Salem Spring Tri

Last week I decided to start my taper for Boise last weekend by switching a really long brick out for the Salem Spring Tri. I didn't do anything to get ready for this race other than pack my things and head down there - I did my hardest run this year on Wednesday, swam hard with the masters team Thursday, and went mountain biking on Friday morning with B, DR, and Alika. So, I wasn't exactly fresh to start the race. But, that wasn't the point. The swim was a mixed bag. I hadn't done any recon on the swim course. Without knowing where I was going, the swim felt really long. Plus, for some reason, even though there were only 75 or so people in my wave, I spent more time running into people than I have at almost any other swim - I simply couldn't get clear. After what felt like an eternity, I came out of the water in 13:51. I'm not sure how to interpret those results since there is a slight current in pond. But, I did finish 186/645 in the swim. I guess we'll see how it goes at Boise. As I started the bike, I felt the effects of fatigue. It felt like the swim had soggied all my matches, and the fuel for the matter, so I couldn't get moving on the first lap. Even that guy with the mountain bike helmet that was going shirtless passed me. Finally, after fifteen minutes or so, my matches dried out and I was able to light something to get moving. The bike was a two lapper, with my second lap coming in four minutes faster. As I started the run, I was sluggish and I felt that heavy dread that I may have to push through the entire run while I felt like crap. I hate that feeling. It soon faded and as I started the second half of the run I actually started enjoying it. My overall time was definitely slower because of the built up fatigue, but I had fun and either my wife or I will be doing this race whenever we can.

Commuting Etiquette, Mass Transit Style

In the last year or so I've switched to mainly commuting by car to mainly commuting by mass transit. On occasion, which is less often than it should be, I ride my bike to the bus stop and take the bus in. On those trips, I usually don't bother with cycling shorts on the way in since the ride down is so short, but usually do put on cycling shorts for the ride home, which usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour. And I always wear the courtesy baggies for the bus ride back to the UC. Everybody should. There are a couple of semi-regular commuters who ride one of the same later buses I take - one of the buses I catch when I've been too lazy to get up early and ride to the bus. I call them Bent Pedro and Short Bus. Short Bus is apparently a PhD student in physics or the like and insists on wearing his helmet the entire time, but at least he's wearing baggies. I shouldn't say much more about the name, lest I risk being sent to hell. Bent Pedro on the other hand is a multiple offender. He rides a recumbent. I'm just saying - a recumbent. And spandex. Sans the courtesy baggies. It's disturbing. Picture a bus full of guys in shirts and ties, women in suit pants, and Bent Pedro make his way along down the aisle with his pinnochio pants on. And then he finds that lucky person to share the ride with and sits down right next to them. For 45 minutes. Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe there is a time and a place to go with spandex - and straight spandex to boot. You don't want to show up to a group road ride and be that guy - you know who I'm talking about, the fellow on the hybrid with the baggy shorts and 20 oz. of root beer in his cage. There is a definitely a time and a place where the spandex is appropriate. But it's not on the bus.

Big Day

I've always wanted to do a multi-course dinner, especially with a group of people who love food as much as I do. Pat's admission to medical school provided me a pretext, so after a month or so of thought we made it happen. But first, I had to get some suffering in with the wind with Chuckie and Mahana. Good company to suffer with. It was a meal to remember. The menu: Appetizer - Tuna Sashimi with Fresh Ponzu, Tuna Tartar with Wasabi Aoli Salad - Amy's Salad (Spinach, Bacon, Walnuts, Feta, and Poppyseed Dressing) Bread - Whole Grain Bread, Vanilla Whipped Honey-Butter Fish - Garlic Shrimp, Sticky Rice, Fresh Ginger Soda Palette Cleanser - Fresh Fruit Smoothie White Meat - Apple Cider Baby-Back Ribs, Potato Salad with Homemade Lemon Mayo Entree - Filet, Potato Waffle with Fresh Horseradish Cream and Port Pan Sauce, Seasonal Vegetables Dessert - Vanilla and Chocolate Creme Brulee We were all too full when we were done with the entree so we skipped the cheese course, which was supposed to be Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese with D'Anjou Pears and went straight to dessert.

Tuesday and Thursday Mornings

B is back in the game - we're riding Tuesday and Thursday mornings before work. Tuesday involves a brisk ride up AF Canyon and Thursday is for mountain biking. DR comes along as well when he can. I push myself when I ride with these guys to try and keep the gap at least respectable, which I wouldn't do without them.

Good Morning

I love South Fork in the spring. Hard-packed and tacky without a hint of dust. I've had an SEG going ever since I started the descent.

Luau

I know it's early, but the planning and purchasing stages are already well underway. This year, the luau will be held on September 12 starting at 5 p.m. and going until it gets dark or every body leaves. The menu will follow closely with years past, with chicken, pork, beef, sausages, my brother's famous coconut pudding, as well as various sides. Please don't feel obligated to bring anything. That rarely works as some people insist - if you're the insisting type you can bring a salad or a desert or if you've got a particular side you want to eat with Hawaiian food then you should bring that. Hopefully you can make it and have a good time. It will be at Timpanogos Cove Park in Cedar Hills again at Timpanogos Cove Park, which is at 9508 N Timpanogos Cove Dr. I'm super excited.

Cultural Barriers

I spent two years as an Mormon missionary in Buenos Aires, Argentina in the mid 90's. Most of the missionaries in my MTC district were headed to the same mission. One of them was Ryan. Ryan came from a pampered background. Which I heard all about during the MTC. His dad was a VP at an international hair care products company and his mom was a phsychologist. He also had plenty of photographic evidence to back up his story. He lived in what I would still consider a mansion, complete with a large swimming pool and hot tub, a gym - the works. His parents bought him a nice car, a nice truck, a bullet bike, jet skis, a boat . . . .. well, you get the picture. Ryan hated the conditions in the MTC and didn't hesitate to voice his complaints. It only got worse for poor Ryan once we arrived in Argentina. As it turned out, Ryan and I ended up in the same apartment, which was a squalid dump even by South American standards. I was partnered with an American, Ryan with an Argentine named Campos. Campos spoke no English. Ryan not really any Spanish. As we they tried to settle in that first night, they struggled to communicate. Finally, in frustration, Ryan decided to take a shower. No hot water. Regardless, at least he could wash his face before he went to bed. As Ryan was finishing up, Campos started laughing. At Ryan. Campos did his best to explain the situation to Ryan, but to no effect. So he explained it to my companion in Spanish, who translated what had happened to Ryan when my compansion could compose himself enough to talk instead of chuckling. You see, Ryan had taken the time to really clean his face with a facial cleanser. After having rinsed it off, he had grabbed the first towel that was handy and dried his face with it. After all, the maid at home always kept fresh hand towels at the ready. The towel he grabbed was not a hand towel. And it was by no means fresh. Ryan had thoroughly dried his face with a well-spotted bide towel that was crusty enough to stand upright by itself. Dirty enough that none of the others would use it for any purpose, regardless of how desperate they were. Or even touch it. After Ryan learned what he'd done, he spent the better part of an hour scrubbing his face again - which was red the entire next day.

Different, But Definitely in a Good Way

This last weekend, I made it priority to get to Dew. It's a tiny little joint in Provo. The food was amazing. We had a little bit of everything - the boba drinks, the dumplings, the pho', the bahn mi, and some dessert. If you're looking for something reasonably priced that is a break from the freeway food ubiquitous in Happy Valley, I'd definitely recommend you stop by. If you happen to stop by on a Friday night, we'll probably see you there.