- and sound-show, but he once again awed us with his cool-headed wonderment as he lay there utterly transfixed – scarcely even blinking – through the 15-minute show. He LOVED it – every sparkle, crackle and chest-shaking boom of it.

When the last ashes had fallen and the hoards of families, friends and fun-loving freeks funneled back to the streets and toward home, Hayden snoozed quietly – no doubt dreaming of the spectacle he’d just witnessed – and Heather and I agreed again, after 5 years of life in Bellingham, what a postcard perfect place it is that we so proudly call “Home!”

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~

Heather, Brandon and Hayden

"I CAN KAYAK" Kids Camp

2008-07-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

"I CAN KAYAK" and Elakah Expeditions present "I CAN KAYAK" Kids Camp 2008!

"I CAN KAYAK" Kids Camp is a five-day sea kayak camp we started last summer, with the support of Elakah Expeditions. Through skills practice, games, and team building exercises, students learn how to paddle and manuever kayaks, understand the parts of a kayak and how they work, how to self-rescue and wet exit, and how to make smart on-the-water judgements, and communicate on the water with simple whistle, hand and paddle signals.

Skills Practice

Team Work

Paddling both singles and doubles

Learning Kayak Nomenclature and understanding kayaks inside and out

On day one students are given the pieces of this specially built MiniYak and are given the instructions to reconstruct the pieces into a kayak that you can paddle on the lake. In this exercise, which is a always a favorite, students learn kayak nomemclature and get a hands-on understanding of kayaks inside and out.

And, we always have lots of fun!

Stay tuned... we have plans to keeps building "I CAN KAYAK"!!!

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure!

Heather, Brandon and Hayden

Hayden Storm's First Paddle

2008-06-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

When I put Hayden in his kayak this morning, his face immediately lit up. His eyes grew as big as saucers when I grabbed the bow and bounced him through some "rapids"... by the time we had finished "dropping into some big waves" and "dropping onto the face of a 20-footer" he was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. I knew he was ready for a trip to the lake for his very first on-the-water paddle!

First, he warmed up with some Hand Surfing with Papa.

Then, he tested the water temperature with Mama.
And, finally, he climbed in his kayak. After a few minutes of checking out the craftsmanship of his kayak, then feeling the water roll beneath him, the summer breeze blowing, and the warm sun on his face...

he squeezed his eyes shut and set-up for his first Eskimo Roll! Papa convinced him to wait until he could hold a paddle!

He was OK with that, and just enjoyed relaxing in his kayak on a beautiful summer day on Lake Whatcom.

After his float, we hauled his kayak onto the grass and he got a good look at his boat next to Mom's surfski!

The scowl on his face said "I want one of THOSE!!!"

Watch out Papa... Mom may have a new race partner!

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure!

Heather, Brandon and Hayden

Women On Waves: Summer Solstice Paddle

2008-06-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Women On Waves:

Summer Solstice Paddle

June 21, 2008

Bellingham, Wa

In a typical race, there are 20 guys on surfskis to every 1 - MAYBE 2 - women. These stats inspired a few of us gals on skis to do what we could to balance the gender gap. The result: Women On Waves, or WOW. In 2006, our inaugural event, WOW Surfski Demo Day in Bellingham, brought in over 60 women from as far as Portland and BC.

This summer we are hosting a series of group paddles throughout the Pacific Northwest. Our first event was a 10-mile Summer Solstice Paddle in Bellingham. We were treated to a beautiful glassy day as we paddled out of Marine Park, past Chuckanut Island, on to Whiskey Rock, and back.

Information about upcoming events will be posted on our Yahoo chat group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenOnWaves/

All women are welcome to join!

Our next group paddle will be Saturday, July 19th in Seattle.

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~

Heather, Brandon and Hayden

(All Photos by Brandon Nelson or Traci Cole)

Happy Solstice Birthday

2008-06-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Solstice and 4 Month Birthday

Hayden Storm!!!

6-21-08

Round Bowen Challenge Video

2008-06-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

Round Bowen Challenge

You Tube Video

If racing around Bowen and reading stories about racing around Bowen aren't enough... Bowen Island TV also put out an 8-minute video capturing the essence of the Round Bowen Challenge. Check it out...

