I know, you must be surprised with this back-to-back update. Sorry, I don't mean to jam your mailbox, but I left out a very interesting part of my ride and couldn't wait till next week to share with you.
While we were riding in PV area, at one of the traffic light stops, a Chinese lady in her SUV with her kid at the side stopped behind us. She scrolled down the window and looked at my yellow jersey (the same one on my ALC homepage, with 5 Chinese charaters on it which means "I love Bicycle") and asked me "do you speak Chinese?" I said "Shi de, wo jiang zhong wen (i.e. Yes, I speak Chinese)." She was more excited than I was. The light turned green and we had to go, she spoke out loud "have fun guys!"
Although it was only a brief conversation, but this is the fun part, you never know whom you will run into and what their reactions will be. A little note like "have fun" do make a difference, especially when I had a rough and tough ride. So next time when you run into bikers, don't hesitate to greet them, we are nice people. (^v^)
Monday, March 27, 2006
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Bicycle Diaries 3/26
Enough breaks and get back on to the bike. That was what I did this past week.
On Tuesday (3/21) I went out riding with Tommy & Pedro around the Rose Bowl and Pasadena’s Linda Vista neighborhood. It was a nice day; however it didn’t start nice for me. Yes, I had a flat. It was ok; I can change a flat without any problem now. It was a short and easy ride, just right to start a day with. Most of all, it wasn’t too cold.
The following days filled with spinning classes, until the weekend arrived. On 3/25 I chose the “Culver City to Palos Verdes” ride. Most of this 47-mile long ride was along the coast and flat. We rode on two bike paths, the Ballona Creek Bike Path from Culver City to Marina del Rey and continue on South Bay Bike Path all the way down to Palos Verdes.
The day was overcast. But I guess it was a nice weather to enjoy the outdoor. There were a lot of people on the beach, either surfing for playing beach volleyball, and of course, a lot of people were biking.
I’ve only been to the south bay area on several occasions, most of them were work-related, which means I didn’t get the chance to look around the cities. So this bike path along the coast was totally new to me, and I LOVED it. The scene by the beach was really beautiful, if you haven’t been to the area, or it had been such a long time since you were last there, you should go and see it yourself.
I planned to do a short ride on Sunday morning, however, I was too tired and lazy (yes, it happened again). End up stopping by at the temple that I’ve not been lately because of the training rides and went to Chinatown in the afternoon, to meet the presidential-hopeful, currently the major of Taipei, Taiwan, Mr. Ma Yin-Jeou. It was crowded and packed with his ‘fans.’
Oh yeah, I would like to share an exciting news. I’m going to do a century ride (100-mile) next Saturday. I’m not sure if I can finish the ride (well, they have a 50-mile option) since my longest ride so far is only 54-mile, but I will try my best. It will be fun (I suppose) and will share with you about the details in my next diary, keep an eye on it.
On Tuesday (3/21) I went out riding with Tommy & Pedro around the Rose Bowl and Pasadena’s Linda Vista neighborhood. It was a nice day; however it didn’t start nice for me. Yes, I had a flat. It was ok; I can change a flat without any problem now. It was a short and easy ride, just right to start a day with. Most of all, it wasn’t too cold.
The following days filled with spinning classes, until the weekend arrived. On 3/25 I chose the “Culver City to Palos Verdes” ride. Most of this 47-mile long ride was along the coast and flat. We rode on two bike paths, the Ballona Creek Bike Path from Culver City to Marina del Rey and continue on South Bay Bike Path all the way down to Palos Verdes.
The day was overcast. But I guess it was a nice weather to enjoy the outdoor. There were a lot of people on the beach, either surfing for playing beach volleyball, and of course, a lot of people were biking.
I’ve only been to the south bay area on several occasions, most of them were work-related, which means I didn’t get the chance to look around the cities. So this bike path along the coast was totally new to me, and I LOVED it. The scene by the beach was really beautiful, if you haven’t been to the area, or it had been such a long time since you were last there, you should go and see it yourself.
I planned to do a short ride on Sunday morning, however, I was too tired and lazy (yes, it happened again). End up stopping by at the temple that I’ve not been lately because of the training rides and went to Chinatown in the afternoon, to meet the presidential-hopeful, currently the major of Taipei, Taiwan, Mr. Ma Yin-Jeou. It was crowded and packed with his ‘fans.’
