Mark and Mark, The Amazing Guys!

Some photos for now, will have a video at a later time after I create it. :-P

After a mix up with another buddy, I ended up texting Jose to meet me for a ride. I was supposed to do the other section of SART for the first time, the Northern section. But Eyemage thought it was Sunday and I thought Saturday.

But I knew it was pretty windy here, 35 mph wind with gusts up to 60 MPH. I thought about going myself just to do the 40 solo but heck, I have been moving heavy furniture all week, up and down stairs. So I figured I'd ask Jose to ride and good thing I did. It was windy and my legs was a burnin'!

Headed inland to Imperial from Orangewood. Crossed paths with Mark along the way but didn't realize it was him. Later he said he thought I knew as I nodded. But I not or wave at everyone ha ha!

Jose and I got to Imperial then doubled back to the coast. We stopped at Edna Park to refill the water, OK, my legs were burning ha ha! There we ran into Mark again. There was his buddy, another Mark with an amazing medical story. Mark with the tracheotomy tells us the other Mark's story of a quintuple bypass. Back on the bike! Hmm, much more than that, let's say 10 months after his procedure, the dude does a full Iron Man! :-O

Wow, heck and here I am crying about carrying furniture and riding SART ha ha! Both these guys are medical madmen. Can't think of how to word it but figure these guys are against the odds, issues that I have seen bring the most macho of men to sissy status. But these two guys are Bad Ass, excuse my language. Inspiration to us all as I figure if something happens to me, I surely won't give up. Just as these guys did, I will adapt and conquer. Nothing less than amazing and inspiration! Mark and Mark!

But Jose and I worked well to Imperial fighting the wind. One mile turns at the front then rotating. Of course I have to tell Jose when the mile is up cause he has no idea. Not sure why ha ha but if I don't say anything, he'll just keep going. As much as I would like to let him, I know I have to take my turn into the wind.

But once we turned around, we took 2 mile turns at the front. Held the pace down to 21 or so knowing we could do more but hey, we have to fight that wind on the way back so I conserve! Once we ran into Mark and Mark, Jose took the front and kept going, hey it's all good with me.

Had some fun and a visit at the coast but heading back, OH MAN! Pushing with a good effort, 14 MPH was on my screen. I figured it would ease up 2 miles down the road as it usually does. Thank goodness I was right. Then we were up to 16 and 17. Not bad with a pretty good headwind. But once we were passed the soccer fields, I started to feel my legs burning like crazy. OK, I took my turns at a lower pace giving Jose a good rest but once he got up front, he kicked it up and I was doing all I could to hold on. Breathing was OK but the legs just didn't want to hold up against the wind, stupid stairs and furniture.

Jose turned off at Garden Grove Ave so I did the final 2 alone. 16.9  average at this point so I figured I'd try to hold it back to the fire station at Orangewood, my exit. I was doing pretty good above 17 for a bit near the 22. But once I got to the condo area, the wind slapped me in the face and that slight little incline felt like GMR ha ha! Well that sucked so I only managed a 16.8.

I lost to the wind but did I? Heck no! I got out there and did my ride. Far fewer cyclists when the wind kicks up like this so I figure I'm still on top! ;-)

                                                                     The Video! I did catch Jose R in the video too, riding by with his buddies.

A Very Short Ride Around Home on Sunday

Hey Wow! I found a nice little cycling forum last night. I posted a couple videos and introduction and a couple of pics. I actually received several "likes". Something that is missed on other forums I have posted. Pretty active site. With the little I have posted I have received about 40 notifications since posting the material a few hours ago.

Seems very active and the comments I have received are pretty friendly compared to most others. Looks like a good thing!

https://www.cyclechat.net/

FTR, I had been posting on bike forums dot net but man that place is a ghost town and also looking at other sites, most of which have little traffic. Not even worth the effort so I found a new site with some action. On this new site, I posted a ride video in the "your ride today thread and actually got 12 likes.

That's my kind of action! :-P


I really whipped this little girl on the bike, she was no match! Actually a cute little girl who shouted hi at me when I rolled by. She must have done a mile on her little bike! :-)

Saturday SART Ride Video 1/19/19

Took me some time to get the video done but here it is if you like videos. :-P

Sunday Ride Around the Hood after Moving Furniture!

