TFSthanksforsharin

Judo and Cycling?

2008-11-22T09:12:00.000-08:00

Four busted shoulders in the past 15 months? On Veterans day I went down in another blaze of glory; sliding further than I have ever slide before, a feat I've only scene in some tour time trial videos...

Yet again, I forgot how to do some sweet Judo roll, and my left shoulder thought it would try to truck the pavement. So a bus trip later, and a jenky x-ray machine, and a "doctors" on duty urgent care clinic; the conclusion was a third degree separation.

Luckily, I didn't do any damage to that plate that holds me together. I checked the previous x-rays to convince myself that the displacement was due to the surgery or a shorter clavicle... The displacement occurred before this crash, so with my doctoral skillz I diagnosed severe bruising.

Moral of the story is learn to Judo roll in split seconds, watch out for wet redwood forest descents, and get a cross bike.

I Went To Nationals And All I Got Was This Jenky Video

2008-08-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

I woke up on Tuesday morning and had my usual breakfast, Belgian waffles; only to swallow and be stopped by white dots in the back of my throat.

I thought this was the year. All of the other years bad luck should have turned around into some sort of good karma, right? Apparently not, the USA Cycling god has crapped on me yet again. Enough of that though.

Huffman had a 4th of July repeat in the road race, TK finished second, I was cheering at 150 to go.

Other than that here’s the week in a pinch.

El Gigante- boxed in the crit but still finished 7th
Staz- first 100 guy field junior race, got a sweet skid T-shirt
TK- lost and found a bike that almost road him to a national championship
AW Fo Sho- hid under the covers
Kelbebe- sick first nats, ride the bike without 2 stroke next year…
Stevo- Still a jerseyless pop
Janwich- I think my dad’s car still has a clutch?
Caren- That one runner chick without a nickname, way to score us some free Disneyland passes.

SNAFU

2008-08-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well, like every other year something has gone wrong at Nationals. This time it is strep throat. More to come later.

B day shout out to my main man Kelbs

2008-07-30T19:16:00.001-07:00

D ride champ Kelby Spore turns the big one three today! Kelbs your the man, keep on keepin on! May the cards of life deal you inside straights and never aces and eights. And may your flushes be royal and your whole cards always be a winner!

Finally got my J back

2008-07-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

There was something in the air today in Berkeley, maybe watching to many sprint finishes with Cavendish, or the fact that it was freezing, but I got my J back. The thought of crashing in the finale was stuck in my head, but it didn't seem to bother me anymore. Having fun battling with three other sprinters for Rapinski wheel overcame the thought, I found I really didn't care if I wrecked anymore. Just in time for Nats huh? Anyways ended up fifth, in the field sprint. Lost his wheel on the last lap. Had fun. I kinda like bike racing again.

The Final Countdown

2008-07-19T00:20:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand, I have reinstated the blog.

To catch up, I broke my collar bone way back in february and lost a lot of motivation to ride my bike. I powered through it though, and was back and racing at land park. Since then, my legs have not been what they were, and those Jessie rides have only given me so much base to ride off of, so I started riding for nationals again.

I won the sea otter road race, and didn't get recognized at all by USA cycling. I have decided in retaliation to win the crit at nationals and show them what's up, hence final countdown.

More to come later, just had to get it started again.

Yes, I met Tom Boonen

2008-02-18T18:06:00.000-08:00

I guess I can type with both hands now.

I am back on the bike, riding the trainer around an hour a day. My emotional rollercoaster has finally come to a close after meeting Boonen at the tour of cali prologue. Stevo described me on the phone afterword like a gitty school girl. And I could proudly say, "yes after meeting Tom Boonen I acted like a gitty schoolgirl."

I will give you more updates when I start to get out on the road. As for now... Landpark is supposedly the comeback race...

TBR

2008-02-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

I broke my collar bone and it's really hard to type. Check out updates on the dbc juniors blog... the links over there---------->>>>>>>>>>

Wicks Wacky Wonderful Weather and swim

2008-01-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

Another day on the trainer due to the weather. Now I understand why the real riders go to Mediterranean to train during the winter. I felt the vibe though when it got just as humid after an hour straight of ME. The house was a sauna.

