New Week to ride....

So today i rode, i have sold my tribike that was built earlier this year. It is now with a guy in Tucson AZ. My Other bikes are also for sale.

This morning I rode with a friend, his name is Miguel, Since Hector quit bike riding, i have to see if someone else would ride with me, he volunteered, we rode, and things are happily ever after.

I've been off my bike....and working a lot.

Recently I went out to Florida, only saw about 3 roadies....i was surprised. I thought i'd get the chance to see some more....however, i was stuck in a hotel pretty much for the 4 days i was there.

This week i hop back on my bike. i have to admit, i am pretty nervous, specially because i will be back on that mountain where i crashed, and not to mention, my right wrist hurts like hell still, any sudden movements or pressure seem to make it sting a lot.

and even thought i am nervous, i am anxious to get back on. believe it or not, i love it, and it relieves stress, but after my accident i have been stressing a lot. maybe its because i keep playing it in my mind that i could have fallen off the mountain, or had a serious puncture on my chest.

Regardless, I shall be riding tonight again. I hope all goes well, and i can get over this fear.

Fell hard.

Heading downhill lost control, tried to brake and fell hard, hit a guard rail right at a bolt, the bolt hit my chest, my road id dog tag blocked it from puncturing my chest.damage to my bike....shift lever/brake lever done for, need replacement.bar tape done forrear derailluer done for.right shoe done for, it was destroyed completely.otherwise im good. but looks like i'll be off my bike for a few weeks, due to physical damage to my wrist and the component damage on my caad 9.

another 50+ mile ride.....

It was a nice morning. I had accepted an invitation from the guy that is responsible for me getting back on a bike, a road bike.

He like i have mentioned before is a Triathlete. I am a beaner....with not the best track record in regards to athleticism.

ehh, i dont feel like typing today. We rode, it was cool....bla bla bla.

I'll post later.

THIS DAMN SWEAT!!!!

So we hit 100 degrees in Phoenix. It is hot. your car burns your asshole when you sit on it, i have leather, leather in phoenix is like going to hell, it will burn and you will sweat, and it will be ongoing and uncomfortable.

Now, ride in that heat and you will feel your face burn, your shoulders and arms WILL burn as well, and your throat will feel the pain and discomfort of hurt when you swallow and the best part of it is, you put yourself in that position....so F**K You and keep riding.

As if all of this is not bad, there is the problem with Sweat. It stings when it falls into your eyes. and it tastes' like shit as well, i dont care who you are, and what you eat or do to cleanse yourself, sweat is not a great tasting liquid.

My rides seem to get interrupted because of this.....but not until last week, i have noticed a drop in weight again.

DAMN SWEAT!

CRAMP!!!!!

two new members have joined our wolfpack (the hangover)...LOL!

these two new dudes are fast.....which is awesome....they are really fast.

so for the first time we rode yesterday, and man, was i in some major pain, i kept up pretty well, for about 1 mile and i passed them on a sprint, and began to lead, then, CRAMP!!!! above my knee, just remembering this hurts.

i slowed down, big time, and just decided to take it easy, going uphill, same thing.....slowed down again, turned around and decided i was going to just take my sweet time.....well, as i got halfway i decided that i just going to turn around and head home. i cramped up on my legs, lower back, quads, and even my arms.....it hurt a lot.

and I have a feeling i may do it again today.....just to see if i cramp up, i have drank a whole gallon of water today.

The Result of Monday and Tuesday

MONDAY 5pm



I am standing at the ranger station of the South Mountain Park in Phoenix AZ.

I am excited, a bit scared, and at the same time not knowing what to expect.



my training partner, who btw is a firefighter, or a cadet or something like that, is a running machine, but then again, that's what i said about his cycling, and as of 1 or 2 months ago, i smoke him constantly.



I decide to take a camelpak with me, because it was still a warm day.



We start to walk.....about 300 yards into it we decide to jog, he is in front of me, and im feeling great, there is this concentration that i caught, almost like a runners high, i was focused, feeling good and ready to go! I passed him, going uphill i start losing him, i feel great, my breathing is good, my trot is good and then i drop my cell phone.