Oh yeah, I would like to share an exciting news. I’m going to do a century ride (100-mile) next Saturday. I’m not sure if I can finish the ride (well, they have a 50-mile option) since my longest ride so far is only 54-mile, but I will try my best. It will be fun (I suppose) and will share with you about the details in my next diary, keep an eye on it.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Bicycle Diaries 3/20
I’ve another record to share!
You must be thinking “oh, how many miles did he right this past weekend” or “how many steep hills did he climb up.” Well, wrong! The “record” this time refers to “the longest time I did not ride my bike.”
Why? Not that I was lazy, but I was out of town. I went to Houston last week to attend the annual conference of the Association of Healthcare Journalists (AHCJ). This was my second trip to Houston in five years, it was humid there. I didn’t get to tour around town much, just stayed at the conference site at the “Galleria” area.
Since this is my bicycle diary and I’ve nothing to share about my training ride, so I would like to talk about the donation. I would like to express my sincere THANK YOU to all of you for sponsoring me and supporting ALC 5. The fundraising has been a success, however I will keep asking for donation until the very end, i.e. end of May. For those of you who already donated, please start your ‘quarter-4-a-day’ saving habit so you will have no problem donating to my next ride…. Ha ha, maybe this is too soon to talk about that huh? We'll see.
Anyway, recently I’ve come across with some situations where donations were not credited in time. For instance a friend of mine made his donation on January 14, but it didn’t show up in my ALC account until last week, I had no idea he made the donation; in another case, I sent out 3 donation checks and a month later they were not in my ALC account, I had to call the ALC office and talked to the person in charge for more than 5 times before the problem is fixed.
Upon receiving/noticing your donation, I will send out a Thanks You email with ALC logo picture, if you didn’t receive it, please let me know. Because of the possibility of human error (which is understandable) and to make sure your donation is credited, I hope you can send me an email with the date and amount of your donation, also tell me if you donate with check or online, so I can help keep track and check with ALC office if anything went wrong.
Thanks again and hope everyone has a great week ahead.
You must be thinking “oh, how many miles did he right this past weekend” or “how many steep hills did he climb up.” Well, wrong! The “record” this time refers to “the longest time I did not ride my bike.”
Why? Not that I was lazy, but I was out of town. I went to Houston last week to attend the annual conference of the Association of Healthcare Journalists (AHCJ). This was my second trip to Houston in five years, it was humid there. I didn’t get to tour around town much, just stayed at the conference site at the “Galleria” area.
Since this is my bicycle diary and I’ve nothing to share about my training ride, so I would like to talk about the donation. I would like to express my sincere THANK YOU to all of you for sponsoring me and supporting ALC 5. The fundraising has been a success, however I will keep asking for donation until the very end, i.e. end of May. For those of you who already donated, please start your ‘quarter-4-a-day’ saving habit so you will have no problem donating to my next ride…. Ha ha, maybe this is too soon to talk about that huh? We'll see.
Anyway, recently I’ve come across with some situations where donations were not credited in time. For instance a friend of mine made his donation on January 14, but it didn’t show up in my ALC account until last week, I had no idea he made the donation; in another case, I sent out 3 donation checks and a month later they were not in my ALC account, I had to call the ALC office and talked to the person in charge for more than 5 times before the problem is fixed.
Upon receiving/noticing your donation, I will send out a Thanks You email with ALC logo picture, if you didn’t receive it, please let me know. Because of the possibility of human error (which is understandable) and to make sure your donation is credited, I hope you can send me an email with the date and amount of your donation, also tell me if you donate with check or online, so I can help keep track and check with ALC office if anything went wrong.
Thanks again and hope everyone has a great week ahead.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Bicycle Diaries 3/13
What were you doing on the icy-cold Sunday morning? How cold was it? Well, it depends on where you were, for me, it was in the upper 30s, and I was preparing for my weekend training ride.
Because of the rain (also thank to it) I didn’t ride on Saturday. I was planning to do the 8.15am spinning class at the Y, however I was too tire (and lazy) and having hard time to leave my just-started-became-warm bed. Besides that, I start to experience some knee pains/sores, so I thought it would be a good excuse for not doing any heavy duty on this day, sort of giving my legs a chance to rest. So, I end up sleeping till 11.30am (just keep it between us ok? hehehe). I had been a long time since I last had such a ‘beauty sleep.’
In fact, I did feel a little guilty for not riding on Saturday. As a result, I told myself, I had to do something on Sunday. I joined the Different Spokes group on Sunday, even thought the temperature was low, but the weather was nice. I didn’t think twice to leave my bed this time, it was 7am.
This was a 54 miles ride called “Three County Tour” created by our ride leader Steve; it covered LA, Orange and San Bernardino counties. We met at the San Gabriel River Trail in Duarte; however we didn’t ride on the trail (which goes down all the way to Seal Beach), in stead, we rode down Irwindale Blvd., passing through West Covina and Hacienda Heights. (Hey, for those of you who live in the East SGV, now I’m riding in your community!!)
For the first 13 miles, it was a pretty flat road with some rolling hills. The first challenge of the day was on Hacienda Blvd., for those of you who know the area, after crossing Colima Road, it becomes a hill (starting from the Hsi Lai Temple) and all the way up for about 1.5 miles. I didn’t know why, I wasn’t feeling good at all, it was so ‘not me’ but I had to listen to my body. As soon as we got to our first stop for the day (at mile-17), I ate a banana and it helped! Otherwise I didn’t know how I could finish the rest of the ride. (By the way, we’re in OC!!)
After catching our breathes, we continue our ride on Whittier Blvd., followed by Lambert which later becomes Carbon Canyon. The scenery in this area is awesome! We pass through some ranches, and saw some cows and horses, it was so relaxing. Because of the rain before, air quality was good at that point and we could smell the grass and the spirit of countryside. I was so happy to see the “San Bernardino County Border” sign, as we made it to the third county in this ride.
We made our second stop at a plaza at Chino Hills Pkwy (mile-34). After that, we continued north on Chino Hills Pkwy, and let me tell you, that was our second major climb for the day, by looking at the steepness of the hill, I wasn’t sure I could make it. Once I climbed to the top of the hill, the view was really good.
After touring some part of Diamond Bar and Walnut, we came to the third and most difficult hill – Grand Ave. I remembered when I first moved to LA, I bought this lemon car, every time I was sent to cover news in the Diamond Bar/Walnut area, my car always had hard time climbing up the hills, including Grand Ave. which connects the 10 and 60 freeways. The more I thought of the past, the more difficult it became, I was telling myself, if the car had a hard time to get through this hill, how am I going to climb it with my bike? But then, nothing but to challenge myself, I know I can make it and I did. It wasn’t an easy job at all, my butt and legs were soared!
The rain started to come down again while we were climbing. Luckily it wasn’t too bad, just some shower. It made me paddle faster, so I could get back to the parking lot before getting all soaked. We finished the 54 miles trip in about 4 hours. It was my all time longest ride so far, narrowly beat last week’s 52 miles.
Oh yea, I forgot to mention that, at one point, there was a dog came out from no way barking at us, I was so scared that he was going to bite me as I rode at the end. Luckily he didn’t keep going (phew).
In the evening, I went to the premier of “The Ride: Seven Days to End AIDS,” a Logo Television special series about AIDS/LifeCycle. Logo TV is the new cable station operated by MTV that launched the first all-gay network this past June. They sent a production team along with the ALC 4 riders to shoot a documentary that showcases the exciting bicycle journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Highlighting several participants, the special give viewers the opportunity to share in the passion and diversity that makes up the dedication to ride a bicycle for seven days to raise money and awareness for the AIDS services of the LA Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
I had mix feeling after watching the documentary, it was sad to know that HIV/AIDS affected and still affecting so many people, but I was glad that some of us doing the least that we could to help end this disease. Of course, we cannot achieve the goal without your generous support.
OK, I’ve been writing so much and it is 2.30am now. I have to wrap up, but before I do, I just want to thank those of you who respond to my updates, by telling me how much you enjoy reading or checking this email has become part of your “Monday-morning-must-do-thing” or “you’re crazy, yet you’re funny” or “hey, I know who to look for when I get a flat.” I just want to say (from the bottom of my heart) thank you for all your support and encouragement. As a result, I decided to change the subject of this email from ‘training progresses to ‘bicycle diaries.’
Because of the rain (also thank to it) I didn’t ride on Saturday. I was planning to do the 8.15am spinning class at the Y, however I was too tire (and lazy) and having hard time to leave my just-started-became-warm bed. Besides that, I start to experience some knee pains/sores, so I thought it would be a good excuse for not doing any heavy duty on this day, sort of giving my legs a chance to rest. So, I end up sleeping till 11.30am (just keep it between us ok? hehehe). I had been a long time since I last had such a ‘beauty sleep.’
In fact, I did feel a little guilty for not riding on Saturday. As a result, I told myself, I had to do something on Sunday. I joined the Different Spokes group on Sunday, even thought the temperature was low, but the weather was nice. I didn’t think twice to leave my bed this time, it was 7am.
This was a 54 miles ride called “Three County Tour” created by our ride leader Steve; it covered LA, Orange and San Bernardino counties. We met at the San Gabriel River Trail in Duarte; however we didn’t ride on the trail (which goes down all the way to Seal Beach), in stead, we rode down Irwindale Blvd., passing through West Covina and Hacienda Heights. (Hey, for those of you who live in the East SGV, now I’m riding in your community!!)For the first 13 miles, it was a pretty flat road with some rolling hills. The first challenge of the day was on Hacienda Blvd., for those of you who know the area, after crossing Colima Road, it becomes a hill (starting from the Hsi Lai Temple) and all the way up for about 1.5 miles. I didn’t know why, I wasn’t feeling good at all, it was so ‘not me’ but I had to listen to my body. As soon as we got to our first stop for the day (at mile-17), I ate a banana and it helped! Otherwise I didn’t know how I could finish the rest of the ride. (By the way, we’re in OC!!)
After catching our breathes, we continue our ride on Whittier Blvd., followed by Lambert which later becomes Carbon Canyon. The scenery in this area is awesome! We pass through some ranches, and saw some cows and horses, it was so relaxing. Because of the rain before, air quality was good at that point and we could smell the grass and the spirit of countryside. I was so happy to see the “San Bernardino County Border” sign, as we made it to the third county in this ride.
We made our second stop at a plaza at Chino Hills Pkwy (mile-34). After that, we continued north on Chino Hills Pkwy, and let me tell you, that was our second major climb for the day, by looking at the steepness of the hill, I wasn’t sure I could make it. Once I climbed to the top of the hill, the view was really good.
After touring some part of Diamond Bar and Walnut, we came to the third and most difficult hill – Grand Ave. I remembered when I first moved to LA, I bought this lemon car, every time I was sent to cover news in the Diamond Bar/Walnut area, my car always had hard time climbing up the hills, including Grand Ave. which connects the 10 and 60 freeways. The more I thought of the past, the more difficult it became, I was telling myself, if the car had a hard time to get through this hill, how am I going to climb it with my bike? But then, nothing but to challenge myself, I know I can make it and I did. It wasn’t an easy job at all, my butt and legs were soared!
The rain started to come down again while we were climbing. Luckily it wasn’t too bad, just some shower. It made me paddle faster, so I could get back to the parking lot before getting all soaked. We finished the 54 miles trip in about 4 hours. It was my all time longest ride so far, narrowly beat last week’s 52 miles.
Oh yea, I forgot to mention that, at one point, there was a dog came out from no way barking at us, I was so scared that he was going to bite me as I rode at the end. Luckily he didn’t keep going (phew).
In the evening, I went to the premier of “The Ride: Seven Days to End AIDS,” a Logo Television special series about AIDS/LifeCycle. Logo TV is the new cable station operated by MTV that launched the first all-gay network this past June. They sent a production team along with the ALC 4 riders to shoot a documentary that showcases the exciting bicycle journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Highlighting several participants, the special give viewers the opportunity to share in the passion and diversity that makes up the dedication to ride a bicycle for seven days to raise money and awareness for the AIDS services of the LA Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.I had mix feeling after watching the documentary, it was sad to know that HIV/AIDS affected and still affecting so many people, but I was glad that some of us doing the least that we could to help end this disease. Of course, we cannot achieve the goal without your generous support.
OK, I’ve been writing so much and it is 2.30am now. I have to wrap up, but before I do, I just want to thank those of you who respond to my updates, by telling me how much you enjoy reading or checking this email has become part of your “Monday-morning-must-do-thing” or “you’re crazy, yet you’re funny” or “hey, I know who to look for when I get a flat.” I just want to say (from the bottom of my heart) thank you for all your support and encouragement. As a result, I decided to change the subject of this email from ‘training progresses to ‘bicycle diaries.’
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Monday, March 06, 2006
Chocolate Milk Aids in Post-Exercise Recovery
New Study Suggests Athletes Should Re-Think Their Drink; Chocolate Milk Aids in Post-Exercise Recovery More Effectively Than Other Sports Beverages
BUSINESS WIRE
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)----Next time you finish a rigorous workout at the gym or a sweat-inducing run, a new study suggests you may want to consider a surprising new sports drink to help refuel tired muscles: chocolate milk.
