Going on a Diet! 4 months left! #AIDSLifeCycle

With a little bit more than 4 months to go in training, I have decided to go into overdrive - which is funny because I have been so sick that I haven't been able to ride my bike for 2 weeks.

NOTE: Don't forget to donate! 

Considering there is 4 months and 4 days left, I have to take some extreme measures.

1) I'm going on a diet.

You heard that right.  A diet.  Most people may hard that find to believe that I am going on a diet, consisting mainly of lean vegan proteins and protein shakes, but then again, I can quit smoking cold turkey and give up alcohol the same way - without being tempted when its around me.

This is just to jump start my metabolism.  I need to get leaner for riding and shifting to a lean protein diet will help me get there.

Breaking it down into detail:

Breakfast: consisting of either oatmeal or cottage cheese

Lunch/Dinner: Brown rice, vegan patty

2) I have a trainer.

That sounds crazy - but that is correct.  I am in it to win it, well not LITERALLY to win the ride - but winning in the sense to finish the ride.  I have signed up with a trainer with 24 hour fitness and pretty soon, I'll be cross training with weight lifting to make me even stronger.

3) New equipment.

I have bought new running shoes!  Crazy right!?  I didn't realize this, but I have a half marathon in April!  Soooo, I gotta get my butt in gear for that one.  

There are a couple of things I still need to get:

A) A bike lock - USPS has managed to lose my Amazon order

2) Bike shoes - I'm going to wait for this one - maybe mine is still in Reno

It's still trippy that I have to do all of this, but I feel that if I don't put these external pressures on myself that I will not be fit enough for the ride - the last 2 weeks of not training probably had something to do with this extreme reaction to have the need to do all of this, but its done - and you guys know I'm cheap so since I'm signed up - it's going to happen!

YouTube: http://goo.gl/0vks5e 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

#AIDSLifeCycle - Training 01/09/2016

Training today was pretty fun.  

It has been a long time since I rode my bike to Kailua - years - over 4 years probably and it was pretty cool to see that I could still do it.  

NOTE: Check out my Fundraising Page - if you have done so yet.

Yup, got a flat tire - thanks to my CO2 cartridge, I was able to ride all the way to Kailua.

What do you do after you ride your bike 25+ miles?  Go swimming - of course!

Ha!  After the cycling, swimming, napping, breakfast time!

Special thanks to my friend Michelle for dropping me back home - yup, no way I was making it back.  lol

YouTube: http://goo.gl/0vks5e 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

First time cycling in forever!!

Back in the day, I use to ride my bikes over mountains, across cities, past bridges as far as I possibly could.  Crazy part is, because I still use the same tracking app - RunKeeper, the LAST time I rode on a bike was back in 2012 - when I was in Florida!

Oh my times have changed!  My first time on my bike since 2012 was crazy fun - I remembered exactly why I love to ride my bike... 

I went on a quick bike ride before heading out to work yesterday - while I was sick!  Long story short, I've been sick since yesterday and I'm finally getting over the mild case of food poisoning.

Well, a lot more training to get to 545 miles!  

YouTube: http://goo.gl/0vks5e 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

2016 AIDS LifeCycle - ROUTE!

It seems like all I've been talking about is AIDS LifeCycle for the past couple of weeks and probably all I'll be talking about for the next couple of months - well until its over anyways... LOL

Visit my Fundraising Web Page - to learn more and donate =) 

This is the Route for 2016 AIDS Life Cycle - yes cycling from San Francisco to Los Angeles!

Here is the complete route:

DAY 1	San Francisco to Santa Cruz	82 MILES
DAY 2	Santa Cruz to King City	109 MILES
DAY 3	King City to Paso Robles	63 MILES
DAY 4	Paso Robles to Santa Maria	91 MILES
DAY 5	Santa Maria to Lompoc	43 MILES
DAY 6	Lompoc to Ventura	88 MILES
DAY 7	Ventura to Los Angeles	62 MILES

TOTAL = 545 MILES!!

YouTube: http://goo.gl/0vks5e 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

Cycling - The most expensive casual sport!

So... my bike was finally delivered last night and I can't wait to start riding!  Some people have been asking me, "If I have my bike?" and the answer is YES!

(NOTE: Don't forget to check out why I am doing this ride - AIDS Life Cycle - share this link or donate! http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/hawaiiinsomniac) 

However, there is so much more that you need for long distance cycling.  Granted, some of these things are optional, but if you want to take cycling seriously, these things become mandatory.

