IMPORTANCE OF TIDE AND STRAIGHT SWIM...OWS EXPERIENCE!

Dear Friends!!

So long without a post, (wow it looks like ages) but I would like to share that important experience about the importance of tide and straight swim in theory same OWS distance with a totally different time result for aprox. 5 Kms, close to 11'30''...

OWS was from Repulse Bay to Stanley pier in Hong Kong Island aprox. 5 Kms.

First time result 4,850 meters and 1h19'51'' on July 31st:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42537999

Second time result: 5,210 meters and 1h31'21'' on September 25th, 360 meters more swam and 11'30'' slower than first one mainly due to very strong tide coming out of Stanley bay...it looked like when I was looking to the coast that I was literally not moving, 13'24'' slower than first time on the last 1,710 meters!!!




Btw, just quick update, I am trying to train for my 3rd OD triathlon in Hong Kong HKITU on October 24th,
 and hopefully to finish under 2h30'...let's see!!

K-Swiss 2010 Hong Kong ITU Asia Pacific

Finally, my next challenge to finish first 70.3 have been delayed till December 5th Asia Pacific one in Phuket...let's see if my third 70.3 will work, first one Singapore, ITBS injury, second one Phillipines, too long summer vacation in Spain with excellent food and wine and not trained enough...let's cross-fingers for 3rd tentative! ("A la tercera va la vencida?" they say in Spanish)

Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship

Talk to you after HKITU to share result and experience one year later of my first OD triathlon!

"XTB" Xavi.

PB HIM UNICEF CHARITY RUN DISNEY HONG KONG

Friends,

My next PB running target...any donation to UNICEF will be more than welcome!

http://run.unicef.org.hk/en_enrollment2.php?pfpid=2010072900052

Cheers!

"XTB" Xavi.

GREAT EXPERIENCE...HASTA PRONTO!

Friends,

During one year, I have really enjoyed my blogging experience and learned a lot about this fantastic "other world" to learn a lot about the "real world" and mainly "triathlon/running world"!

I have reviewed my first post (July 14th, 2009) and objectives set on that time:

Goals:
1st. To get fit and healthy (I am getting close to 40´s...) and try to get under 100 kgs. by end of year 2009:  ACHIEVED,as right now I am 99 Kgs (lost 16 Kgs during last 12 months)...and  feel much more fit than one year ago but less than next year...(I hope so!)


2nd. To support and sponsor a good cause: ¨Caico Foundation¨ (www.fundacioncaico.org) colaborating internationnaly with Manuel Clavel and his ¨Ironmancaico¨ oddissey! (http://www.ironmancaico.com/): ACHIEVED,as I sold all Kms of my first Olympic triathlon distance last Ocotber raising close to 4,000 Euros, thanks to all who believed in me and I finalized that triathlon under my 3 hours goal, 2h34'...not bad for my first one! 


3rd. The most important one, to remember and honor my mom, who suddenly passed away (09.07.07) already two years ago who was a sports lover and practised gymnastic and aquagym very frequently.ACHIEVED AND WILL ALWAYS ACHIEVE,time flies, already 3 years that my mom left us...and will always follow her lessons and push to help anyone interested to quit smoking, as is one of the worst "killer phantom" that exist!
 
Unfortunately, one days is just 24 hours...and time flies! and as per my last quote " "WHEREVER YOU GO, GO WITH ALL YOUR HEART" Confucius...
 
Finally, to all of you THANK YOU VERY MUCH to read and follow my blog during last year...and I don't know, if this will be my last post on this blog or not, but, I need a break for a while...HASTA PRONTO AMIGOS!

SPECIAL THANKS, to my lovely family: Elaine, Mar and Lucas, you deserve all my time...
 
"XTB" Xavi.
 
P.S: Btw, THANK YOU Pau (and your wife Bea to join and support us during this event)  (http://www.ironpanic.com/) who helped me to beat my 10 KMS PB  (46'00'')  together with other runners, as Xavi, and bloggers from Sedentaris.cat (http://www.sedentaris.cat/) as Ferran, Toni and my CKP colleague Steve Giafaglione...may be we could do it again but next time for HM PB?...Ferran, I believe you can lead this initiative from your running blog once every 6 months...just some ideas!! THANKS AGAIN!! I really enjoyed that dusty day!

10K BLOGGER MEETING RUN...& WHY NOT PB?

Friends!

