Are you Ready?

UPDATE (3/31/2010): Pictures inserted and gallery added at the end.

LIVE FROM OCEANSIDE!!!

One more day until the Ironman 70.3 California.. SO EXCITED!!! Minh, Anni, and I headed down to Oceanside today to check out the Expo and check-in for the race. The bikes were packed up on the car and ready to go.. but Anni wasn’t… So while we waited, Minh did a quick run to 7-11 to pick up some Gatorade. We also read a few articles in Popular Science.. interesting stuff, but perhaps for another time.

We made it down to the Expo around 1030AM or so. They had these neat signs up on the streets for street closures tomorrow. Looks like they probably use the same signs each year, but still very cool. The Expo was good, though lacking on the free samples that I usually find at the marathon expos, but still a lot of very good stuff. I got to try out the roller from Trigger Point. Still not sure if I’m c0nvinced that it will make a huge difference, but it did feel different.

Minh also tried out the Bebop pedal system. They look kind of like Speedplays, but more open and less color. There was a lot of float in the pedals (about 20 deg), which I would hate if I tried them. There were interesting, but I don’t think Minh was completely sold on them.

All the big bike manufacturers were out representing, along with SRAM, Zipp, Zoot, Newtonian Running, Avia, etc etc etc. And… Cannondale was out with the Bahati Foundation graffiti bike that will be up for auction on April 23.  We were able to get closer look at it this time without the crowds and dim lighting.

The best thing at the whole entire expo…. COMPEX! Minh and I have been talking about this thing for WEEKS.. but we were hesitant to actually shell out the money to buy it (around $500 or so) for fear that it will be yet another thing we buy and don’t use (e.g. embroidery machine, gym membership, etc). We were hoping to find a store near us that sold it that would let us try it out before committing to buying it, but we never got around to finding a place that sold it or time to actually go try it out. Well, lucky for us, Compex was out at the expo and giving demos. Minh and I both sat down for an ”Active Recovery” session, which proved to be AMAZING!! It felt weird at first, but you eventually get used to the feeling of the muscle contractions, and it actually starts to feel good towards the end of the session. I can explain further what this whole Compex thing is all about, but again, I’ll save that for another time.

After I checked-in and got all my labels and waivers signed, we went to lunch at Davina’s Cabo Grill. Anni and I got crab enchiladas and Minh had a SUPER lunch with a SUPER burrito and a SUPER Corona. Lunch was good, but not spectacular. After lunch, we headed to check in to the Motel 6 and unpacked a little bit. Then Minh and I went out for a little bike ride.

The plan was to head out from the Motel and figure out the easiest way to get to the transition/spectator area in the morning. Luckily for us, there’s a bike path that goes straight there. Then from the transition area, we were going to ride along the run course just to check it out (very flat.. not bad for a half marathon). I’m very glad we went for this pre-ride, because everything that could possible not work on the bike… did not work. (I took these pictures back at the hotel, but you still get the picture.) For instance..

The cycling computer that Minh installed for the race did not work. More of an annoyance than anything else, because it’s not really a mechanical problem. Minh thinks that it’s out of batteries.. so.. we’ll see if we’re able to swap out the batteries before tomorrow.

And on the way back… I got a flat. And Minh and I discovered that the valve attachment thing that I had did not work. So we wasted perfectly good CO2 cartridge. Bright side.. it is way better that this happened the day before than the day of.

Minh was nice enough to walk by bike back for me. He wouldn’t let me walk my own bike because I was in a bad mood and yelling at him. He’s such a sweetheart for putting up with me. He also took the wheel off and the tube out when we got back to the hotel. The hole in the tube was TINY… like a little pin prick.

tiny hole = massive destruction

At the moment, he’s off trying to get a new valve, a new CO2 cartridge, a new spare tube, bobby pins and deodorant (because I left mine at home), while I lay around and blog. Isn’t he awesome?

On deck for the rest of the night… dinner and making sure everything’s in tip-top shape for tomorrow. Can’t wait!! Hopefully I can get to bed at a decent time tonight. Got an early morning tomorrow.

Oh… and pictures will be posted when I get back… I don’t want to post the super hi-res ones, and I’m too lazy right now to convert them all to a smaller format. Day off on Monday, so I’ll update then.

Update (3/31/2010): Gallery ADDED!! YAY!

What’s this?!?!?!

