How I spent my late November Vay Cay

According to my phone.

I had a week of vacation days left that I needed to take. My coach decided I should treat the week like a cycling training camp program. He said get some long hours on the bike, after that, ride your bike. I got a solid 20hours in for the week. My TT bike was also completed and I got a chance to get on that for a few good rides. I'm planning on making Time Trailing a new focus for next season. I plan on hitting stage races harder and maybe even skipping some less than great Criteriums for Time Trial Events. I also got a chance to give some old rides a revisit and experimented with some new routes. Sometimes I'm amazed as to how much solid riding can be done, once you get out of the city.

Panarama view of the descent into Callville Bay. You can see the water from the top of the hill.

Red Rock is very peaceful on weekdays. There aren't any cyclist traffic jams and Strava nerds out.

MS150

Well...I'm keeping my promise. 

Over the weekend I participated in the Multiple Sclerosis 150 charity event. I believe this is the seixth year I have done this event. This event is sort of a coming of age event as a cyclist. I first lined up at this event with a brakeless fixed gear with Vans. Now, I use the event as a regular winter base-mile day.

Day 1 Garmin

Day 2 Garmin

  I raised $500 so I got a sweet jersey

     Lots of food and goodies before I head out.

               The beverage tri-fecta with Mike in the background grubbin.

Cheers.

Attempting for make contact. Again. Maybe for Real.

I apologized a years ago.

And I did not keep contact.

A lot has been going on and I have been half-ass publishing it elsewhere. All the while, though, I thought about this blog. I started it yearsssss ago. For no one else but myself. I was not concerned about followers. I was not concerned about constantly worrying about if I'm breaking my Inernet-rule of not over-sharing; or better yet under sharing. Truth is I want to share everything that's going on in my life with this blog.

 So...maybe...perhaps...I suppose I can re-vamp this time capsule. I could spend hours re-writing everything that has happened in my year and a half absence. But I think I will just start from here and see how things go. There may be some new interests and adventures but just go with it.

Where to start…Let me first apologize for the lack of excitement on here. I promise you the inactivity does not directly reflect my life. A lot has been going on. I’ve been trying to think of the right post to return back to. Do I write about the Tour de France starting next week? Or about how I sold my car? Or about how I am about to buy a new car? Maybe I could write about my race season. Or maybe I could talk about all the music festivals I am going to this summer. Oh, and Joe and Saskia from HOC are getting married, I couldn’t mention that. I did climb Mt Charelston on my bike last weekend, I guess I could talk about that too. How about we just get started and see how many posts go up…

Location:Attempting to make blog contact...

I'm alive

I feel it's time to break the silence on here...

SELLA

my-life-according-to-my-phone

My life as of late...

Tour de Sol

Took 10th overall in Tour de Sol Stage Race.

I took 21st in the TT. A full minute behind the leader. Not too bad. I think once I build my TT bike it will be a whole new ballgame. I passed my 30sec and 1min guy. I was stoked on that.

I took 12th in the horribly windy Crit. I worked so hard just to stay in the back. Haha. It was crazy crosswind. No matter where I went I couldn't get in the draft. I only felt good during the last five laps. On last lap, last corner I went a bit too wide. It was a super long sprint, so I didn't jump right away. A few guys passed me, but once I jumped I gained them back at the line. I need to be up there for the last lap. That's 2 12th place crits. I was kinda worn out from the TT before.

I took 11th in the road race. This was a tough, tough race for me. The weather was windy in town and heavy clouds were hovering over gunlock, UT. No one really knew what time each category went off, so I tried to be ready by 8:30, which is when we went off. It started sprinkling. I wore my long sleeve jersey and leg warmers. I did this course before, so I knew what to expect. The first big climb always strings out the field and the first group up the hill stay away. So I was in perfect position starting the climb. I'm out of my saddle and the wind, rain, and pain of no warm up starts to set in. I fall back but keep the leaders a few bike lengths back. I crest the hill and the leaders have already started breaking away. I'm in the same position I was last year, but I refused to just sit and wait for the peloton. I start charging but I am gaining no ground. After a solo effort, Travis from Le Rois comes up next to me and tells me to get on! He has five other riders with him. We start a good rotating paceline and make good time. After an hour of pushing hard and keeping the pace hot we catch the group!! I felt so accomplished. All of five of us gave eachother high fives and pats on the back because we can not believe we caught the leaders. For a while we thought it was hopeless. If the pace slowed down, myself or someone would launch off the front and pull. Once we got to the leaders I was pretty tired. The efforts and matches I burned to catch the group took a major toll. There was about 8 miles left. I stayed in the back to recover. After a bonk breaker bar and some swigs of my waterbottle I was ready to move up. Five miles to go. People try to attack but because of the sequential hills nothing would stay away, and I knew this. It was going to come down to a field sprint. Before the final hill to the finish, someone attacks and it breaks the group. I attach to the tail end but can't move up. My legs are dying and soaking wet. I push as hard as I can. I manage to pass one rider up the hill. And it was over. 11th place, which would later put me in 10th. I felt so proud of myself for not giving up and catching the lead group!

