My sister is taking on some great events now, follow her progress here since she won't be posting it for herself! Go Ximena!!! She is not new to running but she is new to competing in running events, ever since i took her to do a trail run in Oleta Park, Miami she's had the bug.
Here she is, bib 312
Well maybe I can get her to contribute a bit here about her training progress for 5k, 10k, half and maybe full marathons.
Love ya lady!!
Serge
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Weekending in SF
Stayed in SF this weekend, I finished work and figured why drive home only to drive back on Sunday night. I had an FCC exam scheduled for Monday so I simply parked the car and took the bike around for transportation. I stayed at the Hostelling International Hostel in City Center SF. What a great place, bar, breakfast, kitchen, movies and lots of interesting people from around the world. The neighborhood left a bit to be desired since it sits on the edge of the famous "Tenderloin". This is why I had to park the car in a safe location all weekend and rode the bike.
The bike however had a different weekend, after a nice day of rolling around the city I hung it up in the hotel bike closet. The next day I rolled it out and as soon as I started to pedal to my car because I needed something, I heard a pop! Not as loud as when I busted a chain ring but similar. I looked down and I saw an odd site a bash guard and chain ring wrapped around my crank and not about in site. Now one can speculate where the bolts went overnight but I'd rather think they fell out. This now required a 3 mile walk to the nearest bike shop to then ride 3 more to my car, but as we know that all ends up being part of the fun.
I rode about 4 hrs around the city Sunday and then headed out to eat dinner. I had to go try Don Pistos, a hot little Mexican place in North Beach where 7x7 magazine rated their hamburger a "top ten things to eat before you die". I have to say Sina and Chuck make it a pleasure to eat there and the owner, Chucks brother even bought me a beer. The food was awesome!! I ate the burger and WOW it's ground beef reground with bacon and scallions, served on a fresh roll with GREAT guacamole. Everyone should eat this once. Finally off to Santa Rosa for an early morning Monday.
Once I took my exam I had enough time for a ride or run but being right next Annadel State Park, I figured I should ride there and do a loop then drive home. What a perfect day for a ride, cool clear and sunny. I did a full loop of the park, descending Spring Creek and also climbing Rough Go on the all Rigid Niner. A few times I though I was going to break something but in reality it handled EVERYTHING I gave it.
One awesome thing I noticed was my legs were a bit pooped to start with but after about 30 minutes I started loosening up. I started drinking my Infinit Endurance mix which has protein and no caffeine, opposite my xc racing mix. This together with a swig of my Napalm gel mix, I felt so fresh after a 16 mile loop and subsequent ride back to the car.
I'm hoping for a 200-300 mile riding week. I may need to hit my buddies Tuma and Ortiz for some parts they are selling, lighter, stiffer, and better performing.
Peace bedtime!
http://www.everytrail.com/destination/annadel-state-park
http://www.donpistos.com/
http://sfhostels.com/
http://www.infinitnutrition.us/
The bike however had a different weekend, after a nice day of rolling around the city I hung it up in the hotel bike closet. The next day I rolled it out and as soon as I started to pedal to my car because I needed something, I heard a pop! Not as loud as when I busted a chain ring but similar. I looked down and I saw an odd site a bash guard and chain ring wrapped around my crank and not about in site. Now one can speculate where the bolts went overnight but I'd rather think they fell out. This now required a 3 mile walk to the nearest bike shop to then ride 3 more to my car, but as we know that all ends up being part of the fun.
I rode about 4 hrs around the city Sunday and then headed out to eat dinner. I had to go try Don Pistos, a hot little Mexican place in North Beach where 7x7 magazine rated their hamburger a "top ten things to eat before you die". I have to say Sina and Chuck make it a pleasure to eat there and the owner, Chucks brother even bought me a beer. The food was awesome!! I ate the burger and WOW it's ground beef reground with bacon and scallions, served on a fresh roll with GREAT guacamole. Everyone should eat this once. Finally off to Santa Rosa for an early morning Monday.