Bowen Island TV:

http://www.bowenislandtv.com/pages/new-videos.php
OR

Direct You Tube Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnifkg7U6dI

More Pics from Bowen Island...

Debbie, DeAnne, Heather and Hayden

Eric, Heather, Hayden and Kirk

Larry and Kathleen (Hukiboy and Hukigirl)

Katja and Jeff

Alex and Brian

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~

Heather, Brandon and Hayden

Bowen Island Challenge

2008-06-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Round Bowen Challenge and Family Adventure

This weekend was the 37 KM Round Bowen Challenge.

The beautiful paddle, potentially challenging waters and incredible post race feast has made this race a ‘must do’ for Brandon and I since we moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2004.

This year, we decided to make a family adventure out of it. My personal goals for the weekend were to take Hayden on his first three-day adventure and to figure out how to pack for three without looking like the Beverly Hillbillies! Second to that, I planned to race on Sunday while Brandon hung out with Hayden and took video of the race.

Bowen Island Ferry

We arrived on the island Friday around noon. After finding our waterfront rental cabin, the Lazy Bowen Hideaway, we unpacked the van, made some snacks, and headed out for high adventure.

Lazy Bowen Hideaway

At just over 2000 feet, Mt. Gardner is the highest point on Bowen Island and is accessed by a steep, somewhat technical trail to the top. It would be a perfect pre-race shake-down hike for our family. We found the trailhead and Brandon loaded food, water, camera gear, extra rain jackets, diapers and a change of clothes for Hayden in his pack. I loaded Hayden in the front carrier and we were off.

We began climbing immediately and it only got steeper and steeper as we went. The tight trail wound through a dense forest, and we played connect-the-dots by following blaze orange tags nailed to trees, which led like a trail of bread crumbs toward the summit. As we gained elevation, we found ourselves scrambling over rocks and squeezing our way under deadfall and through tight branches. After an hour and a half of sweaty climbing and scrambling, we popped out at a helipad and, like most island hikes, some sort of relay station or cell tower. The view that awaited us, however, was stunning, and we stared out over the distant Vancouver skyline and Howe Sound vistas. It was well worth the effort!

Checking out the view from the top of Mt Gardner

On Saturday, after a lazy breakfast, our mission was to scout places for Brandon to take vide of Sunday’s race. Armed with a Bowen Island map, our journey took us to all the best beaches and viewpoints on the island. We walked stretches of driftwood beaches and took turns paddling our surfskis and hiking to viewpoints overlooking the racecourse. We picnicked on a public beach overlooking the Pasley Island chain. Back at ‘Lazy B’ we enjoyed a nap, devoured a hearty pre-race pasta dinner, then joined racers Kathleen, Larry, Reivers and Don and his partner Steena for some socializing at Blue Eyed Mary’s gourmet grill.

Hayden kickin' it in a drift log on the beach

Exploring all the best vistas

self-portrait

Another great night’s sleep brought us to race day.

My training right now consists of mostly hour-long spurts of time on the water between feeding Hayden. Knowing it would take me around three hours to paddle the 37KM race course, my race goal was to head out at a conservative pace, stay hydrated and fueled, and let my pre-pregnancy base get me through the second half.

Race Start in Snug Cove

The race began just after 10:30AM with over 100 racers jockeying for position to get out of Snug Cove around the south point and into open water. The minute we left the harbor, the conditions set the pace. There was a stiff headwind, ebbing tide and washing machine refraction that matched the race start of Molokai when nearly 100 full-size sport fishing boats simultaneously gun their engines and zoom around trying to find their racers. Not having spent much time in my new lightweight V10L with Don Kiesling’s special weedless rudder, I spent a bit of time getting sloshed around. Happily, so did the other racers around me!

After about an hour of slop, we reached the calmer conditions along the back of the island. My muscles now fully warmed up, I pounded some Gatorade and got into a groove. I hugged the rocky shore to avoid the current, churned away the miles, and was cheered on by locals who lined the cliffs here and there.

Now two and a half hours into the race, just as my tired muscles were starting to bark, I rounded the last point and began the final four-mile stretch. In typical Bowen style, a strong headwind protested my progress. My muscles ached, but as I had hoped, my body hadn’t ‘crashed’ and my base kicked in. I cranked on the paddle and reeled in a few racers as I came into the finish.

