Download or read book Chasing Kona written by Rob Cummins and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2017-12-27 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sitting watching TV with a cigarette in one hand, a black coffee in the other and nursing a crushing hangover I switched channels until I found sports. There was some sort of bike race on and I half watched while lighting another cigarette off the butt of my last one for a minute before switching channels again. Just as I hit the button on the remote the commentator mentioned something about the athletes swimming before and running afterwards as well as racing the bike. I thought he said something about the run being a marathon but that couldn't be right. This sparked my interest and I switched back, but he was talking about something else so I waited for him to get around to describing exactly what this race was. I didn't have long to wait as he said they first did a 2.5 mile swim, then 112 miles on the bike all topped of with running a marathon. I was stunned. I didn't think that would be physicially possible and as I lit another cigarette I wondered how many days did they have to do it. I guessed it would have to be three days. Swim the first day, bike the second and run the third but it still sounded like a crazy thing to do. Then he said that they did it all in the one day, one after another without stopping. I was completely incredulous. And hooked. I remained glued to the TV and learned that these bronzed, muscular Greek God looking athletes weren't all professionals either. There was an amateur or "age group" race as well Although I could hardly tell the difference between the pros and amateurs. They all looked unbelievably fit. As I sat there mesmerised I swore to myself that I'd race there someday. I'd stop smoking and drinking and somehow do "The Ironman" At the time I had no idea what that meant or how I would do it and after a while as things have a way of doing I got busy with life and I forgot all about The Ironman and Hawaii. I forgot until several years later when I had actually given up smoking and had taken up triathlon. It had taken me two years and sixteen races of swimming breast stroke before I learned to swim properly. I never once looked even remotely like Kona material but I wanted to have a go at doing an Ironman. It took another three years before I plucked up the courage and lined up for my first one in Nice, France. I finished in the last quarter of the field, hours behind the athletes racing for those precious Kona slots. Nothing I had done up to then had given any indication that I should have had a reason to believe I had a chance at qualifying, but three years later when I asked Aisling, my wife if she thought it was possible she immediately said yes and then she added let's do it. Aisling's belief in me started us on a journey that led to me treading water on the most iconic start line in triathlon, waiting for the cannon to fire at the start of the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. This is how we overcame all of the odds and discovered what it would take to get to the Ironman World Championships. This is our Kona story.

Download or read book Chasing Greatness written by Barrie Shepley and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2022-06-14 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Barrie Shepley’s quest to find greatness in himself and others has been far from a straight line. His job as a professional coach and TV sports commentator has taken him to all corners of the earth where he’s experienced many unexpected twists and turns. The stories that Barrie tells will have you crying, laughing, holding your breath, and, at times, even applauding. His stories are about sport but also about life, love, success, and failure. Whether a sports fan or not, this book carries lessons for us all. Learn about Barrie Shepley and his unforgettable journey from small town roots to the highest level of sport success, but also learn what it means to find the best in yourself along the way.

Download or read book Seeking the Sacred Raven written by Mark Jerome Walters and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-09-26 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Will the 'Alala ever return to the wild? A bird sacred to Hawaiians and a member of the raven family, the 'Alala today survives only in captivity. How the species once flourished, how it has been driven to near-extinction, and how people struggled to save it, is the gripping story of Seeking the Sacred Raven. For years, author Mark Jerome Walters has tracked the sacred bird's role in Hawaiian culture and the indomitable 'Alala's sad decline. Trekking through Hawaii's rain forests high on Mauna Loa, talking with biologists, landowners, and government officials, he has woven an epic tale of missed opportunities and the best intentions gone awry. A species that once numbered in the thousands is now limited to about 50 captive birds. Seeking the Sacred Raven is as much about people and culture as it is about failed policies. From the ancient Polynesians who first settled the island, to Captain Cook in the 18th century, to would-be saviors of the 'Alala in the 1990s, individuals with conflicting passions and priorities have shaped Hawaii and the fate of this dwindling cloud-forest species. Walters captures brilliantly the internecine politics among private landowners, scientists, environmental groups, individuals and government agencies battling over the bird's habitat and protection. It's only one species, only one bird, but Seeking the Sacred Raven illustrates vividly the many dimensions of species loss, for the human as well as non-human world.

