Must READ this post!!

Aloha,

Please refer to Helgi Olafson Foundation's webpage from now on to view blog posts from Helgi.  We are pleased to say that we have redesigned the webpage to include Helgi's Blog and many more cool features.   Find out all about Team ENDURANCE for Ankylosing Spondylitis and get connected with other AS Warriors, like Helgi. Also find out about our new partners More Than Sport and Racing for a Cure from the Arthritis National Research Foundation.  See how you can get involved. 

Click on this link to get to the HOF website:

http://www.helgiolafson.org

Mahalo,

Helgi Olafson Foundation
"ENDURANCE for Ankylosing Spondylitis"

P.S.-Please view, vote and share this video, which is Helgi's #KonaInspired 2013 video submission, which could get him a spot in the 2013 Ironman World Championships:
 http://bit.ly/11zQsML

Join me this Friday for #FitChatFriday 1:30 p.m. Hawaii time.

Click on the link below to be redirected to Walk Your A.S. OFF!! website, as well as the explanation of the first Twitter Chat Session for #WYASO, which is focuses on the importance of the training plan.  It's all in the link below!!

http://walkyourasoff.com/walk-information/walk-socials/fit-chat-friday-on-twitter-with-helgi-olafson/

Update Letter HOF Feb 11 2013

11 February, 2013

Aloha,

Things have been moving very fast so far in 2013, and can only expect them to get faster as the year progresses. This is a welcome change that the Helgi Olafson Foundation is ready to face head-on!! However, we can't do it alone!! We need your support now more than ever. It is only from a substantial personal investment, help from sponsors and donations that we have gotten this far in one year! You can show your continued support by getting involved in our fundraising projects to support the plan for 2013. We are also very open to your ideas and systems that are already in place.

This is the year that Ankylosing Spondylitis gets its Letterman Jacket. This letter should best describe the current progress of the Helgi Olafson Foundation and outline our future goals as a nonprofit organization.

I have supplied a link to my athlete profile which contains a brief introduction to my mission, my race schedule/results. It has all of the links to my online outreach and social networking platforms. 

http://helgiolafson.org/athleteprofil/

Though I am very excited to be a part of the Lavaman Waikoloa team as event coordinator for the "Healthy Grindz" Healthy Cooking Competition, this race weekend presents yet another great opportunity for me to raise awareness for Ankylosing Spondylitis(A.S.) I was able to do this successfully at Lavaman Keauhou 2012, where I gave a speech in front of a live audience about my cause. I also had a booth for handing out information/ brochures that were supplied to me by the Spondylitis Association of America. The Lavaman race expo was a bit of a proto-type of how HOF intends to raise awareness and educate through all of the race expos associated with my race schedule. I have already set up fundraising programs with Ironman. After Honu 70.3 and Boulder 70.3, I am scheduled to compete in Ironman Canada in Whistler B.C.. I am Canadian-born and I hope to create a large following that will raise a large amount of money for the Ironman Foundation to donate to the communities surrounding Ironman sanctioned events.

The newest ventures on the radar for the Helgi Olafson Foundation are the upcoming 65 day Challenge called "Walk Your A.S. OFF"(March 1st-May 4th) and the virtual convention for the International Auto-immune Arthritis Movement's World Auto-immune Arthritis Day(47 hours, starting May 20th). Walk your A.S. OFF will be such a great team building challenge that will definitely turn some heads. Our goals are to collectively step to the moon and back, which is over 1 billion steps. Last year, the collective goal was to circle the globe!! The main reason for this challenge is to offer a support system for inactive people to create habit forming exercise by motivating people to get moving, and stay moving. Our intentions for this challenge are to reach millions of people through social media, networking, and inspiration. I have attached our team Questionnaire. These answers will be showcased on HelgiOlafson.org.

World Auto-immune Arthritis Day will serve as a great fundraising opportunity for the HOF. I am very thankful for the invitation to participate in this event, as it gives us the opportunity to interact with ideal people and organizations that the Helgi Olafson Foundation needs on our side. This will also act as an avenue for gaining more support as I ramp up to the very intense second half of 2013. Starting June 1st, 2013, I compete in 9 major races, including half and full marathons, Olympic, half-distance, and full-distance triathlons, racing and raising awareness in two countries and five states, and inspiring globally as a health activist and leader of Team "ENDURANCE For Ankylosing Spondylitis."

http://walkyourasoff.com/
-please let me know if you or your friends would like to sign up and have your steps count for Team "ENDURANCE For A.S." It's FREE, and its a great way to exercise!! You just have to send me your step count once a week.

http://worldautoimmunearthritisday.org/
-stay tuned for more information

http://www.facebook.com/groups/400692596687846/
-Join the Team "ENDURANCE For A.S." Facebook Page

