Camarillo Duathlon Championships - September 2012

Here is my recap of my re-visit to last year's first ever time event race for this amatuer athlete.  The Camarillo Duathlon, at Camarillo Airport, California, (www.camarilloduathlon) consists of 2 distances - Olympic and Sprint.  Last year I competed in the sprint distance ( 1.5mi run, 10bike, 1.5mi run) and with all the training I have done in 2012, I was ready to tackle the Olympic distance (3mi run, 19.5mi bike, 3mi run).

The wife and kids were here to support me and it makes a big difference when you have actual people to smile to and give a big thumbs up as you suffer along.  The weather could not have been any better, even if the run got a little hot at the end.

Setting up in transition in the morning was one of the most frustrating ones I've had in a long time.  Probably because it there was gap between my last event and this one and I must have forgotten the normal routine.  First I left my one and only water bottle in the back of our car and Jessikah had taken it and the kids to go get some breakfast.  Secondly, when I had went to fire up my Garmin GPS watch (for pace and distance) it didn't come on, despite a fully charge battery.  It had locked up!  It was coming up to 5 minutes before race start and here I was with no water bottle for my bike and a dead watch.  Grabbing the phone, I look up YouTube on how to soft-reset the Garmin 305 watch.  Within a few minutes, I finally get my watch fired up!  Jessikah pulls up within 4 minutes of start and I run the water bottle to transition, fill it up with water and NUUN Hydration.  After double checking everything, I run back to the start line with about 45 seconds left!!! 

And BAM! the horn sounds and off we go at 8:00 a.m.  There were 43 participants in the Olympic distance (34 men, 9 women) and the pace was fast as we were humming along at 6:45min/mi.  I realized that most of us probably wouldn't be holding this pace, at least myself, and backed off to 7:30min/mi. and not feed off adrenaline and pay for it later.  The reason why I like this race is because it is mostly FLAT!  The run course takes us from the park to the the street that runs parallel to Camarillo Airport and is mostly paved.  The course is 1.5 miles out and back, so we end up doing this as a double loop.  That means I get to see my family as they cheer me on!

I get back into T1, finishing the 3 mile run in 22:23 - 7:42 min/mile (Best was 5:45 min/mile at 16:35) and feeling pretty good as I had pulled back the reigns early on.  I switch into my bike shoes, strap on the helmet, don the sunglasses and load up my pocket with fuel.  T1 came through in about 45 seconds (the best was 34 seconds) and off I was onto my favorite leg....the BIKE.

As I had already lost some ground to the faster runners, I found this opportunity to pluck them off one by one to put me back into contention (I was already 31st place after Run #1).  I begin my bike fueling myself and I quickly tried to consume about 3/4 of a Hammer Apple-cinnamon bar and a gel pack at the same time.  Rolling through the strawberry and herb farms, you get a nice whiff that reminds you that you are living the life! I continue to pluck off the riders as we trek for 19.5 miles, and there fewer and fewer ones towards the end to battle against.  I come in 7th best at 54:34 - 21.3 mph avg ( Best was 51:00 - 23 mph avg). 

Coming back into T2, I log a 38 second transition throwing on my running shoes and race belt/bib number. As I head out for the last 3 miles, I remember the bad feeling I had last year when my calves started to cramp on me and I had to stop and stretch them out.  This year with all my training, it paid off and I was able to stave off any issues other then the normal fatigue that was settling into my legs.  You always get this weird jello feeling and your legs want to keep moving at the same cadence that you were going on the bike and you have to mentally block all the negative triggers and focus on the stride at hand.  It got pretty tiring at the end and I just wanted the race to finish!  I come down the last stretch and put in all the power I had left to finish in 23:56 - 8:15min/mi (Best was 17:13 - 5:56 min/mi).  I was beaming a big smile seeing my family cheer me to the finish line and all the training had paid off.  I got 11th place with a finish of 1 hour and 42 min and my goal was to top 10.  Next year.....as I can see and taste what I need to do get into top 10!  Overall a great race with a smaller crowd and great people.  I will find myself back here every year to compete in one of funnest Duathlons around.

