Month of July- the beginning of "A view from the seat of a bicycle on the west coast of Taiwan"

I have not been in the mood to update my blog as life has not been that easy for me settling in a new town and/or riding my bike in the city of Taizhong. However, life must go on I suppose.

• 07-04-2010 (40 k; 特三-->華山(下)-->龍井-->136(上)-->特三)
  
  After the surgery on the back of my hand, relocating, working at a new school, and stuff, I had not been riding for a little more than a week and a half. I got my mom's mountain bike and called Kitty out for a ride today. Thanks for riding with me, Kitty!
  
  I was so out of shape!
  

• 07-05-2010
  
  Sean and Mae needed to settle in as well. They seemed to be doing much better than me. Thank goodness!
  

• 07-06-2010 (41 k; Providence University)
  
  I missed the chance to ride with Kitty so I figured I would just try to find an alternative way to go to Providence University for my classes there next week. It was quite successful without much getting-lost. Other than having to fight my way with the garbage truck, it wasn't a bad ride at all. Thanks Kitty for lending me her steel bike. My Keith is still with Keith getting its paint job done. Couldn't wait to get it...
  

• 07-07-2010 (40k)
  
  

  Time:	01:48:32
  Distance:	39.43 km
  Elevation Gain:	116 m
  Calories:	626 C
  Avg Temperature:	32.6 °C

  Avg HR:	144 bpm
  Max HR:	176 bpm

  
  My first try on my new Garmin 500. I simply loved it!!
  
  The ride was nothing but intense from the get-go. I managed to hang with the pack for 8 minutes including the warm-up. It was quite humiliating, indeed. But at least I learned where to go when I need a good reality check in the future.
  

• 07-07-2010 (afternoon)
  
  Finally, we were able to get Sean to agree to a haircut. Thanks to his grandmother, who was willing to do the job under such heat. Sean looked absolutely adorable after the haircut.
  

• 07-08-2010 (60k)
  
  
  

  Time:	03:13:53
  Distance:	60.17 km
  Elevation Gain:	411 m
  Calories:	1,418 C
  Avg Temperature:	35.2 °C

  Avg HR:	145 bpm
  Max HR:	175 bpm

  
  Riding with Chilax, Austin's Thursday ride group. I had no idea on the hills I had to climb before getting to the Metropolitan Park to meet up with the guys so I was 15 minutes late. By the time I was there, I really was not in the mood to ride anymore. The traffic was much heavier getting on the road at 7 am. The heat was brutal the entire ride. I gave up before I even did one loop around CCK airport.
  

• 07-08-2010 (afternoon)
  
  My mom and I took Sean and his cousin, Jerrry to my aunt's place. Sean got a chance to visit my aunt and pick fresh eggs from her chicken farm. He had such a blast!
  

• 07-09-2010 (39k)
  
  Jennie and I went for an early morning ride and breakfast. The same route as the Wed. morning intense ride but much more friendlier for sure!
  

• 07-09-2010
  
  Sean got to go to CCK Airport for some fun with his cousins' cram school field trip for the day.
  

• 07-10-2010 (55k)
  
  
  

  Time:	04:16:52
  Distance:	55.01 km
  Elevation Gain:	802 m
  Calories:	1,938 C
  Avg Temperature:	32.2 °C

  Avg HR:	139 bpm
  Max HR:	175 bpm

  
  Countless of bugs around on my way to Tiger Arcade where I met up with Team Neko. Endless of stopping for red lights. There was nothing much to do than taking photos before we got to the beginning of our TaiPin 136 climb. The level of my frustration was near the bearable range. I was ready to explode!
  
  And then just as I thought things might start to look up after reaching the top of the climb, I got my first flat, and my second. Thanks to Terry, XaioFeng, XiaoZhang, and a few guys who helped me fix the flat. After the flats, my frustration level was just beyond manageable.
  

• 07-11-2010 (57k)
  
  
  

  Time:	03:55:05
  Distance:	57.30 km
  Elevation Gain:	492 m
  Calories:	1,409 C
  Avg Temperature:	32.9 °C

  Avg HR:	129 bpm
  Max HR:	167 bpm

  
  I still managed to get myself up this morning to fight with the bugs all the way to the meeting point. The traffic lights along the way before we really started our ride really got on my nerves. That's what I need to cope with if I want to ride in Taizhong- I really don't have a choice, do I?
  