As if you have read my blog, I am going for vacation to Spain during several weeks tomorrow and want to invite you to join me for a 10 K run trying to beat my PB, as of today 46´30´´!

What, Where, When, Why, and Who?

What? 10 K run

Where? Carretera de les Aigües (Barcelona) (my preferred place to run in Barcelona...)

When? June 30th, 7.00 P.M.

Why?  I would like to meet, as much as many bloggers, but, this time ¨face to face¨to hsare with you one training and, if you help and support to try to achieve my PB in 10K, achieved in Hong Kong " 46´30´´.

Who? Everyone who wants to join!!!

Por favor, todos aquellos que os queráis apuntar a la misma....pues, colocar un comentario abajo para saber más o menos cuantos seremos...y no colapsar el parking de la Carretera de les Aigües!! (jaja es broma)

Btw, about the logo on the top, I was looking for a 10K logo and I found this one...I did this race in 2008 and was impressive, 11,449 finishers! it really remembered me Cursa de Bombers 2005, 2006...

http://wb10k.allsportcentral.com/results/results.cfm?EventID=16927

I hope to see some bloggers on that date! Thanks in advance!

¨XTB¨ Xavi.

P.D: Per cert, no em vull oblidar de felicitar als meus nebots: MOLTES FELICITATS! Ariana  i Xavi....fan 15 anys avui! Per cert, excel.lents jugadors de basket...el Xavi Assalit, és el actual base del DKV Joventut Cadet B (per mi un futur ¨Ricky¨però evidentment que ha de dir el seu tiet!!!) i la Ari millor base del St. Adrià, on juga la meva fillola i germana gran d´ells, la Blanca de 3 al equip Senior Copa del St. Adrià!...i per cert, els seus papis fan avui també 21 anys de casats! Felicitats per tots!

SPANISH TAPAS, COSMOPOLITAN & TRAINING RACES...AND NADAL!

Friends,
Spanish tapas in Hong Kong, everybody loves...best places! and new Tapas bar in Taste Pacific Place...I don't know the name of the bar...but I met Emilio the Chef...and of course, best Chefs, Alex (Fofo) and David (Uno Más)!! Thanks guys, good job!!

Let me just make a brief summary about my weekend...Friday tapas, Saturday morning, 3 half-sprint race training, then,3 cosmopolitans, more tapas and, as of result, no swim race on Sunday...hangover!

Now is time for farewells and dinners in Hong Kong, Hammes family are coming back to the US, that is the reason we had a wonderful "in-house" tapas dinner on Friday night and we share a wonderful time with Lori, Ellie, Max and "super-baby" Eden!! We will miss all of you ... also you Eric! ;-)

Saturday morning 6.30 am, I had Summer Training Series 2 with our Dragons mate...and I had quite fun during my racing...my swim was OK...usually on Top 5, bike much better than my first Series...indoor bike training helped a me a little?? ...no clue and my run average of 4'35''/km for 2 Km x 3...so, so!

I attach the link to our Triathlon Club website and of course any suggestion to improve it, I will take it to our President Richard!!...youc an check my results on there, too.

http://www.hktriclub.com/

Then, same Saturday night, Peter (my bike mentor, over 30 years riding road bike!)and Justine, invited us to have a drink at their home before going to Fofo restaurant to have more Spanish tapas!...we had 2 or 3 glasess...and then, you can imagine how the night went on...late to the restaurant, after dinner, another drink, then, one vodka in a fridge bar Balalaika...and afterwards, Elaine, wanted to dance...but we stopped here...as I was supposed to race next day on my Open Water 1.4km swim race...

Cosmopolitans...2 or 3?!?                      Balalaika fridge Vodka bar...

...and you can imagine, my Sunday morning...DNF...or better DNS (Do Not Start)!!

Last but not least, RAFA....THANKS FOR SHARING WITH ALL SPORT LOVERS THE WAY OF FEELING AND LOVING COMPETITIVE SPORT! CONGRATULATIONS...YOU ARE GREAT!

Thanks for reading...and talk to you very soon!

¨XTB¨Xavi.

INDOOR BIKE TRAINING PICS...

Friends,

Yesterday, I did my third indoor bike training:

Pros:
1. Faster training, as usually, I do intense one over 85 RPM in 1 hour.
2. I stay at home and can watch a movie or just look at my kids and spend time indoor with my family...
3. No potential  accidents...or at least till now! lol
4. Don't need helmet...
5. I get used to OSIM saddle...hard to get used to it...but more confortable than Cannondale Slice 5 Hi-Mod original one!

