Tarpit Herbivore

No.wHere

2011-11-25T21:52:00.001-08:00

Winter is steadily approaching Seattle. Fall has settled and the temperature is staying low, with rain coming and going as it pleases. Last year I rode in the crap weather quite often. It wasn't very fun or comfortable, although I'm certain I gained some pretty good handling skills and toughness to race in equally poor conditions. The downside is that I was definitely under-dressed and without proper North Western cycling equipment (ie, the rain stuff). I made it a priority to make sure I didn't make the same mistakes I made last year so I've outfitted a vintage Colnago, that Ted (a dear friend and teammate) gave me, with the full fender set up, saddle bag, lights... the obvious stuff. Team sponsors have made some of the most recent investments more attainable than in the past such as a thermal jacket, rain jacket (that fancy Castelli plastic bag), Louis Garneau Power Seal booties, LG gloves warm & warmer, caps and of course, embrocation.

This "off" season I intend to enjoy my time in the saddle regardless if it's 34* and pissing rain or not. I finished my first base period and easily reached my 15 hour goal without any problems. Although Thanksgiving pretty much screwed up the start of my second base period, so I'll have to chalk it up and start fresh again next week. Just the other day Mike reintroduced me to Dan Harm's blog, Chasing After 2012, where I read a bunch of really helpful crap I wasn't ready to come to grips with. You see, he's an Elite racer and I am not. I want to be. I will be. It's just that I have some habits I need to break to allow myself to truly reach my full potential. And perhaps there are a handful of habits I should probably pick up. Someone who has already gone through all of this is exposing the essentials and I aim to use this to my advantage. I am also self-coached, you should know. With all of that being said, once this gorgeous bag of coffee depletes from our kitchen I will begin a 2 week detox that will prohibit the consumption of caffeine and alcohol all while monitoring my caloric intake. I suck at all 3 of those. Wednesday also marked the first day of core and upper body training. I'm pretty out of proportion when I see myself naked. Mostly just great legs, tiny torso and lanky, scrawny arms. Whipping my upper half into shape is painful so far but will pay mad dividends by spring. This detox in conjunction with core workouts should make me faster than I currently am or were. Atleast that's the idea.

I WILL BE A CAT 2 BIKE RACER BY JUNE 2012.

This will happen because when I believe I can do something well, I actually do it well. For example, the week before the Tacoma Twilight Criterium I went on Twitter and said "I am going to win the Tacoma Twilight Crit." A week later this happened. That was my first win. I can certainly do it many times over with the right fitness and confidence. The other racing related strategy I'm going to try out this year is focusing on stage races. These are multi-day events that best simulate those crazy tours you watch on tv like the France one with the yellow jersey and the Italian race with the guy in the pink everyone is chasing all month. It's also a quick way (potentially) to earn upgrade points. I recover pretty quickly so I'm holding out on this idea of racing 3 days in a row and still performing well.

Its 11pm and I really want to ride my bike before I go into work at 9am, so I'm going to leave you here. I just felt compelled to share a few new ideas that have been floating around in my head for the past couple days. Thanks for reading. I'll try to be a little more consistent, if not just for my own sanity in these dark and short NW days.

End Base 1.3 Cycle

2011-11-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

Today marks the end of my first Base Training period, thus making next week all about recovery, WOOHOO. May goal was 3 hours today to lock in a 15 hour training week. I did 2.5, cause I slept in. Close enough right? I wanted to see what my body was capable of as I started my training again so I tapered my hourly workouts as follows:Week 1, Base 1.1 = 9 hoursWeek 2, Base 1.2 = 12 hoursWeek 3, Base 1.3 = 15 hoursWeek 4, Base 1.4 = 7 hoursI am only doing 3 hour increases for this first period so that I can jump start my fitness. We'll see if it works out for me as I drop it down to 2 hour increases in my upcoming rides. I think all is well with my body, since I've felt fine; no knee pain or abnormal muscle soreness. Also, I went to the doc's to get a full physical with bloodwork to make sure I'm a healthy vegan. Results tomorrow, how exciting. For me atleast. I won't leave you hanging, so here are some more pictures I snapped on my ride this afternoon. Seattle is so beautiful, gah'damn.
Downtown Seattle from the Burke Gilman, Fremont.

Lake Washington Blvd, see the volcano?

Mt. Rainier close up, via Lake Washington

One of my favorite descents in town, Dexter.

Thanks for looking. Off to Ocho to cook tapas all night.

Base Training 1.3

2011-11-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

This week is the third week of my "base training" for the 2012 season, which will include 15 hours in the saddle. Since I typically like to make Tuesdays and Thursdays my hard days, I kept it at a "tempo" pace, meaning just pushing the threshold of anaerobic and keeping it there. It was a freezing cold, foggy, yet sunny morning in Seattle with no chance of rain so I decided to ride the Masi. Amazing bike. Nobody was available to ride with me today so I just took my camera with me and did the ever-beautiful South Lake Washington Loop including Mercer Island. From Ballard this took me a little over 3.5 hours. Here's some of flicks. Burke Gilman, U-District

Lake View

Under 1-90 Bridge

Wetlands

U-District is that spec of buildings in the center

Mercer Island, so beautiful

Grassy knoll before leaving MI

Looking North from the back side of the Central District

Burke Gilman trail, Fremont

Interbike and Cross Vegas 2011

2011-10-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

This is a bit late, bare with me. I went to Interbike in Las Vegas this year to represent Team B+R and hopefully nail down a few sponsors for our 2012 road season. I missed out last year, and made it a priority to get time off (which almost fell through). So glad that our team DS hooked me up with everything to make this trip possible. Thanks again, James. Im not going to bore you with stories about trying to eat in LV as a vegan leaving you with nothing but Chipotle 3x a day, all the sweet bikes/parts, celebrities, free swag, free beer (lots of it), 'cross racing, friends and all around bike nerdery that one would be engulfed in at a trade show like this. So, instead, I'll just share a few pictures I snapped while I was there.

The Molly Cameron

Until next time.

Product(s) Review: Masi 3VC Carbon

2011-09-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

I recently upgraded my race bike from my (former) trusty steed, Trek 2200 Ultegra, to last year's Team Becher+ Radsport 'team bike', Masi 3VC Carbon. A HUGE thank you to James Becher (our team Director Sportif) for going the extra mile and making this upgrade happen for me. I am forever thankful. Before I get into my thoughts on the frameset and components, here's some eye candy (and yes, she rides as smoothly as she looks):

SPECS:

'09 Masi 3VC Carbon 58cm (compact)
Campagnolo Groupset:
-Centaur Aluminum Power Torque Crankset
-Chorus shifters/brake levers
-Chorus front/rear derailleurs
-Record front/rear brakes
DT Swiss RR 1.1 Wheelset laced to Campagnolo Record hubs
Ritchey PRO stem
Ritchey WCS bars
Masi Carbon seatpost
Masi bartape
Fizik Arione saddle (yes, I can touch my toes)
Speedplay pedals (not shown)

Unloaded, I'm sure she dances close to 16lbs. So light. There is nothing about this frameset that I don't like. It's "laterally stiff, and compliant" as they like to say. This frame was dubbed the "workhorse" and I completely agree. Although I take special care of my bike, I do, so to speak, "ride the shit out of it". She gets raced on and trained on 14hrs a week. I tend to be more of an aggressive racer so there's a little more force being delt out, if you will. I have noticed more than anything how quickly the bike accelerates, thus affirming it's nickname. Strong and quick. Upon first glance I feel like the steatstays stick out, quite a bit. I don't mean wide either, I'm talkding about that unique slope that seems to be the opposite shape of most frames out on the market today. The idea behind the slopped seatstays was to eliminate wheel-skip when braking hard by redirecting the force of your inertia equally throughout the frame. When I first heard about this, I thought it was a crock of shit. You can quote me on this, but I have yet to lock up my rear wheel since owning this bike and putting over 1000 miles on it. Keep in mind, I live in Seattle where the hills rival the infamous ones in San Francisco, which means I am very familiar with having to stop quickly after descending a very long and steep hill. Nothing. I've locked up countless times on my Trek. I'm not saying that it's impossible to skid out, just that I haven't yet. That should say something about the craftsmanship over at Masi. Theres one more thing I found rather crucial about this 58cm compact frame, no toe overlap. I'm 6'3" 160lbs and wear a size 47 (12-usa) shoe. Yes, this frame is probably a little small for me, but the fact of the matter is I have big feet, and race this machine. Having more rake on the fork allows for full range of motion without worrying about the tyre hitting my foot causing me to eat shit infront of miscellaneous strangers. Having more rake on the fork also keeps the bike from being too responsive thus creating that "squirrelly" effect we're all familiar with. I've ridden frames that were probably too big for me and still experienced the complete opposite. When you're racing crits to road races, it's important to feel in complete control with your bike and know that you can rail that corner at irresponsibly high speeds without worry of wiping out. I'm very pleased with the geometry of the 3VC Carbon, and only hope that they continue to use innovative design to produce bikes that exceed the already sterling reputation they've had for decades. Aside from the impressive specs and handling of the Masi 3vc, I can feel good looking around at races and group rides knowing that I've got the only one around. Theres something special about having a rare and tough carbon frame set, if you don't know that feeling, I hope you will soon. But don't take my word for it, check out more unbiased opinions over at Masibikes.com. ;)If you made it this far, thanks. And go easy on me, it's my first real race frame. I'm still unsure whether that warrants me the right to do an unofficial "product review".

Race Report: Seward Park Season End Classic

2011-08-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

I love this course.

8/29/2011 9am
Cat 4/5
1k circuit, 50' elevation gain per lap, 22 laps.
8th place of 49 riders

This was the last race of the NW road season, and given the prior day's race was a flop to say the least, we needed some serious redemption. I am a firm believer that every racer has a type of course that suits them perfectly, Seward Park is Ted and I's. The Thursday Night Crit Series takes place here from April - September as a non-sanctioned training race. It's perfect for keeping that "race confidence" everyone desires. It's also a fun weekly challenge because the experienced folk around here swear that a break will never stick on this course. At Seward, the direction can change depending on the weather or how the officials are feeling that day:

Clockwise = "The fast way" single 50' punch climb (dry)
Counter-Clockwise = "The safe way" two 25' steps (raining/wet)

To level the playing field, the last race of the season was to be ridden counter clockwise (so the sprinters would have a chance at victory). Also, after the 2nd lap, the winner of each of the remaining 20 laps would receive a vile of Nuun Electrolyte Tabs. Cool stuff. Since it was only Ted and I that would be racing, we decided to replay what we did at the Tacoma Crit so that I may pay him back for what he did for me. That being, sit in, maybe launch a few small attacks, then with 2 to go, Ted jumps on my wheel as I dump all my gears into the hardest of lead-outs, giving him a solid win. However, Ted and I have sort of a reputation up here for making a seemingly easy race really fast and difficult for everyone else. This was completely solidified when we were stretching by the staging area as we heard 2 passing racers chatting. I waved with a smile (I don't really know them, I was just being friendly) and after they passed, one says to the other "and those 2 aren't going to make things any easier..." Matter of fact, there were countless moments as we were perusing around the course when we'd catch people staring at us and start whispering and what not. Ted looked over at me and asked with a grin "do you think anyone has us pinned?"

Yes. Yes they did.

Whistle blows to start the race, we rock the first 160* hairpin w/o a crash, good, then fly down the hill. At the bottom were the surges usually begin, I'm feeling fresh and overly confident so I drop 5 gears (I have Campy now, it's dangerously fun) and throw the first attack down. Two guys start chasing and catch my wheel at the start/finish line. I pull until the bottom of the hill, then Ted goes. He strings it out big time for a couple laps, then at the same spot I go even harder. Then he goes after I'm caught. Then I let it rip after they catch him. The winner of the LWV #3 (day before) chases me, he catches me after a lap, then its just us. He pulls, and keeps flicking his elbow (that means, "please come around me and take a pull in the wind, I'm tired"). I don't. I just let him burn all his gas 5' in front of me. Then I attack him, he grunts and tries to catch me. We play cat and mouse for 1 more lap, now 13 to go, before the peloton catches us. Just as they swallow him and start to roll up on me, Ted comes blazing by me like I'm standing still and disappears up the hill. Nobody even tries to chase. I sit 3rd wheel and wait for a chase to form. I lead the hill climb, then slow it down big time b/c I can tell everyone is burnt (really, I'm blocking and they don't know it yet, they just think I'm tired.) Finally after 2 laps with no Ted in sight the official on the climb says he's 15 sec up so 4 guys attack, and I counter. For another 5 laps, I play this game where I make everyone go fast where they want to go slow, and go slow where they want to go fast. It works so perfectly because Ted gets to escape, they are tired by the time they get to the "fast" part and most of them don't know I'm doing it on purpose. with 5 to go, this dork on Byrne/Invent p/b MadFiber, informs the rest of the group that my teammate is soloing up the road and that I'm not actually going to do any work to bring him back. Good job, gold star. Ted is now 23 sec up the road. The teams, for the first time this season (in the Cat 4/5's) start to strategize a little team work and form a chase group. I can't have this happening so I bridge the chase group after a speedy recovery and then attack them. This really seemed to piss them off because they just started yelling at eachother not to let me keep doing this.

That made me smile. After the race, some of them even said they thought it was funny I was smiling during the shenanigans.

2 to go. I sit 3rd wheel just incase Ted starts to pop so I can go save him. Nobody attacks, on the hill I ask the official how far up my boy is "20 sec, you guys gonna let him get away?" Nobody responds. But I smile again. Final lap, I'm 3rd wheel then some insanely dangerous/wreckless leadout blows by everyone scatters but doesn't crash, and I chase the field sprint for 8th place. Ted wins. Mission complete. Although, we strayed quite far from the plan ;)

Team B+R takes all primes, Top 10 and a 1st place.

Race Report: LWV #3 Carnation Farms Circuit Race

2011-08-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry yall for the delay, but here I am to fill you in with some exciting news: The (North Western) road season is over, and Team B+ Radsport went out with a BANG!

To start things off, I give you my Lake Washington Velo Circuit Race Series report:

LWV #3 - Carnation Farms 8/27/2011 9am
Cat 4/5
6 laps, 30 miles
22nd of 59 riders

Jake picked up Ted and I and drove us through a foggy, cool morning out in the beautiful forests of Carnation, WA. Pretty rad conditions for a "Kermesse" style race if I do say so myself. Of course, like many of the other races the Rain City squad of Team B+R has attended this season, we barely made it on time. Don't ask me why, but no matter what time we plan on leaving, we usually have enough time to register and roll up to the start line, no warm up, just attack until we feel fresh enough to breakaway. Not very PRO, but we're young and it works for now.

