National Health Blog Post Month

Well, I have pledged to blog every day for the month of November as a part of Wego Health's National Health Blog Post Month.  I am excited to post 30 times in 30 days, especially since this will cover the last few weeks of hardcore endurance training for my first Olympic Distance Triathlon.  This is what I have been training for for the past six months, and it is the first step to qualifying for Ironman World Championships 2013, which is my ultimate goal. 

Please continue to follow me as I put my body to the test and raise awareness for Ankylosing Spondylitis.  I am in talks with numerous companies for philanthropic sponsorship for the Helgi Olafson Foundation and 2013 looks like it will be a great year for me, HOF and the entire spondylitis and arthritis community.

Ok enough said.  Follow me as well on twitter @HelgiOlafson.  Time for bed, I have to get a short workout in at 5:00 a.m. before I work a double at the restaurant.

IRONMAN 2012 is today!!

I am elated to be here on the Big Island today.  It kind of makes me feel nervous for next year, but this is GOOD PRESSURE.  Its the kind of pressure I need to be successful in achieving my goals, but seriously, these guys are fast!  As aI write this post, Marino Vanhoenacker from Belgium is leading on the bike.  He has very strong running ability and he leads by about 7 minutes.  It looks like he will finish the Ironman at just over 8 hours if he can keep it together on the run, but there are many other athletes in this race that can pull it out in the run.  We will see what happens.

Speaking of pulling it out on the run.  I beat my marathon time by 22.5 minutes in the Portland Marathon!!!  It was a great run and I am extremely happy with my time for running 26.2 miles in 3:32:16.

I will see you next year in October Ironman World Championships!!

Prepped and ready for the race!!

I am excited for my second marathon ever and I am ready for it too.  3:30 is my goal and I feel strong and able to reach this bar.  Please cheer me on from wherever you are in the world.  I am getting the jitters and even though I am about to go to bed, I don't know how easy it will be for me to sleep. 

I took my shot of Enbrel back in Hawaii and I hope my shins and back stay loose.  Weather will be cold in the morning and then it looks like it will be a sunny day, but not nearly as hot as it was for Kona Marathon.  This is my race!! 

I made some great connections at the Portland Marathon Expo and I am excited to see where they go.  After this race, I change gears and prepare to take Lavaman Keauhou on November 18th. 

Please remember to like the Helgi Olafson Foundation on Facebook. 

I will have a post race post to inform everyone on how my race went.

Cheers,

Helgi

WEGO Health Interview

http://www.facebook.com/notes/wego-health/featured-health-activist-helgi-olafson-road-to-ironman/10151205153103545

Oh did I mention...

www.waikoloabeachresort.com/index.php/naupaka-news/dream-team-cuisine

22 miles today. 10 day countdown

I would like to start this post by saying that I am the luckiest guy alive to be able to train here on the Big Island.  I saw about 15 smiling faces a number of times up in Waikoloa Village, before I turned down the hill, who were just happy to be exercising.  It really made my day when I told one lady I had seen about five times that I was "running 22 miles," when she said that she walked 4.  I saw another guy that was speed-walking and probably hit 5 miles, and a beautiful young lady with a baby stroller and baby.  It just fealt great to be a part of something that is healthy and makes me and so many others worldwide HAPPY!!  Thanks for making my day and great job out there making a conscious effort to stay healthy.

This morning I was underfueled.  I only ate a banana, endurance vitamin pack, one scoop of protein, and about 400 liquid calories.  Luckily, I carb-loaded pretty well last night and I fueled properly on the run itself.  I also took my ENBREL last night, which kind of made me feel fatigued , so my run was tough, but I still felt great at the end, with slight pains behind my knees, which is very similar to the pains that I had for a few weeks after the Kona Marathon, but nothing serious.
Not A.S. related, in my opinion.  Anti-inflammatories and ice are what I have used since the run this morning, which took me 3 hours by the way  :).  I am right on track for hitting my 3:30:00 mark in Portland.  Now its just some "speed work," rest, and nutrition tweaking.  Time to put coach Rick Rubio's training to the test!! http://www.konapersonaltrainer.com

Speaking of Portland, I have come up with a new slogan, which I will be having printed on a new blue sleeveless jersey, along with the SAA logo and Ooomph Sports Logo.  It will "ENDURANCE for Ankylosing Spondylitis" on the back, and "www.HelgiOlafson.org" on the front.  I just ordered 1000 awareness wristbands for HOF that are blue and have inscribed on them the same words.  These will be available for a $10 donation plus shipping.  I also have 5000 postcards that share my information and a few pictures.  Please let me know if I could send some of these to anyone who wants to help distribute these within their neighborhoods.

I am proposing that everyone who has an A.S. awareness bracelet wear it for a full week from Sunday, October 7th until Saturday, October 13th to celebrate A.S. and arthritis awareness.   On the 7th I will be competing in the 26.2 mile Portland Marathon.  World Arthritis Day(WAD) is on Friday, October 12th.  WAD is asking for pictures of people "Waving" to show their support for those with arthritis from all over the world.  Please be sure to have your awareness band on when you take the picture and send it to helgiolafson@gmail.com.  I would like to make an online collage of all of these pictures.  If you don't have an A.S. awareness band and you want one, I can send you one and you can wear it with me every time I race for A.S.  Finally, Saturday, October 13th represents the Ford Ironman World Championships and is a race for not only the elite professionals who are racing for the win, but also for those who are trying to make a personal accomplishment of being named an Ironman when they finish the 140.6 mile race in the lava fields of Big Island of Hawaii.  This is the ultimate test of human endurance, and the race will bring so many different walks of life with different illnesses and conditions way beyond detrimental, including arthritis.  This is a very important day for me and I will be helping out with the race as a volunteer in any way I possibly can, as well as having a few first introductions with my current sponsors.  NEXT YEAR I will be racing for the win and representing Ankylosing Spondylitis all the way to the bank.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to contact me about the wristbands, like the Helgi Olafson Foundation on Facebook, and show me some love on race day, Sunday, October 7th, 2012.  Send me a picture from wherever you are in the world, wearing your A.S. awareness band.  Make one out of paper or a piece of rubber if you have too, hehe.

Ok now I have to get back in the kitchen.  We have 60 person buyout at Waikoloa Grill 'n Bar this Friday and I have alot of prep to do, along with alot of organization.

Stretching routine for Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis