the pearl princess

About 1 month ago, I finally got a 2012 Toyota Prius in Blizzard Pearl Trim II.  This is the first car that I have had brand new and she'll be a keeper.  This is their least equiped trim level from the factor so it does not have navigation, standard sound system instead of the JBL premium, and comes with standard bluetooth phone/audio.  I'm ok with that.  It did come with tint, floor mats, and Toyoguard Elite.

To trim II level to what I want, here's my strategy for tackling the gap.

I am using the new GoogleMaps app on the iPhone5 which has turn by turn voice direction and is pretty much just as good as a Garmin Nuvi.  Additionally, the GoogleMaps app has live traffic and lifetime maps.

The basic factory sound system is actually pretty good.  The only thing it really lack is capturing lower frequencies.  Therefore, I will be looking to add an amp and subwoofer to compliment the stock tunes.  For simplicity, chose a powered sub package.

As this time, I just installed an 8 inch Bazooka basstube 2 days ago.  The installation was a piece of cake as taking apart the dash to get behind the radio took only about 10 minutes and about 3 to put everything back together.  It's amazing how cars these days are held together by clips.  Also, the Prius 12v battery was located in the trunk making the power and ground cable easy to install.  I ordered a wiring harness so that I would not have to modify any of the stock wiring.  I only had to splice together a few wires to get the sub to pump out the tunes.  I'm a little disappointed in the output of the bazooka.  I was expecting alot more from it.  The sound is actually very clean, however it seems that it's not caputring everything that it should.

Current items used for the install:
1. Bazooka BTA-8250D basstube
2. Bazooka FAST-1761 wiring harness
3. Bazooka FAST BTAH harness extension

I am not looking to install an amp, single subwoofer and build a custom box.
I'm looking at the following items:
1. Kenwood KAC-8105D mono amplifier
2. Alpine SWS-10D2
I'm choosing this specific type of amp because it will allow me to use the Bazooka wiring harness without splicing in a line out converter to run RCA wires.

Now onto the actualy Prius driving experience.  Driving the prius is like playing a video game.  There is a Hybrid System Indicator (HSI) screen this tells you which motor (electric or/and fuel) is currently being used.  The goal is to have it west or to the left of the middle line.  There are other driving technique such as pulse and glide that help with improving fuel economy.  The cool thing is that you can program the car with the current gas price and at the end of each driving trip, there is a summary which includes the cost of that drive.

I'm now looking into inpliment a grill blocking stragetry to improve fuel economy during the winter season.  The hybrid system has an optimal engine operating temperature.  However, driving allows for the ambient air temp to lower the engine temp keeping the engine form reaching its optimal operating temp.  Grill blocking allows the heat produced by the motor to stay without really dropping down with the ambient air temp while driving.

To date, I have has 2 gas fill-ups where the 1st tank I average 51.7 mpg and the second- 53.1 mpg.  Not too bad as the engine has just reached its break-in period and I am still learning efficient driving strategies.  I am hoping that the winter-blend fuel doesn't take a huge toll on my fuel economy and banking on the fact of using the grill blocking technique.

I'll report back soon to let you know how things go.

All in all I am very excited to have the car and really love it.  I think the car looks great and is a perfect fit for our needs.

Modifications to date:
1. removed plastic rim covers (removed the 1st night it was taken home)
2. high quality plastic/rubber all weather cargo liner/mat (christmas gift from the wifey)
3. Curt towing hitch for my hitch mount bike rack (christmas gift from the wifey)
4. LED license plate lightbulbs
5. Bazooka powered basstube

Upcoming mods:
1. Different subwoofer and amplifier upgrade
2. full interior LED bulb change out
3. not sure.
 

car shopping

Car shopping.
I sold my Audi A6 a few weeks prior and we had a Sunday after church without any plans. Yea I know, another car, lol. This next car will be one that I will keep till its run to the ground, not literally. This would also be my first brand new car.
The criteria would be:
1. Fuel economy- I wanted something that would be great on gas. Acceleration and performance would be traded off, but I have had a couple fast cars in the past.
2. Looks- I wanted something appealing to the eye, inside and out.
3. Features- all the standard luxuries in addition to a seamless iPhone integration with the factory entertainment system.
4. Reliability/ maintenance- low cost, high quality, and easy to maintain *no more germans/europeans
5. Functionality- I would need to be able to accommodate my bikes. Also, since this would be a car I would be keeping for a long time, I had to forecast the accommodation of a family- baby seat, stroller, luggage...etc.

The contenders:
1. Lexus CT200h- hybrid 4 door hatch. It houses the same hybrid system as the prius, but only EPA rated at 44/40mpg. Great looks, and meets the criteria above, except number 5 above. The chassis is at least a foot shorter than a Prius. Also it is the most expensive vehicle.
2. Toyota Prius generation III- it fits all the criteria above and we know that I works with kids as our friend Kristi has one. The only thing is that it is not the most appealing to look at. Some have describes its looks as a cockroach.

3. Nissan Altima- all new design with a regular fuel motor with EPA 38/27mpg. That's awesome. It looks great inside and out. What turned us off the most about the car is that the salesman sucked and was really able to tell or show us much about the car that a brochure could.

