Double Header Weekend

This past weekend I decide to sign up for 2 races. Tri 4 Fun on Saturday in Pleasanton and Silicon Valley Tri on Sunday in San Jose.

I always thought it would be fun to race Tri 4 Fun again. It was the race that started it all. 4 years ago when I race it, I had no idea what I was doing. I riding my heavy mountain bike with no water bottle or gel. Saturday was a different ball game. I came to see how fast I could go with all the training and experience I've gained the last couple years. After a rough swim, a fast bike, and a pretty hilly run, I finished in 1:04. Not a bad start to the weekend.

Sunday I woke up around 4:30am and drove myself down to Almaden Lake in San Jose. I racked my bike and went over to registration to pick up my race number. They had 1 person working the registration! It took me 45mins to pick up my number. By this time I only had 15 mins to get body marked and my transition area ready before my swim wave. It was not a great way to start a race. Quickly got my stuff together, body marked, wetsuit on, and totally forgot to put sun block on. Ran down to the swim start a couple minutes before the 7:00am start. Did a little warm up, and stood there for another 20mins. WTF?! Apparently the race organizers failed to mention the start times were pushed back 20mins due to the Pro Challenge. Great... I hurried for nothing! After the Elite Wave, it was time to go.

The swim was pretty uneventful. But I could definitely feel my fatigue body from the previous day's race. Out of the water and onto the bike. Once on the bike I was immediately greeted with a head wind. uhh.. This is gonna suck. With a head wind my mph on the bike drops about 3-4 mph. And with tired legs, it was definitely not looking to be a good ride. Came back into transition, changed out of my bike shoe into my run shoe and off to the run course. I looked at my watch and realized that I could potentially PR this race, so I gave it my all. But lady luck was not on my side today. The race organizers had a last minute run route change and screwed up the distance on the run course. What was suppose to be a 6.2 mile run turned into a 7+ mile run. Finished the race in 2:47 with an extra mile on the run. I'll take it, knowing that I would have PRed if the run was actually what it's suppose to be.

Overall I was very disappointed with the way this year's race was organized.

You know you're training for an IRONMAN when...

- Your car becomes your personal locker.
- House chores are never done.
- There always seems to be a load of laundry to be done.
- Your friends think you're a little crazy.
- Your friends/family never see you anymore.
- Your idea of staying up late is 10pm.
- Work start to get in the way of training.
- You are constantly hungry.
- You can pack a full days worth of calorie into sport bottle.
- A 5-6 hour workout is pretty normal.
- Brunch is usually at 3pm.
- A 3 mile run to get your car at the car dealer isn't much of a workout.

Louie Tri

Days prior to this training race, it was pouring rain. I was definitely not real excited about training in the cold, and it was suppose to rain that day as well. But I guess it was time to IRON up.

Saturday night I went through my check list of the things I needed for the race; Wetsuit, tri shorts, running shoes, cycling shoes, and all the nutritional needs for the day. I also packed a couple different tops as I won’t know the weather condition until I was out there. It was better to be prepared than not having it when you need it.

As I roll into the parking lot Sunday morning at Treasure Island, I was surprise to see the amount of people who will be participating in this race. It was a combination of SF IronTeam, South Bay IronTeam, and also the winter triathlon team. I never knew we had so many people on the team! I grabbed all my gear, found a spot to set up transition and went to get my race number.

By the time I finished setting up, the sky started turning blue and the sun was shining. Guess it wasn’t going to be that bad after all. After a brief introduction about Louie Bonpua and why we were there to honor him, we set off to the swim start.

Even as the air temperature was warming up, I knew the water was going to be cold. My strategy was just to jump in and grind it out and hope for the best. It was so cold that my face started to hurt and I started tearing up inside my goggles. It felt like millions of pins poking your whole face and never lets up. I thought about going back to shore after the first lap, but held strong and finished the 3 loop swim course. By the time I finished the swim, I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a lot of blood left in my head. I felt light headed and what? I can’t walk straight?

