Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Race re-cap from 06/23/09 El Dorado
Haven't felt it in a awhile, and today was no different. Came down to a field sprint cuz all the breaks had the wrong racers in them (either racers who couldn't work or racers who refused to work). In any event, the breakaway racers gave the sprinters exactly what they hoped for, a field sprint finish. Chris Daggs & his teammate came up from San Diego to torque it, and torque it they did-I really appreciate such personal sacrifice when racers go out of their way to fight thru traffic to come to my races. So Cal traffic sux & won't get better until gas hits $6/gallon.Although I complain about racers racing negative (looking around for someone else to do the work instead of doing it themselves), racers are getting smarter. In fact, I've been told to shut my mouth when it comes to giving out tactical advice!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Anthony Bourdain in Beirut, Memorial Day and why we, as Americans, should honor those soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice
What I learned in Officer Candidate School was that the heaviest decision to make was to send soldiers into battle, knowing that some would not come back. Knowingly putting people in harm's way is hard, haunting, and not for everyone.Anthony Bourdain's Beruit episode was interesting to watch, especially the last 20 minutes because it was Anthony Bourdain's first experience & encounter with US Marines, and he was very gracious in his praise when he described their compassion, their kindness, and their willingness to help others. It is an episode I highly recommend watching.
The Gist of It: Anthony filmed it during the time when Hamas killed and captured Israeli soldiers and was there for Israel's response. The Marines had no training and no preparation for their rescue mission, which was to get Americans out of Beruit.What I know about Marines: whatever it is that they do, they do it at 125%, and it doesn't matter if they are at a bar drinking shots, on top of a library tower like Charles Whitman or they are pulling people off of a beach and away from the bombings.The other week, I was at a Chevron cleaning the front windshield when this total stranger asked me if I was still in the Corps. I told him that those days are long behind me, and then he thanked me for my service to our country. No one ever said that to me before, so I was completely off guard in my response. After he left, I got a lump in my throat and took a little time to re-compose myself. It's ironic because I didn't join to be thanked by strangers, but it was nice to receive kind words from a stranger.This upcoming Monday is a holiday, Memorial Day. It is a day honoring those soldiers who died for this country. Whether it was WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo, Iraq, Afganistan, Honduras-these people suited up, stood in harm's way and took an oath to protect this country with their lives if necessary. We are lucky that we have a day off where we can race our bikes, enjoy an outdoor BBQ with family & friends, or do whatever it is that we choose to do.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Eldo race re-cap for 05/19/09
Pro/1/2/3:
Without MJ and JP, racers seemed lost, like sheep looking for their shepherd. I marked 4 racers: Evan Teske, Brian Keate, Shane Lawlor, and John Van Dyke. At the end of the race, I was reminded why Evan pisses me off. Not only did he lead out the final sprint from Turn 4, but he had such a gap by the time he hit the finish line that any real racer just watches and gets immediately demoralized. I couldn't touch him-on his worst day and my best day.Not only that, but he works full-time and all I do is pick my nose and ride. Every time Evan (1st) comes out to play, that's just one more racer I gotta watch & target, and even though I know who to watch, there ain't nothing I can do to come around him, and that's why he pisses me off. Brian had a great ride (4th), and I tried really hard to come around him. Brian rode hard & aggressive the entire ride, and if everyone rode like Brian, all of us would be stronger and faster. What's nice about Frank Schroeder (3rd) is that his team works, whether they are chasing, setting up for the sprint, or blocking...the team gets it. John Van Dyke made the right move at the right time for 5th place, and Gary Wall took 6th!I'm very appreciative for my teammates Julio, Jim, and Manny. They did exactly as they should, and when the situations are reversed, I will do for them as they have done for me...this is a team sport, and for those that don't comprehend the team concept, they will remain forever in the dark. I got lucky today and had a good ride; the planets aligned in the right direction. Today was good.Russells Shapley/Simple Green pulled some hard efforts. With smart training comes power & speed, so I tend to notice the racers in front of me. It's hard to notice anyone making serious efforts if they are behind you. Banning's Bikes is slowly getting their act together, and if Tony Sanchez keeps doing what he did, then he will have an awesome season. For Tony to improve, he needs to train his weaknesses, which is not his sprint-that's fine, so sprint training for him is a waste of time, energy, and effort. Tony needs to strengthen his breakaway ability, and when that's accomplished, he'll have the better sprint in the break!
Masters 40+/Women:
No major incidents, Neil Browne did a great job officiating, then took 2nd place!
Category 4/5-Public:
No major incidents, and it was a god call to have them do another lap so as to have a clean sprint finish.
Things are a lot calmer now that I can train and suffer
This will be a mellow week, and in that respect, this is my mellow playlist: the top 3.Mad World, Michael Andrews & Gary Jules
Missed The Boat, Modest Mouse
He Got Game, Public Enemy & Voices of Shabach Community Choir of Long IslandThis week is preparing for our Memorial Day crit in Long Beach. I'll be racing the 40+ and the Pro/1/2, which means Sunday is slightly hard, Saturday is easy, and Friday will be the last hard day of the week. Today is Tuesday, so there are only four more hard days!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Ventura Stage Race: May 16 & 17, 2009
FridayMasters 35+ category
Roll up to Ventura (yeah, traffic sucked on Sepulveda Pass and Thousand Oaks area), check in to hotel, roll to registration and pick up race packet. Well organized-Jerry Janye was there, and he's an excellent time trialist. Stopped procrastinating and rode the TT and Crit courses. I'm in for one helluva wake up call tomorrow. In Life as in Cycling, it's not always flat. These hilly courses will challenge everything I have to give from my lungs, my heart, and my legs. It's not gonna be pretty, and those who are here...it's a virtual Who's Who in nationally-ranked masters. Ferchrist, Thurlow even changed from the Pro/1/2 to the 35+, and he's gonna make it that much harder.
Saturday
Masters 35+ category
Individual Time Trial
Rode as best I could and I think I'm 20+ seconds off the leader. By the time I left, Michael Johnson still kept his victory with a time of 3:54, he friggin' rocked that course. For those that know his coach, you are in the Inside Circle. For those that do not know his coach, you are in the Outside Circle. Sho Air is gonna be burning a lot of matches if Amgen decides to try and take the lead away from MJ. Amgen could just say 'screw it' and go passive, but if they're gonna wait for MJ to mess up & exploit a weakness, then they're gonna be waiting a long time, as MJ's been doing this dance for at least three days. IMHO, everyone else is fighting for the leftovers. Someone might squeek thru if Amgen and Sho Air only focus on each other, but I doubt it. Update: MJ got 2nd, and I was sitting at an uncomfortable 40th.
Criterium
MJ had two excellent teammates who dutifully fell on their swords, Hector Saldana & Chance Fielder. Thurlow went (as expected) to win it & is now the overall race leader. Meanwhile, in the back of the pack (the out of shape fatties), I only dropped two places to 42nd. That hill killed me, and the USCF Ref. Greg Aden pulled me after 30 minutes...kinda felt like a horse after it had broken its leg--I just had to be put down. Tomorrow will not be kind, but that's what I signed up for; this is who I am and this is what I do. Officially, I'm 42nd in GC.
Sunday
Masters 35+ category
Road Race
The 1st lap killed me, and I chased until I caught back on. Laps 2 & 3 were okay, then I was dropped again on Lap 4. After that, it became a time trial for laps 5, 6, & 7 and I finished alone at 28th. For the G.C., I moved up eight spots to 34th. Jerry Jayne prolly lost thousands of dollars promoting this event, and I hope that he finds the motivation to promote this race for 2010. As bad as this race hurt, I needed it.Aftermath:
Jerry's a great racer, an excellent promoter, and he got this race going because he loves the sport...he makes waaaayyyy more bank at his regular job. All of us need to step up and support local races like this one. A fat guy like me is averse to hills and skinnier, fitter competition, but I had fun despite my heart rate monitor exploding. Many racers complained of not having courses like this, but then when a course like this gets permitted, it seems that those same complainers were nowhere to be found. If a fat guy like me steps up, knowing what was in store for me, then more racers fitter than me can step up.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Is everyone familiar with Octo-Mom? There's another name for her, and it's also the name of a James Bond film
Click here to figure out what here other name is. I'll give you a hint,it starts with Octo... Now, I'm prolly gonna take a lot of heat for this, but it's gotta be said. This planet isn't getting better with what we're doing to the air, water, and species. I would like to think that every parent & grandparent out there is a zealous environmentalist, but sadly, that is not the case.When the planet does self-implode, my generation will be long gone and in the pine box collecting maggots. It's the generation after us that's gotta live with the consequences of what's being done to the planet now. If you want to have kids-great, I would suggest doing so in moderation. Is it really necessary for a single mom to have 15 kids, like Octo-mom? Really?2, 3, or 4 - yeah, I totally get it. 6, 7, 8, okay, if that's what you really want. 15, with no father and no job...I don't want my taxes paying for that choice.Tuesday, May 12, 2009
El Dorado race re-cap for 05/12/09
Pro/1/2/3 category:
Today, there were six guys to watch: Brian Keate, Shane Lawlor, Andrew Bosco, John VanDyke, Chris McDonald, and the German guy from UCI. 6 racers who were not worried about me, but I was worried about them, cuz if they got away, I would be F'd in the A. I had Julio and Manny as teammates, but 3 guys can't cover six guys with a man to man defense, and a zone defense would be worse.I did what I thought was my best, but I made minor mistakes in tactics and strategy. I ended up 13th for the nite, and whoever I F'd by braking-I'm sorry: it slowed way down and those in front of me shut it down on the left and all I could do was hit the brake or go into the dirt @32mph. I heard the F-bomb, so I figured that was me who caused it.I was very happy to see Eileen, and we talked about this weekend's race as well as my fitness to do intervals. She's upping my training, which I'm not gonna discuss, but if it turns out to be successful, then you'll see more of me at the front and less of me in the back.Masters 40+ category:
No major incidents communicated to me, all is well.Category 4/5:
No major incidents communicated to me, all is well.
Today, there were six guys to watch: Brian Keate, Shane Lawlor, Andrew Bosco, John VanDyke, Chris McDonald, and the German guy from UCI. 6 racers who were not worried about me, but I was worried about them, cuz if they got away, I would be F'd in the A. I had Julio and Manny as teammates, but 3 guys can't cover six guys with a man to man defense, and a zone defense would be worse.I did what I thought was my best, but I made minor mistakes in tactics and strategy. I ended up 13th for the nite, and whoever I F'd by braking-I'm sorry: it slowed way down and those in front of me shut it down on the left and all I could do was hit the brake or go into the dirt @32mph. I heard the F-bomb, so I figured that was me who caused it.I was very happy to see Eileen, and we talked about this weekend's race as well as my fitness to do intervals. She's upping my training, which I'm not gonna discuss, but if it turns out to be successful, then you'll see more of me at the front and less of me in the back.Masters 40+ category:
No major incidents communicated to me, all is well.Category 4/5:
No major incidents communicated to me, all is well.
Can anyone give me a reason that would justify punching a female?
I know I'm on a bit of a time delay, but I'm still a little pissed off about that whole Chris Brown punching Rihanna thing. You don't hit girls. How effing simple is that rule?Sometimes you gotta hold their arms to keep them from hurting themselves or others, sometimes you gotta block their punches (ever try to arrest a tweeker?), but there is a huge difference between blocking a punch and throwing a punch. When I block a punch, I get a bruise on my arm. When I throw a punch, their windpipe breaks...big difference.In my world, I don't care if the girl is batshit-crazy: you don't hit them, never, ever - never ever. Hitting a girl also violates Man Law.
Other racers should strive not to violate the tenets of Man Law
I was at some race, talking to the guys, and one of them told me about a racer who went out of his way to tell everyone that he shaved everything...legs, arms, chest, everything.Dude! Why did you just tell that to another dude? I'll admit that I shave my legs, but am I really gonna go out of my way and tell some other racer about my cute, little landing strip I just sculpted? That's just wrong!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
5/10/09 Brea race re-cap
Masters 35+ race.
I was only going to use it for warm-up for the Pro/1/2 race, but things didn't play out that way. My only goal was to watch MJ and McMahon, as I'm weaker than them so I gotta try and be smart. McMahon was already up the road in the break, so I decided to go when MJ went. I am not fit enough to act, only react. A couple of teams tried to attack the break, and once they started getting stupid (instead of just consistently rotating thru), that didn't bode well for working together to stay away. The break ended up lapping the field, so teammates were able to take pace behind lapped teammates in the final sprint, that's always a great rule on the books.One racer put his hands on another, and there was no reason for it...between T-2 & T-3, there's about 6ft between the racer and the cones on the left, and there's about 6 inches betwen the racer and the group. Instead of just shifting left and advancing, the racer shoves another racer into the group...didn't understand that one, as it would have been easier and safer to just move to the area where there was no one.
Pro/1/2 race.
The first 30 minutes were quite painful. The first breakaway - the big team missed it, so they all had to go to the front and catch it. The 2nd big break ended up staying away. At first there were 10 racers in it, but then that had dwindled to 7 by the time it was over. I finished in the top-50 I think, closer to 50th! My calves started cramping with 20 minutes left in the race; that's a fitness issue.For the day, I did 25 miles in the 35+ race and 35 miles in the Pro/1/2 race, 60 race miles for the day's total. In actuality, today was merely preparation for El Dorado! :)
I was only going to use it for warm-up for the Pro/1/2 race, but things didn't play out that way. My only goal was to watch MJ and McMahon, as I'm weaker than them so I gotta try and be smart. McMahon was already up the road in the break, so I decided to go when MJ went. I am not fit enough to act, only react. A couple of teams tried to attack the break, and once they started getting stupid (instead of just consistently rotating thru), that didn't bode well for working together to stay away. The break ended up lapping the field, so teammates were able to take pace behind lapped teammates in the final sprint, that's always a great rule on the books.One racer put his hands on another, and there was no reason for it...between T-2 & T-3, there's about 6ft between the racer and the cones on the left, and there's about 6 inches betwen the racer and the group. Instead of just shifting left and advancing, the racer shoves another racer into the group...didn't understand that one, as it would have been easier and safer to just move to the area where there was no one.
Pro/1/2 race.
The first 30 minutes were quite painful. The first breakaway - the big team missed it, so they all had to go to the front and catch it. The 2nd big break ended up staying away. At first there were 10 racers in it, but then that had dwindled to 7 by the time it was over. I finished in the top-50 I think, closer to 50th! My calves started cramping with 20 minutes left in the race; that's a fitness issue.For the day, I did 25 miles in the 35+ race and 35 miles in the Pro/1/2 race, 60 race miles for the day's total. In actuality, today was merely preparation for El Dorado! :)
Recently, I forgot about discussing the talent, training, and sportsmanship of Brian Keate
Most know him by is nickname, Turtle. Anyone who's raced next to him knows that he races quite the opposite of how a turtle races. Anyway, I keep forgetting to discuss why he's such a menace to local racing. Whenever I see him in front of me, I immediately gotta register this guy as a threat because he can deliver it to the finish line. If he was some pudgy noob like Chot Slirts, then I'd dismiss it as my needing to move up and advance around the noob. Not Turtle, I gotta watch this clown like I gotta watch MJ, pick any Yepez, JP, Alexi and Jorge. I was reminded of his athleticism earlier today when he beat me at the Brea crit (more on that later). I get to rest for a day (Monday), and then I gotta deal with him again on Tuesday at Eldo...yay. Maybe he'll decide to ride down the coast of California again, or maybe he'll ride through the Mojave desert and use Tuesday as his launch pad. I bet I'll get no such luck.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
5/9/09 Velo Allegro ride re-cap
Felt horrible & slow, and today's ride proved it. Everyone took turns beating me up...the guys from Friends, Carlos, Guido, Billy Harris, Al & Ricky Shorts, Kurt Broadhag, Clay, The Tandem, and Tony Sanchez. Thank goodness Julio & Jim were there to do what I couldn't.Jim took off coming into Lap 3 and held off the chasers...he should have a great race tomorrow in Brea! I'll be more than happy in a support capacity tomorrow, as my legs will not dictate any pace to others.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
5/5/09 El Dorado recap
I got up this morning and my legs felt like soft, runny eggs. I was still coughing up junk from the Eldo's race, and after seeing the dirt stuck to my legs from last night, I can only imagine what my lungs look like.By the time I hit T-4 of the last lap, I couldn't take any more punches from Yepez and MJ - I was done, kaput, finished. I'm glad to see Yepez come out to race: we are all better racers as a result of him as well as MJ and Jamie. Jamie couldn't make it, but I'm sure he'll be back soon. The La Mirada race has been changed to Brea, and it looks like I'll be racing. The masters, the p/1/2 or both-who knows? I gotta try and figure out what I'm going to do today.
Something that sorta motivated me to stop being a shut-in...watching Anthony Bourdain as he visited Malaysia. To sum it up: Go away, learn something, get something, acquire something, get scarred up, have something change within you, then come back. This has been one common denominator in my life: not standing still. In the 80s, the Marine Corps took me to several places that will stay with me my whole life. After the Marines came bike races, where I was fortunate enought to travel to most of the continental united states and race in places other than So Cal.Sometimes I get that itch of wanting to just bolt out the door and go someplace I've never been, to experience a food, a person, or a culture (the left-wing crowd in Berkeley is different than the Southernist crowd in Birmingham, I assume). I just gotta remember to be back by Tuesday afternoon-no matter what.
Something that sorta motivated me to stop being a shut-in...watching Anthony Bourdain as he visited Malaysia. To sum it up: Go away, learn something, get something, acquire something, get scarred up, have something change within you, then come back. This has been one common denominator in my life: not standing still. In the 80s, the Marine Corps took me to several places that will stay with me my whole life. After the Marines came bike races, where I was fortunate enought to travel to most of the continental united states and race in places other than So Cal.Sometimes I get that itch of wanting to just bolt out the door and go someplace I've never been, to experience a food, a person, or a culture (the left-wing crowd in Berkeley is different than the Southernist crowd in Birmingham, I assume). I just gotta remember to be back by Tuesday afternoon-no matter what.
Monday, May 04, 2009
At my dojo, we practice the ancient art of firearms training....
I wish I could take credit for that line, but I just caught it while watching Anthony Bourdain, and some of the stuff that comes out of his brain is really funny. I spent Saturday chasing Guido around the block and never caught him, and I had a horrible Friday...spent 15 minutes on the eliptical trainer and called it quits because my legs had nothing, so Friday ended up being a rest day, which was popcorn and a movie. If you get the chance to see State of Play, then go see it. It's not The Wire or Michael Clayton, but it's not Clifford either. So after Saturday's ride, I didn't go the gym that afternoon and stayed off my legs. When it comes to leg recovery, laying down is better than sitting, and sitting is better than standing.In marches Sunday, and I was glad to see Billy Harris on the ride South to Newport Coast. He asked me what's filling the void that The Wire left, and I told him that the new NBC show Southland is growing on me, although they keep hitting the audience that the rookie is a rookie...we get it, he's a rookie. I had read somewhere that NBC wanted to stop being beat up by the other networks, so they brought in this female VP that had previous success with them but got booted before the drop in ratings, so it looks like NBC (somewhat) has their sh*t together, as 30 Rock is funny and Southland looks like it might get renewed for another season.You see how I go off on a tangent, now where was I? Oh yeah, Sunday...I didn't race Barrio Logan on Saturday because the potholes and asphalt take more of a toll on my wheels than the costs of the entry fee & gas getting there. I understand that their tax base sux, so Public Works cannot make those streets all perdy. It's a great figure-8 course and I'd love to race it when the tank traps are patched up & I don't need to worry about turning my front wheel into a paperweight. I never finished the San Luis Rey Road Race, and I heard that the CHP didn't permit the hilly part, so the course looked like one big "U."Because of Friday's failure, I wasn't gonna race anywhere. Now that I am officially under 200lbs, I have returned to my one & only coach at EROWHEELS. I saw Myke Baldivino in his Sho Air kit, and I also saw my coach on PCH Sunday going in the opposite direction. She's got me doing this thing at the gym that is killing me, but I know I'll reap the benefits because her training is way better than what I was doing by myself...I just had to show her that I was somewhat serious about this stoopid sport by dropping my weight to under 2 bills. Friday I was at 193 and today I'm at 197...go figure. Most of you will not believe this, but I wrote in my journal that in 1988, I was 158lbs & 13lbs over race weight...how pathetic am I now...crying about being 200lbs! Being 145lbs would be great but it ain't gonna happen in this lifetime!
Today was all-prep for Eldo, and for the record, our numbers suck this year. That, combined with the doubling of Eldo fees in 2009 make 2010 Eldo look like a flickering candle about to blow out. I have a couple of ideas for 2010, but I won't unleash those just yet...we'll see how 2009 plays out.
Today was all-prep for Eldo, and for the record, our numbers suck this year. That, combined with the doubling of Eldo fees in 2009 make 2010 Eldo look like a flickering candle about to blow out. I have a couple of ideas for 2010, but I won't unleash those just yet...we'll see how 2009 plays out.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
El Dorado race re-cap, 4/28/09
Cat. 4/5 field was weak, but I attribute that to the USCF allowing 200,000 Cat. IVs in the Dana Point race. The Masters 40+ had a good field, and it was competitive, so that's always good to observe.The Pro/1/2/3 field was either fast, hard, or both. It seemed that Jamie Paolinetti, Alexi Martinez, and Michael Johnson all had targets on their jerseys because everyone attached themselves to their wheels.Here's the thing...the entire group cannot let these three do all the work, because they will get tired AND pissed off. If you are going to insert yourself into their inner circle, then you are going to hafta work with them. That's the rule. If you give them permission to lead, then you must follow; otherwise, you use them like crack ho's and attack them the first chance they show any signs of weakness or fatigue (thus putting them on defense instead of offense).For me, it felt hard the entire race until 2 laps to go, then it seemed like everyone shut down to prep for their world-class sprint. I want to thank Alexi, Michael, and Jamie for making me hurt and for making me a better racer. It's because of them that I secretly train so I can counter-attack them and put them on defense one day! Ha!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Only two funny things on the idiot box lately
1) Only two kinds of people wear sunglasses indoors: blind people and douchebags.2) Bluetooth technology makes people look like machines...1 part robot, 3 parts asshole.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Baker 2 Death Valley Road race re-cap, CBR Exec. Dir. took 8th place in Pro/1/2/3 but more importantly, it was Brian McCulloch who took 7th place
It was windy, very, very windy! The race's profit & loss netted a loss of over $1,000 - but like I've always said, I cannot hit a home run every time at bat. While everyone who races this event likes it, I cannot afford to promote this race anymore cuz it seems to be unpopular! That's okay though, I tried and I learned. I also forgot; I forgot the video camera's remote, I forgot a change of clothes, and I forgot stuff for my chamois. I got very little sleep, but I did get the chance to race behind Team PossAbilities' Brian McCulloch. Team Bearclaw and Allegiant Air took 1st thru 4th, and Great Eagle took 5th & 6th!
