One year later

I stayed up late last night watching When The Levees Broke.

At least the first two acts.

I hope that no one is under the illusion that when the big quake comes, that help will be forthcoming from the government.

We will see which local leaders truly have the right stuff (questionable in my mind at best)

We will see unknown heroes.

Just don't expect help. We are busy elsewhere in the world feeding people and delivering water.

It makes me wonder how much of what happened was truly politics, class and racial differences as opposed to simple ineptitude.

I volunteered to go to the Big Easy last year for a month straight. Ready to go, leaving in two weeks, the whole effort was cancelled." FEMA won't pay" , I was told." They have a private contractor working on it for twice the cost".
Sound familiar?
Worse was the response of many of my coworkers- " Dude, you could get sick!", and my favorite- " they say the French Quarter is up and running, what, we won't be allowed to leave? Aw hell no!"

I always wondered, how would they feel if N.O. decided they couldn't come for us due to funding concerns? If their families were wandering around lost?

Watch it, then go out and buy some bottled water.

Stretch

So I had an opportunity to spend an hour and a half with PT, coach, bike fitter and all around nice guy Curtis Cramblett today.
I won a set of primes at Albany this summer for a bike fit( the biggest payday this MOP er has ever gotten, and a reason I'll be back to that little four corner deathmatch- see Nome's rant on this subject)
Curtis was good on his word, and so I took a trip down to San Ho today to have him take a look at my gimpy ditch digger ass on a bike.
Very, very systematic approach. I was able to understand what we were talking about the whole time, and we will be making some incremental changes over the next few months, provided I do the work required.
20 years in a ditch has beat me up a little, apparently, and I could use a little more work on the core and hammies.
Who knew a foam roller and a tennis ball could bring a grown man to his knees, and fix him up at the same time?
Gotta go suck up for my massage now, send me happy thoughts........

Remembering

Looking at old pictures

Of an old friend

She's smiling in every one

I hate funerals

Seeing the family left behind is the worst

Just so sad

Who me?

The countersurfer struck again, swiping my carefully constructed egg mcmuffin with smoked turkey while I was in the garage helping the missus.
Did it so cool I walked around for 5 minutes wondering why I was still hungry when I just ate.

Old dawg, old trick.

Spent the day today doing my coaching thing in GG park, then hooking up with The Seal fresh off a Alcatraz swim and heading down to Skeggs Point for some dirt.

Nice. Real nice.

How did I ever miss this one? Single track, woopsies, redwoods, ya ya ya.

Not too long, about an hour and a half of single speedin'. Two nice new raspberries on my knee and elbow, and we were off to the burrito joint.

MMMMMM.

Foodie Friday!

FF had to take a break due to work actually requiring my presence, but tonight is slow, so here ya go........

Pizza- mmmm. A dangerous luxury for us weight weenies, but a necessary one.
Easy to find after a gawdawfully hard effort in some gawdawful Central Valley/ Nevada armpit. Even bad pizza is good pizza in these times, and I have never had a bad pizza in Bishop after a few days of sloggin'.

But let's talk about the real deal here, the real classic masterpieces.

WINNER

Cheese Board, Berkeley

Damn, this was tough. Hit the Board on a Friday night and share whatever pie they have decided to make by communal decision on the median on Shattuck. Check out the Chez Panisse crowd across the street and know that you are at the top of your foodie game with a whole lot more scrilla in your pocket.

DAMN CLOSE 2nd

Zacharys Pizza

JS writes poems about this stuff. I have dreams about it. Cash only and long lines, and worth it all.

Makes crit racers out of spindly climbers every time.

Supa- garlicky caesar with those cool breadsticks.

I hear from those in the know that it's hard to find better in Chi-town.

Spinach and Mushroom the day after, when the spices have time to meld= damn.

Coming to San Ramon- I'm in deep.

SOMEBODY HAD TO BE THIRD

Amicis Pizza

Much hype, a little pricey. The best is the most simple, just cheeses on a thin crispy crust.

I wonder how much Ralph would eat for free........

Paint on the road

So , I went for a nice ride with Merkle today out Calaveras(leaves are changin just a little), up Sierra and back home. 60 miles of fun and conversatin'.