For the bike we did a 6 lap back and forth around Treasure Island. I remembered to keep hydrating and intake calories, as I always forget and would be totally drained by the start of the run. The bike course ride along the edge of Treasure Island and we were treated with a fantastic view of the bay bridge and the city. There were moments of “What the hell is up with this head wind?!” and moments of “Crap! Pot holes! Ouch!!”After 6 laps of furious headwind, I turned back to transition and started the run.

Off the bike and onto the 4 laps of out and back run. I used this opportunity to run a little harder and practice my run/walk strategy. By this point, it started to get cold and the wind was picking up. So I tried to hurry to finish as I didn’t want to catch a cold. Running towards the finish line has always been an adventure itself. Friend/Family/Strangers are always there to cheer you in, and I always find a burst of energy to sprint toward the line. And that completes my first “race” of the season.

Next up: Wildflower Half @ Training Weekend.

Swim, Bike, Run, Remember

This Sunday will be my first Louie Bonpua Memorial Triathlon at Treasure Island (near the Bay Bridge between Oakland and San Francisco). The triathlon is a day for the entire IronTeam to train, and more importantly, to remember why we do what we do as we celebrate the life of a true Ironman... Louie Bonpua.

Louie was a past IronTeam participant. He finished Ironman Canada in 2001 with only 3.5 minutes left before the official cutoff. That fact makes him remarkable. But to those who know his story, it was a miracle. Louie had leukemia.

Louie lost his battle in January 22, 2002. The weekend, we race to celebrate his life. Even though I did not know him personally, he’s story is still an inspiration.

A race report will follow after the race.

My Personal Honoree

It wasn’t til my second season with Team In Training that I found out my grandfather had Myeloma. I was very young when he passed away and my parents failed to inform me later on in life. Here is an email my aunt sent me when I sent out my fundraising letter:

“You are making me reopened the jar that was sealed in my heart! Grandpa had myeloma. I moved him to Richmond and bought the house where we are because the doctor told me he only had max 2 years to live. I refused to accept. I bought the house, because it had a bus stop so that he and grandma can take the bus and go anywhere they wanted to when I was at work. Remember Chris was only 8 and was 5. The house is perfect for our family. Grandpa went out a lot with Grandma. Some time when I drove pass places on Granville Street in Vancouver, Grandma reminded me that was where Grandpa and her took the bus, or fed the birds etc.

I took Grandpa to Vancouver General Hospital for his treatment as needed. Closer to the end, the frequency increased. He had two specialists who took care of him on top of our family doctor. Over the years, he participated in all of Chris and Nat's school events, and bounded with our neighbours and even rekindled old friends from Hong Kong.

The doctor gave me 2 years, I asked and prayed for more ~ did all we can ~ we extended to 6 years.”

My grandfather is my personal honoree; the reason why I fundraise to help find a cure.

2008 in Review

2008 has definitely been a great year. As the year comes to a close, here are some highlights of 2008.

- Rang in the New Year in Oregon with family and then went snowshoeing around Mt Hood on Jan 1st 2008.

- Traveled to Australia with 2 middle school friends whom I’ve not seen since middle school. Highlights of the trip includes: The Opera House, Great Barrier Reef, and Uluru.

- Attended a high school friend’s wedding back in Hong Kong.
- Went to my first SF Pillow Fight!

- Trained and completed Wildflower Triathlon, San Jose International Triathlon, and Vineman 70.3.

- Portland Red Bull Flugtag!

- Had a chance to meet Michellie Jones, silver medalist in the 2000 Sydney Olympics Women’s Triathlon

- Finally got certified in Scuba Diving with PADI: Open Water & Advanced Open Water.

- Signed up for Iron Team and now training to complete my first IRONMAN.

Photos from 2008 can be viewed at www.flickr.com/photos/njunaphum.
Here’s to a great year and looking forward to 2009! Cheers!

ATHLETE

I recently came across poster for a documentary called ATHLETE. The documentary examines the growing popularity of endurance sport, featuring a diverse group of individuals who are redefining what it means to be an “athlete”. The movie will feature two cancer survivors among the cast. One diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and the other with stage two Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. What makes it more exciting is that both are also members of Team In Training! I will give a full review once I watch it. For now check out the official website!

http://athletemovie.com/Athlete_Movie_Web_Site.html