OH NOES!!! FLAT!!!

tiny hole = massive destruction

Bricks and Cooking Tris

If I reflect on my workout schedule (that I created, but don’t follow very well), I don’t have enough brick workouts. This is because even though I know I can run off the bike if I need to (i.e., during the race), I have low motivation to actually do it during training. Less than two weeks away from my first big “A” race for the year (Rohto Ironmane 70.3 California), and I’m deciding to change that… bring on the bricks. 

Last night, Minh and I opted out of the usual Wednesday night beginner/intermediate mountain bike raide with JD Kitty and Matthias from Team VeloSport. Instead, we did a quick spin down the Santa Ana River to the beach (PCH and Brookhurst) and back home. The wind was pushing us around a bit, which made for a slower ride, but also helped us work on our balance and ability to hold straight lines. After we got back, I went for a short, easy 3.5-mile run/jog around the park. It actually felt really good going for a light run right off the ride, better than it has in the past. This is probably a result of my awesome new riding position (thanks to Jim at Final Fit). Today, the bricks continue. After I get out of my training session for the day, I’m hitting the pavement for an 1-hour run before open-water swimming with the OC Tri Club at Big Corona (yay! Daylight Savings Time!).

After the run and dinner and American Idol Results show last night, I tuned in to the Food Network to watch a special episode of Dinner: Impossible. 

Chef Robert Irvine and his crew were heading out to Tempe, AZ, to cook a special meal for 300 VIP guests and athletes getting ready for the Ford Ironman Arizona. In the true spirit of triathlons, he had 8 hours to create three 3-course (appetizer, entree, and dessert) meals, eachwith a different theme, and each in its own specific kitchen. For the “swim” leg, everything had to cooked in water. For the “bike” leg, everything had to be cooked twice (because I bicycle has two wheels). And for the “run” leg, every course had to include legs (i.e., leg of lamb, chicken thigh, etc). Here’s a list of the dishes that were made:

Swim Kitchen:

• Oysters Poached in Tomato Water
• Mussels steamed in Tangerine-Mint Water
• A variety of salads
• Lemon-Ginger Poached Chicken
• Shitake Poached Salmon
• Steamed Oatmeal with Figs and Oranges

Bike Kitchen:

• Twice-fried Tempura Shrimp
• Fried Rice
• Flank Steak with Twice Baked Fingerling Potatoes
• Roasted pumpkin dessert of some sort

Run Kitchen:

• Crabcakes with Corn Chowder
• Sweet and sour Chicken Legs
• Brazed Lamb and Orzo Salad
• Hamhocks and beans
• “Drumstick” dessert

I may have mixed up some of the menu items, and there are probably some that aren’t listed there, but I’m going from memory. A few of the recipes can be found online, but the majority of them aren’t listed. I guess I’ll just have to watch the episode again to learn how to make some of that stuff. Everything looked delicious, and at the end, it was declared that… “Chef Robert Irvine.. You are a Culinary Ironman!”

…and I’m free.. I’m FREE FALLIN’

We (me, Minh, Michele, Hung, Amanda) finally got around to skydiving at the end of February. The weather held up BEAUTIFULLY. It could not have been a better day to jump out of a plane. So, we all jumped in the car and drove out to Lake Elsinore. All of us were really excited to get going, but there was a lot of waiting around. The place was really crowded, probably due to the fact that most people who wanted to go earlier that month had to reschedule due to weather, and this was basically the first non-rainy weekend in a while.

I have to admit that I wasn’t too scared to be jumping out of a plane at 80 mph (even though I signed my life away multiple times that morning). The scariest part is the plane ride up. It’s long, and you’re just sitting there (not too comfortably) watching the ground get further and further away. The actual jump itself happens so fast that you don’t really have time to get scared. And then you just need to relax, lean back, and let gravity do it’s thing. Oh.. and smile for your camera guy.

alive and smiling on solid ground

In comparison to bungee jumping, I would have to say that bungee jumping is definitely more of a thrill. You get more of that rollercoaster-drop feeling with the bungee jump since you’re starting from a stationary position. With skydiving, you don’t really feel anything except the wind in your face. And then once the parachute opens, it’s just floating and turning (which can be a little nauseating at times). It is, however, a much better view. Honestly, though, I wouldn’t pay to skydive again (not to say I wouldn’t do it again, just wouldn’t pay to do it), but I would pay to go bungee jumping again, somewhere different, and maybe higher up.

