Trenton, it's Ok, I speak English!!

Hi everybody,
Happy Easter Sunday to all of you who celebrate it...and yes that is moi standing next to a HUGE chocolate Easter egg which was on display at the Four Seasons last night..see story later in the blog.































Sunday:
All three of us hung around the house today, cleaning bikes (me doing laundry...) but not really venturing very far from the couch after a long morning ride up to San Clemente (a 75 mile ride there and back) which gave us head winds up and cross and tailwinds back. The boys rode up in a group and I unfortunately did a solo effort...which wasn't that smart in hindsight when I realised going out what the winds were like but I wasn't ready to leave when they did and so I suffered a tad. Not to worry - hakuna matata - food was inhaled on our return - a combo of protein, carbohydrates and you won't believe it....chocolate cake...MMMMMMMMMMMMMM...hey - it is Easter after all and cake (care of the Four Seasons Aviara) is the substitute for Easter eggs! Anyway, after cleaning out the fridge in one foul swoop, we plopped ourselves down in front of the box and watched the Paris marathon on the Versus channel and then flipped between the one day cycling classic - Paris-Roubaix and the four day golf tournament - The Masters. We were all 'well spent' and so not much happened this afternoon at the Alexander-Maund household besides rest and a recovery swim in the ocean!

A cycling athletes washing line in California:
















Swimming for recovery - down to Swamis they go!


















Yes....I know I haven't updated you since my return from Orlando but yo!...it's been a busy week, lots going on..busy, busy..almost bordering on hectic....which is a big deal for anyone living in Southern Cal where the pace of life is usually 'a la chillin' with a capital C! But here goes....I have to make a list:
a) Trenton's visit
b) New leg
c) Shopping and dinner out
d) Palomar Mountain ride
e) Swamis ride (and Dedan is a training monster)....see it's been quite a week!

Trenton, it's OK I speak English:
So, you may be wondering what's with the post heading? Who is Trenton? and why did he make it into the post title? Well........let me tell you!
Trenton Duval is a friend of Dedan's who lives up in the Bay area (San Francisco way) and was visiting family in Los Angeles last week and who came down to see Dedan on Friday. Trenton first met Dedan in Nairobi, Kenya in 2007 when he did a two month stint at JamiiBora, working for Ingrid Monroe, (Dedan's mentor and who Dedan calls 'mama') helping them to build their website.

Kenyan buddies - Dedan and Trenton in the Studio:
We arranged for Trenton to meet Dedan at 12 noon but Trenton got stuck in LA Friday traffic and so by the time he had made it to our studio, Dedan had gone up to the library to check his email. Chris gave Trenton directions to the library and said that Dedan would be at one of the computers. Trenton headed up there probably expecting to see Dedan with two crutches and one leg - just as he remembered him from Nairobi BUT Dedan had his new leg and jeans on and so it was a great surprise for Trenton. Dedan told us over dinner - with a huge grin and cheeky eyes - that when he saw Trenton at the library, Trenton apologised for not speaking much Swahilli and to that Dedan replied, "It's OK, I speak English". Dedan was so chuffed to be able to say that and it really made his day!!! Dedan got to show off his new bike, where he lives, a little bit of Encinitas and hang out with Trenton for the afternoon and so asante sana Trenton. It's was way cool for you to come and visit!

New Leg with a Carbon Fibre Socket:

Last Tuesday the visit to SCOPE and Kel Bergman resulted in the delivery of the new leg. It is quite the model and Dedan loves it,(it's pretty obvious don't you think when you look at the photos below - that beaming smile, now how can you miss it?..pure joy). Anyway, the new socket is carbon fibre..same/same....same material as his bike so it's a winner! The knee joint of this leg is hydraulic and so moves much smoother than the temporary one did. He has no problems going up hills and when he has a pair of trousers on it looks like he has something wrong with a knee not a brand new prosthetic leg. Dedan is a legend - he makes this walking thing look VERY easy!



Shopping and English lessons at the Four Seasons Aviara:
Friday night Dedan and I went shopping for new clothes as Phil and Marlene Kerbis generously donated some extra dosh to buy the boy new threads. Never one to miss a shopping opportunity, I quickly jumped at it and volunteered to be the executor of the task. We hit the stores and found success at Sports Authority where they had a great sale going on. There was a great array of items to be had including a swanky blue North Face shirt, a couple of what Dedan calls 'Tiger' shirts aka Nike golf shirts in shades of red/orange which looked great on his skin colouring plus an Adidas track suit jacket and matching shorts in red and black.

We also swung by Barnes and Noble our local bookstore to pick up a new speaking English workbook as Dedan has progressed past the 'a is for Apple' level and hovering at the past, present and future use of words. Ex-teacher has to get her act together and start planning lessons now! So...where else to practice English and get some real use of the language? Hmmm.. let me think? It's a lovely Saturday afternoon, sun is shining, we are hungry, where can we sit on a terrace and watch the sunset and have a nice meal and oh that's right...where can Dedan practice his English? OK if we have to...Vivace Restaurant - on the terrace - at the five star resort, Four Seasons Aviara...oh yeah baby! and excuse me we did have a good time!

Chris and Dedan sitting on the terrace - perusing the menu:







































Palomar Mountain Ride April 19th at 7.00am:
During Stage 8 of the Amgen Tour of California, a pro-cycling race, the riders (including Lance Armstrong) raced up Palomar Mountain - a 5,123 foot mountain. It is quite the climb and we use it as a check of our fitness or in preparation for mammoth climbing as in riding through Ethiopia with Tour d'Afrique and so on Sunday April 19th, Dedan is going to be doing the same! Time to put the hammer down! Check out www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/docroot/media/2009/stage8-profile.pdf to see the profile and what a climb it is going to be..it's a doosy! Come and join us!!
The view from Palomar Mountain:
The climb to the top of Palomar Mountain Road is 12.68 miles, including 21 or so switchbacks, with an ascent of 4325 feet if you start in Pauma Valley on State Route 76, just west of Valley Center Road. The climb is made up of two distinct sections. The first section on State Route 76 is 5.82 miles with an ascent of 1810 feet and the second section on Palomar Mountain Road (which is also known as South Grade Road) is 6.86 miles with an ascent of 2530 feet. There is a flat section of approximately 1/2 mile between the two sections but trust me you don't really notice it when you're actually doing the ride as it just seems that you are going up and up....forever! We will be leaving the house at 7.00am and riding from Encinitas, through Elfin Forrest to Escondido, up past Lake Wolford and down the valley to Rincon to the start of the climb (any where from 2.5-3 hours)and then up the beast. We are planning to have a vehicle at the top to pick us up as the full loop takes 6-8 hours depending on speed and form on the day. Chris said that Dedan will probably be tired from the climb....ah!...but truth be known..his wife will probably be more tired than Dedan and I'm grateful for that part of the plan.Oh yeah.. I L-O-V-E it!

Dedan has been doing a lot of hard training including hill repeats of Torrey Pines in preparation for Palomar. He is now up to 6 hill repeats, with his fastest effort clocking in at 7 mins and 23 seconds, which is a 'hot' time considering he only has one leg! Chris has posted two videos on youtube.com - Torrey Pines Hill Rep Number 5 and One leg is better than two so take a look at them..they look great.

Swamis Ride and Dedan is a training monster!:
One of our goals for Dedan was for him to be comfortable riding in a peloton (large group of cyclist) and he accomplished that goal well and truely yesterday. He did the Swamis Saturday morning ride (which can have as many as 100 riders varying in standards from the elite triathlete and pro roadies at the front of the peloton to newbie cyclists hanging on for dear life at the back) with Chris and another friend Kevin Koch and came in ahead of at least a third of the group. He has become quite a beast of a rider and has gained tremendous strength following Chris's training program and didn't even need help (in the form of a hand in the small of the back and a good shove)up any of the hills. Chris told me that if I had have been riding with them, I would for certain have been dropped by Dedan. Apparently he was on FIRE and even pulled his foot out of his cleat, not once but twice with his efforts. Hmm.....must be my cooking..what do ya think?

Hope you had a good Sunday.
Cheers..it's movie time...off to La Jolla..later
Janet (and her boys) xxxxxxxxxxx