Once I took my exam I had enough time for a ride or run but being right next Annadel State Park, I figured I should ride there and do a loop then drive home. What a perfect day for a ride, cool clear and sunny. I did a full loop of the park, descending Spring Creek and also climbing Rough Go on the all Rigid Niner. A few times I though I was going to break something but in reality it handled EVERYTHING I gave it.
One awesome thing I noticed was my legs were a bit pooped to start with but after about 30 minutes I started loosening up. I started drinking my Infinit Endurance mix which has protein and no caffeine, opposite my xc racing mix. This together with a swig of my Napalm gel mix, I felt so fresh after a 16 mile loop and subsequent ride back to the car.
I'm hoping for a 200-300 mile riding week. I may need to hit my buddies Tuma and Ortiz for some parts they are selling, lighter, stiffer, and better performing.
Peace bedtime!
http://www.everytrail.com/destination/annadel-state-park
http://www.donpistos.com/
http://sfhostels.com/
http://www.infinitnutrition.us/
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Stagecoach 400 update
Siren Mary and her partner in crime Sarah finished mapping the SC400! I love the blow by blow footage of her experience.
Read more about it here:
http://marymetcalf.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/mary-and-sarahs-borrego-to-diego-ramble/#comment-1170
I can only hope it warms up some before April...
Read more about it here:
http://marymetcalf.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/mary-and-sarahs-borrego-to-diego-ramble/#comment-1170
I can only hope it warms up some before April...
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Bay Ridge Trail riding
I ran across an article a while back written by Yuri Hauswald in Bike Monkey magazine about the Bay Ridge Trail and it sat in the back of my mind for many months. Since moving to NorCal I've ridden several Parks and trails from the Bay are North and around Santa Cruz as well. This year with my new long distance goals, I figured every chance I get I should hit some sections of the Bay Ridge Trail system a networks of parks and trails and some connector roads that loop the entire Bay Area primarily off road.
So today I started at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge and rode up to the top of the Marin Headlands to start this series of mini-adventures. Doing this alone has its caveats like you can't go one way and get picked up, you have to go out and back or in a loop. I may do all the Bay Ridge Trails clockwise and counter clockwise by the time I'm done.
So I was able to ride the sections that lead up to Mt Tamalpais, with a few wrong turns especially on the Miwok trail and then some extra legs like out to see Tennessee Beach and the Marin Headlands visitor center as well as locating the Marin Hostel which could come in handy one long riding day.
The day was stunning until the winds picked up then it got a bit cooler but still bright, crisp and clear and nothing a good climb couldn't warm up. Most of the trails are wide open fire road, portions are of the Coastal Trail to Portland, there's a lot of climbing but nothing unbearable and so far no hike-a-bikes although a section of Miwok almost exploded my quads. The one thing that is not lacking here are views, nature and wildlife this is such a gift to live so close to a big city and have this so close by. I even got a good look at raptors floating in the winds above my head while a bobcat stalked a field mouse in a pasture.
Oddly enough one of the funnest parts of the day was riding next to the road on a small trail with the Golden Gate at my right and nothing but a plummet between us. No difficulty just a huge precipice and a great end to a 5 hr ride.
Today I was fueled by my usual Infinit Endurance Formula but I had a flask of the test product yet to be named but essentially a gels replacement. I absolutely love this stuff, talk about a swift kick in the ass without any negative after effect and killer flavor, so much easier to swallow then a thick glob of gel.
More to come on this exploration, I call it "training".
http://www.ridgetrail.org/
http://norcalhostels.org/marin/
Peace
So today I started at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge and rode up to the top of the Marin Headlands to start this series of mini-adventures. Doing this alone has its caveats like you can't go one way and get picked up, you have to go out and back or in a loop. I may do all the Bay Ridge Trails clockwise and counter clockwise by the time I'm done.
So I was able to ride the sections that lead up to Mt Tamalpais, with a few wrong turns especially on the Miwok trail and then some extra legs like out to see Tennessee Beach and the Marin Headlands visitor center as well as locating the Marin Hostel which could come in handy one long riding day.
