Painteur does Solo, Solo does Painteur ?
It was definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s a humbling experience. If you don’t know what you are made of yet, this one makes it crystal clear.
 I had mounted my 3 cameras on the canoe and lost the first one right at the launch through the shore break. That was of course my rotating cam. Then I re-rigged number 2 and lost a mounting clip which eliminated that one. In the ensuing melee the memory card on cam 3 got knocked loose so all I’ve got is escort footage.
The race had a false start and at 9 am the horn went off and within 15 minutes the ski’s were out of sight. I choose a northerly course. It’s a crapshoot and I promptly shot crap. The first 1.5 hours I was catching bumps and my GPS didn’t go under 6.8 mph. The closer I got to halfway the wind started to die down it got hotter and my speed dumped. At the 14 mile point the cramps started. I had to pull up and stretch. Took my electrolytes and after a couple of slow miles they kicked in and I caught my second wind. That didn’t last too long and even though I didn’t consider quitting, I questioned how my body could go 17 more miles. I probably pulled up 50 times from overwhelming cramps and restarting every time was tough. At times I did 10 strokes and stopped again. Sarah Gilman was outstanding with her support. She advised to keep paddling even if it was slow going. I had barely the strength to stir a cup of coffee. So when I finally came close to the island and the bumps were in my favor I still had no more bacon left to catch them. Out of 40 easy bumps I caught one. Everybody on the escort cheered me on and Sarah kept saying its mind over matter. That became my mantra. In the mean time Dana Adler crept into my view a mile to my left with half my stroke rate and walked steadily ahead. He made a smarter course choice by going south and at that point he had the better line. I was in survival mode and had I huli’d I would never have been able to get back up on the boat.
As I was coming to the last corner about 2 miles out I noticed Danas escort boat slowing down and he was half a mile ahead going slower. The last of my adrenaline started to kick in and mind started finally to beat matter. I basically started a furious all out sprint and I couldn’t believe my own body cooperated. Oh and the wind in the last 1.5 miles had picked up to about 15 mph coming straight at us. That didn’t help, but it cooled me down somewhat. Still my sprint wasn’t enough and Dana beat me by about 20 seconds. My hat is of to him. He took the smarter line and that won it for him.
I had my GPS set to auto-pause when stopped and it showed that I paddled 6:29. So with my official time being 7:20, I lost almost an hour due to cramps.
Basically my name was “Cork†for an hour,...just floating and cursing my cramps, my thong :) and the universe at large.
I have to admit though, it took 3.76 days to wipe the grin of my face!
Love you all,
see...,now I’m getting all lotional.
This vid's for you
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7281538495443281666
Submitted by painteur on Mon, 05/26/2008 - 5:48pm
Amazing! What sort of mileage were you doing in training prior to the solo? Looking back do you think the cramping related to nutritional prep deficiencies/the heat etc??
Congratulations. That going to be me in mini version coming back from Catalina when I can get my boat and body to work together and do some steady training.
#1 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 6:14pm
We love you too, Painteur! Nice work. You look solid in the video. Pure balls, bro! Next time bring one of those roast pork sandwiches from the monastery.
#2 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 6:19pm
My Socal distance training speed averaged around 6mph and I was hoping for a 5,5 or something close to a 6 hour finish.
Heat was a huge factor. I hydrated days before and drank about 5 liters of heed, perpetuum dissolved electrolytes etc. during the race The only thing I didn't take too much of was the gel. That might be the mistake.
#3 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 6:30pm
Painteur, i feel your pain. Kevy said you were still cramping at the presentations that nite. Did you over do the prehydrate in the days leading up and flush out the minerals? The clue might be in the reaction to taking the electrolytes mid - race.
Bummer about the Cams, hey, but you battled on and gutted it out, well done.
Lot's of internationals are interested in the Solo next year and for most it will be their 1st time paddling in Hawaiian conditions and most will probably underestimate the preparation you need to do this race, your story reinforces just that and i thank you for it.
Onwards to next year ...
Cheers Rambo
#4 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 6:35pm
#5 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 6:38pm
Did you actually accompany your balls-out paddling video with a Kate Bush song? That makes you double-tough in my book. Congrats.
#6 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 6:50pm
well at least you made it! you've crossed the channel solo 100% more times than i have. hope to see you out there next year though.
don't worry about all the lotion. it will eventually be absorbed.
if i may add a couple more comments, the boat may also be called das boatus. and the secret ama is sometimes call the ama schtik.
great job! see you in kailua sometime. maybe next time try the beer and pretzel thing as your race fuel...
also good to see a video of someone struggling and persevering to the finish, not just the top guns surfing the day away. (also fun to watch though) you just helped me get off my ass and get to the weight room tonight.
#7 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 7:17pm
Actually Peter Gabriel with Kate Bush and a little Queen.
#8 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 7:11pm
nice job .. like the video that water was pretty flat to me so good for you..see yah all at the start next year ..
#9 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 7:24pm
Great video/song composition - sorry to hear the lost of the on board cam - that would have been an amazing combination of video captures - great job - I noticed you and Jimmy Kincaid (Surfski) were one of the "oldest" entrants. I hope to be as strong and healthy as you guys at that age. Very impressive!
#10 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 8:02pm
I love that boat I raced that one in the 2006 solo, and if you watch the On the Water video thats the one Danny and Luke are riding. You've got to love the fix job they did on the ama. Tip for anyone going over to do a race in hot humid weather remember to keep hydrated, and especially for the long races. One good tip to help reduce cramps is lick the salt off your jersey or arms during the race. I did that during the Paa solo and it did wonders!
#11 Mon, 05/26/2008 - 8:12pm
Congrats. Seeing as you always manage to be just in front of me in the SoCal races, I'm sure that I would have been crying for my mommy in the solo. Congrats again.
#12 Tue, 05/27/2008 - 3:33am
love the vidio, cool to see somone put it on the line. hop to do that chanell some day. but seeing that made me shiver a bit.
great job
#13 Tue, 05/27/2008 - 5:49am
Talking about tears. Just before I turned around Koko head I cried like a man.
And from what I hear it seems to be that I'm not the only one. It's that kind of a race.
#14 Tue, 05/27/2008 - 5:50am
Tpop-great suggestion. I guess it would either be you're own evaporated sweat or Hawaiian sea salt-can't go wrong either way!
#15 Tue, 05/27/2008 - 5:56am
I give you credit for doing it and finishing. that was inspiring. i skipped out on practice this morning and you just made me feel like a piece of turd. now i gotta go at lunch. it is nice to see the rest of the pack hammering. congrats on the job well done i'll definitely see you at the start next year. no excuses now.
#16 Tue, 05/27/2008 - 7:18am