Olympic Duathlon Race recap:
Run 3 mi - 22:23 - 7:42 min/mi
T1 - 45 seconds
Bike 19.5 mi - 54:34 - 21.3 mph avg
T2 - 38 seconds
Run 3 mi - 23:56 - 8:15 min/mi
Overall - 1 hour 42 min and 18 seconds

Peace out yo!

Bryan (multi color jersey) and I on the Vincent St. Thomas Bridge

Battle of the Century

Well, here I am alive and walking after completing my second century ever (same course 2011, 2012).

I have a long story, however I figured it would give first time event riders an inside look of all the little details on getting ready for ride day.

Team 4D-SST started with four riders: Myself, Bryan, Craig and his brother Sean.  There was probably 200 riders doing the 100 mile trek through the rugged, edgy Long Beach terminal island and the fine lines of Palos Verdes.

4 a.m. I woke up and gathered up last of the items and enjoyed a 1 egg sandwich to get some fuel in my system.  I couldn't find my trusty headphones in my backpack the night before and decided to stop by the 24 hour WalMart and grab myself a set.  I picked up Bryan around 5 a.m., loaded up his bike and off we went to the Queen Mary, Long Beach.

6 a.m.  We arrive around and headed straight for the registration tables.  As having done 4 rides with the Tour De Cure (American Diabetes Association), I find that they are very organized and very efficient in getting us going quickly.  We picked up our t-shirts, hit the beverage-food table and gobbled up some oranges, bagels and drinks.  We returned to our truck to change into our riding attire and exchanged questions: Which glasses to wear? (it was a bit overcast), arm warmers? vest? how much food to bring?  We settle on arm warmers and Bryan ended up bring 2 sets of glasses to adjust to the changing conditons.  I chew down a whole PowerBar, took a dose of SportsLegs and washed it down with some water. 

Sean, Craig, Bryan, Bill

7:00 a.m. We line up with Craig and Sean with lots of eagerness to get going and get our team picture taken by a fellow rider.  The singing of the Star Spangled Banner always gets me; a reminder that we have the freedom to do things like this in this country and be proud of it.

7:15 a.m. Not sure what the hold up was as it was suppose to be a 7 a.m. roll.  We roll through downtown Long Beach and it is always cool to see every year the leftover k-rails and tire marks from the recent LB Grand Prix.  Talk about going 180 to 15 mph in 4 seconds to make a u-turn on the course!  We quickly find ourselves crossing the 1st of 2 bridges - Desmond and then the St. Vincent Thomas.  These bridges are usually closed to pedestrians and bicycles; they close at least one direction to allow us to enjoy the breathtaking, elevated views of the harbor.  Nothing like endless sea of shipping containers, huge boats and rail cars - a 4 year old boy's wild imagination!  The size of these bridges fool your mind when you are driving in a car; you find yourself a little daunted by the grade of the climb sitting on your saddle.  Bryan and I led the group and the bridge got us warmed up and settled.  Bombing the downhill, it was the first time I got to test my new cassette setup - I went from a 12 small tooth cog down to 11.  As having a compact crank, I always felt I was out geared going down hill.  I was smiling all the way down as the 1 tooth difference gave me what I wanted short of changing out the crankset.

8:00 a.m. We roll into port of call and I hear this PFFFFFFFFTTT sound behind me and noticed that Sean landed a flat front tire.  We quickly worked together to get him changed in about 4 minutes and he mentioned he saw a small sidewall cut on his tire on a previous day's inspection (although I couldn't find it).

We roll through our first rest stop with a quick 2 minute pee break and headed through the hills of Palos Verdes.  The sun continued to hide from us and the wind was calm at this point.  Bryan and I laid the hammer down and dropped the group, including Craig and Sean.  We decided to stop at the next rest stop to get sun screen on Bryan and refuel food and Gatorade for myself.  We never saw Sean or Craig so we decided to take off as they may have passed us while we were stopped. 

