1 goal.2 tires.7 days.585 miles

and the journey begins...

2006-06-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

I remember my first bike ride after I signed up for ALC (AIDS LifeCycle). It was in September 2005. I rode on a bike trail, completely flat road with no traffic. I had to rest for 30 minutes and catch my breath after 9 miles (14 km). Last Saturday I rode 100 miles (161 km), including hills and traffic. Talk about progress!

This Sunday I am starting to pedal down to Los Angeles. Yes, time has come. The 7 day, 585 mile (941 km) journey is about to begin for me and 2800 other people. I spent a lot of weekdays and weekends on saddle to get ready for this. I neglected some of you because I was busy biking or I was too tired after a ride. But it was your support and encouragement that kept me going. I raised $5235 with the help of 77 friends. All of this money goes to San Francisco AIDS Foundation and will be used to help people living with HIV. No matter how much donation you made, each of you helped the fight against AIDS and you should be proud of yourselves. I am proud of all of you and happy that I have such supportive friends!

I will take lots of pictures along my journey and share them with you after I am back. ALC setup a website where you can follow our ride down the California coast. It is at http://experience.aidslifecycle.org/ You can also leave messages for each rider, but we won't be able to return them.

You did your part, now it is my turn.

Thanks to all of you!

2006-05-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

With Debra's second donation yesterday I reached my goal of raising $5,000. Thanks to all my donors and thanks Debra! Now my job is to complete 585 miles of riding w/o breaking any body parts and come back home in one piece :-p

End of training...

2006-05-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

Exactly one week from today I will be on my way to Los Angeles. Only one week left to the big ride... Today we concluded our training rides with a 25 mile loop. It was a "wrap up" ride that ended with a small party at Starbucks. No more rides until next Sunday. Now it's rest time!

Yesterday I completed my second century ride (i.e. 100 mile ride). I rode from Santa Cruz to Half Moon Bay and back with Doug. It was a fun ride. I thought there wouldn't be any hills but I was wrong. There is quite a challenging hill about 8 miles south of Half Moon Bay.

So I guess this is it... Months of training is over. I still feel like I haven't done much training although all the ALC veterans say I shouldn't worry and that I am ready. I know as the big day approaches I will get more and more nervous. But I am also looking forward to it. I've met some very nice people and I am sure I will meet more.

180 miles in two days

2006-05-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

For the first time I tried a "back to back" riding, i.e. I rode my bike on two consecutive days. On Saturday I completed my first century (100 miles - 161 km) by attending the I Care Classic charity ride. I started the ride close to 7 am when the temperature was 50 degrees at Morgan Hill and completed it at 4 pm when the temperature probably hit upper 80s maybe even lower 90s. This was one of the hardest bike rides I've ever had! At the end of the ride, my legs were completely sore, my arms and legs were like bug magnets, with little flies stuck on my sweat and sunscreen (yuck?) and my eyes were totally red and itchy. I wasn't even sure if I could have the energy to shower let alone wake up early the next morning and go for an 80 mile ride. But I did it! On Sunday I joined a small group of ALC folks for an 80 mile ride from Palo Alto to Ocean Beach in SF. It was one of the best bike rides I've ever done. We took Skyline Blvd all the way to the ocean. Lots of rolling hills and then a loooong downhill through Daly City down to Great Highway in SF. Ocean view and ocean breeze was just perfect. After a quick lunch in the city, we got back on our bikes. This time we had to ride up that loooong hill through Daly City. There was no more an ocean breeze, instead weather got hotter and hotter. Hills started to get more difficult to ride. My left knee started to hurt by mile 45 or so, then the right knee did the same thing around mile 60. Towards the end of the ride I got even slower. But I was able to complete the 80 mile ride and get back to Palo Alto safe and sane. When I got in my car I checked the temperature: 97 degrees!

Can you spot me?

2006-05-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

Efrain sent me this picture that he took last week during the "Day on the Ride" event. This is the first rest stop where there was a long line for the porta potties. Can you spot me? It's not hard, just check for the guy that is seriously in need of using the bathroom and can't help but act silly ;-)

DOTR: Day On The Ride

2006-05-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

75 miles (121 km)

I had a great day on Saturday. It wasn't only because I rode the longest distance (75 miles) ever, it was because I rode with 599 other ALC participants; experiencing their dedication and enthusiasm in reaching their goal, helping each other, encouraging each other, getting together for a common cause. On Saturday, 600 bike riders got together at Sports Basement in San Francisco, to participate in DOTR (Day On The Ride), to experience how a typical day on the event in June will be like and to get an overview of what to expect. I was one of them...

4:30 am:
I woke up. Had breakfast (i.e. filled my stomach as much as I could!) - waffle, peanut butter, syrup, milk, orange juice, fruit yogurt)

5:15 am:
Left home, locked the door, started walking towards the elevator

5:16 am:
No this is too cold, I need one more layer. Went back home, put on a long sleeve jersey underneath the short sleeve jersey and wind breaker.

5:20 am:
On my way to San Francisco. It's still dark. Listening to energy FM on the way.

6:00 am:
Is this true? Is it really raining in SF?? What happened to 81F (27C) from yesterday???

6:10 am:
I'm at Sports Basement. It's quite crowded. I park my bike and get my registration number. One goes over the bike frame, one goes on the helmet. Two wristband put on my arm: pink is for the prepaid lunch, red is for... color coordination? Not sure... I called Chris to meet him for the first time. He is another first timer ALC rider, we talked over email to be tentmates during the event. Non-snorer and quiet guy like me :-) And he provided all the pictures in this blog!

6:45 am:
Opening speech from ALC director St ephen Cadby. He says 2700 people registered for this years ride and together they raised $3.3 million! After the mandatory safety speech, we all held hands for a moment of silence. This very emotional moment was counterbalanced with Kurt's animated stretching exercises.

7:30 am:
...and we are on our way for the 75 mile bike ride! Check the cue sheet. We went over Golden Gate Bridge, then down to Sausalito and to Fairfax. I don't remember what time we reached the first stop, but I do remember the long line in front of porta potties! They had names like "Love Shack", "Midnight Slum". I used the one named "One at a time".

After Fairfax we rode to Cheese Factory in Marin. We passed through some beautiful hills. I had one chain dump, but nothing major. No flats this time! Weather was perfect; not cold, not hot, just about right. At mile 35 we reached Cheese Factory and ate our lunch in the park nearby: turkey sandvich, cookie, vitamin water, apple, grapes, pasta.

Weather got warmer on the way back. We rode in Taylor Park for about 4 miles, which was refreshing. I broke my record of 66 miles a little before Sausalito. And with the completion of 75 miles we got back to Sports Basement where a spaghetti dinner with cesar salad was waiting for us.

9:30 pm:
I was in my bed at 9:30 pm, sleeping like a baby :-)

Dalmatian dog riding a bike in Japan

2006-05-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

Now this dog should definitely work on fundraising for ALC! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6742988194956129075&pl=true

"I'm gonna soak up the sun RAIN"

2006-04-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

When is the rain going to end??? We were supposed to ride 86 miles today, we had to bail out in the middle of the ride and get back to Sunnyvale. That meant a 52 mile ride instead of 86 and I still got soaked in rain. Weather was quite nice until the 20th mile which is when clouds started to move south. By 24th mile we've got a few drops of rain and by 40th mile sky was pouring on us. One good thing I did today was NOT to wear a fleece! Last Sunday's 66 mile is still my longest ride so far.

SF Cyclist and Roadie expo

2006-03-27T23:29:00.000-08:00

This weekend I didn't ride. Instead I went to the cyclist and road expo in San Francisco. It was in San Francisco County Fair Building by Golden Gate Park. There were a lot of ALC sponsors selling bike parts, accessories, etc. ALC crew gave a few presentations. They told us that last year there were 1599 ALC riders registered in SF and this year they already passed that number. It's 1638 now and there are still new riders registering. They also announced that 4 weeks ago, the money that SF riders raised reached $1 million!

