That Boy Got Sole

Run Republic is our Happy Place! But the shop makes Walnut our Happy place to run as well.

Take training classes at Run Republic or join the running group on Stairway mornings at 7:30am.

Happy Eunning

One of my newest heroes...

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Bike Ride 7/8/2021

This was going to be another one of my test rides to try out the new bike configuration for the Trainer. I had worked on the re-mount on the handlebar for a couple of days, aside from working on the "Angel bike project" too. Everything seemed very good on the ride, I went on Butterfield Ranch and was doing well very. It felt good, though my little old bike computer had no power and also I could not get the phone mount to adjust, so no phone mount, it went in the big bag on top. The weather was good, and not too hot. I even adjusted the extender bar were was actually parallel to the aerobar for a rather awkward design in this configuration.
I was had another rider behind me and when I did the loop that turns into the new neighborhood, the rider was up ahead when I turned around on Butterfield ranch. I had thought about riding pass them but this was like race mode and I realized that that was not good. I tend to have to gauge myself or discpline myself to not do foolish things on a ride.
Well, to cut this short, the ride made a "180" as I was riding and I had made an adjustment to the bar extender, and that didn't do much; I had tried to adjust my helmet (the Kask helmet I wanted to make the regular training helmet) but that became a bigger issue because the helmet "frame" or plastic parts in the back were poking my head. Then as I go to bird farm, I shifted to 1st gear and then my chain went off into the wheel hub - as it tends to do because of the issue - and then it got worse. As I was walking the bike because I could not fix it - just less than a miles from home - thee derailleur got stuck on the wheel spoke and then rolled over up the wheel. This was bad. I never saw anything this bad on the bike before, or any bike at all. It was a bad walk to home, but it was a humbling one.

I am trying to catch up on some of the thing I wrote about past workouts, past run and past rides. It can be hard to do this and maintain the entries, harder than actually going to run and ride sometimes. But I want to stay devoted as I appreciate anyone or everyone who is willing to read what I have.

This was from a hand-written note I wrote, reflecting on my last run with Raymond. One of the many times we've ran, but not the last.

*Today's run seemed to make today's problems go away. They were put aside to run . The usual and pleasant memories of Walnut, Mount Sac, and running with Raymond, even Thanksgiving Days runs were all coming back. The tunes in my cheap mp3 player gave me some company too.

Later, I was able to do my cool down, as I do when I take Raymond home. He literally lives around the corner from Creekside Park. These cool-downs are like an owe to the Thanksgiving Day Run, as I run around the other side of Creekside Park, where the first part of the Thanksgiving Day Run course is at.

Creekside is one of my favorite parks because of these memories. The Left, North side of the Park, or in fact all parts of the park, are quite my favorite and they are all cozy and splendid. It is a quiet and special place in Walnut. It has had its changes, such as the playground and the fences, but it is always my favorite.

Afterwards, when the cool down was done, I was feeling lead to check out Run Republic a running store in Walnut nearby the Mount Sac Campus. I thought I would see how much some cheap racing flats would cost (Funny, thinking back, their shoe are cheap like Big5). There are the store I met Nico who is a remarkable runner, and also a coach, but we seemed to be able to talk quite a bit and get into talking about running. It was great to know someone else passionate about running and hear them and give so much detail and knowledge about running shoes.

I hope someday to get some really good shoes there, when I really want to have the best shoes possible. It was also great to hear that there is a running group there and they train on Saturday. Plus, it seems that with some runners that come from the Walnut, West Covina, Valinda, La Puente area, it might me connecting more with some of the past. It is amazing to see possibilities and things become full-circle, even if it only involves running.

Song of Healing - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Music: Song of HealingComposer: Koji KondoPlaylist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C675B851A38C9C2FPlatform: Nintendo 64

(NOTE: I'm a bad writer, b/c I need to proof this and revise, but I want to at least put it out and keep up)

This morning was agonizing, but different from yesterday, because the weather was cold and wet then. But now this will have some irony with some brief thoughts.

So, yesterday suddenly had a harsh chill in the air and it eventually rained. I knew it when I first woke up; in the morning, I could see the slate skies looking and hinting that the rain was about to come. It really did rain at around noontime. While I was conducting this weather-watch during the day, I was still in my cycling attire and about to prep the Cervelo (P2) for a ride up and down Butterfield Ranch for a nice short ride. That didn't happened though. By the afternoon, I normalized myself and changed into plain clothes, and proceeded to not workout. A tinge of sadness and apathy hung over during the day.