While slugging it out up Sierra , I had lots of time to survey the names on the road, Levi, DZ was all over the place, Simoni, and Landis.

Forlorn, fading names.

Mixed feelings about pro cycling right now.

I really liked this article by Magnus B. on the doping.

Kind of drew a parallel I could understand. I work in a place were we have been randomly tested for years, yet last month we got a visit from the company drug czar, informing us there have been WAY too many positives this year for amphetamines.
Lot's of rumors fly about individuals, but nobody really knows, and the individuals in question certainly are keeping it under their hats.
Sometimes a name will come out, a firing or resignation. Usually it's a big suprise and not the usual suspects.

Kind of like the bike world sometimes.

I pinch

Silly little link here-

Running Long Today.....

reminded me why I no longer like it.

Kind of funny, since 20+ milers used to be a weekend staple.

I did 2 hours of OV's drills while Miz C shuffled.

That's right, Monty Python dance moves while running, baybee!

The trails were pretty at Lake Chabot.

And the pup, well he had a 4- swim, 10- mile day with some poison oak rolling to top it off.

Pretty good day for a dog.

Cross = training for a 30 second run.

50k= training for a 30 miler.

Kind of different, no?

Gaiter-sporting, shorty short hiking, dirty sock, bandanas on the neck and head, bearded, braided, old race t-shirt from 1992 niche sport.

Ultra running or Santa Cruz cross racing?

The Tandem...

is rolling.

New to us, probably about ten years old. Had to get used to Barcons again, used to have em on the old crosser. Suntour XC shifts ok, you just have to be patient and not pressure the drivetrain, the way we all had to shift before the fancy stuff.

This thing is gonna be fun, I have a new Terry Butterfly coming for Miz C. that hopefully will take the edge off things. I need to find a odd size suspension seatpost in 26.8 also. It has a rack and a light already, perfect for a cold beverage or some sandals or a couple of jackets, depending on the season.

The beast is classic Burley steel, weighs as much as a Sherman tank and drives like one too. The drag brake is a cool invention, keeping comments to a minimum from the aft compartment on long descents.

Now for some corny matching outfits.....

Cave Day

Today was just a great family day. Spent the day with my sisters, Little C., and Cousin B. Stopped in Valley Springs and visited New Cousin D.- 5 months and 20 lbs, gonna be a big boy! Man I gotta finish riding that Hogan Dam Rd out behind their place, I rode it one spring day for an hour an a half, finally turned around when the stream crossings got a little too deep for me and the Kelly. On Yahoo maps it goes through to Milton Rd, which I wanted to do and check out the copper course. Ran out of tubes and tools on the dirt road on the way back, next time I take the crosser.
Went to the California Caverns outside of San Andreas, the sisters stayed outside and took a nap while me and the kids suited up-

Major fun on the one hour tour, a little squinching to fit through some holes, but nothing too serious. Hard to shoot good pics with my crappy camera, but there were some amazing rock formations in there.

I'd love to go back for the big tour, 5 hours of mud-slogging, crawling, rafting across underground lakes....

I'll have to wait for after the mud-slogging, crawling, aboveground lakes crossing with-a-bike season to end before my return, though.
Really looking forward to it. I wish Bob would put up the East Bay schedule. I love tuning up in 100 degrees and dust. I see one in Folsom that fits with the schedule, maybe I'll head up there and get killed by all the guys that started base in June. MMMMmmm, I can't wait.

Anyway, Little C. is going to the Jelly Belly factory tour tommorrow, so Pops slipped her a few extra bucks to get him some black jelly beans and look for the Sport Beans.
Sport Beans and Clif Bloks, who needs real energy food?That shit is gooood.

Dear Joe Friel-

Just a couple of thoughts-

Do guys that make their living in muddy holes doing muddy hole things need a Maximum Strength period? 600 lbs on a leg press is fine for cycling, IMHO. 180 on the seated row is way more than I need to pull on some bars in a sprint.
This concept of functional fitness, that's the name that rolls around in my head and is probably copyrighted somewhere, now that does attract me. Keeping my core muscles strong so I can pick up a piece of equipment at work, or put a bike up, or give my kid a hug without spending a day on the couch, very cool. Being fit enough to enjoy my later years and not be getting endless surgeries like many of my coworkers in their fifties.
Core and stretching- probably 30 minutes twice a week. Real fitness gains with a minimal time investment.