As I crossed the finish line, I was greeted by Brandon and Hayden on the dock. I paddled to shore and my boys came to greet me. The huge smile that lit up Hayden’s face when he saw his Mama after nearly four hours apart was the best part of the entire weekend!

Hayden and Mom at the post race party

In the hours before the race began, I had overheard Brandon chatting with a number of different racers as they rigged their boats and refined their strategies. He mentioned to every level of paddler he talked to, “This race will push your limits.” After having finished the run around Bowen 5 times now, I couldn’t agree more with his sentiments. Bowen can throw wicked challenging conditions at you, as this year proved. If it’s flattish, it can be brutally hot and racers will go so hard as to blow themselves up in the final stretch. Seeing experienced racers swim – sometimes again and again – can be par for the course. And some boats are still straggling in after as much as 6 hours on the water – practically an ultra for those hardy souls. It is all these different and somewhat extreme experiences combined, all the 100+ racers’ trials and stories that follow, that give the Round Bowen Challenge its soul as a race. It’s what keeps us coming back, always with healthy respect, year after year.

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~

Heather, Brandon and Hayden

Hayden "Hand Surfing"

2008-05-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hayden 'Hand Surfing' with Papa

About two weeks ago, when Hayden was 11 weeks old, he and his Papa started 'hand surfing' together.

Brandon raps his fingers around Hayden's feet and holds him out in front of him... Hayden puts his arms out for balance, and he's 'surfing!'

Hayden gets a HUGE smile on his face and just LOVES it!

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~

Heather, Brandon and Hayden

Ski to Sea 2008

2008-05-28T09:38:00.001-07:00

Ski to Sea 2008

Team Kulshan Cycles

When Tela flew into the mountain bike to sea kayak transition about 8 minutes behind schedule I knew something was wrong. My first indicator was when Team Fanatik, our closest competition in the Whatcom County Women’s Division, was called up in front of me.

Tela came in hot… too hot… she flung the wrist band toward me, I fumbled, and watched it fall to the ground. It was only a matter of seconds lost, BUT, these were crucial seconds. Team FanatiK’s paddler, Carolyn Watson, had left at least four minutes ahead of me on a course shortened due to big wind. I had less than 3 miles to catch her.

The Ski to Sea is a seven leg relay, beginning at Mount Baker, and ending on Bellingham Bay. Cross country skiers, downhill skiers, then runners, cyclists, canoers, mount bikers and finally sea kayakers wind their way down through the race course which ends in Marine Park in Fairhaven. This year’s Ski to Sea was a matter of going with the FLOW and the BLOW; literally.

Dangerous flows on the Nooksak resulted in the canoe leg, or any leg for that matter, being cancelled for the first time in the history of the race. At the same time, down on the bay, race officials were forced to create a modified short course due to high wind speeds that created conditions too advanced for the majority of the 441 paddlers lined up at Zuanich Park, ready to race. The course would keep us close to shore, and angle us into the wind – a much more stable angle than the standard course which would have the wind at our beam for the first three miles.

The cancellation of the canoe leg was a major disappointment to everyone who had trained so hard all spring for the event, but was necessary for the safety of the racers. I felt especially bad for Veronica and Char, the canoeists for my team. They were as strong as I had ever seen them… definitely Top Gun potential. But, on top of that, their strength on the canoe leg would have given us a bit of a cushion over the other women’s teams we hoped to beat. Our goal was to be the first Whatcom County Women’s Team, and the second women’s overall behind Boundary Bay; the 9-time Women’s Open Champions.

As the teams weaved their way down the mountain, the race came to a halt as the road cyclist handed off to a member of their canoe team. This paddler was assigned to run the timing chip to the transition, where the chip was swiped, the teams time was noted, and a two-hour layover began. This 2-hour layover was to keep the race timeline on track… but, gave a huge advantage to teams who had weaker canoers.