*** Turned out Sean had flatted again right before the rest stop.  He would flat 2 more times and decided to DNF and take the sag van back at mile 55.  Craig flatted 2 more times after leaving Sean and ended up doing the 65 mile loop.  We never saw the duo after losing contact earlier.

Miles 20-30 was through the rolling hills and ranches of Palos Verdes.  This is pretty much my favorite part of the ride - Ocean views, beautiful homes, nice people!  The one thing that miffed Bryan and I was a lady cop that decided to pull over a Tour De Cure cyclist for rolling through a stop sign and was citing him.  I overhear her as we roll pass "......I'm going to ticket every single one of you running that stop sign!".  Afterwards she rolls behind Bryan and I (on a very quiet road that runs next to the golf course) and gets on the bullhorn " Stay off the roadway!"  MAN, what was her problem?!?!?!   For the next 3 miles going DOWNHILL, Bryan and I decide to come to a complete stop at every stop sign to avoid getting a ticket by the Palos Verdes finest.  She sure did leave a sour taste in our mouth.

 Mile 40 gave us the mega climb that we all looked forward to, the PV switchbacks.  The road was quiet and my new cassette held up well (as my large cog got smaller).  Bryan, a strong climber, led the way.  He landed at the top by at least 45 seconds to a minute!  The next 30 miles brought us back to the Queen Mary and continued through Seal Beach.  The wind picked up and we worked together to keep the pace going.  At times we were moving from 19mph to 22 mph.  Bryan truly showed his stamina as he kept the pace going.  The one thing that destroyed us was the constant RED stoplights!  At this time my inner quads kept giving me trouble and all I could do was eat and stretch and try to do my share of the pull.

11:50 a.m.  Mile 75 was where our families had come to cheer us on.  They had PB&J sammiches, cold Cokes and Gatorades.  It was nice to take a break from the constant push through the mid-day wind.  It is such an honor to be a Dad to represent what we want for our kids: To be healthy, enjoy the outdoors and to perservere to a personal goal!  We wrap up our visit in about 20 minutes and they yelled as we rolled out, " SEE YOU AT THE FINISH LINE!"

For the next 23 miles, we battled constant winds on top of constant red lights.  This was the most frustrating part of the ride and there was nothing really we could do other then enjoy the scenery.  We partnered up a guy named John, who was doing the ride on a mountain bike!  I came to find out that he was preparing for a 100 mile mtb race in a few weeks in AZ.  He was also a 4 time KONA Ironman finisher! It was cool to trade talk to help me subside the muscle pain that was increasing as the miles ticked on.

Ironman John bringing us in on his mountain bike

Congrats to each other and a finish prayer

We roll back into the Queen Mary area and finish strong as our families and others cheered us back home!  WE DID IT!  Bryan had planned for a 5:30 ride time goal and I was aiming for a 5:55.  We finished it in 5:45 for an average of 17 mph.  Our elasped time was 6:41 that included our family break, Sean's flat, rest stops and the numerous red lights.  Bryan and I enjoyed the Wahoo's lunch that came with our ride and it was sure a hit after eating all those Cliff bars.  Our team raised over $680 for a cause that hits close to our friends and families and we were proud to represent with our 100 mile bike ride!

The Hughes and Voong Family at the 100 mile finish line






One of the weirdest rides we saw on the road

 

2012 Tour De Cure Ride Fundraiser

It's that time of the year again! No not my daughter's birthday (April 28th) but on April 29th, our team will be participating in the American Diabetes Assocation Tour De Cure ride in Long Beach, Ca.
Team Page    Bill's fundraising page

I have selected to ride a 100 miles alongside some teammates, Bryan Hughes and Craig Curran in our 4D-SST team.  This route through Long Beach, Palos Verdes and Huntington Beach is breathtaking, technical in climbing, ascending and manuevering through different road terrains (i.e. train tracks!).

Please support this cause as it effects millions of American's as well as a few close to me.  I look forward to raise funds and complete this ride with the many others that have the same passion for this sport and giving back.