The new study, published in this month's International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism(1), reports that athletes who drank chocolate milk after an intense bout of exercise were able to workout longer and with more power during a second workout compared to athletes who drank commercial sports beverages.
"Our study indicates that chocolate milk is a strong alternative to other commercial sports drinks in helping athletes recover from strenuous, energy-depleting exercise," according to co-author Joel M. Stager, PhD, professor of kinesiology at Indiana University. "Chocolate milk contains an optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio, which is critical for helping refuel tired muscles after strenuous exercise and can enable athletes to exercise at a high intensity during subsequent workouts."
Stager and colleagues had nine cyclists bike until their muscles were depleted of energy, rest four hours, then bike again until exhaustion, three separate times. During the rest period, the cyclists drank one of three beverages: lowfat chocolate milk, a traditional fluid replacement sports drink or a carbohydrate replacement sports drink. During the second round of exercise, the researchers found that cyclists who drank chocolate milk during the rest period were able to bike nearly twice as long before reaching exhaustion than those who consumed the carbohydrate replacement drink, and as long as those who consumed the fluid replacement drink. Researchers theorize that the combination of carbohydrates and protein found in chocolate milk is what helped enhance the cyclists' performance and suggest that flavored milk may be an optimal beverage for refueling muscles after exercise. The researchers also note that chocolate milk is a great-tasting and cost-effective alternative to many sports drinks.
In addition to its ideal combination of carbohydrates and protein, flavored milk contains seven other essential nutrients that are important for an athlete's health -- including bone-building calcium. No other sports drink contains the nutrient package found in flavored milk. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid recommendations, Americans of all fitness levels should include at least 3 servings of lowfat or fat free milk or milk products in their diet every day.
(1) Karp JR, Johnston JD, Tecklenburg S, Mickleborough TD, Fly AD, Stager JM. Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2006;16: 78-91.
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. Together with dairy farmers, the MilkPEP Board runs the National "got milk?" Milk Mustache Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers on the benefits of milk. For more information, go to www.whymilk.com.
The tagline "got milk?"(R) was created for the California Milk Processor Board by Goodby Silverstein & Partners and is licensed by the national milk processor and dairy producer groups.
Weber Shandwick Jeannie Houchins, 312-988-2159 jhouchins@webershandwick.com
BUSINESS WIRE
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)----Next time you finish a rigorous workout at the gym or a sweat-inducing run, a new study suggests you may want to consider a surprising new sports drink to help refuel tired muscles: chocolate milk.
The new study, published in this month's International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism(1), reports that athletes who drank chocolate milk after an intense bout of exercise were able to workout longer and with more power during a second workout compared to athletes who drank commercial sports beverages.
"Our study indicates that chocolate milk is a strong alternative to other commercial sports drinks in helping athletes recover from strenuous, energy-depleting exercise," according to co-author Joel M. Stager, PhD, professor of kinesiology at Indiana University. "Chocolate milk contains an optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio, which is critical for helping refuel tired muscles after strenuous exercise and can enable athletes to exercise at a high intensity during subsequent workouts."
Stager and colleagues had nine cyclists bike until their muscles were depleted of energy, rest four hours, then bike again until exhaustion, three separate times. During the rest period, the cyclists drank one of three beverages: lowfat chocolate milk, a traditional fluid replacement sports drink or a carbohydrate replacement sports drink. During the second round of exercise, the researchers found that cyclists who drank chocolate milk during the rest period were able to bike nearly twice as long before reaching exhaustion than those who consumed the carbohydrate replacement drink, and as long as those who consumed the fluid replacement drink. Researchers theorize that the combination of carbohydrates and protein found in chocolate milk is what helped enhance the cyclists' performance and suggest that flavored milk may be an optimal beverage for refueling muscles after exercise. The researchers also note that chocolate milk is a great-tasting and cost-effective alternative to many sports drinks.
In addition to its ideal combination of carbohydrates and protein, flavored milk contains seven other essential nutrients that are important for an athlete's health -- including bone-building calcium. No other sports drink contains the nutrient package found in flavored milk. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid recommendations, Americans of all fitness levels should include at least 3 servings of lowfat or fat free milk or milk products in their diet every day.