Some pictures from the day and the jump:

alive and smiling on solid ground

Lunch Trucks: Roach Coach or Gourmet on wheels?

Lunch trucks have been around for ages. Do you really think the ancient Israelites fleeing Egyption slavery really ate from the miraculous manna that formed from the morning dew? I don’t think so. God set up taco trucks along the way to keep them well fed and nourished for their long journey… Just kidding (but I’m so spending an extra long time waiting to get into heaven for that one)… You get what I mean, though. Lunch trucks are a staple for construction sites, clusters of office buildings, and thrifty engineers who love their carne asada tacos.

Seems like the new craze (or perhaps not so new… maybe I’m just behind the times) are food trucks (not just for lunch anymore) that go beyond tacos and are a little… well.. gourmet. Gone are the days of waiting for a table and being served by a waiter. Now you can wait in line (sometimes for hours) and mingle with other young hipsters, clubbers, hungry people, etc., grab your food and a piece of grass (in the park, to sit), and enjoy a good late-night meal, mid-day snack,  elevensies, lunch, or whatever meal it is your eating. Here’s a short list of the ones I’ve heard of so far:

• Kogi BBQ: Korean BBQ-To-Go (LA/OC)
• Buttermilk, Inc (LA)
• The Grilled Cheese Truck (LA)
• The Dimsum Truck (LA)
• Wafels & Dinges (NYC)
• Cupcake Stop (NYC)

What’s great about these food trucks is that you can always find out where they’re going to be and how long they’ll be there. Last May (2009), Serious Eats put together a list of “street food vendors” that you can follow on Twitter, and I’m sure there are many more food trucks that have popped up within the last year that aren’t included on their list.

It almost makes me want to quit my job and buy a catering truck. As long as I keep it roach free, I should be in pretty good shape, right? Oh… and of course.. I’d have to pull out all the bells and whistles to draw the crowds, but that’s easy peezy once I figure out what to sell…

Here’s a picture I put together in Paint of what my food truck will look like (NOTE: I’m practicing left-handed mouse use, so apologies if it looks like a 4-year-old’s art project):

Mingling: Bahati Foundation and Pro Team Launch Party

Back in early February, Minh and I were introduced (by sitting in a crowd of people all being introduced) to Rahsaan Bahati, pro cyclist and founder of the Bahati Foundation. The mission statement of the Bahati Foundation is:

The Bahati Foundation supports youth in inner-city and underserved communities. Through grants, scholarships and cycling outreach programs, the Foundation empowers youth and provides funding to schools.

The whole mission of the Bahati Foundation doesn’t revolve around cycling so much as it has to do with empowering youth to rise above adversity and find opportunities through community outreach and music. I wouldn’t do the foundation much justice trying to describe it here, since I’m not that closely involved with it, but if the website has tons of information about the Foundation, its mission and goals, upcoming programs and outreach, how to contribute, etc.

With our connection to Jim Manton of Final Fit (who just happens to be the Bahati Foundation Pro Cycling Team Fitter), we were able to get into the Bahati Foundation and Pro Team Launch Party at Club Nokia on Friday (March 12). It was a nice venue and very successful foundation/team launch. The whole team was present and looking very sharp. Performances were made from Crenshaw High School ((Rahsaan’s alma mater) choir and marching band. Inspirational videos were shown and speeches were given. The new team kit and bikes were unveiled. Also, a limited edition Cannondale bicycle was up for auction, which was hand painted/tagged (?) for the event. VeloNews wrote up a good article of the event, and SocalCycling.com posted photoes of the event on their Flickr page.

Here are a few photos I got of the event before my camera died:

On a Roll: US Cup Race, Bonelli Park

Minh had this great idea a few months ago that I should start mountain bike racing. Unlike foot races and triathlons, the competitive field in women’s cycling is rather small. And then if you divide the sport of cycling into its two parts (mainly road and mountain), the field gets even smaller. And if you go even further and divide out the categories and age groups, each field of competitors (for women) gets really small. For instance, the Camp Pendleton Bulldog Bike Race I competed in a few weeks ago (see my last post), the Women’s 25-29 age group consisted of 2 people. So, even if I’m slow, I default to second place. YEA!

