after abt a month settling in the new area, i started to find some routes, trails, and areas that i'm able to continue my training. so far everything seems to be pretty good. the only not so good part of the new area is that most of the areas have rolling hills, and some even actual hills. so far i'v biked from where i lived a couple of times, and every time i biked from there, i dreaded the biked back. reason? the last 5miles is a cat5 climb. none of this was a big deal for me, esp after a long while living in the midwest, where most of the areas are flat. but now on the nw, man....i really really thank GOD that HE made me started biking abt 5-6years ago. or else, i would be cursing the whole ride.
i thank GOD for letting me meet my coach in the midwest that taught me and pushed me to keep climbing on any camp that i was in. i thank him for always organizing the nice portsmouth camp every year that i was in the midwest. at the same time, i thank GOD that i was able to race that course.
for the longest time, i never really care abt the climb cat while living in the midwest, but now, esp after talking more and more with the girl, i started intrigued with hills climbing category. not that i'm a climb junkie now, but it gives me a more appreciation of the gift that GOD has given me, which are 'the lightning' and 'the thunder'.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
wo...wo...wo....
huh?
wow....didn't realize that i hd been absent for abt 3 months from this thing. and, the amazing thing is, there are a bunch of things that happened in just that 3months...who knew these could happen?
what r those?
1. move to another state - yep, i'm in wa state now....
2. withdraw from an iron distance race
3. being so out of shape to race iron distance race
4. start a new job place - same company tho...
5. and, oh yeach....getting ready to get married - what? is that really going to happened?
6. making new friends
7. meeting new co workers
8. getting familiar to new areas and state
9. seeing my aunt and uncle after abt 15years...yech...that was long....
but, out of all that....the most amazing thing is, being able to be a part of God's plan and seeing the amazing blessings that HE is pouring out onto my life. also, seeing prayers being answered.
but now....i'm finally able to get back to a bit of training. in some ways, i can honestly say that my fitness level is back to where i was at before i moved, which is last june. then again, my training is dfntly behind in comparison to my teamates that are racing vineman this weekend. i'm a bit bump out that i cannot see them and race with them. but yet, i'm dfnlty at peace for withdrawing from a race. hopefully this will be the 1st and only time that i'd do that.
for the longest time, i always said that i never want to DNF and/or withdraw from a race, but i do believe GOD has a divine apptmnt, and that's why i'm dfntly at peace in regards to that....stay tuned.....
wow....didn't realize that i hd been absent for abt 3 months from this thing. and, the amazing thing is, there are a bunch of things that happened in just that 3months...who knew these could happen?
what r those?
1. move to another state - yep, i'm in wa state now....
2. withdraw from an iron distance race
3. being so out of shape to race iron distance race
4. start a new job place - same company tho...
5. and, oh yeach....getting ready to get married - what? is that really going to happened?
6. making new friends
7. meeting new co workers
8. getting familiar to new areas and state
9. seeing my aunt and uncle after abt 15years...yech...that was long....
but, out of all that....the most amazing thing is, being able to be a part of God's plan and seeing the amazing blessings that HE is pouring out onto my life. also, seeing prayers being answered.
but now....i'm finally able to get back to a bit of training. in some ways, i can honestly say that my fitness level is back to where i was at before i moved, which is last june. then again, my training is dfntly behind in comparison to my teamates that are racing vineman this weekend. i'm a bit bump out that i cannot see them and race with them. but yet, i'm dfnlty at peace for withdrawing from a race. hopefully this will be the 1st and only time that i'd do that.
for the longest time, i always said that i never want to DNF and/or withdraw from a race, but i do believe GOD has a divine apptmnt, and that's why i'm dfntly at peace in regards to that....stay tuned.....
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
another camp
this time is the crazy climbing portsmouth camp. this was probably one the camp i always looked forward to every season. reasoning; it's cheap, challenging, and there will always be something happened during the camp. it's either to the camp, to the fun times, to the after the camp moments, etc. the other thing, this is the 1st i came to the site of my major bike crash on a race. and, this time, i came back with a different bike.
it all started good. we went down in the early morning hours, planning to ride abt 5-6 hours. we started abt the planned time. rode up the 1st switchback hills. felt pretty strong and a little ease compare to past seasons.
then came the 2nd round of the hills. this time, it's harder. still felt pretty good, not as strong as the morning round, but still feel the little ease compare to past seasons.
after all that, we were to do an out and back route to go back to where we parked. here were the fun came. when we reached the turn around point, the sky was dark and everyone knew the storm is brewing and dfntly coming our way. as we all rode back, probably just abt 5 miles riding in to get back, it rained on us. at first, i thought, ...well, it's not that bad...i'v ridden in much worse rain...but then, the lightning and thunder started, here come a litle caution on my side and then the rain started to become harder....so, i started thinking, maybe we should stop, but then, as i reached to certain point, coach picked us all up in the middle of the road. what a relieve. yeach......
at this point, we are all soaking wet from the rain....
like i said, every camp, or season, there is always something that could happened during the camp, and this year....it's the rain and storm....oh well...we'll get back at some other time....
it all started good. we went down in the early morning hours, planning to ride abt 5-6 hours. we started abt the planned time. rode up the 1st switchback hills. felt pretty strong and a little ease compare to past seasons.
then came the 2nd round of the hills. this time, it's harder. still felt pretty good, not as strong as the morning round, but still feel the little ease compare to past seasons.
after all that, we were to do an out and back route to go back to where we parked. here were the fun came. when we reached the turn around point, the sky was dark and everyone knew the storm is brewing and dfntly coming our way. as we all rode back, probably just abt 5 miles riding in to get back, it rained on us. at first, i thought, ...well, it's not that bad...i'v ridden in much worse rain...but then, the lightning and thunder started, here come a litle caution on my side and then the rain started to become harder....so, i started thinking, maybe we should stop, but then, as i reached to certain point, coach picked us all up in the middle of the road. what a relieve. yeach......
at this point, we are all soaking wet from the rain....
like i said, every camp, or season, there is always something that could happened during the camp, and this year....it's the rain and storm....oh well...we'll get back at some other time....
