Mui Ne

After a quick 8 hour drive (200km - think I could RIDE it faster!)... we arrived to Miu Ne about 11pm.  Gotta remember, holiday weekends, everyone is out, so are the police ticketing and making trouble EVERYWHERE.  It took over 1 hour just to get Gj from work...

Packed our bikes, looking forward to some good riding.  The day before on bridge repeats, it was very windy.  Alex said, "Oh, yeah, it will be windy up there!"...

Sure enough..... nuclear winds.... windsurfers delight, cyclists nightmare.  I was really looking forward to one of the great facebook posts, "Rode 110km, 33kph average, blah, blah, blah"... Nope...

no such luck.

Friday's ride I wanted easy and short, recovery from bridge intervals... its in the training plan, but Gj wanted to ride longer.  So, humor him....  considering the garbage we ride in in HCMC and the amazing scenery, open roads, its hard to say no.  Even if I risk overtraining....  my legs are a little achy from Thursday's bridge repeats.  Alex met me about the 7th trip and I though he'd visit, nope, he drafted behind an oil truck and I had to move it!  Set a PR on that climb, 7th climb no less... so pleased.  Ended up doing 8 climbs that day.

So, Friday, we head to the end of the beach road and back.  60km for Gj, 57 for me.  Our bike computers are 'off'.  Well, at least I feel better about that!

Saturday, my long day.  The day I build my endurance about 10km per week.  I was slated for 110km and really looking forward to it.  I got out on the road at 6:45 and knew I could get in at least 50km before I saw Gj.  If we road to the end of the beach and back, I'd have between 105 and 115 depending on where I saw him.

He didn't feel that hot.... we turn around 12km early making the day's ride 25km short.  I was pissed all day.  Trying to console myself in the fact that I did work hard in those 85km, climbed only 70% probably, but tried to keep the heart rate up and cadence up.  Also, doing some intervals that are part of my Saturday routine. 

And today... we go back to HCMC....

The Nguyen Van Linh boys....

finally found this YouTube link.  Park took this video with a helmet camera about a year ago...  especially watch about 4:34 and again at 9:15....

Flats, Falling out, Fat and Feelings of Failure

Yes, I am hard on myself.  But I am beyond frustrated!

For the last month, I have flatted nearly every ride.  I have gone through two tubulars, and several tubes and two bike remain 'unrideable'.  today was NO different!

Oh....  so pissed!  Saturday mornings are humilating enough.  I get a GOOD warm up before I meet the boys at the bridge.  The Dane & Dutch seem to come regularily now.  They seem to push the speed a little higher then Alex and I have yet to 'stick' for a reasonable amount of time.  Today's strategy was to get in the front 1/3 of the pack before it speeds up.  This way I can speed gradually rather then have them come from behind me and fail to get on.  They ride super slow out past the red bridge intersection.  We pick up Saigon Velo and Tu Probike clubs.  Once they join and we go to the main road, the attacks start.  I gain speed with the pack, but there isn't a pack, it is a very long line... I try and try to catch a wheel, but continuously fail.  I manage to hold onto the back for a bit, and through scarey intersection.  A group of6 or 7 start to fall out.  I am already going 49 and solo... no wheel, but try to get on to the group of riders that didn't give up.  I catch the back of their wheel and after the red bridge and through the toll booth,

POP!

I was SO mad!  SO SO SO MAD!  The boys were out of my reach by then, but I never stop trying!

Well, because I have high rimmed wheels, I have to have either a tube extender OR extra long nozzled tubes.  I have NEITHER with me as we have NO extra long nozzles (wonder how many times I ask for these but reassurred we don't need them) and of course, our extender is broken....

I am SCREWED!

Its a long walk home, a solid 10km.  I guess the beauty of our small riding area is I am at most 15km from home.  I cross the Nguyen Van Linh and have banked a whopping 19km!  Hey!

Thanks to the awesome guys, many stopped to see if I was okay.  I shoo'd them away as I know the riding is bad and, I knew this could happen, just get a taxi, go home.

Eventually, one guy stopped.  He INSISTED to try...  he flagged down several others... between the efforts of three, and someone who had the correct tube, I got my flat changed!

THANK YOU!  I proceed to finish my 90km ride.

Average speed was quite slow as it accounted for 15 minutes of walking my bike.  When I took that out of the equation, it wasn't horrible, but all of a sudden Gjermund got faster.  Great for him, but being an expat wife...  he's got the life... I am the wife!  My career is...  well, NOT flourishing... cycling was the ONE thing I had.... 

I have to figure out how to stay int eh group (or the scattered line when it speeds beyond 50).... 

Coming home from break, I stepped ont he scale, a whopping 135pounds!  OMG, I haven't been this heavy for YEARS...  (62kg).  Those damn pills I have to take to keep my period under control seem to want to keep me plump!

So, I am really frustrated.  I need some encouragement... and liquid isn't the kind I am after.

Cycling in the US...

I now have two bikes here with me... the MASI

and the OPERA w/ Easton EC 90's. One at our Canal House, the other at our Beaverton house.

 Of course, my two Cervelos at home in Vietnam w/ my Colnago upstairs for 'indoor' training....

It been amazing riding.... yesterday 80km down the 101 into Shelton.  There are plenty of places to let it out and do some intervals, catch you breath... and on the MASI  - the heaviest bike of the fleet.... thrilled to lug it around... hoping some strength is building.

Riding in ORegon is also just amazing.  Though still riding alone, occasionally I do find a ride and try to out climb (thus far.... 100% success) or suck some wheel, but the really 'good' riders seem to be going in the other direction.  Perhaps I should turn around and try to catch?  Maybe tomorrow..... 

Its been an upsetting/busy homeleave. 

I return to Vietnam next week....PTA waits for me... president again... and I am EXHAUSTED and we haven't started... I have no idea how I will pull it together for next year.

Nepal

There are things you do in life that become defining moments.... some activities... some events... some things.

Our 13 day trek through the Himalayas was probably one of the most defining things I ever did.  Our family had to band together...when the going got tough, the tough got going... and I know who the tough are... they are my kids.

Single handedly, my kids impressed me more then I EVER imagined.  I am so in love wiht my kids and so impressed with anything they do, but the 13 days we trekked up the Himalayas were single handedly, the most impressive things we have done!  They did not complain one time.  Both got altitude sickness, both were exhausted out of their minds, but both had a 'can do' attitude that even surprised our guides!

 The plane we flew from Kathmandu to Lukla.

 The world's highest and most scarey airport!  Yup, miss the runway...crash!  glad I didn't know about that BEFORE!

 Emily

 Everest National Park entrance..

 My boy.

 So cold.... so hard to breath!  We were abut 4,000m at the time.

 Namche Bazaar...  all the building materials are brought up by porters, on their backs!

 Eirik and the son at one of the guest houses we stopped at for lunch.  Same kid stole the potatoes off of Emily's plate.

 me and Emily

 World's highest airport, supplies only....

 Not sure where we are... but at least 10 days without a shower....

 Base camp, an emotional day.  The boy puked several times already... it was about 5300m and air was a wee bit thin.  I was exhausted.  I cried when I got to the top. I was the last... of course.

 YAK.

 Everest....  need I say more... completely humbled.

 the boy with the Yaks.

Gj and I w/ the guides..  This is about 6am for a quick up the mountain look at the surrounding mountains.  The ONLY day we had clear skies... we were so lucky to have clear skies on the one and only day we were at Gorek Shep (as close to Base Camp as we could be)

Everest or BUST

Its been a life long dream of my husband to take his family to Mt. Everest.  Well, beginning tomorrow morning at 8:00am, that dream will come true.

I am a wee bit nervous.  I don't know how I will do with the  high altitude.  We have medication, but....  how will I do with the 14 days of hiking? Well, if I can survive the Tour of Friendship, I am not really THAT worried.  People say you loose weight with the hiking, loss of appitite, and vegetarian cuisine (they don't haul meat up the mountain)...really looking forward to that!  Gaining weight from the hormones is NOT settling w/ me.

we'll see.....

Tour de Vung Tau

Thanks Long for the above picture... a little coffee before the return ferry.   Can't wait to come back!!!!


So, when I went to Vung Tau on the ferry the night before the Tour, I was pleasantly surprised how nice Vung Tau was.  Our first trip left us with an unfavorable impression, and I can't exactly say why.  Perhaps it was becasue we went by car, the roads were busy as it was a Saturday mid morning.  We couldn't find the great beach everyone talked about.... it started to rain...  and of course, not knowing where to eat, we ended up at a "Good Morning Vietnam", which is good, but its foreign food, and really..... whats the point?!?

November 21st (day before my 41st birthday)... not a hot day.

Sand...10 year old boy... need I say more?

Pooch not so sure.... 

But, a good meal.

So, we left with an unfavorable impression....  its a real pity too!  We missed a lot of good opportunities to do fun things....

So.... back to my story....  after sitting in the taxi from the ferry to the hotel back in March, I thought, "was this the Vung Tau from November of 2009?"...  After riding only one day w/ the boys for the 'tour', I wanted to ride in Vung Tau again...

"So...Long, I am thinking of coming down to ride your hills and a look see tour?"

"Sure, let me know when"

"How about next Thursday?"

Well, it wasn't exactly like that, but close enough.  Told Alex what I was doing.... and gives Gjermund some ease when I don't do things solo.  Gjermund had met Long on the tour and knew I was in good hands.... these ARE good guys! 

Long says, "We'll do our two hills = 45km, then ride to Long Hai and back, thats 90km, so we are looking at 135km"...  "oh....hmm.... I think....that's kinda a long way..."

We arrive to the ferry at 6:00am by taxi.  We have to bag up our bikes (why??? - kinda defeats the purpose of public transport, doesn't it??).. anyhow, the porter insisted we needed to pay him $10 more because the size of the bags....  anyhow, we didn't pay!

We get to Vung Tau about 8:30, across the street is a coffee shop where more then 10 fellow cylists are waiting....  two or three WOMEN!  NO KIDDING! and lots of guys... most I had met either on the tour, or they ride our lustrious Nguyen Van Linh with us...

After crossing the street to the coffee shop, the guys swarm us and pull our bikes out of the bags and put them together immediately!  It was awesome.... like a princess!

Alex who is clearly more coordinated on a bike then me (sorry, not much of a compliment!) took these photos....I just stole them.

Yeah...thunder thighs here.... we take an out and back warm up for about 12km.  Then we climb the 'hill'.....oh...la..la... the 'hill'.....  aauugghh.... we start to climb (some sidewalk looking approach) 2.5km, 140m...  oohhh....yeah... my PHU MY BRIDGE.... well, I'll just stop there.  Oh... the heart  is pumping, I feel sick (because I am in NO climbing shape) but manage to be the third to the top, behind Duy and Alex.  Neither of which tried their hardest.  We come down and skip the 2nd hill.  The sun was super hot.

We head out on the ocean front....  and ride towards the ocean and north.

Long looks at me and says, "Is this better then the Nguyen Van Linh?"...  I thought I was going to choke when he asked....

"uh...yes!"

You know when you are stuck in an airplane for a 10 hour flight... or you are on an airplane for about 2 hours longer then your threshhold, then you get out of the airplane and and walk, stretch your legs, breath fresh air?  that's how this felt.... like we'd been locked in an airplane for tooo long and we finally got to RUN AND PLAY!

We had a BLAST!  I enjoyed the ride so much, I didn't want it to end... the ocean was so blue and beautiful, the sand, the air, the open roads....  good company.... OMG, I felt like I died and went to heaven.

We take a break at the turn around point. 

The guy is 64 years old....  his girlfriend  followed us on the motorcycle. 

Long bought us lunch.... and at a proper Vietnamese restaurant.... steel tables, steel chairs and food that was amazing!  Now.... that's good food!  None of this 'import' stuff....  this was fresh, healthy, hearty, and sooooo tasty....  we mentioned how good the lunch was several times!  Thankfully I have my Garmin, and can find again.

Long, and boys of Vung Tau (and lovely ladies that rode the first 15km and the woman who followed us)... thank you for a blessed day! 

You have NO IDEA how bad.... I needed that!  I feel recharged.

We'll be back... hopefully soon!