On a different note, I felt that it was time for another adventure. Concluding the rafting trip down the flooded drainage ditch the other day just didn't fill that empty hole that is little boy in me. I decided to go for a night dive in the pool. Wetsuit and all I hopped in, lasting for less than thirty seconds I left a trail of ice water on the way to the shower... should've just stuck to rafting...

Motivation

2008-01-28T19:55:00.000-08:00

First off, Zach is a boss dipped in sauce.

Second, tomorrow is an extremely hard workout and I could use some motivational comments

Third, why do all men (correct me if you have heard differently) always have a way of messing things up with the woman folk?

Fourth, Peskenta watch out, here we come.

Cyclecross, Rain and Valleyain Biking

2008-01-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

Cyclecross- Sitting on soaking wet saddles riding home from school, El Gigante and I were passed by an aggie on a cyclecross bike. Following the last stop light, the unknown aggie picked to pace up in an attempt to drop us. Riding the school bikes at 23 plus miles per hour is an extreme rarity, and El Gigante must have broken his old spin record of 210 rpm on his single speed school bike. After we turned off, we noticed the riders drop in speed... couldn't drop us hoodlums!

Rain- Riding home in the rain we came up with a theory. On these rainy days it would be the easiest to complete your ride if you didn't stop at home. Continuing the ride around the airport backpacks and all... well at least we wouldn't be any wetter than we already were. This theory was quickly shot down with the lack of a tube and a pump.

Valleyain Biking- Like mountain biking... except in a valley. I was tired of riding the trainer this week and decided it was time to give the staz's mountain bike a whirl. Hitting up every trail in Davis, I achieved the maximum amount of mud ones kit can hold. Staz, your bike is a little dirty...

A little late...

2008-01-22T10:19:00.000-08:00

The day in Freemont kicked off with a freezing blast of wind to the face... I felt bad for the new juniors who were riding in their only clothes they had, no jackets or vests.

Things warmed up though as the beginer 5's race took off. Tapaley at the front leading his troops and staying out of harms way was said to have taken a top ten finish... not bad...

And then it was finally my turn. Like gitty school girls the crew kitted up. Of course TK and El Gigante already got grease on the white knee warmers. A near wreck during our warm up took us to the mechanics tent for a sliped break cable. Where the words were uttered, "back again?"

El Gigante and I swaped quick words of encouragment on the start line and we were off. And now for an epic poem:

Early breaks were had
The Staz aint so bad
With multiple pros
A Bridge attempt by my bro
The race was coming to an end
TK and Nolan up around the bend
National Champs wheel I was set up on
Ex-Lombardi trying to move me like a pon
As if in a rut
I gave him a headbutt
TK jeffed it
and finished second
I was pipped at the line
The AMD master came from behind
Next week the day will be ours
When we get our new carbon bars
Early breaks will be had
The Staz aint so bad...

TK and I ended up second and fourth if you couldn't get that from the poem and El Gigante and the Staz finished with the pack. Pretty good day considering the past three weeks...

TK is ready to kick the competition to the curb this year

Repeats in Winters

2008-01-16T23:18:00.000-08:00

A different kind of repeat...

So every time I ride through Winters on Wednesdays at about 5 o'clock I hear the same thing, "you'll never be like Lance Armstrong." Today I got tired of this, so I proceeded to ride across the grass to confront the group of teens. I asked them why do they say the same thing every week? The alpha male of the group replied to me saying "it's hilarious." I don't understand what was funny about it... I never have wanted to be like Lance, I have always been thinking more on the lines of Robby Rocket or Ale'jet. In my mind the kid has got his whole burn wrong, if he really wanted to hurt me he should say something like, "You'll never bump elbows with the best of 'em," or "To bad you have to ride junior gears."

Anyways, I told him to get some new material.

A Slight Improvement

2008-01-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

The weather is finally turning around. Even though it was below 70 degrees today I rode without leg or knee warmers. Something about seeing the tan legs again reminds me of racing. It helped me get through the hour of power, nearly all in ME... my legs are going to be fantastic for the early bird this weekend...right...

Does riding home from school count as ME?

2008-01-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

For some reason I am always in a rush to get home from school, and the beast within me takes over. Even though my legs are shot from the previous days ride I always find myself time trialing home. I don't know what I am racing against or why I ride my heart out only to stop at the next stop light a hundred meters up the road, that has to mean I am anxious to race right?