I am also working on setting up Team "ENDURANCE For Ankylosing Spondylitis" for REV3 70.3 Florida, which is in Venice, Florida, on November 10th of this year. The first year, this team will support 10 athletes who either have A.S., or they are racing for it while fundraising for the Helgi Olafson Foundation. We will all be racing either the Olympic distance, or the Half distance. We will be coached by Rick Rubio and we will come together with one mission that will reach millions! Two weeks before this race is IM 70.3 Miami, which I also intend to race. I lived in this area for about ten years of my life. Needless to say, I have a big mission for these two weeks involving networking to get alot of signatures for the petition that I started for Government Grants and Funding for A.S. Research( http://signon.org/sign/government-grants-and?source=c.tw&r_by=2217965). Along with the rest of my team, I will be educating, inspiring, fundraising and raising awareness all of the way leading up to the event. On the way back to Hawaii, I may go to Ironman Arizona just to support and raise awareness for A.S. After that, its back to Hawaii for Lavaman Keauhou on November 24th. Team ENDURANCE should be a nice one to keep an eye on for the REV3 event, which will be the first of many team races.

Honolulu Marathon on December 8th will be my last race for 2013 before I relocate to Boulder, Colorado, where I will continue to train, hopefully being able to race as a pro for 2014 until I am all old and tuckered out. I have made a personal goal to do Race Across America in 2015, which is a 3000 mile cycling race across the country in 12 days or less. The Ultra Marathon Cycling Association is very supportive and Executive Director Douglas Hoffman wants to share my story. I will then continue to do everything in my power to compete in the Summer Olympics in 2016 as a cyclist or a triathlete, all while inspiring others to get involved and get healthy. It is wonderful to start to see my plans going into action as each day of the rest of my life passes.

I have plans to go to school for nutrition. With my extensive professional culinary experience and degree in Nutrition, I intend to develop healthy whole food products. I am very happy to have PocketFuel Naturals as my newest sponsor for 2013. The first PocketFuel products were developed with a passion for fueling a high energy, active, healthy lifestyle!! The best part about them is that they are a whole food fuel, and they are delicious. THAT is attractive!

Bike Works Beach and Sports, Oomph! Sports, Paceline Products, and PocketFuel Naturals have been very supportive sponsors. I look forward to showing my sponsors and the world that I have the potential to become a professional triathlete, and that I have innovative awareness-raising plans that will showcase their brands as supporters of such a great cause. One mission of the Helgi Olafson Foundation is to globally inspire people to "live healthy," through regular exercise, stretching, proper nutrition and maintaining a positive attitude. Sponsorship makes this possible. Please click on the links on my website and see what great merchandise they have to offer! My sponsors are actively involved in lending a helping hand in getting my message out there. I look forward to seeing the final design on the "ENDURANCE For A.S." Racing Singlet, that will be available for purchase soon.

Support the mission of the Helgi Olafson Foundation by pledging your donation today at

http://www.helgiolafson.org/donate

These singlets are reasonably priced and all proceeds will be donated to the Helgi Olafson Foundation and to the Spondylitis Association of America. They are extremely durable, comfortable, and hand-made by master seamstress Julie Gix of Oomph! Sports! I have attached a picture of Oomph! Sponsored Pro triathlete Nathan Killiam. Nathan is wearing the same style of singlet that will be available for Team ENDURANCE supporters.

Please email me if you would like to reserve any singlets or find out more information about the specific needs of the Helgi Olafson Foundation.

I have included my logo a few pictures for you to review, as well as a transcript for my speech at Lavaman Keauhou 2012. Thanks for your interest in reading this long letter. I look forward to your response.

Mahalo,

Helgi Spencer Olafson
Executive Director
Helgi Olafson Foundation
"ENDURANCE For Ankylosing Spondylitis"
www.helgiolafson.org
(503)505-1437

'The Helgi Olafson Foundation is non-profit organization operating in
the state of Hawaii, helping others around the world with Ankylosing
Spondylitis and Arthritis. The HOF is on a mission to inspire people
to take control of their A.S. and Arthritis. The mission of this
organization is carried on by Health Activist, ENDURANCE Athlete and
HOF President Helgi Olafson. Helgi promotes regular exercise,
stretching, proper nutrition, and maintaining a positive attitude.
Helgi raises awareness for his cause through social media and by
providing motivational speeches, videos and information about A.S. and
Arthritis at the race expos associated with each race that he competes
in as a top competitor. Helgi has A.S. and he needs your help!

We have become involved in the Walk Your A.S. OFF!! 65-day Challenge
and we intend to use the global outreach of this challenge to raise
awareness and continue to collect signatures for the HOF Petition,
which is to obtain Government Grants and Funding for Ankylosing
Spondylitis Research. Helgi Olafson Foundation is accepting donations
to support Team "ENDURANCE For Ankylosing Spondylitis." The first
mission for Team ENDURANCE is to set the example for the Walk Your
A.S. OFF!! Challenge. We are a team of A.S. Warriors from around the
world.

