Saturday

I rode 34 miles on Saturday. It was freezing. It was overcast and misty/fog in Pasadena when I left Saturday morning to ride. It wasn't too cold, just a little brisk and damp. I rode up the Angeles Crest Highway towards Mt. Wilson. There's a parking kiosk about 10 miles before the top of Mt. Wilson, and which is where I wanted to ride. It's about 3300 feet up or so. The way up was okay for the first half. Just fog and mist until about 2000ft. Then it turned into really thick fog and a drizzle. I actually stopped at the "chains required" turnout because the fog was so thick I could only see about 30 feet. Cars were going significantly slower than usual. I was thankful to be wearing my lime green kit. After stopping for a few minutes I decided to ride to the kiosk, which was only another 1.5 miles or so. I got there, watered up, and decided to turn around. At this point I was completely drenched and cold. It was windy and wet with shitty visibility. I kept telling myself the way down would suck for the first half and then be fine once I got below 2000ft. Boy was I wrong! The weather got progressively worse at the lower elevations as I went up. Of course I didn't know this until the way down. I started the descent. I left about 5 seconds after two other riders and and they already disappeared into the fog. It could see the faint blinking of his seat light just ahead of me. Though less concerned about catching them,which did happen, I was more concerned about keeping my hands from freezing. At the start of the descent the weather had because a consistent rain and dense fog. The roads were soaked. I was soaked, and cold.

My short fingered gloves were a fail on my part. I actually have long fingered gloves in my ultimate bag, but didn't even think to wear them. The tips of my fingers were frozen within the half mile down. My Garmin said it was 50 degrees. Factor in that I was going 25-30mph and the rain had turned to sleet near the top, it had to be a wind chill in the low 40's! I could feel the rain/sleet hitting my face. All I wanted to do was get to a lower elevation and warm up my fingers. I blew warm air on my thumbs. I couldn't even tuck them behind my break levers to protect them from the wind. It was brutal. I also squirted the cold water from my bottles on my hands, hoping the water was warmer than the chill in my hands. It wasn't. Around 2500ft I gave up on my hands and just wanted to get back home. It stopped raining somewhere in the last mile of the descent. It's about an 8-10 mile climb. I got to the bottom and took the shortest route home. My hands warmed up at the lower elevation. The fog was gone and it was just overcast. I got home and took my jersey off. All of my skin under the jersey and shorts was pink from being so cold. It was crazy.

Reasons

I ride for many reasons. Sometimes to think, to clear my mind, to talk with friends, to enjoy the view, to eat! And then I ride to push myself. In the two years I've been cycling I have pushed myself mentally and physically to the limits. I've ridden 4 century rides, countless club rides, and tons of challenging routes with friends. All while enjoying the social company and spectacular views, I still find myself pushing myself to get up the hill, go a little bit further, or keep up to the guys ahead of me.

The Mount Evan's Hill Climb- I want to do this. Why?? For the spectacular views. For the challenge. For the time and dedication it will take to prepare for such a ride. And most importantly, for fun!

Early Training

I spent this weekend in Bakersfield. Aside from seeing friends and a dental appointment, my goal was to get some saddle time and miles logged in preparation for my century in August. Friday my mom and I rode 70 miles. Two years ago on this particular route I had a mental and physical breakdown midway up the steepest climb and wanted to throw my bike off the side of the road. Needless to say it felt great to power up that particular hill and finish the ride with a solid time. It was still a beastly ride. The hot and dry weather didn't help either. We rode the past 2 days as well, but neither ride was as lengthy or difficult compared to Friday's. I accomplished what I wanted to: 3 days, 3 rides, 124 total miles, and just under 9 hours in the saddle.

