May is Bike to Work Month

I was just sent an email from a friend reminding me that May is Bike to Work Month. I will be riding my bike as often as possible but unfortunately the commute to San Jose is a bit long (at least an hour by car.)

For Bay Area folks, here are some ways to be involved:

http://btwd.bayareabikes.org/

1. Create a team for the Bike To Work Day Team Challenge - this is a team of 2-5 persons each which must include 1 novice rider (someone who has riden a bike 2 or fewer times in the past month). The teams log their commutes (both number of trips and mileage) throughout the month online and compete for some cool prizes! So far there are 187 teams signed up!!! Gather a few friends and sign up online here: http://btwd.bayareabikes.org/tbc_signup

2. Can you get 2-5 of your co-workers to ride to work in May? If you create a team for the Bike To Work Day Team Challenge that is composed of co-workers you can affiliate your team with a company and compete also in the Company Bike Challenge. Get a few teams together and affiliate them all with your employer to better your chances of winning this contest!

3. If you dont have enough friends to make a team, I still hope you chose to bike to work or use a combination of public transit and cycling to get to work. Maybe just give it a shot one day - Thursday May 14th is Bike To Work Day! This is the best day of the year to test of cycling for transit - there are 'Energizer Stations' set up throughout the Bay Area handing out awesome bags (not plastic ones) full of cycling related goodies and also there to fuel you with snacks and coffee in the morning. More info here: http://btwd.bayareabikes.org/about and here: http://btwd.bayareabikes.org/energizer

4. Dont bike to work but still want to win something (but really, at least bike once before entering) - enter the Bike To Work Day Raffle to win a new commuter bike and other prizes here: http://btwd.bayareabikes.org/register

For those of you in other parts of the World/ U.S., I'm sure there are other initiatives out there so if you have a chance, it could be as simple as Googling it.

Bike fit

My buddy Xavier came by to help me get my bike to fit me better. Will be getting a proper fit from PacBikes next week but want to ride my bike this week and may even race on it this wknd.

New bike and racing kit

Quick Update

I haven't been as regular with my blogging lately but don't let that make you think I'm not thinking of you :)
I spent most of last week in Georgia for my buddy Pat's graduation from Officer Candidate School (OCS) which now makes him a 2nd Lt. in the United States Army. I didn't treat it as a vacation as I was quite jetlagged from the red eye flight out there and I spent most of my free-time working in the hotel room. I did manage to fit in a run while visiting which was an experience. Running around a 1 mile track with deer on it and gunfire in the backround. I guess that's part of running on a military base in the south.

I'm now back in SF for a few days before heading to Lake San Antonio, which is about 3 and a half hours southeast of SF, to participate in the Wildflower Triathlon. It is a half ironman distance race (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13 mile run). I'm considering riding my new tri bike. Pictures will be posted later but basically I put down a payment yesterday and will be buying it today :) Really excited!

Will write more but as I'm only working 4 days this week, I really need to get back to work. Cheers.

Patrick is now a 2nd Lt.

Feel free to salute

Officially signed up for Vineman 70.3 taking place July 19, 2009.

Marin County Marathon

Dear john Branderhorst

Thank you for your volunteer request(s) for the Marin County Marathon - 2009 VOLUNTEERS. You have been approved for the following position(s):

Job Position.......: Course Marshall
Date...............: 04/19/2009
Time...............: 07:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location...........: Start

Next weekend will be a change in pace as I'll be volunteering at a race instead of participating.
http://www.marinmarathon.com

Tired 疲れてる

My body just isn't listening to me. I'm trying to get into a good routine now that I've been back in the states for a month but it's a bit more difficult than I anticipated. With me trying to get injury free yet train for my next race, Wildflower half ironman on May 2, adjusting to the time zone change, change in my work schedule... well, you get the point. Last night for some reason I couldn't fall asleep but it was a blessing in disguise as I got to finish the book I was reading, Kafka on the Shore, and also had a moment of clarity for a project I'm going to start working on. It's not necessarily anything that will work out but it's always fun to find something you're excited about. I'll write more once I get a better idea of what and how I'd like to go forward with this idea but to give you an idea: it's a cute, positive, web based idea that may or maynot incorporate NPOs. So in another words, I won't be looking to get rich off it ;) Make the world a better place :)