M2O 3-person SUP Relay 2015 Words can not express how lucky I am to have two great mates like Mark Raaphorst and Chris Pagdilao, who were keen to team up with me in the 2015 M2O race 32 Punishing Miles. Chris Pagdilao is a true legend of a mate. Chris never complains he just gets the job done when it comes to organizing, loading and unloading the Support Boat, Mark and I take it for granted, hahaha. The three of us have the best vibe going - it’s just a laugh a minute with all the one-liners that get thrown around “too funny.”
Three days out from the M2O race on the Thursday, Maliko was on fire. I had one of the best Downwind runs - so I was keen to get three Maliko’s in that day, on the second run somehow I did my SERRATUS POSTERIOR INFERIOR - Origin: Vertebrae lumbar and lower thoracic spines; Insert: Ribs Action: Lower ribs in expiration. It was brutal I could not paddle on my right hand side the pain was excruciating. I spoke with Gregg Leion after the Maliko run and asked him what’s the strongest painkilling drug you can buy over the counter here on Maui. Gregg tells me ibuprofen. I was stoked because in Australia you need a prescription to buy ibuprofen because you can make Meth-Amphetamines with them. (I usually travel with ibuprofen the big 400 milligram tablets, they’re like horse tablets you never know when you’ll need’m, I just forgot to pack’m in my suitcase) So I went over to Longs Drug Store and got two bottles 50x200 milligram tablets, I ate 50 tablets in one day (like a little Grommet in a candy store) I needed to kill the pain, (I know my kidneys and liver were telling me give us a break ironphil you’re killing us) I did not want to let my Team mates down on Sunday.
On the Friday I told Mark and Chris I was on the drugs to kill the pain and asked if they had any heavy duty pain killers I could use for the M2O race on Sunday, Mark had some Advil for me. So I was eating both ibuprofen and Advil to kill pain (I just hope the M2O organizers don’t get me to piss in a bottle).
On the Saturday I’m eating my drugs and Mark dislocates his shoulder swimming out to the Support Boat poor bugger. Mark was on the Omron Tens Electronic Pulse massager all night, I said to Chris looks like you’re carrying us both across the Ka’iwi Channel tomorrow, with a laugh.
I don’t know what’s harder going SOLO or a 3 MAN TEAM. With SOLO you’ve done the training, you get so Mentally and physically focused so you can compete at a fast steady pace so you can do a personal best time. With TEAMS you only have to be half as fit but you paddle at 110% because you don’t want to let your TEAM MATES down. So I know TEAMS are more brutal than going SOLO, but TEAMS are way more fun than SOLO.
Nineteen people pulled out of the M2O race due to the brutal conditions.
I’d also like to thank all the other ten 3 MAN SUP TEAMS for giving us great competition - it was
BULK FUN. There was even a few girls in some of those 3 MAN SUP TEAMS. Never ever take any pity on or under estimate any of those water women sheilas they are weapons and have smashed many a guys egos.
Until the next Molokai 2 Oahu Race - happy training and I’ll see you all again next year.
1. Kalani Vierra, Carvalho, Pavao, Greg Kawika 5:32:13
2. Chris Pagdilao, Phil Gregory, Mark Raaphorst 5:44:19
3. Jay Gomez, Rand Carter Jr, John Alexiou 5:56:42
4. Brian Szymanski, Victor Lopez, Matt Friedman 6:02:51
5. Philip Binney, Trent Carter, Kai Binney 6:06:26
6. Don Lui-Kwan, Layne Owens, Walter Machado 6:17:45
7. Michael Sammis, Ivan Trent, Ed Naggiar 6:24:01
8. Kent Kam, Keone Dowling, George Kam 6:30:33
9. Haakon Hoyer-Nielsen, Fred Andersen, Stephen Pugh 6:30:37
10. Bonga Perkins, Kekoa Uemura, Scotty Fong 6:39:12
11. Randall Viveiros, Curtis Smith, Bobby Balouskus 6:50:38