The winner:

2012 Toyota Prius Gen III trim II. This trim is the most basic o from the factory without navigation, however it is a feature that I could do without for the extra $1200. Also, most factory navigation systems are not as good as a dedicated navigation such as a Garmin Nuvi or a TomTom.



We are in no need of a vehicle now as we are managing quite well just being a 1 vehicle household at this time. I have been commuting on my bike, and Desiree as even started to as well.

Race Report: FRNY Lesbian and Gay Pride- 5 mile- NYC

Race Report: FRNY Lesbian and Gay Pride- 5 mile- NYC
June 23, 2012

Vitals:
Location: Central Park, NYC
Distance: 5 miles
The competition: over 10,000 runners
Time: 35:00
Pace 7:00 minute/mile

the low down:
This was a race that Desiree found while we would be up in NYC. So what the hell, a gay pride race. In Florida, themed races has participants going all out dressing the part. I acquired some formal wear to dress the part for this race- a tuxedo speedo. So we get to the race about 30 minutes early for baggage drop off. I'm standing there dressed, and the next thing I know, I'm stripping down into my formalwear and walking around. The problem is, nobody else really dressed the part. As we made our way towards the start/finish line, I forced Desiree to hold my hand as she was too embarrassed to be Sean with me. And I can only imagine what other people thought, me in my speedo and Desiree with short hair, lol.
I lined up with the 6:45 minute pace group and the split up with Desiree. As we took off, I found myself staying with the crowd around me and looked down at my garmin indicating a current pace of 6:25 and we haven't even completed the first mile. I made myself slow down to better pace myself. Mile 4 was a tough one for me as I dropped to about a 7:20 pace but found a little left in the tank to finish with an average pace of 7:00 minute mile. I met my goal and was happy!
Desiree finished in about 42 minuted with an average pace of around 8:15 minute mile.
It was a great race and a great way to finish our time in NY as we would have to head to the airport a few ours later to return home.
Wen asked what made me think of doing the race in a speedo, my mentality was:
When else can I ever say that I ran through Central Park in a speedo?
:)

the Big Apple

From ithica the next leg of our journey was to head to New York City. This would have a slight detour to visit a friend from college and her family in bridge water, NJ-the Nordstroms. I got to play tennis with the doc before dinner.
The next morning we headed out to make our way to Hoboken for carlo's bakery. It's was Desiree's request and what an awesome experience. You pick whatever pastry you want and you pretty much pay by the weight as we got a chocolate dipped canoli, lobster tail, and a macaroon. All totaling < $5.
We then made our way onto the island of manhattan via the Lincoln tunnel.
We checked into our hotel- the Washington Jefferson which was located a couple block from Times Square on 51st st between 7th and 8th ave. I then dropped off the rental and walked back to the hotel.

Highlight of our trip:
Running through Central Park- we did this twice and then 1 last time which was our 5mile Pride race. This is pretty much where the city is able to run and train as running through the city itself is inefficient because you pretty much have to stop at every block.
Dinner with Karen- I found out that one of my friends that graduated a year after me at Emory is a PT in manhattan. We hooked up with Karen to have dinner and she gave us some excellent suggestions on excellent eateries!
Desserts/sweets/and cupcakes- Max Brennar- this was a recommendation from Karen for a chocolate lover's paradise. We ended having chocolate pizza with roasted marshmallows and nutella with crushed hazelnut. Cupcakes are a staple in NYC- we stopped at a kiosk for 1 bite cupcakes and went to at least 2 other bakeries. One of Desiree's bakery highlights was Lavine's bakery where they have been rated the #1 chocolate chip cookie- a 4 ounce chocolate chip walnut cookie that was served to us fresh out of the oven and when bit into, still having the chocolate ooze.
Shopping- there seems to be no comparison to anywhere else as you can go to any district and find the same shops. High class, elegant, whatever your style is. I introduced Desiree to Century21 and she loved it. We hit up 3 different ones. I ended up finding a store that is a mix between GAP, express, and Lacoste called (insert). We did stop at the famous Macy's. what a mad house that was. We found out after our trip that it still houses the only working wooden escalator. Too bad we didn't know before hand or else we would have found it.
Dining- NYC has some of the best dining. We enjoyed restaurants such as Jay-Z's 40/40 club, Italian restaurant in little Italy, dim sum in Chinatown, sushi, Gotham's bistro. Another restaurant that Karen suggested was a breakfast eatery on the upper east side called Sarah Beth's. Desiree had exquisite fluffy French toast, and I ordered an omelette. The preserves were made in house and was some of the best strawberry jam that I have ever tasted. This ended up being our most expensive meal in all of New York ~$45.
Breakfast off the street- finding a food stand is the way to go for a quick coffee and bagel. Delicious and cheap.
Top of the rock- we were able to make it up to the top of Rockefeller centre just before sunset and got the experience the transition of the city from natural to city light. As the sun slowly crept down below the horizon, you would se another building light up. What a different way to see the city.
Statin Island Ferry- this is a great and free way to get a great view of the Statue of Liberty. We boarded just before sunset and the lighting was perfect to see the port and the Statue. It took about 40mins to get to the other side before just turning around to catch the ferry back to the city.
Highline/ Chelsea Market- Desiree found out a really cool pedestrian walkway that was once an old suspended railroad track that is now paved over and converted into a park. It's located in the lower west side just west of 9th ave and begins at 13th street to 32nd street. A about 17th street, we got off the highline and found Chelsea market. What a cool place which includes shops and restaurants. Amy's bakery is also located here. They make really good breads and are found in many local restaurants and grocery stores.
Getting around/hopstop app- having a car in NYC is very inefficient and expensive as daily parking can cost up to $45. A taxi also gets very expensive. So our weapon of choice as purchasing a weeklong metro card. This allows us access to subways and buses unlimited for the week. We would not have be able to navigate the city if it wasn't for the iPhone app- HopStop. This was a recommendation for Kate Nordstroms's dad and it saved us. We didn't look at a single subway map as the app tells you where you need to pick up the subway or bus, which stop to get off at, and how far to walk before reaching your destination. I also provides alternative routes and give accurate travel times. What a life saver. Even utilizing public transport, we probably walked an average of about 6-7 miles daily. That's probably why you do not see a lot of over weight people except tourists.