Cons:
1. Not feeling the real race conditions, road uphills and downhills...
2. Not really improving my bike technical skills (avoid zig-zag move, arms in correct position)
3. Dinner is usually getting ready and smelling, then, looking forward to finish fast my bike training to quickly enjoy dinner!

Btw, I have tried GSC-10 from Garmin synchronized with my Garmin 310-XT and is working perfectly, as suggested by Mr. Lee (Flying Ball Cycle)  store owner! Thanks! ;-)

I attach some pics of my first indoor bike trainer Pro Fluid...I hope you enjoy!

Lucas really enjoying indoor bike experience! ;-)

with his Buzz- Lightyear pijama!

 

Mar...my sweet Princess!! so beautiful!!

Suffering a little bit...

Thanks for reading!

"XTB" Xavi.

INTERESTING ADVENTURE...

http://stickyparkour.com/BlogNew/

NEW CHALLENGE & TRI-CITY-ATHLON!

Friends,

Just quick update, about 3 topics:

1. I have rethinked my next challenge and moved it earlier to August 22nd, 70.3 Ironman Cobra Philippines, if my ITBS and training is enough to race it under 7 hours...as my first HIM event!

2. Friends, please, I would like all of you to help if you can to one request from one of my Dragons mates for one person affected some years ago by Leukemia that she needs us to vote to get a place for that TRI-CITY-ATHLON race! I attach her message...and link to vote...she needs all our support!

"Hi everyone,

I have a special request to make. My little sister has 'entered' me
into the Eurostar Tri-City-Athlon this coming September 14th. The 3
different disciplines are being held in 3 different cities - the swim
is in Paris , the bike leg is in Brussels and the run leg is in
Regents
Park in lovely London town!

The other slight difference to this event is that I have to gather
enough votes to firstly be placed within the top 50 entries. Then, a
panel of judges will pick 20 competitors to participate in the event.
If I am lucky enough to survive the first round and be chosen as one
of the competitors, I will use the Tri-City-Athlon to raise money for
the Anthony Nolan Trust, a UK based leukaemia charity that I have
worked closely with over the past few years (http://
www.anthonynolan.org.uk/).

It's with this in mind that I ask for a few minutes of your time to
vote for me!!

You can click on the link below to vote:

http://www.eurostartricityathlon.com/home-page(en)/view-entry.aspx?id=5640
(either click on the right where it says LOGIN WITH FACEBOOK, or
create a profile on the Eurostar page and then look for my entry -
filter MOST VOTES and I should be at the bottom of the 1st page, at
least I was this morning!)

Only one vote is allowed per person so please feel free to forward
onto friends and family!!! Voting ends on the 8th June.

Thank you very much!

Kitty"

3. Last but not least, since last Tuesday, nice training sessions, including, Yoga on Tuesday, Technical running training on Wednesday, Indoor bike training on Thursday, Long Swim on Friday, Long Bike on Saturday and Long Run on Sunday, rest on Monday and Bike training today in Shanghai...and my ITBS is behaving!!!

Cheers from Shanghai...without "works" clean and ready for Expo 2010!!! Looks really different from last months!!

"XTB" Xavi.

HELP...I LOVE KIDS! DO YOU?

Friends,

I just ask you to watch that videoclip and afterwards think just during 5 minutes how you can help those kids...if you want my help, I am actually working with different NGO's:

I hope you enjoy the video:

Cheers from Hong Kong!

"XTB" Xavi.

P.S: Thank Clóvis for sending me that video to share!

SOUTH BAY OCEAN SWIM & 10K...

Friends,

Just quick update about my weekend:

1. Saturday morning...South Bay Ocean Swim, in theory, 1.8 K, but, as per my GPS, 1,430 m in 21'38'', but, official ime of 22'04'', 10th AG 35-39 and 49th out of 197 swimmers.
http://www.revolution-asia.com/Assets/Revolution+Asia+Digital+Assets/Results/SouthBayOceanSwim_RaceResults.xls

2. Sunday afternoon...10K running training without drinking any liquid at 29.Celsius and 88% humidity...nice training...and my ITBS is not hurting so far so good!!
47m 37s 10.00 kms 04m 46s/KM (first km was not tracked in my GPS)...

Min HR: 86
Avg HR: 165
Max HR: 181
5:46 PM



Talk to all of you very soon!

"XTB" Xavi.