Brian raced a great race, and he has a lot of potential. One can learn as much from a bad racer as one can learn from a good racer. In his group, there was one racer who thought he knew the race outcome, and there was another racer who knew the game plan. Brian, who was more or less an observer, took fate into his own hands, made his move about 400m from the finish and held it to the line. Congrats to him and his racing savvy-he's a quick learner.The racing team Great Eagle showed up with a bunch of guys and raced well AND they're going to race Dana Point. I got word that some people were afraid of racing today in fear of spoiling their fresh legs for Dana Point, so let's hope that those fresh legs bring them great race results.Additionally, Bill Mock took time out of his life to officiate and score the race. This allowed me to race, and I greatly appreciate his selfless effort. Also, a great big ATTA BOY to Manny Toledo for coming to the race and finishing! I'll see him Tuesday...great job!
Brian raced a great race, and he has a lot of potential. One can learn as much from a bad racer as one can learn from a good racer. In his group, there was one racer who thought he knew the race outcome, and there was another racer who knew the game plan. Brian, who was more or less an observer, took fate into his own hands, made his move about 400m from the finish and held it to the line. Congrats to him and his racing savvy-he's a quick learner.The racing team Great Eagle showed up with a bunch of guys and raced well AND they're going to race Dana Point. I got word that some people were afraid of racing today in fear of spoiling their fresh legs for Dana Point, so let's hope that those fresh legs bring them great race results.Additionally, Bill Mock took time out of his life to officiate and score the race. This allowed me to race, and I greatly appreciate his selfless effort. Also, a great big ATTA BOY to Manny Toledo for coming to the race and finishing! I'll see him Tuesday...great job!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
AB-Washington, DC, one of his best-ever, so try and watch it
Anthony Bourdain's episode in Washington, DC reinforced two things in my life: that HBO's THE WIRE was the best show ever (written by George Pelecanos, Washington DC local writer) and there is a glimmer of hope for the human race, as I have always thought that Planet Earth it is being FedExxed to extinction.AB starts with Ben's Chili Bowl, a world-famous establishment that was a DC riot sanctuary on April 4, 1968 due to the anger over MLK's assassination. Ben's Chili Bowl has been there for over 50 years and one day I hope to visit that landmark and try their half-smoke. I also want to visit Busboys & Poets, Chadwick's, El Pollo Rico, DC's Central Kitchen, and the Main Avenue Fish Market.In the later half, AB is accompanied by a man named Bo, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison for various serious crimes and was later paroled after serving 18 years. DC's Central Kitchen gave him what he needed after he returned to society and he seems to have been a productive member since. He descibes to AB what a perfect day is for him, and the calm that he possesses, especially with his son, seems to have only been acquired after having had such a violent past, as if the present would never have happened without his past.Anyways, if you get the chance to catch AB's Washington DC episode, I think you'll like the episode and the narration.Tuesday, April 21, 2009
El Dorado race re-cap from April 21, 2009
1st, a special thanks to Neil Browne, who sacrifices his training to keep the Masters 40+ in line. This good deed does not go unpunished, and I respecfully request everyone to subscribe to ROAD Magazine (it's about bike racing!) in supporting this local editor-at-large-and-in-charge. 2nd, Brenda Lyons is a tough racer, and I appreciate it when she comes out to play and spanks those manly men who think too much of themselves while they sit in and do nothing. While the do-nothings did exactly as predicted, Brenda Lyons came to race and train hard. 3rd, a 12-man break stayed away and I failed in bringing myself to that party. Sometimes you are the bug and sometimes you are the windshield, and I was the bug. A special congrats to Nick Jones of Banning's Bikes, who made & stayed with the breakaway! His team did exactly as they should-they blocked for him! MJ & Alexi are really tough racers, and once again, I tried to watch & shadow MJ and I failed when it mattered-he bolted up the road & I couldn't do squat about it. Well, there's always next week....
Monday, April 20, 2009
Professional & Category I racers now eligible to race the Baker to Death Valley to Baker Road Race this Saturday
Updated flyer, click here. When there are only 5 people registered for this race, I gotta open this up for those that want to play. This race is already bleeding money, between permits and traffic control, so please understand the change in the race flyer. I will be racing this event, and I cannot wait---ever since I found this course I've wanted to race it. I'll be there extra early because I gotta post sign per CalTrans, but registration will open at 6am---maybe earlier!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
4/19/09 Valencia Bike race re-cap: CBR Exec. Dir. took 11th in Pro/1/2 & could not beat Chris Walker in the final sprint, Polar water bottle FAIL,
My secret concoction of Gatorade & ice was perfect & ready to quench my thirst in that sticky hot Valencia heat. In the Pro/1/2 field, there were some racers I was happy to see (NB, AD, JS) and some that were just taking up space. Five minutes into the race, I grab my water bottle and attempt to take a drink...instead, the thing just cracked-totally useless. So there I was, effed. I only had 70 more minutes in the race heat-hopefully I wouldn't stroke out because fat people don't do well in hot climates while sustaining 95% of their max heart rate. Aram Dellalian of SixTuMed/C4DF.org, was kind enough to give me one of his bottles and that sh*t-I will not forget. So getting back to the race...Brandon Gritters was excellent at f*cking things up for the chase 'cuz he was blocking for Aron Gadhia-Brandon was doing the same crap I would have done, so he did his job at makin' me mad and screwin' up the chase...bravo. Aram stood up and got counted today, as he participated in the chase and bridged to the break. The team that surprised me was Rock Racing, as they had a boatload of guys and still couldn't win. The guy they cut from the team, who's now racing for another team: he won! I also wasn't surprised that Rock Racing's Rahsaan Bahati didn't resolve his dine-n-dash incident. If he would have fixed it like a man, then I would have been surprised, but I'm sure he has less important things to do. The only thing that knocked me off balance was that Polar water bottle failure. It broke at a critical moment: in a race, at the beginning, on a hot day, in an elite category. I hate paying for things that don't work, so I'm gonna send it back to them and see what happens. All in all, it was a good day. The water bottle failure wasn't as bad as it could have been, and thanks to Aram, it could have been a lot worseTuesday, April 14, 2009
4-14-09 El Dorado race re-cap: JP did it again & brought the pain! Bahati indefinitely suspended for his Dine-n-Dash!!
The wind was fierce and the P/1/2 crew did everything they could to break legs. I tried to bridge in the tailwind and as soon as I got to the break, they hit the gas hard and I was stuck in no-man's-land, tail between my legs and finished with the chasers. Poor Sang Vu, he's new to the P/1/2 field, and I kept yellin' at him for giving up wheels & gappin...poor guy! He'll get stronger with every week that he keeps doin what he's doin! MJ, JP, & Alexi Martinez did very well at shattering the field and then the break! I'm always happy when racers like JP, MJ, Jorge Alvarado & Alexi Martinez come race because they force minions like me to dig deeper than I care to dig...plus, they make me quit (cuz my heart rate's @ 190bpm) and that really pisses me off, thus motivating me to improve my training-like I'll ever be in their league! HA! Rahsaan Bahati, professional bicycle racer for Rock Racing, is indefinitely suspended until he learns not to dine-n-dash. He jumps into El Dorado without paying & signing a waiver, and then he fails to settle up after the race AND he's not a CBR annual member. I'm sure the $12 entry fee really puts a dent into his Audi payments - or maybe Michael Ball didn't teach him not to dine-n-dash, but part of being a man is acting like a man and being responsible for one's actions. There's a $13 annoyance fee attached to his lack of judgment, with the grand total being $25 before he's allowed to play again. It would suck to have the Park Rangers remove him from the race should he hit the repeat button. It's not the $12; it's the attitude behind the action. The 4/5 group and the Masters rode without incident and that always makes for a great day at El Dorado. I especially want to thank the City of Long Beach, Kim Olmos, Pat West, and everyone who weighed in on the entry fee collection issue. It has been successfully resolved and i appreciate common sense once again playing a big part of it! Thanks, and we hope to see you next week (except for Rahsaan!).
List of really cool D3 places to eat around the country...to be updated regularly
This is a compilation of several sources: Anthony Bourdain, Dinners Drive-Ins & Dives, numerous magazines and satelite channels. I wanted this uploaded in the event that I'm ever in a different town, for a bike race or otherwise, and I'm hungry because eveyone knows that fat people eat more than skinny people.Sunday, April 12, 2009
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
I've made it as habit of not watching this show when Anthony Bourdain visits places not within the continental United States. My reason for this being that the odds are very slim that I will ever visit these places, so I usually stuck with (& took copious notes of) episodes covering Chicago, the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest, Los Angeles, etc. Just finished watching the San Paulo, Brazil episode and it dawned on me that what I really enjoy is the narrative that accompanies the places & varied foods he enjoys.Very soon, I'm either going to Portland, Orgeon (via Amtrak or Southwest airlines) or I'm going to New Mexico (by Honda Element). In Portland, I'm going to Apizza Scholls and Voodoo Donuts. In New Mexico, I'm going to places I have not traveled.Just caught a glimpse of Bourdain's blog, right here...."How can I miss you when you won't go away?" Any aspiring writers need to read his stuff - "...I was ready to throw the belt over the shower head." Find the Guns & Butter entry for another great read. Another gem is the Notes From the Road...Home Edition!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
And the hits just keep on comin'...Adbusters issue-May/June-2009
For those that do not know of this magazine-ADBUSTERS-I found it in a store while vacationing in Nelson, Britsh Columbia-2005 and have been a subscriber since. It accepts no advertising dollars, so there are no ads in the magazine. Issue highlights & answer the question, has our pursuit of being rich made us any happier? The statistics comparing the 1950s to the 1990s don't show us as being any happier for being richer. Pay particular attention to Item #4, as you read it here first.
1. Life is not about accumulating more stuff (rewards) for enduring less satisfying work lives. 2. Millions of Americans abuse alcohol, prescription & non-prescription drugs, gamble, compulsively watch TV, video games, porn, play the stock market, overeat, shop for things they don't need, and flee their hopelessness & helplessnessin coutless other ways. 3. Monsanto sues independent farmers who re-plant & breed individual seeds for patent infringement. 4. Dr. Fernando Marina, Barcelona's CEFER Reproduction Institute fertility expert says that all men will be infertile in 60 years. Virility exams show huge genetic defects, autism, etc. in males compared to females. Gen Y spermazoids are not only lower in number but the ones that remain are genetically damaged, thus producing more females and fewer (but more damaged) males. Click here for the news that parallels this issue.
1. Life is not about accumulating more stuff (rewards) for enduring less satisfying work lives. 2. Millions of Americans abuse alcohol, prescription & non-prescription drugs, gamble, compulsively watch TV, video games, porn, play the stock market, overeat, shop for things they don't need, and flee their hopelessness & helplessnessin coutless other ways. 3. Monsanto sues independent farmers who re-plant & breed individual seeds for patent infringement. 4. Dr. Fernando Marina, Barcelona's CEFER Reproduction Institute fertility expert says that all men will be infertile in 60 years. Virility exams show huge genetic defects, autism, etc. in males compared to females. Gen Y spermazoids are not only lower in number but the ones that remain are genetically damaged, thus producing more females and fewer (but more damaged) males. Click here for the news that parallels this issue.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Rescue Me premieres tonight on FX channel
One of my most memorable moments was watching the 1st scene of the 1st episode of Rescue Me. In the episode - Dennis Leary, playing a seasoned NYC firefighter, spoke to a soon-to-be graduating class of rookie firemen. He spoke of the firemen who gave their lives on 9-11 and he told those rookies that they'd be lucky if they could fill those kind of boots. For some reason, that always stuck with me-so I tried to get more info on why Leary came up with Rescue Me, since he was a comedian. His private life inner circle were firefighters, and he used their stories for Rescue Me. This season looks pretty good, so catch it if you can...rent the DVDs if you need the backstory. I like funny, interesting, and complex. Chances are, if you really enjoy My Two Dads, you won't like Rescue Me, so stick with what you like.4/07/09 Eldo race re-cap: fat kid got lucky again...8th in Pro/1/23? Huh?
All three groups ran very well. I credit Neil Browne for keeping things safe & sane in the Masters, and in the last lap of the Pro/1/2/3, Danny Nicolette kept it from bunching up and fell on his sword by leading out the field for the final sprint...he kept it safe & fast, as no one had time to position themselves. The Cat. 4/5 group has been racing aggressive, as it looks like people want to upgrade, and that makes for faster racing...keep it up!
Monday, April 06, 2009
04/05/09 Dominguez Hills crit race re-cap (fat kid got 20th in 40+...that 1 whole BAR Series point!
David Pullian and Don Donegal show so much love for CBR that it's hard not to give them props all the time. So I'm lookin for a volunteer to make the pizza run to feed our volunteers and Don says he'll do it. Friggin' Don...he's on his bike & didn't tell me! He rides over, also grabs a case of water, schmoozes the manager to drive over to the course to deliver the pizzas & the waters! He also forgot the receipt, so he rides over AGAIN to pick it up. Personally, I wish I could be more like Don: he always has a smile on his face and nothing gets him down-I've never seen him not smiling & being cheerful.We had an excellent showing in the Elite 30+, Elite 40+ and Pro-Elite categories...heck, we even had a good showing in the women categories! David does so much for supporting CBR and supporting bike racing in general. Up until yesterday, I always thought that he was just a regular friendly face until Vera told me what he does to support us and cycling. Don and David are unsung heroes in local racing, and I really appreciate them for their support. It would be a real shame if other race promoters didn't know who these two people truly are.Most crashes are preventables....ride hard, look straight ahead and use your peripheral vision when necessary. Someone emailed me and suggested that I should be more gentle in my clinics so as not to offend the newer racers. I pooh-pooh that idea as I am trying to give these racers an idea as to what happens when they make bad decisions, and I do not have time to coddle them. Unfortunately, there is no sensitivity training in bike racing: it's aggressive and fast and potentially deadly and I think of it as this: if the words that come out of my mouth change a racer's emotional state (they get offended/butt-sore), then they either need to acquire a thicker skin or change to another, safer sport like whiffle ball.One crash in the 5s race and another crash in the 4s race after they crossed the finish line. One idiot took out his own teammate and another racer when idiot turned his head to have conversation with someone behind him (not even to the right or left of him). Once again, it was not the course that caused these crashes, but other racers. All in all, it was a great race attended by good people. I thank everyone who made this event happen: Jeff & Tony at T-4, Vic & Brett at Registration, George at 1st Aid, Nick & the RV Storage (he parks it!), and the gang at Start/Finish. For those that don't know, Walter "Buzz" Long is moving to Oregon and that was his last race announcing primes. His departure is bittersweet...while I'm glad he's moving to greener pastures, I'm sad that he won't be there to feed me Krispy Kreme donuts.Our next race is Baker to Death Valley Road Race on Saturday April 25...we hope to see you there!
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Downtown Long Beach Grand Prix race re-cap
For a 1st annual, it was a great event! The stuff they had for the kids kept the moms happy, which kept the racing dads very happy! It was fast and challenging and was not your typical, I-can-do-it-blindfolded-4-corner-industrial-park-crit. The Masters 35+ and the Pro/1/2 were the biggest fields. If all goes well, there should be a 2nd Annual to this race.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Misc. stuff
It's been a busy week:
Tomorrow is the LBGP downtown criterium, Sunday is the Dominguez Hills criterium, and Tuesday is El Dorado. Recently, the way that we broadcast emails-thru Luciano Gonzales' (Luzo) system at entryworks has been eliminated. Luzo wants us to go elsewhere, so we're looking for another way to broadcast our email blasts. Right now, I can set up an account at Twitter or use this for the time being.Eventually, I'll get around to fixing this glitch...it's just I'm kinda miffed that Luzo decided this was a problem right now, mid-season instead of the off season...cuz who does this affect...THE LOCAL RACER...thanks Luzo!
The server that possesses our website information also changed, so I'm in the process of dealing with that, too. Friggin technology and depending upon undependable people & things is real frustrating. I'd rather learn how to do it myself cuz it's only me to blame when it goes South.For now, the BAR Series is updated and probably not perfect. The March 8th crit results are also posted, and the Baker to Death Valley race flyer is back online. We'll have the 5th Wheel trailer for Dominguez Hills as the Start/Finish HQ and I really want to thank Turtle for his patience!
Tomorrow is the LBGP downtown criterium, Sunday is the Dominguez Hills criterium, and Tuesday is El Dorado. Recently, the way that we broadcast emails-thru Luciano Gonzales' (Luzo) system at entryworks has been eliminated. Luzo wants us to go elsewhere, so we're looking for another way to broadcast our email blasts. Right now, I can set up an account at Twitter or use this for the time being.Eventually, I'll get around to fixing this glitch...it's just I'm kinda miffed that Luzo decided this was a problem right now, mid-season instead of the off season...cuz who does this affect...THE LOCAL RACER...thanks Luzo!
The server that possesses our website information also changed, so I'm in the process of dealing with that, too. Friggin technology and depending upon undependable people & things is real frustrating. I'd rather learn how to do it myself cuz it's only me to blame when it goes South.For now, the BAR Series is updated and probably not perfect. The March 8th crit results are also posted, and the Baker to Death Valley race flyer is back online. We'll have the 5th Wheel trailer for Dominguez Hills as the Start/Finish HQ and I really want to thank Turtle for his patience!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
3/31 Eldo race re-cap
All three groups did a great job, except for the Masters crash in between T-3 and T-4. This is where it is most difficult, as the road stops being straight and initiates a slight curve to the left, then ever so slightly to the Right...very friggin technical.As I've always said, races are at their safest when they are at their fastest, and the Masters category, once again, proved the rule. When it bunches up and the racers are more than 2 abreast, then people will touch/overlap wheels, and when that happens-racers fall down and cause others to fall down.There's a reason why guys like Gibby, McMahon, and Thurlow don't crash...and I suggest that those who don't like crashing start to imitate them.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Redlands crit re-cap
I raced the 35+ and thought that most of the Masters food chain/elite would be at the other event...but I was wrong. All the guys that race better than me were there, so my place in the upper end of the masters food chain would be yet again delayed. McMahon won, Mark Scott, Anthony Morrow, Dan Reback, Jeff Prinz, Jeff Padget, and others gave a good show.There was this racer from Helens who wanted to squeeze into this little space, bumping bars with me in the process...and if there's one thing I don't like it's some dreamer trying to aggressively advance a few inches in 40th position right before a chicane. Being touched and pushed around in the top-5 is status quo, but not in the pack fodder where nothing counts. I finished 22nd...prolly out of 22 finishers.The Redlands crew did an excellent job of promoting the event, and I thank Brian McCulloch, Mark Love, and Scott Welsh for having invited me to this event. I like the downtown, I like the crowds, and I like the peeps that promote this race.BTW....I heard that at the other event, some asshole Cat. 5 decided to commit battery upon another racer by taking off his shoe and hitting another racer in the face with the metal cleat...nice. This isn't the WWF or returning home from NASCAR & the wife ain't got dinner on the table-so she "fell" again; it's a hobby. Tough guys can go Cagefight or apply at the UFC. It was a Cat 5 race! This little bitch didn't have enuff ballz to hit him with his own fist...Fancypants took off his stiletto pump & hit him with that!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Race re-cap, 3/24/09 Eldo
Sending off the 4/5 group before the Masters was a good choice. It seems that they want to race, they are racing fast, and they are not afraid of the wind. The Masters group shattered, and the Pro/1/2/3 did very very well."A warrior acts, only a fool reacts." Frank chased the break and towed Evan to it, and as soon as Frank turned to look, he was popped...and that meant that I was, too. A group of 5 stayed away to finish, and the chase group of 50 could not catch. I totally encourage represented teams to race as a team because once their guys are away, it is the burden of the other teams to give chase. There were several teams (including CBR) that were not represented in the breakaway, and the break will never be caught unless those unrepresented teams chase. Unfortunately, too many racers hold back every Tuesday (World Championships?) in hopes of using those saved matches so they can burn them by cracking the top-10.Ideally, I'd like to see Banning's Bikes and MotorTabs organize their racers by making a concerted effort in reigning in the breakaway when their racers missed the breakaway. Sho Air & La Habra Cyclery are gonna block, as well they should. Travis Wilkerson had zero teammates, but he knew who to watch when the warrior made his move. Congrats to Jamie, MJ, Travis, Turtle, and Evan for working together and staying away.There were no incidents, no complaints, no negative racing, and no unsportsmanlike conduct: a great day to race! I thank each and every racer who contributed to this group effort; this is a day where I like to promote races-people racing hard, fast AND clean!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Eldo re-cap from 03/17/09 bike race
Masters got caught by the Cat. 4/5 group, so we'll change the start order and see if that helps. Two Pro/1/2/3 racers, who never complain and who are never complained about, voiced their concerns of an elite racer brake-checking near the final sprint. That is totally not cool and is a bigger safety violation than being than a run-of-the-mill idiot, as it goes to intent.Also, Soon after I gave my speech about moron racers turning their heads side to sides and to not to that cuz their bike goes the same direction as their head, this one idiot (who shall remain nameless for now), did it right in front of me. We were going up that little rise with the headwind and he turned to look at a couple kids playing on the grass, and as usual-his bike went the same friggin' direction, which caused him to overlap Betsy's rear wheel, so the moron had to clip out of his pedal to keep it upright.Now, I can do a whole lot more when I see something stupid as opposed to me not witnessing it. I will put this guy on probation for the next few races and if he so much as dreams of turning his head right or left, he'll sit it out for a month. A knucklehead Cat. 5 does it by accident cuz they don't know better, but a Cat. 2 knows better, so the hammer falls harder on the moron.I'm done with idiots making the race unsafe, so if one or two or ten need to have a time out, then so be it. I will do my very best to make it safer for the fifty or sixty that know how to not to race like idiots.Other than that, the race went great! I thought I was gonna pop with four laps to go cuz I had nuthin, so I tried to recover until 1 lap to go, and then I still had nuthin!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Documentary: The Ground Truth
This is gut-wrenching: war is ugly and horrific. I cannot wait until we get our soldiers out of Iraq. These soldiers coming back home are someone's daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. Sometimes they come back whole, sometimes in pieces, sometimes in body bags, and sometimes they return only to kill themselves.
