Saturday, November 24, 2007

The Cold


It's been a while since the last post and I plan on uploading some new images from Thanksgiving and other events over the past two weeks. The new project at work has taken a large portion of my time and the training has become a nightly ritual. My hamstring was injured during a training ride 3 weeks ago and I plan on testing its strength in Round 4 of the Bay Area Super Prestige Series at Golden Gate Park on Sunday. I rode alone on Thanksgiving morning and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise from the Golden Gate Bridge. The bike path was covered with a light frost and my glove selection was not suitable for the riding conditions. I ended up tucking my hands into the back of my jersey to keep warm and the wind chill managed to creep through the zippers and cracks in my vest. There were a few birds fishing in the marsh and I thought about the warmth of the water as it moved out of the marsh into the channel. Eventually, I stopped at a cafe for a double shot of espresso and warmed my hands and feet before finishing the remaining miles of my ride. Anyway, I need to get some sleep before the big event tomorrow, but I look forward to a strong race and some images for the blog. I hope everyone is doing well and thanks for reading.


Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Cubastricism




























The dance club (discoteca) has opened for the evening ;) There are a few of us here at work finishing some tasks while Daft Punk's "Homework" plays in the back ground.

I heard a few people humming along to the song and some were tapping their fingers on the desks. Sounds cliche' but my co-workers dig the music at night.

Just received an email from a teammate and the organizers of last weekends race moved all riders up one spot due to miscommunication at the finish line - I moved from 16th to 15th ;)

This evening I bring you my rendition of various art genre's produced on the famous canvas...

"Blanco Plastique"

Both photos were taken on my iPhone - NO PLUG FOR APPLE

The second image was taken at my "roof top" party - Bay Bridge in the distance ;)

Good night.

Thanks for reading.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

McLaren Park
















The race course was amazing with lots of technical sections and steep run-ups. I was leading the race heading into the final lap and hit a rock which caused an instant blow out on the front wheel. It was mid-lap and I had to run the remaining lap before receiving a wheel change in the pit. My teammates pulled together and changed the wheel and I re-mounted and ran up "The Wall." Things were looking promising with a fresh wheel - but I struck another rock on the descent and the wheel lost all pressure immediately. The fresh tire held up as I rode it without air pressure and many riders began passing me on the descent. Overall, the racing conditions were beautiful and the riders put on a good performance all around - nice work Altezza40.

Here is an excerpt from Lance Armstrong's book - It's Not About The Bike

It's not about the bike. It's a metaphor for life, not only the longest race in the world but also the most exalting and heartbreaking and potentially tragic. It poses every conceivable element to the rider, and more: cold, heat, mountains, plains, ruts,
flat tires, high winds, unspeakably bad luck, unthinkable beauty, yawning senselessness, and above all a great, deep self-questioning. During our lives we're faced with so many different elements as well, we experience so many setbacks, and fight such a hand-to-hand battle with failure, head down in the rain, just trying to stay upright and to have a little hope... ~LA


I will submit a full race report with some race images tonight or tomorrow.



Thanks for reading.