My longest ride so far: 48 miles (77 km)

2006-03-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 7 am, looked out the window, it was cloudy and seemed like it could rain any minute. But I decided to go for the training ride anyway. I'm glad I did because it didn't rain! Not everybody showed up though. Out of 37 people that RSVP'ed, only 14 of them were there. We rode for 48 miles (77 km) which included a "feels like never ending" hill in Redwood City, up on Jefferson Road. We could see Dumbarton Bridge and the bay from the top of the hill. By the 40th mile I was so tired I thought I won't be able to finish the ride. But the ride leaders were very supportive and I was able to complete the ride. Jen's mother and her students were at the final stop to give us free chair massage. Boy, did that feel good after a 48 mile ride :-)

Riding under rain

2006-02-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

I rode 51 miles this weekend, 18 of it on Saturday at Los Altos Creek trail and the rest of it today. Los Altos Creek trail was quite crowded. Weather was very nice and there were a lot of people hiking or running. There was also a team in training called "team in training" :-) I went for this ride just by myself.

Today we were supposed to ride for 45 miles. However at the 16th mile it started to rain and we decided to cut it short but still we couldn't escape the rain. We had to ride up the hill against the wind and rain for a while. I think this 33 mile ride was worth 50 miles. It's really hard to ride your bike in rain against the wind (AND going up the hill at the same time). It was dreaming of a hot shower, a juicy steak and a cup of tea that kept me going :-p

Video from last year's ride, you have to watch this!

2006-02-13T23:10:00.000-08:00

Doug is one of the ALC riders that I met in my first training ride. He has done the ALC ride last year, and doing it again this year. While I was checking his ALC site, I saw the video he put together about his ride last year. To be honest, sometimes I feel overwhelmed with all the training going on and with my weekends spent on a saddle. But after watching Doug's video, I once again felt inspired. I recommend you watch it too and let me know what you think.

36 miles: Sunnyvale - Woodside

2006-02-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I rode for 36 miles with a group of about 25 people. I was going to give more details about the route but after the ride I washed my shorts and the route sheet was in the pocket... We met in Sunnyvale, by Mary and Fremont Streets and rode towards Foothill Expressway. Rest I don't remember :-) I just followed other people, and somehow we got to Woodside. Weather was great, it was a nice ride. With these clipless pedals, it is much easier to climb up the hills. Next week there is going to be a "Riding Skills Clinic" that will cover helmet fit, quick releases on wheels and brakes, shifting, braking, turning and cornering, practicing balance and picking up water bottles off the ground (*ouch*). Why drop the water bottle on the ground in the first place anyway? :-p

Two rides with clipless pedals and still in one piece ;-)

2006-01-28T15:08:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I bought a pair of clipless pedals and a new pair of shoes. I've been using toe straps so far. When it's too tight, it's hard to take your feet off and when it is too loose your feet keeps moving on the pedal. It's good for casual rides but it wasn't the right pedal for my long training rides. Certainly wouldn't be good for the 585 mile ALC ride either. So I replaced them with Speedplay clipless pedals. Although they are called "clipless", the idea is that the cleats at the bottom of your shoe CLIP to the pedal (kinda like skis), so pedalling gets more efficient, especially going up the hills. The downside of a clipless pedal is that if you forget to "unclip" when you come to a stop, you... FALL! So I was quite nervous on my first ride with the new pedals last week. I went to Coyote Creek trail by myself. Initially it was awkward to clip-in but after a while I got used to it. I stopped a bunch of times just to practice unclipping. It was quite easy! I did a 22 mile ride, my average speed was 11.9 mph although it was a relatively flat train. I was focused on getting used to the pedals rather than going fast.

Today I joined a training ride. We met at Arastredo and Page Mill in Palo Alto. There were about 10 people, almost all of them veteran ALC riders. We did a nice 36 mile run between Palo Alto and Woodside, with a lot of rolling hills. My average speed clocked at 12.9 mph with 28.5 mph as my highest speed. It rained just a little, nothing that would cause us to stop. Overall it was a very nice, fun ride, and I totally got used to my pedals now. I am still in one piece, keeping my record of not falling at stops ;-)

New Goal: $3,500

2005-12-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

Today I hit my goal of raising $2,500, thanks to all of you! My new target is reaching $3,500.