There are shorter courses for any level from 8 miles and up, so join our team also!

Tuesday night group ride (CCCH)

A smaller group meets up every Tuesday at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills around 5 p.m. and we head off in different directions based on conditions and likes.

Today Brian, Vicken, Jeff and I decided on a slightly different route by loading up the hills of Eucalyptus and Peyton in the beginning.  We primarily stayed sideways 75% of the route with the evening wind that was blowing eastbound at about 10 mph.  That kept our spirits up for most of the ride.

The last 10 minutes was definitely a strong headwind and it was nice to have a group of guys to share the workload to get us home. 

What a difference riding with others makes!  I ride solo so much that I forget the teamwork, joking around and camraderie that comes along with others that share your passion and blow off some steam.

We wrapped up the ride at around 20 miles at an average of 18 mph as most of it was climbing some moderate hills.

Come join us!

March Madness Weight loss

March came and it was time to lose a little more weight to get leaner, faster, stronger!  I decided to go for a 30 day concentrated effort to see where I would end up.

I'm a big believer in losing it slowly and doing the healthy way.  I started January 1st 2008 @ 245lbs. - 5'10".  I flucuated lower and higher within the year, but found that I was pretty consistant on getting lower and lower.

Jan - 2009: 215lbs.
Jan - 2010: 210 lbs.
Jan - 2011: 215 lbs.
Jan - 2012: 198 lbs.

March 1st I weighed in at 193 and felt pretty good.  I had held that weight since late January and been feeling ok with my workouts.  I wanted to get into the 180's as my next step.  By March 31st, I had checked in at 182.6 - 10.4 lbs.

March 3rd BEFORE

Here were my continued efforts and notes:
- Back to calorie counting!  By using my iPad app - MyFitnessPal, I was able to get my head in the game of ensuring what I was going in my mouth was accounted for.  It is so easy to "lose" track of the snacks that get snatched up before you can even think twice about.  About 2 weeks into it, I did slack off a bit as I was in the routine of eating conciously (and eating similar meals/snacks over and over) and didn't need to calorie count as much.  I did do it from time to time to check myself.  I'm sure if I kept it up, I would of done even better.

- Enjoyed myself from time to time.  I avoided the whole "Cheat Day" as I believe it tends to re-build bad habits, but instead enjoyed a dinner or lunch that was on the satisfying side.  Everytime I did that splurge, my body felt pretty bad about it.  So by the next feeding time, I was choosing more wisely.

- Excercise.  I cut the running miles down a bit and increased the speed.  I was doing 8:45-9:15 min/mi. for most of Jan and Feb.  Because I had built a solid base of slower speed running, I felt okay pushing the limits.  During Jan/Feb, whenever I pushed the limits, I got hip pain and shin splints.  Not anymore.  I had a couple of shorter runs @ 7:30 min/mi. and even a 7 mile run @ 8:23 min/mi.   I smashed my 7min PR by over 3 minutes!  I believe by increasing speed, it jolted my body into some increased metabolism.  Once I had woken my body up from the normal routine, I immediately saw the weight and mirror results.

-  Water.  Drank more and more of it this month.  Kept my jug around me as much as possible.  Taking a swig right now.

- Juice detox.  My wife is currently doing a Juice detox that uses a juicer to extract from mainly vegetables and some fruit.  I had a couple here and there as meal replacements.  Primarily on off days, or easy rides/runs. 

- Enjoyed some carbs.  I included some carbs in my diet to be balanced.  I believe eating a balanced diet allowed my body to burn and use a variety of fuel.  Remember to run faster, you are using your aerobic efforts that is looking for fuel in the form of sugar/carbs as well as protein in the end.

- Breakfast.  I usually eat breakfast, but I have switching it up a little bit. Primarily I have been eating some subway sandwiches with egg whites and veggies.  I'm pre-loading the calories in the morning, and slimming them down as the day goes.  I obviously add in calories when I work out.