Swingin' Away

Turn that frown upside down! I was driving on Friday and started to think about everything I was leaving in San Diego. Friends, family, temp work, food, awesome cycling... San Diego. I have been looking forward to moving up to LA and living with my brother, but having lived in SD for the past 3.5 years, I have accumulated some good times and memories. How did I cheer myself up? I turned up the volume, rolled down the windows and head-bobbed to Sing, Sing, Sing a couple times. Next was Take 5 followed by Hello Dolly. To close out my I-5 jazz session was It Don't Mean a Thing (if it Ain't got that Swing). I was enjoying myself and eating crêpes in San Clemente in no time.

Busy Busy

Lately I've been working at my Aunt's TMJ (temporomandibular joint) office, doing mostly busywork and learning how to use dental software. Fun... Actually, the people at the office are what make it fun. My temporary co-workers constantly interrupt me to ask questions and just talk. And then there are the patients, who by now are used to seeing me in my little work space. My aunt did a great job of introducing me to them or telling them all about me while in the treatment chair.

Two weeks ago I went to the Kings game of the regular season. A friend of mine had extra tickets. Katie, her friend, and myself went to the game. VIP seats are amazing! Not to mention the halls are less crowded, and there's people service should you decide you want a $10 beer. I just wanted to watch hockey. Unfortunately they lost in a shootout. But I still had an awesome time.

I also saw Robert's movie "How to Train Your Dragon." I've seen it twice now. My advice is 1) See it and 2) Go to a nice theater, possibly IMAX, to fully enjoy the sounds and 3D animation.

That's all the time I have for now. It's time for the SDBC club ride!

A Look Back

Before moving to San Diego and during my high school years "activity" was playing tennis for me. I'd run the occasional mile but that's about all. During ski trips I'd board and be sore/tired mid-day and ready to eat. I didn't live or support an active/healthy lifestyle by any means, nor did I desire one.

How things have changed... 4 years later I'm a new person. It's not about losing weight or trying to look thinner. For me, I like being active. I like my muscles telling me "today is your off day." It started out when I played ice hockey at UCSD my senior year. I discovered the importance of regular exercise. Hockey season ended and I signed up for a cycling century, 100 miles, for fun. Cycling took off from there. It's my latest addiction. You name a route (or hill) and I'll do it. (Fact: the furthest I've ridden on a single ride is 115 miles. It was relatively "easy.") I'm getting back to my morning run session. It's snow season! Which means trips to the mountain when there's time. And let me tell you, all the cycling and running sure does pay off on the mountain. Right now, those are my 3 main activities keeping me happy. Robert has taught me the joy of ultimate. I can throw a frisbee! And then there's tennis, golf, attempted surfing, swimming in the ocean when the water temp increases... possibly a triathlon later in the year...

Tomorrow is a rest day.

Numbers

The storms last week dropped 8-9 inches of rain in San Diego and approximately 8 feet of snow in Mammoth. Anyone care to guess where I'm going for this weekend?

The Groove

I'm back on the bike and it feels good! I've ridden 4 of the past 5 days. My legs were shot after Thursday's 50 miles. I couldn't even keep up during the club ride Saturday. Sunday I did the Great Western Loop, which is 40 miles with 3,000 feet of climbing. Over the course of 4 rides I did: 147.2 miles and 9hrs 38min in the saddle.

Snow!

The Mammoth/New Year's trip was so much fun this year! Here are the highlights: snowboarding, Kelley! and Kelley snowboarding, family, wii + mario brothers, playing in the snow, fires, wine, chocolate martinis. new year's eve fireworks, cookies, snow angels, a drive to June Lake, fresh powder, boarding off the top of the mountain, movies, a road trip... and much more!

If it snows...

I like snowboarding. I like snowboarding in all conditions, including white-out blizzards. This thought recently crossed my mind: Why the hell did I buy white snowboard pants? Don't get me wrong, I really like them and they're badass. However, I don't think it's ideal to wear white clothes when on a mountain covered in snow when the visibility is low. GG me.

My Weekend

Saturday: Went to Einstein's for breakfast with Kelley, rode 40 miles, then parked it on the couch the rest of the day and watched college football.

Sunday: Rode another 40 miles, went to the farmers market, then headed over to my aunts house to eat, hang out, and watch football the rest of the day.