I'm that I am leaving out some other details and highlights, but checking back for future adventures as we continue to explore the world.

We can't wait until the next time we get to visit NYC again- whenever that may be.

Ithaca and wedding!!

Our vacation began flying to NYC and then a connecting to Syracuse. We then rented a car and took a scenic drive along lake Cayuga- the longest of the finger lakes. Stopped in Auburn, NY for lunch. Along the route to Ithaca, we stopped at a few wineries and soaked in the beautiful nature scene. We made it to our hotel in time to get cleaned up before heading to Anna's parents house for the rehearsal dinner. Yummy food from ithaca bakery. Anna's parents house was apparently built in the 1700s but has been remodeled and additions built. Wat a beautiful house though. We got to meet friends and family members and spend time with the bride and groom for a relaxing evening on the eve of the wedding.
The next morning, Desiree wakes me up and asks, "do you know what time it is?". Based on how sunny it was, I guessed around 07:30. However I was corrected with 05:30. The combination of the sun rising earlier and our room didn't have any blackout drapes. We decided to roam the local scenery and hopped in the car and drive around Ithaca and Cornell University to embrace the beauty of this area of the country. We stopped and walked around campus and took lots of pictures as Desiree has been intrigued with the "Christmas trees" all around as palm trees grow in florida. While walking around campus, we found chalked arrows and realized it was for the morning wedding day 10K fun run. The route was beautiful and took us from the parent's house around campus following familiar arrows placed strategically through campus and looping back to the house where we were greeted with breakfast. Everybody regrouped before leaving to relax before the wedding. We followed another couple to the local farmer's market. This was very well organized with produce, crafts, plants, and good eats.
We made our way back to the hotel to become beautified for the wedding on the beautiful historic campus of Cornell University.  The ceremony was held at the 1st president's house: A.D. White House in the amazing scenery of the back garden/lawn.  The ceremony was eclectic with readings, passages, and songs performed by family members before we headed to Williard Straight Hall for the reception.
What a banging party.  The outside patio of W.S. Hall overlooked a beautiful view of downtown Ithica and a distance Lake Cayuga.  The whole evening was lovely with meeting new friends, eating amazing food, drink, dessert, and dancing.  What more could you ask for!  And, how amazing to say that you were at a wedding at Cornell University.
Sunday, we went to church that we ran past during out 10k wedding run and joined Chris, Anna and company for bunch at the Siliciano residence.  Our day culminated handing out with the newly weds, and Chris's sister at a lake house on the opposite side of Lake Cayuga from Cornell.
The next morning would be waking up to the early rising sun and going for a run from the hotel around an accidentally stumbled upon trail before continuing to the next short leg of our vacation to Bridgewater, NJ to visit and stay a night with a friend from college and her family.
We left Ithica and drove through scenic NY before heading into Pennsylvania and ending up in NJ.  We stopped in Stroudsburg for lunch and a little sight seeing and arrived at the Nordstrom's residence in the afternoon.  I introduced Desiree to the family and before I knew it, I was putting tennis shoes on and playing some tennis with Dr Nordstrom.  He definitely schooled me as it has been over 3 years since I've picked up a racquet much less shuffle my feet.  I felt that I held my own as I struggled to hit a basic forehand ground stroke.  It was nice to have no pressure playing against a 50+ y/o guy who plays a couple times a week with collegiate players.
We fortunately had very hospitable accomidations before heading to New York and making a stop in Hoboken for some Carlo's Bakery goods and then into the city.

it's alive: EPS + 11 = italian beauty

The rap sheet:
Frame/Fork: Colnago EPS MTBK
Groupset: Campagnolo EPS
Handlebars: Zipp Carbon SL2
Stem: Shimano Pro carbon
Wheels: Powertap SL+ Mavic Open Pro
Water Cages: Tacx Tao Carbon
Data recording: Garmin 310XT

I have decided with on how my italian steed will be complimented.  I decided to go with Campagnolo Super Record 11.  I had the opportunity to go for a really good training ride yesterday riding the new group.  I finished the build Friday night.  The groupset is over 1 lbs. lighter then Shimano Dura Ace 7900 and the shifters feel more ergonomic in my hands.  The shifting is crips and precise.  Just as you would expect for the italians.

I didn't have any campagnolo wheels.  However, I don't ride with normal wheels.  I train and race with power, so I didn't need a campy wheelset.  I just bought a campy powertap freehub and I'm up and recording my metrics.