Still looking for time to work the video from Saturday, Got a little footage from Sunday I may toss in.

11.7 miles at 16.1 MPH average speed.

But today was a challenge to get out of bed ha ha! I wanted to ride because I need to ride more but yesterday we did the 35, then went to my mother's house to move the heaviest freaking couch you can imagine. Big plush heavy thing, not a long couch but each side has a recliner and the middle a console that swings down with cup holders and all kinds of extra stuff that only make it heavier.

My brother and I had to squeeze it out a door somehow, not even sure how we got it out. Then once we had it out we had to carry it across the back yard, down the side of the house, then down the driveway. We got half way across the backyard before we had to put it down. Man that this is heavy!

Finally got it to the side, walked halfway across the side of the house and had to put it down again after encountering some brick steps. Here we lifted it once and I felt my legs buckle. Fortunately he said he did not have a grip and had to put it down again. Good cause that one was on him ha ha but i took advantage of the break. After a couple of minutes we tried to lift it again and he could not! He is almost my size so not like he's a 90 pound weakling. We tried again and again he could not lift it. So we waited another 2 minutes. I was trying to think of a way to do it if he couldn't.

But then he said let's go! We lifted it, finished the side of the house, down the driveway, about 30 yards. I heard him start panting really hard the final 10 yards. BUT WE GOT IT! :-P

He said he was panting and thought he was going to pass out ha ha! Yeah, it was that heavy! I had to start counting my steps the last 10 just as concentration to keep going and not think about the suffering ha ha! Then we helped her move a few other things around. A big maple bar about 7 feet tall and 7 feet long. Heavy wood but man that thing was no problem compared to the couch.

So anyway, Gina declined the invite but I managed to talk myself and my sore legs into doing at least a ride around the Hood!

BTW, this is my 14 year old grandson. I'm 6'1 and at 14, almost 15, he is 4 inches taller than I am at a whopping 6'4! :-O Meh, I missed the complete shot, I suck with cell phone cameras.

                                            Too bad he left before we moved the couch! :-P

Rode my old 1998 Cannondale!

Couple extra shots!

Super Blood Wolf Something or other Lunar Eclipse! :-P

SART Saturday

 Few pics for now, 35 miles at 16.3 MPH average speed. Gina suffered some at the end today but a better average so that is a good thing.

I don't discriminate so there is also some Man Candy for you women in Mark's picture below ha ha!


Video at a later date.

Pic compliments of Mark. He says I need to stop losing weight cause my bones are beginning to show. Losing weight? I wish that were true ha ha!

Playing with Fire

There goes Gina, playing with fire again! :-P

40 Miler with Gina

 Video at a later time! 40 miler today at 15.6.  Started out alone then saw Joaquin after 20 miles. We rode to the beach alone then met him for a chat. Later Jose rode up and joined the chat. Gina and I had to be home a bit early today so we only took a short break.

We headed back and the guys asked if they could ride back with us.  Joaquin helped us a lot by taking the front for a while. That was nice. Once we got back to the truck we had 35 miles. But I was able to talk Gina into another 5 to make an even 40. She was game and did very well.

Dark and gloomy today at the beach and most of the trail. Did see Herb & Alyce, Bad Bob, and Mark. But it was so dark I just about didn't recognize any of them as we rolled by one another ha ha!


The video as promised! :-P

I guess I like her more without the helmet! :-P

Freaking Rain!

Was supposed to rain today so all partners canceled on me. Didn't feel like getting wet with the drive down to the trail and certainly did not want to ride around home in wet conditions. So I stayed in bed ha ha! Later looked out and it was not as bad as I expected other than about 30 minutes or so.

Oh well, so we drove around, took a cruise and took a few pics. Did see some cyclists later after it dried up. But it was near dark and I ain't going out. I'll wait for Sunday, a much better forecast!

Baseline and the 210 was a pretty good spot to check out the clouds. And yes, there are cyclists in one of the pics so it is a bike related post ha ha!

Cheesy Little Tandem Ride

Cool evening, only 53 degrees but nice little cruiser ride around the hood. 11.7 miles at 15.0 average speed. 10 laps around the hood staying on the loop. Gina said it was cold, I didn't think so really. But at one point I could see we were riding through a mist. Well several times as the east section of the loop had little clouds of fog, just itty bitty little ones, like 10 X 10. just small enough to look cool.

