Welcome to - Information on Book course edition exam exam fifth in passing pmp pmp prep ritas

Men's Fitness - Breaking waves: the ultimate ocean endurance test

HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A 32-MILE JOURNEY ON THE OPEN OCEAN with nothing but an oversize surfboard and your own muscle and guts? GUY PERE knows better than anyone, having competed in the Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race every year since it began in 1996. We caught up with the paddleboard king recently for an exclusive on the training and preparation he puts in before the race.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Training in Hawaii is year-round--it's a lifestyle here that I've had for as long as I can remember. At any given time, I'm about two weeks from getting into top shape. Just to keep a base, I run on the beach, swim in the ocean, practice jujitsu, and surf. I also lift regularly and do a lot of things like pushups and pullups. I always keep with the weights so I don't get too thin with all the cardio I do. I also find it helps me with injury prevention--if I get injured, I'm out of a paycheck. Doing all this, plus what I do at my 9 to 5 as a lifeguard, keeps me in the shape I need to be in for short paddleboard races and outrigger-canoe races.

But, when it comes time for the Molokai race, I really have to concentrate on getting fit--and that starts at least three or four months out. Paddleboarding began as something surfers did to stay in shape when the surf was flat, and now it's turned into something so serious that a lot of guys are out there paddling when the surf is good. I did my first paddleboard race when I was just 9 years old--a three-and-a-half-mile race that felt like the longest day of paddling in my life. When paddleboard season comes along, I slow way down with my other sports to focus on training and preparing for the Molokai race. I try to start training as early as possible, because the worst place to be is in the middle of the channel wishing you had started sooner in the season.

I start building a base for paddling in January, doing some long-distance stuff, just getting out there and getting used to my board. I'll work my way up and hopefully be doing three and a half hours by May. I never do the actual race distance or time before; six hours of paddling is just too exhausting, and it takes too long to recover.

Just before the race, I try and put on six or eight pounds. If you don't have it, you're done--it feels like your body is eating muscle out there in the middle of the race if you don't have that extra mass. About a week or a week and a half out, I'll start eating more and training less. There is nothing I can do a week out that is going to change the outcome of a five-and-a-half-hour race, except rest the body and eat well. Basically, I eat the same as I eat when I'm training, but I train less and rest more so my body is storing all those calories instead of burning them. This is an endurance race--'m not saying I go into it fat, but I definitely don't want to be lean.

I'll do some light workouts like a swim or a run a couple of days before the race to stay loose, but that's it. By the time the race comes, my body is jumpy, ready to go. That's how I want to go into it.

Part of the race I can't prepare for is the emotional challenge. It's a lonely race--you don't see another paddler for more than a mile south or north of you sometimes, and you're in a big, deep ocean. You make yourself a lot of promises out there: "If I just can get to the finish, I promise I'll do I this. Oh man, let me hang in there a little bit longer, I promise..."

THE BASICS

FOUR ESSENTIALS FOR SURFING SMART FROM VETERAN LIFEGUARD GUY PERE

1 Take a minute to watch the surf before charging into the sea. Keep an eye out for rough, choppy, or stormy-looking surf, which usually means the conditions are dangerous.

2 Scan the beach and the water for exposed rocks and reef. Remember that high tides may cover dangerous obstacles, so don't dive headlong into unknown waters.

3 Don't swim or surf alone. Bring along a buddy, or make sure there is a lifeguard on duty. Somebody's got to live to tell the story.

4 When in doubt, ask a lifeguard. They know the waters better than anyone else; they'll be able to tell you what hazards to look out for.

Head out to Hawaii and see the race for yourself, The Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race starts at 7:30 a.m. on July 30 this year. Go to quiksilveredition.com for more info.