Download or read book Chasing the Golden Hoard the Story of the Lydian Hoard written by Kurt M. V. Rich and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2012-12-03 with total page 971 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The theft of the numerous archaeological artifacts which comprise the so-called Lydian Hoard (Karun Hazineleri or Karun Treasure, in Turkish) is legendary. So too is its discovery, the lawsuit which embroiled the Republic of Turkey and the all powerful Metropolitan Museum of Art for almost six years, and the surprising problems encountered after the treasure had been repatriated to Turkey. With the possible exception of the exploration of the tomb of Tutankhamon, no other archaeological discovery can compete with the Lydian Hoard for its mystique and intrigue. No other archaeological discovery has influenced and destroyed as many lives as the Lydian Hoard. Chasing The Golden Hoard follows the lives of a Turkish family living on the outskirts of the modern town of Usak in southwestern Turkey as they accidentally discover an unplundered Sixth Century B.C. tomb, dating from the reign of Lydian king Croesus (Karun, in Turkish).

Download or read book Kona Legends written by and published by . This book was released on 1926 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Going for Kona written by Pamela Fagan Hutchins and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When her husband is killed in a hit-and-run bicycling accident, it takes all of Michele Lopez Hanson's strength not to burrow into their bed for the rest of her life. But their kids need her, and she promised herself she'd do the Kona Ironman Triathlon in Adrian's honor, and someone seems to be stalking her family, so she slogs through the pain to keep herself on track. Her dangerously delirious training sessions become a link between her and Adrian, and she discovers that if she keeps moving fast enough to fly, she can hold onto her husband--even as she loses her grip on herself and faces her biggest danger yet.

Download or read book Bearing Up Horseshoes written by Jenny Pletcher Nolan and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2010-11 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Emma's great grandmother, Lydia, is a woman who boldly looks fear in the eye and never has she lost the staring contest. It is the summer of 1979, and Lydia's granddaughter (Emma's mother) has been killed in a car accident. Emma and her brothers leave their home in Indiana to visit Lydia on Johns and Kiawah Island in the Low country of South Carolina. Once there a witch chases Emma through her dreams, and the light of day is often even more unsettling as Emma discovers her own family tree shrouded in mystery. With the help of adventure, friendship and faith, Emma discovers she may be more like Lydia than she ever thought possible.

Download or read book The Story of Ellacoya written by Jeanne Clark and published by Beech River Books. This book was released on 2009 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A prose poem saga that celebrates female strength and wisdom, as personified in the fictional story of an Abenaki heroine"--Provided by publisher.

Download or read book Gourmet News written by and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Into the Deep written by Missy Fleming and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2013-09-30 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No one understands the fury of the ocean like Zoey. Ten years ago, she lost her leg in a freak shark attack. The night after her sixteenth birthday, she has yet to accept her awkward prosthetic limb or the fact she will always be different. Wary of the sea, and its hidden threats, she ventures to a bonfire at the beach. She's mesmerized by its awesome power, wondering what she ever had to fear, until a rogue wave sweeps her into the cool, salty water. Zoey believed mermaids were creatures of legend, characters in silly children's stories, but it's hard to ignore the captivating tail that's suddenly appeared, or the sense of finally being whole. She abandons her life on land in search of answers about who she really is and where she came from. What she discovers is a kingdom full of intrigue and danger, as well as a royal father she never knew existed. Settling into her role as a mermaid princess, she learns her family is under attack, both on land and in the water. Raging storms swell up, threatening coastal cities, and sea levels rise practically overnight, endangering the lives of everyone she loves. Determined to stop the strange phenomena, Zoey becomes caught up in the race to track down what, or who, is responsible for the catastrophic events. But, Zoey possesses another secret, one born of legend and more powerful than any mer or human can imagine.

Download or read book Pieces of Eight written by Deborah Chester and published by Diversion Books. This book was released on 2015-01-18 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A swashbuckling pirate adventure in the time travel series from the “masterful” national bestselling author of the Pearls and the Crown novels (Extrapolations). In his attempt to return to the twenty-sixth century, historian and time traveler Noel Kedran is transported back to the Caribbean in 1697, where black-masted ships rule the treacherous seas and murderous pirates kill without mercy. Stalked by enemies—including his evil twin, Leon—Noel fights to prevent a human sacrifice that could change history, and to stop his twisted twin before he destroys them both for a few glittering, golden pieces of eight. “Chester is a world class fantasist.” —The Best Reviews

Download or read book You Are an Ironman written by Jacques Steinberg and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-09-15 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times bestselling author takes readers inside the Ironman triathlon. As he did so masterfully in his New York Times bestseller, The Gatekeepers, Jacques Steinberg creates a compelling portrait of people obsessed with reaching a life-defining goal. In this instance, the target is an Ironman triathlon-a 2.4-mile open-water swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride, then finally a 26-mile marathon run, all of which must be completed in no more than seventeen hours. Steinberg focuses not on the professionals who live off the prize money and sponsorships but on a handful of triathletes who regard the sport as a hobby. Vividly capturing the grueling preparation, the suspense of completing each event of the triathlon, and the spectacular feats of human endurance, Steinberg plumbs the physical and emotional toll as well as the psychological payoff on the participants of the Ford Ironman Arizona 2009. His You Are an Ironman is both a riveting sports narrative and a fascinating, behind-the scenes study of what makes these athletes keep going..