Sunday, April 3, 2011
a while...
so after abt a month long of hiatus from this place, i decided to get back to this again. altho not sure what i was doing in that 1 month, i realized there had been so much stuffs going on in my life. and, it's not necessarily just work, but also personal, significant other, training, team, teammates, etc.
for the past month, i was able to get to know more about my teammates for this current season. this might have happen with the pending condition that i am facing rite now in my life. somehow, i started to embrace more of the people that GOD hv surrounded me with. and, for the most part, apparently, my teammates are the ones that i hd learned abt life the most. they hv become my 'family'. they hv become my brothers and sisters. they r the ones that hd shown me the many sides of life; even the many sides of multiple personalities and characteristics.
this happened to be coincided with the many events that hd happened in the past month of course.
one of them was the dome camp that i did with some left-out teammates in town. that was a good 1. as much as it was tried to be organized, yet, some of us were able to make it as organized as possible with so much fun in the cold winter week, especially with jen's egg-strada....hm.....dreaming of it again....dfntly need more of it....again....
for the past month, i was able to get to know more about my teammates for this current season. this might have happen with the pending condition that i am facing rite now in my life. somehow, i started to embrace more of the people that GOD hv surrounded me with. and, for the most part, apparently, my teammates are the ones that i hd learned abt life the most. they hv become my 'family'. they hv become my brothers and sisters. they r the ones that hd shown me the many sides of life; even the many sides of multiple personalities and characteristics.
this happened to be coincided with the many events that hd happened in the past month of course.
one of them was the dome camp that i did with some left-out teammates in town. that was a good 1. as much as it was tried to be organized, yet, some of us were able to make it as organized as possible with so much fun in the cold winter week, especially with jen's egg-strada....hm.....dreaming of it again....dfntly need more of it....again....
Friday, April 1, 2011
injuries...
it's always not a good feeling when u felt some pain in some part of ur body, especially during training. as coach said that in racing, u shld try to manage pain. but, in training.....really? what can u do? rest....which at most time u feel like as if when u don't train, u could fall behind. fall behind ur teammates' training, even fall behind urself from last season.
for the past 2-3 months, i hd been battling a tendonitis on the inside part of my right knee. unsurprisingly, this problem got worse as i was trying new shoes from my running. at first, i thought it was a lingering effect from not fully healed, but then, coach started noticing the way i ran, just not rite.
did it get worse? at first, i wasn't so sure. at this point, i don't think so, since the pain is not as bad as it was abt 1 month ago.
i wanted so badly to try other shoes in the market, but yet, my big huge feet jst weren't abt to cooperate. so now, i am back to the 1 and only shoe in the market that can fit my big huge feet. if only the shoe that i'm wearing would jst sponsor me directly; especially, now, i know for sure, that is the only shoe brand (asics) and model that i can wear, pretty much for the rest of life athletic life. oh well....
is it better now?
absolutely. i run better, i walk better. i can feel my bounce again on the run. even tho, as of now, i can still feel a little pain, but it's dfntly manageable.
what do i learned? new isn't always better. injuries is always kind of sucks....
for the past 2-3 months, i hd been battling a tendonitis on the inside part of my right knee. unsurprisingly, this problem got worse as i was trying new shoes from my running. at first, i thought it was a lingering effect from not fully healed, but then, coach started noticing the way i ran, just not rite.
did it get worse? at first, i wasn't so sure. at this point, i don't think so, since the pain is not as bad as it was abt 1 month ago.
i wanted so badly to try other shoes in the market, but yet, my big huge feet jst weren't abt to cooperate. so now, i am back to the 1 and only shoe in the market that can fit my big huge feet. if only the shoe that i'm wearing would jst sponsor me directly; especially, now, i know for sure, that is the only shoe brand (asics) and model that i can wear, pretty much for the rest of life athletic life. oh well....
is it better now?
absolutely. i run better, i walk better. i can feel my bounce again on the run. even tho, as of now, i can still feel a little pain, but it's dfntly manageable.
what do i learned? new isn't always better. injuries is always kind of sucks....
