4Runner: Sleeping Platform

4Runner: Sleeping Platform

Sleeping options; at right is the completed sleeping platform.

Having done a year of service as a grocery-getter, dog-hauler and triathlon support vehicle, the next phase of the 4Runner's life with us will take on the additional duty as an off-road capable overlanding rig.  The plan is to use it as a base for camping.

One of the most basic needs of camping is somewhere to sleep.  Three options come to mind: (a) a normal tent, (b) a rooftop tent, and (c) a sleeping platform.  You've probably already guessed which one I chose.

The drawback of a tent is the need to set up and break down a tent at every campsite, and finding an appropriate site for a tent.  A rooftop tent is expensive and puts a lot of weight very high up on the vehicle.  Finally, a sleeping platform seemed to be the a very good compromise.  While it added weight to the car, it is fairly low.  There's nothing to set-up or break down at camp, but it's also without certain drawbacks too.

L: Fuel filler notch;
R: Cut for passenger reclining

With a good friend, we built the sleeping platform approximately nine inches above the cargo floor, in order to clear the wheels (and most of the fuel filler on the driver side).  This allows a nice four foot wide sleeping platform, more than enough space to sleep two people.  For this fairly basic platform, we cut a semi-circular notch for the fuel filler and then took off two inches at the front of the platform behind the passenger seat.  The notch for the fuel filler was necessary since a nine inch height wouldn't clear the fuel filler; this was purposefully done in order to maximize the space available above the platform.  The two inches behind the passenger seat was cut out to allow the passenger to be able to recline the seat a bit while driving.

The sleeping platform itself is a 3/4" thick slab of plywood, mounted on three longitudinal supports with two cross supports.  Using existing D-rings in the 4Runner, the platform is held securely in place at 6 different points.  Total cost of the wood, screws and related hardware was just under $150.

Big thanks to my friend BK for the help building the sleeping platform.

Top: The support structure
Bottom left: Ratchet straps at the front.  Seat bottoms removed.
Bottom right: Using existing D-rings to secure the platform.

4Runner: An Introduction

4Runner: An Introduction

The 4Runner was purchased in June 2015 with approximately 90,000 miles on the odometer, while we were living in New York, just about to move to New Jersey.  Living in Manhattan meant not having a car, which was an entirely new experience for us and one we'd prefer not to repeat! 

The 4Runner was chosen for its Toyota reliability as well as enormous space for the dog and our triathlon gear (and any other gear we may have for other activities).  Plus, I've always wanted a 4Runner.  It seemed to be a natural successor to Trusty Truck, a 1991 Toyota Pickup with a 3.4L engine from a late model Tacoma, which I owned prior to moving to New York.  At the time, we were finishing up binge watching the entire Parks and Recreation series on Netflix and the 4Runner became known as "Johnny Karate".

Ready for a road trip to Syracuse!

The original plan for the 4Runner was not to become an overlander.  Rather, it was to simply be a grocery-getter that would be capable through the winters of the northeast.  While we lived in New Jersey, it served its purpose well.  It is an overly capable grocery-getter as well as a great triathlon support vehicle.  Many road trips were taken, include a girls' trip through Vermont and to Montreal, a jaunt to Niagara Falls with the dog and cat, and as a support vehicle at Ironman 70.3 Syracuse.

For the first year of ownership, we ensured all major maintenance items were caught up.  Within that time, life dictated a move back to California, which necessitated a three-day cross county road trip.  The trip had us stopping in St. Louis, MO, and Albuquerque, NM, essentially 1,000 miles driven per day.  We hit some nasty weather in southern Illinois, but otherwise it was smooth sailing.  Neither the 4Runner nor the dog had any complaints!  I wish there had been more time to really enjoy the trip and make a few more stops along the way.

Moving to California also meant the 4Runner could no longer be the only car in the family (the 911 notwithstanding; we're talking about practical daily drivers here).  A car was purchased for the wife and the 4Runner became my primary vehicle.  Plans of building an off-roading or overlanding rig started dancing in my head.

After 14 months of ownership, we finally hit the big milestone of 100,000 miles.  Coincidentally, this is when the fun began.

And so the adventure begins….

Version 2.0, Here We Go!

And we're back!  After a long hiatus, we are back to publishing online.  Only this time, it won't be about Ironman, triathlon or training.  It might be a little bit about those things, but it'll mostly be about new hobbies.

New hobbies will include motorized hobbies (which is really not a new hobby, but it has taken a new twist).  In part, this will be a blog of the "build" of the motorized hobbies.

The day we brought him home

Build 1: 2002 Toyota 4Runner Limited
Build 2: 1990 Porsche 911 C4 Turbo

The 4Runner will be built as an overlanding vehicle.  In short, a vehicle in which one can camp and live in.  With its off-road prowess (yes, it is 4wd), the aim is to enjoy the great outdoors off the beaten path.  The current vision is to build for primitive camping, or dispersed camping - camping away from established campgrounds where is running water and "facilities".  The starting point is a completely stock 4Runner.

The Porsche build will be for a street and track friendly vehicle. The starting point is a 1990 Porsche 911 C4 that has a 1991 3.3 turbo motor in the rear and turbo flares installed.

Back on the Road (and only lost half a step)

November (Ironman Arizona) was the last time I rode my bicycle.  This past weekend, Iron Sherpa and I took out or bicycles again to start up the 2013 training.  We headed out to the Palos Verde loop, a scenic and hilly route we thoroughly enjoy.  It has challenging hills, but nothing too steep or too long, and spectacular ocean views.

The big news out of our ride was our speed.  I expected to lose significant pace compared to pre-Ironman rides, when I was training hard.  Although slower (in part due to taking it easy going downhill as well), there was not a significant drop in speed.

Although the speed differential was not great, one item to note is my max heart rate.  On this last ride, my heart rate went as high as 181 bpm - meaning I was working pretty hard.  On my September ride, my max heart rate was a more manageable 154 bpm.  The difference in average heart rate between the two rides was 12 bpm.  So while I wasn't significantly faster, I worked a bit harder to be a bit slower.

Lots of work ahead for 2013.
 

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

For those long runs, I bought the Amphipod RunLite 4 Hydration Belt.  Unfortunately, I ordered it right before Ironman Arizona and so was not able to use it for training.  The thought of using it during Ironman crossed my mind, but my coach cautioned against trying anything new (plus, there are aid stations at nearly every mile).  These belts might chafe for someone new to them, and the water swishing around may not be the most comfortable either.  Thus, no usage yet.

With Iron Sherpa training for a full marathon now, the hydration belt is going to become handy.  I tried it on a 5 mile run the other day with good results.  No chafing or other major issues with the belt.  With four full water bottles and a little sleeve filled with a power bar and Clif Bloks, the belt felt a bit heavy, as if I were carrying some light weights on my waist.  While this slowed my pace, it is to be expected.

The location of the water bottles can be shifted on the belt - you can also remove or add more bottles if needed.  I found it most useful to have one bottle in front and three lined up along my back.  This kept them out of the way of my legs and as I drank the water, I shifted the bottle around to keep the one I'm using in the front for easy access.

While I thought the sloshing of the water in the bottle would be a major issue, it was not.  I've carried bottles in my hand, and the water sloshing is an annoyance - you can feel the shift of the weight of the water.  However, with the hydration belt, I can hear the rhythmic sloshing, but did not feel its weight being shifted around.  Again, it was not an issue.

Towards the end of my run, I can felt lighter on my feet, no doubt due to the fact that I drank most of the water by then.  I highly recommend this item for folks starting to get into distance running and don't want to carry a water bottle in their hands.

Race Report: New Years Race

It was a dark and chilly night.  And so began Iron Sherpa's conquest of the first of her 2013 resolutions. 

The New Years Race is the beginning of training for 2013.  After a winter hibernation, Iron Sherpa and I found ourselves out in the middle of downtown Los Angeles at 9 p.m. to run a half-marathon.  We expected to run for 2 to 2.5 hours and hoped that we would warm up during the run.  The temperature was in the 40's that night, which wasn't so bad once you were running.  But before the race and after the race, it felt a bit too cold.

The race course started in downtown, snaked its way up a few hills to Dodger Stadium, where we ran nearly 4 miles in the parking lot.  We enjoyed most of the course, and paused to soak in some of the spetactular skyline views from the parking lot - but at the same time, it felt like we were running laps around the stadium.  However, we were rewarded with a run around the Dodger's outfield, which in my estimation made up for spending too many miles in the parking lot.

To my surprise, there was only one water station with any nutrition - and they only had Gu.  Admittedly, we ran unprepared - I assumed they would have multiple aid stations with nutrition, like Ironman.  However, it appears that for half-marathons, this is the norm.  Iron Sherpa and I both bonked close to the end, but we ran together and pushed each other to finish and did not let the other quit or stop.  During training last year, I learned just how important nutrition and proper calorie consumption is during training and racing.  I also learned how to "read" my body and know in advance when nutrition is required to prevent bonking, so I knew bonk was imminent.  Plus, running by fragrant pizza spots along the route didn't help!

After the run, we were able to finally get some nutrition (chips, bagels and bananas) and then waited for a short bit for a few other friends.  We were sweaty and wind chill just made an otherwise somewhat chilly night into miserably freezing night.

In the end, it was a good educational experience - don't assume what will be at the aid stations, and realize that running at night is very different from running in the mornings.  Not sure I'd do it again, but at least I got some very pretty bling.

2013: What's in Store for the New Year

It's been nearly two months since Ironman Arizona.  A quick rundown of the goings-ons:

The rest of November was all about rest.  Some physical therapy through December and then came the holiday craziness.  Not only the usual holiday parties, family gatherings and gift shopping, but also an excessively busy work schedule and demands.  Now that the new year is upon us, it is once again time to re-assess plans.

After Ironman Arizona, a frequent question folks had for me was what I am planning on doing next.  Another Ironman?  Something completely different?  The answer was always the same - I have no idea.

Now that I had some time to reflect and go through a number of options, it's still not crystal clear, but I have a better plan for this year.

Iron Sherpa's goals for 2013 includes running a half-marathon and a full marathon.  She's already done the half-marathon (so did I, race report coming soon) and is signed up for the Los Angeles Marathon coming up in March.  My role in all of this is to help train her up for these races, to be part coach and part sherpa.  Doing this for Iron Sherpa will undoubtedly help me maintain my fitness level as well, which has become harder during the winter time in part due to the weather, but also due to not having an Ironman scare me into training regularly.

Beyond that, I am hoping to find a sprint triathlon and an olympic triathlon to do locally, just for fun but also to keep up the training and fitness.  On top of that, my dragon boat team will be trying to qualify for Club Crew Championships this year, in order to compete in Italy next year.  So I will be focusing much of my fitness on accomplishing that.

The injury is still affecting my shoulder, I can't paddle with the team or do much strength training.  Still a bummer, but I can feel that it is slowly getting better.  A month without physical therapy has made it a bit stiff again, though this morning's session really helped.  I have "homework" exercises to do too.

But I think that summarizes my plan for the year.  Help train Iron Sherpa for her marathon.  Focus on dragon boating. A sprint and olympic triathlon.