Super Worst Ever VOG!!! Puts Honolulu Tri in ? (for me)

Driving Down Lagoon Drive At Sunset - No Training Today...
7:00pm Today....Took Lucy w Me...Voggy Honolulu Backdrop...
Got sore shoulders today...

Since I was (am?) really considering doing the Honolulu Triathlon I decided that after Tuesday night's weak swim, I needed to see how it would be in "real" ocean water. So yesterday, I went over to Ala Moana and did 1k.

It's really amazing how much more buoyant you are in the ocean...way easier. I just cruised from the center buoy to Magic Island (500m) in just under 12 minutes. Thinking the current is usually way easier going back down, I figured it would be faster. But with these Kona's, it was slightly harder and I took about 13 minutes going back.

So...about 25 minutes for 1k, considering I swam all zig-zag and stopped many times to get my bearings, I figure if I was in a pack drafting, and if someone who swims straight was leading, I could easily take 2 minutes or more of that time. I figure...I would take about 31 to 35 minutes to swim the 1.5k...IF I do the race.

What's really putting it into question is this crappy d@mn a$$ vog!!!!!

Today...has got to the the ALL TIME WORST EVER - way worse than in that post below. At 12 noon, you couldn't even see the mountains or Diamond Head from Lagoon Drive!!! Even the TV stations agree!

VOG TV Reports:
http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/6520/40/
http://www.kitv.com/video/16284201/index.html

Training (or racing) in this stuff is HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH. The forecast is for it to clear by Sunday, but who knows!!! Just walking around outside leaves a weird muck all over your skin...and who know what it's doing to your lungs!!! I even saw one Nihon-jin today on Nimitz riding his tri-bike, probably checking out the bike course...I hope his lungs held out!!!

SO...I didn't register...and, today is the deadline for the $135 fee...

ALERT - according to the 10pm news, it looks like this stuff will be hear till MONDAY!!!!!!! I don't think I will be racing - not to mention training!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAaaaarrrrgggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Video of Vog From Lagoon Drive

Honolulu Triathlon??? ホノルルトライアスロン

I'm considering doing the 2008 Honolulu Triathlon for one and ONLY one reason - the awesome bike course. The bike is a completely CLOSED COURSE almost 40k, pretty flat, very smooth and should be VERY FAST. What a chance to just "let it rip" without having to worry about any TRAFFIC!!!

Course: http://www.honolulutriathlon.com/downloads/HNL08coursemap.pdf

Got to decide quickly (by Thursday) though...

INDIVIDUAL OLYMPIC DISTANCE REGISTRATION -
$110.00 until March 31, 2008
$135.00 until May 15, 2008

INDIVIDUAL SPRINT DISTANCE REGISTRATION -
$80.00 until March 31, 2008
$100.00 until May 15, 2008

Considering the 3 aspects of the race:

Bike = 40k Easy as pie...
Run = 10k Probably hard, semi manageable...but walking possible...
Swim = 1.5k ??? DNF???...today...maybe impossible...stop swimming = sinking...

To test if I could do the almost 1 mile swim, tonight I headed over to Salt Lake pool to swim for the first time in probably 2 years or so.

Set up in the 25 yard short course way, I don't even think I got over 200 yards till the arms and shoulders felt like lead weights. Probably got to a total of about 800 yards, in 100 yard increments, then called it quits. My shoulders hurt and it's not looking good for a decision by Thursday.

I would consider doing the shorter Sprint race - but, the Sprint bike would only be 20k (or less) and that would be just too short (and expensive) to be waking up that early for...

Btw...seems to be their expecting a large Japanese contingent because they even have a Japanese registration site: http://www.sponavihawaii.com/