Unchain my bike

2005-12-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

25.65 miles - avg 13.1 mph

We did a 25 mile ride today, starting from Sunnyvale, going all the way on Foothill Expressway and coming back. My average speed was 13.1 mph with 29.1 mph as my highest. My left knee started to hurt a little on the 3rd mile. But I was able to complete the ride. However I should get a professional bike fit soon. Something is wrong with my seat height or pedals.

On our way back to Sunnyvale, my chain decided to mind its own business and leave where it belongs to. Fortunately I was not going downhill, I stopped and somebody on the ride snapped it back into its place in a second. That's the good thing about riding with others, there is always someone to help you.

Fremont - Milpitas loop

2005-11-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

30 miles - avg 12.4 mph

Driving within speed limit, I arrived at the Fremont Bart Station on time, where I was going to meet other folks for a 30 mile ride in East Bay. Weather was a little chilly but my new ALC (Aids LifeCycle) cycling jacket kept me warm. We were a group of 11 people. We left Fremont and rode south towards Milpitas. There was a steep hill on our way. We rode through some busy streets and at one point we were on Calaveras Blvd, at its busiest intersection (by 237 - 880 junction).

Carrying the bike just got easier

2005-11-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

I got a bike rack today, paid $100 on Craigslist after some negotiation and installed it on my car that I bought two years ago from... Craigslist! So no more pushing down the back seats to put the bike in. No more removing the front wheel of the bike so it can fit in the trunk. No more excuses to take the bike to trails in SF or Oakland.

Free cycling jacket!

2005-11-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

ALC (Aids LifeCycle) sent me a free cycling jacket today for reaching $1500 fundraising within 45 days of my registration. Works for me ;-)

Record: 38 miles

2005-11-20T21:23:00.000-08:00

38 miles - avg 13.1 mph

I joined another training ride in San Francisco today. We again took off from Sports Basement parking lot in Marina and went over the bridge. On my way to Sausalito a cop on a motor bike rode by me and gave me a "warning". Apparently I didn't check the oncoming traffic well enough when I stopped at the sign. I heard stories that cops write tickets to bikers if they don't obey the rules, especially at stop signs. You are supposed to stop completely and put one foot down, which of course is a pain in the *utt if you have clipless pedals. Anyway, I got my first "warning" on a bike.

After the bridge, we went down to Sausalito, then passed through Mill Valley just like in the previous ride. But this time there was more: we went all the way to Fairfax. A really steep and long hill (called Camino Alto) took all my energy. I really needed that smoothie when we arrived at Fairfax!

By the time we got back to San Francisco my bike computer was showing 38 miles! This is the longest bike ride I've ever done. I put my bike in the car and started driving back home. Ok so I was happy and proud of myself about the new record, until... I saw the flashing lights of a cop's car behind me on highway 280 :-/ What's it today with all the cops? I got my first speeding ticket on my new car and second speeding ticket ever. The first ticket I got was 5 years ago and courtesy notice never showed up, the ticket was never entered into their computer so I didn't have to pay anything :-) Maybe I'll have the same luck again???

Another milestone: $1500!

2005-11-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

My fundraising total hit $1500 today, that's more than half way to my

Golden Gate Bridge

2005-10-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

21 miles - avg 12.4 mph

ALC (Aids Lifecycle) organized the first "official" training ride today. There were three options: 8 mile ride, 20 mile ride and 40 mile ride. I was thinking of doing the 40 mile ride but I chickened out at the last minute and went for the 20 mile ride. It was a fairly large group, maybe about 35-40 people. We left from parking lot of Sports Basement at Marina, went over Golden Gate Bridge, down to Sausalito, rode by the bay (beautiful!), went up to Mill Valley and returned. It's a very different experience when you ride with a group of people in traffic. Makes me nervous, but support from other riders is amazing. I met a lot of nice people. Some have personal reasons in doing this ride, some are like me, just want to help people in some way. I don't know anyone that has HIV, but I don't care. I will still do this ride, this is the least I can do.

