Sufferfest II

107 miles. +9000 ft of climbing. 6 hours.

Last Saturday, I decided to skip Devil's Punch Bowl RR and attend the annual Sufferfest. This was my first one. The ride consisted of 2 red rock loops + Mount Potasi climb + 2 more red rock loops. Needless to say, it was a whole lot of climbing. It's funny looking at the data from the ride, at one point I'm averaging 10mph and the next I'm hitting 50mph...that was Mount Potasi. I rode with the Allegiant Air guys most of the time. It was good to have company throughout the day.

Currently preparing for Dana Point Grand Prix this Sunday.

not-so-weekly update post

As usual, it's Friday and I'm trying to do as little as possible.

I'm not expecting any shipments today, I finished my coffee, and now I'm checking my blogs. Today is Friday.

Danny and I did some motorpacing training yesterday. It's a great tool for sprint intervals. First used in Europe, the cyclist would get as close as they could to the moving scooter and maintain the set speed from the driver. When you are tucked into the scooter's draft you can really pick up and maintain some high speeds. My pain threshold is great but I feel I need to work on my "pop" before my sprint. Lance and Danny both agreed to work with me. These are the two guys I looked up to when I first started getting serious about cycling, so I'm honored to have their support and respect.

Tomorrow is the 2nd installment of Sufferfest...2 Red Rock Loops, Mount Potasi climb, and then 2 more Red Rock Loops. I will post results and stats afterwards. I'm stocked full of protein and recovery powders!

Beyond the Peloton

Beyond the Peloton: #1 Milan-San Remo and Training log.

Garmin-Cervelo posted a new episode following the teams 2011 race season.

I am looking forward to the next episode because last week Garmin-Cervelo super-domestique, Johan Van Summeren, won Paris-Roubaix!

not-so-weekly-update-post

It's Friday, and I'm trying to do as little as possible.

My ears are still ringing and my eye lids are heavy from the Arcade Fire show last night. They put on quite a performance. The Grammy Award winning outfit sold out the Joint in a few hours; it was expected. Luckily, Megan found some tickets and we were counting down the days since.

LA harmonizers, Local Natives, opened the show and that was almost as exciting for Megan and I. Their Talking Heads cover was spot on and they played to the album perfectly. They put out a fantastic album last year. From begining to end, there isn't a filler in the bunch. The future is grand for those guys.

Arcade Fire took the stage with a commanding performance and had the whole crowd in a frenzy. They have come quite a long way from their less-than-humble debut, Funeral, in 2004. While still sticking to their original sound, they have won over audiences by being in the right place at the right time. Winning 'Best Album of the Year' at the Grammys put them in the limelight and helped stike the question, "Who the fuck is Arcade Fire?"


-Tomorrow is Record Store Day.

-My dear, old friend Leslie Ventura did a quick interview with singer/songwriter, Ben Kweller, for the Rebel Yell. Take a gander.

Redlands Classic Criterium

Took 17th in the very fast and technical Redlands Classic Criterium.

What a weekend! I had April 3rd highlighted on my calender, added in my phone, and registration on my fridge for a while. This was a very important race for me. It was an "A" race. Not to say that all the other races before didn't matter, but this was one I was preparing and training for. The Redlands Classic is a pro stage race; with a TT Prolouge, Road Race, and Criterium. It's the first NRC (Nat'l Race Calender) race of the year, so a lot of Pro teams were aiming for this event as well.

Megan and I drove out early so I could get to my morning race. After getting my number and a quick warm-up, I was on my way. Megan gave me her ring, which I put in my back pocket, for good luck. It came in handy. The course was very fast and technical. A sharp acute turn seemed to give a lot of riders difficulty. After a few laps I found my line and stayed smooth. I stayed with the front group and chased down attacks. There were a lot of crashes but Megan's lucky ring kept my wheels on the ground. A few close calls hic-cupped my final sprint but I managed to stay in it. I felt very good about my performance.

After lunch, I drove with Megan to the Cabazon Outlets. We did some damage! Megan got an awesome Prada bag and sunglasses. It's always chaotic in outlet stores. A lot of walking and people dodging. I managed to catch a nap on the way home and woke up in time to sing along with Megan on out way back to Vegas. It was wonderful getting away for the day.

Four Tet live mix + News

It's Friday, I'm trying to do as little as possible.

Electronic mastermind Four Tet did a fantastic fuckin' DJ set in London's Boiler Room yesterday. Fader was kind enough to post the track and video online. It's a bit over 45 minutes long; the perfect length for morning web/blog browsing with a cup of coffee. Just a recommendation. You can add the track over at soundcloud.com and watch the video here.

Megan and I caught dinner and a show at Cosmopolitian last night. We ate at Holstein's Bun and Shakes. It was much better than our evening at neighboring restaurant China Poblano. I would highly recommend Holstein's! Nothing beats alcholoic shakes and burgers, it's universal. While Megan and I were eating at Holstein's we noticed a rather cute couple sitting a few tables away.

After dinner, we caught a set from Tennis. They are a lovely boyfriend-girlfriend (with a drummer for live performances) band from Denver, CO. The story behind their lyrics is pretty interesting and cute. After spending eight months sailing around the Atlantic, they decided to put their experiences to music. Their sound is a sort of quircky guitar, light synth infused indie yacht-rock. We caught up with them after the show and realized that they were the couple we noticed at Holstein's. We all joked about seeing each other earlier and our wonderful burgers and shakes.