• 07-15-2010
  
  Sean reading with his cousin, Eric, before bed. He seemed to be fitting right into the life style in Taizhong.
  

• 07-17-2010 (74k)
  
  
  

  Time:	04:06:09
  Distance:	74.24 km
  Elevation Gain:	710 m
  Calories:	1,711 C
  Avg Temperature:	32.9 °C

  Avg HR:	141 bpm
  Max HR:	171 bpm

  
  I rode to ZhangHua to meet up with my team to do a group ride with them for the first time. It was a large group of people starting the ride at 6 am. Too bad I couldn't keep up with their speed. I got dropped. YuanMao and one of the guys stayed with me to keep me company. Thanks so much! Sorry that I was the burden. Later on Coach Lu along with a few others waited up for us before the climb to FengShan Temple as well. Thanks! I was taken to this insane a bit over one kilometer of insane climb and I had to push half way up. Man! Was I really out of shape or what?
  
  
  
• 07-18-2010 (59k)
  
  
  

  Time:	04:48:37
  Distance:	59.05 km
  Elevation Gain:	605 m
  Calories:	1,629 C
  Avg Temperature:	33.9 °C

  Avg HR:	126 bpm
  Max HR:	165 bpm

  
  Riding with K-scope Cycling with Kevin and Meg this morning. The ride was still tiring but seemed to be a little more manageable now. I guess cycling might be looking up a little for me. It was quite nice once we started to climb in DaKeng- some big break from the heat with very minimal cars and/or scooters and some break from the heat with the greens and trees. For the first time, I felt I was given the chance to reunite with the nature. Some areas I could actually feel I might be back in Hualien- the paradise for cycling.
  

• 07-19-2010
  
  We went to Freshfields up the hills near WangGaoLiao in WuRi for my sister-in-law, Sandy's birthday. The meal was fantastic and they were running a promotion for pay one meal and get one free. Great deal for some awesome buffet. I think I will take Tim and Trevor there when they come.
  

• 07-22-2010
  
  Finally, my Keith arrived. Thanks so very much, Keith, for your sponsorship! My Keith with its new paint scheme looked absolutely stunning! I cannot wait to ride it this Sat. for DaJia Giant Cup. The 3+ weeks wait was well worth-it.
  

• 07-22-2010 (noon)
  
  After arranging how to get my Keith put together, Sean and I went to Costco for lunch. Hot dog and a refillable drink were my all-time favorite! Sean seemed to enjoyed it as much as I did too.
  

• 07-23-2010 (31k)
  
  
  

  Time:	01:30:14
  Distance:	31.02 km
  Elevation Gain:	289 m
  Calories:	671 C
  Avg Temperature:	27.2 °C

  Avg HR:	134 bpm
  Max HR:	160 bpm

  
  
  Thanks so much, Jennie, for going out for an early ride with me on my new Keith. I had to test it out before the race. And what could I say? There was nothing better than getting on my good old noble steed! Oh my gosh! Do I just love my Keith!
  

• 07-24-2010 (23k; Giant Cup (大甲風火輪決戰鐵戰山捷安特盃繞圈賽)
  
  
  

  Time:	00:44:31
  Distance:	23.11 km
  Elevation Gain:	103 m
  Calories:	567 C
  Avg Temperature:	31.0 °C

  Avg HR:	168 bpm
  Max HR:	180 bpm

  
  Results this year:
  1 W40 459 林莉雯 新竹航翊拱範宮 33.2 00:39:46.95
  2 W40 460 劉秀蓮 CCT 33.2 00:39:47.74
  3 W40 458 Virginia Xing 千沛車隊 30 00:44:02.95
  
  Results last year:
  W30組 1 Tina Haugbro e-MA Sporty 車隊 00:37:35.17
  W30組 2 劉秀蓮 牧野自行車運動休閒俱樂部 00:37:36.74
  W30組 3 郭智雯 申騰美利達 00:37:36.76
  W30組 4 陳佩伶 左岸歡樂騎士隊 00:37:37.05
  W30組 5 林盈汎 綠油精車隊 00:37:37.27
  W30組 6 李伯芳 仕林車隊 00:37:38.55
  W30組7 Virginia Xing 花蓮TKM鐵馬聯隊00:37:41.39
  
  Such embarrassment! When my team captain asked why I was not with the peloton, I was speechless... With my diarrhea, and cold right before the race, the scare from the crash in our peloton from YuanLin race, the flat before right before the race, no warm-up at all, and hesitation as the W20 girls started to sprint for the break, I was doomed to have a bad finish. It was very discouraging to me. I had no idea where my racing would be going from here.
  