03/10/09 Eldo re-cap
All 3 categories rode well, some Cat 4/5 racer managed to stay upright, even when his wheel taco'd in T-4. Jamie Paolinetti and Brian "Turtle" Keate rode agressive and there were no issues! I was surprised that Bike Religion had almost 1,000 racers in the P/1/2/3 and it seemed like they chased all day instead of putting guys in the break [hint: it's much easier, tactically, to have guys in the break & then sit in/block than to burn matches by chasing the break]. The Masters dang near got caught at the finish line, and I know why! They are SLOW! When I see women, over the age of 30, attacking the masters and staying at the front...that's all I need to see! Kudos to Michelle Webster (Swami's), who is not afraid of the wind and certainly not afraid of the Masters-Masters, who are more concerned with the racers riding to the Left and Right of them.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
03/08/09 bike race re-cap
It was a great day for Velo Allegro, and as soon as Ross figures out how to improve pre-registration, it will be perfect! Here are the registration basics: alphabetize (last name, then first name) and assign sequential race numbers. We're working with him so he does it the right way, and he's really smart, so that makes him a quick study and a very valuable asset to Velo Allegro-so they would be wise not to lose him! Very few crashes when the Dominguez course is raced counter-clockwise, but some managed to do it. For next year, we will probably make the 50+ a Cat 1-4 instead of open. I cannot tell you how happy I am with the 50+ support. With the exception of March 8th, the 50+ had more racers than the Pro/1/2, which almost boxed me into a corner of making a decision with the Pro/1/2 for 2009...we'll see what will happen on April 5th. Three different racers (RB, JW, & IM) from three different teams complained on one racer (RF), and Tom FitzGibbon really needs to have a sit down with this guy. I told RF two things: 1) if someone so much as complains that RF sneezed wrong, he will sit out the rest of the year with USCF races, and 2) even if something does happen, real or perceived, that RF immediately meets with that racer after the race and resolves it before any racer comes to me with it. If it gets dumped in my lap, then I'm gonna fix it & someone ain't gonna like it. I'm a huge fan of people fixing their own problems, especially grown f*cking men who pay taxes and vote. I don't have time to listen to men complain and then subsequently listen to men explain. The way a racer beats another racer is the way Ryan Barrett and Jamie Paolinetti do it....ride at 34mph until the racer can't even draft and then the racer drops their wheel. Crappy/douchebag racers hook wheels, brake check, bumps bars with lesser experienced racers, and take drafting riders into cones/barricades/curbs. The better rider just rides them off their wheel with brute strength & speed...strange concept, huh? For every one Ryan there are three dozen non-Ryans: it sux, but that's just the way it is these days-more negative racing than positive racing & sportsmanship is out the window. I will do what I can to keep this corner of the world clean, and for the most part, the race at Velo Allegro ran great and without a hitch.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Eldo re-cap, 03/03/09
I moved the registration cuz all 4 of my barricades were bolt-cutted from the lightpost, so I had to play traffic guy and turn away all of the non-racers in Area III. All in all, it was a decent ride and decent turnout for a 4pm race start. There are a couple things I will address... 1. Racers turned away after 4pm: if anyone bothers to read the 2009 Eldo flyer, it says that start times are approximate and that if there are any questions, to call me. If you called and got my voice mail, it says that voice mail will take a week to respond while texting is within 24 hours. My last 2 email bursts highlighted the fact that Eldo will start at 4pm on March 3rd; furthermore, it was on the front page of the website cuz I don't have time to update race flyers with minutia (hence the word "approximate" and to call with questions. I know people were upset when turned away, but racers need to take an active role in acquiring recently-updated information. I hafta take my cue from Eldo Parks & Rec-it's not like I chose to start at 4pm. 2. New Eldo rule for groups that are passed by other groups. I'm going to nip this in the bud immediately for 2009. If a group, for example-the masters, are passed by the cat. 4-5 group, then the masters will not be allowed to pass the 4-5 group for the duration of the race. Should they decide not to heed this rule & try to pass them, then all of the points will be forfeited that day. I'm not gonna have one group getting all ego-hurt because they got passed and then work like heck to pass them...they should have worked harder not to be passed in the first place, especially by a bunch of cat. 5s. 3. Holding a straight line coming out of Turn 4, or anywhere for that matter. We had an incident in the Pro/1/2/3 where a racer made an abrupt movement (sideways) to the point where another racer had to clip out of their pedal to keep the bike upright. Racer Sideways says he moved out of the way cuz he was tired, and another racer said Racer Pedal clipped out to fight it out. It's a good thing that I had the Technical Director of CBR watching the entire thing, and the CBR Technical Director said that Racer Pedal clipped out to avoid crashing and Racer Sideways was too abrupt in his movement so as to interrupt the forward motion of another competitor. This is particularly bothersome because I believe that men, acting as men, should own their actions. If someone was man enough to do something then they should be man enough to own it, as it goes to integrity. Once you lose your integrity with me, I will never believe you-even if you are telling the truth, so you had better effing own what you did when called to the carpet-it will save you one day-I promise. Whatever it was that was done, get in front of it and own it and you will never go wrong with me...the medicine might taste a little sour but it will only be temporary.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Race promoter took 9th place in 40+ elite, what the hell is going on when the Fat Kid cracks the top-50??? 03/01/09 race re-cap
I really appreciated all the help that we received from Ashley Kjos and her 2 great kids (helpers), Don Denegal, and the entire crew that assisted, from start to finish. We got lucky with weather and turnout. A couple of minor fires I extinguished, but then again, that's what I do. That 40+ race...I felt crappy the whole day, woke up at 1am cuz of power outage & couldn't get back to sleep, was tired and sore from moving all the equipment and I thought I was gonna be pack fodder right from the gun, so I'm still shocked that I cracked the top-10; it's been my best result in almost 8 years.
A lot of racers told me how pissed off they were at Ray Moreno's Ontario recentbutt-raping bike race, saying that his entry fee were too high, prizelist not enough, and someone told me that there were 115 racers in the Pro/1/2/3 category and Ray still chopped the prizelist anyway because he didn't have a full field of 125 racers. Don't know for sure cuz I wasn't there, but some racers need to have a long-term memory instead of sticking their hand in the fire once a year just to remember that burning sensation. Until the race promoter seriously feels the consequences of their actions in the wallet, the race promoter ain't gonna change...get it?demeanor
How racers manage to crash on a course like Long Beach (Hughes Park) is beyond my little brain's comprehension: flat, 3 very simple curves and 1 corner. Some people are just not destined to be racers because they are either too stupid to be strong enough to ride at the front (hence avoid the crashes) or they are consistently at the wrong place at the wrong time. Guys like Gibby and Mike McMahon have the skills I envy...this one guy (who shall remain nameless) chopped McMahon's front wheel so hard that I thought Mike was gonna go down, which would have caused Thurlow & a buncha others to do so as well. Mike did this thing with his arms & bike, kept it upright, and never even got pissed off-a true example of his . A general rule of thumb is that an average racer who does serious miles (250-400/week) will end up involved with one serious crash per year. Anything more than that and you better start looking at competitive swimming where you only have those floating plastic thingys (in between lanes) that might bump your head while swimming in your single lane....
A lot of racers told me how pissed off they were at Ray Moreno's Ontario recent
How racers manage to crash on a course like Long Beach (Hughes Park) is beyond my little brain's comprehension: flat, 3 very simple curves and 1 corner. Some people are just not destined to be racers because they are either too stupid to be strong enough to ride at the front (hence avoid the crashes) or they are consistently at the wrong place at the wrong time. Guys like Gibby and Mike McMahon have the skills I envy...this one guy (who shall remain nameless) chopped McMahon's front wheel so hard that I thought Mike was gonna go down, which would have caused Thurlow & a buncha others to do so as well. Mike did this thing with his arms & bike, kept it upright, and never even got pissed off-a true example of his . A general rule of thumb is that an average racer who does serious miles (250-400/week) will end up involved with one serious crash per year. Anything more than that and you better start looking at competitive swimming where you only have those floating plastic thingys (in between lanes) that might bump your head while swimming in your single lane....
Friday, February 20, 2009
Taking Chance, on HBO
It's the very personal story of Lt. Col. Michael Strobl (Kevin Bacon), who, in 2004, volunteered to accompany the body of 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Chance Phelps from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to Dubois, Wyo. Strobl kept a journal of that journey. He shared that with some of his friends, who shared it with other Marines — and it became the basis of the HBO film that premieres Saturday at 9 p.m "The two days I was at Dover, I think they had about a dozen departures of remains. And every time the remains would leave, these construction workers would stop their work, put their hard hats over their heart, and stand at their version of attention," he said. "And seeing that, I realized I want to remember this because there's really some goodness there." "When you see a body count coming up, it doesn't really hit home in the same kind of way as it does if you actually see what happens to the actual remains — you see the preparation, you see the respect, and you see the tradition and the honor that is involved with actually returning them to their final resting place," he said. "And the story is really a very, very simple one. … It's almost completely unembellished with anything to make it more cinematic or dramatic or to somehow force us to feel one way or another based on what our preconceived notions are about Iraq and whether or not we should have been in there or whatever. These paragraphs were taken from Deseret News because I could not properly put into words and they could.
Monday, February 16, 2009
I will be going to Burning Man in 2009
http://www.burningman.com/ I'll be bringing lots of water and a bike with lots of lights on it. I'll sleep in the Honda element and meet interesting people. Life is too short, and Burning Man has been at the top of my to-do list. Held out in the Black Rock desert in Nevada, it's gotten huge...really huge.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
There is nothing you can do that I have not already done to myself....
So with that being said, how do you deal with such? The hardest battles are always fought within ourselves, and that is certainly true with me. It took boot camp in the US Marine Corps, circa 1985, to bring me to a normal weight...I always thought of it as being paid to work out, sorta like a professional athlete. Fast forward 24 friggin years and that battle continues to rage. Since 2006, I told my teammates that my weight would find its competitive balance, and I am pleased to say that I'm within 20 pounds of that weight.Today, my cycling collective was formally handed to me by Jim Wiznura and Mark Lorenz. Jim made a move, too early I thought, but I was nowhere near in physically answering it. This was after Mark Lorenz did the brunt of the work while we stayed in his slipstream. Eventually, I will drop this anchor around my neck, one pound at a time....everything serves as a lesson, even the painful sh*t.
Here are the top 5 songs in my current playlist, check out the preview on iTunes and if you like, grab the song for yourself.
Dave Gahan - Dirty Sticky Floors (silencer remix)
Eric Prydz - Pjanoo (club mix) {side note-video makes me think I'm shroomin}
Deadmau5 - Ghosts n Stuff
Mindless Self indulgence - Tommie Sunshine (Tsmv) Remix
Fragma - Toca's Miracle (Impetto Remix)
Here are the top 5 songs in my current playlist, check out the preview on iTunes and if you like, grab the song for yourself.
Dave Gahan - Dirty Sticky Floors (silencer remix)
Eric Prydz - Pjanoo (club mix) {side note-video makes me think I'm shroomin}
Deadmau5 - Ghosts n Stuff
Mindless Self indulgence - Tommie Sunshine (Tsmv) Remix
Fragma - Toca's Miracle (Impetto Remix)
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Today's ride
Wasn't fit enough to stay with the players and ended up only doing about 55 miles. The Fat Kid is tired.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Be My Bike Riding Zombie at Slab City for Valentine's Weekend (newsworthy event from the LA Times)
The loose network of bicycle enthusiasts, rogues, and hipsters known as the Midnight Ridazz spends the Valentine's weekend in Slab City, the site of an abandoned World War II Navy Base next to the Salton Sea (also featured in Sean Penn's film Into The Wild).The theme of the monthly bike meeting is playing zombies, so participants are advised to bring fat-tired bikes, fake blood, lots of water, and a significant other to share in the romance and adventure of the four-day camping trip.Slab City, 770 East Beal Road; Niland, California. Fri to Mon, $5, www.midnightridazz.com
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Race re-cap, 02/08/2009 in Dominguez Hills
Not a whole lot of people know this, but it was Kevin Phillips (Team Ironfly) was the person who found this Dominguez Hills course. He's a super-nice guy, happily married to a former teammate of mine (Melanie, from the Long Beach Velo Club days in the 1980s), and is the major backbone of Ironfly. What I report to the insurance carrier is known as Single Entries, and in a perfect world, I would love to report any race with over 500+ single entries. With the rains coming before Sunday's race, I was already stressing on low turnout....fixed costs must be paid, rain or shine! My goal, before the rain, was 450+ single entries. Well, we came really close...we rec'd 414 single entries. It could have been a lot worse, so I'm very happy with all of the racers that came to support our event. Randall Coxworth drove up from San Diego to race the Masters 30+ event, then he immediately drove back to SD to Red Trolley to race the P/1/2 event...and it's because of racers like him that we were able to hit 414 single entries. EVERY RACER COUNTS! It rained for a little bit in the 40+ event and the women's race, and then it cleared up. I brought out the bare bones equipment cuz I didn't want it ruined with the rain. I'm really hoping that this rain is done on my race days, especially with El Dorado fast approaching. Everything went pretty well with a minimum of bloodshed. Our next race is March 1st in Long Beach, so now I gotta compile the race results and the BAR Series...they will be uploaded soon.Thursday, February 05, 2009
The Latest...
Movie reviews:
The Wrestler & Slumdog Millionaire...go see them both! Book reviews:
The Road (being made into a movie, too) & The last Lecture...read them if you have the time!
The Wrestler & Slumdog Millionaire...go see them both! Book reviews:
The Road (being made into a movie, too) & The last Lecture...read them if you have the time!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Mahony & crew investigated by US officials...long time coming
Cardinal Roger Mahony, one of the biggest pieces of crap to walk the earth, might be answering questions about which top-level Catholic puppet-heads knew of the universal molestations & any attempts to cover up such molestations. In 2007, the archdiocese agreed to pay $660 million to 508 alleged victims. They stalled, they delayed, and then they settled....typical of an innocent person's behavior"Deliver Us From Evil" is the documentary that (I think pretty much) shows Mahony trading molestation cover-ups for promotions...his own promotions. This is how I think it secretly went down: "I'll bury this for as long as I can and transfer the priests here & there, making it difficult for any investigation to get legs, but you had better make me Cardinal and make me really, really, powerful."I highly recommend everyone to rent the DVD and watch this documentary. Even when the Vatican had the chance to do the right thing, to get in front of it & correct it...they didn't. It's just another money-making corporation, in my stupid opinion that matters to no one.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Interesting stuff from Sunset magazine, 02/09 issue
Hidden gem outside Yosemite National Park: 24 new cabins opening in April...evergreenlodge.com, 209/379-2606 starting at $130. They mentioned a day trip to Chinatown in LA and forgot to mention that great place with the famous shrimp dish (Chinese Friends? I think). It's closed on either Mon or Tue, I can't remember, but it's really good.After their write up on Sedona, AZ it makes me want to take a road trip there. I'll sleep in the Honda Element, check out the eateries and see the sights. In this issue, they have the top-20 inns for a romantic weekend. There are too many (I want to visit) to mention, so either buy the issue, steal it from me, or go to Borders. OMG! They have this recipe for brown sugar bacon...WTF! Yummy, I'll never break 200lbs with stuff like that in their mag!I'm not much on the gardening & what to do with the monthly dirt/plant segment, so I watch out for the cool spots to visit and curious places to eat. Also, I like some of their design stuff...anything log-cabiny/minimalist grabs my attention. I don't like anything with brick bracks or tons of crapola (too much to clean/dust...yuk)
Monday, January 26, 2009
January 25th bike race in Long Beach: re-cap...thank goodness we brought an extra 25 rolls of toilet paper cuz we used 'em!
Truly, the reason why we have such a kick ass race is because of our volunteers. I can show up and organize the insurance, permits, and toilets but I cannot spend the entire day at Turn 4, Registration, First Aid, Start/Finish all at the same time. This is a group effort, and this group is great.We got incredibly lucky with the weather. Tony & Jeff assisted with Turn 4 access and did a great job (no concerns from Mercedes or Charter!). Carlos, George, and Deo did an outstanding job with First Aid (only 1 Cat. 5 to be transported). Vic, Brett & Jayson took care of the primes & prizes, Bill, Jim, Julio, Buzz & Nick continue to do a kick-ass job at the start/finish and give me the chance to wander all over the race, meet with property owners, city officials, racers, and spectators.The generator & the hydraulics arm on the 5th wheel crapped out. Words cannot express how much I appreciate Vic Viscio's help with the generator. He narrowed down the list of suspected failures and got it to where it starts on its own. The thing that sucks with a broken generator in a 5th wheel trailer is that the entire trailer gotta be towed to a trailer shop...a huge headache. Also, a huge thanks to Nick Jones, who followed me to the trailer storage and parked the trailer for me. When I pulled it out on Friday, I nicked my neighbor's bumper and felt incredibly stupid & only wanted to limit the body count, and thanks to Nick-the 5th Wheel was parked with total success. What sux is that my dumbass gotta pull it out for our next race and I'm already stressin.We had great fields and super speedy racing. One problem tho', MJ voiced his concern about RF, and this wasn't the first time we had people voicing their concerns about RF. RF will receive a warning letter from me & he needs to stop taking his hands off the bars and putting them on competing riders in an effort to alter their forward momentum. I was very happy with thrurnout, I was very happy with the attitudes, and I was glad to be a race promoter in So Cal that day!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Current rumor control...10/12/2008
Michael Ball, top banana of Rock Racing, wants to race Masters, so Mark Scott and Greg Leibert are racing for RR in 2009. Also, Mark Hoffenberg is getting $$$ for Sho-Air's masters, so JP, MJ, and JB will be heading that team.The one thing about our masters races is that day-of and overall pay is cash, typically better than most races, which is why our races are always well-supported. Can someone please tell Alan Flores (Radsport) that there's no money in the So Cal cup? Dave P. had cash in his hand had he been able to play with the boys in the BAR Series, but the rumors I heard was that Alan wanted to win the So Cal Cup, and then he didn't win it because Steve Strickler won it. That's almost as tactically preficient as looking for Chris Walker's wheel in the finishing field sprint. Alan Flores is also a sponsor (UBS) of Edge Racing/Radsport, so he who owns the gold makes the rules! What else? Oh yeah, I think Pat Caro left Schroeder to race for Rock Racing, and Schroeder picked up that Aussie guy who's pretty cool and really nice at registration (courtesy-as well as discourtesy- always remain in long term memory). Even Teske will prolly race for Hoify's team (Sho-Air), and it looks like the Masters 50+ races will be more competitive in 2009.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Velo Allegro ride today, 09/13/08
My fitness is slowly getting there. I was able to draft for 2 1/2 laps before getting dropped. Reback, Clay, Carlos, Guido, Wiz, Hunter, Kurt, and Horvath came out to play. Pretty much all of them made my life miserable, as I could only respond to, not dictate, the pace. I'm still over 200lbs, so I'm not able to go back to Eileen Olsen until I'm serious about losing this fat ass.Monday, September 08, 2008
Is this the doctor accused of road rage? Could this be the douchebag ADW suspect?
This guy likes to put cyclists thru windshields? Why isn't his POS attorney pleading this? BECAUSE! He wants a continuance, hoping that this fades from memory! Keep this candle buring, fellow cyclists, and send a message to other sociopaths who use a vehicle just like a gun.Friday, August 01, 2008
Today's front page of the Wall Street Journal: biking v. road rage
Anonymity behind the wheel encourages bullying. It's like douchebags with guns; it's easy to point & shoot but harder to make a fist and punch: takes more balls. I always ask the bully driver if they're okay to trade places with me: I'll drive and they can ride my bike, then I tell them that I'll get them to wet their pants before they crash. The guys with their pee-pee extenders (really expensive foreign car or huge lift kit 4x4 truck...with the "No Fear" logo prominently displayed) are the real tough guys. My skin versus their 5,000-lb. hunk of metal is no match, but they still think it's a question that's gotta be answered.Monday, July 14, 2008
Road rage form letter to LA Dist. Atty., make your voice heard, print & mail
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
This is what Doctor Christopher Thompson did to Ron Peterson in his road rage attack
Please make sure that someone attends the August 1st criminal arraignment and grab a photo of Dr. Christopher Thompson and send it to me: he's 58 years old and appears to hate cyclists with a death vengeance. It's too bad that we cannot give him a taste of his own medicine by putting him on a bike, slamming on the brakes of a car, and propelling him into the rear windshield, shattering his nose, teeth, and face. BTW, these were taken with Ron Peterson's cell phone camera in the e.r.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Three Bravo Oscar Bravo Five One One Tan/Beige Gran Marquis
So I'm riding home, minding my own business and ride up to a red light & stop(Ellis & 405 onramp). Light changes, I roll. From behind me, this car starts blaring on their horn, and they drive Westbound on Ellis...I catch them at the light at Ellis & Newland. With an open palm, I slap the trunk and ask them what their problem is. Inside, some skinny-Emo tatted zit is in the passenger seat and his skank sister/girlfriend is in the driver seat. I roll out from the light and as this car passes by me again, the Emo asshole has his passenger door open, attempting to strike me with the door as his slut is driving the car. Thankfully, I catch them at the light at Brookhurst and Ellis. Emo 'tard has his window open now, so I converse with him. This motivates him to open his car door...now I gotta think fast: do I wait until he's halfway out and pin his neck between the door and the car or do I choose Door #2? I slam the door back shut and tell him the only way he's getting out of the car is by crawling out the window, and I tell the driver to pull the car over so I can chat with her. They drive across the intersection and flip a bitch (U-turn) in the parking lot, waiting for me to ride by. I ride by, they pull out behind me, and Emo 'tard throws water on me from his sippy cup. Now, I'm smart enough to know that my fat skin will lose a fight with a 4,000-lb. hunk of metal, so I keep a low profile unless someone had their cup of A-hole. In this instance, I was shocked that a female was driving and maintaining/failing to diffuse the confrontation, but now my perspective is a bit broader.Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Racer crosses finish line, talking on cell phone, while others are still racing.
Dave Gonzales strolled across the finish line yesterday, yapping on the cell phone while we still had racers trying to finish. Not only was this incredibly stupid (for Dave) and dangerous (not for him...who cares about his dumbness), but it tells me that as a society-we are in a sad state of affairs. This ass-clown didn't have the smarts to just stop the bike and pull over; he had to make a point of coming to the finish line, going blah-blah-blah into the phone. It's friggin SAD that I gotta make an announcement, telling racers not to race and answer phones at the same time; it's SAD that these ass-monkeys cannot figure this out for themselves. It's SAD that he didn't have the common sense IQ points to either continue racing and let it go to voice mail, or (here's a thought) just keep the phone in the car, or put the phone on silent mode. If the call was so friggin' important (like pregnant wife/dying father, etc.), then maybe he should have been tending his business elsewhere, but judging by the look on his face, the Happy Wanderer was just that. By the way, someone tell Dave the right way to check a diaper; there's a wrong way in doing that, too.Monday, June 16, 2008
Chad Gerlach on A & E's Intervention
Former pro bike racer, arsonist, and crack addict was featured on A & E's Intervention. Parents divorced when he was eight, set fires in Nor Cal at 13, convicted of arson & went to jail, then his father got him into bike racing. Went to OTC and raced pro for the United States Postal Service Team.Of course, he couldn't leave well enough alone and found a way to get booted from US Postal as well as four other pro teams before he found crack cocaine. He's been living on the streets for eighteen (18) months and supports his $2000/month crack habit by panhandling. NEVER GIVE ANY MONEY TO BUMS LIKE HIM; FEED & CLOTHE THE HOMELESS BUT NEVER GIVE THEM CASH...NEVER EVER, NEVER EVER.It's real sad to see such potential take a turn for the worse, but there are tons of people with issues in their pasts that did not commit felonies, did not become arsonists, and did not smoke crack. It really sucks for the family, because they gotta deal with his death, his overdose, or any other issues unshouldered by him.He doesn't even need to quit crack; he can come down to Southern California and start racing again. I know this team that specializes in former dopers. I'm always down for helping people who want to help themselves, but if someone like Chad only wants to circle the drain, it's been my experience to just get out of the way. They won't take the help, and they won't get better: he's still using the crutch of mommie & daddy divorcing. Get over it. They're alive & healthy: it's no reason to justify continued crack cocaine abuse.I'm so glad that he took the offer of help, got into rehab, and made peace with his loved ones. He's been sober since February, 2008.
Friday, April 18, 2008
El Dorado re-cap for April 15, 2008
A racer gave us an envelope last week, and I thought it was just an annual license. I had no idea that it was an Insider Club...whoops! I didn't think that anyone would want to be an Insider in April, so I was surprised, thinking that window was closed. I talked to XXX, who asked why I didn't tell everyone that I was gonna cancel the GG crit unless people registered. I don't like to threaten, because blackmailing racers (register for my race or else) doesn't make for a good race promoter. Local racers should know that I deliver: good or bad. Local racers know that I will stop promoting all these crits if we don't hit the 1,000 annual member benchmark. Local racers know that if the BAR Series goes away in 2009, then local racing just got a little worse. Local racers know that if sh*t hits the fan, then I disappear. If a race goes off perfect, it is still extremely stressful. When there are problems like fighting, crashes, and lawsuits, it's easier to just stop promoting to eliminate the headache. No one should experience a lawsuit, and the next one that gets filed will be the death of my race promoting. Eldo will be gone, BAR Series gone, and I will not need to play umpire to 40-somethings that cannot fix their own problems.Monday, April 07, 2008
After we have the olympics in China, the IOC should seriously consider having the future summer olympics in Darfur
Isn't China a country that restricts the amount of babies born into it? What's up with their handling of Tibet? Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you get to kill the opposing mouthpiece. What's up with all that smog? What's up with their toothpaste, what's up with their dog food, what's up with their lead-paint toys, and what's up with their Heparin? These backwards-ass yokels seem to put poison in everything and can't get anything right. If I was an olympic athlete, I'd be PISSED OFF that I gotta go deep-breathe that air at 120% of my max. Being that the IOC has so much acumen in selecting cities to host the olympics, they should seriously consider Darfur has their next selection. They don't export dangerous products, they just kill everything they see; it's only a slight downtick.Thursday, April 03, 2008
Real easy way to fix this subprime/forclosure mess & get this country back on its feet
Subprime mortgages are for those who have crappy credit and otherwise wouldn't qualify. i don't apply for a Rolls Royce because I don't have that kind of coin...I'm more of a Honda kinda guy. The banks (or whoever is holding to bag) are gonna hafta eat it if they want homeowners to keep making payments). Bring them to a 30-year or 40-year fixed so they can make their payments. For those that refinanced their house and used that influx of cash to buy all sorts of stupid gadgets and toys (credit checks will locate the big ticket items); they are screwed. People who bought on speculation or as an investment, hoping to flip for a quick profit; they are screwed. The banks and the fed needs to determine who are the homeowners that truly want to stay in their primary residence...identify those and this will be fixed. Everyone else made poor choices should not be bailed out. At the height of this insanity, I could have pulled out $250,000 in equity & refinanced. I didn't, but then again, I'm not looking to buy some Ferarri when I can't afford it. At the end of the day, I would have had to pay back what I borrowed.Wednesday, March 26, 2008
El Dorado's 03/25/08 race re-cap
I officiated and tried to "motivate" the Masters 40+, who did a good job of staying safe and competitive. Here are some of the helpful tidbits I tried to pass along at the race:Winners attack, losers chase
Instead of chasing attacks, try attacking
You don't get stronger by sitting in
Winners play offense, losers play defense
Break time is over, so start racing
Where in the eff is the counter-attack?
Will someone please show me what a fast race looks like
The Masters held off the Cat. IV/V racers until 2 laps to go, so they almost raced the entire race without getting caught by the IV/Vs. It was like someone pulled a train brake every time that bell rang. That bell means to pick up the pace and deny the sprinters their chance to just sit there until show time.
Mark Scott lodged a complaint against a racer who used his hand in an other than "I'm right here" manner. Three racers corroborated Scott's complaint, and as I pointed out to the guy that couldn't keep his hands on his bars, these 3 guys have:
1) no motivation to get involved by lying to me
and
2) do not want to suffer a lifetime ban by lying to me Mark is not without fault, as he cooly explained to me, "I'll fix this on the road," or words to that effect. Unfortunately, Mark should not make threatening statements when loding his complaint (it tends to make his position weaker). What was really classic was Mr. Handsy's pal trying to tell me what happened, but this guy was leading the field-so he couldn't observe squat. At the end of the day, I don't want racers screwing around and taking their hands off the bars (unless they truly are about to get crashed). Furthermore, the racer who couldn't keep his hands on his bars subsequently showed discourtesy to Dan Nicolette by offending him while I was trying to sort this all out. This guy also felt that my problem resolution skills should be in private and not where everyone can watch, but I'd rather not deal with this drama in the first place, so I fix it where I fix and if he doesn't like my organizational skills, then he can keep his hands on his bars and avoid it alltogether. A special kudos to Lightning Velo in the Masters group, who consistently employed team tactics and raced as a team instead of 4 guys in the same jersey...it did not go unnoticed!
Labels: Hands on Bars, Idiot, Suspension
Monday, March 17, 2008
Taxpayer money, $30 Billion, to assist JP Morgan in buying investment bank Bear Stearns...wall street cool, main street foreclosed
I'm not for bailouts. If you got a home and neither shouldn't have qualified nor couldn't have afforded, then the chips gotta fall where they fall. Sub-prime is just that, sub-prime. People with bad credit, speculators hoping to flip, and people making poor investments need to shoulder their responsibility, but for the feds to assist JP Morgan with a seven cents on the dollar buy of Bear Stearns should not be done with taxpayer funds. I have made TONS, literally TONS of bad financial mistakes, but at the end of the day, I'm not gonna go to mommy or daddy and get a tax-free loan. I eat it, and learn from my mistakes. JP Morgan got a sweetheart of a deal, a $3.5 billion dollar company for ~$263 million....nice! If the financial leaders do not un-eff this economy, then there will be two classes of people: the haves and the have-nots, the middle class will disappear like the black & white television and 8-track tape player.Sunday, March 16, 2008
Soon to celebrate our 5-year anniversary in Iraq, and what have we won?
Almost 4,000 soldiers dead.Almost 30,000 soldiers wounded. Real figures put the cost of this war to the United States taxpayer at almost 3 TRILLION dollars. Who made us the world policeman, and even if we were, then why we gotta pay for it?3 tillion dollars would have fixed Social Security for the next 50 years, and instead, our economy is in the toilet. I'm no investment banker, but when every other currency is stronger than the american dollar, then all the other currency traders (and their clients) think our dollar's a joke. I don't drive unless it's absolutley necessary, and when I do, I combine trips to save a little here and a little there. When you have a corporation like Exxon making world-record breaking profits when oil is at $3.50/gallon, then I don't see any real need to support a corporation like that; besides, they still need to clean up & pay for that oil spill in Valdez, Alaska. I'd love to see people curb their use of gas and watch those Saudis not make $110/barrel.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
El Dorado re-cap, 3/11/08
On good days, I really like race promoting. On bad days, I want to give it back to Ray Moreno, Ben Cardenas, and Brad House. Today was one of the best days I've had. Everyone who showed up made me proud that I'm doing the right thing by not folding up my tent and going home.I forgot the race numbers! Can you believe that? In the 8 years of promoting el Dorado, this was the FIRST time I ever forgot a sensitive-item! I really wasn't concerned about people skipping out on the entry fee; the $7 or $10 is not as important as the race waivers....it's the lawsuits that will kill the course and destroy bike racing overall. The people who race, then sue, are a cancer to our circle. This is why when anyone (who) even whispers the "L" word, they are banned for life. Lawsuits make me want to leave race promoting, as it is a headache I don't need. The nickels & dimes I make from promoting are nothing to the dollars that pay the mortgage from my suck-job, but I digress. We had a huge turnout, we only had Willie as an official in the 40+ (I got popped 20 minutes into it), and nobody crashed. I was a very happy promoter on Tuesday night. I also had a chance to talk to someone I consider a friend. We got to talking about religion, and it reinforced my thinking: if I was born in China, I'd be a buddha. If I was born in India, I'd be a Hindu. If I was born in Iran, I'd be a Muslim. If I was born in Ireland, I'd be an Irish catholic. If I was born in Hollywood, I'd be a Scientologist. If I was born in Utah, I'd be a Mormon. When it came to my religious upbringing, I had no vote. Who's to say which religion is right and which religion is wrong? How arrogant is it for one religion to proclaim that they're better than another religion? "My God is better than Your God" is the adult moron's equivalent to a 5th grader's "My dad can beat up your dad." Treat (those who deserve it) with kindness and don't chase after anyone with a stick. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for capturing Osama Bin Laden and making him the daily boyfriend of a very bad man until Osama dies of old age. I'd also video-tape & You Tube Bin Laden's newly-acquired wife skills, as a death sentence is too quick and would martyr him. This would send a strong message to the terrorists and their 72-virgin dream, and the message would be this: "eventually, you might get to the virgins, but for the next 50 years, you're gonna be on You Tube, showing the infidels what a US prison is really like, without the abrupt ending with a shank! OK, time for me to take my Zoloft...I went from being hapy about el Dorado to Osama on You Tube...yikes!Wednesday, February 27, 2008
I want to start Crack Rock Racing Team (CRRT)
I'm done with vitamins, supplements, and complex carbohydrates. I want a racing team where racers augment their training with nothing but Crack Rocks. I want the team to be "thin, edgy, bad boys," and I'll want No Fear or Bad Boy stickers on our team vehicles, which will be Edsels. I think this will set a good example for others to follow, mainly my children. Having my Crack Rock Racing Team will surely attract big-money sponsors, and if sponsors don't have the f*ckin' grapes to sponsor my Crack Heads, then I'll front the money myself. I want Road Magazine and Velo News to do a profile of my team. My training camp will be at 5th and Los Angeles Street in skid row from 2am-4am: look for Freckles or Sad Clown, they'll show you to our secret training facility.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Race re-cap: 6th Annual Anger Management crit, 2/17/08
I know that 3rd rate race midget Frank Sarate's boycotting my races, but the sad thing is that the little guy should allow his racers to race the events they want to race, especially if he's not paying them a salary. Unfortunately, his lot in life is to be a dictator in a hobby that should be enjoyed...none of his entry fees/helmets/bikes/shoes to his racers pay real bills, and if I raced for him, I'd tell him to give me money (to follow such orders) or shut the hell up...this hobby don't pay the rent, but then again, if he was in charge of a bowling team, he'd order his bowlers to boycot the CBR Bowling Lanes! I arrive at the course at 4:30am to see the toilets wrongly placed on the inside corner of Turn 4, so I immediately freak out. Thankfully, the volunteers moved them so we didn't have problems. Anthony Galvan left a very small carbon footprint, there was a huge presence of women 4 (thank you, Triathletix), and a very decent turnout in the other categories: a polar opposite to January's race weather. There was a huge yard sale in the 30+ 3/4, and it more annoyed me than anything else...there was no reason for it & it was going so slow. Here's why it annoyed me: bike racing is an aggressive sport, and a racer cannot sit on the sidelines and wait for others to make their moves. Yeah, it's a tactic (draft & conserve), but it's a lame tactic that everyone else uses. Take the lead, be aggressive, and put the other teams on defense. We had outstanding fields in the Masters categories, and I'm so glad that we have the 40+ 4/5 and the 40+ 1/2/3. Together, it was almost 170 racers. We split this category because we ensure a higher turnout. If we just had 40+, then the turnout would have been lower. Here's another thing: NOBODY dictates my categories unless they're paying. When all those promoters changed their masters categories from 30 to 35 & 40 to 45, all of them got turned out like prison bitches. Even USCF Masters Nationals start at 30, not at 35. Better to die standing than to live on your knees.... After the crash in the 30+ 3/4, my #1 1st aid guy left to race, and my #2 1st aid guy was still attending to others (no one requested medical transport). I go to the fist aid area, and I have strangers pilfering the 1st aid kit, saying that the 1st aid guy left. In educating the racer & his wife, I had to explain to that the 1st aid kit is our only one, and that there were 6 other categories that may need 1st aid. Then they got pissed and told me they were going to their car to deal with it; but they left their bloody mess for me to clean up! Nice! I looked at the injury...it was common road rash that did not require triage. In 1987, fellow Velo Allegro teammate Ted Engh crashed bad at the Tour of Los Alamos in New Mexico. We took his bloody-body to the hospital, as there was nothing, absolutely no 1st aid at the race course. Ever racer should have a basic 1st aid kit in his or her GO bag, and it should be right next to the tool kit, water bottles, food/energy, and every decent bike racer checklist has a first aid kit on the list. I'm very happy with yesterday's race. I'll post the results soon. On good days, I love promoting. I'd like to think that I have personal relationships with Frank Schroeder, Steve Landry, Kevin Kruger, Cameron Fox, Lance Coburn, Dan Nicolette, and dozens of others. It is these people that motivate me to be a race promoter. Oh yeah, I also heard that a certain So Cal bike racing website is selling your email addresses, and that's so not cool. I don't sell anything, and if I did sell your email address, you'd get that money--not me (it's your email address). I don't need to peddle cycling baubles to others to make a living from a website. That being said, I will not give SoCalCycling.com my private email address. If you read this far, then we'll be reversing the course on the Dash 4 Cash crit (all Left turns instead of all Right turns). Same start/finish line, same registration location, different direction! Thanks to all who came to support my race. To all of those that went to Valley of the Sun: if you came back without a General Classification result, then you might want to contemplate saving your money and try grabbing a local result before justifying such big hobby expenses like gas, food & lodging! The real masters talent was in Long Beach, and I don't need pro teams that don't support local racing.Thursday, February 14, 2008
76 more days to acquire 400 more annual members
I don't think it's gonna happen, and here are the possible futures:1) we hit the 1,000 member mark & continue with 2009 BAR Series
2) we don't hit it: CBR issues permits for 2009 for Eldo and Piru TT
3) we don't hit it: CBR folds, no permits, no races We took a huge hit with sponsorship: Clif Bar & Labor Power dropped us without a word., drama with SoCalCycling, possible volunteer burnout, people suing us, this sh*t takes a collective toll. Racers all butt sore because my personality isn't their cup of tea. At the end of the day, the numbers will tell the true tale. There's not much sense in switching over to SoCalReg if we don't hit our mark. I'll continue to promote good races, I'll continue to look for new courses, and I'll continue to break eggs to make omelettes.
Active.com SUCKS for online registration
This Tuesday, I was hit with so much bullsh*t from Active.com, that it made me think of the corporization of America. Not everything needs to be merged to be bigger. Active.com has this new beta version that they're forcing down everyone's throat, both racer & promoter. Reminds me of Microsoft Vista on new PCs. Anyway, I complained, and their excuse was unacceptable, as one of their "glitches" said that the Cat. IV was full (it wasn't), and they told me to delete cookies and click some link---when all I should do is logon with my password and User ID. Here's my thing: don't release the f*cking beta version of anything until it mostly works. I did not choose to be their lab rat and inform them where their bugs are. This is how things that work become broken: some butt-lick wants a promotion, so he/she has this idea of making Active.com a better "experience" for the end-user, then some *sshole manager agrees with the dumb idea, and then they go to a programmer/engineer/propeller-head like Dilbert to make it happen. At the end of the day, Active.com still sucks to use, Microsoft Vista still crashes (when it's not slow as a turtle), and the consumer keeps getting bent over by these huge companies that know "what's best" for their customers.Tuesday, February 05, 2008
I'm calling it right now: if it becomes a Obama v. McCain fight, it will be an Obama victory
(http://flickr.com/photos/seanbonner/2237119567/) pretty much says it all. Howard Stern wants Hillary to win because he thinks that America gets 2 for the price of 1. Bill Maher wants Obama to win. I served my country in the United States Marine Corps for 4 years, and the GI Bill paid for my college degree. I take the sacrifice of soldier's lives very seriously, and I certainly don't approve of a war founded upon a lie. There were no WMDs in Iraq, there was no Bin Laden - Saddam relationship, Bin Laden was not in Iraq...only oil. It was not the sons & daughters of Bush & Cheney who died & became dismembered in Iraq. I always think of these elections as voting for the least evil, which is a shame since we're supposed to be the best country in the world, with the best this and the best that. I guess that's our arrogance that the rest of the world finds so distasteful. Out of all the players, I'm going with Obama. In a time where Exxon posts the largest record-breaking profit in the entire world, how is it that gas prices remain right up our backsides? Don't get me wrong; I'm a big fan of capitalism, but anti-trust/monopoly statutes came into play because of oil. Two of the biggest big-oil mergers, Exxon-Mobil and Chevron-Texaco, don't make much competition in a capitalistic society. At least this guy has a vision; he's uniting the young & the old, Republicans, Independants, and Democrats. One of the things I can't stand about the Republicans, although I just found out that I'm a registered Republican, is that there's such a heavy emphasis on morality policy instead of domestic, economic, and foriegn policy. America once led research & development, led technology, and were the leaders in almost everything profitable. The world thinks we've assumed the role of world policemen, people invest in Euros instead of dollars, and we outsource American jobs to India, subcontract & import poisonous Chinese cat food & toothpaste, and cannot fix our own problems like healthcare, homelessness, and unemployment. I've always been a big fan of cleaning up my own backyard before I tell my neighbor how to clean up his backyard, but I guess that wouldn't be American if I didn't tell my neighbor that the right way is the American way and the Only way. As a country and a whole, we need to regain our edge & our credibility with the world. 232 years ago, we told England to kiss our ass & that we were gonna do it our way. Now, we concurrently pay millions of dollars to a Countrywide executive who drove the corporation into the ground & thousands of others into unemployment, our customer service helplines are re-rounted to New Dehli, and this war is driving us into a multi-trillion dollar deficit. Leaders do not behave this way.Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Misc. stuff
Radsport is sending a platoon to the 40+ field, and that looks to be the most competitive category of the day. Schroeder's crew is solid, Amgen's got a big team, Cynergy too. All the big masters teams are sending their A-listers. Triathletix & Edge Racing bought a boatload of licenses, and I really appreciate that kind of support. It makes up for the boycotting of a certain team In other news, we had 309 pre-reg in the 2007 RILYSI; currently, we're at 139....we are sooooo off our numbers from last year. Well, it ain't over until it's over, so I'll hold off judgement until 1/28/08.
Three really good movies made it to the Oscar nominations: There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, and No Country For Old Men. I highly advise everyone to see all three in the following order: Michael Clayton, No Country For Old Men, and There Will Be Blood. On the Western Channel (Direct TV), they're showing The Electric Horseman. Made in 1979, it shows a nostalgic Las Vegas, a corporate shill, and a decent Willie Nelson soundtrack. I like what the movie stood for, and I still like what it stands for.
Three really good movies made it to the Oscar nominations: There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, and No Country For Old Men. I highly advise everyone to see all three in the following order: Michael Clayton, No Country For Old Men, and There Will Be Blood. On the Western Channel (Direct TV), they're showing The Electric Horseman. Made in 1979, it shows a nostalgic Las Vegas, a corporate shill, and a decent Willie Nelson soundtrack. I like what the movie stood for, and I still like what it stands for.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Footnoted.org looks for the stuff not readily visible to shareholders
http://www.footnoted.org/ is a website that tracks footnotes in SEC filings dedicated to uncovering crap that should not be tolerated by shareholders. For instance, Quest Communications Internations, smallest of the baby bells, lets its chief Ed Mueller shuttle his kid to and from prvate school in Nor Cal back and forth to their home on Colorado, courtesy of the corporate jet, the Falcon 2000. This "perk" expires when the brat kid graduates in June. It's a good website, but I cannot read most of it, as it will drive me nuts...I'm still pissed that BAC (Bank of America), shares of which I own, is bailing out that pay-for-failure Countrywide mortage with the top banana receiving 155 MILLION dollars for driving into the ground...reminds me of when Nardelli left Home Depot. These people don't have golden parachutes anymore...they have diamond-encrusted platinum parachutes for turning valuable companies into junk. Don't get me wrong: pay for performance is capitalism, just so long as there's performance for such millions of dollars.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Hollywood doesn't know where Baltimore is
On September 26, 2006 I called it: THE WIRE (http://www.hbo.com/thewire/) is the best television show on the planet. I've bought all four seasons on dvd, as I missed the 1st season & didn't want to miss any of the back stories. This year is the 5th and final season (Sundays on HBO), and David Simon and Ed Burns have saved the best for last: how the media plays into Baltimore, the politics, what's left out, what's made up, what's emphasized. Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, TV Guide, and the LA Times have all made serious mention of this series, and I can only suggest that you rent the dvds so you can bring yourself up to speed. All of the talking monkies will be watching American Idol. The 4th season, where they hit the inner-city education nightmare, was so on the money...it's not just about Baltimore...you can watch The Wire's 4th season and think of Chicago, New York, and yes-Los Angeles. The 1/14/08 article in Newsweek talks about how this one Saturday, January 12, 2008
On this planet, an anonymous donor and Joel Austin can stand up and be counted
Joel Austin is an incredible racer, an outstanding human being, and a friend. I don't know how many details I can discuss about his background, but suffice to say that he's a good person. I'm really hoping he returns to the racing arena sooner than later. He became an Insider Club member, donated (even more), and took care of three additional memberships. How can I disappoint him? I can't, and I won't. He wants CBR to hit the 1,000-member goal and this is how he contributes. If anyone thinks that Joel does not have my undivided attention, then they're smoking lumpy cigarettes. Anonymous Donor (although I will put his company's logo on our stuff!) sends me an email after my January CBR Notes. He says that the 50+ and Elite Women should have their own BAR Series overall cash purse, so he donates $750 to the 50+, allowing CBR to kick the $750 to the Elite Women. In response to this kind gesture, I told him that if he was serious about this, then CBR would throw in another $250 to the 50+, making the BAR Series overall purse $1,000 to the top-10 racers. These are the kind of people who motivate me to do a better job. The Insiders and the donors give so that everyone can benefit locally. None of CBR's officers are taking trips to Hawaii to attend "bike racing" conferences (on the non-profit's dime) because that's not how we roll. As it has always been done, local funds stay local.Thursday, January 10, 2008
Officially: I am done with SoCalCycling...current drama behind-the-curtain
On St. Patrick's Day-2001, I suffered human loss-huge. From that point forward, I dedicated myself to a zero-tolerance policy towards any bullsh*t in my life, whether personal or professional. Life is too short to have fake friends, morons, dolts, and idiots draining time away from life's important things, which brings me to SoCalCycling's recent email/newsletter. It's the January edition, so naturally (I thought) that there would be a blurb about our bike race, the Ride It Like You Stole It, since I'm a paying customer of SoCalCycling. Mostly, there was velodrome stuff, Brad House's cyclocross, and the Vegas Stage Race. So in classic "me being me" fashion, I blow a gasket and send her a WTF email. It failed to resolve, and the end result is that VNC Racing events will no longer be listed on SoCalCycling. One of three things will happen in 2008: bike racer support will increase, stagnate, or decrease. In any event, there are two official race organization websites in So Cal: SCNCA & CBR (SoCalCycling is not a race organization, just an advertising website with race info).