The bad part about riding the loop is you can really tell who the dog owners are. Ride by a house on the west section and Mmmm smell carne asada or something really good. Roll over another 10 strokes of the pedals and stuns you cause you're still trying to take in the aroma of good home cooking when you run into a house with a dog. Oh how quickly that aroma going in nice and easy, and fast turns to dog crap! Oh my gosh, what a feeling. Makes you want to puke. So terrible that the next time you go around, you take in as much as you can of the good food, then cut it off real quick and hold your breath before you hit the dog crap! Oh what a feeling! :-P

But anyway, we got it done. I told Gina, see it's not that bad. It was a little cool but aren't you happy you got it done?

Nope! :-/

OK anyway, I'm glad we got out there and got in a little ride even if it was a little cruise around the hood.

I didn't think it was that cold but the sprinklers had gone on so the grass was looking a little frosty.

My Chinese wife Gina. You'd be surprised at how many people over the years have asked me if she was Asian. :-P

Night Ride in the Hood

11.6 miles around the hood tonight. 16.0 average speed. Nothing exciting, just got to keep the legs moving. 56 degrees tonight but felt much warmer than I expected. Of course Gina stayed inside saying it was too cold. But she promised to ride Thursday night.

11.6 Miles Around the Hood. Maybe I can throw in a few gang bangers and make a movie! :-P

Well, Got Lazy This Weekend, but a Video (non cycling)

Meh! Had good intentions this weekend but didn't work out. Gina had some business to tend to this weekend at noon on Saturday. I planned to do GMR but I could not sleep thinking of Gina being alone at the house with business. Maybe I watch too much HDID TV, is that the channel with all the murderers and detectives? I swear I can not walk the mall any longer without picking a few serial killers. And Walmart? Forget it ha ha!

So I could not fall asleep till 4 am worried and my plan was to ride at 8. Screw it, stayed home in case the business people were serial killers, that way I could get killed too ha ha! But all went well!

Then Sunday I thought I might get up to do GMR but it was wet and so I said screw it! Stayed home and ate pizza. WHATEVER!!! Just another wasted day so I figured I'd make this video out of some cousin pics I had or our get together dinner a while back.

Mainly after having discovered how to use some of the effects on the new video editor I bought a few months back and haven't had much of a chance to create any videos. And since I'm too freakin' lazy to go out for some bike footage, I figured I do this video just to practice.

OK, added this one ha ha ha! Shadow boxing. Experimenting with PowerDirector16 video editor. :-P




Dancing Queen ha ha ha!




Some cool little effects going on! Just a pic video.

The Freakin' Wind Ride On New Years Day

35 miles at 13.7 MPH average speed ha ha! Yes, pretty freakin' windy! Forecast said 25 MPH winds with 60 MPH gusts. A wind advisory said 40-50 MPH winds with 65 MPH gusts. I dunno but fences around our hood were torn down when we woke up this morning so Gina asked if I really wanted to ride. My plan was to ride alone, she said she'd sit this windy mother out ha ha!

I had second thoughts but man, I have been wanting to ride in the wind. It's fun to me. I know I can't beat it so I find a good spin and work with it. Never going to beat the wind so I just ride. I see others cranking it up going with the wind but not this boy. I conserve and save the energy for the return. Common sense tells you if it's too easy one way, it's going to kill you the other way ha ha!

Yeah, I like the wind. I ride into the wind or with it. You get to liking it if you do it right. Unlike some fool I knew on a cycling forum. He parked a car at Green River and one at the south end of the trail. Hoping to get in a fast ride with the wind. C'mon man, any body who actually rides their bike will tell you the wind is going to change somewhere along the line. Give me a 30 mile long tailwind and I'll give you free tickets to Disneyland ha ha! Not really but c'mon! That's like parking a car at the shack then descending GMR so you have a 20 MPH average to post on Strava. :-/

But today was actually fun! Unlike most times I hit the trail, it took me about 10+ miles before I saw another cyclist. I want to say that out and back I saw maybe 10 cyclists total. Hey, that is cool with me cause I think it takes some motivation to get out there knowing it's going to hurt. Proud and happy to say I did!

