switching gears

it's 34 degrees outside, cold, feels like below freezing, drizzling, wet and slippery road - perfect condition to test my desire to do winter road biking. one more look outside, and yeah - i donned my winter gear. time to go out and ride. when i opened the garage and prep my bike, the rain was getting heavier, so i went back inside and put on the kirkland rainwear shell that i just bought from costco. it was cold indeed, especially when cruising past 16mph (slow eh) with the wind and drizzle hitting my face, the only part of body that is exposed. i did my routine ~25 miler loop in the area, and by the time i got home, my hands were numb. but it was a satisfying ride, as always.

• head: fleece balaclava - warm, but not windproof
• body: undershirt baselayer + gore thermal + gore winter/weatherproof jacket + kirkland rainwear jacket - felt too warm after 3 miles so i opened the rainwear's underarm zipper for ventilation
• legs: nike compression tights + gore winter bib + kirkland rainwear pants - just ok
• socks: liner + gator icelandic winter socks
• hands: p.i. lobster gloves with hand warmers inside - fingers still felt numb, will try the bar mitts when it arrives.

we've been doing winter mtb rides, but winter road biking is a different game. mtb is more relaxed, more fun; road is focused, colder, more fingers-and-toes-numbing. however, it brings the same feeling during and after the ride - self-satisfaction, and that's all that matters.

26 degrees

that was the temp when i went outside for a jog last night. but it wasn't actually that cold because the wind was calm, and it felt more like 40s. and i felt too warm and heavy with my gear:

• head: fleece balaclava - the p.i. microsensor would have sufficed
• body: kombi baselayer + nike thermafit jersey + champion light jacket
• legs: nike compression tights + cheap workout nylon pants
• socks: gator icelandic winter socks - just arrived so i tested it
• hands: p.i. lobster gloves with hand warmers inside - felt too warm

i still have to wait for a really bad/cold weather condition where i have to go out, run the first mile, then decide that it's not worth it - and head back home.

i created this post to serve as a reminder: no matter what the condition is - just go out and run!

and to my bike buddies, this applies as well - just go out and ride!

there is no such thing as a bad weather for a run (or a ride), only a wrong choice of gear for that always-perfect weather for a nice run (or a ride) outside.

theory of relativity

i read from one of the blogs i have visited an entry about a fellow who finished a marathon in 3:11. he said he cried when he saw the time the moment he crossed the finish line. he cried not because of joy but because of disbelief. he felt like he failed because he was aiming for a boston marathon qualifying time of 3:10. that was his goal for running this marathon, and he was a few seconds short of accomplishing it.

and then there's another fellow who was ecstatic and jumping in joy when he crossed the same finish line. he had a sense of accomplishment like he just conquered the world. he savored the moment standing there holding his medal with a huge smile on his face. he finished the marathon, and he could not believe it. his time - 6:45.

this only shows how relative things are from different perspectives. in my eyes, they are both winners. and they should be proud of what they have accomplished.

hunter mountain biking

moment and ojiki did hunter mountain mtb'ing today. reign was out, so it was just the two 'diks. from the pic above, moment really got his buttons pushed - the mark on the fork shows the max travel moment made on the trail.

with our 'qualifications' as xc-riders, hunter is more rideable than diablo. and for the two 'diks, it's just another experience to remember.

skydiving... anyone?

so how does it feel to jump off a plane @ 13,000 ft, freefalling until you hit 5,000 ft, and then parachuting your way down to the ground? nothing really. because the fear and anxiety is almost gone the moment you float in the air with your tandem instructor strapped behind you. except of course that rush of wind blowing to your face making your cheeks flap like pancakes. and you can't even scream because the air just gets sucked into your body. you just float up there, trying to remember the instructions given to you before you took off - spread your arms high, arch your body, legs wide apart, and enjoy the sensation. that's freefalling 101, and it lasts about a minute or so. then the parachute deploys and it's another story. this time you enjoy the scenery below while your instructor teaches you to control the descent by yanking the chute cord left and right. landing was relatively easy, and after your instructor congratulates you for completing your first dive, you go back to the hangar area, get a copy of the skydiving certificate, and off you go - the much anticipated skydiving over.