- Doing multiple workouts.  I bike at lunch.  And I run after work or at night.  I do pushups when the hot water is warming up for the shower.  I do some dumbells during commercials.  I go for walks.  I keep moving along all day.  I drink so much water, I have to get up from my work chair to go #1.  Keeps me from sitting too long in one place!

I'll post an after picture for March Madness weight loss.  I can tell you, the last few pounds are definitely hard to lose.  Everything I have done the past 4 years, is now magnified x2.  Eating that cookie used to be okay, but now I feel that it shows up in my progress real easily.  By honing it in little by little and doing the above routines, I feel like there is an end goal in sight.  I personally don't want to be "skinny"; I would like to lose the love handles and gain some speed on my running (hopefully in the 7 min/mi. range).  At this time, the weight number is what I have to work with.

All in all, with my current workouts and building muscle I was aware of not paying too much attention to weight.  I also made sure I gave myself positive movement by looking in the mirror and not at the scale only. 

What tips do you have on getting slimmed down?

My life with Grandpa Tran Au

It was no April Fool's day.....and I love April Fool's day.  I love joking around (ask anyone)...

However that day in April 1st, 2012 is when my Grandpa passed away.  He was 90 years old and had a memory and conversation of a 40 year old.  He enjoyed playing the lottery, primarily it gave him something to do as in walking everyday to the local store.  To get his haircut, to get light groceries, to get out into the city.

My Grandparents moved here in the mid 80's from China into our home in Orange.  We had a huge household as most of their children had came here as well.  Do know my Grandparents had 10 children - 8 Daughters in a row and the last 2 were the boys.  We took the bonus room and added walls to create more bedrooms.  We probably had 16 people living there at one point!

As I was growing up, my Grandmother took me to Sycamore Elementary everyday as both my parents were working.  She ensured I had my lunch and that I made it to class safely.  She took my little brother, Keith, along with her until he himself started at the elementary school as well (he is 6 years younger then I). 

After school, Grandpa would take me on a walk - sometimes to 7-11 to get a lotto ticket and a slurpee for me.  But alot of the times we went to Mcdonald's on Chapman avenue.  I remember the days when you got legos from the happy meals.   Man did I get alot of legos.  We talked about many thing over the years up and down Eckoff street, in which I truly can't remember today.  But I do remember that he always had a few sayings that we always laughed about even to this day with my brother.

My Grandparents and some of their kids got a house in Anaheim in the early 90's and moved out of the Orange house.  By then I was 13 years old and on my own to watch my brother.  The house was quiet.  Mcdonald's was a time to time event. 

After I turned 16, my parents sold the Orange house and moved to Garden Grove.  I wanted to finish at Orange High so my brother and I moved to into my Grandparents in Anaheim.  I would commute from there to school with my own car and my brother would go to local schools.  The house didn't seem so quiet anymore.  I had my grandparents back and it seemed so familiar.

Great Grandparents to Bradyn, Titus and Judah - Judah's 30 day party June 2010

While attending Cal State Fullerton, I moved back with my parents in Garden Grove when I was around 19.  From there on, I saw my Grandparents here and there, primarily at family functions.  I know that part of my life getting busier and the language barrier kept our relationship apart the past 10 years (that is my own undoing).

October 2011, I found out that Grandpa was having stomach pains and was having a biopsy and xray procedure in which they found Pancreatic Cancer.  The choices were very slim.  His age did not give him favorable odds on surgery and chemo would only extend his life a few months giving him horrible side effects.
The family decided on in-home hospice as his wife and children would able to give him the best care.

The next 6 months we visited my grandparents everyweek.  We brought cards, pictures, stories, and smiles.  Lottery tickets were a plenty and he loved to check them as soon as he got the results.  He watched alot of international TV and he knew what was going on in the world to the tee.  My kids lit up grandpa's face, and Titus always got the thumbs up.  Bradyn always got the "good looking and tall" comment.  Judah love blowing kisses to Grandpa.  He and I talked about many things, but it was still hard to get deep into conversation because of the language barrier.  I prayed for him, heck I prayed over him so many times.  There were days when he looked great, and there were days that were pretty scary.

