The oldies could be sick of shingles (if they had chickenpox before)

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
October 30, 2016

The fellow Recyclists could have been off now for San Felipe Zambales ride and the following could have joined:   Jess V, Pres Luis, Gerry and of course the host Jeff.   Ed I understand was not able to join because of the light showers.

I did not join because of impaired vision because I had an affliction which I learned last night from Maganding Gabi Doc (Seno of  St Lukes Medical Center) a specialist for geriatrics.   She presentation matched all the things that were told by my doctors(3 all ready:   a family physician and 2 opthalmologist0

1.  Shingles or kulebra in Tagalog is a viral infection that occurs mostly in senior citizens.  It is a flare up of dormant chicken pox virys (Herpes Zoster) that are dormant in the nerves.  They flare up because of lowered resistance.  I think that the hard long rides I had preparing for the Zambales and/or Taytay Palawan ride.

2.  I is unilateral and affect only a set of nerves: say chest nerves or eyes.   What was affected was the right side of my eye.

3.  It is a very painful condition and the ordinary paracetamol analgesic wont work.   I had to take an analgesic that knocks you out to sleep

 4.  Treatment consist of taking anti viral drugs like acyclovir, Vit C and Vit B for nueralgia. The anti virus drugs are expensive (more than 100/table taken 4x a day)

5.  There is vaccines but are  pricey though  It does not mean though that when you have the  vaccine, there could be no reinfection

Let us stay healthy and strong and avoid getting the shingles

Am doubtful starter for the All Saints Day ride to San Felipe this coming #AllSaintsDay holidays

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
October 21, 2016

With great suddenness, a viral condition afflicted me Sunday which put me in great pain at areas around the eye, rashes and severe pain at the back of the head.  I am in great pain and disabled, I have puffy eyelids and areas around the eye. I am on heavy medication, unable to bike and sustain the stamina that I prepared for so long for the long 200 km ride.

With this, I doubt if I can make it to the San Felipe ride.   Safe ride na lang guys

The doctor said I could have lowered my resistance by over reaching.  How were my rides?   Well 200 km to Majayjay, 120 km Jalajala loop with Recyclists, 120 km Jalajala solo, 120 km Famy.  And all with yabang sprints pa, peloton leading

Well the doctor said, it is what you like and enjoy.  Ingat na lang

INGAT MGA KAPADYAK

Sometimes the only real self improvement we could do for the week is a bike ride; or the only achievement for the week

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
October 9, 2016

We always ask and reflect why we ride despite the absence of any real material gain.  Most of the time we lose with our investments and pain during practice or crash.

Well we ride, because sometimes it is t he only real self improvement effort we could do for the week, for our health, and to improve ours skills (the biking skill) and capability.  Biking enables us to practice focus, determination, and dedication to an endeavor.  We could not afford graduate studies, or seminar or a life coach, but a bike ride teaches us to dig deep into our inner self to find out more about our selves.  And we are happier as we make the discovery in every ride.

With all the bad news, with all the negative people we meet every day, and with all the frustration, biking may be the only positive thing we experience during the week.  We are the king of our destination, or our speed, and direction not to be frustrated by any one else (except by the MC, jeepney driver, or tricycle)  But in an open road, there is no boss breathing down our neck, no competitor to block our way, no tsismis to hurt our feelings.  It is only you/us enjoying the bike and the earth.

That is why we spend endless hours preparing for our bike ride:  cleaning and tuning up the bike, choosing the color and the combination of the jersey to wear;  becoming fit for the week end ride by weights, and light rides.  Sometimes, when we go out for the ride, we affirm our identity and appearance.  We appear more guapo with our tight shorts and upper, with our eye wear and helmet.

And that gives us a sense of pleasure and pride.

Our bike ride to #Famy today, October 9, 2016

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
October 9, 2016

In response to text message of Meong, I rode to Sacred Heart Church in  Tayuman this morning.   There I found waiting, Jess V, Richard, Pres Luis and Nolite.  Later Master E came  At about  6:20 since no one was coming any more we rode out to Pisong Kape.  Later Gerry K  and Weng joined us along the way.   I was ahead of the group until Callahan when hell broke loose and they overtook me.  However I did HID and overtook them on the way to Morong.   They regained the lead at Namay and never relinquished the same.  

Only I and Nolite were battling it out at Biak na Bato.   We arrived at Pisong Kape at 7:20 which was a furious pace.  We waited until 8:00 am for VM,

Joel, Master E, and Vec (the market master)

When they arrived, they had the following reasons for not joining:

#VM -   loose pedal
Vec - galing sa sakit (ako galing sa sakit din)
Master E - #bagong bunot
Joel - kulang sa ensayo
Nolite ??