Well today I was in a rush, attempting to mix school with cycling. My typical Monday ride went down, around the airport, only to end up back at school for a review lesson in stats before the final. I didn't really fit into place, as I was sporting our fancy new white kit. whatevah... I got my ride and some studying in, what could be better?

Suffer Sundays

2008-01-13T17:46:00.000-08:00

A typical Sunday:
A ride with Jesse.

More ME than could possibly be imagined.

Did he just use a hammer to crack me?

Hopefully this will make me stronger in August...

Getting lost, and turned around in cool.

5 1/2 hours and there is still an hour get back to the car?... Better call Pops...

Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down

2008-01-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

I've been busy after returning from Seattle and have had a lack of time to write on this here blog.

But...

A little update-

A new theory... On rainy days do the core of your workout on the trainer. i.e. 2x10' minute ME's on a rainy day should take twenty minutes to do on the trainer... wouldn't we all be lucky if that was how it worked.

Jesse Ride... If it looks like rain stay as close to the parking lot as possible. Cruz the rich neighborhoods in search of the steepest climbs... until your derailleur cable breaks, then spend the rest of the ride paper boying it across the climbs...

Rain (not really an update but a constant) It stinks to ride in the rain and it always destroys my motivation... but here's a shout out to all you guys who push me through it. Especially you pops, thanks for changing my derailleur cable.

Bear Grylls in Narnia

2007-12-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

Being the bored teenagers we are, El Gigante and I decided to climb a mountain. Tiger mountain is located about half an hour east of Seattle, and about 2000' elevation gain.

El Gigante preparing to "Bear Grylls" it over this fallen log.

As we near the sumit the snow thickens

We reach the wind battered sumit, clinging to the baren ice

El Gigante is fearless as he tames this wild wolf

Nature joins us for lunch

El Gigante avoids a near slip off the 5' cliff

But thankfully we made it out alive, Bear Grylls style.

Top 3 ways to exercise without your bike

2007-12-26T16:49:00.000-08:00

#3. Walk. I know pretty lame huh... but once you get out there you'll discover what real men are made of. How long can you stand the frigged winds of Seattle, especially when your on a mission to get an onion from the store?

#2. Scavenge. Search your grandmother's house for items such as; cake mix, canned soup, and those slim fast drinks. Next tie two plastic bags together, fill them with said items, hook the bags around your feet, and proceed to do hamstring curls off the end of the couch.

#1. Choose your weapon. Magna, RoadMaster, Mongoose, all prize racing machines in the WallyMart GrandPrix. Almost as fun as McClane, the 6 corner indoor crit has to be the perfect way to get that speed work in we all need so badly in December. *note: Full Face helmets are found on isle 122.

What could be better?

2007-12-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

Than watching Hairspray with your niece and nephew on Christmas night... It's nice not to worry about the bike.

'Twas the night before Christmas

2007-12-24T21:18:00.000-08:00

and there was good news and bad news...

Bad news #1: Got an email from Ben Sharp saying that the spots on the National Team for the spring campaign were filled. No Paris Roubaix for me... unless a spot opens up

Bad news #2: No riding in Seattle for the holidays.

The Good news #1: Only 12 days until the first early bird!

The Good news #2: No riding in Seattle for the holidays.

HOP the hour of pain

2007-12-20T21:54:00.000-08:00

The never ending frustrations with junior gears on Thursday... almost impossible to balance the heart rate with the cadence of the Hour of Power. But I finally sucked it up and switched the rear wheel off of Stevo's bike with mine. Complaints from my derailleur almost synced with the old man's.

Riding in the 52-12 for 3600 seconds, the pain part of this hour doesn't even start until the next morning when the daily trek to school begins. A seven minute ride to school nearly turns double with the intense soreness.

But not to complain... accompanied by Thor, who is in the neighborhood for the holidays, el gigante and the ever infamous Stevo, the three hour ride to the top of cantelowe went by swiftly.

A quick chat with Kyle on the summit entitled, the fall of the Mako junior team and a cold Christmas in Scotland. Props to Kyle though... he looked light coming up the final push of the climb.

In the beginning

2007-12-19T22:22:00.000-08:00

I choose you TFS. I have commenced said blog due to the fact of my recent interest in exposing silver nitrate to light. This hobby began after a semester of high school photography, and now I want to post some of my stuff. Also through this blog I will communicate my inner thoughts about that two wheeled man/women powered machine we are all so familiar with (to be politically correct). So here it goes...