I did see Alex at the beach stop. He rode up surprising me that he was out there. I really didn't expect him to ride after the long ride he did on the weekend. But yeah, he was out there too! I saw another guy that I could have sworn he shouted, "Beanz!" Maybe it was John R?

But it is a little hard for me to hear at times, with the wind, because I don't hear well to begin with, and the fact that I stuffed pieces of napkins in my ears to shield them from the wind hoping to avoid ear aches. I don't get them but at times I can get a cold feeling pressure in my ears with the chilly wind so why chance it?

Good thing I brought my tights with me. As much as they bug me feeling like my knees are restricted, they help a bunch with the chilly air. Didn't think I would need them but once I got out of the truck, wowzer, it felt cold, gimme my tights. I took off and though having a jersey and under layer, I was almost tempted to turn back after the first mile to get my windbreaker as well. But my upper body warmed up soon enough with the sun. Yeah, sun but chilly! Only a minimum of 59 but it felt colder IMO.

So the first section heading into the wind didn't feel too bad. I turned around and cruised to the beach in conserve mode. But once I headed back from the coast, oh my! It was tough as soon as I hit the underpass of PCH. Big wind tunnel. I knew it would suck but taking note of other riders heading back, I figured it would ease up a bit by Moon Park (405 fwy ). It did, I was doing 12 MPH there, yes that was picking up speed ha ha! Might have even hit 15 somewhere along the line but once I got close to Edna Park, I was pushing and going nowhere slowly. Didn't bother me much, like I say, you have to be patient in the wind, that helps.

But as I rolled through the tunnel at the 405, I hit the end and saw a thin rider standing there on that sidewalk that leads to a parking lot on the right. I caught a quick glimpse of him, looked fit, nice bike but I wondered if after I rolled by, he would try to hop on my wheel. For one thing, I wanted to ride alone. Another thing is I get sick of guys hopping on my wheel, sucking me for 5 or 6 miles then racing around when we get near a park or somewhere they plan to pull off.

I get these guys all the time. Suck my wheel for 5, 6 or more, then they go around and open a gap of 40 yards. OK, so why not return the favor?  I don't feel like I have to race to close the gap after I pulled you. If you're a decent person, help those who help you! Of course they pull away some then I keep my pace figuring I just may catch them anyway holding my pace. Of course they turn off before I can. Really not impressive at all!

So I was heading up the short little climb, felt twice as long with the wind. I looked back and sure enough, he's standing on the climb. I'm guessing in an attempt to catch me. Screw that! I turned it on and flew up the hill much faster than I figured I could with this headwind ha ha! I'm sure the little skinny guys think they're going to catch us big guys on the little climbs, not this boy!

I got to the top and  see him looking like he wanted to catch me and take my wheel. I got to the top, took a drink, caught my breath then continued on trying to lift the pace some. I look back at the next underpass and he's about 20 yards behind me. He closed the gap some but you know what, you ain't gonna catch me ha ha! I went down on the drops, unusual for me and lifted the pace. I was pushing pretty good. A mile later I look back and he's half a strip behind me, maybe 100 yards or more. The sign, the sign someone gassed out and so I knew he was not going to be able to catch me now. Hell no you ain't using this big boy today ha ha!

Oh yeah, I wore my Fat Bastard jersey today. If I passed anybody in this hard wind,  or if you couldn't catch me today, you can tell your friends you couldn't catch a fat bastard ha ha!

But anyway, I got back to my truck and felt pretty good. I had thought about doing the 36 to Circle K when I first started but once I felt the wind speed, I settled for 32 doubling back at Lincoln. But hey, feeling good at the end of the ride, I just kept going for another 1.5 so that once I turned back, I'd have 35 at the end of the ride. Could have easily done 36 but that one mile was not meaningful to me. But 35 does sound much better than 32 ha ha!

I knew it was windy today. Every time I opened my mouth to take a deep breath, spit would fly out. Not to mention, at times, snot would fly out of my nose at will, not my will though ha ha! That's when you know it's windy! :-P







                                                Rather empty trail as you can tell from the pic!

Sitting up so the wind doesn't blow snot out of my nose. Now that I think of it, I didn't have snot in my nose but the wind was blowing snot from somewhere, that's how HARD the wind was blowing ha ha!

Made me want In-N-Out

Poor trees

Alex on another long ride.