It's Cleansing Time! - The Martha Stewart Way (easy)

Spring is almost here but more importantly Tempe is almost here.

As such, it is time to clean our homes and our bodies...so to speak. Recently, Pearl and I did a cleanse - okay, Pearl did and I failed after 6 days due to family reasons - and we both got inundated with a lot of questions so I figure why not post about it and our experiences. So for the rest of the weak (haha get it?) I will blog about ways to detoxify your body.

This is NOT a requirement of Space Dragons but something fun and different to do that may or may not improve your health. I highly recommend starting after Superbowl Sunday(and Mammoth if you are going) but well in advance of Tempe - When one goes detoxing , it's hard to motivate yourself to workout (more so than usual) though the Princess went to ALL of the SD practices while on the plan...Did you when you weren't?

The idea behind it, is that we put all these processed foods into our bodies every day and it takes a lot of effort for our kidneys and liver to clean our bodies from the possible toxins that we maybe putting in. By doing a cleanse, one eats helthier food - or no food that will give the kidneys and liver a break so that these organs can clean the rest of our bodies (blood other organs etc.) rather than keeping up with what we put in. Theoretically, this means you end up with more energy, feel more lively, and other general health benefits by the end of it. Even if it is heebyjeeby science, if you believe it, the placebo affect will surely work somewhat...Note these cleanses, though they are diets, are NOT intended to loose weight. All the weight you lose is a side effect of the cleanse and most likely you will gain it back. That said, the numbers on the scale are pretty impressive and maybe you will strive harder not to gain it back by better dietary choices

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cleansing done the Martha Stewart Way!

(No, she did not come up with it, nor do I know for sure if she used it, but it is on her website...okay I told a bunch of people that it was from Oprah - but a quick search showed that I meant Martha Stewart - woopsies!)

So you thought that the Master Cleanse is a lil extreme? That who the F in their right minds would give up 7-10 precious days of glorious eating? Isn't there another way you can try to be healthy without being nuts? Well you aren't alone. Martha Stewart posted on her site a way to cleanse without being too difficult on the body and fairly easily done. Of course you have to buy more specialty foods (organic? no meat? no caffine? who does this craziness?) but that's what you get for convenience. Plus, this is a really cheap way to figure out if you have any food allergies...why see an allergist when you can self diagnose by removing possible allergens and slowly reintroducing them until you see an effect...
Seven-Day Detox Plan (since it is published on the web and Im not sure if I have copyright authority I am only going to paste the link):
<http://www.wholeliving.com/article/healthy-detox?autonomy_kw=gentle%20detox&rsc=header_3>

Scott and Kevin tried it...and look at them now!

International Paddling Opportunities

Ahoy all jet-setting Space Dragons!

2009 offers many fabulous festivals and exciting races the world over (especially China!)

Interested? Email lb.space.dragons@gmail.com

• Zhaoquing Int'l DB Festival: May 23-24



• Zhanjiang Int'l DB Festival: May 27-28



• Huizhou Int'l DB Festival: May 29-31



• Guangzhou 13th Int'l DB Festival: June 4-7



• 2nd Bin Lake Wuxi Int'l Youth Invitational: April 25-26



• 2nd Wujin Int'l DB Invitation: April 30-May 1



• "Jia Geng Cup" "Jing Xian Cup" Channe DB Invitational: May 23-24



• Suzhou River Shanghai DB Invitational: May 24



• 1st Jialing River China Int'l DB Invitational: May 28-29th



• 6th Nanning Int'l DB Invitational: June 6



• Fangcheng Harbor Int'l DB Invitational: June 6



• 12th Ningbo Int'l DB Invitational: TBC



• Shenzhen Int'l DB Invitational: TBC

It's Cleansing Time! - The Superfruit

Spring is almost here but more importantly Tempe is almost here.

As such, it is time to clean our homes and our bodies...so to speak. Recently, Pearl and I did a cleanse - okay, Pearl did and I failed after 6 days due to family reasons - and we both got inundated with a lot of questions so I figure why not post about it and our experiences. So for the rest of the weak (haha get it?) I will blog about ways to detoxify your body.

This is NOT a requirement of Space Dragons but something fun and different to do that may or may not improve your health. I highly recommend starting after Superbowl Sunday(and Mammoth if you are going) but well in advance of Tempe - When one goes detoxing , it's hard to motivate yourself to workout (more so than usual) though the Princess went to ALL of the SD practices while on the plan...Did you when you weren't?

The idea behind it, is that we put all these processed foods into our bodies every day and it takes a lot of effort for our kidneys and liver to clean our bodies from the possible toxins that we maybe putting in. By doing a cleanse, one eats helthier food - or no food that will give the kidneys and liver a break so that these organs can clean the rest of our bodies (blood other organs etc.) rather than keeping up with what we put in. Theoretically, this means you end up with more energy, feel more lively, and other general health benefits by the end of it. Even if it is heebyjeeby science, if you believe it, the placebo affect will surely work somewhat...Note these cleanses, though they are diets, are NOT intended to loose weight. All the weight you lose is a side effect of the cleanse and most likely you will gain it back. That said, the numbers on the scale are pretty impressive and maybe you will strive harder not to gain it back by better dietary choices

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When life gives you lemons...make lemonade!

While you are probably wondering what the heck is up with these wack ingredients, Sure the maple syrup gives you some calories so you aren't too much of an anorexic, but where are all the nutrients?

As it turns out the maple syrup gives you the calories AND some of your nutrients. The rest of your nutrients come from the lemon juice (vitamin C anyone?) and the cayenne pepper (ouchie so spicie!)

But Lemons, why Lemons? After all, you can get vitamin C from an orange, an apple, a banana or most any other type of fruit and lemons are SUPER sour....ahh but did you kow lemons are a super fruit? (Neither did I but Pearl bought a book on lemons so we got to use it somehow right?)



Benefits of Lemons
+Lemon juice is a great digestive agent due to its high citric acid content.
Drinking lemon juice in the morning makes it a tonic for the liver, stimulating the liver to produce bile so that it is ready to digest the day’s foods.
+Lemon juice stimulates the production of digestive enzymes, such as pepsin, which break down the protein components in foods. Hence a sprinkle of lemon juice on your meats, poultry, fish, beans and eggs will help one digest them more effectively.
+Lemon is rich in pectin, a great source of fiber. Consumption of pectin makes you feel satisfied longer. Pectin also helps to cut cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
+Lemon juice has one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C. Two and a half lemons worth of juice provides the average daily requirement of vitamin C.
+Lemon juice contains high levels of bioflavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants and have antiviral, anticancer and antiallergenic actions.
+Lemon is a good source of calcium.



Aside from being a healthy food ingredient, lemons have long been used as a natural ingredient for beauty such as a cleanser, toner, skin smoother, and hair conditioner. In various forms, lemons could be used to cure a variety of conditions including acne, anxiety, bloating, cankers, cellulite, chills and fevers, cold sores, colds, corns, diarrhea, eczema, fatigue, gout, gum disease, halitosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insect bites, insomnia, nosebleeds, rheumatism, stomach upsets, and varicose and spider veins.
Ooolala...note that though this was published in a book - results have not been SD verified so we can't claim it's 100% true - but at least it worked on someone out there. So take a lemon, squeeze out some fresh juice in the morning and/or before meals, have a slice with your water or tea, a wedge with your hef, and enjoy one of the finest fruits of mother nature...

It's Cleansing Time! - The Master Cleanse

Spring is almost here but more importantly Tempe is almost here.




As such, it is time to clean our homes and our bodies...so to speak. Recently, Pearl and I did a cleanse - okay, Pearl did and I failed after 6 days due to family reasons - and we both got inundated with a lot of questions so I figure why not post about it and our experiences. So for the rest of the weak (haha get it?) I will blog about ways to detoxify your body.

This is NOT a requirement of Space Dragons but something fun and different to do that may or may not improve your health. I highly recommend starting after Superbowl Sunday(and Mammoth if you are going) but well in advance of Tempe - When one goes detoxing , it's hard to motivate yourself to workout (more so than usual) though the Princess went to ALL of the SD practices while on the plan...Did you when you weren't?

The idea behind it, is that we put all these processed foods into our bodies every day and it takes a lot of effort for our kidneys and liver to clean our bodies from the possible toxins that we maybe putting in. By doing a cleanse, one eats helthier food - or no food that will give the kidneys and liver a break so that these organs can clean the rest of our bodies (blood other organs etc.) rather than keeping up with what we put in. Theoretically, this means you end up with more energy, feel more lively, and other general health benefits by the end of it. Even if it is heebyjeeby science, if you believe it, the placebo affect will surely work somewhat...Note these cleanses, though they are diets, are NOT intended to lose weight. All the weight you lose is a side effect of the cleanse and most likely you will gain it back. That said, the numbers on the scale are pretty impressive and maybe you will strive harder not to gain it back by better dietary choices

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What Pearl and I did was called the Master Cleanse aka "the Lemonade diet".

Basically, it is a 10-14 day fast that substitutes food with "lemonade". Every day you ingest 12-14 glasses of lemonade, each consisting of:

2Tbsp of fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice(not concentrate)

2 Tbsp of Maple Syrup (real maple syrup and preferably Grade B)

1/10 of a Tsp of Cayenne Pepper (or season to taste, preferably organic)

8 ounces of water (at least 8 ounces, more water does not hurt, and Emily, try to not drink straight tap).

That's it. No more food. Do this for 10 days and you will drop the pounds for sure. Of course it is not easy and most people fail on the first day. The lemonade is pretty yummy but you will for sure get tired of it...

The second part of the cleanse is where you actually flush yourself.

Basically you take 2 tsp of sea salt (noniodized) to a quart of water ( kind of a nice break from the lemonade but still doesn't taste the greatest). After you ingest this salt water flush - do NOT go anywhere where you cannot find a bathroom quick. In about 30-60 min you will feel some rumbling and will shortly expell all that you drank and more (Something about salt water having the same specific gravity of blood so it will not be absorbed by your system). If you would like, you can replace the salt water flush with laxative tea.

Do the Master Cleanse for at least 10 days and consider it Mission Accomplished (non Bush style).

New Fundraiser

In light of these difficult economic times and Wade's recommendation of starting a SD calendar, the staff has started to accept orders on 2009's SD calendar starring YOU.

What? Sneak preview you say? What the masses clamor for we MUST provide...so without much further ado, I present to you, Miss January...

Miss January: Ms. Blanca Pena

DOB: January 26th, 1988

Likes: Fishing, Coach products, Shopping on-line, E-mail & Texting, Making construction workers heads turn, and being a Super Hero.

Dislikes: Clinginess, Secretarial work, Friends who play pranks on her, Wheel of her car falling off while driving on the 91, Lechuga and her dad taking her car to the mechanic with her (friend's) adult toys in the trunk.

Miss January, Blanca Pena, will be competing in her first tournament in Tempe in March.

She was overheard saying these wise words:

"I think it is only fair to the team that I prepare myself for the 2009 Tempe Tournament in March. I want no excuses why I wasn't ready. The team will not be disappointed as I hone my skills on the boat, harden my body and do mucho cardio so I may maximize my air capacity within my young and supple....lungs. It is my goal to make a major contribution to the Space Dragons because I will become one bad a(zz) paddling latina!!"

Space Dragons, take a page out of Miss January's book. Show up consistently to practice, practice hard, eat right, do your workouts at home and get lots of rest. There will be NO EXCUSES in Tempe!!

If you would like to meet Miss January - come to a Space Dragon practice near you!

(actual document has been uploaded to: http://rapidshare.com/files/188417073/Miss_January_2009.rtf)

Does size REALLY matter?

Not that we Space Dragons have camera envy or anything, but guys are always wondering, "Does size really matter?"  I'm sure our lovely ladies have also pondered, "What is the appropriate size for me?" If this adequately describes you (especially if you don't want to admit it), don't you worry.  Those questions will be answered by one of our very own Space Dragonettes.

Step has determined that YES she really does care about the size and wants to help everyone discover the right size for them.  When Step was searching the internets for discounts on her favorite gear to wrap it up,  she stumbled upon a link which she thought was useful and pretty detailed. 

What do YOU think? (After a quick examination, Wade thinks it's too "lengthy" - but only slightly.)

http://www.doublefifth.com/sizing.html

Thanks for sharing Step!

Paddler...err Captain Spotlight! - Tran & Wade

Birthday

Tran: 5/16.
Wade: 10/14.

Hometown
Tran: Born in Saigon, Vietnam. Bounced around Indonesia, France, Canada and grew up in Harrisonburg, VA. I moved to CA July 2007 and reside in Aliso Viejo. Am really enjoying Southern California.
Wade: WALNUT, Ca - aka center of the universe. Currently reside in Pasadena.

How long have you been paddling for?
Tran: >9 months; Jackie & Robert recruited me; I started March, 2008, and paddled in my first tournament (Tempe) only three weeks after joining. Talk about sink or paddle!
Wade: Since 2003 or 2004, I think?

Why do you paddle?
Tran: I've always been a big water sports fan. I joined for the workout; I stayed for the SD familly of friends.
Wade: Similar to many ... exercise, fitness, a competitive outlet were main initial reasons. Desire to see our team grow, improve, take strides subsequently became a major motivation - as did a bigger desire to see the team simply become and always be a healthy & happy activity/haven for folks to connect & become a team and family. Our people make it fun & worthwhile.

Favorite or notable Space Dragon moment(s)?
Tran: SO MANY!

1. John's jaw-dropping rousing speech at Big Long Beach
2. Calling for Red in San Fran on Sunday morning. Started the race with a nice, clean, bandaged finger and ended the ride hanging on for dear life with a bloody pulp. It was so worth it--you guys really know how to raise my blood pressure!
3. Joe & Yonnie's surprise- So awesome that we managed to keep a secret...best was the various detours and tactics used to hijack Joe's boat, sweet!

Wade:

• Great (but discourage-future-occurrence) times Friday Night in Vegas '06. (Still remember Pearl struggling to complete the bill. Ask her to see the receipt sometime)
• Every time our hard work is rewarded with fulfilling on-water performance.
• Tight losses that test our humility, composure, bounce-back.
• Witnessing all the cute Tribe kids grow into beautiful young adults.
• Outrigger sprints w/ a belly full of beer (not recommended).
• Establishment of sister team relationship w/ RFX.
• Inspiration from the BCS, vision-impaired, etc teams.
• Pool battles.
• Men's huli.
• COLs.
• And finally - inappropriate but true - LV '07, a certain someone talking in his sleep..."Ceez - save me the other hole ...". Not kidding.
  

How do you prepare yourself for a Race?
Tran: Lots of hot tea and honey. Organic peanut butter on wheat the morning of race day, but sadly, no bagels. And keeping as mum as possible to save my voice!
Wade: Identify the goal, formulate and understand the game plan, and pro-actively identify the challenges and difficulties that may be encountered along the way. Visualize it all playing out, seeing & feeling the execution of the game plan, encountering & overcoming the difficulties, and ultimately successfully achieving the goal. Keep body prepared - light cardio work in the days/week leading up to the race, to keep lungs and body 'open' and ready. Eat right. And of course, practice.

Any hobbies, activities, interests outside of paddling?
Tran: Lots! Tennis, fishing, biking, coaching gymnastics, my vroom vroom, wine, and cleaning.
Wade: Like a lot ... more recent forays include youth basketball coaching, bjj, and giving eye hickeys.

Favorite Food(s)?
Tran: Ooooh, I'm a foodie--love everything! Vietnamese: Bun Rieu. Italian:Linguine & Clams. Spanish: Seafood Paella. French: ripe & stinky Camembert w/fresh baked baguette. Southern: Oyster Po'boys, Jambalaya, and mashed sweet potatoes...
Wade: Smoothies, Uni, Butterfish, Kurobuta, Shao Long Bao, Kungpao, Penne, Toro, Spatzle, Wasabi, Sichuan, Amaebi, Miso, Mustard, Tomato-bases, Shiso, Swiss, Collard Greens, Gudda, Blue Cheese, Cornbread, Acai, Lomi Lomi, Peanut butter, Gumbo, Hairy Crabs, Eggs Florentine, Adobo, Pesto, LauLau, Garlic Hummus, Citrus, Ramen cabbage salad, Blueberries, Etouffee, Red cabbage, Wagyu, In-n-out ...

Any advice for new Paddlers?
Tran: Learn and hone ONE skill at a time. The grip, the reach, the rotation, the push, the pull...it was all overwhelming to me when I tried to incorporate and perfect all at once. When broken down as individual components, it became much easier. Watch yourself on video. Listen to your coach. And don't be afraid to ask for help.
Wade: Just remember to breathe, be open to tips & coaching, ask questions, observe others, observe yourself, experiment, splash the vets for fun, have a good time, and know that it gets generally easier with every time out. And minimize excessive movement/rubbing of your derriere against the bench to avoid lovely cherries. Keep your top hand over your bottom hand during entry & pull to help avoid hand cuts & bruises. Loosen bottom grip particularly in pinky and ring-finger to avoid wrist tension and forearm cramping. Avoid lifting blade straight up out of water during exit with top arm to avoid shoulder burnout.

Paddling-wise, any particular goals for yourself or the team?
Tran: Myself: I want that Golden Paddle! And to be as strong as Pearl--she can burn water! Team: Full participation of land workouts.
Wade: Sub-2 minutes. But ultimately, just have fun, support one another throughout, train hard and have no regrets, earn everything we collectively achieve, win & lose with style, humility, and sportsmanship, and stay true to who we are.

Are you a better Paddler when you are Happy or Angry?
Tran: The team's enthusiasm is contagious....so definitely HAPPY, positive energy.
Wade: Happy or simply focused w/o sway of emotion. But anger can help concentrate focus & enable preparation prior to performance - or engaged as a late, short boost of motivation during a final stretch run.

Favorite part about being a Space Dragon?
Tran: Intra and inter-sportsmanship within the DB community; I am very proud to be a SD on and off the water. I have never been part of a more caring and selfless group of individuals: we really know how to take care of one another.
Wade: Our people, collective effort, ultimate team sport.


You have a single brother or sister. What Space Dragon would you consider hooking them up with?
Tran: We have a lot of big-hearted singles...good people; too many to name.
Wade: I love Yonnie - but if she ever throws Joe out to upgrade for a younger, upgraded model, I'll scoop him up for a sister :). And any dude would be lucky to be with any of our ladies (btw please don't hesitate to show more skin at recruiting events, thanks).

Who Most interesting character you've met through the team?
Tran: AJ (his metabolism is insane); Galen/Brendan (ahem, no comment); Rod (walks/talks softly but carries big balls).
Wade: Too many interesting - and inspiring - ones. Deej, Ceez, Arlene, Janice, all our kaibigan & their natural sense of fun, Ms Dependable but not-what-you-expect Princess Pearl, bashful Galen & his innate sense of team, Joe's selflessness and vanity (yeap), Tran & her organization, passion, and energy ... can go on forever but won't bore you.

If you could change one thing about the Team, what would it be?
Tran: Our jerseys; I tend to overheat; we need better-wicking fabric!
Wade: Folks recommending homemade snacks at the end of every practice might be on to something. And Mr. Longboy's long-standing push for a SD bikini calendar may have merit.

Any interesting facts about yourself - or secrets that you want to divulge?
Tran: I was a tomboy all through elementary school...ran through barns in my bare feet and shot sparrows with BB guns...so that I could decapitate them. Biological curiosity. Ugh. And though not yet tested, I'm pretty certain I am ADHD...and definitely OCD.
Wade: Nothing worth noting

Who got you into Spacedragons/Dragonboating?
Tran: See above...Jackie and Robert.
Wade: Dearest Emily "Young Butterfly" Chi.
Did you know that E-chi means 'together' in mandarin?

Is Galen a hottie?
Tran: I overheat when I see Galen; highly flammable!
Wade: Sizzling! H-O-T! And a genuinely good guy to boot.
Although perhaps a tad kookoo with this whole 'ill live on lemonade' master cleanse nonsense ;).

What's that?

Yup it's a GRAND OPENING!!!

You're cordially invited to the GRAND OPENING of
BEST DEAL INSURANCE’s

new office in Whittier:
12424 Philadelphia St. #A Whittier, Ca
http://bestdealins.com/welcome.html

Best Deal Insurance is excited to invite all of us Space Dragsons and friends to their grand opening reception in their new office in Whittier, Thursday, January 15th at 11:00 a.m.

Agents will be on hand to answer all questions regarding their full range of services: Auto, Homeowners, Renters, Commercial Auto, Business Insurance and Income Tax Preparation Services. They’d like to share how you can save up to 47 ½% on your insurance cost.

Best Deal Insurance has been serving the South Gate community for more than 25 years. They promise to bring the most competitive prices to their new customers in city of Whittier. Best Deal Insurance hopes to see you at 11:00 a.m. for the cutting of the ribbon and a picture with friends, family, customer, city officials and staff members of the Whittier Chamber of Commerce.

First bike ride of the New Year!

Calling all you IRON dragons...

Starting about 1:30PM on Saturday - plenty of time to finish the land work out, eat a little and get down to Aliso Viejo...You will have to wear a helmet for this ride. Don’t forget to bring it

Details on the weblog http://spacedragonscyclingteam.blogspot.com/

Want to be an Iron dragon?

Here's the challenge: 7am Run, Paddle practice, land workout, 2 hour ride!!

See you on Saturday!

Saving the World...One Rose Float at a time...

Cold and wintery was the morning after Christmas, and yet people drove far and wide, braving the elements AND the bad directions, just so the Space Dragons could go a decoratin...

Clip, clip, clip, went our scisors as they sheared bright yellow petals of strawflower...

"Brrrrrrr,"said the Space Dragon-icles...

With Jason providing coffee with "Ireland Creamer" and "Peppermint flavored" hot cocoa to warm our mittens, while Denise, Jane, and Tran supplied vital nourishment for our bellys - we glued, crimped, and primped.

"Hurray for the Space Dragons !" came the cheer from the volunteer coordinator. "Thank goodness the Space Dragons were here!" Yes, folks, they did it again...they saved the word, this time by making sure Big Bird was bright yellow-y AND fluffy while bringing home another trophy - the President's trophy...

New Sheriff is in Town...

So watchout otherwise he will eat your doughnuts!

That's right, Galen is the new webmaster, so all your website complaints should be directed towards Pearl...

The 2009 Competitive Season is here!

We officially kicked-off the 2009 competitive season this past weekend at practice - great job to all who made it out! Since our origins in 2002, we've experienced continual growth and competitive success - all without losing our sense of team and fun - and we look forward to more in 2009! This memorable ride is going to continue and only get better!

Practice attendance is tracked during the competitive season, so be sure to sign-in at practice.
Also be sure to thank Captain Pearl for continually maintaining the team's attendance records (amongst many other things). Attendance can be regularly viewed via Google Docs.

2009 Competition Schedule
We currently plan to participate in 5 tournaments, kicking off our '09 tour at the Tempe Town Lake & closing out in style in the San Francisco Bay. And sandwiched between 2 convenient competitions on our home turf will be our first-ever trek to international soil, where we (finally) head north to Vancouver to go head-to-head with what promises to be our toughest competition, on a very large and grand stage!

Dates - Locations - Tourney Managers
Mar 28 & 29 - Tempe, AZ - Tina
TBD (~May) - Long Beach, CA ("Baby LB") - Devant
Jun 20 & 21 - Vancouver, Canada - Tran
Aug 1 & 2 - Long Beach CA - Galen
TBD (~Oct) - San Francisco, CA - Wade

Go ahead and contact the Tourney Managers with any questions you may have - and be sure to give 'em a hug for their efforts!

Requests of YOU!
The team leadership will spend countless hours and energy to coordinate 2009, but as always it's for naught without plenty of help from each of you! Thank you all for continually looking out for one another and for the greater team - that's what really keeps us going!

Here are just a few specific things that all our paddlers can do throughout the year to really help:

1. Practice, practice, practice! The sport is incredibly unique in it's true embodiment of teamwork - we are only as strong as our team, and our team is only as strong as each individual member! Also remember that practice attendance is a major consideration when it comes to team rostering and substitutions.
   
2. Continue to recruit! We've been continually blessed with new family members and we got plenty more love to share! Continual new blood, enthusiasm, and energy are a very important lifeblood for the team!
   
3. Please pay your dues in a timely manner. We strive to keep this sport as affordable as possible and in doing so we we really depend on this to ensure we have sufficient $ in our account to do things like register for our various competitions. All this said - we know how tough times can be (especially these days) - if you ever have any hardship, please don't hesitate to let us know - we never want $ issues to stop you from paddling!
   
4. Please keep us informed. Managing & coordinating a large roster is challenging, and you keeping us in the loop of your plans to participate in tourneys and miscellaneous events helps immensely. Links to all evites for team events can be conveniently found in the signature of each weekly email digest - thanks in advance for keeping them current with your responses!
   
5. Please help out with Fundraising events & Sponsorship leads! As mentioned, we do our best to keep this sport as affordable as possible to all, and every dollar raised helps! If you have any fundraising ideas or leads with potential sponsors, please let us know!

Cheers to a happy & healthy 2009,
Pearl, Tran, Wade

Paddler Spotlight - Ming-Jou & John

Birthday?
Ming-Jou: 4/9.
John: 11/19.


Hometown?
Ming-Jou: Torrance, Ca. Live n die.
John: For the past 15 or so years, I've lived in Irvine, CA.

How long have you been paddling for?
Ming-Jou: Since April 2008. The best 8 months of my life :)
John: I first started with UCI at the end of 2004, took a year off it when I graduated from college in 2006 and joined up w/ SD late summer of 2007.

Why do you paddle?
Ming-Jou: 1) I have no upper body strength. My routine for packing carry-on luggage is to lift it over my head at home so that I can test my weight max capacity. Because chivalry is dead! Paddling has helped me increase the amount of luggage I can take with me on biz trips.
2) Wanted to meet new people and now I have a whole family that's all kinds of awesome.
3) I'm Chinese, it's the sport of my people.
4) I was born year of the Dragon.
5) Um, for all the H-O-T guys? Hello?
John: I love this sport, this team, and I'd feel like a pansy if I stopped. =p

Favorite or notable Space Dragon moment(s)?
Ming-Jou: Favorite: All the fun at the holiday party. Notable/Traumatizing: Watching Galen and Brendan touch body parts in SF.
John: Feeling the love after every single race when we've left everything at the race and we all start anticipating the next step with no pressure.

How do you prepare yourself for a Race?
Ming-Jou: Usually by staying up really late and running on adrenalin and 2 hours of sleep.
John: I control what I eat, I go easy on work-outs and just take it easy in general. Make sure I get enough sleep so I don't get sick, and abstain from naughtiness. The couple days before a race, at least at Long Beach I like to retreat into a reclusive shell to increase mental focus.

Any hobbies, activities, interests outside of paddling?
Ming-Jou: Cars, motorcycles, eating, reading, running, tennis, hiking, buying gadgets beyond my means.
John: I like making food, music, and playing video games.. although i haven't been doing so much of that lately... =\

Favorite Food(s)?
Ming-Jou: I eat it all. I especially love mom's ketchup fried rice with an omelet on top. Then she draws a happy face on there with ketchup.
John: I'm going through an obsession with Vietnamese food and Korean food, but I love all food. As long as there are no BAD surprises, it's all good!

Any advice for new Paddlers?
Ming-Jou: It's okay to be tired when you first start. When I first started paddling, I didn't think I was in terrible shape, since I work out everyday, but paddling WORKS you in all these foreign parts of your body. I used to come home from practice for the first few weeks and just veg in front of the couch cat-napping the rest of the day.
John: be ready to get wet, it takes some time to get used to the motion, you'll definitely get at least what you put in =)

Paddling-wise, any particular goals for yourself or the team?
Ming-Jou: Would love to win more medals for 2009! But it's just great to see everyone motivate each other and keep each other strong, whether in practice or competition.
John: i want to feel our boat hit terminal speed and sustain it for an entire heat

Are you a better Paddler when you are Happy or Angry?
Ming-Jou: Definitely when I'm happy. When I'm angry, I'm just angry. Argh.
John: before big LB '07 I would've said angry, but lately I'm thinking I paddle better when I'm emotionless, completely empty headed and thinking only about the next few strokes

Favorite part about being a Space Dragon?
Ming-Jou: The cool blue team color. And all the cool people.
John: I love that we love to have fun, don't take ourselves so seriously... well... most of us anyway ;p, but at the same time we're super competitive.

You have a single brother or sister. What Space Dragon would you consider hooking them up with?
Ming-Jou: Don't believe in dipping one's pen (or sibling's pen) in the company ink. Or boat.

John: uhh... awkward... she's not single anymore, but... why don't you ask her? my standards for accepting a sibling's SO are ridiculous. it's an unpleasant subject for me and i ignore it most of the time =p

Most interesting character you've met through the team?
Ming-Jou: They're ALL interesting.

John: david knight always has something funny/interesting to say, and never seems to be short of something surprising to pull out of his past.

If you could change one thing about the Team, what would it be?
Ming-Jou: I don't necessarily want to change anything, I'd rather things not change in the sense that with all these wins and us hopefully moving up the ranks in terms of competitors, I hope the essence of the team stays the same. That everyone's in it to have fun, to do their best and to support one another, no matter what happens. That's what I saw when I first joined and why I've stayed on.

John: not so much about the team, but i wish we didn't have to work, so we could paddle more frequently =)... i also wish we didn't all live so far away from each other =p

Any interesting facts about yourself - or secrets that you want to divulge?
Ming-Jou: I once owned a 1969 Porsche 912 as a project car, but it was too expensive to maintain.
John: i think i'm a pretty 'what you see is what you get' kinda guy, not too much to divulge ;-)