Veloswap

2005-10-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

I went to Veloswap today in San Francisco, a sports expo for bikers. Lots of good deals! I got a few pairs of shorts, jerseys, socks, and a chain cleaner. A chain cleaner that I paid $20 for, and it's worth every penny ;-)

Time for change: Coyote Creek trail

2005-10-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

20 miles - avg 13.0 mph

Finally riding somewhere other than Los Gatos Creek trail! I tried Coyote Creek trail today. This is a much nicer trail, and would be even nicer if I was able to complete the 30 mile round-trip but I got a flat tire :-( With no pump or tools to fix the tire, I stopped other riders asking for help. Seems like nobody in this trail likes to carry a pump! My friend Ersin picked me up and gave a ride back to my car. Now I wonder if I got this flat tire because of the tube change from two days ago or I was just unlucky...

Los Gatos Creek trail once more

2005-10-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

18 miles - avg 12.6 mph

I was going to try a new trail today but I got nervous about the inner tube change I accomplished last night. I decided to stick to my good old route: Los Gatos Creek trail of course. To my surprise (and pride) I completed the 18 mile ride without any tire problems. Tomorrow I can try a new trail.

First tire change - not easy!

2005-10-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

Using the hand pump to blow air in my tire, I managed to break the valve, #@&%^! Unfortunately I can't just change the valve, I have to replace the whole inner tube. So I got a new tube, and after spending a good 2-3 hours I managed to replace the old tube with the new one. It's true, you never forget your first!

$1000

2005-10-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

Today my fundraising total reached $1000!

$765 in one week

2005-10-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

My fundraising total reached $765 today, only one week after I announced my bike ride! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU.

First group ride

2005-10-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

I met a few other ALC participants from South Bay and we went for a bike ride today. Los Gatos Creek trail again. I know every part of this trail by heart now! This group had a few experienced riders. They participated in ALC (Aids LifeCycle) in the past years. I got some tips from them and a demo of a flat tire change. They made it look so simple!

Word is OUT

2005-10-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

...and the announcement time! About 150 people got an email from me today announcing my bike ride to LA and asking for their support. First I completed my ALC website, then sent a mass e-mail. Literally within minutes I received the first donation from... Istanbul, Turkey! My brother made a generous donation. Needless to say, I had a very emotional moment.

Los Gatos Creek trail again

2005-10-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

18 miles - avg 12.3 mph

It's very convenient to live close to Los Gatos Creek trail. I completed my second training ride today. 18 miles again, but this time a little faster and with less time to rest.

Received the "package"

2005-09-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

I received the "rider package" in mail from ALC (Aids LifeCycle) today. It has the participant guide full of information about the ride, a DVD filmed during ALC 3, two wrist bands (orange and blue) and a t-shirt. The DVD is very touchy... and inspiring for any rider or rider-to-be(s).

First ride: Los Gatos Creek trail

2005-09-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

18 miles - avg 11.2 mph

My first bike ride since I signed up for ALC... also my first ride for over a year! Los Gatos Creek trail is very close to my house. I didn't have to drive, I hopped on my bike and rode for 0.8 miles to reach the start of the trail. I rode all the way from start to Los Gatos, which is 9 miles. I got so tired that I had to rest for 30 minutes. Ok I need to train more! Another 9 miles back home and I'm done! 18 miles for my first ride, not bad at all :-)

I'm in!

2005-09-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

I attended the informational meeting of ALC today. I was there right on time but to my surprise the room was empty. Well not totally empty... The presenter (Tilmin) was there of course, a very sweet lady that did the ALC ride a few times before. She showed me a 20 minute video taken during ALC 3 (in 2004). Some more people showed up during the video. It was an inspiring and encouraging short film; parts of it were really fun and some parts were quite emotional. When the movie was over I already made up my mind: "I'm going to do it, I'm going to ride my bike 585 miles to LA!"

Tilmin talked about the ride, the route, the camps set up every night, etc. The most fun story was about Tracy Chapman. She was a participant in ALC 3. Yes, she did the whole ride for 7 days and she stayed at the camp just like other participants (well except the ones that opt for the "princess tour" - people that choose to stay at hotels instead of camp). Apparently other African American ladies at the ride were mistaken as Tracy Chapman. They must have gotten tired of this so they started wearing t-shirts that said "I'm not Tracy". Soon enough this new fashion took a hike and not just African American ladies but most people started to wear similar t-shirts, including guys :-)