...what a weekend!

Spanish Food

I'm back from Spain. Simply put: Trek redefined the meaning of luxury. I can go on forever about the trip, but will try not to.

Where was I: We spent 3 days in Barcelona, 2 nights in Madremanya, 3 nights in S'Agaro, and 1 night in Girona.

Travel people: Days 1-3 were my mom, aunt, and uncle. Days 4-9 were with the Trek group (11 total + 2 guides). And back to the original 4 for part of day 9-the end.

Food: I tried to keep a simple food log of the dinners each night. I missed a few nights, but here's what I had: Keep in mind- I ate everything! I tried tons of food that I'd never eaten or don't usually like. For example: paella, squid, green olives stuffed with anchovy, mussels, cured everything, duck!, rabbit, bread dipped in red wine and coated with sugar (this was a traditional dessert and quite tasty... Tapas are assorted appetizers ranging from bread w/ oil and vinegar to ravioli, salad, cured meats... and there were always at least 3-5 plates of tapas before we got the main course. (Unlimited) wine was provided at every meal during the Trek/cycling portion.

I had a bottomless stomach for the entire trip. It took me until the 6th night to feel full, and this includes all my meals. Arg.. I told you I could go on forever about the trip, and this is only the subject of food. If you want to know more, ask me! Here's what I have on my Food log:

Day 1: Tallers 76
- chicken and rabbit paella, potato omelet bites, cheese plate, sangria (#2)

Day 2: Txan Txan Gorri
-Bread, Fish (shellfish) and mushroom risotto, salmon w/ leek sauce, Sangria (#1), red wine + Chocolate cream w/ orange soup (#1 dessert)

Day 3: Zian Pizzeria
-Muscles w/ lemon, pizza w/ wild mushrooms and cured ham, red wine, choc brownie with nougat ice cream and frangelico. (vanilla mouse w/ almond and candied ____ for mom)

Day 4: Hotel in Madremanya
-Tapas, salad, lemon sorbet, duck w/ orange sauce, peanut ice cream w/ nuts, white wine

Day 5: Little castle town
-Tapas (w/ giant croquette aka Spanish chimichanga) , Iberian pork (x2), fries, assorted dessert, wine

Day 6: S'Agaro cooking at hotel
-Gazpacho, bread, shrimp and chicken, apple doughnuts w/ vanilla ice cream, chocolate mousse cake, wine and champagne

Day 7: Pizzeria in S'Agaro
-Tapas, duck w/ pear, bread, sangria, crusted banana w/ choc sauce and ice cream

Day 8: S'Agaro last dinner
-tapas (ravioli, risotto, bread, and more), Iberian pork shank, red wine, creme brule w/ cinnamon ice cream (T-#2 dessert)

A few days later...

The vacation that includes cycling has begun. Here are a few pictures from the past couple days. I stayed in Madremanya the past two nights and am now in S'Agaro for the next three (right along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea).

Madremanya from a few kilometers out.


This is the top of the hardest (optional) climb. The church I'm in front of is where Salvador Dali got married.


Me at the winery we stopped at for a tour, tasting, and lunch this afternoon!


The Mediterranean Sea and our hotel in S'Agaro.

(Posted Oct 7th at 12:30am)

Barcelona: day 2

Today was amazing! We went to La Sagrada Familia. Then another Gaudi building after that.

La Sagrada Familia

La Pedrera

(Posted Oct 3, 12:45AM)

Vacation

For those of you who don't know, I'm going to Spain on Sept. 30th. I'm spending 2-3 days in Barcelona, then heading northeast to Madremanya and S’Agaró do some cycling and touring near the Pyrenees and along the coast of the Mediterranean. This is going to turn into my travel blog for the time that I am in Spain. I will post short blogs and pictures when I get the opportunity. Enjoy!!