Thursday, March 10, 2011
quotes
Some quotes that I came across for life, training, racing; courtesy of ryan hall and josh cox;
the only just literary critic is JESUS, who admires more than any man the gifts HE HIMSELF has bestowed - jrr. tolkien
PAD - Passion; Ability; Destiny
Gal 6:4-5 – ‘…each of you should test your own actions. Then you can take pride in yourself, without comparing yourself to somebody else, for each of you should carray your own load…’
COl 3:23-24 – ‘…and whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ…’
Seek God’s presence, not God’s presents
the only just literary critic is JESUS, who admires more than any man the gifts HE HIMSELF has bestowed - jrr. tolkien
PAD - Passion; Ability; Destiny
Gal 6:4-5 – ‘…each of you should test your own actions. Then you can take pride in yourself, without comparing yourself to somebody else, for each of you should carray your own load…’
COl 3:23-24 – ‘…and whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ…’
Seek God’s presence, not God’s presents
Monday, February 21, 2011
and so the story continues....
last sunday, with the girl in town, we decided to go run to see some bison at the nearby metro parks. after the episode that i had last thurs in the run and about 1-2 days of rest, i thought all the pain on my foot should be ok by now.
so, we went running 4 abt an hour. this is after also trying on new movement prep warm-up stretch. not realizing what the surface of the trail would be, i started on a little bit faster than my normal pace, since i actually felt quite warm, and not stiff at all with the warm-up. man...was i wrong?
the surface was quite hard pack of gravel, trail, and dfntly not an even ground at all. i was able to go on the faster pace that i wanted to, but then after-wards, all the same pain in the same areas, especially the 1 area that had been therapy-ied, it all came back to haunt me. so...rite now, i'm a little worried. therefore, i decide to rest today, in prep for the upcoming harder camp work-out.
i guess at this point, i am in the place where i had to learn more about the meaning of recovery week and rest time. as u know, i am not a pro. as much as i would like all this to be my full-time job, it isn't. again, i am back to the drawing board of time management.
and, surprise, surprise, i had 1 new endurance sport friend that jst sent me about time management worksheet....wazzup with that.....? how is that possible...?
guess at least it still early in the season. thank God....
so, we went running 4 abt an hour. this is after also trying on new movement prep warm-up stretch. not realizing what the surface of the trail would be, i started on a little bit faster than my normal pace, since i actually felt quite warm, and not stiff at all with the warm-up. man...was i wrong?
the surface was quite hard pack of gravel, trail, and dfntly not an even ground at all. i was able to go on the faster pace that i wanted to, but then after-wards, all the same pain in the same areas, especially the 1 area that had been therapy-ied, it all came back to haunt me. so...rite now, i'm a little worried. therefore, i decide to rest today, in prep for the upcoming harder camp work-out.
i guess at this point, i am in the place where i had to learn more about the meaning of recovery week and rest time. as u know, i am not a pro. as much as i would like all this to be my full-time job, it isn't. again, i am back to the drawing board of time management.
and, surprise, surprise, i had 1 new endurance sport friend that jst sent me about time management worksheet....wazzup with that.....? how is that possible...?
guess at least it still early in the season. thank God....
Saturday, February 19, 2011
injury...
kind of sucks...
since the beginning of the year, i had this nagging pain on the inside part of my right knee. first, i thought it was jst a fatigue pain, or maybe even jst overuse, which is kind of weird to begin with, since i had not trained that hard. but then after about a couple of weeks continuing on, i felt a little worried, therefore went to see a specialist. it turned out it was a minor tendinitis.
ok...so good news and bad news...
it's good that i found out early and it was minor. bad, because that meant i had to laid down on my run. then again, it's the time when i felt the most pain.
so, solution; i went in for 3-4 session of physical therapy for it with the doc gave me some anti-inflammatory. did it help? yes, well...kind of...
after all the session fulfilled and finishing up all the prescribed med, i decided to try different type of shoes. not sure whether this was a good, or bad idea.
so...last thursday, with the very nice warmer weather in the area, after feeling everything seems to be on track with the healing process, i decided to try the new kicks. in the beginning of the run, i thought i felt great. the shoes felt light, i felt light footed, not bulky at all. i felt snazzy, and quite able to go on a faster pace. i was able to do the schedule workout well, even thought it was kind of hard workout and kind of hard with the new kicks.
but then, after the workout, i felt a little pain in the same area of the previously healed area with an addition in other areas of my calf and foot.
at first i thought....ok maybe i was just going to fast, maybe i felt over confident, maybe i pushed too hard.
so let's see....let me rest this for a day, or 2....
since the beginning of the year, i had this nagging pain on the inside part of my right knee. first, i thought it was jst a fatigue pain, or maybe even jst overuse, which is kind of weird to begin with, since i had not trained that hard. but then after about a couple of weeks continuing on, i felt a little worried, therefore went to see a specialist. it turned out it was a minor tendinitis.
ok...so good news and bad news...
it's good that i found out early and it was minor. bad, because that meant i had to laid down on my run. then again, it's the time when i felt the most pain.
so, solution; i went in for 3-4 session of physical therapy for it with the doc gave me some anti-inflammatory. did it help? yes, well...kind of...
after all the session fulfilled and finishing up all the prescribed med, i decided to try different type of shoes. not sure whether this was a good, or bad idea.
so...last thursday, with the very nice warmer weather in the area, after feeling everything seems to be on track with the healing process, i decided to try the new kicks. in the beginning of the run, i thought i felt great. the shoes felt light, i felt light footed, not bulky at all. i felt snazzy, and quite able to go on a faster pace. i was able to do the schedule workout well, even thought it was kind of hard workout and kind of hard with the new kicks.
but then, after the workout, i felt a little pain in the same area of the previously healed area with an addition in other areas of my calf and foot.
at first i thought....ok maybe i was just going to fast, maybe i felt over confident, maybe i pushed too hard.
so let's see....let me rest this for a day, or 2....