Then today, I actually woke early at 7:30 and was motivated to workout. This was followed by the strangest and yet profound thing happened. When I had arose out of bed, getting ready to go, before any effort to getting ready to run, or maybe ride (because I'm in a period of trying to run more than ride) I got this move or message from my kishkas. To put into words, it was telling me, Don't. (Then again that was one word.) A "No" would have sufficed, but this was not was I was expected, nor was it what I wanted to hear.

This was a tough test in obedience. Why? Why not go out? I dunno? Today was so much better than yesterday! It is such a nice day today with warmer air, and enticing pre-spring skies that are inviting for a good, firm, and perfect workout for the day! And on top of that! Come to think of it, I was actually motivated to get some miles in a workout. Ultimately, I am more sure why I was not suppose to go; quickly I could only surmise that maybe because that motivation was to be used to get other things done.

This turn of events (or directions) I took all in stride. As I thought of missing out on a good workout, I thought how I could catch up with other things and on the blog entries as you can see.

This is all right. Sometimes you have to listen to you body to know - when to workout when you don't feel like it, or in this case not workout when you do feel like you should. I choose to listen and obey.

Maybe this was meant to be a form of sacrifice unto G-d? Maybe I needed to not desperate? Maybe there was some other test, if I was willing to make the sacrifice? Its something worth learning.

I hope for a time to come - a time that I was reminded of as I saw a glimpse of at the store today. At the store I saw some families shopping and a child or two, expressing that confused, wondering look that they have when they are at that age of curiosity. And it took me back to some races I could remember from a long time ago. Running the race course, many people would be cheering and excited, and then children and their wide eyes and open mouths looking in wonder (just like the toy section of the store), reminded me of one of the greatest joys of running. For me that is one of the joys. How they would be in awe of the sights they see and the runners that they see stride on.

During this inactivity again, like many times before; inactivity by choice and by circumstance, I still hope for future races, with all its race day joy and wonder. Hopefully where I will see again little children on the sidelines of the course, with their families cheering and their big eyes, wide mouths, and wonderful expressions, and when they see all the runners racing by they see all the wonderment. And maybe with that they will become little runners or triathletes.

I see that wonder that children have, for anything that is new and spectacular, and I hope they will be inspired to do their best, challenge themselves, and receive the joy that is running a race, or just running outside on a nice day.

Steamboy OST: Steve Jablonsky - Ray's Theme Steamboy is a Japanese animated film, produced by Sunrise, and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release, following Akira. The film premier...

The Worst Triathlete - 2/22/2021

This is a collection of some of the latest training that I have been doing lately, and just to explain, there was a lot of running.

I had been doing a lot of running since the last time I ran with Raymond. That was a few weeks ago as it is one of those times were I haven't made time to met up with Raymond for a workout. I had been running on my own since then, about 3-4 weeks, and just ran 3 times a week, I'd loosely guess. Its not a very good recording, which goes into my saying I am "The Worst Triathlete".

A lot of my triathlete friends, like to save their workouts and make a lot of big numbers, post a lot of runs, rides, swim on Strava and create a lot of those stats.

Meanwhile I do not.

I used to though. Up until a couple of months ago when I Garmin 910 Forerunner got washing in the washing machine and was no more. This was do to the little buttons have their runner eroded and then when it go into the wash it got water in it and then lead to its demise. I haven't really bee tracking all the running at all, and maybe just 1 or 2 ride since then.

Today I was able to use the new Garmin 910xt, but I'll go back to what I was starting to mention.

There were some other factors that keep me going. I was also interested in running more at this point, after I had worked on the bikes. I cleaned up the boys bikes, and my bikes, and because I made my bikes nice and "shiny" I didn't want to go ride and make them dirty.

Then, one one of the runs on my own, I thought to myself, how in all the years I have been running, I haven't switched to trail shoes which might help from running on a lot of dirty surface here in Chino Hills. So this was an opportunity to run more and try to incorporate a new set of shoes.