He yells at me, I stop, pick up my phone and continue to run. However, i lost my concentration, i lagged, and now i am behind him. He starts passing me, and i lose him, in no time he is about 300 yards in front of me, i am exhausted.

My body hurt. It ached, and every step i took felt like i was stomping on the ground at full force.

I tried to ignore the pain, and did, for about 8 miles. as soon as i hit the 8 mile marker i walked the next 2. I was out. my entire body was full of sweat. The amazing thing was that as my body craved for rest....my feet felt extremely light.

This is going to be hard. But i have convinced my mind that i can do it.



UPDATE: the next day, i played softball and got hit on the knee by a 100 + mph ball. I have a huge bruise that has stopped me from training all week.

Let the Training Begin!!!!

So, today Monday, i run 10 miles. I dont know, or have a clue how im going to do it, it's been a long time since i have ran any distances like that, and this jog, will be going up hill and then downhill so for sure, i am going to pass out.

I have my camelpack ready and my sneakers are laced up, i really hope i can complete this "mission". And today i may go out and get my goggles to do some serious swimming. We will see how that goes.

I am reading about nutrition, supplements and tricks to shed the weight and stay strong. I am not the most talented person out there, but i know that i am very dedicated.

will post tomorrow if i dont die tonight.

FINALLY TOOK OUT THE TRI BIKE

WOW! this bike is fast, it is not me.....well, maybe it is me.

3 things have to be done for me to perform better, 1. there are a few adjustments that it needs, its really noisy. 2. a proper fitting will be nice. and 3. I need to get used to it.

so i took it out to south mountain, something that i have been wanting to do for some time now, but unfortunately i have been really busy, actually that's fortunate, in a way.

It was 5:45 pm, Arizona time, sun was still up bright, and there was a wind coming out of the west, southwest at about 23-26 miles an hour, according to the news, and my phone. we were going to face the wind, head on.

I decided to jump on it, and finally get a complete run out of it.....

my heart was beating, i was nervous, i have never ridden a tt/tribike, not at speeds nearing 40 mph. the first part of the ride was downhill, with my elbows steering my bike all i could think of was "dont fall you stupid mother fucker", I always ride my road bike with at least one finger close to the brakes, both brakes....with this bike i have to pick myself up and look for the brake, hoping that i dont hit the front brake first and fly forward in an attempt to commit bike murder.

I began to pedal the uphill ride which is about a mile, and then down we go. i hit 37 mph consistently and at points without pedaling. my friend Hector said that i looked like i was crouching too much, and he normally is the faster one of the two, he continued by alerting me that i was going too fast.

i could hear my rims cutting through the air, there was some strong winds that would push me sideways but im heavy enough (211 lbs) to keep myself from flipping over.

when i finally made it up the slight hill at the end, i was breathing hard, but i did not feel tired like other times. we rode back up the San Juan Trail, and then decided to go 2/3 up South Mountain, came back down at 38 mph.

it was intense, gotta give the bike a thumbs up, since i built it, and for the first time rode it without falling. That part i love!

will blog soon.

got back into biking....

So i had taken some time off, without really wanting too.
my allergies were killing me, they seem to be really bad this year, and on top of that, i just have been really busy during the week to ride.

another problem is the HEAT....man is it hot!

went on a 14 mile ride on Monday, and a 24 mile ride on Tuesday. I never thought i would sit here and type about ever riding 10 or more miles on a bike.

Tonight once again I ride, and i ride my tribike up south mountain, we will see how that goes.
Last time i rode it, it was pretty intense, i know it takes some getting used to, but we will see how it goes.

New Law in AZ

So, being hispanic really sucks here in Arizona right now.
All due to a new law, which states that it will make it a crime to be in the United States Ilegally.....ok, so it already is a crime isnt it?

Well, it goes a little deeper than that. There is a certain part of that law that states if you are with an ilegal at the time of the "crime" you will have your car impounded and he/she will be detained, and now your civil traffic stop has now become "Criminal Traffic" because you are "harboring" an ilegal.

WTF????!!!!!?????

Senator Brewer, please revise that. Last I knew, i wasnt a border patrol agent, and even if i tried to be a cop, you're not hiring right now.....so, let me get this straight. Before i can give anyone a ride, i have to ask them for their immigration status?

Here is what that law states:

THE PERSON IS IN VIOLATION OF A CRIMINAL OFFENSE AND IS TRANSPORTING, MOVING, CONCEALING, HARBORING OR SHILEDING OR ATTEMPTING TO TRANSPORT, MOVE CONCEAL, HARBOR OR SHIELD AN ALIEN IN THIS STATE INA A VEHICLE IF THE PERSON KNOWS OR RECKLESSLY DISREGARDS THE FACT THAT THE ALIEN HAS COME TO, HAS ENTERED OR REMAINS IN THE UNITED STATES IN VIOLATION OF LAW.

I am a MEXICAN-AMERICAN man, this past month, i was filling out my CENSUS, and it said i was of the WHITE race, yet here in AZ....im of the brown race, and just because of that i may be pulled over due to a "broken" tail light or a "call over the radio of a vehicle matching the description of mine."

Scorpion STING! Ouch.

Yesterday i was detailing my little brothers car, its a subie in case anyones' interested, and i needed a buffing pad, so i saw a terry pad i had that came with my original buffer it had been sitting in my garage for about a year now, and i just had never used it. i reached over and got the bag, took the terry pad out and as i started putting the pad on the buffer, bang! i got stung right on the palm of my hand, next to my thumb....and it hurt like hell.that's the second time i get stung in broad daylight!!!!
Two of my brothers were there, and they started panicking....i told them, its cool...im just gonna be numb for about 5 or 6 hours. I went inside, took a benadryl and was playing softball a couple of hours later.
When i got home i checked my hand out, it was a little swollen and just popped two more benadryls and was out for the night.this morning i felt fine. just a small bruise where the sting was.time to get terminix at home, im afraid it may happen to my kids.

GOT IT DONE

So i finally got it done, the tri bike looks great. along with that, i also got some really bad allergies, i almost yanked my left eye out, due to the really bad itching.

for 2 days i was out of comission and today i tried taking the bike for a spin, and well unfortunately i was breathing really hard and weezing as well, so i came back home and just called it a ride.

no p90x either. i need to get back on track.

rebuilding the tri bike

So, i went through and got the bike painted......here are some pictures of the process.... i love the color, i think it looks great. I dont think im adding any stickers at least not for a while, id like to enjoy the "stealth" color its on now.

Now if i can only find the right wheels for it.

I purchased a Tri Bike....why, i dont know.

Today is Monday March 29th, back at home in Phoenix, no traveling this past week, however the weekend was hectic.

I found a great deal on Craigslist and on Ebay, ended up grabbing a triathlon bike for a great price. And as of now, its getting painted, and i will....i repeat, i will be customizing it to my full likes and wants.

So, i took a week off of P90X, i just hurt way too much, this is intense. I have lost 11lbs in the last 3 weeks and this past weekend i also rode 50 + miles with a triathlete....this man i rode my bike with is a machine! But i love it, the last time i rode anything 30 plus miles, i got home and crashed for the rest of the day. This Saturday i was up all day, and continued my regular schedule like a normal day. And today Monday, i am waiting to do it again. I dont know why.

above you see the bike...it's ugly, i hate the colors on it, and the cool part about it is that it came with SRAM components....which i have NEVER tried, or had the opportunity to ride a bike with SRAM groupo.

i will post pictures of the bike frame painted, i should get it today, and i am excited. I will also post some pictures of a before and after with my first month winding down with the P90X.

week 3 begins....

With my amount of traveling that i have done in the past 2 weeks ... i am going to say that im pretty much back at week 1 of my p90x. I cant take it on the road with me....plus with all the restrictions in the airport. it's kind of hard to carry a dvd player with me. I'll just avoid that hassle.

Went riding this past Saturday and Sunday. as always, intense....i love speed....and i love to see how fast i can really go and push myself to go faster, and faster for longer periods of time.

I hit 37mph on the flats. downhill i hit 10 miles faster, 46.8 mph. then i slowed down, because my eyes were getting watery.

I picked up a new cell phone upon my return from Fresno, CA. the new Motorola Droid. I activated it on Friday of last week, today is wednesday and not until yesterday did i appreciate the incredibleness....<---- is that a word....of it.