Friday, January 7, 2011
2011, here we go...
hey, hey, hey.....2011 already.....what'd i missed? not a whole lot yet. then again, got to start planning for races in 2011. what am i going to do? a couple of my frenz, teammates, etc had been asking for a while. 1 of the questions that i found quite interesting is, '...will there b any repeat performance(s) in 2011, jst like 2010?'
my answer to that question, '...nope, not really. it will be a better performance for 2011...'
as 2010 had become the inaugural iron-distance race for me; in 2011, i am looking forward to an improve performance in the iron-distance regime.
race schedule should be up soon. still finalizing. in the mean time, keep it steady on the training and focus on the task in the future. hope 2 c any of u on any race(s) thru-out the usa, thanx, Gb....and God speed....
my answer to that question, '...nope, not really. it will be a better performance for 2011...'
as 2010 had become the inaugural iron-distance race for me; in 2011, i am looking forward to an improve performance in the iron-distance regime.
race schedule should be up soon. still finalizing. in the mean time, keep it steady on the training and focus on the task in the future. hope 2 c any of u on any race(s) thru-out the usa, thanx, Gb....and God speed....
Friday, December 31, 2010
quick note for end of year and beginning of new year.....
a very very nice 2010. a year of many first time for me. 1st time iron-distance race finisher. 1st time coaches' award winner. that 1 was special; especially getting recognition among peers and teammates of the team HPR. in addition, having been 1 of the only foreigner on the team. thanx God, team and coach. other things that i had done; help and/or support people in many different capacities, whether it's thru material, spiritual, physical, mental, and mind. whether it's thru races, opinions, discussions, charities, etc.
out of all the things that i had planned for the year 2010. i know there are many that i was able to achieve, but yet, there were also things that i did, but did not achieve the goal. pessimistic, no way....always think things in a positive way. the cup is always half full. besides, i always thought things that i was not able to achieve were things that GOD have not granted me to have. there is a reason for everything that happened. and yet again, this new year, 2011, i'v come up with kind of a motto.
'...do everything with a reason for a purpose...'
dreams for 2011?
so many of them. maybe even more than 2010. and, somehow they are the things that i'm hunger for more. desire more than ever. really really something that i really really wanted to. hm...too optimistic? maybe...at the same time, i do believe in GOD. i know i won't b able to achieve any of them without HIM on my side. without HIM ahead of me, since HE always prepare the way.
what am i going to do in 2011?
stay tuned.....but for now, sampai jumpa 2010.....歡迎 2011.....Gb...
out of all the things that i had planned for the year 2010. i know there are many that i was able to achieve, but yet, there were also things that i did, but did not achieve the goal. pessimistic, no way....always think things in a positive way. the cup is always half full. besides, i always thought things that i was not able to achieve were things that GOD have not granted me to have. there is a reason for everything that happened. and yet again, this new year, 2011, i'v come up with kind of a motto.
'...do everything with a reason for a purpose...'
dreams for 2011?
so many of them. maybe even more than 2010. and, somehow they are the things that i'm hunger for more. desire more than ever. really really something that i really really wanted to. hm...too optimistic? maybe...at the same time, i do believe in GOD. i know i won't b able to achieve any of them without HIM on my side. without HIM ahead of me, since HE always prepare the way.
what am i going to do in 2011?
stay tuned.....but for now, sampai jumpa 2010.....歡迎 2011.....Gb...
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
start...already...?!
here we go...yeach...that's what i usually said every time i'm abt 2 start training and well...rite now i'm already on the 2nd month of training with the team for the 2011 season. man....even the year 2011 has not started yet, but then again...here i am already on some build week on training. as much as the schedule said it should be on base, we had done quite a few hills run...wazzup with that?
having been in the team for abt 4-5years; still sometime i hd no idea what i'm doin'. race schedule is not set on stone yet, but so far i'd thought abt 1 70.3 and 1 140.6. yeach...some things that i thought i would take a break for the year, but yet, i still reeling abt it.
ppl would say hvn't u learned from last season's experience? i guess it's what i had learned from last year experience that made me want 2 do it even more.
it is indeed sometimes hard, especially living in these snowy region, but yet came from the most tropical part of the globe (by equator). training has been trying to dodge the cold. cold meaning with temperature in the teens of fahrenheit, which in the case of from where i came from means it is in negative degrees of centigrade. in addition to that, the slippery and sliding of trying to move around the snow. man.....i dfntly got to get away from here.
hard times like these are being added with the temptations of holiday treats. sweets, cookies, candy, chocolate, anything and everything that could dfntly ruined ur training, especially ur diet. as 1 of my teammates is trying to dodge that with kids, yeach....hv fun with that....
and so, here i am with the team training again for the season. trying to achieve something. some 'impossible' thing that ppl think it's dfntly out of my mind. i know quite a bit of my frenz thought i am losing my mind, then again, i always thanked GOD that HE provided me lots of support; not just from the teammates in the team, but also, a family that understand, and some frenz that do understand, especially the g/f that always supportive....Gb.....
having been in the team for abt 4-5years; still sometime i hd no idea what i'm doin'. race schedule is not set on stone yet, but so far i'd thought abt 1 70.3 and 1 140.6. yeach...some things that i thought i would take a break for the year, but yet, i still reeling abt it.