I have to say that this is the best bike I have ever ridden and am becoming a Campagnolo convert. 

Pictures Here. Enjoy.

Product Review: Colnago EPS matte black

I finally received my new bike about 2 weeks ago as I wanted a true italian steed- Made in Italia. The bike came with Campagnolo Record 10 speed group with sub 1300g carbon tubulars. I didn't have a full chance to appriciate the group, however the bike has since been outfitted with Dura Ace 7900. After openning the box, the bike was sub 14 lbs with the wheels. Wow this bike is light. It looks amazing too with the nude matte black raw carbon with subtle decals. Now with it set to a more familiar shifting componentry, I can actually learn the bike and get a feel for it. AMAZing is exactly how I can describe it.
At first glance, the bike looks like a stardard round carbon tubed joined together with carbon lugs.  Then you glance closer to notice the carbon weave pattern of the matte black exposed carbon.  What a beauty.  Reading reviews of the frame, it is ribbed inside the tubes and the layup of the carbon is in a particular manner that provides its characteristic Colnago personality.
I've been on the bike for about 2 weeks now and I can now understand that the shape of the frame and tubes, although traditional, has so much modern engineering that makes this steed one of the best bikes I have ever ridden.  If you remember back in February, I was riding a Cervelo S3 for a few months.  I love my old Cervelo R3 and my current P3C.  However, I was expecting to be blown away by the S3, but riding it, my expectations left me feeling a little empty. 
The EPS is everything that I expect in a top-tiered bike.  The bike is tips the scale similar to that of an anorexic 19 y/o college girl (no offense).  This makes it ideal for climbing. Weight isn't the only determination of a great climbing bike, but the fact that the Colnago propels you forward with every pedal stroke up a climb with all the power thru the pedals going straight to the wheels.  What goes up must come down and this bike does this even better then the way it climbs.  On the twisty decents, all you have to do is think of the next curve, and the bike seems to automatically have telepathy and make the thought a reality.  It is very swift and accurate making any type of decent confident.
On the flats, you can mash the power and it will be impossible for you to feel any flex.  As light as it is, the bike is stiff yet supple as the harsh road conditions are absorbed very well and little vibration it felt thru the handlebars. 
What can I say, I love this bike.  Every aspect of it- looks, feel, climbing, decending...
The final thing to do is to decide what groupset will grace this beauty-
1. Dura Ace 7900 mechanical
2. Dura Ace Di2 electric
or compliment Italian with Italian
3. Campagnolo Super Record 11
Help me decide.
More pictures click

Product Review: TYR Special Ops goggles

I received a pair of these prototype goggles from a special source.  Swimming at a competitive level is new to me, however I have been fortunate to have been given some high end gear from Jarrod and Alicia: Nikes, Saber, and other brand.  So when I received these, I was defenitely excited to see how well these would work out. 
It's been about 3months now that's I've had the opportunity to use these and I have to say that these are amazing goggles.  What I like most about them are how comfortable they are.  The rubber contact are even pressure around your orbitals.  Next up is the fact that they do not leak.  This also means that they do not fog up. 
When I used them at my 1st half about a month ago, the swim took a little over a month.  During the whole of the swim, I didn't have to stop once to adjust my goggles for any reason.
These are by far my favorite goggles and I look forward to using them more and aquiring a few more pairs.

Race Report: The Intimidator- Florida Challenge Half-Ironman

Vitals:

total distance: 70.3 miles

total time: 5:38:55

swim: 1.2 miles; 33:21 mins

t1: 3:21 mins

bike: 56 miles; time: 2:49; avgs- pace 19.9mph, 182 watts, HR 155bpm

t2: 1:42 mins

run: 13.1 miles; time 2:11; avgs: 10:02 min/mile; HR 145 bpm

The low down:
Race morning- up at 05:15 to get things ready and pack the car. We got down to the lakefront around 06:25 and I got inked with race number and race age. I got into the transition area to set up my spot, then to the potty to change and loose some weight. I got out and my support crew had grown by 200% as my brother and Darcey came early to hang out.  Shortly after, Josh and Jenny appeared.  I got into my wetsuit and headed down to the beach front to get into the zone.  Desiree took this opportunity to take glamour shots. 

Now if you remember back to my 1^st triathlon about a month ago, the swim wasn’t really pleasant for me.  So the anxiousness started to build.  They played the National Anthem and then set the 1^st corral to start- women.  10 minutes later, men over 40 and then my corral last- 5 minutes behind the over 40s.  3, 2…1 and we were off.  I ran/walked out as far as I could and then started swimming at my own pace.  The field was relatively spread out, so I didn’t have too much jockeying to do to defend my space.  I got into a rhythm and just concentrated on sighting and good swim form.  Before I knew it, I was turning the 1^st buoy.  I kept comfortable and then found myself rounding the second buoy to swim straight into the swim-out chute.  I looked down at my watch and swim time was only about 33 mins.  That’s awesome considering I budgeted myself about 40-45 mins for the swim.  I ran up the little sandy hill pulling my wetsuit down to my waist and make it to the carpet to drop down onto my back and have assistance pulling my wetsuit off.

I collected myself and headed to my bike and during this time I pulled my wedding ring off my necklace to put it back onto my finger.  A quick transition with a few seconds to just breathe before I pulled my bike off the rack and mounted to start the bike course. 

I anticipated the task at hand of about 2:30-2:40 budgeted for the bike leg.  “Stay comfortable and consistent. Take on nutrition.”  These where the thoughts going thru my head to meet my goal.  The turnaround on Wilson Lake was much sooner then I thought and we were back onto Cherry Lake for the long stretch of 19 before the climbs of Buckhill, Sugarloaf, and the Wall.  I felt comfortable and maintained my target threshold power.  On the way back on 19, we hit headwind and then turned onto Cherry Lake- the headwind seam to follow us no matter the direction we turned.  Towards the middle of Cherry Lake, My stomach started feeling queezy.  So for I had intake of about ½ bottle or fluids/nutrition, 2 gels, ½ powerbar, and some shot blocks.  I was feeling uneasy and was just over sitting on a saddle.  After turning off of Jalarmi and head around the lake, I wasn’t able to push any time of power thru the pedals.  The gas tank felt empty and my stomach was feeling more upset.  I got into transition to unload my bike and prepare for a ½ marathon, but the thought of the next task was daunting given how flat my legs felt and how crappy my stomach was.

Running shoes on, hat on, race belt on, and water bottle in hand- off I went.  Hear the legs felt even more flat as they felt like they weighed 100lbs.  I got thru the 1^st mile, and then second however as stumbled forward, my stomach worsened and I started to walk.  I passed by my support crew and they were cheering me on but could tell that I was not in a pleasant place.  Rose found me on her bike around mile 3 and “rode” far, but close to me and encouraged my, gave me a salt tablet and told me to just slow down and recover.  Miles 4 and 5 were spend mostly walking and by the 1 hour mark, I had only gone just over 5 miles.  I stopped at every water station and cooled myself off internally and externally dumping cups of H2O on myself.  I kept telling myself that the next water station, I would ask for a cellphone and call Desiree to pick me up as I was done.  Oddly, my stomach started feeling better and my legs could get into a rhythm.  My turnover was better and as I passed the lakefront to start my second lap, I was feeling more comfortable.  Team Dinh was out cheering my on and Kara found me and decided to do some jogging at a similar pace as me.  The miles started to diminish and before I knew it I was at mile 10, then 11.  I worked on staying comfortable and keep my legs turned over.  Mile 12- only 1 more to go.  I pass Kevin’s house and one last hose down and I’m rounding the trail for the home stretch.  I see the finishing chute and Team Dinh is there waiting and cheering.  I cross the finish and raise my arms up in relief that if was over and I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.  I was greeted by Team Dinh with praises of great job!

We hung out for just a little bit before rushing home to clean up and get ready for Chris and Maria’s Wedding.

What an experience.  I learned a lot from this race.  My training with runs of the bike have been about 7:30-8:00 min/mile pace.  However, that doesn’t always translate to what you’ll be able to do during the race.  Other factors such as an empty tank and stomach issues can definitely throw a speed bump in your plan.  I wanted to quit but stayed in and completed.  As Desiree said, part of the ironman/half-ironman experience is dealing with your demons and getting past it to do your race.  I remember watching The NBC special Ironman World Championship where a pro female finished in the hundreds where she finished top 5 the previous year.  She states, “why should I quit just because things aren’t going my way just because I’m a pro.”  She walked a lot of the marathon.  I had a similar mentality- “I’m going on for about 5 ½ hours now.  I should be finished soon.  There will still be people out here for another 2-3 hours.  Do what you need to do to finish!”

My goals now are to take a little time off, but continue to train and add in a better nutrition plan that should sustain be and that I would feel better to avoid running on E!

Thanks to all those for the support.

Race Report: Winter Garden Crit

Vital:
short
intense
ran out of gas
The run down:
I forgot to show up to the race. It started off intense as the 1st couple laps we were averaging about 27-28mph. I was towards the back so I was doing more work then I should have. After 6 laps, I threw in the towel and road a "cool down" lap solo. I just didn't have the anaerobic conditioning needed for the intensity.

I only started to do some anaerobic training over the last week- 20 second spin ups and 1 minute anaerobic threshold intervals. just not enough on the week of the race.

Oh well, my main training is for long aerobic tempo for the 1/2 ironman in 3 weeks.

Thanks to those for coming out and supporting me- the wifey, her nephew, John/Casey and the kids, and Chris and Kara. Too bad I couldn't give you more of a show.

Recovery...