Down at the start of the mountain bike leg, team members were assigned new chips. And, after their layover, were called up by team number and sent off to race. Well, there were some bugs with this system, and we were missed . Other teams had similar issues. Racers were sent both early and late. In the end, the time chips would do their job and straighten out the actual times…but, on the race course…it was downright confusing! Tela realized she had been skiiped pretty quickly, but, enough time passed to allow our competitor, Team Fanatik to pass through.

Back at Zuanich, I was in race mode… music playing on my headphone, knowing Tela was supposed to start her leg at 1:47 and arrive around 2:20. If I had had my phone, I would have gotten the urgent calls from all my teammates telling me of the screw-up, and that we were, in time, ahead of Fanatik.

But, as Fanatik was called ahead of me, and the clock kept ticking… and no Tela arrived, I could only assume Tela had a gear failure. I was wound up in a bundle of nerves… I had promised the team we would recapture our title… and I thought I was watching our trophy slip away from us.
Looking back, I am glad I didn’t know the screw up…because by the time Tela rode into the transition, I had a fire lit in me… I was pumped. I sprinted to my boat, yelled at a couple lookey loo’s in my way on the path and ran my boat to the dock with the help of my friend Danielle.

There was a new leash rule this year, so as I fumbled with my ankle leash, a race volunteered said calmly, “Just taaake your tiiime”, I think I bit back…”THERE IS NO TIME!!!”, or maybe I just said that in my head. Strapped in, I hit the water like I was in a 100 yard sprint… and never backed off. Weeds clumped on my rudder, waves broke over my bow… I just focused on passing everyone I could… including Team Fanatik. Passing Fanatik didn’t slow me down, I wasn’t sure if any other women’s teams had slipped ahead.

A picture of Hayden taped to my bow kept me focused… I wanted to make my baby boy, in his bright red Team Kulshan t-shirt, proud, and my parents who were running crew, and my team who would be gathered at Marine Park, and Brandon who was always the first to spot me by my stroke in the distance. I felt the pressure of the entire race as I anchored the team into the finish. As I approached the finish 3 miles later, my boat came to a dead stop in the eel grass when I was still waist deep. I chucked my paddle, ripped off my ankle leash, and waded up to the beach… and hit the sand at a dead sprint.

Three hours later; with Brandon MC’ing the awards ceremony and me playing ‘Vana White’ and handing out plaques to division winners; Kae, Beth H and her son Quinn, Beth W, Marti, Veronica, Char, Tela, and me and Hayden were presented the Whatcom County Women’s Cup the second year in a row. And, about ten minutes later, the final Top Gun award was handed out.
Brandon had given nothing away… no hint of WHO the female Top Gun of for the kayak leg would be. I listened somewhat detached, “And, finally, a second year in a row, three months after giving birth to MY SON, the Top Gun in the kayak leg is Heather Nelson”. I grabbed Hayden from my Mom sitting near the stage, and gave him and Brandon a big, wet kiss… and, I admit, I got quite teary. In my dreams I would recapture my Top Gun title… but, didn’t put too much emotional attachment in that direction. I could not have done it without Brandon’s support, and little Hayden’s precious, innocent love. And, the whole weekend would have been nearly impossible if my folks hadn’t come up from California to help!!!

Team RE/MAX, Brandon's team, was 12th overall. Brandon was the 5th fastest kayaker overall behind Dion Maxwell, Ian McKenzie, Robert Clegg and Joost Zeegers.

In the women's race, Sarah Hopkins, Kathleen Petereit, Danielle Burnett and LeAnne Robinson rounded out the Top 5.

Thank You Kulshan Cycles....

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~

Heather, Brandon and Hayden

The Road to Race Ready...

2008-05-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

12 weeks to Race Ready:

The Road to Goal Number 1

Hayden is 12 weeks today!!!

12 weeks ago today I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Neither Brandon or I could have ever known how much love we could have for this little creature, or how wonderful it would be to be parents. We are absolutely smitten! Everyone says, “You’re life will never be the same.” And it is true, one smile from Hayden and we are reduced to couple of grinning, oogling fools. When he falls asleep in my arms, I feel like I could stay there forever. And, when we put him in his little mini kayak… I dream of all the adventures we will have as a family. Our lives have new meaning, new priorities and a new level of consciousness about really seeing the world like we have never seen it before… observing every color, hearing every sound, embracing every friendship, and making the most of every moment.