Fast, and the applications on this things are great. I can read the bible on here...literally. For free.

I decided that i will begin my training for the Tour de Tucson. Which will be my first race. I would like to see how i do, and where i stand amongst the other racers. My competitive side is coming out.....i love it.

More to come.

a week after the beginning of p90x....

I stopped on Wednesday. Due to the fact that i did not have the proper weights. I was hard to just hold the weight without the dumbells.

Ended up getting all my stuff ready to roll, Meaning the diet, the clothes (gym clothes were not clean) and finally the dumbells.

I did not get the chance to ride my bike this weekend, being that i had so many other things to take care of.

but hopefully this week, i can get it done.

More to come!!!!

So no Go on that Pinarello

Looks like i will have to continue dreaming of the "out of my league" beauty i was thinking of landing tomorrow (friday).

Oh well, you cant have your cake and eat it too....i still dont get what that phrase means.

P90X is really kicking my ass. I am on my 3rd day. and I hurt. I ache....and i want to go back into my garage and do it all over again tonight.

i feel good. I think this will actually work for me. I hope. I have never been a fan of doing things like an idiot in front of my TV. however, this one seems to be right on track with what i need.

more updates to come. soon.

Pinarello...

The kind of work that i do, sometimes requires me to lose or gain weight....but most of the times it doesnt.

A possible opportunity has popped up where i can trade some of my talent services for this ridiculously nice bike....

A Pinarello F3:13....Carbon road bike size 58cm....

I would be in a commercial as a principal, and in return i get this bike.....MAN, my heart pounds just thinking about it.....this bike is Great!

I cannot wait.

Extremely tired and weak....

Saturday Morning March 6th 2010.

I decided to go on a bike ride solo. there are certain reasons as to why i dont like to go by myself, mostly it's just in case something happens like i get ran over or a flat, normally i'll have some help or a witness.

I left my house around 10am, like a demon i sped off. My ipod was on at full blast and i really never looked back, i just rode.

The first 6.8 miles are relatively easy. i guess i'll say its a "warm up" ride of some sort, then i get to ride up South Mountain in Phoenix, which just gets better and better and easier.

I got there and i did another warm up ride, its about 2 miles long, its called the San Juan.

did that in about 40 minutes then took the jump and headed towards the top.

It took me 25 minutes to get from San Juan to Dobbins lookout, and then i decided to head behind some TV Antennas that are up there and that almost killed me. My heart rate went all the way up to 195 and i decided to slow down take it easy and try to relax.

after I made i up, i had a cliff bar and headed down....which took about 10 minutes....i wasnt going very fast.

Here's the crazy part.

When i got home i took a shower, then i had lunch with my wife (Lasagna) then i passed out. I was exhausted, i had no energy or felt like doing anything but sleep. So i passed out at 2pm.

two hours later i got up to have dinner. Got home at 8, and went straight to sleep on a Saturday Night.

WHAT A LIFE!!!! wow.

the next morning i woke up at almost 9am....which is really weird being that i always wake up at 5am.

Tonight.....I begin my p90x program.....whew!!! let's see how it goes.

Back from my hometown....

So, I am back from my home town, which is the Fabulous town of YUMA, AZ.

It sucks over there.

The only reason that I went up there was because it consisted of a Job for me. other than that.....i have no reason to go....well, except that my mom and my baby brother live there as well.

So where to begin.....

This coming monday i am starting a workout routing called P90X. I am so excited.
with my softball games on thursday and on fridays, my bike riding, a diet and the p90x excercise...i should be getting to where i want to be....quick!

I brought my bike to work on Monday....and decided to ride it home. Big mistake, it is a 14 mile ride with stop lights, cars and very disrespectful people. Specially seeing some dumb mexican wearing tights, they (ghetto people) dont hold back on expressing their thoughts. Pretty much telling me i look like a homo....Hilarious! because I probably do.

I will be posting a progress picture of the p90x workout results. and i'll see just how good this thing is.

I was told to go by it exactly how it tells me to do, so i will do so.

Another Day, another Ride

Last Night I decided to take my bike for a spin, since the weekend ahead predicted Rain, winds and possible Hail in some areas of Phoenix.

