2nd time - More experience

Yesterday I finished my second Half-Ironman Distance triathlon this one in S. Jacinto, Aveiro.

The place is beautiful and it has all the conditions to continue for another couple of years with this race.

All I can say about the race is that it was my 2nd time and I learned with my errors in Lisboa Half-IM.

The swim was a lot better and I can say the Helix 2010 is just perfect! No chafing, neutral balance and it's so easy to take it.
The 92km bike ride was the worst part. And this is the part to look at. I have to improve so much my cycling power and of course I have to be patient because that doesnt come in a week or in a month. The strong wind in the bike part worsened things up.

I can say that after that 7 lap bike course I was feeling a little pain in my legs so I didnt know how I would feel on the run.

But I felt good. I was not thinking about any results. My goal was just to finish well and doing what makes me happy on the run, making some victims =D (after finishing the organization called me to receive a medall for my 2nd place on my age-group (20-23) out of 6.)

After all I was happy with the race. Today I have a pain in my gluteus that dont leave me!

Aveiro

Here I go for my 2nd Half-Ironman!

Today trip to Aveiro and tomorrow the race starts at S.Jacinto - a small village near Aveiro.

Finally tomorrow I'll test my new Helix in a race!

Guitar Heroes

One Word =D

Uni Exams are in one week!

TT Review and Week ahead

The TT had a story behind it:

After warming-up a bit and doing like a 3 minute max speed, I was ready to do the test.

So, ready, set, go...6 minutes and a puncture! Then I had to do an extra workout to change the inner tube. Only after that I was able to...warm-up again and do the TT - 23km, 42min, 155bpm, 178av.watts.

It was good to test myself and to know what pace I can handle in races (and that was not the one I was racing). With patience and consistency I have to increase my power and speed.

For this week, I will continue with the some intensity but less volume beacause Aveiro Half-Ironman (my 2nd one!) will be next sunday.

Test

Tomorrow I'll have a TT (time-trial) organized by my coach. It'll test my speed, power and cadence at the moment, a good test to my next triathlon - Aveiro in one week.

I'm feeling good so let's see tomorrow how it works in the 21km TT.

What's for dinner

I really enjoy to watch the inside of professional cycling teams.

This video is from last year Tour de France. But now that 2 big races in the world of cycling are happening - The Giro D'Italia and the Tour of California - you can see what cyclists eat after finishing each stage.

You can learn many things with Dr. Allen Lim. He worked last year with Team Garmin now he changed and he is the physiologist of Team RadioShack (Lance Armstrong' team).

Are we in World Crisis?

Are these guys kidding?

Sailing around the World

The second person, the one that I bring you today is Jessica Watson, an Australian girl.She has an incredible auto-confidence and she really is a braveheart!

Jessica Watson became the youngest person to sail around the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted when she cruised into Sydney Harbour in her pink yacht to a rock-star welcome. She successfully maneuvered her boat through raging storms, big waves and seven knockdowns during the 23,000 nautical mile journey that critics thought she wouldn't survive.

She arrived last saturday to Sydney after 7 months (210 days) alone! 

Some said she was inexperienced and to young but for that she said: "People don't think you're capable of these things – they don't realize what young people, what 16-year-olds and girls are capable of," she told the crowd. "It's amazing, when you take away those expectations, what you can do."

And I enjoyed her words answering to the Australia Prime-Minister who said she was "Australia's newest hero" - 

"I don't consider myself a hero," she said. "I'm an ordinary girl who believed in her dream."

Cycling - Magazine - Pro Cycling

In my life, I'm always searching for new things, new achievements and people who are different that can give their life a new way.


And today and tomorrow I'd like to show you two people that recently got my attention.


The first one from the world of cycling is João Correia.


João Correia, now 34 started racing as a junior in Portugal as a teenager and last raced as a pro at age 21. He continued to race after his family moved to New York when he was 12. He signed his first pro contract in 1995 but interrupted his career to finish college in New York where he later worked in publishing. 


After finishing his degree he worked in a cycling magazine. During this time his weight slowly crept to 93kgs.


And what everyone thought to be an usual life in the world of writting changed completely.

Three years ago he signed on with Dr. Massimo Testa in a mission to trim down his frame and return to racing. He accomplished that goal and went on to ride in the 2007 nationals time trial in Portugal where he finished 12th. A contract with the Bissell team followed during 2008 and 2009; remarkably 13 years after his exit from pro racing he was following his dream again. 


He is now a pro cyclist in Team Cervelo (one of the big names in cycling) and his weight is now 64kgs!


He is currently riding on the Tour of California from the 16th of May to the 23rd of May!


(Tomorrow another person from Australia that is completely different!)

Visit to Cova da Moura

Last Friday I went to one of the most problematic places in Lisbon. But I really changed my mind after the visit. It was a study visit for the Social Economy class.

Cova da Moura is divided into two very different worlds: two completely different worlds intersect in Cova da Moura. Many children run in the streets, while half of the residents leave for work. Several structures of social intervention contrasted with the danger area of the district, the main street, where young people found themselves against the walls to look suspicious when they see someone unknown.

Speaking almost no one wants. 

In the visit we went to the Cultural Association (Moinho da Juventude) a good project that was created and it is responsible for several activities for children and youth like the school, the computer room, the music studio and the library.

The association's goal is to give different views on children and young people to get to know that they can follow a different standard of living of their parents and not have to be like them, who are sellers of fish, work in construction or cleaning services.

The idea that most people have of that place is different from the one I have seen. There are many good people in Cova da Moura. 

In my opinion the biggest problem is the mentality of some young people who leave school early, do not enter the labour market and end up copying their heroes, who have guns, big cars and mainly power.

Chasing Legends Trailer - World Premiere May 15th

Because cycling is one of my favourite sports I will leave you with this movie trailer. I like to watch the backstage and the feelings cyclists have during the races.

The movie is called Chasing Legends and will be out on the 15th of May 2010.

Next goal: breathe!

I know, I know...I did not post anything for the last two weeks.

I've been Really busy finishing Uni works and studying for tests and exams and even finishing CV's for my trainee process (a compulsory part of my degree).

This is my last year in my Undergraduation so I have to finish everything.

Regarding my next goal (Aveiro Half Ironman) I'm feeling stronger and with more power on the bike and I'm getting faster on the water...

My 2010 Helix wetsuit will arrive next week! And for that I have to thank Bluseseventy!

Now don't worry...I will keep you in touch!