  I decided to forfeit the climbing race tomorrow. There was just no point for me to go while my health was at its best and climbing wasn't my strong suit at all. In fact, I have no idea anymore what my strong suit is in cycling, if any at all.
  
  Luckily, Sean was there at the race with me. That was the only compensation to a super bad day in my cycling career.
  

• 07-29-2010 (91k)
  
  Another 5 days off before I was on my bike again. Man! I wonder what cyclist would ever have a training schedule like this. I am clearly heading nowhere with racing. It was nice however, that I rode over 90k today. I cannot really remember the last time when I rode over 80k. Sad!
  

• 07-30-2010 (Spinning class)
  
  I signed up at a nearby gym so I could take spinning classes. I went for my first class today with Sean. Sean played at their kids' play room while I took my spinning class. We grabbed some breakfast on our way there. First spinning class in Taizhong was a success! Something that cheered me up after being unhappy cycling in Taizhong all this time.
  

• TUAA CCK TTT (61k w/ warm-up & cool-down)
  
  
  

  雙人計時賽【愛的雙人組】 Loving Pair

  選手編號	選手姓名	起點時間	終點時間	個人耗費時間	雙人總時間	排 名
  9005	李旭凡	07:53:24.39	08:07:52.44	00:14:28.05	00:28:56.29	1
  9006	林怡君	07:53:24.26	08:07:52.50	00:14:28.24	00:28:56.29	1
  9021	Virginia Xing	07:55:37.20	08:10:27.37	00:14:50.17	00:29:40.72	2
  9022	梁元茂	07:55:36.32	08:10:26.87	00:14:50.55	00:29:40.72	2
  9001	朱梵心	08:04:40.19	08:19:32.08	00:14:51.89	00:29:43.51	3
  9002	林嘉慧	08:04:40.47	08:19:32.09	00:14:51.62	00:29:43.51	3
  9053	Francis	08:00:08.39	08:15:15.81	00:15:07.42	00:30:14.95	4
  9054	廖郁菁	08:00:08.84	08:15:16.37	00:15:07.53	00:30:14.95	4
  9023	蕭國華	07:55:54.56	08:11:18.44	00:15:23.88	00:30:47.83	5
  9024	林盈汎	07:55:54.57	08:11:18.52	00:15:23.95	00:30:47.83	5
  9027	吳聲焜	07:56:38.65	08:12:11.39	00:15:32.74	00:31:05.09	6
  9028	梁麗雯	07:56:39.19	08:12:11.54	00:15:32.35	00:31:05.09	6
  9009	劉秀蓮	08:06:21.03	08:22:01.66	00:15:40.63	00:31:21.67	7
  9010	毛世傑	08:06:20.66	08:22:01.70	00:15:41.04	00:31:21.67	7
  9049	施其旻	07:59:34.86	08:15:19.88	00:15:45.02	00:31:29.86	8
  9050	蘇淑寧	07:59:34.76	08:15:19.60	00:15:44.84	00:31:29.86	8
  9033	江柏廷	07:57:47.73	08:13:40.60	00:15:52.87	00:31:48.49	9
  9034	程立錦	07:57:47.06	08:13:42.68	00:15:55.62	00:31:48.49	9
  9057	黃哲民	08:00:49.05	08:16:45.22	00:15:56.17	00:32:04.06	10
  9058	陳思如	08:00:49.61	08:16:57.50	00:16:07.89	00:32:04.06	10

  
  
  

  Time:	02:32:48
  Distance:	60.82 km
  Elevation Gain:	194 m
  Calories:	1,431 C
  Avg Temperature:	32.1 °C

  Avg HR:	140 bpm
  Max HR:	179 bpm

  
  Finally, I could put a smile on my face! My average heart rate was 172 bpm with a maximum of 179 bpm. Our average speed was 38 kph with a maximum of 59 kph. I felt for the first time in a long time that I really gave it all I had. Thanks so much to my partner, Liang YuanMao/梁元茂. I couldn't have done it without you! No. 2 finish was a great way to finish my tough first month in Taizhong. Thank you!!
  

Now, if you are reading this, you might want to hope for things to start looking up for me. I need it!