First, of course the bike!

Yey!  Next up for safety - helmet (that's necessary, right?)  I bought the most basic helmet available at the store.

Next up - bike pump - a must for cyclists!  Tire pressure is crucial.  If you're tire doesn't have the right pressure, its easier to puncture and it slows you down.

  

Next up, in case you do have a bike flat.  Tire lever set to remove the tire.  A replacement tube and the CO2 cartridge to put air back in the tube! and the pouch to put that in!

Oh yeah - cycling apparel.  Fortunately, I saved some from when I use to train and I also bought some in Spain - thanks Decathlon!  So much cheaper than anything here in the U.S.

What's not pictured here?!  (I've already ordered this stuff)

Lights!  The bike comes with reflectors - which is ok, if you're only riding in the day.  For Hawaii athletes, you know you have to train earlier to beat the heat - so lights are necessary!  

SPD cleats!  For short rides a regular pedal is fine.  Just use your regular shoes and ride away!  However, if you're going to start riding 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 or more miles, you'll want clip on shoes and pedals - why - you don't have to worry about your feet sliding and you can focus on rotation!

Yes, I've already spent almost $1,000 - and I got one of the road bikes on the lower end! 

And there are still more thing I need and want.  

I even started an Amazon WISHLIST 

(in case any of you are feeling super generous)

1)  SPD shoes (not included in wish list - I have to buy these at the store to try them on!) - the cleats are just what attaches to the bike - I'll need to buy special shoes to latch on to the cleats

2) Special Bike tools - not super expensive, but its like a screwdriver set for adjusting things on your bike.

3) Bike Rack - I'm currently storing this in my room and I'll probably continue doing so, but this way at least its feasible.

4) Bike Lock - With a bike lock, my rides aren't restricted to coming back home, I can go somewhere else and secure the bike - with a more expensive bike - you'd kinda want a more secure system.

5) Phone Mount (completely optional), but hey after an hour of riding it'd be nice to listen to some music, no?

Yeah - After that - that's about it.  Focus on riding - getting back into shape - then in the future - nutrition! 

YouTube: http://goo.gl/0vks5e 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

My New Bike!

It's official!  I can start training for the 2016 AIDS LifeCycle - well starting Friday afternoon when my bike is delivered.  Make that Saturday morning, because I am hanging out with Michelle Friday night.  Actually, Saturday afternoon.  I have to go to Best Buy and return the laptop I bought and get something better for video editing.

Yeah, Saturday afternoon, closer to evening, because its really hot in the afternoon with the blazing sun.  

Anywho!  In addition to the bike, there is TONS of new gear that I bought and more I have to buy.  I have a new helmet, bike pump, Co2 cartridge, rear mount pouch to put everything in.

I still have to buy lights, clips, cycling shoes, aero bars (in the future), water bottle, maybe a phone mount, ooohhh, maybe one of those LED lights that goes around the tire!

Anywho, thanks everyone for following along this journey with me.

If you haven't done so, please check out my fundraising page, any donation will be greatly appreciated.  Sometimes I have to remember who I am doing this for.

YouTube: http://goo.gl/0vks5e 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

TechTalk - FitTalk - 1,000 Miles - RunKeeper

 Remember the days, when the only way you could actually keep track of your workout distance and time is by running laps? or running a trail?

Thanks to smartphones with GPS along with smart techies that made awesome applications, now we can just start an application and BAM! Our pace, distance, time, elevation, even heartrate can be tracked.

Well, I've used several applications out there (previously Nike+, but their shoes suck) and I had years of lag before I found RunKeeper I love the app so much that I even changed to an Android phone (the windows version doesn't work as well).

So... today I reached a milestone using the runkeeper application - 1,000 miles!!  Through a  combination of running, cycling, a little bit of hiking and a smidgen of walking.

Any other RunKeeper users out there?!

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

Exploring St. Petersburg...

At first glance, St. Petersburg can be intimidating, but once you figure out the street grid system, its really quite manageable....

So... Avenues run east and west... and Streets run North and South (aaaahhhhh)...

You see the 10 mile marker?, that's 1 Ave N, and one below it is 1 Ave S (each a one way), there is a street in the middle called... wait for it... Central Ave...

St. Pete actually isn't a really big place... I've zigged and zagged up and down, and really can't wait to explore some more on the islands...