The person that I ride with, i consider to be in TOP shape, being that he is a firefighter by trade.

Everytime we have ridden, he has left me behind.....or trailed me by a bikes lenght.

For the past few rides, i have been leaving him behind, and yesterday that lead got bigger, and bigger. About 10 bikes length.

I consistently hit 23 mph. and the more i concentrated the harder i pushed, the faster i went, and somehow, for the first time ever my Heart Rate did not sky rocket as it used to. Granted, I've only been doing this road bike thing since November 3rd, 2009. almost 5 months.

We stopped by a gas station to pick up something to drink, a beautiful blonde, about 28 years old decided to comment.....she looked at me and said, "nice legs."

of course I was embarrassed and just said thanks. She wouldnt stop staring....for the first time in a long time, i felt like a piece of meat in front of a hungry dog....I know she was complimenting me, but it just felt weird.

We will see what happens, i started watching what i eat. So far this week i have lost 2 lbs.

I have to get thinner to get faster, and maybe win the Tour de France, LOL! hilarious.

My First Ride....

So i wanted to test myself....and that I did...i signed up for a ride close to my house....about 65 other riders did as well.

I was notified early that this was NOT a race, therefore i needed to ride, and not speed off like a maniac...i forgot about that so quickly....my competitive side came on and i decided that i would test myself as to how fast i can go, and how long i can stand going 24 mph...consistently.

at the 10 mile mark my legs were beginning to warm up. I had 1 guy in front of me and one behind me....all i could hear was my ipod blasting a rap song called "bedrock". I then realized we were going 24mph for about 5 or 6 miles....then i decided I needed something to eat....no one passed me. I was in 2nd place, with first place about 100 yards ahead of me now.

the rain was coming down hard...it was about 42 degrees...my feet were soaking and my eyeglasses were covered with fog, and raindrops.

at the 20 mile mark i came to one of the 2 rest stops that were put up for us, because of course, this was not a race, this was a ride. The guy that was in front of me asked me how long i had been doing this, he said that he was impressed with my legs (in a non gay way of course) "Four months" I said, then he went on to investigate and hand me some suggestions.

My weight. 213 lbs. my height 5'10. my age 30. my starting weight about 224lbs.

He said, "man, i can take you anyday." this was his guess due to my weight....i should be at 185....which i was pretty close to at around January 13th.....and my pants fit me great, my suits are big on me....but the weight has not dropped.....FUCK!

So based on that, my competitive side has come back once again. I am looking into dropping weight....P90X here I come....lets see if that will help.


I also hiked yesterday, with my wife. it was hard, but it was nice to do something different other than riding my bike for 20 miles. And I played softball last night....wonder if that will help with the weight loss.

This is a blog, to start seeing some differences, and to inform people that care....or are just nosy. Just kidding.

Me, quien soy yo.

So, this is the first of many blogs to come i suppose. Let's see who and whom are willing to check me out....although, I am not that interesting.

Soy Latino. And I am very proud. I am also married, 30 years old, and a father of 2. a boy, 13, who is making me pay for every little thing i ever did, and a girl, 3, who is my princess, and i must prepare myself for her heart to be broken, like i, in my days, broke some hearts. I just hope its not that bad.

I have great memories of my younger days, those memories include my days working in the Radio and the TV industry as a talent. I miss it, a lot, but the memories are there, and i will always cherish them.

I am a co-owner, along with my wife of a Marketing Agency, that carries our last name, very original by the way....Cardenas Marketing.

And most recently i found a love for riding a Road Bike. Its the one you are seeing now.

It is crazy...I love baseball, football, MMA, boxing and many sports in general....however, out of all the ones i did and continue to play, this seems to be the one that relaxes me the most. By the way, that's my bike on the left hand corner.

My heart rate is up the roof. I have the hardest time going up hills, but when its flatlands, and downhills, i love the speed, and push myself to go harder, faster and allow the wind to hit my face at full force. Like a dog when he sticks his head out the window of a moving car, I LOVE IT!

This coming Sunday, Feb 21st, 2010 is my first actual "race" and although I never thought i would do it...i am racing, and now will begin my conditioning and training for a triathlon. we will see how it goes.