We rode to Bugarin and were there by about 9:00 where we got some water from Manang and then proceeded to Famy.  The rest were way ahead:  Gerry, Jess, Pres Luis, Ed Valdez, Richard. etc.

Those who were at the tail end were:   Peter, Ed (7days) myself and Engr. Ariel  I guess most of them were at Manays Resto by 9:30.  We started eating at 9:45 and were done by 10.  We left by 10:30 and were in Pisong Kape by 11:30.  I and Weng were behind (he accompanied me out of pity)  I did not exert more effort in order to conserve my health and energy.   I even bought rambutan which was only P25.00 per kg.

I was with the troops from Biak na Bato until Tanay where I started seeing them leave me behind.   Cardona by pass junction I turned right, to pass at diversion;  however as I was buying BJ (buko juice) Meong called me and joined the group who took a pit stop and waited for the shower to stop.

However Alan said we would do the diversion and so he Richard and I did the diversion.  However I was not very fit for this ride and was left again.  I caught up with the group at Island gas and URS where I overtook them on a sprint.

It was raining hard and my bike and my jersey were all muddied up.

#GreatRide though

At Sacred Heart Church

                                   Nolite, Jess V and  Meong at Sacred Heart

                                          Richard checking VM and others whereabouts?  Where na u?

                                         Still waiting at Sacred Heart Church

At Pisong Kape, Pililla

                                        Richard and Meong

This province PPO leadership went on a biking spree yesterday round Jalajala

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
October 3, 2016

Yesterday, we were troubled by Wangwang of a group of bikers who had police escorts and Mahindra Patrol Cars. I thought them to be sponsored by the PPO (the provincial commander loves biking and he likes that station commander bike too:  our town and other neighboring towns station commanders have top of the line bikes)  In one of the towns, where our comrade Gerry met an accident, the investigator told me that the station commander owns an expensive mountain bike.

As we passed at Cardona, we saw the hordes resting;  while the Pisong Kape, they passed by.  They were about 2 dozens.

At Jalajala, at Bagumbong, the sound of Wang2 startled us and the presence of 3 police MC escorts signalling us to stay at the side.  Of course, I we did not I overtook them on many occasions and I recognized the guy in blue and light green shirt who was leading the troops sponsored the Cardona 4x loop  He was very much improved rider.  Now leading by fast pace.   We learned from the other riders that:    1.  It was biking with business;  while biking the PPO inspected the station commander.  2.  Most of those who were riding are police officers;   only 8 are civilians.

They of course could not match the speed of the road bike;  Meong overtook most of them after we left Jalajala.  The civilian bikers rested and stopped just before Pisong Kape;  some of  them rode the patrol vehicles (laspag na)

P.S:  from what we heard, they are stronger because they do #hardinterval training at Hill Top often (from Tikling up to Hill top)

May be it is a great way to develop higher fitness level among cops to:

1.  To arrest criminals especially the drug pushers and addicts
2.  To organize bike patrols (to save on gas and patrol vehicles maintenance as in NYC.

But we rode on.

Jalajala ride by Recylists Super 8 yesterday October 2, 2016

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
October 2, 2016















Many committed to join and showed apparently showing they will join but only 8 persevered to join: Pres Luis Meong, the promoter, Angel, Peter, Gerry K, Ed de los Reyes (7 days) Netoy and Jorgeus Biker.  The others who showed up:  Nolite, Val, Joel, Richard did not join the long ride.

We met at 6:00 at Sacred Heart and left at about 7:20.  We were at Pisong Kape at about 7:20, a pretty fast pace.   I led the group up to km 57 where the group overtook me.  For me km 58 was the end point of the ride.  And then at 8:30 we went up hill up to Bugarin.  I found out I left my water bottle that is I why I have to buy water at Manangs at Bugarin.   Those who were left were me Edgar (he jingled) and Peter.  We looked for the troops (tropa) at agreed rallying point:   near the waiting shed after Bugarin (near Angelito Roans resort) and after the bridge en route to Pakil/Jalajala.  We did not find them

We continued pedalling furiously at about 28 to 32 km pace until we reached the Jalajala cemetery.  There we had lunch and left at 11:30.  We pedalled at 11:30 and chased the PNP bikers.  Meong caught up and overtook them.   Angel and I were left behind and I was left behind however I caught up with them at Morong.   We rested in Morong for quite a while because it was a hot day despite the overcast skies.

We were in Calumpang Binangonan  by 1:45 and rested there until 2:00 pm.  Still a very hot day.; I rested in Binangonan munisipyo.    However there was traffic at Granspan till Tagpos.  I wonder what the cause of traffic was.