Moving forward, your donations will help 10 athletes from Team
ENDURANCE come together in South Florida in late Ocotber of 2013 on an
awareness raising mission through REV3 Triathlon's "REV3 Florida",
which takes place in Venice, Florida, on November 10th,2013. Each of
the team members will have the option of competing in the Olympic
Distance or the Half Ironman Distance. These athletes will have gone
through an extensive training program coached by Rick Rubio of
Konapersonaltrainer.com, for months prior to the race.

REV3 Florida Link:
http:/www.rev3tri.com

Your donations will help to cover the cost of getting this team
together to canvas the entire South Florida area from Tampa to Key
West to Miami to West Palm Beach to raise awareness for Ankylosing
Spondylitis. We are seriously intending on going door to door. The
estimated population of this area is 9,734,063 throughout 11
counties. Team ENDURANCE will have about three weeks to accomplish our
goals, and then we will race together for A.S. Awareness.
Petition Link:
http://www.helgiolafson.org/aspetition/

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Make your donation now, so that we can be better
prepared for this mission. Team ENDURANCE will be a figurehead in
making Ankylosing Spondylitis known to the world!! South Florida is
one of the most populated regions in the entire country. We are
excited, and if this mission is successful, with your help, we can get
this disease the exposure and funding that it deserves, while
replicating the mission in cities around the country, and eventually
around the world.

Please let us know if you would like to be involved with Team
ENDURANCE. October 24th through November 13th, 2013, we need people
to help us in South Florida. You don't have to compete. If you can't
donate money, please donate your time, even if it is from home. We
can use the help networking as well.

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Generating my goal for 2015

Here is some great inspiration for competing in the Race Across America in 2015.  Please follow:

http://raammedia1.blogspot.com

 Riding up the notorious Scenic Lookout Hill!!

 Reppin Bike Works Beach and Sports!  My newest Sponsor!  Come and join us for our ever growing Tuesday Group Ride!!  Thanks Jeff Manzo, Jason Nicholas and Rich Bell for being awesome buds at my favorite bike shop!

 Tueasday January 22nd, 2012

30 hours of training over 7 days with full time work!!!!

It has been a tough 7 days, but I pushed and I made it through, and I was also able to have two full days of much needed rest( aside from work of course) within this time period.  I set out last week to train 30 hours and bike 300 miles in 7 days. I basically wanted to see how my body holds up to training like a pro.  I feel like I did pretty well and I was able to exceed my goals.  I probably should have run more and swam alot more, but I feel like there was significant improvement in each discipline.   I also trained on the Total Gym and with resistance bands, core, stretching for 10 hours of that 30 hours.

I also had the chance to ride with some great cyclists and good people in general.  I also had the opportunity to ride up in the hills of the Hamakua coast near Honoka'a, which is the easternmost edge of the Hawaiian Islands.  I wish everyone could have been a part of these lovely excursions.  Soon!!  Once I get a GoPro, I will start some videos for everyone to get to know me better and see the beautiful Hawaii Island.

My body was lethargic at the end of each training/working day, but with the proper pre, during, and post nutrition and hydration, my body was able to perform better as the week progressed.   You should have seen...it was Lights Out as soon as I hit the pillow, and then up at 6 a.m. for a ride.  I had all of my bottles, mixes and supplements ready to go, and it was like clockwork.

There was one morning where I was running late, so I didn't eat anything besides amy protein and supplements.  I could totally feel the diference.  In fact, my body was sensitive to any changes that I made and it offers me more respect for the proper nutrition combination for these long workouts, and ultimately Ironman, where I will do one third of what I did in a week in 1 day.  Now THAT is humbling!
 
I am excited to see what my numbers are in the time trial I will do at the end of this week with my coach, Rick Rubio.  We are comparing to about four months ago with the relative numbers for a swim/bike/run.

I am starting to think more like an athlete.  Where do I need to improve and how can I get there?  There are so many benefits to planning my training to acheive goals and milestones.  It is working.  I have not come close to my peak and its exciting to see how far I can go and how hard I can push myself.  Do I have what it takes to become a Pro?

As far as my Ankylosing Spondylitis goes, I am still not really feeling any pain.  The worst that I get is some sharp pains in my hips every once in a while, or if I sit down, my lower back gets tight and I have to crack it in order to feel better.  As long as I stretch, exercise, stay healthy and take my ENBREL, I feel like I will always have this disease right where I want it.  I did take my shot during this training week and I felt fine.

Thanks to my readers for their continued support.  Please let me know what you think of the new logo.  Do you like the top or the bottom better?

Please check my "Race Schedule" on the right column on the home page of this blog to see some additional results and upcoming races.  Go Big or Go Home!!

Cheers,
Helgi Olafson