Bakasyunan Conference and Team Building Center

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines,
September 27, 2015

I gathered enough courage to enter the Bakasyunan and see what is inside.  At the same time, I am looking for alternative venue for students at the grad school Leadership Class for team building

Padre Pio at Sampaloc Tanay Rizal

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
September 27, 2015

                                                  Similar to the one at Eastwood in QC

We have passed the Padre Pio Chapel/shrine in Sampaloc Tanay.  But because we are huffing and puffing as we ride up to Sampaloc, we never bother to stop.  Today I went inside (because it was raining it had to seek shelter and these were beautiful sight I saw.

A big gathering today September 27, of Recyclists at Simples Lugawan

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
September 27, 2015

Recyclists gathered today in a big way at Simples Lugawan.  There were 13 of us this morning. Please see the rest of the pictures.  After Simples, we proceeded to Pisong Kape in Pililla.  However I peeled off to Tanay.  Thereafter they will proceed to Pangskie Gils post wedding reception  Dona Aurora Angono, Rizal. Congratulations

The tropa was led by Ado and Meong from Morong to Baras.  I tried to chase them up to the hill climb in Baras Tanay boundary but I was the one overtaken (although I overtook a fast riding duo). Riding down to Tanay, though they were never far away (I was not completely) dropped and they were only 5 car lengths away.  However there were too much traffic from opposite (direction) that I was not able to completely get close to the peloton

Pablos (Tsinelas) advice on Interval training is very demanding - on nutrition and rest

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
September 26, 2015

I have tried twice the advice of Pablo (Tsinelas) Zarate, the MTB rider who can do 40 kph last Tuesday and today.  I did Antipolo and Cardona diversion last Tuesday.  I did the interval at:    Tower Hills, last ascend to Antipolo before the capitol,   2x near Robinson and before descent to Teresa, before San Guillermo, and after San Guillermo.  No interval at Diversion in Cardona all grant.  Oh yes I did once before the descent..  So 7 interval in all.

Today I rode to Pililla.  The intervals were done past the Convention Center, going up Mambog, going up Callahan, going up Namay, going up Baras Tanay boundary, one before KM 53, KM 55, KM 57 KM 58 (slightly uphill before the Biak na Bato) and final sprint before  Pisong Kape. 9 intervals in all.

My experience with interval training

1.  I need to nap in the afternoon for at least 3 hours;
2.  I need to eat more and more frequently;
3.  My blood sugar is more likely to drop;
4.  My thighs, abs, and butt muscle ache;
5.  Biking now feel much easier and effortless
6  I feel more confident with my riding

My experience with the low gears (11 to 36) is that I am trained to pedal faster (spinning) and I recover faster, I can pedal harder for longer distances and period of time.  I get stronger with my current bike (with triplet) and super lo lo gears. I love it.

I overtook 4 batches of riders on the way to Pililla, and I reached Pililla in exactly one hour.
On the way home, I caught up with  rider with UE jersey.  I had 32 x 17 gear (low gear) spinning he had 34 x 17.

I get stronger with this bike.  No wonder the MTBs ride harder, faster and stronger.

However, SAFETY MUST BE OBSERVED IN INTERVAL TRAINING:

1.  Practice where there is no traffic or risks from vehicles or pedestrians
2.  Be wary of other riders.   Homer of Siniloan told me this at Pililla that he crashed while training somebody on interval training

Bike Ride Yesterday to the South: Bicutan, Daang Hari Paliparan

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
September 21, 2015

                                    Baytown has plenty of shade trees now

Its 43rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.  (They said it was done much earlier)

I rode yesterday to the south going to C6 (it looked better compared to when I passed through it last Tuesday via a motor vehicle, the    west service road, Daang Hari, Paliparan.  I tried doing this ride using 32 front chain ring x 11, 13 and 15 for easy ride.

It was uneventful ride although I arrived home 2:00 pm.  It was more of a sight seeing tour rather than a ride.

                                       Napindan channel being filled with water lilies from Laguna Lake

How to be Strong and Fast according to Pablo as per Santi

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
September 19, 2015

According to Pablo Tsinelas, one of the best way how to ride faster is to do interval training. He overheard this from Santi Barrinechea the former Ronda champion.

This is how to do this.   As you ride whether on a flat or hill, and you approach the km post, say 100 to 200 meters, you sprint all out  and repeat this several times say 5x.

As you get stronger, you lessen the resting time between the sprints say from 2 minutes to only 10 seconds until you can maintain same high pace of pedalling

Need we say more.

Bike ride today September 19, 2015

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
September 19, 2015

                                Pablo, right, aka Tsinelas practices daily and cruises on an MTB at 40 kph

                                            Pablo aka Tsinelas now wear shoes

Despite being bone tired for successive trips and appointments and arriving late due to traffic, I still rode today I however left late about 7:00 am  I was in Pisong Kape at 8:00 plus where I met Master E and Pablo Zarate (the tsinelas MTB rider but who rides fast).  On the way though, I chased a group of MTB who were fast riders. They were doing probably 30% and I overtook them at km 51 but then caught up with at KM 55.  I chase them and did the paceline up to KM 58 and then overtook me at biak na bato.  However we arrived simultaneously at Tia Carmen.

                                         Raymond, the strongest MTB rider in the group

A cheap repair goes a long long way

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
September 14, 2015

                                         The Mavic biking shoes bought from VM

Last week I was on a warpath to buy a new pair of biking shoes. I all ready chose the model:   R107 which cost P4,500.00 and RS 171 which cost  P6,000.  So far it is very competitive at Christy's.  But what prevented me from buying was that they were charging the 6% merchant;s fee to me which would be a hefty P360.00 add on.

Why am buying a new pair?   My Mavic shoes soles which are carbon fiber have separated and the plastic attachment at the fabric disintegrated.    The Scott on the other hand, has buckle at the right side malfunctioning.

Bike lessons that I learned over the years

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
September 13, 2015

I have been itching to write this post for a long long time but I had no time to gather my thoughts. For the last 7  years, I got the following tips which I dare share to others:

1.  Stay focussed on why you want to bike:  say health, strong body, adventure and do not be distracted with crashes, mechanical problems,  or expenses. Other keep on saying that what you spend on your bike would just be one day at ICU (knock on wood if you get sick)

2. Spend on your bike up to a certain limit, and love your bike afterwards.  Do not be afflicted with UPGRADITIS ie buying a new bike, a new wheelset, new handlebar or seat.    Love your bike and focus how it could be your good partner on many of your adventure and long rides.

Bike Ride Today, September 13, 2015

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
September 13, 2015

I intended to bike up to Mabitac today to ramp up my mileage.  I biked early this week to Antipolo, to  Km 55 in Tanay.

I left at 7:00 am and saw some MTB on the way, and then a fixie in Darangan.  He was from Rosario and said was going to bike up to Mambog.  We were side by side and even was ahead of him until some 100 meters to Mambog summit.  He left we panting.

Then on to Cardona, then some Taytay boys and the fixie from Mambog overtook me in Cardona.  I proceeded up to Baras, to Tanay and  then Pililla. On the way, a pair one with TT overtook me, but I pursued them and they did not get far away. A group came rushing by in the last bend at the Biak na Bato until Hacienda Pisong Kape.   I arrived 8:10 and ate my lugaw with egg there until 8:30. I saw the other Recyclists pass by and Abet came back.  He said the others were going up Bugarin.

By 8:30 I biked up to OL and there I saw Jess, Edgar, Joel, Tito,  Master E, Richard, and Allan A and they ate buko.  I ate my buko too (now steady at P20.00 each)  It was nine when I reached OL. So I said I would still bike to Bugarin which I did.  I stopped some l km to the flats, peed and turned back.

On the way down, I met some pamangkin:   Bogie Mosqueda (cousin of Jorge Calingo, the bike shop owner in Pag asa) and his brother and some bikers wearing 7 11 uniform.  We rode together until Pililla town hall.  I rested having come from Mabitac.   I rode home alone but it was too hot all ready.  I was home at exactly 12 and would have travelled 100 km 40 of which was hill climbing.

Getting stronger with more rides

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines.
September 8 2015

I rode today.  This is supposed to be a recovery ride.  I rode to Km 59 (Halayhayin Pililla) and then back to Morong, than to Teresa.  It was almost 12 when I returned.

I used a different gear though.  I was at 2nd chain ring, 32 and did 32 x 11 most of the time, 32 x 12 and 32 x 15.  I climbed Teresa 32 x 17 and 32 x 19.   I think I am getting stronger with the practice of just maintaining rapid pedalling rate.   My legs have become smaller (less mass with rapid pedalling rate) and I became thinner.  With my weight hovering at 132 and 135 (vs 143 before)  Going up Teresa used to be a chore and scary.  It is no longer as of now.

Our bike ride yesterday, September 6, 2015

Wheels of Happiness

September 7, 2015

It was my second ride for the week.  The other one was to Antipolo via Morong and Teresa.  I met the other riders:   Ado and Vhen at Calumpang diversion.  Vhen had a flat tire and said he was with the group that included Richard, Pangskie, Jess.  So I waited for them.  We were together until boundary of Cardona and Morong but then, Ado overtook me.  And Vhen did likewise when we were near the market place.

Well I arrived some seconds later at Maybancal.  Over there were Ernie, Tito Fabay, Erning Mariposa, Master, Gerry Y, Nolite, Pres Luis,Pangskie, Richard, and then of course, Ado and Vhen.  They said we were going to Punta Jalajala (that would be 100 km out and back from Angono)

And so after having the Lugaw, I started out following Nolite.   As I reached Pisong Kape, I went on to Jalajala.   On the way to Punta, Weng and Erning and I was surprised when Weng touched my arm past Jalajala town proper.  That was about 10 am.. They went on probably to do the Jalajala loop but I stopped hoping to see the others come.  They did not.

At 1030, I went back and was at Pisong Kape by 12:00.  I arrived home 1:30.   It was a satisfying ride because I was strarting to develop my aerobic capacity and leg speed for spinning

New emerging class of bikers.

Wheels of Happiness

It used to be just roadies and mountain bikers. (MTB)  But there is a new emerging class of riders:

1. The fixies   They are growing in numbers (despite the apparent dangers) and they come with fluorescent colored bikes and sometimes racing with traditional roadies

2.  The cyclocross.  I would be one of them.  They have road bike frames handle bars but have MTB gears changers.  They would have typically gears up to 11 to 36.   They would have doubles for cranks and even triplets (I have triplets in front)  They ride roads, but go to places only fitted to MTB.

So there are now four classes of bikers

Bike rides to Antipolo via Teresa

Wheels of Happiness

I have done several bike rides to Antipolo via Teresa.  With my hill climber bike, it looks like a cinch now.   I do the climbs using 44 x 17 or 19.  It is spinning more or less with plenty of developing pedalling rate and aerobic capacity.  I do not stand and stay seated during the climb   The idea is not to speed up but finish the climb maintaining the rpm as much as possible.

I find it easier to do the climbs.  I see out the outer lane, to lessen the effort.  There is less panting and grunting as I use my hill climber.  Surprisingly, the climb takes less than 30 minutes.  It used to be more than that