Recovery

We got massages after getting back from church on Sunday and I took a nap after Lisa left. I woke up and I felt like I just got hit by a mack truck. Just moving was difficult much less walking. We decided to take the rest of the evening easy and head to bed early as I was pretty much useless. I told Desiree that I may call in tomorrow because of how bad I felt. She said that I need to go to work as it would have been poor planning not to ask for the day off ahead of time.
I woke up on Monday and I was feeling just as bad- both calves, right hamstring, and L IT band, and I was having pain in my right lateral tibial condyle that produces pain with eccentric control of my right quadriceps. I decided that driving to work would be a smarter choice then my usual commute on the bike. Work was tough as walking down steps is all eccentric quad control causing pain to my right knee. Also, if I would sit for just a little while doing notes at the computer, getting up and going was slow. Walking was difficult because of how sore my right hamstring was- with every time I would swing my right leg forward and extend my knee to step.
Fortunately I have a secret recovery tool- underwater treadmill. I headed over to Leah’s clinic and got into the pool. I jogged for about 30 minutes. After getting out, my legs felts a little heavy however weren’t as sore. I felt about 60% recovered after walking on land just a little and the legs feeling less heavy. Again a relatively early night for bed time to wake up and get onto the trainer.
Both Desiree and I woke up and got set up in front of the tv- her on the trainer while I got onto the rollers. I felt 75% better waking up but after about 40 mins on the bike, my legs really loosened up and then 85% better. Walking was better, no pain in the knee, and my right hamstring was no longer a problem. Work as usual but pretty much another day off from training, just recovery.
Wednesday I woke up feeling pretty good, just some soreness in the calves. So I decided to ride easy to work and back since I was feeling about 90% recovered. That was the only activity planned for the day to make sure that I was well recovered before getting back to the grind.
Thursday, it was go time back to training. I got onto the bike and road Cherry lake out and back as this is part of the course for my big race on April 15th. At lunch, I was able to get into the pool and did a straight 1500 meters. Both workouts felt pretty good and I am scheduled to head out to Lucky’s to spend more time with long distance open water swimming on Saturday.
Back to the grind and looking forward to the next few weeks of training.
Thanks to all for the support.

Race Report- Gasparilla Half Marathon

Race report: 03/04/2012 06:00
Vitals-
Total time: 1:41:57
Distace: 13.1 miles
Avg pace: 07:43 minute/mile
Avg HR: 167 bpm
Place: division- 35; overall 386/4547; top 10%

How it went down:
After my triathlon yesterday, we headed back to the house to unload, get cleaned up and wait for Josh and Jenny to pick us up. We got to Tampa and enjoyed a nice expo and checked into our hotel to enjoy a little nap. The hotel was located pretty much across the street from International Plaza and we decided to have dinner at Blue Martini and take advantage of their happy hour. Half off all drinks and the food menu. How appropriate for our half marathon today. We got back to the hotel after walking around the mall just a bit around 19:45 to wind down for the evening. What old farts we are.
04:00 the alarms started as we were set to leave by 10 to 05:00. It was a quick car ride to the start/finish area and Jenny found a parking garage a few blocks from where we needed to be. As we were walking over, the skies opened up and 20-30 mph winds were accompanied by torrential downpour. The rain was coming down sideways. We sought shelter inside the convention center as well as to unload some weight. After our duties were completed, we headed out towards the start finish with a promising sign that the rain was over. We all finagled our way towards the front group as there were over 4700 people running this AM. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait long before the actual start of the race. Just a few seconds after 06:00 and the sound went off.
My plan was to stay with Josh. Our plan was to keep it about 8:15 pace for the 1st 5 miles, then 7:45 for the second 5 miles and then finish the last 5km with whatever we had left. The first mile pace was 8:13- right on target. However the next 4 miles, we were down to 8:00 pace.
Once we hit mile 5, we increased the pace down to 07:46. Again right on target. However the next few miles we drop the pace down again to around 7:30. Around mile 10, I was still with Josh having him pace me, however I could feel the tempo in my legs and told Josh to go ahead at his own temp and finish strong. I stayed around 7:25-7:30 for the last 5km. My legs were starting to feel really sore and the back of the right shoe was really hitting into my Achilles. However, I pushing at around sub 7 for the last .3 mile and stopped the clock for a total time of 1:41:57.
I grabbed a heat foil wrap and met up with josh who finished at 1:41:06. I then headed back to the finish line and waited for Desiree to come in and cheer her on. She stopped the clock at 1:55:51. Yay! A great run for her as she was plagued with sickness and some foot discomfort over the past 3-4 weeks. We grabbed our awesome finisher medals and headed back to the car. I was moving slow and bending over to pick up a dropped water bottle was painful. I legs were very sore- calves, hamstrings, IT bands…
We were ahead of schedule to check out and decided enjoyed a yummy breakfast at ihop. Then back home. Desiree and I had massages scheduled once we go home but changed our schedule just a bit given as the time would alot us to make it to noon mass at Blessed Sacrament. We dropped out bags into the house and hopped in the car to make it just in the knick of time.
Once we got back home, I hopped onto the trainer to spin the legs for about 20 mins as we waited for Lisa to come and enjoy our massages.
I felt like I had a great race. I wasn’t really nervous and what helped was having Josh and our plan. I felt that it was well executed even if we did push ahead of our targeted pace. We were able to stay consistent. Also, up until this point, the furthest I had for distance was 10 miles. Now I’m really hurting trying to recover and get food back into me.
Special thanks to Jenny Malcolm for making this experience awesome and for the support. She chauffeured us around and was a great spectator when the weather was more than less then ideal.
I’m not taking a couple days off before heading back to the training.