His appetite and the ability to keep food down got worse and worse through the months.  I got instant message from my wife that he had stopped drinking water on Tuesday.  We all visited him on Wednesday and his voice was hoarse.  His stomach hurt and he was uncomfortable.  We visited him again on Thursday and it was more amplified.  My mom was bedside with him and we talked about what he would want us to do with the huge Mega Millions jackpot.  He clearly stated that he wanted us to be taken care of and then to create jobs and do social work, generally take care of others.  We had some jokes that night and we talked about life.  It was the last time I would hear his actual voice.  I prayed for him that night, and boy did I pray for comfort. 

Saturday we arrived around 2 p.m. and basically gave my kids the chance to say thier final goodbyes.  Bradyn and Titus were pretty quick to do so and Judah was ever so sweet.  My brother and some cousins played some basketball to get our minds cleared up and then we sat around Grandpa through the night.  He was in so much discomfort and could not keep any liquids down.  He couldn't say anything.  Everything was done with hand motions and eye contact.  Towards 8 p.m. I had my last communication with Grandpa.  I brought Titus and Judah back in - they said goodbyes and love you's.  Grandpa gave Titus a thumbs up telling him he's number one.  It was really hard to go through this motion.  His breathing was hard.  I didn't want to leave him and it was 11:45 p.m., but I was un-prepared as I didn't have my eye contact solution with me and really didn't have much to offer to him.  I just didn't want him to be alone when it got really tough, but I knew that his children were around and was working feverishly to keep him comfortable.

Sunday morning we skipped church as Jessikah had went to pick up Bradyn from a sleep over at a friend's house.  When she got back we left for my grandparent's wondering what the day had in store for Grandpa.  Upon arrival my uncle, standing outside, was shaking his head and gave us the thumbs down.  I immediately knew that Grandpa was gone.  The next few minutes was a blur, all my stuff was placed around the house, and I think I told Jess to send the kids upstairs.  I walked into my Grandpa's room and he was still.  He had just passed by about 10 minutes.  His family and wife was around him.  It was a very emotional charged room and it was an odd sight as I was so use to seeing him in a different way week in and week out for the past 6 months.  But he was now no more in pain.  He didn't have to drink or eat in pain.  Unfortunately, the pain was now seen evidently in my Grandma that just broke my heart.

I thank God that Grandpa was given time for us to reflect and share our lives together before he passed.  He raised great children of respect, he showed great wisdom, he refused to become stagnated in life and he loved his wife and his family.  Tran Au is man that I am proud to call my grandfather.  We will miss him and we will continue on his legacy.  Services will be held at Pacific View Memorial in Corona Del Mar, Ca on April 9th.

Rest In Peace, gong gong.

Titus and Grandpa - Christmas 2010

Strawberry delight

One thing I found out during these few months of doing my workouts and blogging is that I now take a few moments to enjoy what is going on around me.  Part of it is what I have been missing out while training/focusing only on me, and the other part is gathering fun and cool things to share with my audience.  If nobody reads this, at least I can look back and reflect what I have done and accomplished.

Today's lunch ride was a slight chiller.  The storm passed through just the day before and we were in the low 50's with a slight breeze.  The sun sure can warm you up and it convinced me to get the bike out for a spin around the old Tustin Marine Base for lunch.  The strawberry pickers were out in full force and scent of fresh strawberries filled the cool air.  I sure love this time of the year (minus the allergy pollen!).  As I came across this senic view, I took the time to stop and snap this picture you see here (try this last year, I would say heck no! I don't got time for this!).

After taking this picture however, it felt like I ran across every red light here in Irvine.  But with that, I took the time to see what was going on around me - people running, walking, taking the bus, reading.  People doing the same thing that I'm enjoying - The great outdoors.

After work I was able to squeeze in a PR 5k (26:01) run before my 5:30 appointment.  Talk about a busy Monday!

Are you absorbing the very cool nature that surrounds you?

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!