If we don’t count our local Over the Hump races last summer, the US Cup Race at Bonelli this past weekend (March 14) was my first official mountain bike race ever. Minh and I wanted to be ready for it, mainly because Minh was hoping to score an invitation to the Kenda Cup Invitational Shootout in September and secondarily because I like to know what I’m getting into ahead of time, so we went out to pre-ride the course the weekend before the race. Unfortunately, we had quite a bit of rain the week before that weekend, and the course was muddy. So muddy, in fact, that they closed off more than half of it, which didn’t make for a very good “pre-ride.” However, we did what parts of the course that we could, which were all still pretty muddy (can’t even imagine how muddy the closed sections were if open sections were any indication). We even went back and practiced some technical sections that we were a little wobbly on, which is something that we never do when leisurely riding. Luckily for us, the parts of the course that were open were the more technical sections of the course, so we were in good shape. We were out there for a couple hours, and we got pretty dirty. Minh had a good time cleaning up our bikes later that day.

Super muddy first part of course

Race day was exciting. Our race wasn’t starting until 11:30AM, so Minh and I were able to sleep-in.. OK.. not really sleep in. First, we actually lost an hour of sleep because Daylight Savings Time started this weekend (huzzah!!). Secondly, we got up early to go to Mass so that we wouldn’t have to sit in Mass tired later that day. Just our luck, the priest forgot to change his clocks and was late, but only by 15 minutes. After Mass, we went home to pack up the gear and change, and then stopped by Arsenio’s for a breakfast burrito (breakfast of champions) before heading up to San Dimas.

The park was pretty crowded already by the time we got there. We had to park the car pretty far from the race start, but it didn’t matter much since we had our mountain bikes. Team Velosport/Team Sho-Air/Sonance were out in full force. Seemed like at least 80% of racers were sporting team kits of some sort, and atleast 20% of those were representing Sho-Air/Sonance. Or so it seemed, but I don’t know the exact numbers. Our fearless team captain, Tim Zandbergen, made sure that the EZup was up and fully stocked with food and energy.. oh… and massages provided by Dynamic Touch.

After Minh and I picked up our race plates and registration stuff, we had some time left to pre-ride/warm-up before race start. I was able to get a couple miles of the first part of the course (which we didn’t pre-ride the prior week because of mud), which was good to do (for a warm-up) and good to see (because it was a long, but not too steep, fire road climb). My class (Cat 3 Women 19-29) was the last wave to go (all Cat 3 Women were in this wave), just minutes behind Minh’s class (Cat 3 Men 25-29). There were about 10 of us in the wave, and only 1 other girl in my class (yea! default podium!).

ALLEZ!! ... I'm all the way on the right

I think I started out pretty strong, but my problem, with all races or rides of any sort, is that I totally use way too much energy at the start of the ride and end up burning out pretty fast. I lost the other girl in my class pretty early on because I am not a strong climber. I made up for it, however, by passing some guys who were weaker riders than myself. That was nice. I’m glad Minh and I were able to pre-ride part of the course because those tricky parts were really easy during the race. Most likely because I was trying to go fast and not over-analyzing the ruts/rocks/gravel/etc. I finished my first lap in just about 45 minutes, and the second one a bit longer because I was getting tired. Also, about half way through my second lap, this tree just came out of nowhere and took me out. I fell off sideways into the course tape and the end of my handlebar somehow jabbed into my upper thigh. Came out with a few bloody scratches, but had to get up and finish the race.

Minh was already at the finish when I got there. He DNF’d. His crazy, non-destructive tubless tires did not hold out as he had hoped, and he got a flat during his second lap. But, he did have fun and got a fairly decent ride out of it, so he was happy. Afterwards, we stuck around for the awards ceremony and to watch the Pro Women’s Short Track Race (and the beginning of the Pro Men’s Short Track Race). I also got a nice post-race massage and In-n-Out was there giving out free burgers to race participants.

Second Place! w00t!

Overall, it was an awesome time. I’m excited to get out and ride the rest of this year/season. I know that if I get out on the trails enough, I’ll get a lot stronger on the climbs, and I’ll be that much faster. And maybe one of these days, I won’t be defaulting to second, but will actually beat someone for first.

Pictures:

Trail Running is FUN

Last month, I participated in the first trail run of the OC Chili Winter Trail Run Series for 2010. I had come in 7th in my age group (Female 25-29) out of 18 with a time of 0:53:09 (79th overall out of 201). Not bad for my first trail run ever, and first time on that trail ever. This last Saturday, I participated in the second trail run of the series. I came in 5th in my age group out of 10 with a time of 0:51:33  (67th overall out of 151). Slightly better this time than last, less than 2 minutes faster, which is probably a reflection of my running faster on the downhills than actually being stronger in the overall run.

No pictures this time because Minh was out mountain biking during my race rather than sitting around for an hour waiting for me to come in. Good for him being active and all, but not so good for the blog without any pictures.

Big THANK YOU!!! to Book that Event for putting on another great race. Looking forward to next month… and hopefully will be more than just a couple minutes faster.

UPDATE (04/08/2010): SherryDPhotography had some pictures from the race. Most of my pictures were blurry, but this one turned out alright:

Picture courtesy of Sherry D Photograph, 2010

Raindrops keep falling on my… bicycle?

Despite the inclement weather we’ve been having this winter, Minh and I still managed to get two very good bike rides in this week. One at night with a little sprinkle, and the other in a total downpour (well.. partial total downpour).

Wednesday was the first Team Velosport Beginner/Intermediate weekly mountain bike ride for the year (Click here for details). Minh and I had attended a couple last year, but I think it would be beneficial to start going regularly this year. The first ride was Blackstar Canyon to Beek’s Place. We split up into two groups: experienced riders and beginners. The experienced riders were going to ride all the way up to Beek’s Place and turn around. The beginner riders were just going to ride until they felt like turning around, which ended up being almost all the way to Beek’s Place anyway (we rode to the gate). I’ve never ridden at night before, so this was an experience for me. I’ve also never ridden in the rain before, and while it wasn’t raining too bad at the start, it did pick up on and off during the ride. And it was cold. I was a bit nervous about not being able to see everything around me, but I quickly realized that the bike is shining on the important stuff anyway – the trail! I also realized that I was more focused on my riding than during the daytime, this is probably because I didn’t want to hit a hole that I didn’t see or fall into a rut that I could have avoided. Overall, the ride was really fun and the company was great. Looking forward to more Wednesday beginner rides during the year.

I like how our clothes reflects the flash.

Saturday was our first bike race for the year, and my first road bike race ever: Camp Pendleton Bulldog Bike Race. The weather called for rain on Saturday, which would have been fine if it meant a light sprinkle.. but it was more than a light sprinkle. It was a torrential downpour. Minh and I headed down early because we wanted to beat traffic (if any) and we wanted to give ourselves ample time to get down there in the rain. We got to the base about an hour before the ride, so it gave us a lot of time to get checked in and ready. Unfortunately, by the time the race started we were already soaked to the skin.

The start was delayed because of the rain, and instead of starting in 7 waves as planned, we started in only two waves, about 10 minutes apart. The rain was really coming down once the race started, and I was freezing in my soaking wet socks, warmers, jersey, vest, jacket, and cycling cap. The start of the race was a “controlled start”, this meant that everyone started off “slow” behind a pace truck until most of the wave was out on the course. Then the truck pulled away and people could speed off. Well, the “slow” pace truck was actually going 20 mph, at least, and it wasn’t very much of a controlled start since people were really slow with the rain pounding down on them. I started off at the front of the second wave, and even with the rain, I started off pretty strong. For about ten minutes or so, I was able to get up to a good speed – around 23 mph, which is awesome for me. This didn’t last long, and I was soon getting passed by the rest of my wave. The ride was harder than I was expecting with the rolling hills, two steep climbs, and rain. The rain let up a bit about half an hour into the race, but I was already soaking wet and cold. My feet and fingers were going numb from being cold, but I was sticking with it since there was a good chance that I would podium (especially since not that many women were in the race to begin with). I wouldn’t say that this was the best ride I’ve ever done, since I finished in 1:57:39 and it was only 26 miles. But I did podium. Second place in my age group and only a few minutes behind the winner. A little note though… there were only two people in my age group, so I defaulted to second place.. but second place is still a medal.

I’m starting to like this whole racing thing, and with time, I’m sure that I’ll get better. I know that I’ll never be a competitive runner or triathlete, since there are so many people (and women ages 25-29) who participate in these events. But I am quickly realizing (with Minh’s help) that I can easily become a competitive cyclist because there really aren’t that many women (age 25-29) who ride, and even less who compete. Looking forward to more races this year, and visits to the podium.

Oh.. and I am extremely grateful to Minh who (among other things that make him an AWESOME boyfriend) washed five bikes over the weekend (three of which were mine) and put together a new mountain bike (for himself) while I napped and went to the gym and did other selfish things.