ok, now the details. the whole experience lasted for about 20 minutes, not including the paperworks and anxiety-filled waiting time, which was really the killer. while waiting, i watched the others ahead of me fall from the sky like specks and then blossom like flowers when their parachutes opened. when they landed i told myself, that looks easy (still trying to convince myself not to back out hehehe). the moment i had my safety chute on (or whatever that thing they put on your back), there was no turning back. there were seven of us in our batch, all first-timers but two. i started my gps/timer when the plane took off, and turned it off when we landed - so that's the 20 minute experience. and of that 20 minutes or so, about 15 minutes was for the time the plane was going up to that diving altitude, and the rest was for the actual freefall/skydive. pretty short eh. but that 15 minutes, that so-short-time, was filled with stomach-turning nervousness. and looking around, i could sense the same from the others. we were all butt-seated on the bare plane called the skyvan (similar to a cargo plane with a tailgate opening), and when the target altitude was reached, we stood up, the door opened, and one by one we jumped. and when i jumped, it was just me and my instructor (and basically my life depended on him at that point on). but there was no (more) fear, no (more) nervousness, just freefalling. and then that short tug upwards when the parachute opened. freefalling was over.

pdr 08

redemption - that's what i felt as i went past the 12mi marker. for i know that even if i had to walk the last mile to the finish, it would still be in under 2 hrs. redemption - from my abysmal performance in the vbhm08 event just 3 wks ago. and with that, a reward the moment i hit the finish line mat - 1:51:42 - a personal record.

i decided to do this event for several reasons: (one) because i just wanted to run again after vbhm. (two) because it's close - just an hour drive from home. (three) because i would score an extra medal for running this, plus vbhm. (four) because i really wanted to run again.

packet pickup was not as easy and convenient as vbhm. i would say the participants were pampered in vbhm, with free and ample parking, spacious and sponsor-filled expo, lots of freebies. in pdr, i had to pay for my parking, 5 blocks away, after going from one-way street to another trying to find a metered spot close to the expo. and the expo was crowded. at one point, i told myself that this is the first and last i'm doing this event.

i felt ok came race day. i set my mind not to go fast the first quarter to half of the course, to just do it on a steady and moderate pace until i get into a rhythm i could keep throughout the course. and somehow i managed to keep a pace i was comfortable with till the end of the course. the course was flat overall, but with some sections where the road banks to the right or left and you have to find the right spot to run so as not to affect your stride. it was scenic, and peaceful (yes, peaceful). they said it's a rock-n-roll event, with plenty of bands playing along the course, but i think i've only noticed three or four bands. it turned out ok for me because i had a peaceful run, focused only on the road ahead (and always happy to see the next marker). i also did not put on my shuffle, which helped (i think) because i was able to listen to and control my breathing. as promised, there were plenty of fluid stations, plus powerbar gels on the 8mi mark. i had my own sports drink in my hydration belt so i didn't have to stop at every station to hydrate. plus i had some endurolytes, where i had 2 at the start, 2 at the 10k mark, and 1 at the 10mi mark.

overall, the race-day experience overshadowed the packet-pickup experience, and i might do this again next year (plus vbhm09).

btw, this event coincides with the other events i always wanted to do: (one) hillier than thou, (two) pumpkin patch pedal. and i chose this one over the others. hopefully, next year they will fall on different dates.

• #7704
• mizuno wave creation 8
• garmin forerunner 305
• nathan speed 2

• results

hillier than thou - metric 1991 route

finally, fiddler's elbow and ironbridge, plus mt quenby - conquered. and (we) did it without dismounting/walking, albeit in a very sloooow pace. climbing fiddler's elbow and ironbridge has always been in my list since doing several cjbc's hillier than thou rides but always opting not to do the full century simply because of the intimidating trio of fiddler's/asbury/ironbridge climbs. the last time i did this was in 2006, doing the super-metric ride ~= 80miles - a shortened version of the full century with a chicken door which skips fiddler's elbow/ironbridge.

this year, a biking buddy is planning to do event (i think), and he has the cue sheet of the 1991 metric ride starting/ending at Belvidere (A&P @Massenats Rd). he modified the route a bit to include the ironbridge climb. the weather was, i'd say, perfect on the day of the ride - no rain, no scorching heat, low humidity. we followed the cue sheet, cruising on flats, did our own version of alps d' huez ride on the climbs (these are tough climbs), and tried to break our own records on the downhills (and these are not easy downhills either), and had a blast.

fiddler's elbow and ironbridge lived up to their intimidating climb-me-if-you-can riders' dream (or nightmare). i read from one biker's journal where he said your bike's front wheel may go off the ground and you could just fall off your bike (imagine pedaling hard but the bike's not moving) when doing these climbs because of their steepness. he wasn't kidding! at times, my front wheel was lifted off the ground - in fiddler's elbow and ironbridge. but like i've said, i've climbed both without dismounting/walking (and no weaving from side to side either hehehe). however, before you say wow, let me point out that i did this on my giant tcr triple (yes, a triple!). i still could not believe how those riding a double can do it - and i envy them sooooo much. (so now, there's no 'wow'?)

also, this is the first time i've tried endurolytes, courtesy of jo-gar whose been using it and one of those who say i-can't-believe-this-stuff-really-work. from my perspective, i can't say if it really works because i don't usually get cramps during rides. however, i'm still buying a bottle to find out if it works for me when i do my other activities. to give a positive feedback, i did not feel sore in 7hrs of riding, taking one pill before the ride and every hour thereafter.