Download or read book A Cup of Aloha written by Gerald Y. Kinro and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2003-03-31 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kona is one of the world's premium coffees. Given its small-scale cultivation on family farms, however, it has been especially susceptible to price swings and market gluts. A Cup of Aloha is a heartfelt portrait of the farmers, millers, landowners, merchants, and laborers who struggled to keep themselves and their industry alive. The author traces coffee's history in Hawaii--from its arrival in 1828 to Kona's position in today's highly competitive specialty coffee market. Through the author's use of oral history interviews, readers will experience day-to-day life on a coffee farm and the challenges, natural and man-made, that inspired innovations and adaptations to the agricultural, economic, and social life in the Kona Coffee Belt.

Download or read book Terminal Reality written by Erik Seedhouse and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2020-08-13 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The spaceship is the Halo Genera. Its occupants, which include four humans, two bio-engineered synthetics, and an obstreperous robotic assistant named Larry, represent mankind's last-ditch, desperate but bold attempt to save the human race from extinction. Their destination: Despond 5, a planet light-years away from what was once home. But, as so often happens when manned spaceflight is matched with cutting-edge exploration, things don't go according to plan. Plagued by system malfunctions, subterfuge, sabotage and malevolent aliens, the Genera's crew race towards their destination. But can they reach it in time to save the human race?

Download or read book 80 20 Triathlon written by Matt Fitzgerald and published by Da Capo Lifelong Books. This book was released on 2018-09-18 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A breakthrough program for triathletes -- beginner, intermediate, and advanced -- showing how to balance training intensity to maximize performance -- from a fitness expert and elite coach. Cutting-edge research has proven that triathletes and other endurance athletes experience their greatest performance when they do 80 percent of their training at low intensity and the remaining 20 percent at moderate to high intensity. But the vast majority of recreational triathletes are caught in the so-called "moderate-intensity rut," spending almost half of their time training too hard--harder than the pros. Training harder isn't smarter; it actually results in low-grade chronic fatigue that prevents recreational athletes from getting the best results. In 80/20 Triathlon, Matt Fitzgerald and David Warden lay out the real-world and scientific evidence, offering concrete tips and strategies, along with complete training plans for every distance--Sprint, Olympic, Half-Ironman, and Ironman--to help athletes implement the 80/20 rule of intensity balance. Benefits include reduced fatigue and injury risk, improved fitness, increased motivation, and better race results.

Download or read book A Cup of Aloha written by Gerald Y. Kinro and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2003-03-31 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kona is one of the world's premium coffees. Given its small-scale cultivation on family farms, however, it has been especially susceptible to price swings and market gluts. A Cup of Aloha is a heartfelt portrait of the farmers, millers, landowners, merchants, and laborers who struggled to keep themselves and their industry alive. The author traces coffee's history in Hawaii--from its arrival in 1828 to Kona's position in today's highly competitive specialty coffee market. Through the author's use of oral history interviews, readers will experience day-to-day life on a coffee farm and the challenges, natural and man-made, that inspired innovations and adaptations to the agricultural, economic, and social life in the Kona Coffee Belt.

Download or read book Kona Winds written by Janet Dailey and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A dream job in Hawaii leads to a chance at love in this Americana romance from the New York Times–bestselling author. To get through the harsh New England winter, Julie Lancaster has been waiting tables while she waits to land her dream job teaching high school history. But then her employment agency calls with an even dreamier offer: a well-paid tutoring position in beautiful, balmy Hawaii! The moment she steps off the plane, Julie is bewitched by the island’s intoxicating atmosphere and the lingering scent of exotic blossoms. Debbie, her sixteen-year-old tutee, is a sweetheart, and everyone on the estate makes her feel welcome—except Ruel Chandler, Debbie’s imperious, older half-brother. At the beach, Julie meets Frank, a handsome surfer who’s obviously smitten. But as the Kona winds blow, Julie realizes there’s something about Ruel that makes Frank seem like a mere boy by comparison.