====================================
DSG Newsletter #8
http://www.dsgrunning.com/
July 19, 2011
====================================
Hello 14 mile finishers,
I want to send the weekly newsletter out a bit earlier than normal this week. I want to spend my billable hours Wednesday searching for good places to eat in Frankfurt.
Congrats to all of our first timers who completed the longest run of their lives this past Saturday. I was glad to see that no one took the DSG express taxi back to base. These 14 milers that we run throughout the season will get a lot easier as the season progresses. Give yourselves a little pat in the back. Not many on the planet can do you what you just did. I went sterile after I ran my first 14 miler back in the days. I'm still recovering. Hopefully you guys didn't meet the same fate. If you did, drink more mango juice.
I won't be at the run this weekend. Please don't let that fact prevents you from coming to the marina. There will be plenty of people there to run. Just show up and do your thing. If you don't know where you are going, follow someone. Jerry says that he will be there to take command. Jerry also says a lot of stuff.
=============
WATER STATION
=============
This week is the Vietnamese 12 miler ... 11.75 miles. To our first timers, the route will take you on a packed dirt path. Make sure that you get down to the asphalt path that is parallel to the dirt path. You won't miss it. Just run on the dirt path and eventually it will provide you will several locations where you can go down on the asphalt path. The asphalt path is where mile marker 7.5 is located. It will be on your left hand side at about 3/4 mile pass the boat house. There will be no water station this week since I'll be in Germany.
It's going to hot for the next week or so. I want to remind everyone to hydrate properly for all runs, including the short ones at home. Make sure that you don't overdo it though. To all of the newbies out there, there is a condition called hyponatremia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia) if you drink too much water. The best way to prevent this is drink a sports drink instead of water. If you do drink water, just do it until your urine is a light yellow or clear.
The other thing that I want to mention is the danger of taking NSAIDs/Ibuprofen during the training runs. It may give you temporary relief, but take caution when using it for endurance sports. Studies have cautioned that the use of NSAIDs during ultra distance exercise, such as an marathons, is associated with an increased risk of exertional hyponatremia. Researchers believe that this effect is likely due to altered renal (kidney) function. The issues related to altered kidney function in athletes are not hard to imagine. Poor fluid transport and restriction can lead to dehydration, hyponatremia and at the extreme, kidney failure.
==============
DSG NIGHT OUT
==============
REMINDER: Our DSG night out is Saturday Aug 13. We are going to the Improv. Below is the link to the show that we are seeing. It's the 8:00 PM show. Please come out if you can. We'll gather, socialize, eat, watch the show, and do something together afterward for those who want to extend the evening. The last time that we did this, the show sold out so please book now or you will be left without tickets. It's a Saturday night show so it will sell out. Don't wait. Book now!!
This is a great opportunity for us to get to know each other outside of the marina. It will also give us a good mid-season break and do something fun together. Many of us will be driving there so we can give rides to whomever needs one. Please feel free to bring along a friend, family, or significant other. Drop me an email to tell me if you are coming so that I know who and how many to expect.
http://www.symfonee.com/Improv/dc/comedians/Bio.aspx?Uid=ef3405d6-d156-4c8c-9c26-d9d2b4f465ea
================
IRONMAN GERMANY
================
I'm leaving for Frankfurt today. I may come back with an Ironman finisher's medal or I may come back with a German mail-order bride. I don't know, but we will let fate decide. If you want to follow me, my bib number is 2091. I'm sure that DSG folks will post my splits on my Facebook wall throughout the day. If you are following me, please post the splits there so that other DSG folks can see it. If you are not my Facebook friend, add me now :) The race starts at 2:00 AM DC time.
The weather calls for rain the day before the race, rain the day of the race, and rain the day after the race. This will make peeing on German soil a lot less stressful when I'm on the bike. Why stop by a porta-john when the gods are giving you a helping hand?
My goal for the race is not act like a deer in a headlight when they start molesting me during the swim. You're damn right that I'll be rocking in a chastity belt during the swim. You can never be too safe these days.
In all seriousness, I didn't sacrifice three of my favorite testicles during long bike training rides this season to be a tourist in Germany. Rain or no rain, I plan to go there and lay down a PR ... or lie and say that I got a PR. It is the Vietnamese way after all.