It has also been important to us to stay true to who we are, and introduce Hayden into the life and community we love. And, I think we are succeeding. Hayden gets a huge grin when ‘Grandma Berta’ climbs in the van on a Wednesday Night to babysit so we can race. He faces forward in his Baby Bjorn when we hike and together we admire the spring flowers. And, when Brandon and I take him to Home Depot to help us plan our bathroom remodel, he patiently looks at tiles with us… though he seems to prefer reds and purples, while we have something a little more neutral in mind.

Hayden, Mama and Papa on a family adventure

Hayden has also kept me very focused on my training goals. Back in October of 2007 I posted my pregnant athlete workout and goals. With my first athletic goal coming up next week, I am feeling race ready. The Ski to Sea relay race is THE event of the year in Bellingham. This year there are 441 8-person teams registered. ..that is 3528 athletes!!! I captain the 2007 winning Whatcom County Women’s team. They aren’t putting any pressure on me to perform… but I am. It is my nature, it is how I focus my energy, and it is what I love to do! In 2007 my goal was to be the ‘Top Gun’ female in the kayak leg, and with a lot of dedicated training, I succeeded. This year my ultimate challenge would be to defend that title. But, my actual goal is to help my team to reclaim their title of winning Whatcom County Women’s Division.

My transition from birth to training, although hard work, has been incredibly smooth. I owe this to staying true to my pregnancy fitness routine, the support of my husband, and a natural and uncomplicated birth. I was able to begin walking and going to the gym for a light workout the first week after Hayden was born. On day eight, I took my first jogging steps. And, after exactly 2 weeks and 6 days, while my parents came up from California to meet Hayden, I raced my first Wednesday Night!

Mom watching Hayden at the first Wednesday Night of the year

Since then, I have focused on recovering my muscle strength, my endurance, and the biggest challenge: get my core strength back. Most days I either jog, or hike with Hayden in the Baby Bjorn, I work on my strength with a combination of Pilates and weights 3 times a week, and I get in my boat and paddle about 4 times a week. Week to week I feel it all coming together. Last week, as I pushed through our weekly Wednesday Night Course, Joost passed me on the right yelling to a party-train of boys drafting me, “You guys should be ashamed of yourself, drafting off a new Mom!” It was at that moment that I felt it… I am back! Not 100%, probably not even 75%... but enough that it feels great to race! The rest will come with time!

Brandon and Hayden at the Dirty Dan Harris Challenge

The Ski to Sea is Memorial Weekend, and my parents are coming back up from California to watch Hayden so Brandon and I can focus on the race. I am looking forward to racing amongst friends, my family and husband giving me their endless supply of enthusiastic support, and my new baby boy giving me the energy to race hard, have fun, and make my team proud!

Hayden and Mom after a training paddle

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~

Heather, Brandon and Hayden

Happy 2 Month B-day Hayden Storm!!!

2008-04-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hayden Storm is Two Months Old!!!

Today marks Hayden Storm’s 2nd month birthday, and what an adventure it’s already been! It seems like our little baby is growing up way, way too fast. His “infancy” seems to have ended, and to us he’s such a little boy now. He loves to match big smiles with even bigger smiles of his own. He’s been rolling over on his own for the past 3 weeks, even hitting his “off-side roll” a few times. And “surfing” is his favorite thing ever. Not that he’s on a watery wave. He just stands on his own leg strength with hands held for balance, and surfs gravity and the incredibly steep learning curve of balance. He is, we’re convinced, incredibly strong for an 8-week-old. No doubt by the time we get him to Baja this winter he’ll be ready to join Mama and Papa on a board in the small waves.
Happy two-month Birthday Hayden Storm! Many, many more adventures to come!!!

I'm a Big Boy now!

"Surfing"

Never too early to start perfecting my forward paddle stroke!

I love playing airplane with Papa!

Check out my roll!

I really love my carseat swing!

Nighty Night!

Happy Birthday Hayden Storm!!!

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~

Brandon, Heather and Hayden

Spring Paddling in the Pacific Northwest

2008-04-20T22:52:00.001-07:00

Spring Paddling in the Pacific Northwest

Lake Whatcom

April 20, 2008

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~

Heather, Brandon and Hayden