I went to the nearby Big5 Sporting Goods store to find the cheapest of running shoes that could be a trail shoe. My premise was to find these shoes and use them endlessly for training - everyday training and running - as it would be the beaten, trainer bike that I would use, like my Walmart-road bike Genesis bike. it would be the daily-driver, workhorse, expendable vehicle for training. There at the Chino Big5 I found a pair of decent shoes, but I'm sure not a single runner or triathlete would ever, even, think of going near. I bought the RBX Zenith for 19.99, again on the premise that these would be the shoes I would used never before - hopefully I will still have feet and would not cause any problems whatsoever. Everyone has a issue with some brands of shoes and their problems. These were cheap, and I have seen cheaper. Later on, I planned to put Yanks on them, or just a set of elastic laces to be about to take on and off and give some more support as well.

Reflecting on these happenings, I thought to myself how this training period is not what I expected. It is arguable the idea I thought of being the worst triathlete. Using cheap low-end, non-renown running shoes (not like Brooks, Asiacs or even Altra which I use), not cycling because I don't want to get my bikes dirty; having some training but no training plan or consistent training, while also addicted to ice cram and lots of other junk food, is not ideal for training purposes.

But, maybe, just as I had meditated on all this while having from Oui yogurt, I should just remember its brief message nicely, neatly printed on the little container.

Amusez-vous. Have fun.

The Story of a Red Bike, a White bike, and Blue Bike:

Nowadays, I find myself in a new and different place in my life where I have a job and my own job, that started at the beginning of the year, which would be working on bicycles. As I look back and reflect on the beginning of this journey, I decided to get into bicycle mechanics and start projects. It began from continuously working on the boys’ bikes late at night, when they went to bed, or when I came back from work, and patching all the tires they would pop all the time. I always warn them to NOT go into the rough surfaces (i.e. dirt paths, rock areas, weedy patches), because ironically their tires pick up goat heads and then their tube become poked up and made into Swiss cheese, so to speak. I would also maintain my own bikes and seek out and work out ways to continuously tweak them and make them work better for me. This passion and constant delving into this matrix, or this murky field of bikes can be from rooted from the triathlon training - I thought, if I am training, part of my knowledge sudden grew into learning about bicycles.
So I came up with the goal to make a bicycle, thinking it could be an easy task. Quickly I was no easy task. Though it isn’t rocket science, nor aviation, and as I didn’t get very far with auto mechanics and car restoration, it seemed that bicycles was less complicated - to an extent, but it is more manageable, less expensive and costly in various ways but has a little bit of that feel of it. You know it and see it as you see that “workshop” setting and the craftsmanship that is poured out into this area (my bike bike garage) and the investment into these creative endeavors. Jumping forward to this blog topic, as a neighbor helped spring this whole endeavor, I’ve reached a point where I am working on 3 bicycles at this time, see their story, and currently share them. One of the bikes I restored, I had ordered prior to the wave of bikes from said neighbor, and joined the rack of bikes in my bike garage. So these bikes are, as I call them, the Red Bike, the White Bike, and the Blue blue; projects that are the motivation and inspiration to this Blog - Yes they happened to be significantly patriotic colors. Respectively, I tell you about the bikes, Red, White, and Blue, and their story.
The Red Bicycle is an old (possibly vintage) Women's Mountain-bike looking, possible hybrid bike, with Monarch labels, additionally, I found that it is a 19" frame with 26" wheels, 21 speeds, and with a ton of rust. It was the first to get worked on, out of the three, and it was a nice job from the start. I spent two nights scrapping rust off what I can, off the frame, rims, and components, but the great part was when I went on a test ride accompanied by Gabriel and his old bike (I thought I should keep it short and slow), that is his former bike, a 20" Kids bike. (So on 428/20) As I got on the bike, I got a feel for the bike, and get into tune to survey what the bike needed. Here, is where an experience come forth, as I felt like an early Bike mechanic (from back in the 1900’s or something), and a touch of the car testers, and aircraft pioneers, feeling the machine and getting awe-inspired. I was missing the sepia-vision, riding goggles, and maybe a handle-bar mustache (haha, handlebar…). There was a certain excitement about trying out and testing the Red Monarch bike; about to see if everything was working - I pumped air in the tires, checked the Air, Brakes, chain, and the shifters, which all were good. Now it would be time to see how it rolls.
Going around the block and around-about the neighborhood was an exciting moment. There was a combination or excitement at trying out a new bike, seeing what it was like, and feeling that I was a comfort bike. I was not use to sitting upright in a bike, from all the time on a road bike, so this “comfort” or hybrid bike feeling, was different and nice. I think it felt like I had the top-down and was driving? More of the afternoon air seemed to have more breeze to it which gave my imagination that idea of a test cyclist, or test pilot, missing his flight googles. I was checking the brakes while cruising down the street, shift gears, and makes those mechanical notes. The bikes wasn’t too bad. The slight resistance from bike during the test ride gave me the mechanic feed back as to what needs work, but also add to the character of the bike, and the thrill, or not knowing what was going to happen. But this was just in the slight difficulty in shifting gears, which just gave it the character again, as if it was an infernal machine (I dunno if I’m using that right), or a test bike. This shifting was when going uphill, so it added to the excitement of the ride - you had to be there too. Also on this test ride on the Monarch, then there was some joy and peace, which may come naturally from a bike ride. This is the joy that we get from bike riding; taking a ride around our neighborhood, sometimes with someone special, and feeling free and spirited away. It was a happy, memorable moment in my endeavor at bicycle mechanics.
More to come on the White and blue bikes.