ppl would say hvn't u learned from last season's experience? i guess it's what i had learned from last year experience that made me want 2 do it even more.
it is indeed sometimes hard, especially living in these snowy region, but yet came from the most tropical part of the globe (by equator). training has been trying to dodge the cold. cold meaning with temperature in the teens of fahrenheit, which in the case of from where i came from means it is in negative degrees of centigrade. in addition to that, the slippery and sliding of trying to move around the snow. man.....i dfntly got to get away from here.
hard times like these are being added with the temptations of holiday treats. sweets, cookies, candy, chocolate, anything and everything that could dfntly ruined ur training, especially ur diet. as 1 of my teammates is trying to dodge that with kids, yeach....hv fun with that....
and so, here i am with the team training again for the season. trying to achieve something. some 'impossible' thing that ppl think it's dfntly out of my mind. i know quite a bit of my frenz thought i am losing my mind, then again, i always thanked GOD that HE provided me lots of support; not just from the teammates in the team, but also, a family that understand, and some frenz that do understand, especially the g/f that always supportive....Gb.....
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
thank u list
jst wanted 2 give a big shout out 2 everyone that helped me achieve the dream of finishing an iron-distance race this year;
thank GOD 4 giving me the ability to do and finish the race; thanx 2 my family; mom, dad, sister and especially my bro, 4 doing and showing me what iron-distance race is all about; thanx 2 the g/f 4 putting up with me and everything else that u had done, i really really appreciated and feel that i am loved. thanx 2 the coaches (mike and mike) 4 coaching, criticizing, training, encouraging, pushing, pulling, and believing in me. thanx 2 all the teammates that helped thru out the training times from winter. thanx 2 mel 4 always being available and making ur place available. thanx 2 butter 4 sticking with me in training and race(s). thanx 2 nev 4 always encouraging me and making ur place also available along the long run. thanx 2 storrs and keller 4 encouraging me and making me learnt a lot from triple-t experience, including camping. thanx 2 the j's 4 believing in me and giving me lots n lots of tips 4 running. thanx 2 the twitter friends (dustin and troy) and teammates (brian) 4 always checking on me, cheering me, and encouraging me. thanx 2 bob and tim 4 always encouraging me. thanx 2 nancy and herb 4 ur encouragement along the way, whether it was on the bike, or on the run. thanx 2 jenn 4 making ur place available 4 swim. thanx 2 lisa 4 encouraging me. thanx 2 andy 4 making urself and the place up at the lake available. thanx 2 jeremy 4 always making any training session a fun time. thanx 2 kerry 4 always making me thinking abt beer, since u'r the queen of the beer mile. lol....hahhaha....and 2 all other teammates and friends that i did not mention, thanx 4 always encouraging me every time we met anywhere, God bless u all....
thank GOD 4 giving me the ability to do and finish the race; thanx 2 my family; mom, dad, sister and especially my bro, 4 doing and showing me what iron-distance race is all about; thanx 2 the g/f 4 putting up with me and everything else that u had done, i really really appreciated and feel that i am loved. thanx 2 the coaches (mike and mike) 4 coaching, criticizing, training, encouraging, pushing, pulling, and believing in me. thanx 2 all the teammates that helped thru out the training times from winter. thanx 2 mel 4 always being available and making ur place available. thanx 2 butter 4 sticking with me in training and race(s). thanx 2 nev 4 always encouraging me and making ur place also available along the long run. thanx 2 storrs and keller 4 encouraging me and making me learnt a lot from triple-t experience, including camping. thanx 2 the j's 4 believing in me and giving me lots n lots of tips 4 running. thanx 2 the twitter friends (dustin and troy) and teammates (brian) 4 always checking on me, cheering me, and encouraging me. thanx 2 bob and tim 4 always encouraging me. thanx 2 nancy and herb 4 ur encouragement along the way, whether it was on the bike, or on the run. thanx 2 jenn 4 making ur place available 4 swim. thanx 2 lisa 4 encouraging me. thanx 2 andy 4 making urself and the place up at the lake available. thanx 2 jeremy 4 always making any training session a fun time. thanx 2 kerry 4 always making me thinking abt beer, since u'r the queen of the beer mile. lol....hahhaha....and 2 all other teammates and friends that i did not mention, thanx 4 always encouraging me every time we met anywhere, God bless u all....
14:57
1st ever 140.6 journey of myself on foot
the day started with waking up quite early. i was awake around 1am, but then was able 2 get back to sleep until sometime close 2 4am. did my race routine; showers, coffee, breakfast, medication, drugs, and everything that i always used, put all the stuffs (special needs bags and other bags) that are needed for the race in the car. drove to the race site. got there around 5.30am, as planned.
as soon as i got there, ate a powerbar, got 2 the bike, placed all my nutrition on the bike and bags, then pump up the tires. took care the special needs bags, got numbered and weighted (185lbs). by this time it was already 6.15am. time 2 put on the wet suit and walk over to the beach for the swim start. as i walked, took a gel, chit chat with some other athletes and other ppl around. the water looked pretty calm, no wave visible and didn't feel any wind, or 2 much breeze. so, i said, '...nice, this is good...'. then they announced the race start would b delayed, since it was still pretty dark.
the wave started with all pro men, then pro women. as i waited 4 the start and talked 2 the g/f, i started to mapped out where i'm heading on the swim. the g/f asked abt my hr and i think it was in the 90's. i try 2 b as calm as possible, regardless of how daunting this thing is. man....what was i thinking and what did i sign up 4? oh well....2 late now....
as the siren went off, i started walking to the water, since the lake was pretty shallow until abt 25 yards in. then, i said 2 myself, '...here we go...' as i started 2 swim, i felt pretty good and calm. trying 2 stay within the game plan, which was not to get caught up with the ppl around me. trying to find some empty space to swim to a point, but 2 no avail, it was a mass start, so....'good luck' finding empty space around. still....finish the 1st loop in about 40min. looked at my watch and i thought, '...great, rite on pace...' as i walked along the beach 2 start the 2nd loop, saw the g/f, hi-5, then back to swim again. as i got to the turn around of the 2nd loop, suddenly i felt like i was being thrown in different directions than where i was swimming, then i realized, '...omg, guess the wind decided 2 show up now...' at this point, i decided 2 find somebody that i can draft off 2 help me get back 2 shore, and i did. finished the swim in about 1:25, and again, i thought, '...great...'
rite on track. (thanx 2 mike, andy, jeremy, and butter)
get 2 transition, grabbed my bag, went 2 tent, ate, changed to bike gear, and oh btw, thanx 2 the volunteer that help peeled off my wetsuit, and prep 4 the long bike ride.
at this point, i jst lost track of how long i was in transition. got 2 my bike and started pedaling.
the bike started with clouds in the sky, no sun, with some wind, as expected. as early as possible, i was trying 2 find the pace that i wanted 2 b. got 2 abt mile 10, then i realized, '...omg., got 2 go..' so, i went 2 'relieve' myself. then, after feeling much better, and everything seems 2 go as planned with strategies, nutrition, pace, etc,until abt mile 50, then the wind decided 2 jst blow really really hard that the corn field looked swaying really bad. at this point, i was trying 2 find some 'breaks' along the road 4 tail wind, but 2 no avail, can't catch any. every turn and every road that i was in, there was either a head wind, or a side wind. after that, i realized my back started 2 ache, and then, apparently one side of my left cleats ran out, that resulted my left bike shoe 2 came off 2 easily, so i had 2 adjust the way i pedaled. along the way, saw the leading pro men went way ahead of the other pro men, since i did not see other pro after the first 4 abt 5-10min, a couple of ppl passed me and passed a couple of ppl. trying to manage things (the hillz, which not that bad - thank GOD; the pain; nutrition, drinks, etc)
as i got 2 mile 50, got my special needs stuffs and take in some additional nutrition with me. felt a little better after that, but yet, the wind jst didn't want to stop, oh well.....but then, at around mile 75, i saw this one noisy car with cow bells sound, then i realized it was my teammates (mike, jeremy, and butter). '...omg, that was really really helpful...' that really made my day on the bike. it cheered me up. lift my spirit and try 2 remember the magic bike word, '...pedal, pedal, pedal....' so i kept on pedaling.
they basically followed me around the bike course, stopped at certain turn, banging the cow bells and cheering me.
after a long while trying to find mile 100, i finally got 2 it and realized that i got 2 prep 4 the run. started taking in some of the nutrition as planned 4 ahead. then, finally, as i saw some of the cedar point rides from afar, i started to feel a little bit better. by this time, it was abt 3pm, i think?!
got back 2 transition and check out my bike time, as i thought it was abt 7hrs. saw the g/f, said hi, got my bag, went 2 the tent; changed, ate, drink, apply some sunscreen, changed shoes; and again, lost track of my time in transition, oh well...
got out of transition, saw the g/f again, since she was volunteering and said 2 her, '...c u in a couple of hours...'
the run started good. trying 2 stay within the planned pace and not walked. saw the teammates again as i got out of the causeway off the park. but, as i got 2 mile 3, my stomach felt like it cannot take anything in. a little hard 2 breathe. drank a little water, but still jst not feeling good. that got me walking 4 abt 1/4 of a mile, but yet, still i tried 2 b in running motion as much as i could. then, i saw the teammates again. at this point, i felt really really sucked; cried a bit; felt like i can't go; felt like i was failing, felt like i was abt 2 give up, but i knew in my mind, i would not quit. mike came up 2 me and started walking with me and asking me questions, but still, i jst felt really really sucked. but, thank GOD 4 teammates and encouragement, i was able to revved up some energy and power to run again. much slower off course. as i got 2 mile 8/9, i started 2 remember tim's suggestions (run/walk) from gct (thanx, tim) until i got back 2 the park again 4 my special needs bag b4 the start the 2nd loop of the run. at the special needs area, i changed my shirt, since i knew i was going 2 b out in the dark and it would get cooler without the sun. at this point, it was abt 7/8pm. ate some chips (thanx, geri), stuffs, drugs and everything that i left on the special needs bags. walked along the transition with the g/f until abt the area that she cannot get 2. and then, suddenly after all that, i jst felt much better, heck, even great and knew that i can dfntly finish this with running, not walking. so, i ran until i saw the teammates again along downtown sandusky with their cow bells, music, camera, cheered, hi-5s and everything else. at this point, i realized i can dfntly get back 2 the planned strategies 2 tackle this and again, the teammates were following me at every mile of the run until abt mile 24. at this point, it was dark, proly abt 9/10pm. then, finally, until mike said, '...run, damnit...' so, i said 2 myself, '...yeach....run, damnit....' so i ran all the way to the inside of cedar point park and there it is, the finish line with jumbotron with my pix on it, bright lites, and the loud cheering from everyone around, the teammates, the g/f, and the loud announcer.