perhaps with this successful ride, i'd be more motivated to do the htt full century next time. and jo-gar too...

btw, do a search on 'hillier than thou fiddlers elbow' to get an idea on what this entry is about.

vbhm 08

hmmm. how and what should i write about this? the most i remember about this event was that it was soooooooo humid, and that i suffered. yes, i suffered. and i did not have that feeling that i could go another mile after the finish. i finished it, but there's this 'BUT' feeling. i'm not looking for any excuses, i just wanted to do it again to redeem myself from this 'BUT' feeling.

this was the biggest event i've ever joined, so far. from their website, there were close to 20,000 participants, with 16,336 finishers. this was a very well organized event, from the pre-race packet pick up and expo, to the post-race festivities. there were fluid stations every ~1.5mi, and plenty of bands and cheering squads (it's a rock-n-roll run isn't it?, so note to self - run without the shuffle next time).

i had everything ready before the race, from the shirt with the bib on, to the shoes with the chrono timetracker on, the night before. the forecast was mild on the day of the event. i knew i was well prepared for this (or so i thought :)). my 'support crew' and i walked to the start area from the place we stayed in. it was a good mile-and-a-half walk, but they did not complain. they settled in at a location with a good view of the start, and off i went to my designated corral (corral #6). the race uses a 'wave start', with the wheelchair participants go first, followed by the elite women, then by the elite men, and then each corral every minute or so. i hit the start mat 7+ minutes after the gun. i started a bit fast (which added to my suffering in the end). at mile 3 (this is where i noticed the high humidity), i was already sweating hard, and before mile 6, i was literally soaking wet, shirt, shorts, socks and all (i never experienced this in my previous events). my feet started to bother me because of that squishy feeling every stride i made. after i hit the mat on the 10k mark, i stopped and walked (YES, I WALKED! - another first). i just felt so heavy. after about a 2min walk-break, i started again, but this time i've started to lose my stride. by 15k mark, i was just jogging with so heavy feet. and i stopped and walked again. and then, that bridge! it felt like going over a mountain with a full camping gear on your back going over that bridge. and i stopped and started to walk again. a woman passed by, tapped me on my shoulder and encouraged me to go on. thanks - i needed that. and off i went again with that slow and heavy pace. fast forward to the end, because there's really nothing exciting to tell anymore unless you wanted to hear more of my suffering...

i hit the mat at 2:13:05, with a chip time of 2:05:38. it's a decent time, but way off my target. maybe i aimed so high that it frustrated me to not even be close to it. or maybe if i did not stopped and walked, i would have hit under 2 hrs. or maybe if i just took my 'soaking wet shirt' off and not worry about my bib not showing while i run. now you understand the 'BUT' feeling?

my crew saw me at the finish. i was still in the runners' area. got my commemorative medal, cold towel, post-ride drinks and snacks, and a good foot massage. race over, time to hit the beach. yes, it was a memorable run.

• #6287
• mizuno wave creation 8
• garmin forerunner 305
• shuffle with arriva earphones

• results

an event to look forward to

we went to see this event today at mercer county park. we saw people from different categories of capabilities sweat it out in the event they've chosen to participate in, with that determination on their faces, and strangers cheering them on. i envied them for having the courage to do it, for i have been thinking of doing it but did not have enough courage to do it - i'm afraid i'd really suck in the first leg and be the last to finish in this tri-event. but seeing the average joe's and jane's do it gave me the motivation so i said to myself - next year, i'll be one of them.

see you next year.

driveway sealcoating

last saturday, after that early night riding with the 2 kemosabes, when the forecast for the rest of the day was sunny, humid, with a high of 90+ and a feel of 100+ (and we have not planned to go anywhere to beat the heat), i decided to do something productive - seal/resurface my driveway. after two trips to home depot, 7 5-gal latex-ite driveway sealer, more than 2 pitchers of cold water, and a sunburn, i've done it. my whole body ached, and i slept soundly that night.

total cost for this diy-one-day-project = $210.00. not bad.

back to night riding

the three 'late-bloomers/oldies' went back to a very fun and rewarding night riding last saturday. boy, how we missed this kind of fun. we rode the trail like it was a bright morning ride, oblivious to the surrounding, so focused on the trail ahead. and we did the grand tour trail and back, for a total of 15+ miles. the reward? a post-ride breakfast at mcd courtesy of m-presidente.

are we doing this again? definitely!

_cializ_ conquers wissa, and harts...