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Velo Allegro Club Photograph, 1990
Click pic to enlarge. Here's a motley crew that rode bikes back in the day. See if you know of anyone...I know Jay (formerly of Paramount) will recognize Matt, who now lives in Idaho. One of the members is dead, died coming off the bridge on PCH in Sunset Beach. Scales, Sue Buck, Mike, Hicks, Vanderly, Bob, a lot of people still ride and some I haven't seen in years. Enjoy!Saturday, December 22, 2007
Upcoming season hints for 2008
The Amgen Masters team is going to be STRONG; blowing red lights during a training ride (or any other ride for that matter) will eventually get you or those that follow, KILLED or INJURED. There's this one 12K Dreamer @ FoOd pArK that thinks a breakaway will stick assuming enough redlights are blown. The beauty of this is that the 12K Dreamer, who barely has $50 to his name, cannot breakaway from the old farts that own homes, have jobs, and vested retirement. If you aspire to be a 12K Dreamer, then the first thing you gotta do (to land that pro contract) is to smoke the old farts on a training ride. If you cannot drop the old farts on a training ride, then you have no hope of living the dream. Let me slow it down for the knuckle-draggers: drop old farts first, then land pro contract (not the other way around).Wednesday, December 19, 2007
There's Nothing to Read Here, Please Move Along
Does anyone know what "Craplets" are? It's those annoying pieces of computer 'applets' that are installed on new computers (without the buyer's permission, BTW) in hopes that you'll buy it after you have a taste of it. IMHO, they are junk advertisements, and if they really wanted to do me a favor, they would self-destruct and un-install on their own. None of that crap came with my Apple MacBook Pro, but I have suffered them on my Dell desktop, Dell notebook, and my recent POS - the Toshiba notebook with the very horrible Microsoft Vista operating system. Vista literally wastes my time in huge amounts: time spent waiting, time spent updating, time spent rebooting. I don't know why, but I'm (so) not feeling the holiday spirit this year. It's a triple-suck, as this is my favorite time of year. I make it a point to watch my favortite X-Mas episode of Millenium (with Darren McGavin), It's A Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Carol...I haven't had time to watch any of them. I see the worst in people (from an Employee/Employer perspective) everyday, and I see people just going through the motions: they're buying gifts just to tick it off some list, one less chore to do. It seems that people aren't that interested and are too busy to enjoy the holiday spirit. As far as my own demons are concerned, I'm reminded of a good friend that died of Hodgkin's disease; she was a teacher for little kids. As much pain as she was going through, her focus was on those kids...up until her final days. Complete acts of selflessness, everyday. She had no time for being nasty, she had no time for being rude; she made the most of every day until her card got punched.Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Current update on annual renewals
I didn't want to whine in my upcoming December CBR Notes, so I'll keep it here, as only 2 people read this. Right now, we're at 145 renewals. This is after I mailed out ~1,400+ renewal letters. I've decided to take our 10th BAR Series race and turn it into our "1,000 Annual Licenses Crit," meaning that we'll only have the race if we hit 1,000 annual members. Last year, I really stressed. As time goes by, stress is slowly turning into indifference. There are so many factors that de-motivate me: not enough volunteers, bad eating habits, not enough time to train, racers blackballing us, lawsuits,bike whores, and self-serving douchebags that think I'm their personal attendant. This is the first year that I've contemplated just returning to racing and leaving bike race promoting; it's so much healthier! This is part-time and doesn't pay my bills like my stoopid state job; I have no benefits, no retirement, and no health plan with this...so what keeps me here? The love I get from the racers; it's pretty friggin simple. But then, there are guys like Manny Toledo, Greg Burns, and Brian Keate that inspire me to do a better job. There's a bigger picture here than my fragile feelings, and that's the future of local racing. I'm very conflicted; anyone who has spent 5 minutes with me knows I do not mince words and tells it exactly as I sees it. People who doubt my ability to execute will be sorely mistaken when we don't hit our 1,000 member mark. I will act, I will execute, and I will not like it.
Monday, December 03, 2007
2007 CBR Board of Director's Meeting (click to enlarge)
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Baker to Death Valley Road Race Results, 10/28/07 (click to enlarge)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Baker 2 Death Valley RR, fire/smoke status
As of today, most fire/smoke is around the Arrowhead area, which is way South of Barstow. Baker is North of Barstow, so there are no reports of smoke even near the bike race. None of the maps I've seen show smoke in that directions, so we are good to go. The winds are not blowing in that direction. On a side note, the news says that the smoke in this area (parts of LA/OC/SD) will take almost a month before it clears (after containment). You might be better off driving to Baker and riding there then in this smoke. I remember seeing this documentary on 9-11 about the First Responders and all of the problems they have had with their lungs. If you can, avoid training in this smoke...ask any firefighter what this stuff can do to an athlete's lungs (used for heavy/deep breathing). Did anyone get a chance to see that 60 Minutes segment on forest fires? Is it the Bark Beetle that eats & kills the trees, and as the planets warms, it's heading North to kill the trees in Idaho & Montana? I'm sure that those beetles will continue to move North and start killing the trees in Canada once it warms up to their comfort level. Dry, dead trees + no rain = a sh*tload of problems. Also, that place in the Arctic Circle where only icebreakers used to travel, well they now have chartered boats moving through (no icebreakers needed)...oh yeah, I almost forgot! Due to the ice melting in the Arctic Circle, there's no need for big boats to go down & cross the Panama Canal! They can save all that gas by cutting across the North Pole! I'm sure this is great news for Imports/Exports! You see, my generation has no worries about the planet, as we will not be around long enough to feel its effects. My issue is with every parent and grand-parent who is not a full-blown environmentalist: these issues are for the children and grandchildren of the future....I'll be worm food when it stops snowing in Canada.Misc. stuff to know
1. An excellent article was written in Men's Journal concerning ex-professional football players and the NFL's dirty little secret. The NFL should be ashamed of themselves (Paul Solotaroff's Casualties of the NFL).
2. Is there anyone who is not going to see the movie Into the Wild? I read the book many, many years ago, and it took Sean Penn ten years to get the parent's approval. I also hear that the soundtrack is amazing: Eddie really did it this time.
3. 2007 Airline Report Card: on time is Southwest (best) & jetBlue/US Airways (worst), complaints is Southwest (least) & US Airways (most), mishandled bags is jetBlue (fewest) & US Airways (most). Source-US DoT Air Travel Consumer Report
4. With its new mock atlas Our Dumb World, the Onion (http://www.theonion.com/) will offend everyone. It's pretty funny, but only for those who don't get all butt-sore at the smallest of slights.
5. Rumor has it that there are grumbles about athletes boycotting the 2008 Bejing Olympics because of their human rights issues, and most importantly, Tibet (http://www.2008-freetibet.org/). The sponsors will get really pissed off, and thus exert their pressure on those athletes contemplating such options. Hell, I'd like to see China host the olympics without killing, toturing, or imprisoning dissidents, but then again...
2. Is there anyone who is not going to see the movie Into the Wild? I read the book many, many years ago, and it took Sean Penn ten years to get the parent's approval. I also hear that the soundtrack is amazing: Eddie really did it this time.
3. 2007 Airline Report Card: on time is Southwest (best) & jetBlue/US Airways (worst), complaints is Southwest (least) & US Airways (most), mishandled bags is jetBlue (fewest) & US Airways (most). Source-US DoT Air Travel Consumer Report
4. With its new mock atlas Our Dumb World, the Onion (http://www.theonion.com/) will offend everyone. It's pretty funny, but only for those who don't get all butt-sore at the smallest of slights.
5. Rumor has it that there are grumbles about athletes boycotting the 2008 Bejing Olympics because of their human rights issues, and most importantly, Tibet (http://www.2008-freetibet.org/). The sponsors will get really pissed off, and thus exert their pressure on those athletes contemplating such options. Hell, I'd like to see China host the olympics without killing, toturing, or imprisoning dissidents, but then again...
Monday, October 08, 2007
Public Enemy: Harder Than You Think video...this song will be @ 1/27/08 crit
Friday, October 05, 2007
Sarah McLachlan asks YOU to help animals
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Interbike report, 2007
I get there on Thursday because I don't have that many vacation days remaining @ work. I saw some some friends, some people I haven't seen in a while like Paul Swift and Troy Salem. In the race for carbon wheels, I saw Lew, Lightweight, Mavic, and Reynolds with their top of the line wheelsets. The Dura-Ace carbon road crank looked sweet. The most outlandish display was Rock Racing's bling consisting of their Escalade and Lamborghini, but standing in direct contrast to that was Bycycling Magazine's Bike Town Project. I thought that was really kick-ass. It's too bad that one could not combine the money of Rock Racing and the network on Bicycling to create a very powerful bike movement. After being there for 5 hours and taking the entire Interbike tour, I bailed and left for Old Town, where I was going to go to Binion's and sit atop their restaurant to have one of their famous steaks. It was closed, just my luck. It's good to see bike stuff; it's just that next year it will be a 1-day event for me...out the door by 5am, in Vegas by 9am, back on the road by 3pm, in bed by 9pm.Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Another day where I didn't give in to the dark side
I had the chance to ride 30 miles and didn't fcuk it up by putting sh*t food into my belly. For the first time (in a long time), I thought about Eileen and Dr. Sternlicht and considered what they would want me to eat for today's training. This afternoon, I had a bunch of enablers at work eating french fries and stuff, tempting me to the dark side. At the end of the day, it's what the scale says in the morning, and the scale will say, "get your fat ass on the bike and stay away from the fries."Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Building phase is the hardest part of training, as the maintenance phase is easier
For any of you bike racers who are obese, fat, or just carrying an extra few pounds, I highly recommend you to lose it. I know exactly how I got this way: I never denied myself, I never said "no," and I really didn't make the effort to exchange more training for extra calories. It really sucks that the only thing I can wear is shit that must stretch...stretchy pants...yuck! having the occasional piece of pizza is okay when I'm at 180lbs, but not when I'm 220lbs.Supposedly, I'm in ketosis, and it's not that bad most of the time. I'm not whining, because I painted myself into this corner. Now comes the hard part...I gotta take off the pounds and pretend that I know how to train for a bike race. Right now, I can ride at the speed of a Fred, but the minute someone wrenches it, my legs load up and there's nothing there. I watch the players fade into the distance. If I don't take this weight off by the holidays...I am so screwed. I'm gonna look like John Candy in a skinsuit.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Baker to Death Valley Road Race Reconnaissance
So I participated in a bachelor party in Hollywood on Friday night, which ended promptly at 3:30am. I then drove East until I had to sleep. One of the best things I like about my Honda Element is that there is a buttload of room when the two rear seats are removed. I planned ahead and threw a chais lounge in the back for sleeping. I wake up, move to the driver's seat, and continue to Baker. I arrive at Baker, top off the gas tank, take pictures of the motels & the start line, and grab an ice coffee. To make things easier, I bring a tape recorder and start yapping about mile marker designations. There are 3 motels in Baker, a Starbucks, and a few gas stations with bathrooms. That's all we need for a bike race. I start heading North on 127 and try to think like a racer...what would a racer want to know about this course? A racer wants to know where to pick up his number, go poo, and a few other details. I've listed the highlights on the race flyer' I suggest that you print the flyer, cut out the mile marker info and cover the front/back with scotch tape (the poor man's laminator). Affix it to your bike so you (sorta) know where you are at certain parts to the race. For example, the climb starts near MM34 and lasts for 7 miles, the first 4 are at 4% and the last 3 are at 5% grade. At the top of the climb is the feed zone. Teams are highly encouraged to use this experience as training for future races...if you have a bunch of teammates in a race and only one feeder, the racers must be smart enough to spread themselves out so that the feeder can feed. If the teammates bum-rush the feeder all at once, then only one racer gets fed and the rest are pissed off! If you have more than 1 feeder, then assign specific racers to feeders or have the same of eveything in each mussette bag so it doesn't matter who gets what. Novice racers, or "noobs" (pronounced newbs), will tend to freak out at gapping at the top of feed zones. Most of the time, any gaps at the top of the feed zone will be eliminated on the downhill, so even the last racer in the feed can close any gaps (during the downhill) during the feed. It's more important to receive your feed than to stay tight with the group and miss it!Thursday, September 13, 2007
Are you training for November's Tour de Tuscon? Well, do I have the perfect preparation race for you! (click pic to enlarge & print)
I tell ya, being able to bust stones on October 28th will go a long way towards gauging your fitness for November's Tour de Tuscon ride/race. Most everyone I know races the 115-mile Platinum category. This race in October is the perfect prep race to make sure that you're training is right on the mark!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Baker 2 Death Valley Road Race almost a go!
Set your calendar for SUNDAY
October 28th, 2007
Baker to Death Valley Junction (Amargosa)
point-to-point road race
Highway 127 from I-15, 80 miles North!
Greg Burns, a racer for Velo Allegro almost has this thing off the ground. He got CHP on board, now we're waiting on CalTrans. It's almost a go! As soon as we have it ready, I will release the race flyer and Active.com registration. If this is successful, then we'll throw it on the 2008 racing calendar. This has been months in the making, and yeah, it's late in the season, but I had to wait for the temps to cool down; the pavement is outstanding!
Three categories ($ cash purse), Pro/1/2/3 ($1,000), Masters 30+ ($750), and Category IV/V ($250). Field limits of 75 per category.
October 28th, 2007
Baker to Death Valley Junction (Amargosa)
point-to-point road race
Highway 127 from I-15, 80 miles North!
Greg Burns, a racer for Velo Allegro almost has this thing off the ground. He got CHP on board, now we're waiting on CalTrans. It's almost a go! As soon as we have it ready, I will release the race flyer and Active.com registration. If this is successful, then we'll throw it on the 2008 racing calendar. This has been months in the making, and yeah, it's late in the season, but I had to wait for the temps to cool down; the pavement is outstanding!
Three categories ($ cash purse), Pro/1/2/3 ($1,000), Masters 30+ ($750), and Category IV/V ($250). Field limits of 75 per category.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
PostSecret's wicked cool video with Sia's music
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Rose Bowl Tue/Thur race threatened with extinction, and do you know whose fault it is?
It is the fault of those who pissed off the local residents...in other words, the taxpayers & the community. The USCF will not insure the race, the BRDAA will not insure the race, and CBR will certainly not insure the race because that is a huge lawsuit just waiting to happen: it's not categorized, it's not a closed course, it's not legal, and there's no puppet-head/point-of-contact. This makes it very difficult for city officials to condone this sort of thing. Wanna see what else is in my crystal ball? That Thursday night Hughes Park training race will be next on the chopping block. You want to know why? Because the business owners are totally pissed off: racers throw trash on their property, piss in their bushes, throw stuff at their cars, and hurl obsenities at passers-by. The racers who are endangering that race are the ones who are not smart enough to remain invisible to those that pay taxes to the City of Long Beach. At the end of the day, the city is going to listen to those that pay the taxes and they will not listen to those that only suck up resources like cops and ambulances. In other words, stay the FCUK off the radar of the business owners & residents: keep them happy (or at least not so pissed off that they complain to the city & cops). For all of the idiots that can't see around the corner, there's only one way this plays out: the training race disappears, whether in Pasadena or Long Beach or wherever. Enlist the support of the locals or suffer their wrath. I D I O T S: heed my advice or lose the course, the choice is yours.Monday, August 06, 2007
BAR Finale race re-cap: highlight of the day...NO CRASHES! Not a single scratch!
Everyone showed a lot of love: One racer dropped off a case of beer, another racer dropped off some Starbucks cards, and dozens of people took time out of their day to thank me for a great season. To this day, I still think that ML & BM are a figment of my imagination because they are people that I can only hope to emulate. I'm jealous that they race for another team, as I would snatch them in a heartbeat. Someone also commented to me that they wondered if any local racers brought race promoters like Brad House or Ray Moreno any end of the season thank you gifts, and I gotta think that they don't get the love that we get. I intentionally kept the racers' names anonymous because I don't want them retaliated against by other race promoters. Besides, I know who they are and they know who they are and that's what counts. I had this football coach who would type either one or the other phrase at the bottom of his recommendation letters: "I would go to war with this person," or "I would not go to war with this person." That was 22 years ago, and it's always stuck with me. You look at someone, whether it's a co-worker, a teammate, or an opponent for that matter, and ask yourself...would you go to war with that person? It simplifies things real fast. People who I've been fortunate enough to know in my travels like Randall, like Nate Loyal, like John Slover, like Bill Harris, and like dozens of others...it goes without saying. Guys like Lance, like Ray, like Brad...I would never go to war with; it's that simple. I also think that people who use drugs to improve their bike racing are a bunch of cheating asshole douchebags. If they happen to be a parent, then I hope that one day they are exposed for the dopers that they are and that their kids treat them like the cheating, doping "role models" that they've become. We also had an OCS (Officer Candidate School) credo: "an officer will not lie, cheat, or steal nor tolerate those that do." There are rumors that there are drugs being used in the local racing circuit. If it was me, I'd banish those losers for life. Bike racing is a privilege, not a right. POS (Piece of Sh*t) dopers are not welcome at my races. I don't know what borught me to this topic...it started off so positive as the love for the BAR Series Finale Crit! I started watching Easy Rider and it got me thinking of things that are more important than shooting drugs into one's arm to win a local crit. One of these days, I'm gonna follow the route used in fliming Easy Rider; it looks very interesting. I need to sign off now; it's time shoot up. I don't use steroids, I have a bag of Funyons and some Butterfingers. For now, those are still legal performance enhancers...if used the right way and in the right combination.Labels: bikers, Butterfinger, cheaters, dope, drugs, Funyons, losers
Saturday, August 04, 2007
One of my favorite movies is...
Garden State. It has Zach Braff (from Scrubs), Natalie Portman (from The Professional...another excellent movie). I'm not sure what my all-time favorite movie is, but one of the most important movies that assited in forming my personality was Harold & Maude. The songs in the movie were never released, which really sucks. The movie was made in 1971; I was four years old at the time, but I remember seeing it on VHS when those machines first came out; I was about 11 years old, more or less.The ironic thing was that I thought that only I was the one who liked it & got its message. In 1987, I had to force the US Marine Corps to allow me to take a college night course at UCLA...yeah, that pissed them off...they don't like it when people force them to do something they don't want to do. I was stationed at the weapons dump in Seal Beach at the time, and I wanted to take a college class. To make a long story short, I ended up taking a Sociology course. For the class, the only video the professor showed was Harold and Maude. I was shell-shocked.
Anyways, I didn't think I was gonna end up writing about Harold and Maude when I started with Garden State, but I digress.
Anyways, I didn't think I was gonna end up writing about Harold and Maude when I started with Garden State, but I digress.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Typing error in BAR Finale crit race flyer....Pro/1/2 race goes off at 3pm, not 2pm
I cannot believe that 3 days before the race there is a race flyer error being communicated to me. I thought I had a catch-net whose job was to catch my errors, but apparently that catch-net failed. The pros go off at 3pm not 2pm. My fault, although it's probably too late to inform those who need the info the most. Thanks, catch-net!Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Wal Mart flip flops cause nasty chemical burn (click here)
The pictures and story tells it all; what's worse is how they directed the customer to deal with the problem....go to the Chinese manufacturer? WTF?Sunday, July 22, 2007
Another stray in my life....
These two girls dropped off a kitten that could no longer be housed by them. She's about 2+ months old and was in desperate need of a bath. As a kitten, she's a bit of a spaz, but then again so am I. This took up a lot of the day because I needed that Advantage for cats under 8lbs.Monday, July 16, 2007
I don't know what more I can do to assist women's racing
When I first became a race promoter, I kept the tradition of women's second races are for free. This is something Marilyn Sonye did to encourage women to race.When the Elite Women wanted 45 minutes (instead of 40 minutes), I gave it to them.
When the Elite Women wanted their own course, I gave it to them.
How did they pay it back? 14 Elite Women finished the Dash 4 Cash crit on July 8th.
I am done with subsidizing weak fields, and to bring it home, they only thing that sticks in my mind is how Anna Lang communicated to me that her category was entitled to a similar (if not equal) prizelist received by the Elite Masters or Pro-I-II.
For 2008, these are my options:
When the Elite Women wanted their own course, I gave it to them.
How did they pay it back? 14 Elite Women finished the Dash 4 Cash crit on July 8th.
I am done with subsidizing weak fields, and to bring it home, they only thing that sticks in my mind is how Anna Lang communicated to me that her category was entitled to a similar (if not equal) prizelist received by the Elite Masters or Pro-I-II.