Race report- Clermont non-draft legal sprint triathlon

Race report 3/3/2012 07:30

Vitals-

Total time: 1:20:13

Swim: 750m , 17:23, avg HR 167bpm

T1: 3:02

Bike: 20km, 35:31, avgs: 201wts, 167bpm, 21.5 mph

T2: :22

Run: 5+km, 23:56, avgs: 7:22, 170bpm

How it went down-

Slight overcast in the AM and the temp as a mild 68-69 F. The first race of the day consisted of all non-draft legal participants. We stood on the shoreline and sang the National Anthem. Then we walked out about 50m into the water before the countdown of the start. 5..4..3..2..1..buzz. The group was about 60-70 and we all ran until the water level was decent enough to swim. I stayed slightly outward towards the right and focused on just getting going.

It wasn't quite so chaotic as you may have seen on tv with a Kona start. I worked on staying as comfortable as possible. However I found my head out of the water a lot for sighting and when my head was in the water, I was drinking. It's a feeling like no other that you can practice unless you just do it at a race. Hours and laps at the pool and practices in open water just doesn't fully prepare you. It was a little overwhelming and anxious. I never did find a rhythm and I don't even know if you an call what I did for ~17 mins as 'swimming.'

I was able to make it out of the water and had a long run ahead to get to transition area where I prepared for the bike.

While in the transition area, I had a difficult time getting my feet out of my wetsuit. Then, getting them into socks was another feet but eventually I managed. Next, I heard Clausen in the distance cheering me on and saying 'helmet.' Of course I kept the chin strap clipped and I fought to unclip my helmet. Bike shoes on. Helmet on. Then ourtof transition I went, pushing my bike before mounting onto the saddle.

I got into the groove quickly as the bike is my forte. I kept the cadance high and slowly picked off riders as I worked my way through the field to make up for lost time. 3 laps on the bike course and I worked to stay hydrated. I took in a gel with about 1.5 miles remaining before dismounting the bike and transitioning for the run.

This transition went by faster then the previous. However, I did run in my bike shoes to put my bike on the rack and switch into my running shoes, trade helmet for hat, and get my running on.

For the run, I stayed relaxed and didn't shoot out like a gun. Paced myself well and took on some water just after the start of the run, however I wasnt too successful with the water intake. Instead, I nearly choked as the water splashed in my face and only managing some into my month. Mental note for next time, water on the head to cool down instead of trying in the mouth and choke. The run was 2 laps, about 1.5 miles each. As I started my second lap, I was holding a good tempo but was slowly getting passed by a guy from Columbia. I decided to stay with him and have him pace me. At times, I would drift back from him just a little. He would encourage me, "come on". I stayed with him and we finished together. My mile pace dropped from a 07:35 pace for the first 2 miles down to 07:08 for the last mile. I wasn't gassed at the end but could feel that I worked hard and was a little fatigued in my legs.

Great race and then time for recovery. We grabbed some food at the participate tents and then headed to car. Onto the rollers at the parking lot inorder to flush the legs for tomorrow's half marathon. Desiree said that there were people staring and spectators watching me cool down while I was on the rollers. After about 30 minutes of cool down, we closed up shop and headed home to prepare for the next adventure in Tampa- the Gaspailla half marathon.

Thanks to all for the support at and during the race and those that were there in spirit.

Special thanks to josh for his help on transitions and the wifey for her love, support, and the PR.

Click for pictures.

now or never

I finally signed up for my 1st triathlon- Clermont Draft Legal Challenge hosted by Jarrod Shoemaker. I will be doing the non-draft legal age group race which will be this Saturday. Sunday will be my first 1/2 marathon in Tampa, FL- Gasparilla Half Marathon.
A weekend of firsts to pop the cherry and de-virgin me of the multisport and endurance world.

The past month I have had the pleasure of training with Tony, Dave, Darrell and Leah. Non only on the bike, but also off the bike and on the road running. They are really been encouraging and supportive providing me with tips and techniques to perpare me for my upcoming events.

Also thanks to my wife who is encouraging and supportive in my crazy training and racing schedule.

Stay tuned for race reports of the weekend festivities.

cyclist or triathlon... what do you say?

Cyclist- Please click:


Triathlon- Please click:


Which one are you?

3rd Annual After Holiday Ugly Holiday-Sweater Party

We hosted yet again another successful After Holiday Ugly Holiday Sweater Party. The food spread was quite the talks. This year we decided to do fresh made pizzas and a total of 8 were made throughout the night. Some of the speciality pizzas included fried egg and BBQ with ham and onions. We had plenty of other great fixings including rotissarie chicken, bacon wrapped chicken, brie, bruchetta, salads and the works. For a sweeter note, there was any kind of dessert to fulfill your sweetest buds- tres leches cake, tiramisu, coconut cake, shot-glass cheesecake and others.
We had a greaet turnout. The real reason why people came was to compete in the best dressed Ugly Holiday Sweater. The previous reigning champions were not in attendence, therefore the floor was open and the battle was on. Some fantastic heavy knit sweaters. However the winners would be obvious as their sweater were not only obnoxious, but also audible.

and the winners are...

Josh and Jenny Malcolm and the prize of a Holiday Mr Potato Head.
Stay tuned for the 4th Annual After-Holiday Ugly Holiday-Sweater Party and bring you best or worst sweaters.

Click for more pictures.

late christmas...my new baby

it came in today!

...insert details....

pictures: http://sports.webshots.com/album/582185243HbxtcJ

Eventful weekend

A lot accomplished, a lot done.