as i crossed the finished line, i lifted up the banner, kneel down to kiss the finish line, and the announcer yelled, '...hansen, u r the revolution...'
looked at my watch, it was abt 6hrs marathon with total time of 14:57 for the first 140.6mile journey.
overall, it was as i expected; hard and enjoyable, and i was dfntly happy with the result, with the things that i did and wanted 2 do.
all in all, thank GOD 4 everything (mind, abilities, physicality, heart, passion, body, legs, hands, feet, focus) and everybody (parent, brother, sister, g/f, coaches, teammates - past and present, friends) that enable me 2 do this.
to u all, God bless.....
the day started with waking up quite early. i was awake around 1am, but then was able 2 get back to sleep until sometime close 2 4am. did my race routine; showers, coffee, breakfast, medication, drugs, and everything that i always used, put all the stuffs (special needs bags and other bags) that are needed for the race in the car. drove to the race site. got there around 5.30am, as planned.
as soon as i got there, ate a powerbar, got 2 the bike, placed all my nutrition on the bike and bags, then pump up the tires. took care the special needs bags, got numbered and weighted (185lbs). by this time it was already 6.15am. time 2 put on the wet suit and walk over to the beach for the swim start. as i walked, took a gel, chit chat with some other athletes and other ppl around. the water looked pretty calm, no wave visible and didn't feel any wind, or 2 much breeze. so, i said, '...nice, this is good...'. then they announced the race start would b delayed, since it was still pretty dark.
the wave started with all pro men, then pro women. as i waited 4 the start and talked 2 the g/f, i started to mapped out where i'm heading on the swim. the g/f asked abt my hr and i think it was in the 90's. i try 2 b as calm as possible, regardless of how daunting this thing is. man....what was i thinking and what did i sign up 4? oh well....2 late now....
as the siren went off, i started walking to the water, since the lake was pretty shallow until abt 25 yards in. then, i said 2 myself, '...here we go...' as i started 2 swim, i felt pretty good and calm. trying 2 stay within the game plan, which was not to get caught up with the ppl around me. trying to find some empty space to swim to a point, but 2 no avail, it was a mass start, so....'good luck' finding empty space around. still....finish the 1st loop in about 40min. looked at my watch and i thought, '...great, rite on pace...' as i walked along the beach 2 start the 2nd loop, saw the g/f, hi-5, then back to swim again. as i got to the turn around of the 2nd loop, suddenly i felt like i was being thrown in different directions than where i was swimming, then i realized, '...omg, guess the wind decided 2 show up now...' at this point, i decided 2 find somebody that i can draft off 2 help me get back 2 shore, and i did. finished the swim in about 1:25, and again, i thought, '...great...'
rite on track. (thanx 2 mike, andy, jeremy, and butter)
get 2 transition, grabbed my bag, went 2 tent, ate, changed to bike gear, and oh btw, thanx 2 the volunteer that help peeled off my wetsuit, and prep 4 the long bike ride.
at this point, i jst lost track of how long i was in transition. got 2 my bike and started pedaling.
the bike started with clouds in the sky, no sun, with some wind, as expected. as early as possible, i was trying 2 find the pace that i wanted 2 b. got 2 abt mile 10, then i realized, '...omg., got 2 go..' so, i went 2 'relieve' myself. then, after feeling much better, and everything seems 2 go as planned with strategies, nutrition, pace, etc,until abt mile 50, then the wind decided 2 jst blow really really hard that the corn field looked swaying really bad. at this point, i was trying 2 find some 'breaks' along the road 4 tail wind, but 2 no avail, can't catch any. every turn and every road that i was in, there was either a head wind, or a side wind. after that, i realized my back started 2 ache, and then, apparently one side of my left cleats ran out, that resulted my left bike shoe 2 came off 2 easily, so i had 2 adjust the way i pedaled. along the way, saw the leading pro men went way ahead of the other pro men, since i did not see other pro after the first 4 abt 5-10min, a couple of ppl passed me and passed a couple of ppl. trying to manage things (the hillz, which not that bad - thank GOD; the pain; nutrition, drinks, etc)
as i got 2 mile 50, got my special needs stuffs and take in some additional nutrition with me. felt a little better after that, but yet, the wind jst didn't want to stop, oh well.....but then, at around mile 75, i saw this one noisy car with cow bells sound, then i realized it was my teammates (mike, jeremy, and butter). '...omg, that was really really helpful...' that really made my day on the bike. it cheered me up. lift my spirit and try 2 remember the magic bike word, '...pedal, pedal, pedal....' so i kept on pedaling.
they basically followed me around the bike course, stopped at certain turn, banging the cow bells and cheering me.
after a long while trying to find mile 100, i finally got 2 it and realized that i got 2 prep 4 the run. started taking in some of the nutrition as planned 4 ahead. then, finally, as i saw some of the cedar point rides from afar, i started to feel a little bit better. by this time, it was abt 3pm, i think?!
got back 2 transition and check out my bike time, as i thought it was abt 7hrs. saw the g/f, said hi, got my bag, went 2 the tent; changed, ate, drink, apply some sunscreen, changed shoes; and again, lost track of my time in transition, oh well...