A Quick Moment (4/7/2020)

For some time, I've been a "gear-nut" of sorts these days. On a daily basis, I can say I have to look up bikes on eBay to find other Lemond bicycles; the Tourmalets, Nevada City's, And Renos, and learn about al sort of models they made. If I'm not doing that I'm searching on Amazon for bike gear and accessories that create a yearning desire to order, receive, use, and feel like I'm becoming the cyclist I want to be. Even today, I've checked outside for the next shipment and it isn't even for me; Gabriel's Giant kid's road bike is expected to come in and I think I'm more excited than he is - not to be unfair or so.

And I'll even take time to search picture of bicycles to try and get ideas, for the bikes I am making and the bikes I am fixing. This is all to say I have been making bicycles into a second job and a passion that I didn't really ask for; but it is fulfilling from the beginning of the year when I consciously decided to start my bike garage.

So with scatter showers today and ordered to stay in home, I continue to tinker, tweek, and train on bicycle mechanics when I can. It seems like I work in little steps (or baby steps) as yesterday was I installed the Lemond bar plugs to the "classy" 1997 Lemond Tourmalet. I'll try and post later the full bike as I have enhanced it. I see the bicycles as all a work in progress.

And them this morning between showers, I went to take a test ride as lots of my rides are like test rides than training. Maybe its 20/80, in terms of Test rides/ Training. Today at 11a.m., I tested a couple of new things I contrived: I programmed the Garmin Bike computer, and through it's not really necessary, it does help so that I can spare the Garmin watch, not have to look at the watch, and it is dedicated to bike rides. Therefore, the test was to try out the mounting and also the bike computer itself. The second was testing the small round mirror I had velcro to my left bike glove; to work on having some visibility and reflection. This idea came from website I search for bike accessories. The mirror was on the dorsal side of my glove hand (opposite the palm), but I could not get it on the medial border of the hand, but that would be the test trail.

It felt like a test, a mission, a test ride. In a test pilot, test ride/flight sort of way, I changed and suited up in the usual get-up - cycling clothes, hear gear and stuff, and mounted the bike comp to the bike and the mirror to my glove. I prepped the trusty Lemond as I often do and rolled out. It was nice to get out for a short ride and be cautious. I have gone down the road alongside or between the little lake and the neighborhood countless times; I had to put some quesiness away because for some reason I was uncomfortable, feel like an accident was going to happen. but that was nonsense. With the cool air and the light mist the ride was more captivating and enthralling than the other times. Like many times on the bike, everything seems to go away and its just me and the slate road and cloudy skies. At this part of the ride, about 1 mile, I felt a drop and then a couple more drops, prompting me shorten the ride (re-think, re-map, and return) and head home. I circled to do down the adjacent neighborhood to the north, where I passed apartments and townhouses, though Village Drive is a very comfortable and clean road to ride on. The ride was very smooth and exciting turning back toward my block. Thanks to the bike computer, this little device that records and displays the distance and velocity, i could see what was my average speed and i would end with riding 2.5 miles in 10m:30s.

In my short, quick ride, it really said to me that preparation is important and that this work is quaint, inglorious, and personal. There will be further days of exploring, trail and error, searching and researching, and learning more about bicycles and the 4 bikes, 2 trailer bikes, 4 kids' bikes, 5 repair jobs, and 2 bike building projects in all. Every chance to improve is a good thing and to always persevere and to be grateful for such blessings.