It all began Saturday, 8AM ride with Paez, Darrel, Tony and Dave. Steady and easy was the pace. We started from the lakefront and headed to Groveland via montevista and headed west on pine island and turned north onto 33. Not even a mile onto 33 with a steady 20mph pace line, Paez behind me hits a rock and goes airborne send Darrel behind him to ride over Paez and crash as well. Fortunately they were able to walk and it appeared that nothing was fractured between the guys and their bikes. However they were pretty banged up and riding home wasn't even a thought for the two of them.

Tony, Dave and I decided just to backtrack home to get off the main road and take it pretty easy back to the lakefront. Our morale dropped from the event.

When I got home, yummy breakfast of chocolate chip waffles with the wifey. We then got ready to start our day together beginning with heading down to Orlando to the Asian market. Desiree wanted to pickup some sweet sticky rice and some spring rolls as her lunch. We then walked downtown publix to grab me a sub. The plan was to head down towards the science museum and draw out a sheet to have lunchin the park. We brought a frisbee and book with us to relax outside. I of course ended up taking a nap, while Desiree started a new book.

Afterwards, over to St Margaret Mary's for church and dinner at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant Pho 88. Or date day would continue with a movie at winter park village- "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". The theatre was the craziest I have ever scene it. Both lines inside for the fandango kiosk were crowded as well as the concierge desk. Outside the like was extended out past Johnny rockets. Everybody inline was commenting on how busy it was and that they have never seen it like this. I guess a lot of the big movies we starting around 19:00. The movie was good, however pretty disturbing. Not recommended for a first date unless you're into that sort of thing. The movie was originally in Swedish and the title translates to- 'Men who hate Women'. You can only imagine what disturbing things we were referring to. The night culminated with our favorite dessert place- Yogurtland. Then home to bed it was. What a long and eventful day.

Sunday began similar to Saturday. A 2 hour bike ride with josh. And today would be home improvement project day. We decided to paint the office and the kitchen. Light gray for an elegant office and sea foam blue to compliment the cabinets and countertops of the kitchen. W competed both rooms in about 5 hours. How crazy it is to put a little colour on the wall and change the feel and look of a place. We're really happy how things turned out.

Happy New Years...2011 recap

How crazy it is that we are now onto the 1st day of 2012. Happy New Years.
2011 was a crazy year. Lots of new changes, mostly all good. Let start chronologically.

January-
-took delivery of my new car/project- Nissan silvia s14.5- and the wrenching begins
-2nd Annual After Holiday Ugly-Holiday Party- A very special day, as it was the day that I proposed to Desiree.

February-
-wedding planning begins
-Unitas Marriage Prep classes begin
-still wrenching on the Nissan Silvia
-Vote for Pedro; Actually Vote for Desiree and Nguyen Vu for Crate and Barrel Wedding Contest
-training

March-
-still wrenching on Silvia
-family engagement party
-training

April-
-Silvia is up and running however now for sale!
-engagement session with our photographers
-Nguyen Vu on bike vs Car- cervical collar and ER- all tests normal

May-
-Silvia still for sale
-more wedding planning
-back to light training
-1st cruise- Carnival Cruise Line- The Dream; I'm hooked. when's the next one?

June-
-1st race of the season; Ferndale, FL; dropped out after 22miles when we were averaging 26mph- tough course and tempo, not well prepared
-Take delivery of my new car purchased down in Ft. Lauderdale- 2005 Audi A6
-training, hot summer coming
-more wedding planning
-Silvia sill for sale

July-
-A month of Le Tour- my team- Garmin/Cervelo; Thomas Voeckler; Yellow Jersey winner- Cadel Evans; Tour de France Party!
-painting the house
-more wedding planning
-silvia still for sale

August-
-trying out new electrolite nutrition on the bike
-decided to sign up for a triathlon for 2012
-of course...wedding planning and... silvia still for sale

September-
-2nd road race of the season- Ocala, FL I finished and happy with my performance
-Bachelor Party- Bucs vs Falcons in Tampa Raymond James Stadium- Bucs win!
-wedding planning- crunch time
-Silvia for sale.. still

October-
-Desiree 1st 1/2 marathon- Disney Wine and Dine night race
-Sold Silvia
-the start of my 1/2 Ironman triathlon training- swim, bike, run
-D-Day- Time is now or never; finishing last details
-29th- Our Special Wedding day- Best day of my life
-Honeymoon- Costa Rica- Sunday to Sunday- Manuel Antonio

November-
- Honeymoon- hiking, swimming, surfing, zip lining, horseback riding, ATVing, white water rafting; eating, sleeping, relaxing, loving ;)....
-Desiree 2nd 1/2 marathon- Women's Health in St. Petersburg, FL
-swim, bike, run, weight training- new triathlon gear- TYR Cat 5 sleeveless wetsuit
-wedding picture preview
-Happy Thanksgiving
-Christmasing the house

December-
-Lucky's Lake swim
-Lake front open water swim trainings
-Desiree 3rd 1/2 marathon, 3 in 3 months; Lake Louisa Clermont, FL; PR- 1:54:37
-Christmas- lots of love, family, and training gear

What a busy year it has been and it seems like only yesterday is when I proposed to Desiree.
Now over 2 months married and loving it. It's easy.

On to 2012- New goals, New adventures, and a new partner in my life- my wife Desiree!