If you want to see what it's like to be in Frankfurt and do Ironman Germany, check out the below YouTube video. It will be 9:30 minutes of your life that you will never get back. The video is from the 2010 race..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8wOeoaUGX0
Not a liar, just an artist with the truth,
Tuan
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Week 18: Sunday Bike Ride with the Vertical Swimmer
===========================================
SUNDAY BIKE RIDE WITH THE VERTICAL SWIMMER
Star Date: Week 18
===========================================
Hello Children of Satan,
Do you know what's better than reading this blog? Reading it while on the company's dime. Unfortunately for you all this week is the last week that you'll be able to engage in this fireable offense. Starting next week you will need to find another creative outlet to cheat your company on the billable hours front.
Some of you will return back to the rice paddies and brag about this once in a lifetime opportunity to hang with the Freshest Prince of Saigon. You will tell them how much your lives have been enriched for the experience. You will tell them how cool it was to rub elbows with royalty, but they won't believe you. They'll just judge you and quote an old Vietnamese adage to you ... "he who sniff a water buffalo's ass is stupid." You'll just simply reply, "you must have mistaken me for my cousin Quang."
===============
SPECIAL THANKS
===============
Special thanks to Kevin D'Amanda for once again pulling Vertical Nation for the entire ride last Sunday. That's about the 15th time this summer that he has pulled the group for pretty much the entire ride. The man is just a beast on the bike ... and his 2:5x marathon time ain't too shabby either.
==================
CUE SHEET
==================
We are going old school Vietnamese this week by not posting the cue sheet. We will ride with the wind and let fate takes us where it will take us ... assuming of course fate takes us either to the BP gas station or the T. If fate takes us elsewhere then fate is either wrong or is a chick or both. As we all know, women and sometimes fate can't be trusted. I would tell this straight up to a woman, but my desire to be bitch slap isn't as strong as their desires to bitch slap me.
===========
LAST RIDE
===========
In all seriousness, this week's ride is the last ride that I will support with newsletters, emails, and cue sheets. After this week, it's every man and woman for himself/herself. My IM is the following week. I will still head out on the Sunday ride at the same time and location occasionally for the rest of the summer. I won't be as diligent. I'll be switching to standalone marathon mode after my IM. I'll make the decision on whether to go riding on Sunday ... on Sunday when I wake up.
If you want to continue the ride or find folks to ride with, just post it on the Sunday Bike Ride with the Vertical Swimmer thread in the DCTri forum. There are still plenty of folks left who are training for IMs and HIMs. You'll won't be alone.
I may still update this blog on a weekly basis with the stuff that I write for my running club, DSG. It's the same flavor but more geared toward running than biking. Or, I may not update this on a weekly basis. Only the 20 followers of this blog will be able to tell :)
==========
2012 IM
==========
I'm thinking of either doing IM Germany - Frankfurt again or perhaps Challenge Copenhagen. I'm also open to other Euro IMs. If you are thinking of doing one over there, drop me a note and perhaps and I can be convinced to do the one that you are doing. You do an IM with me, you are guaranteed to have the Sunday bike ride throughout your training :)
============================
SILVER SPRING EXPRESS TRAIN
============================
The Silver Spring Express Train will be back to its normal 6:25 AM departure. This is the last week that we will entertain the Squirrel Nation of Rock Creek with our presence. It's sad, but it's time to move into something more delicious ... like deer.
===================
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
===================
I spent a couple of hours yesterday writing the below poem just for you all as a farewell message. It's been a pleasure riding with many of you this year. Some of you will miss pulling me, but there is always next year.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
I am a dreamer and when I wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.
And as you move on, remember me,
Remember us and all we used to be
Man, that's good shit I just wrote.
See you on the road,
Tuan
SUNDAY BIKE RIDE WITH THE VERTICAL SWIMMER
Star Date: Week 18
===========================================
Hello Children of Satan,
Do you know what's better than reading this blog? Reading it while on the company's dime. Unfortunately for you all this week is the last week that you'll be able to engage in this fireable offense. Starting next week you will need to find another creative outlet to cheat your company on the billable hours front.
Some of you will return back to the rice paddies and brag about this once in a lifetime opportunity to hang with the Freshest Prince of Saigon. You will tell them how much your lives have been enriched for the experience. You will tell them how cool it was to rub elbows with royalty, but they won't believe you. They'll just judge you and quote an old Vietnamese adage to you ... "he who sniff a water buffalo's ass is stupid." You'll just simply reply, "you must have mistaken me for my cousin Quang."