For 2008, these are my options:
1. Eliminate the second-race free and make it more gender equal
2. Only have 1 category: Women I-II-III-IV
3. Make that category the first race of the day: 7am
4. Enforce the 50% prizelist rule strictly & make it more gender equal
5. Eliminate the BAR Series event for fields less than category upgrade requirements
6. Reduce their race time from 45 minutes to 30 minutes This is 2007 CBR "Elite" women's racing, right here:
01/28/07 race: 44 racers
02/18/07 race: 31 racers
03/04/07 race: 22 racers
04/01/07 race: 23 racers
04/29/07 race: 16 racers
05/27/07 race: 21 racers
05/28/07 race: 35 racers
06/03/07 race: 36 racers
07/08/07 race: 14 racers I am at a real crossroads. 14 women at the last race was the worst: I don't think we had a single female racer from Paramount, SDBC, Kahala, or Helens. If I am painted into a corner, I will make the unpopular decision; I will not like it, but I will make it. At the end of the day, I count boots on the ground, not the excuses as to why the boots didn't show up.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Dash 4 Cash location change: returns to the old (Memorial Day) course
There will be normal field sizes, per the updated flyer. For reasons I cannot get into right now, we've had to change the course at the last minute LBPD refused to permit it, citing worries over a possible Santa Monica Farmer's Market scenario. We're working very hard on a smotth switch, but please understand that this was beyond our control. We did not want to cancel the race, so we changed the location. I'm glad we were able to do (at least) that.Tuesday, May 29, 2007
El Dorado re-cap, 5/29/7
Neil Browne showed up to help, so I had the chance to ride with the P/1/2/3. As usual, there was controversy in the Masters 40+, and as usual, it had to do with them not policing themselves when being passed by the Pro/1/2/3. Unfortunately for one racer, he had crashed going towards T-4 and hit the grass. In doing so, he exploded his Scott carbon frame.I'm glad that he wasn't injured, as it always sux to see people get hurt. Bike frames can be easily replaced; perfect health is more expensive.Monday, May 28, 2007
Rcae re-cap, Memorial Day crit - 2007
FOX Channel 11 News showed the race on television during their morning show (7-9am) from their helicopter. If anyone knows how to obtain that footage, then please reach out to whoever so wse can turn it into a You Tube for all CBR racers to see! Today's participation was better than yesterday's, and it seemed like the day went faster today than yesterday. Day 1 took more time to prep, so it made Day 2 a bit easier. It's strange that I felt more tired on Day 1 (FLEO crit) than I did on Day 2 (Memorial Day Crit).Sunday, May 27, 2007
Race re-cap, FLEO crit-2007
I am so grateful for the volunteers that we have at our races. It is, and will always be the volunteers that make our races successful. Carlos Cruz did a great job with first aid...not that we needed it, but it's his committment to making this sport succeed...we cannot do it without people like him. Ken & Sachi Fortune, Emanuel Wilson, Mikey Baldivino, Bill Mock, Jason Short, Vic Viscio (I'm trying to remember everyone I saw who helped!), Brett House, Nick Jones, Lauren & Meghan Somerville...this is what motivates me to do a better job.Some of the categories were light, but that's to be expected. I concentrate on the racers around me, not the ones who are somewhere else.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Women's Cycling Challenge update...2 CBR races added to 2007 WCC calendar
Bonnie Borque, the MIC (madame-in-charge), informed me that the WCC will add two races to their WCC calendar: our 06/03/07 State Crit Champs and our 08/05/07 BAR Series finale.I'm very pleased that we were able to start fixing this for 2007. I really hope that this encourages women to race!Saturday, May 19, 2007
Tour de Cure ride re-cap
I want to give a special thanks to Jack Boyd, Cherie Walters, Mike Baldivino, and Jim Wiznura for helping Course Marshall the event. I saw the Cynergy Cycling Team represent, and after talking with Heidi & Carol (from Jax Bicycles), there were more riders in 2007 than 2006.I'm glad we did this, and as I observed all these riders, I thought to myself that it would be nicer to see racing teams doing these events, both as a membership drive and as a way to get their names on the charity scoreboard.Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Eldo re-cap, 5/15/7
Steve Hernandez volunteered his time to assist in Turn 3 to ensure that no vehicles came onto the course. Mike Baldivino volunteered his time to ensure that the ducks stayed off the race course. I was officiating on the road, and the Grunkster officiated at the finish line. Hoping that the Masters and the Elites could police themselves, I went with the Cat. IV/V to watch them. During the course of the race, the Cat. IV/V responded quite well to my words of encouragement. Some of them are quite strong, but if they don't know how to apply that strength at the right time, then they become stronger...not necessarily smarter. There's a phrase called "snapping the rubber band," and it's a tactical term. Its strategy is to eliminate the stronger adversaries from one's goal of winning the race. Jaime is perfect at it. Typically, the race is single-file for a few laps. This puts the driftwood right to the back and puts everyone else on defense. After the 3rd or 4th lap of this pace, THEN he launches his attack. By that time, the sled-dogs (those who are regularly at the front-breaking the wind for the group-but never at the finish line) are too tired to deal with it, or the others start looking side to side in hopes of another racer continuing the chase. By the time a chase, if any, actually ensues, the strongest racers are in the break and the weaker racers are left to chase...game over, thank you for playing. The Cat. IV/V racers haven't figured it out, so what we have are a few strong racers doing all the work, but not strong enough to succeed in a breakaway. Those that upgrade in category will eventually acquire this knowledge. Overall, it was a great El Dorado...no crashes, no drama, and no incidents. I really like promoting races on these days.Saturday, May 12, 2007
Saturday...I got effed
So I go to pump up my tires before the VA ride, and WHAM! My lower back goes out. I don't know what the eff I did, but that thing was out. I looked like the crooked man that couldn't walk the crooked mile.Now I'm layed up like some fat slob, crying about his back.Thursday, May 10, 2007
The definition of catharsis: eliminating a problem by bringing it to the front and giving it expression
In some ways, this thing is cathartic. In other ways, it's a way to relay information to those that want it. As mostly everyone knows, I work full-time. I like my job, as I enjoy solving problems that others cannot fix on their own. The politics of the job suck, because my fate was sealed the minute I walked down the path of not kissing the proverbial asses of those above my pay grade. As a public servant, I serve the public and not the bosses.Ass-clowns are everywhere: at work, at restaurants, at the crit course, and at church. There's no avoiding the Ass-clown. These ass-clowns refuse to do the Right Thing. Ususally, it's their sad, little ego that gets in the way & f*cks it up for everyone else. There's this special ass-clown who reads this becuase he has no life. He's morbidly obese, carrys a gun everywhere (he must be afraid of the dark), drinks Diet Coke with his triple-triple & extra large fries, prefers a .10+ BAC, can't (even) go hunting defenseless animals without injuring himself in the process, and couldn't run a mile in less than 15 minutes to save his life. This ass-clown is approaching 60 years old, and it seems that this loser picked the wrong option with every choice he made.That kind of life I view as a TFL (total ... loser). People can be a success at making money and be a complete failure as a human being. What good is money if your spouse hates you, the kids despise you, the co-workers mock you, the teammates ostracize you, and anyone who knows you doesn't respect you? What kind of a life has been made? It's important to avoid losers. A loser is a loser is a loser...I think Alec Baldwin said it best in the movie Glengarry, Glen Ross.Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Eldo re-cap, 5/8/7
With Jaime being gone, the Pro/1/2/3 group was slower than usual. Unfortunately, I was able to stay with the group until 1 lap to go, where I was forced to dismount and start the camera to record the results.A camera glitch prevented the recording of the P/1/2/3, but the other two groups were okay.A crash coming out of Turn 4, along the straghtaway, is indicative of either someone touching/being touched or someone not holding a straight line. No problems for the entire race, and then the last corner of the last lap...someone brain farts...not cool.Sunday, May 06, 2007
Velo Allegro Saturday ride re-cap, 05/05/2007
Jim Wiznura, Bill Harris, Todd Eaton, Paul Formby, Ross Gagnon, Clay Holick, Guido Quezada (TT bike), Kurt Broadhag (TT bike), Gary Wall (TT bike), the Al Crawford/Laura Lindgren tandem (pulled out after 1+ laps...bee stung Al's mouth), and a few others all came to ride. I don't know how, but I made the entire ride. A stop light saved my ass so I could bridge back to the group, and it was nice to see cheaters blow a couple stop lights. I think kharma nailed Al's mouth when he made that totally unsafe blow-the-red-light move in an effort to catch the main group (I was right behind him when he did it). I hope to be back next week where I get dropped before the end of the first lap.Wednesday, May 02, 2007
So Cal's Women's Cycling Challenge excludes CBR races: what a shocker that certain racers are still trying to screw over CBR
CBR is not part of the Women's Cycling Challenge because we were not asked to be part of it. It seems that not including CBR only inhibits the growth of Women's Cycling Challenge, but far be it from me to know anything about growing this sport."The goal of the Women's Cycling Challenge is to create a competitive cycling series in Southern California and Nevada for women at all levels with the focus of increasing awareness of women’s cycling also providing an environment for women to find mentors, clubs and teams which support, nurture and encourage the growth and enjoyment of the sport of cycling. The SCNCA is the Local USA Cycling Association and in 2006 represented over 3,400 licensed USCF riders."Unfortunately, I cannot discuss what I really want to discuss (because I would burn my source of information), but let me make one thing very clear: the blackballing of CBR continues, and the action that the Women's Cycling Challenge is taking by excluding CBR does not grow the sport of cycling. Welcome to politics...I assume that Katie Horton and Dorothy Wong are somewhere near???Sunday, April 29, 2007
Big Ring Racing's race recap/update/currents
So I'm sitting here typing as the race unfolds because:a) I can
b) broadband wireless works today
c) all of the above
Gibby, Henry, and Nikkoletty had fun in the 50+
Juniors were fine, and there were no bitchy little league parents (yay!)
Crash in the Category IV...nothing serious
30+ III/IV raced fine.
Masters 30+ & 40+ had some hard & fast racing.
Bonnie and Anna had fun in the Elite Women's field
A racer smacked a tree in the IIIs race
Karl Strauss & the Fish Fries did most of the controlling in the P/1/2 fieldAll in all, it was a great day of racing. I really like the downtown atmospere and the new finish. It reminded me of the Porterville crit from days-gone-by. As long as DeWalt racing is happy with CBR, this race will come back stronger in 2008.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Eldo re-cap, 04/24/2007
One minor crash in the Pro/I/II/III where two racers bumped into each other while throwing their bikes for a preem. Two guys bump, one guy fell down. The smaller of the two went down, while the larger of the two stayed upright. Pound for pound, heavier objects tend to sway less.Good riding in the Masters, and the Cat. IV/V had weak attendance.Eldo recap, 4/24/7
A very good day...no one crashed, although there is this one knucklehaed that the others are complaining about (same guy from last week). I'll have a talk with him next week and see if we can straighten it out.Series #1 is now over...congrats to the winners! I officiated the Masters, and they rode very well; of course, some reported to me that it changed as soon as I pulled off and went to work the camera.Saturday, April 21, 2007
Velo Allegro ride re-cap
Dropped faster than any of the previous weeks, so the fun meter is about pegged. A Team Velocity contingency showed up, and a few teammates. Billy Harris showed up, and some time trial boys came out to play (Kevin, Scott, and John).Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Eldo re-cap, 04/17/07
Not enough officials (only Nick Jones & me).I watched over the Masters, and it seems that they race faster when I'm there. they caught the IV/V group with one lap to go. This one racer made this move (that I forgot) I should never fall for...he opened up a slight hole (to his right, along the gutter), and then I went for it. Once I was committed, he closed the hole. I had slow down, shift left, and then overtake him (on the windward side). By the time I came around, the dance was over.The Crash IV/Vs had a yard sale near the firehouse (it's a very technical part of the course where it's damn near a straight line). They try to employ Pro/I/II tactics in a IV/V field, and the racers do not have the skills to counter such tactics, so they fall down. The safest part of the race is when it's going fast and it's single file. If it's more than 3 abreast, it's going to slow.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Saturday Velo Allegro ride
Last week, my goal was to make 1 lap. I was able to make it down Westminster before they turned onto Seal Beach Blvd. (and then I got spit off the back). This week was gonna be different; I was gonna make it to Leisure World...well, I made it to the stoplight before being popped. So much for (even) making it to Leisure World. Maybe in 2 months, I'll be able to complete 1 lap.Cid Castillo, Jeff Tanner, Julio Flores, Brad Foley, Jim Wiznura, Bill Harris, and Clay Holick all showed up to play...quite the cast. Ferchrist, I haven't seen Cid in a couple years, and I'll be damned if it's been 18 years since I saw Jeff Tanner!In 1989, Jeff Tanner & Scott Manville were punk-ass juniors whose parents rented a condo at Mammoth for them to train for the stage race. All three of us were racing for Long Beach Velo Club at the time (I think). I had just left the USMC and I was the only one allowed to drink legally. I was such a good influence on those two juniors...after that, both of them stopped racing! Bogarting their condo for about a month inspired eternal gratefulness from me. Those days at Mammoth will never be forgot; Steve Hegg can also tell you about how he kicked the sh*t out of those racers in that Mammoth Circuit Race when he was racing for Sunkyung!
Friday, April 13, 2007
To the guy that beat my ass on PCH last Wednesday...
Talk about a humbling experience. This guy catches me, then passes me on PCH. I only manage to catch him at a stoplight. THEN, he asks about Eldo and tells me that he was part of the IV/V yard sale a couple weeks ago! We ride, he passes me, I keep him in my sights until we approach the 4000m line at PCH/Warner, and then I quit. I kept hoping that he was gonna tap out first, and then my (old school) time trialing training would take over, but it didn't happen. I quit, I tapped out, and I was the one that watched him ride away. I went home, fixed myself some bacon, and cried in my milkshake.Monday, April 02, 2007
Race re-cap, 5th Annual Clif Bar-Clif Shot Crit on 04/01/07
Some of the fields were light, but that was to be expected. Considering that Indio was the day before and Ojai the same day, it could have been a lot worse. The biggest concern that I had was that this thing of bike race promotion was no longer becoming fun: racers getting into fisticuffs over a hobby, racers chopping wheels-crashing others, and other entities having concerns about having to deal with the volume of crashes. Incorrect number placement is only a problem when I can't score it, and then it's my fault. Some ass-clown pins it to his ass or back, and I'm the bad guy because there's no helicopter to score it. When the bright California sun hits the wrinked or unwrinkled number pinned incorrectly on the back of the jersey, it bleaches out the number...especially when they are at the far end of the finish. But when the number is pinned along the ribcage, the sun hits the racer's back and not the number, and then the camera scores it perfectly. These issues weigh heavily on my shoulders, and I was worried that the weight would be enough for me to seriously consider other options in 2008. Sh*t, I like it when people have fun at my races; I like bullsh*tting with friends, I like socializing with new racers, I like putting on a decent race and playing good music. Ferchrist, it's the weekend, and it's bad enough that I gotta deal with the morons at the suck-job Monday-Friday...so I really don't want to deal with people (who don't "get it") on my days off. We changed the finish line and the racers assisted in saving my sanity and there were no serious crashes for the entire day! Either the change in the finish line or the racers made the effort to give me a safe race (or a combination of both), but I am very happy to report that I'm starting to like bike race promoting again! The Helens & Velosport women's teams came out to play, and I thought that was great. Mark Scott was showing much love to the course, Gibby had good legs, Frankie had his entire crew there, and Thurlow was a freight train the entire day...that guy just crushes legs...why sprint when they can't [even] keep up?I want to thank all of the volunteers who made this event possible, and I want to thank of the sponsors who support local racing for local racers. Clif Bar really stepped up and gave away some great stuff. Volunteers who sacrifice their time & companies that sacrifice their assets keep this thing alive...I'm just the guy that tries to bring it all together.Monday, March 19, 2007
My Daily Reads
Washington Post
Post Secret
Los Angeles Times
This Veteran's Life
Sacramento Bee
Boing Boing
PBS' Frontline
LA Observed
Rough & Tumble
Post Secret
Los Angeles Times
This Veteran's Life
Sacramento Bee
Boing Boing
PBS' Frontline
LA Observed
Rough & Tumble
Friday, March 16, 2007
Misc. stuff, re-caps, etc.
There is a boatload of really good information out there, which I will post soon. At last Tuesday's El Dorado, I asked that no one crash, and everybody obliged! Not one person crashed, so I know that So Cal racers can enter a race, keep it fast & competitive, and finish the race without crashing. Unfortunately, El Dorado was not without incident...One racer was disqualified for not holding his line, and everyone saw it (he was DQ'd before the racers in the field came up to me). My ultimate priority is to the racers, and safety of the racers is NUMBER ONE. It's the racers behind (& next to) the guy not holding his line that are placed in harm's way. If racers do not respect the way I organize my races, then they can vote with their feet and not attend my races. My races will not disrespected by those that cannot comply with the simplest of requests. I don't believe in dirty racing, whether it's with drugs or dangerous bike handling. Just because a racer possess this type of ability doesn't mean that it should be placed into practice. Ferchrist, the military has taught me how to snap necks...having this ability doesn't mean it should be used.Sunday, March 11, 2007
Text message to my phone if there's a delay in my response to you
Everyone should know which phone number to use when texting me.
All I ask is that you ID yourself so I know who you are.
For those that want to use their email system to text me:
use my 10-digit phone number,
then the 'at' symbol, then the 'teleflip' dot com suffix.
Keep it concise (short and to the point)...
think of it like a telegram.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Current movies that I advise watching
Crónicas (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382621/)
The Gridiron Gang (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421206/)
The Illusionist (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443543/)
An Inconvenient Truth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/)
Intacto (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0220580/)
Syriana (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365737/)
Thank You for Smoking (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427944/)
V for Vendetta (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/)
The Gridiron Gang (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421206/)
The Illusionist (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443543/)
An Inconvenient Truth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/)
Intacto (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0220580/)
Syriana (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365737/)
Thank You for Smoking (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427944/)
V for Vendetta (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/)
Sunday, February 25, 2007
LBSCR re-cap
1) Junior National Champion: the USCF policy on waiving entry fees is that the junior must send the waiver and the entry fee BEFORE the race. At the race, the promoter can remit the entry fee back to the national champ. This is only good for the jersey won in that category. Congrats to Iggy's dad for being Little League Father of the Month! 2) Mostly everyone did as we requested anb showed up to registration with completed waiver and license in hand! That makes a world if difference in making those lines short! For the few that tried to do otherwise, they were sent back until they got it right. 3) We missed a few of our regular racers from the likes of Radsport, Schroder Iron, and Simple Green. Even though they missed a great time at the LBSCR, I hope they they used this window of opportunity to score some So Cal Cup points at Ontario. 4) I was not that impressed with the photo finish stuff we used for the race; the equipment that I own cranks out the results in less than 5 minutes. So until there's a system that cranks out the results in less time than that, I'll stick with what I have. Masters 30+ results should have come out faster. 5) I am the first to admit that I am a total stress cadet on race day; there are many things that must be done for a race to have any margin of success. I am working on it, as I don't like being stressed for time. My job on race day is to fix problems; as long as you are a nice person, I will do everything I can to help fix the problem. 6) Overall, I hope that racers had fun on the same course as the ToC. If Long Beach is fortunate enough to have it again in 2008, then I hope they can have a similar format for local racers.Friday, February 23, 2007
Race roster of this Sunday's LBSCR...only a few slots open in P/1/2 and Masters 30+...Cat. III is waiting list only (in case of no-shows)
Now that I have a little bit of breathing room to sort out the registration, it looks like the Cat. III is full. If there are any no-shows, then we can go down the waiting list. There are a few slots in the P/1/2 and Masters 30+. Once those fill up, then we'll also go down the waiting list and eliminate the no-shows. The roster shows that it's a Who's Who of bike racing talent...shit is it gonna be fast...$100 cash primes for everyone. I think I'll start each race with some primes...just to try and thin the herd.Thursday, February 22, 2007
Long Beach Shoreline Circuit Race
If you have registered for this race, then please continue to read more. I will have race number pick-up and final registration at CBR's pop-up tent in the Expo area from 11AM-3PM.This is best, as there will be 375 racers all trying to register Sunday morning. Please have USCF license and completed waiver in hand.There will be no time to deal with any morons...anyone who does not have a completed waiver (& license in hand) will be pushed to the side to make room for the non-morons. Along that same line, what is the deal with so many racers emailing me at the last minute, trying to get a reservation? I thought I made it real simple...send in a waiver and the entry fee...was it that complicated? This is going to be the year of simplification...I do not have any time to waste. This morning, I spent over an hour just dealing with racers who failed to meet the pre-registration deadline; please please please do not waste my time... If you are not a CBR member, then I suggest that you become a CBR member so that your voice is just a little louder than the non-CBR members. Please help me help you. I want to register everyone as fast as possible because I hate wasting time and the time of others.Monday, February 19, 2007
Costa Mesa race re-cap
The Good: great support with the volunteer staff, great weather (although it got cold & windy later in the day), and great attendance.
The Bad: too many crashes for a non-technical, 4-corner course that had 100% closure.
The Ugly: Bill Harris has a broken pelvis and Tom Fitzgibbon's crash were bad. This is the kind of stuff that makes me want to quit promoting races.
My biggest priority is the safety of the racers; that's why we have cops and experienced staff that can make a determination as to what constitutes a safe course. I had the opportunity to ride/officiate with the Women IV so the 50+ racers could safely pass; unfortunately, one of the laps where I neutralized them was a prime lap. A few voiced their concerns at Turn-3...but for me, the decision was easy: the safety of the Women IV outweighed the preparation of a prime sprint. Safety will always be the utmost priority.
Mike McMahon (Team Velocity) gave me some good advice as what side to place the Judge's stand for the next Costa Mesa race. His explanation made perfect sense, so it will happen. He won the 40+ 1/2/3 (which by the way-I heard that it was one of the fastest races of the day), but he didn't get any BAR Series points because he didn't have an annual license (just a day-of). I like to see the top-20 results filled with annual members because those are the racers scooping up the BAR Series points; it kills me when some racers win the BAR Series 5-pt. prime and the racer's not (even) an annual license holder! There's a small pot of gold in the Masters 40+ 1/2/3 BAR Series ($1,500.00 to the top-10 racers). That race was Mike's FIRST 40+ race...the talent pool in that category just got a little bit bigger.
Vic's wife Carla was absolutely fantastic with helping. Ernie's wife Jennifer, Jeff, Chris, Bill, Jim, Julio, Vic, Ding-Batalie, Jason, Baldivino, Ernie, Nick, and Ken all did a great job in making sure that the racers were accomodated-whether it had to do with results, coffee, race numbers, or first aid. It is their selflessness that generates the positive emails I receive as a result of a good race promotion. Words cannot express how much I appreciate their assistance!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
$1,000 to Imperial Valley Classic First Place P/1/2 winner!
I didn't know until a half-hour before the start of the P/1/2 race, but I'm glad that race promoter Brian McNeece did it. He gave $1,000 to the winner of his P/1/2. Not only that, but he also assed and extra $250 to the the Cat. 3 racers that cracked top-5 within the race. For the record, the highest place Cat. 3 finished 13th. The race went very well, and I hope to bring this back in 2008 as a BAR Series event. As long as CBR's involved, it will improve as the years go by! $1,000 for 1st Place! That's some serious cash! Well, those that came out had a good time, and those that didn't missed out!Friday, February 09, 2007
Tonight in El Centro/Imperial Valley
Tonight is prep work for tomorrow's crit. More details to folllow later!Tuesday, January 30, 2007
RILYSI race re-cap
The planets slowly started to align. The last phone call I got was 12 midnight, and the first phone call I got was at 4:15am, so 4 hours sleep at best. I thought I was ahead of the game by being awake before the 5am alarm clock, so I started making coffee for the soon-to-be-racers arriving at the race. I knew nothing about amperage on a 5th wheel trailer, so all 3 coffee pots blew the circuit breaker, and I didn't know where the circuit breaker was. Talk about stress at 4:45am, all I could think about was faling Bill and Jim because they would not have the needed electricity for the equipment to score the races. I had failed them before 5am; time to get myself out of this trick box. I went to storage, got the generator and raced back to Dominguez...thanks to our volunteers, they knew what to do with the equipment, where to put it, and how to stage it. Two kinds of people wear sunglasses indoors: blind people and douchebags. People who do not consider other people's feeling are a-hole sociopaths. For example, the douchebag who deliberately dropped his waterbottle into Turn 4 at a 2006 race couldn't care less that the racers behind him might crash badly. In my world, he will always be a dirty cheat who should have been suspended for life but I don't get to make those rules. I heard that another dirty rider was chopping wheels; I will address that in a separate missive. Dirty riders will be tagged and watched. Repeat offenders will not be banished. There was also the issue that a racer left a wheel in the parking lot and another racer stole that wheel...but was caught. That racer is gone forever. I have a short fuse for thieves and a-holes. Attitude and tone of voice go a long way with me; the right attitude will (probably) get you what you want, the wrong attitude will not. Butch and Hoffy did exactly the right thing in communicating their concerns to the officials, and if nothing else, their voices were better heard because of how they approached my volunteers. I thank them both for their courtesy. One clown wanted to argue with the official and demanded to see the videotape (after the results were final and AFTER the equipment was put away). The videotape does what it is supposed to do, and the officials all concurred upon reviewing the tape; complaining after the protest period is weak & lame. If you think you cracked the top-20, then have the stomach to stick around during the protest period. I am beholden to three types of supporters and that's (pretty much) it. 1) race sponsors: they allow me to give my racers what I need to give them, 2) race volunteers: they make these races a success, and 3) the racers (priority given to CBR annual members). I had this one ass-clown (some other race director) call me the day before my race and ask me to set up shop at my race course...and his race wasn't permitted by CBR (idiot!). I tried reaching out to other race directors, and I tried putting the race flyers on car windows at other races...what works is directly reaching out to the racers because they are the ones who support my races. The racers are the ones taking their hard-earned money out of their pocket and coming to my races. In 2007, if you do not fit into one of those 3 sub-categories, then I don't have the time. BTW, the local governments who authorize my races fall under the "sponsor" category. The race volunteers were OUTSTANDING. I cannot sing their praises enough. Every single one of them stepped up and stayed longer than they probably wanted. We got hit hard at registration and everywhere else. I could assist at registration because I knew that Julio, Buzz, Bill, and Jim took care of the start finish. Larry Crane helped with the clinic, Jennifer, Ernie, Vic, Ken, Canyon Velo members, Monty Pettus assisted, and Herb took care of CBR's needs for the day. I was very stressed at the registration lines; we did everything we could, and we will fix what we can to make it better the next time around. It sucks that it will only go downhill from here...or will it? We had an all-time record with 583 single entries and 850 total races. Last year, our JAN race was the record breaker, and not one other race came close to hitting those numbers. This year, we hit 850. I don't know why none of our other races are bigger, but that remains to be seen for 2007. With the lack of serious race conflicts this year, I hope this isn't our biggest day at the races. Every category was perfect...every one! I will change the APR race flyer (FEB and MAR is too late) and give the 50+ and the Elite Women their own race course. They show me love, and I'll show it right back. I'll also extend the time for the Elite Women; the only caveat is that they gotta be consistent in their race-to-race support. The game plan gets changed only if their love changes! All in all, it was an okay day. Too many crashes, too many 1st race season jitters, and lines were too long in the pre-dawn. I appreciate the comments made by all. For the most part, it was competitive and fast. By the way, the Insider's Club is officially CLOSED for 2007. All 50 spaces are full!Saturday, January 27, 2007
Tomorrow's Ride It Like You Stole It Crit...current category status
Right now, the only field that is full is the Category V-Public Men; all other categories are still open. We have a sh*tload of pre-registrations, so I think it's going to be a very competitive day. I want it to be safe and exciting for all. I hope everyone has the chance to visit our CBR Headquarters, and we do have podiums for 2007, courtesy of Canyon Velo's totally cool handiwork with wood!