Happy Monday

I had 3 sessions when I left the house this morning. One of them was canceled, which I didn't know about until I showed up at the office for it. I took the rare opportunity to finish my day early (billable hours sucked today). I got home at 4:35 and was ready to ride until it was dark out. But no, my front wheel was flat. I replaced that tube, pulled a thorn from my tire, and put on a new tube. Okay, ready to roll out again. Nope... After pumping up the 2nd tube the air valve ripped off when I took the bike pump off. Tube #2 flat. I put on a third tube, but called it then. No bike ride for me today. The good news is I'm perfecting my ability to change flats. I guess I'll have to settle for a run instead.

In other news: Work is work. Ask if you want to know more. But don't ask me about the autism "diet." I don't know much about it. We have a new roommate moving in next weekend. She's a Ph.D (lit) student at UCSD. I've come to the conclusion there aren't enough hours in the day to do what I want, especially on weekends. Things are going quite well with Kelley and I. And my daily GRE prep has begun.

Hobbies

My new toy:


Fits like a charm:

Work and Everything Else

I figure now that it's been a few months of mystery I will share what I actually do. I'm a behavioral interventionist (aka therapist) for children with Autism and Asperger's syndrome. I travel to most cities in North SD County. Majority of the time I'm doing 1:1 in home behavioral therapy with the kids. Occasionally I'll spend some time in the office, located in Carlsbad, doing office work. Most of the kids are between the ages 2-4 and a few are 5-7. Each kid has there own set of programs/goals. It's challenging! I could go on for a while about it, but I won't.

The other part of my life: cycling and weekends. I love the weekends! For one, I don't work. I've been cycling every weekend for the past 3 months. I ride with the San Diego Bike Club Saturday mornings usually. The group ride I do tends to be 45-65 miles depending on if I ride from my house or not. According to my cyclomter, I have ridden a little over 900 miles from mid-April to now (riding only weekends). Two weekends ago on Saturday I rode 114 with 5 SDBC people. It took 7.5 hours, and one 30 min stop. That was good, kind of easy. I've been doing a lot of hill training when I ride by myself. I like to consider myself more of a climber. This Saturday, Aug 1st, I'm doing the Marin County Century!! It should be tiring, but good.

This past weekend Robert came down and we went to Comic Con Saturday afternoon. It was free. Thanks DreamWorks (and Robert). I don't see myself going back in the near future. I'm not geeky enough for anything there. However, it was interesting to see a lot of the art on display and the Star Wars trailer. I saw HP 6 for the second time Saturday night, came home and made s'mores using the fire pit in our backyard, and hit the beach Sunday after riding! Hooray for weekends!

Taking a Breather

A week ago I moved to Bird Rock (a small community in La Jolla)! This weekend I was able to relax and not have to worry about moving, past roommates, bills, etc.. So what did I do:

Friday: Walked down to a pizza place for lunch, had a friend over and went to the beach, then sat on the patio with friends to enjoy life and a few beers.

Saturday: I celebrated the 4th by riding 65 miles. The rest of the day, or what was left of it, was spent napping and consuming food. I stood on my patio table to watch a few fireworks, but nothing too exciting.

Sunday: I rode 38 miles in the morning then chowed down on one of SD's best breakfast burritos. It was also another beach day. I drove to the beach (a whole one mile away) with a friend. And walked to a sushi place for dinner.

A weekend in SB

I drove up to Santa Barbara this weekend for Katie's graduation. The graduation itself was pretty boring, but the rest of the weekend was great. I drove up to LA Friday after work, picked up Robert, and got to SB around midnight. Robert and I ran Saturday morning along the coast before the grad ceremony, then it was off to lunch and wine tasting with the family. Robert's the wine pro, so he led the way. We went to 2 wineries and got dinner before heading back to drop Katie off at home and drive to Ventura.

Day 2 started out with a 35 mile bike ride up from Ventura to Ojai and back. We then drove back to SB for a lunch party that Katie and her 7 roommates were hosting. That was actually a lot of fun. The weather was great too. Sadly, the weekend fun had to end because I needed to get back to San Diego (and Rob to LA). What a weekend though... I wish I'd had an extra day to recover.