===============
SPECIAL THANKS
===============
Special thanks to Kevin D'Amanda for once again pulling Vertical Nation for the entire ride last Sunday. That's about the 15th time this summer that he has pulled the group for pretty much the entire ride. The man is just a beast on the bike ... and his 2:5x marathon time ain't too shabby either.
==================
CUE SHEET
==================
We are going old school Vietnamese this week by not posting the cue sheet. We will ride with the wind and let fate takes us where it will take us ... assuming of course fate takes us either to the BP gas station or the T. If fate takes us elsewhere then fate is either wrong or is a chick or both. As we all know, women and sometimes fate can't be trusted. I would tell this straight up to a woman, but my desire to be bitch slap isn't as strong as their desires to bitch slap me.
===========
LAST RIDE
===========
In all seriousness, this week's ride is the last ride that I will support with newsletters, emails, and cue sheets. After this week, it's every man and woman for himself/herself. My IM is the following week. I will still head out on the Sunday ride at the same time and location occasionally for the rest of the summer. I won't be as diligent. I'll be switching to standalone marathon mode after my IM. I'll make the decision on whether to go riding on Sunday ... on Sunday when I wake up.
If you want to continue the ride or find folks to ride with, just post it on the Sunday Bike Ride with the Vertical Swimmer thread in the DCTri forum. There are still plenty of folks left who are training for IMs and HIMs. You'll won't be alone.
I may still update this blog on a weekly basis with the stuff that I write for my running club, DSG. It's the same flavor but more geared toward running than biking. Or, I may not update this on a weekly basis. Only the 20 followers of this blog will be able to tell :)
==========
2012 IM
==========
I'm thinking of either doing IM Germany - Frankfurt again or perhaps Challenge Copenhagen. I'm also open to other Euro IMs. If you are thinking of doing one over there, drop me a note and perhaps and I can be convinced to do the one that you are doing. You do an IM with me, you are guaranteed to have the Sunday bike ride throughout your training :)
============================
SILVER SPRING EXPRESS TRAIN
============================
The Silver Spring Express Train will be back to its normal 6:25 AM departure. This is the last week that we will entertain the Squirrel Nation of Rock Creek with our presence. It's sad, but it's time to move into something more delicious ... like deer.
===================
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
===================
I spent a couple of hours yesterday writing the below poem just for you all as a farewell message. It's been a pleasure riding with many of you this year. Some of you will miss pulling me, but there is always next year.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
I am a dreamer and when I wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.
And as you move on, remember me,
Remember us and all we used to be
Man, that's good shit I just wrote.
See you on the road,
Tuan
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Week 17: Sunday Bike Ride with the Vertical Swimmer
===========================================
SUNDAY BIKE RIDE WITH THE VERTICAL SWIMMER
Star Date: Week 17
===========================================
Hello Born Again Virgins for the umpteen times,
Ironman Vietnam is now over. Due to the lack of port a-johns in Gtown, the organizer of the event had to make some last minute adjustments to the run course. Fortunately for us, the Apple Store was exactly 13.1 meters from T2. iPhone, iPod, iMac? Pss, iPeed right outside of Steve Jobs' place of business. It's ok though. We all know that Mac users are nothing but a bunch of socialists anyway. Get a hair cut and shower for more than once a week you hippy freaks!
Special shoutout to Josh Glazer, Carlos Vegh, and Courtney Fulton for protecting my flank and keeping me company during the ride. Special thanks to Josh for pulling for the last 25 miles or so.
==============================
TEACHING AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS
==============================
From the file of you can teach an old dog new tricks. I learned from Ironman Vietnam what a liberating experience it is to do an Iron distance bike ride without having to pee on your bike. It has open my eyes to a world that I had never experienced before. I'm seriously considering using that methodology during my next IM. I will need a few more practice rides before I can confidently put that into my race plan.
=========
TAPERING
=========
I'm now officially tapering for my race. In honor of this, I've written the below original poem dedicated to my tapering.
"I've been alone with you inside my mind
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times
I sometimes see you pass outside my door
TAPER ... Hellooo, is it me you're looking for?
let me start by saying, I LOVE YOU"
Damn! That's some good shit that I just wrote during billable hours.