There was a glitch with Active.com that said the categories were closed and full...they are not full except for the Vs...I will resolve that glitch with active.com!"
Aram Dellalian emailed me and said that tomorrow's Pro/1/2 race will be the Tour of California quality field, but at an industrial park crit! Stick around to watch the entire Toyota-Pro team either put the wood to everyone else (or everyone else put the wood to them?)
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Miscellaneous laundry, some good, some not so good...
THE 5TH WHEEL HAS ARRIVED. So last week, I finally got the 5th wheel trailer. It's huge, and it's a beast to drive. It will be located at the Start/Finish line of this sunday's race, where (I'm sure) all of the Insider's Club members will demand access, lodging, bathroom, and kitchen facilities. I'm glad I have it and that I can use it for my races. If my fat ass ever gets into shape, I'd also bring it to those races. Unfortunately, I'm not riding right now; it would be nice one day.INSIDER'S CLUB. Due to its huge success, I am (now) limiting it to the first 50 applicants, renewing members having priority. I want to keep this (somewhat) special and unique, so I'm placing a cap on it. This concept was a great idea, and I'm glad it's being supported. I'm still working on custom numbers, and I hope to have them soon.RILYSI crit this Sunday. Currently, we are at 218 active.com registrations. This is HUGE! Last year, we only had 153, and that race was my biggest race in 2006. I'm sure that 2007 will be similar in this Sunday's race will be huge, and then it will be downhill from there. I'm really hoping it won't be, but that remains to be seen. I spoke to Harm and Kirk, and (allegedly), the entire Toyota-Pro Racing Team (all 14 racers) will be there to put the beat-down in the Pro/1/2 field. The beauty of the BAR Series is that they won't have licenses, so they will not be in contention for the BAR Series, which is, coincidentally, my next topic.BAR Series/CBR Annual License. Some racers insist on not wanting to buy a CBR license. They insist on paying more money, and they insist on not being in contention for an overall placing for the Series. I don't know what to do in this respect, as I can only do so much in getting the word out about the BAR Series. With respect to CBR's annual license, I am strongly considering my April race to be a Celebrate-the-CBR-Annual-Member by having CBR members pay $10 for their races and a full-freight entry fee for the non-annual members...kinda like the Bare Bones Crit, but with a better cash purse. It's so critical to hit that 1,000 member goal this year; it will open more doors to local racing.LOCAL RACING, THE CBR WAY. I don't have a $5,000 or $10,000 cash category because I only want locals sharing the prizelist...there is a method to my madness. If I have a $10,000 P/1/2 cash purse, then racers will come out of the woodwork for that race. Those CBR annual dues will go to the hired guns ordered to win that money. It's local racing for the local racer...this is why it's kept at a certain level. The other option is to expand the CBR annual member discount so that the non-locals pay more to come to our races. In any event, I'm not there yet. I think that's it for now. It's gonna get hella busy in the next few days,Saturday, January 20, 2007
DB is a former US NAvy Seal...
and he and his wife took money out of their account and placed it into CBR's account. DB is exactly the kind of racer who insprires me to do a better job and to stay the course with grassroots racing. He wasn't forced into financially assisting racers (he'll probably) never meet, and I'm sure that the recipient of DB's generosity will never meet him, but this works because of people like DB. It's always the givers that lift the tides. I work with a guy, and his name is Bruce (Cameron Phillips worked for him!). He's also a public servant, and he told me that everyone gets a thank-you letter when they donate to a cause, whether it's $5 or $5,000. It's money coming out of their pocket, and they deserve a thank-you. Well, this instruction was not lost on me, and it's important to acknowledge and thank those that are such generous givers to this sport. Thank you.
Friday, January 19, 2007
LBSCR flyer is ready and good to go!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Current stats with our events...
01/28/07 Ride It Like You Stole It Crit (Dominguez Hills): 86 pre-registrations 02/18/07 Anger Management Crit (Costa Mesa): 7 pre-registrations 02/25/07 Long Beach Shoreline Circuit Race (Long Beach): 81 pre-registrations 2007 Annual CBR licenses: 345 I don't know what to make of the numbers...LBSCR looks decent for a race that's 6 weeks away. RILYSI will hopefully improve, as that race is less than 2 weeks away, but the Costa Mesa crit is currently killing us. These are hand-to-mouth events...the funds are there for the first race, and then that race generates money for the next race. Ideally, we'd love to have 500 CBR members by the time the early bird savings (01/31/2007) expires. Once the season heads into April and May, very few people buy licenses for the year. Even if we hit our gaol of 500 by 1/31/07, then we need to find 500 members between February and August...that's the challenging part. I hope everything comes together so I can stress on other things.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
A very special THANK YOU to every Insider Club member!
You know, this guy named Al started the ball rolling on this whole Insider Club idea. We started it last year, and we thought that maybe 5 people would do it. Well, I think we almost had 12 supporters last year...way beyond our expectations.Fast forward to 2007: our (conservative) estimates had the Insider's Club growing at 15-20. So far, we're at almost 30. It's to the point where we might be reserving all double digit numbers in CBR just for the Insider's Club. This is the sh*t I'm talking about! Not one CBR Board of Director receives a dime for their efforts; the money comes right back to the sport. CBR overshot the ramp last year and spent $45,000 when we only had $41,500.You guys totally kick ass, and this is why my fat ass in this for the long term. There's a reason why I made a $90,000 investment with that big pick-up truck to pull that big 5th Wheel Trailer. I'll be payin' that shit off for years, but what the hell....I ain't got kids. It's the local racers that motivate me to do a better job with this, and it's those Insiders that bend my ear and encourage me to make this sport better than the last season.You guys have a voice, and I am listening.There might be some serious competition among the Elite Women in the 2007 BAR Series
By looking at the licenses that are coming in, there seems to be a 3-way battle with the Elite Women, and I'm hoping it's for the BAR Series title. South Bay Wheelmen, Team Velosport, and Helen's are gearing up for a heated battle.....well it's about time! Helen's did a great job these last couple of years, and I hope that this 2007 BAR Series really brings out the spirit of competition among the female locals.If the women really come out and support the BAR Series and grab the annual license, then I will seriously consider extending their race to 60 minutes...these first couple of months will set the tone for the rest of the 2007 racing year. I hope to be pleasantly surprised on January 28th with our season opener, the 4th Annual Ride It like You Stole It Crit in Dominguez Hills.This weekend was spent becoming certified as a USCF Official
Just spent the entire weekend learning how to be a USCF Official. Marilyn and Jim Allen did a very good job, as I passed. This is so I can officiate at the Long Beach Shoreline Circuit Race, which is filling up quickly. If you are thinking about registering for this race, don't get caught with your bibs down and be left out of the fun...once it fills up, it fills up.If I have a personal relationship with you and/or you've been a longtime supporter of us, then I can overlook the "no refund" policy and apply a credit towards our next VNC Racing event...if you register and cannot race that morning due to something beyond your control. I'd rather have my friends & supporters register for this event than have them twisting in the wind. If you have already registered, then make sure that your racing & riding companions register for this race...I'm already making plans to advertise this event up in Nor Cal. Supporters who have taken care of me...I will take care of them!Saturday, January 13, 2007
Even low-income Dreamers can earn money by officiating at USCF races....
I know this guy; he's a dreamer, wants to live the dream of turning pro bike racer. In the meanwhile, this guy can't rub two nickels together, much less crack the top-10 at a Category A bike race, but oh well, he wants to live the dream. I was thinking of this Dreamer as I sat there being trained to be a USCF Official. Dreamer could have also been trained as a USCF Official and could have earned some income while also racing at the event. His out-of-pocket expenses could have been kept to a minimum, and he would have also earned some extra coin in his pocket. But I'm sure the Dreamer has bigger plans than his current, realistic bank account allows.Alas, the Dreamer is also a foolio, because he's wasting time not winning bike races (and subsequently no race prizelist), not learning anything that could increase his income, and he's not smart enough to change such a downward spiral. It's like watching a slow-motion train wreck, going off a cliff...you see it coming, but the Dreamer is completely oblivious to it. Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too. Not everybody can be a rocket scientist.Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Had a meeting with MotorTabs tonight...
Had a meeting with Doug and Nestor. With those guys in charge of the team, that club will do very well. Straight-up, no bullshit, and stayed on point with no time wasted...a perfect meeting!Tuesday, January 09, 2007
participated in Velo Allegro's club meeting at Murphy's tonight...
Had a good time reuniting with friends and talking about CBR's 2007 season. Discussed the LBSCR, possible other crit, the expanded 10-race BAR Series, the membership drive to 1,000 (we need everyone's support!), and El Dorado starting in March (the first Tuesday in March!). Had some beer with Clay, Neil, Al C., All S., Ricky, Robbie, and Ross. All in all, a good time with a good crew.Edge/Toyota/Radsport is kicking ass....
I'm not sure, but I think this team is sending a message to all of their new racers, and that message is to support CBR. I've seen several new racers with CBR applications that have the Edge-Toyota team listed. Needless to say, I'm very pleased with this kind of showing of support; this only makes Southern California racing better. The more support CBR receives, the more funds we have to return to the racers...it's that simple.By the way, here's a picture of me doing a wheelie on my new crotch-rocket. I almost lost it, but I have mad bike handling skills.Monday, January 08, 2007
Why there is no advertising on CBR's website...
Because there's nothing out there that I endorse. If there's something I like, then I'll throw up a link. I'll promote the sponsors because it's my mission to support those that support us. Specialized is doing a lot for local racing, and I know they're reaching out to a lot of clubs & teams...which is better for the sport. Recently (which provoked this post), I'm receiving queries about advertising on CBR front page.Advertising was once a consequence of having something for free, like listening to the radio. Those dumb TV programs I watch are for free (as opposed to uninterrupted cable programs like that excellent show The Wire), so I'm bombarded with advertisements. Fine, I get it. CBR's website operation is not at a level where I must advertise for it to operate. They say that money talks and bullsh*t walks, so I'll wait until some entity wants to cough up $100,000+ to peddle their goods. Until then, I don't have the time to deal with it.By the way, here's my latest photo on match.com: I love it.Wednesday, January 03, 2007
55+ racers have only one bite at this 2007 apple
After receiving some of the 2007 renewals asking about 55+ races, I've decided to open up this window for the Costa Mesa crit on February 18, 2007. If the turnout is crap, then it goes away for the rest of the year. I'm open to trying new things; conversely, I'm open to eliminating weak attendance.If it bites me on the ass, then (at least) it's on them and not on me.Monday, January 01, 2007
Went on the New Year's Day ride today and everyone thought I needed this t-shirt
It was nice to see Oldhafer, Dieter, Bowman, Sternlicht, Frankie, Charon, Gibby (he was lookin' to give 45-second naps to those that wanted to talk smack behind his back!), Ryan, Shawn Nelson (who acq'd a sweet career advance), Blalock, and many more. It seemed that the ride was larger than last year, but it could have just been my imagination.The ride killed me; I quit at Newport Coast/PCH. My inside sources said that Ryan Barrett took off in Huntington Beach and carried it to the finish line (4000-meter line). The surprise of the day was Alexei Pavlov, a South Bay Wheelman racer who stayed near the front the entire ride and managed to do well at the finish. There were only two reported wussies that did nothing the whole day, and they know who they are. Charon did his share and thus increased his street cred.This was a tough holiday weekend, but I managed to complete and mail all 240 CBR licenses. Hopefully they will be rec'd by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
For those that read this thing, you have access to info to those that don't read this thing.
I have been tapped to promote the USCF race, the Long Beach Shoreline Circuit Race on February 25, 2007. This will be online registration only, and we expect all three categories to fill up. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race on the streets of downtown Long Beach right before the last leg of the 2007 Tour of California begins their race. I can only have 3 categories, so I chose those that can allow the most racers. This will be the local race before the final stage of the Tour of California in Long Beach. This will be a USCF race, and it will be active.com registration only. There's $1,500 for the Pros, $1,500 for the 30+, and $1,000 for the Cat. IIIs. There will be numerous primes as well as $1,000 in total cash primes. 9:00AM: Pro-Elite I.II racers for 90 minutes9:02AM: Category III racers for 60 minutes
10:00AM: Masters 30+ I.II.III for 60 minutes
Sunday, December 17, 2006
2007 CBR licenses to be printed and mailed after 1/1/7
Every year, time seems more valuable than ever. Rather than hurry up and end up doing it wrong, I am going to wait until after the new year to get them mailed.Sunday, December 03, 2006
Off season is officially OVER
To do list: 1. Lose weight, and a lot of it (I am at the heaviest I have ever been...226lbs...if I weigh below 200 by X-Mas, Santa will get me any bike I want).
2. Mail out 2007 CBR renewals: 800 to 2006 members and 2,000 to non-members
3. Mail out current 2007 licenses-update, print, cut, laminate, stickers, stamps, envelopes, etc.: 62
4. Hook up with Mike and figure out 2007 jersey design
5. Meet with 2 sponsors within the next 2 weeks.
6. Order Large bibs (not Voler but Champion Systems), then order 2007 jersey (once 2007 sponsors are finalized). Item#2 will be the most difficult, as it is so much work. The annuals are the priority, and those will probably go out today, the others will be reviewed and selected...obviously someone whe hasn't done one of our races in 2 years won't get a mailer, but those from 2006 definitely will. Item#1 is a discipline thing; unfortunately, I have little discipline when it comes to controlling what goes in & out of my pie hole.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
This is an interesting website. I found this magazine, Adbusters, while vacationing some years ago in Nelson-British Columbia.Ever since I became aware of their Buy Nothing Day, I've tried, but I failed. It's very difficult, especially for those that need to shop for the upcoming holiday season. The day after Thanksgiving is a huge shopping day. After watching last year's morning television, I think I'd rather wait when the lines are shorter.Anyway, take a look at their website, and if you like, then visit your local bookstore and flip through their magazine; it gave me a different perspective on things, and the magazine ACCEPTS NO ADVERTISING... hence the name Adbusters.Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Website: Post a Secret
Post a Secret. People have issues, a lot of issues. One of the websites I found that's interesting is this. I want to buy the book, and I think I'll buy a couple books for my friends. By the way, this picture has nothing to do with today's post; I thought it was funny.Monday, November 20, 2006
Yesterday's episode of The Wire was great
The Mayor wants the Police Chief out, but Baltimore must have a black to fill it; the Senator's running a long game on the Mayor in hopes that they buddy up to each other at the Capitol in 2008. The Police Chief makes a play to keep his job by making the cops arrest everyone (known as "juking" the stats). Typical McNulty, he finds the crew responsible for the church break-ins. The Shopping cart guy f*cked his BPD handler (Sgt. white guy/bald) by giving him a bad lead on a dope run.
On the school/public education story, one of Bunny's students got nabbed for slingin' (selling dope) by that really good Sgt. that warned him of such consequences. PrezBo found out that the schools deliberately jack up the heat in classrooms to keep the kids drowsy (so they won't screw around for those 90-minutes/Leave-No-Kid-Behind bullsh*t test sessions). Rather than teaching, they are giving the kids the answers to the test so that the administrators get off their backs. The administrators won't get money for their schools unless test scores go up, so they teach the test instead of teaching the subject. Bunny also found out that that the kid's problem are worse at home (when the mom found out that her son spent the night with the Po-Po (police) instead of being booked at Baby Booking [for juveniles], she got all pissed off). Randy, that kid who understands the math probability, is being viewed as a snitch and might get popped by Marlo's crew.
That little, itty-bitty kid that loves to steal cars? Well he stole this huge SUV and tried to evade that local beat cop. The cop finally found him (after he crashed almost 8 cars then ran froom the scene), and when the cop found him, he didn't bother arresting him. He broke 4 of the kid's fingers instead of processing more paperwork! That's what is known as "field adjudication."
On the drug story, Omar is still conducting surveillance on Marlo's crew, and it turns out that some (in the former Barksdale camp) are doing business with Marlo. That bald, white Sgt. is still looking for that BPD-issue camera that Marlo found and stole. The Lt. in charge of that Sgt. is pissed and will sink his career because he keeps getting IA (Internal Affairs) complaints, so he's looking to bury that Sgt. unless he gets some serious stats.
The bureaucrats are starting to circle the wagons, thus making it really difficult for the mayor to do anything with changing the Old Way of doing things. The Mayor must have the City Council and the church leader's approval before any Police Chief is selected, and the bureaucrats made a play to buy more time, thus frustrating the Mayor.
I can't speak highly enough of the plot & character development; this show really kicks ass. For me, it expands my thinking, which is hard for a television program to do. Usually, I just sit there and become dumber. Not with this; it's almost like I'm being schooled: by watching the politics unfold in each of the mayor, police, school, & drug circles.
On the school/public education story, one of Bunny's students got nabbed for slingin' (selling dope) by that really good Sgt. that warned him of such consequences. PrezBo found out that the schools deliberately jack up the heat in classrooms to keep the kids drowsy (so they won't screw around for those 90-minutes/Leave-No-Kid-Behind bullsh*t test sessions). Rather than teaching, they are giving the kids the answers to the test so that the administrators get off their backs. The administrators won't get money for their schools unless test scores go up, so they teach the test instead of teaching the subject. Bunny also found out that that the kid's problem are worse at home (when the mom found out that her son spent the night with the Po-Po (police) instead of being booked at Baby Booking [for juveniles], she got all pissed off). Randy, that kid who understands the math probability, is being viewed as a snitch and might get popped by Marlo's crew.
That little, itty-bitty kid that loves to steal cars? Well he stole this huge SUV and tried to evade that local beat cop. The cop finally found him (after he crashed almost 8 cars then ran froom the scene), and when the cop found him, he didn't bother arresting him. He broke 4 of the kid's fingers instead of processing more paperwork! That's what is known as "field adjudication."
On the drug story, Omar is still conducting surveillance on Marlo's crew, and it turns out that some (in the former Barksdale camp) are doing business with Marlo. That bald, white Sgt. is still looking for that BPD-issue camera that Marlo found and stole. The Lt. in charge of that Sgt. is pissed and will sink his career because he keeps getting IA (Internal Affairs) complaints, so he's looking to bury that Sgt. unless he gets some serious stats.
The bureaucrats are starting to circle the wagons, thus making it really difficult for the mayor to do anything with changing the Old Way of doing things. The Mayor must have the City Council and the church leader's approval before any Police Chief is selected, and the bureaucrats made a play to buy more time, thus frustrating the Mayor.
I can't speak highly enough of the plot & character development; this show really kicks ass. For me, it expands my thinking, which is hard for a television program to do. Usually, I just sit there and become dumber. Not with this; it's almost like I'm being schooled: by watching the politics unfold in each of the mayor, police, school, & drug circles.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Crush-proof smokes
Friday, November 17, 2006
It's all my ride needs
Should I start drinking chocolate milk to improve my performance?
I decided to take up smoking
Traffic jam alert posted
How to spot a rich guy
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
In a country so rich with potential, why is it that we take that potential and throw it away?
I am very conflicted about US troops in Iraq. As a former US Marine Corps soldier, it breaks my heart to see anyone coming back in a body bag or missing limbs. The bigger picture is democracy versus dictatorship, but why is it our fight, especially when we have other issues to fix? At one point in US history, there was a body count of 3,000 dead soldiers in Vietnam; that number eventually rose to 50,000+. What will be the final body count of dead soldiers from the Iraq war? 5,000? 10,000? How many more dead/dismembered soldiers must come back home before we put a stop to it? Those *ssholes have been fighting for thousands of years over there; it ain't ever gonna stop.
How fast would our political leaders declare war if the condition of war included the children of those political leaders fighting on the war's front lines? Would we not find a diplomatic solution at the speed of light?
The reason why this bug is up my ass is because I just got through seeing the music video for the new Green Day/U2 song, "The Saints Are Coming." If you have not seen it, then you're missing something that's disturbing. It shows the victims of Hurricane Katrina, it shows the war in Iraq, and then it shows the military support shifting away from Iraq and heading towards & rescuing the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The video shows a what-could-have-been. This country has such a great capacity for doing good, but it's only contingent upon those leaders who are trusted to make such choices.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Learn to enjoy what you have, not what you want
(Click on the title to jump to MKA's recent rant) MKA is a very gifted writer, a writer that I envy. MKA knows that butt-kissing and boot-licking couldn't find their way into my DNA, yet I always try to give credit where credit is due. He not only entertains, but also provokes...which should stimulate the most unused organ in today's society.
In his latest exploits, he has learned to use Adobe Photoshop and inserted his wife & himself into several France photos; I was truly impressed with his cut-n-paste talents! Bravo (he didn't really go to France, did he?).
Anyways, if you get the chance, read his rant. His argument about legalising drugs is persuasive. As a former federal agent, I've personally observed that we have lost the (50+ years and counting) war on drugs. We've created a criminal justice industrial complex that would create an economic sucking sound should it evaporatre & devote itself to more deserving crimes like rape, burlary, and murder. We have tons of legal drugs now; I can drink a bottle of Jose Cuervo every day if I choose, but I choose not. It's the same choice I invoke with cigs, ganja, crack, meth, etc. I choose less deadly addictions like french fries, bacon, and milkshakes. And in due time, there will be a day of reckoning for those choices (I can feel my chest tighten as I type).
In his latest exploits, he has learned to use Adobe Photoshop and inserted his wife & himself into several France photos; I was truly impressed with his cut-n-paste talents! Bravo (he didn't really go to France, did he?).
Anyways, if you get the chance, read his rant. His argument about legalising drugs is persuasive. As a former federal agent, I've personally observed that we have lost the (50+ years and counting) war on drugs. We've created a criminal justice industrial complex that would create an economic sucking sound should it evaporatre & devote itself to more deserving crimes like rape, burlary, and murder. We have tons of legal drugs now; I can drink a bottle of Jose Cuervo every day if I choose, but I choose not. It's the same choice I invoke with cigs, ganja, crack, meth, etc. I choose less deadly addictions like french fries, bacon, and milkshakes. And in due time, there will be a day of reckoning for those choices (I can feel my chest tighten as I type).