Thanks for giving me a flexible planning tool for all the dumb sports I like and probably some new ones as well. It took me 30 minutes to draw up a plan through December.

Keep telling me to mellow out and ignore my buddies going to Gutterfest 2006 when I'm in Base and not even in a rest week. I won't go to Gutterfest as long as a occasional Tuesday bone is thrown my way to keep the champing to a minimum.

The dreams of crit racing- is this good or bad? Why do my tires never hold air? Why are they in parking garages?

Gracias,
Mr. zn 1

Shadow Cliffs

Ahhh, the things that I finally have time to do in the off season, like find a great unofficial dog park in the east bay.
Lab Central, baby!
Good running and cross practice as well.
In another life I used to swim around in the big lake at 0600 wearing a speedo in 61 degree water, but now I have seen the light. Actually, the best swimming is in the winter, when the water is clean and the coliform counts aren't too high from the zillions of people and their poor hygiene.
Speaking of coliform counts, maybe some bad lettuce took me down this weekend.
No worries, 36 hours of sleep and some Pepto-B and I'm back at it. Even had a damn salad tonight, little hair of the dog action.

Foodie Fridays # 1

Sooo,
Like most bikey folks, I'm equally obsessed with food and starvation. As the season turns towards the dirt and home improvement, I'm giving myself a little latitude to enjoy some of my favorites and share them with my bloggy friends.

Lunch Spot-

WINNER

Intermezzo- Haste and Telegraph, Berkeley. Classic place, best and biggest salad for the money known to man. Huge sammiches as well. I eat there most afternoons/ evenings, so IF ya see a guy in a reflective vest ordering one to go, say hi.

1st Runner -up

El Balazo- Various Contra Costa Locations.

Chicken Caesar Salad will fill anyone with about a pound of warm grilled chicken rubbed with epazote and garlic. Decent burrito, etc., but the salad is the thing.

Coffee- For most bikey types, way more important than food. Bucks' is everywhere, and Peets is chasing them. Some people hate them, but I remember when coffee in the suburbs consisted of 7-11 and mickey-d's, and thank them.

WINNER

Cole Coffee- 63rd and College, Oakland. Name has changed from Royal, everything else is the same. For years Miz C. sent me down there on Saturdays for a lb of Celebes, damn junkies.Way cool people watching from the tables on 63rd. A hub of bikey action.

1st Runner-up

Bellatazza- Bend, Oregon. Absolutely sublime double cappucino with the foam spun in like a cirrus cloud over the desert. Cool and friendly crowd, doggy friendly. I look at a receipt in my wallet from last month and smile at the memory of a lazy hour in July.

Soul Food/ BBQ- probably more open to personal interpretation than anything else, different strokes for different folks.

WINNER

Rodericks BBQ and Seafood- Gilbraltar and Stoneridge, Pleasanton.Soul food in P-town?Roderick is a pure genius in the kitchen, ditching his boring-ass tech job for something he loves. I was worried for a while he wasn't gonna make it in the tri-valley, but the lunch crowd from the offices has come out in droves . Expanding to Oakland soon, not the usual path. Awesome BBQ, my favorite sides are the yams and greens. Hot hot hot red beans and rice, and don't forget the hushpuppies. I only wish the Sunday dinner had worked out, this is food for the heart and soul.

Very high on the rewards meter after a tough race/ season.

1st Runner-up

Nellies- 3rd and Adeline, Oakland. Great Sunday dinner. Favorite spot to eat with my crew on friday nights after a hard week. Classic soul food, oxtails, fried chicken, fried seafood. The yams are sliced and candied, which a lot of people like more. I'm a pureed with butter and nutmeg guy myself.

Tied-

Chicken and Waffle house, Embarcadero x Broadway, Oakland.

Great late night spot. When the clubs let out it's pretty wild around here. If you have never had a hot piece of chicken and a waffle with warm syrup and butter late into the night, I highly recommend it. Good breakfast as well, but stick to what they do.