==================
CUE SHEET
==================
------------------
60 Miles Travilah
------------------
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/dc/washington/926124888526131286
R Wisconsin (0.0)
L Resevoir Rd (@~0.5)
R MacArthur Blvd (@~2.1)
R Falls Rd (@~12.6)
L River Rd (@~14.7)
R Travilah Rd (@~19.8)
turn slight R to stay on Travilah at Turkey Foot intersection (@~22)
L Darnestown Rd (Rte 28) (@~25.2)
L Seneca Rd (Rte 112) (@~30.8)
becomes River Rd (@~33.6)
stay on River Rd. until the Partnership Rd intersection (@35)
TURN AROUND
River Rd (112)
R on 190 to stay on River Rd (@~36.5)
R Falls Rd (@~44.5)
L MacArthur Blvd (@~46.5)
L Resevoir Rd (@~57.9)
R Wisconsin (@~58.6)
Home base @59.44
============================
SILVER SPRING EXPRESS TRAIN
============================
The Silver Spring Express Train will be back to its normal 6:25 AM departure. It's only a sixty miler this week. This means that I will have more time on my hands to scare the living shit out of some squirrel.
iPeed ... 'nough said.
Tuan
SUNDAY BIKE RIDE WITH THE VERTICAL SWIMMER
Star Date: Week 17
===========================================
Hello Born Again Virgins for the umpteen times,
Ironman Vietnam is now over. Due to the lack of port a-johns in Gtown, the organizer of the event had to make some last minute adjustments to the run course. Fortunately for us, the Apple Store was exactly 13.1 meters from T2. iPhone, iPod, iMac? Pss, iPeed right outside of Steve Jobs' place of business. It's ok though. We all know that Mac users are nothing but a bunch of socialists anyway. Get a hair cut and shower for more than once a week you hippy freaks!
Special shoutout to Josh Glazer, Carlos Vegh, and Courtney Fulton for protecting my flank and keeping me company during the ride. Special thanks to Josh for pulling for the last 25 miles or so.
==============================
TEACHING AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS
==============================
From the file of you can teach an old dog new tricks. I learned from Ironman Vietnam what a liberating experience it is to do an Iron distance bike ride without having to pee on your bike. It has open my eyes to a world that I had never experienced before. I'm seriously considering using that methodology during my next IM. I will need a few more practice rides before I can confidently put that into my race plan.
=========
TAPERING
=========
I'm now officially tapering for my race. In honor of this, I've written the below original poem dedicated to my tapering.
"I've been alone with you inside my mind
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times
I sometimes see you pass outside my door
TAPER ... Hellooo, is it me you're looking for?
let me start by saying, I LOVE YOU"
Damn! That's some good shit that I just wrote during billable hours.
==================
CUE SHEET
==================
------------------
60 Miles Travilah
------------------
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/dc/washington/926124888526131286
R Wisconsin (0.0)
L Resevoir Rd (@~0.5)
R MacArthur Blvd (@~2.1)
R Falls Rd (@~12.6)
L River Rd (@~14.7)
R Travilah Rd (@~19.8)
turn slight R to stay on Travilah at Turkey Foot intersection (@~22)
L Darnestown Rd (Rte 28) (@~25.2)
L Seneca Rd (Rte 112) (@~30.8)
becomes River Rd (@~33.6)
stay on River Rd. until the Partnership Rd intersection (@35)
TURN AROUND
River Rd (112)
R on 190 to stay on River Rd (@~36.5)
R Falls Rd (@~44.5)
L MacArthur Blvd (@~46.5)
L Resevoir Rd (@~57.9)
R Wisconsin (@~58.6)
Home base @59.44
============================
SILVER SPRING EXPRESS TRAIN
============================
The Silver Spring Express Train will be back to its normal 6:25 AM departure. It's only a sixty miler this week. This means that I will have more time on my hands to scare the living shit out of some squirrel.
iPeed ... 'nough said.
Tuan
Sunday, July 3, 2011
CANCELED: Sunday bike ride
Due to thunder and rain, the ride is canceled today. Since it's July 4th on Monday, we'll ride do the same ride if you are interested. I'll be out there at 7:00 AM. Please drop me an email if you want to do the same ride Monday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)