The day was stunning until the winds picked up then it got a bit cooler but still bright, crisp and clear and nothing a good climb couldn't warm up. Most of the trails are wide open fire road, portions are of the Coastal Trail to Portland, there's a lot of climbing but nothing unbearable and so far no hike-a-bikes although a section of Miwok almost exploded my quads. The one thing that is not lacking here are views, nature and wildlife this is such a gift to live so close to a big city and have this so close by. I even got a good look at raptors floating in the winds above my head while a bobcat stalked a field mouse in a pasture.
Oddly enough one of the funnest parts of the day was riding next to the road on a small trail with the Golden Gate at my right and nothing but a plummet between us. No difficulty just a huge precipice and a great end to a 5 hr ride.
Today I was fueled by my usual Infinit Endurance Formula but I had a flask of the test product yet to be named but essentially a gels replacement. I absolutely love this stuff, talk about a swift kick in the ass without any negative after effect and killer flavor, so much easier to swallow then a thick glob of gel.
More to come on this exploration, I call it "training".
http://www.ridgetrail.org/
http://norcalhostels.org/marin/
Peace
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Running article a friend wrote
I thought I'd share this article a friend wrote. It definitely rings true to running but also to just about anything you do that requires endurance, mental and physical.
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/outdoors/2012/02/16/runners-lament/
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/outdoors/2012/02/16/runners-lament/
Friday, February 17, 2012
100 year old cyclist on track bike
I'm 42 and working on being the guy that breaks his record! Only because I admire his tenacity could I hope to be anything like this at 100.
http://m.bikeradar.com/news/article/100-year-old-sets-cycling-hour-record-mark-33217
http://m.bikeradar.com/news/article/100-year-old-sets-cycling-hour-record-mark-33217
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
You want me to do what?
So I have a great friend from back in the Coast Guard days, this guy got pretty sedentary besides diving. From one day to the next he's a changed man, now he's a tri-athlete, marathoner, cyclist and soon to be mountain biker.
Al Maxey tried The Leadville lottery in 2011 but it didn't happen, just as he was considering 2012, we talked about my upcoming year and the Stagecoach 400 (details on previous post). Next thing I know he's registered, has a mountain bike, ordered bivvy etc.. Since then we've talked about the Divide Ride and other epic events.
2 days ago Al contacts me and says AML Allegheny Mountains Loop ITT, yep he has the bug!! The AML is another 420 ish miler in Northern Virginia and West Virginia in October amidst beautiful fall foliage. Al is not just trying to convince me, he's getting blog updates, has spoken with the race coordinator and is registered (although its another free, self supported, individual time trial).
"Al I have 3 big events already" I say, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking, if I want to do the Tour Divide another 420 in October could be perfect! Do I have the time off? So many things to think of, it'll be 1500 miles +/- in 4 events. Free, no prize, bucket list... OK WHERE DO I SIGN UP???
Al (coookie) you've lost your mind and taken mine along for the ride, but now you need to do CTR with me!
http://alleghenymountainsloop.blogspot.com/2012/01/allegheny-mountains-loop-2012.html?m=1
Just keep moving....
Al Maxey tried The Leadville lottery in 2011 but it didn't happen, just as he was considering 2012, we talked about my upcoming year and the Stagecoach 400 (details on previous post). Next thing I know he's registered, has a mountain bike, ordered bivvy etc.. Since then we've talked about the Divide Ride and other epic events.
2 days ago Al contacts me and says AML Allegheny Mountains Loop ITT, yep he has the bug!! The AML is another 420 ish miler in Northern Virginia and West Virginia in October amidst beautiful fall foliage. Al is not just trying to convince me, he's getting blog updates, has spoken with the race coordinator and is registered (although its another free, self supported, individual time trial).
"Al I have 3 big events already" I say, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking, if I want to do the Tour Divide another 420 in October could be perfect! Do I have the time off? So many things to think of, it'll be 1500 miles +/- in 4 events. Free, no prize, bucket list... OK WHERE DO I SIGN UP???
Al (coookie) you've lost your mind and taken mine along for the ride, but now you need to do CTR with me!
http://alleghenymountainsloop.blogspot.com/2012/01/allegheny-mountains-loop-2012.html?m=1
Just keep moving....
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