2% FLAT skim milk....

Well today on my lunch ride of 14 miles, halfway through I encountered the dreaded pfffftffffftttttffffffff noise that comes from a punctured 115 psi filled tire/tube.  I had decided to add an additional route for an extra 3 miles that landed me in the middle of some debris that wanted me to enjoy my outing a little longer.

Directing myself to my trusty kit, I got myself back on the road within 5-6 minutes.  30 seconds was added to take this picture!  So this brings me to this topic of what to carry and how to change an inner tube.

What I carry in my little wedge under my seat:
- Spare Tube
- (1-2) threaded air cartridges 12-16g
- Glueless patch kit
- Dollar (to create a boot when the tire has a nice tear)
- Cartridge pump
- Tire/rim levers

I travel frequently either on well travelled roads with other bikers, or with a group.  That said, usually carrying one tube and a patch kit will get me through 2 flats.  If I run out of supplies, I'm going to beg from another rider for something I'm out of.  Knock on wood, haven't had to go there.  Obviously if you are going out for a ride to nowhere, pack accordingly.
- Stop the bike as soon as possible so you can hear and see the leak/puncture
- Make sure to pay attention to where this cut is in relation to the valve stem
- Shift the rear derailleur to the smallest sprocket
- Undo the brake lever that opens up the brake calipers and undo the quick release lever
- Dislodge the rear wheel.  THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART NEXT!
- Lay your bike down on the left side - Non-drive side.  Rookies will make the mistake and lay it on the derailleur and cause issues from there on
- Place the wheel in your lap or ground and use one tire lever to open up the tire from the rim
- Use the second lever to open up the tire next to the original lever and then slide it away and follow the rim.  The tire will then unseat itself
- Remove valve nut and then take the tube out.  Run your fingers around the area of the puncture.  This is why I mentioned to spot where the puncture was in relation to the stem for you to reference to
- Remove any debris that may have caused the issue.
- Pump in a little bit of air into the new tube, just enough to create the form
- Insert the valve through the rim and then seat the tube into the tire
- Pick a spot on the tire and tuck it in by hand and then move around the rim until it gets hard to do so.  This is where the levers come into play.  Use them to pry the tire back onto the rim, be careful not to pinch the tube
- Inspect the bead setting of the tire that it is seated correctly before adding any air.  If anything, add some and then release it to get any pinch flats out
- Air up!  I commonly compare my other tire's feel to gauge how much I need to ensure I get enough pressure in there to avoid a pinch flat

Hope my lengthy description is of any help!  Watch the video if you prefer to -  HAPPY RIDING!

Update on Month-to-Month training per sport

As I had previously posted about focusing on one sport at a time, it has come to a point of looking back and seeing if the results are as what I wanted them to be.

- Started running around Jan 12th - running 10 minute miles around the 4-5 mile distance
- Include at least one interval run a week.
- Kept my HR around 150 bpm and below except during intervals peaks.
- Gradually increase mileage per week.  Week 3-4 saw mile #6.  Week 5 saw mile #7.
- Pace of 7 mile run was 8:40.  I'm sure if I focus on a 5k race now, I can nail 8 min miles
- Even running 7 miles doesn't seem to kill my body like running 4.5 miles before
- week 5 included a 14mi bike that followed up with a 5.5mi run that felt great.  Enough for most sprint distances!
- Desire to run and increase pace has been increasing.  I use to hate running...and now I know why!  By using my HR to show me how to not kill myself on every run, I've been able to build a decent base for me to work on now.  I can see by doing the correct work, I can continue to increase my speed over time.  The hardest thing to do is to increase the speed at a responsible rate that puts added stress to my body's buildup.

Now to work on the bike as I haven't signed up for the gym yet to go swimming!

No time - You will find time

Well this week's numbers are pretty sad for my training due to busy-ness of work, family commitments and work.  Did I say work twice?  I'm blessed to have the ability to provide, so no complaint there!

What it means is that sometimes schedules don't go the way you want them to and we cannot stress on what don't have control of.  That is my point of view and is what keeps me sane into going into a crazy late night/early morning workout.  I believe exercise is important, however should not control your life.....it should be part of your life.

The reminder is that we need to keep this fun, moving forward and rejuvinating.  If we are worn out and putting too much on the plate, we end up getting sick, dis-engaged and burnt out. 

How do you handle the day-to-day schedule?

K-Swiss Kwicky QT2 - How Cutey is it?

Read enough magazines and you end up drooling over products that seem to make you faster, more comfortable and cool lookin'!

I'm in need of new running shoes and my dear Wife had purchased a set of Nike lightweights with foot pod for my birthday in October.  Knowing my race was coming up in less then a month, changing into new shoes didn't seem the right thing to do.

And they were Nike's.  God bless my Wife for even catering to my likes and I do appreciate the love and effort into them.  But they were Nike's.  Don't get me wrong, I trend to Nike for basketball, baseball and running as they are great brand.  But us triathletes would ideally invest in tri-specific gear.

The KSWISS Kwicky QT2 is a shoe that looks rather abnormal - colors are somewhat clashing - the yellow/green does't have that neon pop that some shoes portray, nor is it muted enough to look tame.   I'm not sure, maybe its my monitor.  Looking at it online I'm sure is different then what is going to be in front of you.

