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Year: 2007

  • Success! What a Rush! Old La Honda Climbing

    Success! What a Rush! Old La Honda Climbing

    This Saturday I set out on a cold (but warming) morning out on a ride. I was determined to ride up Old La Honda twice, as last time I only did it 1.5 times, completely wiping out in the middle of the second try. It was my quest to increase my hill climbing strength. Previous…

  • About the Computrainer

    About the Computrainer

    When I started using my Computrainer (CT) by Racermate, it was hard to figure out how to use. So I thought I would post some discoveries about it in the last 2+ years of using it while training. The CT is great because it’s like weight lifting for the bike. The wattage settings are consistent…

  • Rituals

    Rituals

    Many times after we work out, all we want to do is just take a shower, eat, and maybe take a nap. Nowadays, I have to pay attention to what I do afterwards because if I don’t, I’ll pay for it with lesser performance during workouts in the following days. This was brought to the…

  • Focus: Counting Sucks!

    Focus: Counting Sucks!

    Marc Evans once asked me during a private swim session if I could actually do a drill and count how many strokes I do. It was a strange question, but very relevant as the task was very simple, which was to do 3 one arm-left arm strokes, then 3 one arm-right arm strokes, and then…

  • Sensation of Passing

    Sensation of Passing

    Passing that dude at Rancho San Antonio made me think of all the times I’ve managed to pass people in a race. It’s a weird feeling to pass someone during a race, especially if you are very close in velocity. It isn’t like driving a car where you press on the gas and you zoom…

  • Runnin’ with Turkeys

    Runnin’ with Turkeys

    Yesterday, I ran Rancho San Antonio and did my painful hill repeats. The turkeys were out in force. Ten hens with one big male, tail feathers all spread out like he was somethin’ else. Peacockin’ ain’t just for pickup artists! But it was fun flying past them and seeing a whole bunch of wild turkeys…

  • Bike Positioning on the Seat

    Bike Positioning on the Seat

    They make such a big deal about bike fit. You sit for hours with someone at a bike store, or you pay big bucks to go to a professional to make sure you’re maximizing power output with the most efficiency and minimal energy waste. But little is known about about shifting your bike positioning during…

  • New Pedaling: Hitting the Glutes!

    New Pedaling: Hitting the Glutes!

    When I started cycling for racing, I never could have imagined how complex cycling really was. Cycling technique has so many little nuances it’s hard to keep track of all of them when you are cycling. Only through extensive training and practice to reinforce technique can you unconsciously perform optimal cycling technique…and prevent injury. A…

  • Socks Matter

    Socks Matter

    In my quest for finding new running shoes, I noticed I was getting more blisters than normal. After about 30 min of running, especially on the treadmill, I could feel some serious rubbing on my soles, which would ultimately lead to swelling of my feet and then severe blistering. I tried everything. Lube on my…

  • Base Training “By Invitation Only”

    Base Training “By Invitation Only”

    January has been a month of base training, shaking off the cobwebs, and warming up the ol’ aerobic engine for larger efforts in the coming months. Emerging from the winter months, it is always a funny period of time for me. Over November and December, I did nothing to really work my aerobic engine. I…

  • The Abuse Begins…Hill Repeats

    The Abuse Begins…Hill Repeats

    A while back, a training buddy of mine remarked that he trained with another Ironman guy who basically did everything he could to make it hard on himself. He would not take nutrition on training rides while force his body to greater effort. He would also not use as much fluid, and also ride hard…

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  • Thank God for Velocy

    Thank God for Velocy

    Today I ran a complete workout without having my feet swell up or get major blisters. Ever since Asics changed their design, I’ve been going nuts trying to find running shoes that fit me good enough to run in. Everything was either too tight or my foot would flop around inside, causing lots of problems…

  • 2007 Race Schedule and Goals

    2007 Race Schedule and Goals

    So far it looks like: Ironman Brazil May 27 Vineman Half Ironman July 22 Pacific Grove Sept 8-9 NYC Marathon (maybe) Nov 4 Ironman Western Australia Dec 2 I signed up for Ironman Florida Nov 3, but think I will defer that to next year. My goals: 1. To do better on hills with the…

  • Shaking Off the Cobwebs

    Shaking Off the Cobwebs

    Today marked the second week of shaking off the cobwebs on my body from off-season. I ran Rancho San Antonio and started looping on my favorite hill run to build up my leg strength. I did two loops of the Coyote Trail whose path looks like this: From Parking Lot to bridge where hill begins:…

  • Dean Karnazes is the Man!

    Dean Karnazes is the Man!

    I love this guy. Ever since I bought his book Ultramarathon Man, he has been an inspiration to me. Here are some excerpts from his interview with Outside Magazine. So relevant to everyone in this day and age. It isn’t about running; it’s about how you run your LIFE. How does someone take your model…

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