Thinking of heading up to Treasure Island soon and maybe even ride my bike all the way from Tampa!

Gasp!

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

More Pictures - ATE IT.

Hmmm...

Please note the pictures below maybe graphic for some...

This morning is training day... well the race is next week... The plan today was to ride for 85 miles... and unfortunately, I was a bit short of my training goal today by 20 miles... 

Excuses, excuses... right?

My here are pictures for my first injury on the bike! Yippie! lol - yes, I know I'm small kine weird but to be honest, I am happy that its only my first accident in 2.5 years - meaning I learned how to ride a bike 2.5 years ago, not that I had an injury 2.5 years ago!

so... what happened?!?!

Well, I'm on my way to riding my 85 miles and I'm somewhere past Kaneohe on my way to Kualoa ranch and beyond.  The conditions were not optimal - it was very windy, it had rained on and off... 

No, I did not get hit by a car... It was witchcraft (I'm reading a little bit of E.E Evans Pritchard) 

Actually, I had a bad case of the sniffles and the sneezes... and it was just weird actually...  My nose had been dripping for about 20 miles - luckily I've learned snot rockets... and suddenly, I could not stop sneezing... and the road had a steep drop between the road and the small sidewalk, and I ate it going about 15 miles an hour... 

The initial impact really knocked the wind out of me... then everything started to sting.  Luckily, someone on the other lane stopped - told me to lay down and make sure to catch my breath - he also diverted traffic and moved my bike to the grassy sidewalk.

He was very nice... Asked me if I needed a ride, but I could tell he was in a rush - so I said no... A couple minutes later I composed myself and a pickup truck passed by and asked if I was ok and if I needed a ride... well, I said yes! - I <3 hitchhiking!  He said he could drop me off in Kaneohe town and he would drive me to Kailua - but he needed to catch a flight, so I was dropped off at Safeway Kaneohe - I said my thanks and we parted ways...

After rechaining my bike, I decided to give it another go... I ended up riding about 4 miles until I was pretty much over it, my legs had some cramping and I'm sure the open wound did not help...

So, I started sticking my thumb out!  Lucky me! Twice in a day!  A pickup stopped and agreed to drop me off in Kailua - on Oneawa street!  I rode my bike for about 10 minutes to my friends house where I've been dog-sitting for the weekend.  I put my bike in my car and what's the first thing I do??!

Play with the dogs - of course! They've been locked up for 5 hours and its not their fault I had the sniffles!  After that fed them, pet them and then I decided I needed to go to Longs to buy some essentials to patch up my injuries...

Needless to say, I am all bandaged up and besides my bum - I don't think anything else will bruise - well except my ego.. lol

Left leg

Left knee

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

riding a bike...

Mike and Julie

ha... i so have to write about this picture...

this picture has mike and julie who assembled my first road bike...

well, this picture has soooooooo much meaning to me...

2 years ago i did not know how to ride a bike! yes, i know... i was deprived as a child...

well, i had signed up for the honolulu triathlon with team in training... to do a triathlon, its sorta beneficial to know how to swim (which i learned the year prior) and also how to ride a bike...

i remembered going to the first meeting and the whole team was there, the fast group just left and basically rode their bikes around hawaii kai...

since i was a beginner, there were about 5 of us in the boat parking lot in hawaii kai and yes, i was the only one who didn’t know how to ride a bike... i had my walmart bike which i tried to learn on before, without much success...

needless to say, i was pretty embarrassed, i rode around the parking lot, well fell a lot, and mike is a complete genius... i had one on one time with him... and he just told me one thing... “look where you are going”... next thing you know, i’m going in the direction where i am looking, which is not down... lol where i normally look.

to this day, i still remember the bike, mike, the people in the parking lot, doug, nancy, cheering me on, when i finally got the hang of it....

in a span of 3 months, i moved from a walmart mountain bike, to a hybrid bike, to a road bike.

i love riding my bike and yes, i owe many thanks to mike...

don’t say its ever too late to learn... you can do it!

when was the last time you rode your bike? go out there and have fun!!

thxxxxxx mike... you rock!! 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

2 weeks

2 WEEKS

I am still in disbelief.

2 Sundays ago, I was learning how to ride a bike. Last Sunday, was my first time riding on the street in a pack.

Today, we had our first time trial and I can't believe the progress I have made.

Just goes to show. Anything is possible.

Pic of me & some new friends.



Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.