AIDS Lifecycle

So I was out this morning with some amazing cyclist that have been riding all week long and are on their final day and leg of a 545 mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. LAIDSF Lifecycle
And I must say - it was pretty inspiring to see!! So much so that I am giving them their own blog post and recommending that you check out their website and consider donating to their cause. Now it was really cool to be out with the front runners at 7 when I rode. It was another thing all together to see them en masse at 10 when I was out on PCH again. :) To the men and women who are finishing up that grand ride, my helmet is off to you!

Andy on Andy

Andy: So tell us, Andy. Did you ride this morning?

Andy: Yes, as a matter of fact I did. Although it was a little tough getting out of bed. We had a rough night and wound up with both kids in bed and me sleeping in an S curve on about 6 inches of mattress.

Andy: But you made it up and out the door, yes?

Andy: Yes.

Andy: Oh good. And how did you feel?

Andy: Well to start, I felt terrible and kept second guessing how far I was actually going to go.

Andy: You poor baby. I hope you sucked it up and took one for all the people who have it a whole lot worse off then you in life?

Andy: That's not the most sensitive way to ask, but yes, I did.

Andy: And where did you go on your pity ride?

Andy: Look it wasn't a pity ride ok?!? I started out down Zuma like I like to: to spin and get my legs freshened up. I cut under the bridge at Busch and it was really flooded and full. Got my bike, back, and legs all wet.

Andy: Ahhhh...

Andy: But it is good to practice that since it is likely to be that way come September. Then I powered back down PCH. It is slightly uphill heading North (which is really West) through that section, but it prepares my body for the hill section.

Andy: You hate the hills don't you?

Andy: Not as much as you might think. I am really learning to love them. One of the riders on BT has the phrase "THE ONLY WAY TO GET BETTER AT CLIMBING HILLS IS....... CLIMBING HILLS" in his sig, and I thank Chris for that because I am really buying into that mentality.

Andy: So you come through the first set of hills...?

Andy: And it feels like my legs and back are about to fall off. But I persevered.

Andy: Oh we are so proud.

Andy: I can hear your sarcasm, you are in my head, remember.

Andy: Sorry.

Andy: It's all good. I need you, O Inner Voice, to continue to tell me to harden up. That's what will get me through this and make me a better athlete and person.

Andy: Aw shucks.

Andy: Not that I don't still ignore you and found you quite annoying.

Andy: So, back to the hills.

Andy: Yup, the second was a killer as usual. I call it the "Matador" since the turn off to El Matador is at the top. I find it helpful to channel my inner bull and beat down the matador as I climb that hill. El Matador is good inspiration to lose weight as well. I am sooo grateful for my bike and it holds up phenomenally well considering what I ask of it. But, I am very conscious of the fact that I dragging around my gigantic tookus when climbing.

Andy: How is that coming by the way?

Andy: Pretty well. I am back in some pants comfortably that I blew a button off before.

Andy: Congratulations. You have much further to go.

Andy: I know. Anyways, I got over the Matador and past Decker and came down through Leo Carillo. I decided that even though I was not feeling great to start, I would cut off miles from the end of my ride rather than the middle. I climbed the long slow hill out of Carillo and then turned around just after the top. I took a number of pictures on the ride, mostly of the hills that I was climbing for visualization purposes and to share with you, O Internet Community. But the picture at the bottom of the Carillo Hill (which is the toughest and therefore my favorite) was a mistake. I struggled to get my camera put away and lost all of my momentum.

Andy: Ha ha. /point /mock

Andy: Yeah, worked for that hill. But I did not stop! Slowed down to a miserable 5 miles an hour, but I never unclipped for a breather. In fact, I got my full-on race face going towards the top. I could hear another rider coming and checked over my shoulder briefly. As I was nearing the crest (which is not so much the top as a slight decrease in the degree of incline so your momentum builds) I jumped out of the saddle and started hammering, telling myself, "This guy is going to pass you, but you are going to make him work for it." And I stayed ahead of him for a good mile dropping into the big ring and powering ahead.

Andy: And then he passed you.

Andy: Yes, she did, but that is beside the point, Inner Voice. It is about a mentality that says, "I am in this to be more than I am."

Andy: Fair enough. Did you wuss out and call it a day after that section?

Andy: Nope, I did the Zuma leg a second time and practiced the bridge again. I am trying to gauge how to brake, steer, and move through there. And then rode back home. Good ride all told: 21.5 miles.

Andy: Well, no one is prouder than me.

Andy: Again with the sarcasm. What is your advice?

Andy: Next time do it faster, homes. Oh and harden up will ya?

Gear Check

Am I ready to roll?

Bike. Check.

Shoes. Check.

New Saddle w/ gear bag. Check.

Safety gear. Check and Check.

The last two are what I really wanted to talk about. The phone is a cheapy prepaid cell from Virigin Mobile called the "Aloha." It cost me ten bucks and I only have to recharge my minutes every three months. I keep it in my bag for emergencies. I call it the "Bike Phone" and it even has its own outgoing message. This was a great alternative to carrying around my Palm Treo which is not only bulkier, but much more costly to replace if lost.

The second picture highlights the blue band on my wrist, below the Livestrong band (thank you Andrea from 24 Hr Fitness where ever you are) which is my RoadID. The RoadID has my name, my wife's cell (blurred out, sorry internet), as well as instructions for first responders if I could not speak for my self. There is a serial and pin number on the back that someone could use to find my emergency contacts, allergies, donor plans, blood type, and medical history. It may very well save my life someday and I am proud to wear it.

Double Digits!

If you saw my post yesterday it will come as no shock to you that we are now 99 days from race day. I had a dream last night about the race and more specifically about my plans to come up and preach after the race. I think that God wants a stake in all this too. I am thinking about designing a t-shirt for my "fans" that will generate buzz, conversations, and interest. Thoughts are loose now, but thinking about ways of drawing together the themes of Tris and worship. I am already planning on tying into my introduction to a four-week study on Philippians (I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus). But now I am looking for something catchy. Beat this:

Swim

Bike

Run

Preach

9/14/08

Oh and I did 40 mins on the newest machine at Malibu Fitness called the AMT (adaptive motion trainer). Good fun.

Try not to...

PANIC!!!!

Just kidding - we are good :)

For Devo :D

Can you keep up?

So I just got in from 3 workouts in 18 hours :) I did my long Tuesday routine yesterday (20 min bike, 20 min run, 20 min elliptical, 20 min stair master) and then got up and did spin for 45 min this morning and then upper body with Devo for 45 min. My sweat is a beautiful thing. Especially when I am wiping it off of a machine... you may now go back to enjoying your lunches.

A

Big Dog Running!

So I mixed some treadmill running into my circuit yesterday. Came off a 20 min ride warmup and ran a half-mile straight and then switched to eliptical to relieve "perceived" stress. :D

Heading to gym this afternoon for about 90 min of cardio.

A

Saturday's ride

Woot! Went for 23 miles. It was a great ride. Rode out and back on Zuma to warm up my legs, then all the way out to Neptune's Net, and then back across Zuma to cool-down. Good morning.



Maddie's post ride picture of Daddy: