Lets Play Triathlon

= To be honest, I have been inconsistently writing these past few months because I have been stricken by a disease doctors are unable to treat - laziness :P

I have been watching triathlon for a couple of years, even being an actual spectator whenever I get the chance to but never tried participating myself. That is why a few months ago, I registered for a standard (road) distance event - 1.5km open water swim, 40km cycling and 10km running. I will post another entry for that one after completing (if I manage to complete).

The event today suddenly just appeared out of nowhere, and it was a blessing! I get to try what everything feels like from Pre-race, Swim, Transition 1, Cycling, Transition 2, Running and Post-race. The event is a sprint distance which translates to 800m swim(6 feet deep pool), ~23k cycling and ~7km running. The event is quite small 160 participants (2 did not finish).

March - First Training Week

Its been a while since I wrote a blog entry, now I should start documenting my training once again.

This week is the first week of focused training, its also been a while since I last trained religiously. Swam at least 5 days this week and had 1 D.I.Y. aquathlon , which was about 1.2 kilometer swim and immediately followed by a 5 kilometer run. Unlike the previous' week aquathlon where I felt dizzy right after transitioning from swimming to running, this week was pretty much okay, only a bit dizzy, looks like my head is getting used to the imbalance brought by swimming.

This week, had to transfer most of my swimming sessions to the commercial Olympic Pool - since my condo's pool is disgustingly dirty due to poor maintenance. The water always becomes green after approximately 3 days of (not so) cleaning of the maintenance team.

Now I am finally able to somewhat feel the "relaxed" body when swimming. This was one of the problems I keep on encountering when swimming because I am always stiff and tense whenever I swim (generally anything I do). Another is I cant really feel relaxed when stretched because my body is not flexible enough, its hard as iron!

This week is considered a good warm-up for the next training weeks as my body will need to adjust to heavy loads of training again, screw you DOMS! Hope you dont regularly visit me :P

Bicycle Frame Materials

Bicycle frames are made of different types of materials from the conventional metal - steel, exotic - titanium, to non-metals like the ultra-expensive but popular - carbon fiber.

Clipless Pedal System

What is a clipless pedal system?

The clipless pedal system is composed of 2 modules - the pedals and the cleats. This makes it possible to lock the foot to the pedals, making it possible to make a upward pull during a pedal cycle. 

Entry Level Road Bikes

Shopping for a new bike frame is quite exhausting due to a lot of factors such as brand preference, model availability, material, sizing most importantly price point. There are also indirect factors involved in this, such as the following: Is the bike available in your preferred LBS? Does it come in frame only or whole bike? Does it come in my preferred colorway?

Some of the manufacturers have already implemented internal cabling on their entry level bikes, this may affect your choice especially if you prefer your bike to look really clean.

Bicycle Maintenance Checklist

Regular and proper bicycle maintenance prolongs its lifespan, ensures optimum performance and prevent any untoward incidents. Regularly having your bicycle serviced by an experienced or even licensed mechanic is the best way to do this.