January 28, 2010 (Calgary, AB) – It’s a good thing Calgary endurance athlete Greg Kolodziejzyk isn’t claustrophobic, because this Thursday he is going to spend a long time in a very small space. To train for his Pedal The Ocean human-powered attempt to cross the Pacific Ocean from Victoria, BC to Hawaii this summer, Kolodziejzyk will climb inside the small cabin of his innovative ocean-going, pedal-powered boat Within at 8am Thursday morning and spend the next 24 hours pedaling, eating, and sleeping inside the cabin, It’s a very literal version of ‘dry land’ training and an important step towards the Pedal the Ocean record attempt, which will require Greg to be self-sufficient at sea for approximately two months.

Pedal The Ocean will push the veteran of ultra-marathons, Ironman triathlons, and world record-setting 24-hour cycling records to his physical and emotional limits. Getting used to living aboard Within is a vital piece of the puzzle.

Kolodziejzyk’s boat is a unique machine, built with the help of noted pedal-power boat designer Rick Willoughby and naval architect Stuart Bloomfield. In addition to room for Greg, Within has space for over 200 lbs of food, a portable de-salination plant, sleeping berth, emergency equipment, solar power generator, and electronics such as a satellite phone, computer, and GPS. Since it will be Greg’s home for the better part of the summer, it’s a fully-equipped, self-contained home on the water, albeit a small one.

“Sure, she’s a little cramped compared to the spacious ocean row boats,” says Kolodziejzyk, referring to the typical vessels used for human-powered ocean crossings, “but I enjoy other benefits they don’t. Aside from my greater overall speed, I am better protected from the harsh ocean environment by being inside my enclosed cockpit. The ocean rower is outside when rowing, and risks being knocked out of the boat by a rogue wave or strong winds, as well as getting sun burns and skin sores from being constantly exposed to the sun and salt water. I think the biggest advantage I have over the ocean rowers, is that when the wind and waves start to really rock and roll, I am still able to power my boat forward in the relative safety of my enclosed cockpit, whereas the ocean rower must take shelter in the cabin because it is nearly impossible to control those huge oars in bad weather.”

Greg will be blogging live from inside Within during the training session and a live video stream will let a world-wide audience watch this motivated individual chase his dream, one pedal stroke at a time. He will also be available for media interviews (contact info below).

In addition to setting a world record, the goals of the Pedal The Ocean project are to build awareness about the vast potential for human-power and raise money for the registered charity Kimberlee’s Bikes for Kids. Find out more here.

To watch the live video stream: (8:00 am MST – Thursday, Jan 28 to 8:00 am Friday, Jan 29):

On Facebook, search for “Pedal The Ocean” page, then click on the “My Ustream” tab On Greg’s blog, click here and click on the “follow” tab.