(1) Karp JR, Johnston JD, Tecklenburg S, Mickleborough TD, Fly AD, Stager JM. Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2006;16: 78-91.
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. Together with dairy farmers, the MilkPEP Board runs the National "got milk?" Milk Mustache Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers on the benefits of milk. For more information, go to www.whymilk.com.
The tagline "got milk?"(R) was created for the California Milk Processor Board by Goodby Silverstein & Partners and is licensed by the national milk processor and dairy producer groups.
Weber Shandwick Jeannie Houchins, 312-988-2159 jhouchins@webershandwick.com
ALC 5 Training Progress 3/5
3a.m., why am I awake at this hour? Just woke up and getting ready for a morning ride? NO! I just got home from work about 30 minutes ago. Why? Because of the Oscar. Did I get to meet Ang Lee? NO! I was on duty in the newsroom. However, I am very happy for his win, he deserves it.
So, isn’t this all about cycling? What does the Oscar has to do with my ride? Hmm… well, I have decided I need to sleep in a little more and will skip the 9a.m. Monday morning spinning class (excuse me, aren’t we expecting rain?).
OK, I only rode my bike twice this weekend. 52 miles on Saturday, 27 miles on Sunday. In another words, NEW RECORD was set! Yes, the half-century ride is my all time longest distance so far.
The Saturday ride started from West Hollywood. First we headed to Marina Del Ray, using this so cool Balona Creek Bike Path. The scenery by the ocean is awesome. Then we headed to 2 climbs, first one was Mandeville (plus 12 miles) and second was Bundy (plus 5 miles). Mandeville is not too steep, but the distance is long, and the last 100m is just killing, with sudden extra steepness. I had to stop before I finished the last part. After doing all the hard part, Bundy became easier for me. Still, I’m not good at going down hill; I put way too much pressure on the handle bar and breaking all the way down.
The fun part of the ride has nothing to do with the bike, instead with my car. Why? I left the key inside. Ha! I had to call AAA for help, luckily the guy shown up on time, so I left the area around 4p.m. Thank to our terrible traffic, on the 10, 210 and Huntington Drive (off racing hours) by the time I got to Arcadia (to have my gears adjusted) it was almost 6p.m. Finally got home around 7p.m. So it was a way too long day.
I went out to ride with the Different Spokes group on Sunday morning, because they do this “Pancake Tour.” Not that I loved pancakes, but they do sound good. At the Coffee Gallery in Altadena, they have this ‘all-you-can-eat-pancakes’ every first Sunday of the month, only $5, what a good deal! They serve some wings and sausages too. Yummy, I ate too much, like a pig, just because they taste so good.
I hope to get more training before I do a century ride in April. I think I can do it.
So, isn’t this all about cycling? What does the Oscar has to do with my ride? Hmm… well, I have decided I need to sleep in a little more and will skip the 9a.m. Monday morning spinning class (excuse me, aren’t we expecting rain?).
OK, I only rode my bike twice this weekend. 52 miles on Saturday, 27 miles on Sunday. In another words, NEW RECORD was set! Yes, the half-century ride is my all time longest distance so far.
The Saturday ride started from West Hollywood. First we headed to Marina Del Ray, using this so cool Balona Creek Bike Path. The scenery by the ocean is awesome. Then we headed to 2 climbs, first one was Mandeville (plus 12 miles) and second was Bundy (plus 5 miles). Mandeville is not too steep, but the distance is long, and the last 100m is just killing, with sudden extra steepness. I had to stop before I finished the last part. After doing all the hard part, Bundy became easier for me. Still, I’m not good at going down hill; I put way too much pressure on the handle bar and breaking all the way down.
The fun part of the ride has nothing to do with the bike, instead with my car. Why? I left the key inside. Ha! I had to call AAA for help, luckily the guy shown up on time, so I left the area around 4p.m. Thank to our terrible traffic, on the 10, 210 and Huntington Drive (off racing hours) by the time I got to Arcadia (to have my gears adjusted) it was almost 6p.m. Finally got home around 7p.m. So it was a way too long day.
I went out to ride with the Different Spokes group on Sunday morning, because they do this “Pancake Tour.” Not that I loved pancakes, but they do sound good. At the Coffee Gallery in Altadena, they have this ‘all-you-can-eat-pancakes’ every first Sunday of the month, only $5, what a good deal! They serve some wings and sausages too. Yummy, I ate too much, like a pig, just because they taste so good.
I hope to get more training before I do a century ride in April. I think I can do it.
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