RIP AIR FRANCE

Sorta like a dream, isn't it...no better.

I was writing about these guys a month ago, talking about how they are set to come out with a new album. Well I guess they are calling it quits. Their response is they couldn't make a proper follow up to their beautiful debut EP.

Air France represented a fun time in my life. I'm happy that they provided the soundtrack.

GW X RAPHA

Garrett Chow, newest Rapha model.

This is Garrett Chow. He is a bad ass. He rides bikes fast, runs MASH and designs cool bikes. He's wearing the Rapha S/S Long Sleeve Gingham Shirt. I need more clothes I can ride in that aren't lycra. It's now been added to my wish list.

Redlands Criterium

Took 12th in the kamikaze crash fest.

I'm very happy with my result and particularly happy I didn't crash. There were 6 different crashes, taking a few riders down in each! But the Redlands Crit is a sketchy course. I knew that from the year before when I took 17th. The first turn is a 45degree turn and someone went down on the second lap in that corner. I did my best to stay out of the wind, keep an inside line, and keep myself up front. That all changed when there was a really bad crash and the race had to be neutralized. Greg from NuVision went down during that crash. No one really knew when we were to start racing again so the field got bottled up.

Finally with five laps to go I started making my way up. Three laps to go, I'm in single file with the leaders. I have the Le Rois boys in sight, which is what I wanted. They seemed to stay out of trouble until... Two laps to go, two riders cross wheels up front and a few people take off with one lap to go. I quickly follow. I push hard and wait to go into the final turn ready for the uphill sprint. Out of the turn, I wait and then launch. I manage to only pass one person but finished with the main pack that dodged the final crash. Sure enough two riders crash at the line. Fuck dude. I don't think I have written the word "crash" that much before haha. Finished 12th.

I also realized mid-race that I forgot to press start on my garmin. (facepalm) which is whatever because I didn't have my powertap on. Well on to training and Tour de Sol in St. George, UT. After yesterday's finish I'm feeling good. This has been my best result so far. I'm going to try and keep this positive momentum going.

I SAW RADIOHEAD

Put a big checkmark on my bucket list...I saw Radiohead.

Megan got me tickets to Radiohead as a Christmas present. Three months flew by and it was time to take the boring drive to Phoenix, AZ. After a quick dinner and pre-game drinks we were finally in our seats to see Radiohead!

They opened with "Bloom", the first track off their new album King of Limbs. The second Thom Yorke's voice echoed over the layers of guitars and drums I knew I was in for a treat. The place went into a frenzy. Everyone got out of their seats and grooved uncontrollably so a greatest hits set list. They played a lot of deep cuts, by which I mean, not the singles. While they did not stray far from "Weird Fishes" and "15steps", they also ventured into songs I forgot they had in the arsenal. Airbag was a track that had everyone screaming from the first note.

We were seated far back enough to see they whole crowd but close enough to see Thom's signature muppet-like dance moves. He is such an infectious front man. He had everyone in his control. Radiohead have gotten a bit more political in the past few years. They made a huge statement by not playing in the US while George Bush was in office (hence Hail to the Thief). They have also made a conscious effort to use alternative-fuel tour buses and lower watt LCD blubs for their live show. Thom did make an interesting statement about politicians wearing makeup. It came out of nowhere and by itself; no explanation just throwing it out there. It didn't seem to matter because the audience went crazy when they went into "Lotus Flower" after that.

In all, they played for 2 1/2 hours and went through 26 songs. Quite a set! I was bummed they didn't play more from OK Computer, although they did close with "Paranoid Android". Before launching into that classic, Thom Yorke said, "We have a suprise for everyone."

The show ended too soon. I wish they would have played for five hours. I'm positive everyone in that stadium would have stayed that long too. It's stil sort of surreal when I say to myself that I saw them. I've been waiting to see Radiohead since the first time I heard them in 8th grade. I feel like I can die happy now. Until next time Mr. Yorke...

Spot-On Games

Austin-based media/game company on the rise.

My buddy Kris Miller ventured to Austin to work on a new multimedia-game company called Chances Media. With one app and a SXSW Tech presentation under their belt, they are taking pledges to keep it going. After their angel investor pulled out for family reasons, they are now turning to family, friends, and friends of friends. Chances Media has already experiences recognition in local business journals. The app (Spot-On) is continuing to grow in popularity and a new word game is in the beta phase.

Austin is like the new Silicon Valley. Everyone is working for or with a new media start-up coming. There's a very good reason why SXSW is held there every year. So it's the right place, right time; now we just need to get our ducks in a row.

You can pledge and learn more about Spot-On Games and Chances Media here...

Milan - San Remo

Simon Gerrans (GreenEdge) take the sprint over Fabian

It seemed like a repeat of last years Paris-Roubaix, Fabian Cancellara makes a winning move and no one would pull. Fabian dragged Gerrans and Nabali to the final km and Gerrans sprints around Fabian and inches him at the line! Fabian Cancellara is a machine right now and it's going to be interesting how he takes this momentum and strength to the next few classics races.

Turn the volume down before you watch this...just a warning haha

Thee Oh Sees