Sunday, October 29, 2006
iPodded my way through the Sierra Club Halloween party last night
The last time I tried to do what DJ Dave Skott did, it was an "experience." I had no idea what the crowd wanted, and my music selection was broad but not 4-corners-of-the-globe. Thank goodness I bought disco stuff from Target the night before the event; that saved my bacon. It was hit and miss, as the hits that kept them on the floor had to be repeated and the misses got eliminated. Fast forward 3 months...Using the MacBook Pro and Verizon Broadband Wireless, I was able to take requests, download those songs from iTunes, and throw them right into the playlist. If the song cleared the floor, then I faded it and replaced it. Three people came up to me and said the tunes were great, so I guess that's a good thing. That's the way I always feel when DJ Dave Skott spins at our events; he really know his stuff. The only part of last night that made me feel awkward was that it was a Halloween party, so I had to play dress up. I went as the recently deceased character of Vito from The Sopranos*
*-not really, I pulled some old combat fatigues out of the closet (still got 'em!) and threw on a Drill Instructor's hat. Not real big on imagination (I know), but then again, a middle-aged heavyset male's only costume should be a Brooks Brothers suit & tie.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Jan-Luke Mansfield Hamasaki's resume
There comes a point in everyone's life where a chain of events triggers one to seriously re-assess what they are doing, and what they will be doing.I don't know how long Jan-Luke has been working for the USCF, nor does it matter. What matters is the quality of work that she's done while she has cashed those USCF paychecks. Lately, it seems that everyone is complaining about Brad House's CycloCross events. People will always complain about how cheap his races are, but when they complain about the safety of the course, then Jan Luke might want to pull her head out of the sand and start looking into it. The main complaint is that his course bottlenecks into an area where the rules say that 3 meters must be the distance width of the course.
Here's what could hang her: how is Brad House obtaining USCF approval for a course that does not, by definition, play by their own rulebook? I don't know which USCF Official surveyed & approved the course (unless Brad changed it, unbeknownst to the USCF...but then again, those USCF Officials green-lighted the start of the race regardless), but the USCF could be in a real pickle if they approved a course that did not adhere to their own guidelines. Brad House will never, ever, ever obtain a CBR permit. Never! Brad could have a truckload of cash and CBR would refer him to Jan Luke, the place where she never refuses a dollar.
When rules are broken, does the USCF suspend their employees as fast as they suspend their licensed racers? Does the USCF ever send out a Letter of Reprimand like this: "You authorized a USCF permit for a race that did not conform to USCF guidelines. This is the third time this had happened in the last twelve months. If it happens again in the next six months, then you will be terminated from this position." How fast do you think Jan Luke will start doing her job if she got a letter like that? In California when an employee is discharged for cause (and it's well documented), it's extremely difficult to receive unemployment benefits.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Dilbert cartoon website
If you like the comic strip Dilbert, then I found the official website. For those that don't know, Dilbert's about a guy with a suck job. Click on the link above or you can cut-n-paste here:
http://www.comics.com/comics/dilbert/archive/
http://www.comics.com/comics/dilbert/archive/
Sunday, October 15, 2006
2006 BAR Series is finalized
I finally finished it; I apologize for the delay. The real kick in the sack is using MS Word for the data, adding the points, ranking the data, converting it to Acrobat, then uploading it to the web. I know I'm doing it the retard way (because it takes longer), but I don't have time to learn a new way, then start from scratch.
I'll be using MS Excel for 2007, which will do the counting and sorting for me, so that will decrease the upload time. If we have the computer system in the 5th Wheel like I want it, then I should be able to do it from the race.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The One Thing I Cannot Tolerate Is Stoopidity
The one thing I cannot tolerate is dumb people. Tomo Trapper, who recently had another daughter (Tomo must be BUMMED that he still doesn't have a boy), continues to put out bad information that indirectly harms CBR.
Needless to say, if you want something done with the SCNCA (USCF local), then talk to either Eric Smith or Greg Aden; they will address and resolve your concerns. The Tomo Trapper doles out misinformation, which makes her either stoopid (intentional) or ignorant (unintentional). Either way, it's a waste of your time.
The best job for her is to sit in a chair and check USCF licenses at bike race registration, and even then that might be too much responsibility.
Needless to say, if you want something done with the SCNCA (USCF local), then talk to either Eric Smith or Greg Aden; they will address and resolve your concerns. The Tomo Trapper doles out misinformation, which makes her either stoopid (intentional) or ignorant (unintentional). Either way, it's a waste of your time.
The best job for her is to sit in a chair and check USCF licenses at bike race registration, and even then that might be too much responsibility.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Babies will be babies
So there's this guy racer named Wussie1; his ass gets all sore because another, Wussie2, called him to the carpet about his idiot breakaway tactics & strategy. So what does Wussie1 do? Starts crying to others about how hiz wittle feewings got hurt. Mind you this is at the Pro/1/2 level, where tough racers supposedly raced. I'm shocked that (what I thought) was settled, in actuality...Wussie1 actually was so dumb & stoopid as he discussed this with others. It also tells me three things:1) He cannot keep a confidence,
2) He's (still) an idiot racer,
3) He needs a category change...Category Diaper When things are settled in-house, that means it's settled and it's not discussed again, much less with others. This dope of a racer lacks this concept; he doesn't get it. M O R O N
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Phase One Complete-Begin Phase Two
This is what will be Phase Two: VNC Racing's Fifth Wheel. This will also be our race Headquarters, Race Number Pick Up, Race Results Posting, Race Announcing, DJ Booth, Officials' Quarters, and the Race Team Travel Trailer. Phase One was the acquisition of the truck, and now that it's done, I can begin to focus on landing this 2007 piece of racing equipment at the door of the best Southern California bicycle racers!This will be our all-in-one system for video race finishes, DJ announcing, and race results posting. We hope to have this ready for its inaugural debut at either our first race on January 28th or at another race where we'll be racing or announcing!Because this will also transport Team VNC Racing, it's important to know that Team VNC Racing will be back for 2007. Anyone who wants to race for Team VNC Racing is welcome to race, whether brand-new to racing or an experienced Professional. While I cannot control who issues us race permits, I can (somewhat) control the direction of VNC Racing...and things are looking great for 2007!Saturday, September 30, 2006
Only two shows worth watching...
This has nothing to do with riding but what's done when not riding, unless it's indoor riding - watching a dvd. It seems that almost everything is written exclusively for the masses. Not these shows; they make you think.
The Wire is about a lot of things...they're taking a 'big picture' approach to drugs & law enforcement in Baltimore, Maryland. You're thinking, 'who gives a shit about Baltimore,' right? A "Wire" is the electronic surveillance of drug dealers' cell phones. This season is a very interesting one; they're showing the effects of politics & policing during a local election and what can happen if society does not invest in its youth thru education...the ultimate result being that taxpayers pay about $30,000/year per felon. Pay a little bit up front to turn potential criminals into taxpayers themselves or pay a lot more later. They guy that developed The Wire is David Simon, who wrote the book Homicide, after spending a year with Baltimore's homicide unit. Afterwards, NBC developed the television series Homicide: Life on the Streets. MI-5
Not that I'm anyone, but I am very very impressed with the quality of plot & character development writing. For those that don't know, MI-5 is the British version of the CIA. The series deals with a multitude of factors, among them the drama they encounter as a result of the UK's relationship with the US, and how that upsets those that wish to harm others. Internal politics, ends justify the means, burning sources, turning agents, developing informants, disinformation, etc. Great stuff. It's a shame that you just don't see this kind of quality except coming out of the UK. I assume that anyone who wants to be anyone is currently at InterBike in Las Vegas, looking at all of the latest bike gadgets, networking, and making their Christmas list. I stopped going in 2003 or 2004, not because I disliked it - I loved it. Just not enough time: place still looks like a land mine exploded.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Why I'm switching from PCs to the MacBook Pro
In 1992, I got my first computer: a PowerBook. I crashed it the same day so I could better understand it. Ted Engh certainly got pissed with my late-night calls asking for his troubleshootiong help. In 1995, I transferred to UC-Irvine, and their computer labs had PCs: the writing was on the wall. This is where I also showed Marilyn Sonye (MTS Cycling) the future of bike race communication. I donated the PB and bought a Dell notebook in 1998, and when I (eventually) called to buy a replacement battery, Dell said they no longer manufactured that same battery. I suffered through this battery glitch until I gave this one away, and then I got a Dell desktop. Once I started promoting bike racing, I also bought a Dell notebook (Inspiron 1150); both computers have suffered through their share of viruses, as Microsoft, McAfee, and Norton can't keep up fast enough. It sucks that in this society that I must worry about opening computer file attachments, but that's the world we live in. On the desktop, the power supply crapped out THE DAY BEFORE the San Clemente Challenge Circuit Race in 2005, and Dell's customer service was so horrible that we vowed never to buy another Dell product, never ever, never ever.
Now in 2006, I need to update our computer. I'm going with the Apple MacBook Pro. Here's why: I need basic stuff for the bike racing like MS Word, MS Excel, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, email, and website design/upkeep. The other stuff like music & video editing make it easy for me. Since evil code-writers hate Windoze, Apple is great for not loosing sleep on viruses, spyware, worms, trojan horses, and the like. So after 14 years of my first introduction to computers, I'm returning to the MacBook Pro. With their new Intel chip and Parallels software, I could run Windoze on my Apple, but I'll try not to.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
VNC Racing's vacation (09/06/06-09/12/06)
Tuesday, September 12th
Dinner
Lunch
Breakfast
Monday, September 11th
Dinner
Lunch
Breakfast
Sunday, September 10th
Dinner
Lunch
Breakfast
Saturday, September 9th
Dinner
Lunch
Breakfast
Friday, September 8th
Dinner:
Lunch: Tai Chi () in Russian Hill area
Breakfast: Judy's Cafe () in the Marina District
Thursday, September 7th
Dinner: Zachary's Pizza () in Beserkely. I frantically dump my change into the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system to get my ticket and jam across the bay. Not that much of a line, but the waiting for my pizza made me feel like a crack head waiting for my rock. Well worth the wait, and I ate too much (what a surprise). Hung around San Francisco's Tenderloin area to observe the changes since my last residence in this town. The pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, parolees, and street crazies seem to understand the invisible border between here (commit crimes and take a chance on being arrested) and there (commit crimes and you will be arrested). It took less than half a block between clean, uncrowded sidewalks and dirty, crowded sidewalks. Their new cop shop is closer to Tenderloin, and there seemed to be a 1-block "clean" bubble surrounding the cop shop...gee, I wonder why?
Lunch: The Stinking Rose (). I love garlic and I hate onions, so this is one of my favorites. To start, I grab the bread and their garlic cloves-only dish with a salad. For an experiment, I order some grilled shrimp, and i found it to be way better than Esperpento's shrimp dish. Somewhat light with garlic and shrimp being the heavy items of the day.
Breakfast: coffee and computer problems. Cannot access the web because my fat fingers jammed my wireless card into the notebook and bent the pins (cannot be fixed until I'm home). I finally receive a band-aid at 12pm.
Wednesday, September 6th
Dinner: Esperpento (). This was one of my favorites when I lived in San Francisco (1991-1994). While some things changed, their Patatas Bravas is still their best dish. Their shrimp dish was more oily and less buttery than I remember. Their fried Calamari was rubbery, and I regretted having ordered it; I wanted to switch it for another order of Patatas Bravas.
Lunch: Pancho Villa Taqueria (). This is one of the best places to have a burrito in San Francisco. I forgot how much I enjoyed eating here, as it's been 5 years since I last visited Pancho Villa.
Breakfast: woke up, had coffee and started towards San Francisco. Got into San Francisco around 1pm.
Tuesday night, September 5th
Went home to drop off the gear and to air-out the race numbers. Threw bags in the Element and got the hell outta town. Made it as far as Gorman for the overnight.
Dinner
Lunch
Breakfast
Monday, September 11th
Dinner
Lunch
Breakfast
Sunday, September 10th
Dinner
Lunch
Breakfast
Saturday, September 9th
Dinner
Lunch
Breakfast
Friday, September 8th
Dinner:
Lunch: Tai Chi () in Russian Hill area
Breakfast: Judy's Cafe () in the Marina District
Thursday, September 7th
Dinner: Zachary's Pizza () in Beserkely. I frantically dump my change into the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system to get my ticket and jam across the bay. Not that much of a line, but the waiting for my pizza made me feel like a crack head waiting for my rock. Well worth the wait, and I ate too much (what a surprise). Hung around San Francisco's Tenderloin area to observe the changes since my last residence in this town. The pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, parolees, and street crazies seem to understand the invisible border between here (commit crimes and take a chance on being arrested) and there (commit crimes and you will be arrested). It took less than half a block between clean, uncrowded sidewalks and dirty, crowded sidewalks. Their new cop shop is closer to Tenderloin, and there seemed to be a 1-block "clean" bubble surrounding the cop shop...gee, I wonder why?
Lunch: The Stinking Rose (). I love garlic and I hate onions, so this is one of my favorites. To start, I grab the bread and their garlic cloves-only dish with a salad. For an experiment, I order some grilled shrimp, and i found it to be way better than Esperpento's shrimp dish. Somewhat light with garlic and shrimp being the heavy items of the day.
Breakfast: coffee and computer problems. Cannot access the web because my fat fingers jammed my wireless card into the notebook and bent the pins (cannot be fixed until I'm home). I finally receive a band-aid at 12pm.
Wednesday, September 6th
Dinner: Esperpento (). This was one of my favorites when I lived in San Francisco (1991-1994). While some things changed, their Patatas Bravas is still their best dish. Their shrimp dish was more oily and less buttery than I remember. Their fried Calamari was rubbery, and I regretted having ordered it; I wanted to switch it for another order of Patatas Bravas.
Lunch: Pancho Villa Taqueria (). This is one of the best places to have a burrito in San Francisco. I forgot how much I enjoyed eating here, as it's been 5 years since I last visited Pancho Villa.
Breakfast: woke up, had coffee and started towards San Francisco. Got into San Francisco around 1pm.
Tuesday night, September 5th
Went home to drop off the gear and to air-out the race numbers. Threw bags in the Element and got the hell outta town. Made it as far as Gorman for the overnight.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Saturday's training ride re-cap
Training is always the best way to iron out wrinkles so that these wrinkles don’t surface in racing. If you wait for a race to assess deficiencies, then that’s no good. For today, I did Velo Allegro’s Hammer Zone with one of my teammates. This is a 9-mile per lap, 3-lap training race with stoplights sprinkled here and there. My job was to contain any breaks for the first 2 laps, and then my teammate would be rested and ready for the third and final lap. Entering into the third lap, I initiated a dummy attack where I shot off the front, hoping that other teams would give chase. As soon as I would get caught, my teammate counters their chase by launching his attack. Well, that’s how it went, and then I was stuck in the chase (of 4 racers) with only one guy that had any ability to try and reel it in. I knew he couldn’t do it alone, but maybe he could get me close enough where I could attack him and try to bridge up to my teammate. Predictably, he chased and closed some of the gap, and as soon as he pulled off the front, I attacked and went solo into no man’s land (the distance in between the breakaway and the chasing peloton).Well, my fat ass lasted about 30 seconds, as I was screaming at my teammate to turnaround (I got close enough to yell but he didn’t hear me). I kept closing the distance (as long as my teammate was not at the front of the break), but as soon as it was his turn to rotate to the front, they opened a huge gap and I was done. Ideally, had he been able to hear me (or if he had looked back to see me bridging alone), then he should have dropped back to pick me up. Then, the two of us could have inserted ourselves into the break, and we would have had numerical advantage (4-man break with 2 CBR teammates in it). If that had happened, then we could have played our little reindeers games by shelling the other two racers at a time we see fit. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance, but it’s important to understand the mindset of bike racing. By the way, my teammate had no problem as he was the strongest racer in the bunch.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
CBR State Crit Champs/BAR Finale
As I have ALWAYS stated; this thing we do does not happen without the help and assistance of our volunteers. I arrived Saturday to dry out the water in Turn 1, where moss and algae covered the curb. It took hours, but mission accomplished. I return Sunday morning at 5am, and the water is already there! Mike Baldivino, and a Category V racer with a Colorado jersey stepped up and took care of the water in Turn 1. David Pimblett arrived early to set up the pop-up tents and to ensure that registration was ready as soon as the racers arrived! I cannot thank them enough for helping me make the course safe and ready for my racers. Ken & Sachiko Fortune helped at Turn 4 and the Prime/Prize tent. Vic Viscio busted his ass all day long (and some of his ass on Saturday!) making sure this race went off with a hitch. Bill Mock, Neil Browne, Julio Flores, Jim Wiznura, Larry Crane, Robert Pelegrin, Butch Jones, and Brett House all participated in the collective effort of making this race a success by volunteering at the Start/Finish as well as the Registration tents. Ralph Lopez hooked us up with present and future 1st aid transport, and Tommy Nelson put out many fires with the BAR Series and making sure that the registration/prime tents had everything they needed. Jennifer & Ernie Villalon helped at registration and did a lot of running back & forth in getting stuff to where it had to be! Natalie Aguirre came by to help us, and boy was she desparately needed!My point is that I am the least important person on race day; it's the volunteers who make my races a success. If it was just me, then no race; it's pretty simple. I am very proud of the volunteers that we have, and they have my ear whenever needed. These are the people that motivate me to do a better job. The give up their time to help at these races, and I really appreciate it. I hope I didn't forget anyone, and if I did...let me know!
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Velo Allegro's race re-cap, 8/6/6
OK, I gotta bust this out before my tiny brain forgets:
Velo Allegro did an outstanding job with this race. I keep thinking back to the mid-80s when Bob Bartholomew took the vote and we splintered away from Long Beach Velo. Back then, that was a hard decision to make, as very few individuals left one club to form another. Nowadays, it seems that all someone must do is fart wrong and someone bolts to form a competing team.
Busting balls with Rudy Napolitano, Cameron Fox, Nate Loyal, John Slover, Kevin Phillips, et al is always fun. It was not fun to constantly see them about 40-50 racers in front of me as my fitness destined me to pull my pud in the back. I have duly advised Velo Allegro that 60 minutes is not enough as well as your thoughts on Cat. 3s being in your race.
I want to personally thank Susie Robles for leaving me the leftover donuts. I found them a good home. If you can find me a good liposuction doctor, then that would be great.
Thanks to Rich Stahlberg (Wild Carrot Nursuries) for the organic tomatoes & basil! I breaded them and fried them right up and they were yummy!
Mark Hebert dropped and I haven't raced against that guy in ages! It was good to see him and I hope to see more of him
Eric Smith, SCNCA president, talked me into racing the Cat. 2s at his MBGP; this means I gotta watch what I eat for the next 6 days and hope to lose at least 2 pounds of baby fat. On a side note, it was good to work with him, Greg Aden, and Nancy Hess & her crew. Results were busted out pronto, and there were very few glitches: almost none.
Congrats to all of the crew that assisted in putting this race together.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Dash 4 Cash bike race re-cap
It was a good day; almost no issues and only two riders crashed during the entire days' race. When I'm able to get through the day with minor safety glitches (no one dangerously hurt-thankfully), then I chalk the day up as a good day.
The next best thing is having great volunteers who know bike racing and ensure that everyone's needs are met. Today was tough, as I needed 3 officials to record all lap winners ( I didn't want issues with race numbers after the race). They were unamimous on every lap, and that meant that the money got to the racer faster. The crews at registration, first aid, snack bar, and corner one did a fantastic job. You know how I know that? Because there were very little fires for me to extinguish. I had time to pedal around and ask racers their feedback on the Dash 4 Cash concept. This is critically important, as this feedback will be implemented in 2007. When I ask, please tell me your thoughts, whether good or bad, as this assists in planning and execution.
It's always good to see my friends, under any circumstances. It's even better when I see that they are having fun. The one nice thing about today's race is (I think) that people were focused more on having fun & racing their bike than not. I want racers (and their friends and family) to have fun at these races. I want them to race hard and to race clean; that (pretty much) happened today.
Did some of our categories get hit? Yeah, but that's okay. I'm okay with racers going to Ontario; like I said before, I'm going to concentrate on the racers that show up at my events.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Misc. Cool Stuff for You to Use
ZABASEARCH-for finding peeps for free
PHONE FUN-for interesting uses of the telephone
BANK ROUTING NUMBERS-verify bank routing numbers
PHONE FUN-for interesting uses of the telephone
BANK ROUTING NUMBERS-verify bank routing numbers
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Costa Mesa Race Results Posted Here
Monday, June 05, 2006
DASH for CASH criterium is a go!
After calculating the racers input and registration (359/533), we are going forward with our 07/09/06 bike race. While the goal of 400 was not accomplished, there were enough voices that made themselves heard, and they assured us that word-of-mouth will grow the Costa Mesa course. I cannot work on that now, as I'm working on our next race in July, the DASH for CASH criterium!Back in the day, Canyon Velo promoted a Dash for Cash criterium, and I thought it was a great idea and it was a great race. I figured heck, at least I'm gonna win 2 or 3 laps and get my entry fee back...and that's exactly what I did. I had to duke out some of those laps with Tomo Hamasaki, and he was an incredibly strong and talented racer back then; he took away most of my laps, so I didn't get as mush as I had hoped for. In any event, the concept was cool and it gave anyone the opportunity to win $10. With me, I'm changing it up a bit..............
Except for the medal categories (Cat. V/Public and Women IV), all of the other categories will compete for $10 or $20 cash per lap win; in the 30+ 1/2/3, 40+ 1/2/3, and Pro-Elite Men 1/2 the cash will be $20 per lap. We're also making the Pro-Elite crit 90 minutes instead of 100km...it's going to be hot in July and we want to give them a slight break.
Maybe it will work, maybe it won't. If I don't try to make it work, then I can't complain later, and that's my number one indoor sport!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Costa Mesa race re-cap...drink your Haterade!
This is the only thing I could think of when I saw Johnnie (Walker Red) Walsh, Gibby (Guinness) Hatton, and Mark (Rolling Rock) Scott sitting in the shade, watching the P/1/2 crit while they drank and ate my pretzyls. My only question is which one is Moe and which one is Larry...I figured out who Curly is.Henry and Butch had their little dance in the 50+ race, and then continued their little dance in the 40+ race. Now I understand that bike racing is an agressive sport; I get it. Hell, I had my run-ins with both of them when I raced; it's part of the sport...eventually one racer ends up dancing with everyone else. That being said, the cycling community is quite small. But the point I want to make is this: I am incredibly lazy and HATE being the mother hen. If two grown men's drama are at such a point that they gotta bring in the Mother Hen to mediate, then they have both failed and both should be kicked in the junk for (even) considering Mother Hen mediation dispute. Their communication skills are so lacking that they stoopidly think that an outside, uninvolved third party will somehow magically sprinkle some fairy dust and make everyone happy. That sh*t ain't gonna happen because if one is happy with my decision then the other one is not, and that means I'm f**ked either way. Enough said: onto more important items....
Our volunteers did a fantastic job, and they certainly deserve more credit than me. They stepped up and made sure that this race did very well, and I am so happy that I have friends like these in my corner. This is why our races go off without a hiccup; it's always the volunteers.
I'm still tallying up the numbers and expenses. Costa Mesa PD did a great job with traffic control, especially with the church service from 1000-1130. It's been quite a while since we've had a crit there, and everyone told us that they loved it. It's spectator friendly, near the coast, and has lots of shade & parking! Yay! As long as no one littered, upset the locals, or made cops angry, then we will have our CBR State Criterium Championship on August 20th at the same Costa Mesa course.