got out of transition, saw the g/f again, since she was volunteering and said 2 her, '...c u in a couple of hours...'
the run started good. trying 2 stay within the planned pace and not walked. saw the teammates again as i got out of the causeway off the park. but, as i got 2 mile 3, my stomach felt like it cannot take anything in. a little hard 2 breathe. drank a little water, but still jst not feeling good. that got me walking 4 abt 1/4 of a mile, but yet, still i tried 2 b in running motion as much as i could. then, i saw the teammates again. at this point, i felt really really sucked; cried a bit; felt like i can't go; felt like i was failing, felt like i was abt 2 give up, but i knew in my mind, i would not quit. mike came up 2 me and started walking with me and asking me questions, but still, i jst felt really really sucked. but, thank GOD 4 teammates and encouragement, i was able to revved up some energy and power to run again. much slower off course. as i got 2 mile 8/9, i started 2 remember tim's suggestions (run/walk) from gct (thanx, tim) until i got back 2 the park again 4 my special needs bag b4 the start the 2nd loop of the run. at the special needs area, i changed my shirt, since i knew i was going 2 b out in the dark and it would get cooler without the sun. at this point, it was abt 7/8pm. ate some chips (thanx, geri), stuffs, drugs and everything that i left on the special needs bags. walked along the transition with the g/f until abt the area that she cannot get 2. and then, suddenly after all that, i jst felt much better, heck, even great and knew that i can dfntly finish this with running, not walking. so, i ran until i saw the teammates again along downtown sandusky with their cow bells, music, camera, cheered, hi-5s and everything else. at this point, i realized i can dfntly get back 2 the planned strategies 2 tackle this and again, the teammates were following me at every mile of the run until abt mile 24. at this point, it was dark, proly abt 9/10pm. then, finally, until mike said, '...run, damnit...' so, i said 2 myself, '...yeach....run, damnit....' so i ran all the way to the inside of cedar point park and there it is, the finish line with jumbotron with my pix on it, bright lites, and the loud cheering from everyone around, the teammates, the g/f, and the loud announcer.
as i crossed the finished line, i lifted up the banner, kneel down to kiss the finish line, and the announcer yelled, '...hansen, u r the revolution...'
looked at my watch, it was abt 6hrs marathon with total time of 14:57 for the first 140.6mile journey.
overall, it was as i expected; hard and enjoyable, and i was dfntly happy with the result, with the things that i did and wanted 2 do.
all in all, thank GOD 4 everything (mind, abilities, physicality, heart, passion, body, legs, hands, feet, focus) and everybody (parent, brother, sister, g/f, coaches, teammates - past and present, friends) that enable me 2 do this.
to u all, God bless.....
Saturday, September 11, 2010
thanx
thank u 2 all the people that have been supporting me thru out until today. thank u, God, thank u 4 family, my mom, my dad, my brother, and my sister. thank u 2 all my coaches (mike and mike) and teammates in human powered racing; past, present, future. thank u 2 all my frenz (close, not 2 close, far, and not 2 far) from churches, small groups and everyone that have believed in me, that had looked up to me, and even that had looked down on me. thank u 4 everything that each and everyones of u had taught me, shared 2 me and had allowed me to teach and to share. and especially my g/f. thnax 4 always continuing pushing me.
this has dfintly been a long journey. a long pathway that got me to somewhere that i never thought i would be. and there'll b more pathway coming up. this is just one of them.......
thank U, GOD.....
this has dfintly been a long journey. a long pathway that got me to somewhere that i never thought i would be. and there'll b more pathway coming up. this is just one of them.......
thank U, GOD.....
Thursday, September 9, 2010
approaching
as the days approaching to my main race, rite now, i'm pretty close to the race site. stayin' at one of my friends/teammates' parent's place, which is really really great. dfinitely not too far from the race site. got settle in since yesterday. got a chance to do some running and riding around the area to get myself acclimatize.
so far, the area is nice, the place is great; can't complaint, considering no charge. this place dfinitely beats anything. i wonder, why can't we hv a training camp here then?
oh well....
i proly don't need to be here since yesterday, but then again, i'm staying at someone's else's place, therefore gotta to respect their time.
tomorrow, i will b around the race site for quite some time. it would dfinitely b time to b thinking more and more abt the race.
got some pix around the area, jst couldn't load it yet, soon....
jst wanted to give a big shout out to quite abit of my friends and teammates for training with me; pushing me; pulling me; taking care of me; encouraging me; even tho sometimes i don't really show too much appreciation, but yet again, and again i really really do appreciate all of that.
thanx for the support.
will continue on more tomorrow, especially after getting to the race site.
Gb..........
so far, the area is nice, the place is great; can't complaint, considering no charge. this place dfinitely beats anything. i wonder, why can't we hv a training camp here then?
oh well....
i proly don't need to be here since yesterday, but then again, i'm staying at someone's else's place, therefore gotta to respect their time.
tomorrow, i will b around the race site for quite some time. it would dfinitely b time to b thinking more and more abt the race.
got some pix around the area, jst couldn't load it yet, soon....
jst wanted to give a big shout out to quite abit of my friends and teammates for training with me; pushing me; pulling me; taking care of me; encouraging me; even tho sometimes i don't really show too much appreciation, but yet again, and again i really really do appreciate all of that.
thanx for the support.
will continue on more tomorrow, especially after getting to the race site.
Gb..........
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