_cializ_? wissa? harts? what are we talking about?

the three 'late-bloomers' went to wissahickon valley last june 28 and did another grueling epic ride - 20mi exciting trail, 4673ft elev gain, 4+hrs on the saddle, and the best-tasting pbj sandwich :). and i did it with my 'old and trusted new' bike, _cializ_ ss. old and new? _cializ_ is my old specialized stumpjumper bike that i've converted to ss - and now it's a brand new bike. and i really enjoy riding it. riding ss is not as hard as some might think. i actually find it easier, even on some hard and steep climbs. on climbs, i just put my foot on the pedal and speed up - momentum helps. before i know it, i'm at the summit looking down and waiting for my buddies hehehe. wissa + ss is one fun experience.

and harts? hartshorne, of course. one of our favorite mtb trails. i never thought i could ride _cializ_ there. but i did, and was happy with my ride. giant-trance-mtb'er and i went there on july 4, and i brought _cializ_ with me. climbs were harder, but i managed. yup, i struggled (and eventually walked) in some sections (the staircase climb, the root section to the summit), but no regrets. i've proven that i could do ss-ride in hartshorne. i've enjoyed the ride - another milestone for _cializ_.

next stop for _cializ_ - chimney. and that would justify my desire to get/build a 29'er ss hehehe.

i'll put a pic of _cializ_... on my next post.

30 minutes a day

give yourself 30 minutes a day. 30 minutes to do something... outside. walk, jog, run, bike, tend to your garden, do some yard work, admire the trees, the sunrise, the sunset, the clouds. just be outside and breathe the fresh air.

my 30 minutes a day is to have my daily jog, warmup and cooldown included (and i hope i can stay with it).

what is your 30 minutes?

ss on 6 mile run

last sunday, we went on our usual weekend mtb ride. but this time i used my old-specialized-converted-to-ss instead of my regular fs bike. the reason? we were going to go to 6 mile run park, a fast and winding singletrack trail but no major climbs, and i said to myself - time to test my old hardtail after its conversion to ss (i had it converted to ss last year but never really got a chance to ride it in a real mtb trail). wow! it was more than just fun experience. i really enjoyed it! it was fast, no messing around with gears, pure biking bliss. now i'm thinking of getting another bike - a 29er ss, either a steel hardtail or a full suspension one.

dang, another bike. let's see...

long branch half-marathon 2008

dep and i participated in this event in 2007, and we finished it in 2:07:25 (chiptime: 2:04:45). this year, i set my goal to finish it in under 2 hours, which means i have to improve my pace from ~10min/mi to ~9min/mi. with the goal set, training runs started in winter. the longest i've done was a 9mi canal d&r pathway trail-run a week before the event.

i picked up my bib/chip/goodies on saturday, may 3rd, the day before the event. bib# was 4309. i also picked up dep's goodies. went home, prepared the gear, and checked the weather. hmmmm, mid-50s. included a windbreaker vest and arm warmers in my packed gear.

event day. had instant oatmeal and left home at ~5:30a. the whole 'crew' came with me to watch the event. arrived at the parking lot at ~7am. had a cliff bar while doing the last minute preparation. met dep at the lot, gave him his goodies, and we proceeded to the starting line. not sure how many registered for this event, but here are the numbers from the official results: 1703 full-marathon and 3705 half-marathon finishers.

dep and i started together, and separated after the first mile mark. he did not have enough training so we have different goals. had to stick with my goal to finish it in under 2 hrs. the marker showed ~13:00 - a slow start. turned my shuffle on and off i went, trying to catch those 4:15 and 4:00 pacers, hopefully. they were no longer within sight so i had to put an extra effort and pushed a little harder. the course had fluid stations every ~1.8 mile, and i've decided to take some sip of gatorade at every station. mile 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 had passed, and i was feeling great so far, doing ~8.30min/mi pace. lots of spectators and supporters along the course, even calling you by your name (if you happen to have your name on your bib, which i have). nice. and very much appreciated.

finally caught up with the 4:00 pacers at about 11 mile mark, and still feeling great. kept going, and slowly gained some distance from them. as the course (half-marathon) got closer to the finish, more spectators kept pushing you to keep going strong (thanks again). finally saw the start/end banner with the time close to the 2 hour mark. gave myself a final push and hit the mat at 1:58:54. with arms raised, goal was achieved - half-marathon in under 2 hours.

epilogue: i believe the hardest obstacle to conquer in such long-distance/endurance events, like half-marathon/marathon runs and century bike rides, is not the physical, but rather the mental capability, and the motivation to do it. once you lose the focus and started asking yourself 'why' you're doing such thing, you will never reach the finish line mark.

run free, ride free.

• #4309
• asics gel cumulus vii
• garmin forerunner 305
• shuffle with regular earphones

• results

long branch half-marathon 2007

• #3322
• nike air 240
• garmin edge 305

• results