The seamless technology is key as us triathletes usually run without socks.  My current shoe, Asics, does well on the cushion/support side of things, but the lace has a hot spot right at the top of my foot/ankle (I'm using lock laces, part of my problem).

It's nice to see a shoe that moves the tension of the lace to the side away from the compression of the upper foot and ankle.  Its lightweight design is a sure thing to accompany you on those long runs.

Kwicky QT2 goes for $144.00 and is available only in the one color shown. 

What shoe(s) brand/models are you looking for and what needs are you trying to fulfill?

3/GO Triathlon Magazine - Click and GO!

If you're looking for some good Triathlon reads, here is a free electronic subscription to 3/GO Triathlon March/April issue.  Usually its a $7.99 issue!

It looks great on the iPad too!

3/GO March/April Issue
January/February Issue

The O.C. Great Park

Today was an awesome Friday to get a lunch ride in.  Just wanted to share a picture of The Great Park Balloon attraction at my halfway point.  Happy Friday!

- Open Thursday-Sunday
- Goes up 400 ft and holds about 20-30 people
- Free
- Have to reserve your spot ahead of time....arrive and go is most likely not an option.
- Doesn't go up on windy days
- The OC Great Park is to be the center of a massive master planned community.  The land was acquired from Lennar by 5 Points Community headed by one of my clients, Emile Haddad.  We hope to secure most of the wiring for the new homes that are being built starting at the end of the year.  Bulldozers are currently grading the first projects now.



Show me some cool destinations on your bike!

Getting off the road - change of pace!

My house can be seen here towards the left!

As I have been doing the specific workouts per month, the road bike has seen little action to avoid the rain/cold.  I was lucky enough to get a 5mi. lunch run in before my 2:00 p.m. sales appointment and then when I got home later on, no one was home yet.  I looked outside and man it looked like it was going to pour any minute.  That meant, I had minutes!  I donned my mountain bike shorts and gear and stomped out to the local mountain trail, 1/2 mile from my front door (me so lucky!).

Very lucky to enjoy this view a
 couple minutes from my door

 The goal was to change it up a bit from the road and still get some leg work in.  It is a 1.5 mi. circuit that has a nice climb in the beginning and then rollers throughout.  The grand finale is a 15% downhill that screams "brakes!".

I was able to squeeze in 3 rounds on the circuit before the rain decided to move in.  I was happy to get on 2 wheels, stay close to home to call it day when it needed to be, and just enjoy the view and nature.  What a great stress reliever to work in!

I want to encourage the thought of ensuing your goals at any given opportunity.  This only took 25 minutes at the end of the day and I burned off about 400 calories (on top of metabolism).

What activities that you squeeze in during the day that are efficient?

Garmin 305 HR/GPS watch review

After all these years of doing my own thing, I never paid attention to using a HR monitor to track my progress or view how my efforts were performing.  It was either go easy or go hard.  I felt like I didn't need something to tell me how hard I was going...I just did it!

Only recently when I signed up for my first timed event, that I took training a bit more seriously (and organized) that I found that heart rate meant many things to me to perform appropriately.  There are days of rest, days of intervals and days of endurance training.  Using the HR monitor keeps me in check and gives me goals on paper that helps me to build upon.  Using one of my favorite analytical tactics; reading Amazon.com reviews on products, I picked a Garmin 305 Forerunner w/GPS.  Amazon has a return policy and also it shipped quick....Kudos!

When I received the unit, the form factor was a little on the large side, yet it wasn't "bulky".  The commonly used buttons, start-top and lap are large buttons on the front and easy to hit (good and bad?).  The others are enter, up/down on the right, and mode and power on the left.








The first setup involved was pairing up the heart strap and then fitting it on myself.  At first if felt awkward, but I quickly got used to it and even forgot it was even there during my excercise.  Secondly, I setup the screens the way I wanted to see them for each individual sport - running and biking.  I'm a numbers guy, so the large screen and the ability to go 4,3,2 and 1 options is awesome.  I currently run with 4 options on my main screen - Average Pace, Current Pace, Distance and Time.  You can scroll to other "run" screens to see other items in which I have Elevation, Time and Speed setup.  By toggling the up and down arrows, you can satisfy the numbers junkie in you.  The one odd thing that sticks out is that it takes about a minute of non-movement to get the GPS locked in.  I usually set it down somewhere when it does this in the beginning and I will do my warmup stretches.

For the bike, I strap it to my handlebars for ease of view and it does fine using the strap that it comes with.  The cool accessories available are: replacement band for bike mounting and velcro strap, wireless cadence and speed sensor.  Another is the footpod sensor to track your running on a treadmill/indoor/cruise ship!.

It comes with a USB dock that allows for transfer of information as well as charging it.  I rarely run out of battery as long as I dock it every other day.  Any longer then 3 days of training, the 4th day is probably in jeopardy.  I would rate the battery life to be above-average.

The current design upgrades from the 305 (405 etc..) has had quite a few of negative reviews from form factor to GPS accuracy.  The touch bezel apparently does not work very well with sweaty/wet fingers.  Many have reported going back to their old 305 as they were much happier with the results.

Here are my pros and cons:  Remember this is my first HR watch, so I really don't have much to compare against. 

Pros:
-GPS accuracy - It seems dead on while running comparing markers, at races etc. as long as you don't continually run under a bridge/tunnel.

- Ease of use - 6 buttons give you much of what you need easily.  Nothing fancy, simple.

- Large screen with options - Let's you customize what you want to see and still read it easily on the 4 option version.

- Distance/pace/hr alerts are audible -  I can still hear it with my headphones and music playing.  There are plenty of alerts that you can activate.

- Backlight - Very even toned and bright enough to view in the darkest run.

- Easy dock for charging - charges and downloads/uploads information at the same time.

- Virtual Partner - race against yourself or others to keep things lively.  I find running boring if I'm on my normal route and these little nuggets keep you going.

Cons:
- No auto power off - Remember to turn it off or no worky for you next time out!

- A few times during biking the HR monitor was reading erractically - It would show me having a 234 bpm on a ride at the beginning.  I would be dead!  A reset or rescan seems to fix this.  I also changed the watch battery in the strap to ensure it wasn't a power problem.  It has happened maybe 3-4 times in the past 6 months.  It is a bit annoying but it seems to clear up soon.  Maybe its a skin contact issue?

- GPS will auto pause while under a bridge - of course is there a way around this?  It is looking for a satellite, so I don't think there really is a solution to this.

- Uploading software - The software that comes with the watch for your computer stinks and seems antique. I don't use it personally and instead upload to connect.garmin.com.  A much more improved interface and updated maps, it gives a nice calendar to work with.  The only thing is sorting data is either slow, or doesn't exisist.  You have to use the PC software for that.

I want to pass this information on so that if you are interested in either upgrading or getting a new watch, hopefully this info will help you choose one that will fit your needs.

What do you own that you like or don't like about your watch? 

Incycle Saturday Morning Ride - You In?

If you are from around here in Chino Hills, every Saturday morning between 8-9:30, you will find a very large peleton zooming through the hills and pastures at times with smiles, jokes and grunting.  The InCycle Chino bike store facilitates this ride every Saturday with an 8:00 a.m. sharp rollout.  Click here for a MAP/Stats

Brian and I had planned to ride to the beach via SCART and meet up with the wives for breakfast and hitch a ride home.  However my sick daughter (Judah) and Brian's son (Braden) kept that from happening - so we decided to ride local.
You meet up first at the Incycle bike shop parking lot and you get a chance to say "Hi" and "good morning" as you check out each other's ride.  Usually the carbon 80mm wheels are the difference among the group as well as an occasional vintage bike with downtube shifters.  This ride is about your legs and the ability to attack up the hills, bar none.  If you can keep up with the pack that trolls around 21-24 mph on the flats, you are in good standing.

Gearing up for the ride at the InCycle Chino shop

The warm up consists of mainly flat surface with minimal road roughness, and light traffic for a rather busy street at any other time (Shaeffer).  After crossing the 71 underpass, you will enjoying the quietness of the Shoppes of Chino Hills as most stores are closed at this time.  You will then briefly notice a slight uphill roll up Peyton as you enjoy the timeline of Chino Hills - The old and new Sheriff station, post office, Ayala HS, horse ranches on your right, and the relocation of Community Park.  Brian and I kept an easy pace but stayed close to the upper half of the group.

Once you cross Chino Hills Parkway, you will then notice the first attack from the peleton.  You are delivered a modest Cat5 climb that last about 5 minutes with rollers in between.  This is where you get put into place....go too hard in the beginning, you will find yourself falling in the ranks - start too slow-find yourself weaving through traffic of slower riders.  Brian and I maintained a good spot in the upper 1/3 of the group.  Thankfully everyone waits up on top (reasonably) for the group to "re-group".  Then a quick roll through the trees of Woodview, farms and a golf course keeps you on edge as you avoid potholes, wandering pedestrians, and parked cars.

The peleton regrouping at the top of Peyton

The more enjoyable part of the route as in smoothness of the road is enjoyed going down Butterfield ranch.  As a large group, we easily take up the whole lane for about 1 mile, pissing off plenty of drivers!  When the group crosses Soquel Canyon, the peleton once again lines up for a chase.  I've led this chase before and man, when you are alone in the front, the group catches you quick!

After rolling through Butterfield, you will cross over the 71 freeway as it turns into Euclid Avenue.  This part is subject to be open; if there is heavy rain, this section may be flooded out.  That happened last year for about 3 weeks and a different route onto Soquel was the result.  The last part of the ride is a slight increase in elevation all the way back to the shop.  Euclid is a fast moving pace street with trucks going along with you.  The only thing that is sane is the "bike" lane is super wide so you have room to work with. 



Enjoying a brief downhill breather before heading north to the beginning.

 In the end, we end up with about 24 miles of riding and it goes by pretty quick with the engagement of riding with a large group.  Talk with others, meet new friends and compare gear....go bike nuts!

What rides have you done with groups that you would like to share?