The course was flat, and technical so the plan was to breakaway after the first lap and get Ted a win. We were unfamiliar with the reality of the course, so it turned out to be easier said than done, especially racing in the amateur category (4/5). It just so turned out that the roads were incredibly narrow and janky (which is cool, but not when your opponents cant handle their bikes very well and aren't nearly as fit/fast as you). There was really only one section of the course to move up on and that was a sketchy two-lane country road with no real visible painted lines, so naturally everyone launched attacks/ or surged to move up in the pack thus taking up both "lanes." Let me get a little more specific with this particular road: pot-holes, dirt, windy, foggy, 2-way, looks like a 1-way country drive way. Badass, right? Well, it was until the 2nd lap when the "plan" was to take place. We were all stuck in the back of the pack (b/c we showed up late, thus lining up in the back), so we started moving up on said road, Ted comes around the outside pretty hard and Jake and I slither our way through everyone else. Just as Ted disappears into the front of the pack I see a huge grey Chevy Silverado driving half on the road and half on the grass trying to slowdown as they realize there really is a bike race going on just like the lead car's sign says. Before I know it, a racer on the outside (oncoming traffic) smashes into the front of the truck at 25+ mph, his bike snaps into pieces, blood, then his body ricochets off the grill and lands 5 in front of the truck. Two or three other riders that were right behind him laid their bikes down to avoid collision. This all happened in a matter of seconds and no more than 10 feet to the left of me, I was certain I just witnessed my first death. As Jake and I slammed on the brakes and turned around to analyze what we just saw, the official in the follow car assured us we didn't want to see it and they had it under control. The race stopped and we rolled back to the staging area a couple miles out.

Once we got there, everyone was already lined up to continue racing after we waited for the ambulance to take care of the situation. I can't speak for Jake and Ted, but as we waited off to the side, I really was sick to my stomach and didn't want to race at all. We probably waited 45 minutes or so before the official told us he was alive and lectured us about the yellow line rule. At that point, I had been distracted enough with conversations not regarding the accident that I accepted the fact we paid money to get here and race, so we agreed to sit in and see what we could do. The race restarted, and as I suspected, we were pretty much stuck in the position we started the race in. With all these slow-pokes doing the "yo-yo" deal on narrow roads, where could we possibly move up? I waited for the open road at 200m to see how far I could move up but couldn't cover enough ground to top 10 from the back. This was the first race that I literally couldn't move up in, and I fancy myself a skilled pack rider. Pretty frustrating, not to mention having the image of a racer colliding with a truck permanently seared into my skull. Bummer race. I honestly think if the pace was hotter, then having the pack strung out would provide ample room to move up if you were fit enough, which we are.

Support Your Local Scene (whatever that may be)

2011-08-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've been to a show, or even took any time to check out some new bands. Sometimes I get caught up in bike racing and forget the rest of the world is doing cool things too. Luckily, for my social life, the season is winding down and it's time to be a homie and support my friends in what their doing, just as I have asked that of them. For example, my boys Kusha Karimi , Joseph Wolfe, and Joe have started a new "death metal/ grind" project (it's about time, they're talented in this field) called THEORIES check out some face-melting tracks HERE. They will be playing a show at 8pm tonight at El Corazon in Seattle. Very fun and promising line up if you ask me: Landmine Marathon, Owen Hart, Numb and Theories.

I'll be making an appearance at Cross Club (Genasee Park) for some heckling and beer then up over the ridge to get my metal on.

'Cross Club, So Good

2011-08-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

Last night was my first 'Cross Club race, and I must say, it's well worth the $2, bruised knee, sore legs, and filthy bike. I recently discovered this "not-so-underground" pirate cyclocross racing event through the likes of Robert Higdon (whom I believe to be the fearless leader of Team Soft like Kitten). My first encounter with 'Cross Club was just a few weeks ago, when I learned (via twitter; @cross_club) that their ever-changing location was just down the way from my house. I finished my training ride after work, went home to grab my bag (for beer, of course), got a 12-pk of Rainier, and meandered my way to the meeting spot in the park.

Now, let the record show 1) I don't own a cyclocross bike, yet. 2) I hardly know anyone that might be there, so I brought my own beer... I mean, this is 'cross right? 3) I've only done 2 cross rides before, 1 race and 1 practice ride. With that being said, upon my arrival I was greeted with kindness and beer from the 13 people that were there to race. I merely came to spectate, heckle and meet some new friends. I received plenty of guff for not racing, although they were understanding of my situation. However, I was told that I need to get a bike and race next time because standing around couldn't possibly be as fun. Truth.

Last night I decided that my current "race" bike could undergo a small transformation to make the cut for a 'cross ride, given that it was dry out. With the waterbottle cages removed, the quick installation of some spd mountain bike pedals I had lying around and a pair of Vittoria Randonneur tires... she was ready. Well, as ready as a road bike can be for terrain its not made for.

Next step, go to the park and practice mount/dismounting before Cross Club to avoid looking like a rookie. As everyone should know, it's okay to be a rookie at something, but for all that is sacred, please don't be so obvious about it. I felt pretty confident in my technique, so now all I had to do was show up and not crash. After riding the course with Matt, one of the Hodala Raleigh dudes, I noticed the collection of racers had more than doubled from what I noticed last time. I think everyone was a little shocked. Being that there were 30 of us, the field was split into new people and the experienced. I raced with the newbies and managed to hold top 10 after the longest 4 laps of my life. I'm sure my ego had a little to do with that, since I couldn't show up as a known roadie and not place decently. My fitness is respectable, but it was no match for the kind of fitness required to kick ass in a 'cross ride. I only "almost" went down once at the finish line with 1 lap to go IN FRONT OF EVERYONE, but because I didn't eat dirt, I was applauded and kept going. I can't wait to get a real bike rolling for this season, riding in the grass and dirt will make me a lot better at racing road, and I'm already making more friends. All good things here. If you live in Seattle and are interested, sign up at crossclubseattle.com for Tuesday night pain, beer, and really good company. No attitudes here :)

These were snapped before the mob showed up.

I WON the Tacoma Twilight Criterium: Race Report

2011-07-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

So here's my race report from yesterdays crit with a few pictures I snagged from Wheelsinfocus.com. Since I only have 1 upgrade point from my 10th place in the Queen Stage of the Capital Stage Race a few months back, it's been a priority to sneak in some more points so I don't have to race with all the clowns in the Category 4's and move up into the CAT 3 field. [For those unfamiliar with categories in bicycle racing, check out the USAC webpage here.] The "plan" for the Tacoma Crit was for me to win. I talked it over with the boys so we were all on the same page. There are only a couple ways you can win a bike race: you're a beast and you ride away from everyone or you get some help from a teammate(s) where they bust their ass to keep the pace high and you nice and fresh for the finish. I had been practicing some leadout sprints with Ted earlier in the week so that we'd have everything all dialed in.

-Day of Race
The day before race day, friday, Ted and I spun around Lake Washington for a few hours. Long rides the day before a race are not usually recommended because you want to keep your legs as fresh as possible, but it was nice out. Oh well. When I woke up and had my morning oats and coffee, Ted showed up at my door to see if i wanted to roll around for a bit to wake the legs up. I agreed, and I'm glad I did otherwise I'm not sure I would have felt as awesome as I did once that whistle blew. A proper warm up you might say. Today was also especially rad because it was the first time in months that all four of us Team Becher+ Radsport dudes got to race together. Marcus is a couple races short of upgrading from CAT5 to 4 (most races 5's and 4's are split, but sometimes they combine the two), and Jake has a conflicting schedule that keeps him from coming out more often. We all piled in Jake's new Trooper, got all jacked up on Clif Bars and Gatorade while listening to the Fugees on our way to the race. The jitters where still present but after talking team tactics I started to calm down a bit. It's especially nerve-racking to ask your mates to suffer for an entire race to help you win, because you NEED to deliver a win in return. I have never won a bike race. I have top 10'd quite often, and attack enough to make most of the pack hate me... but no wins.

-The Race
Lined up, whistle blows... and I do the classic maneuver where you forget how to clip into your pedals. Actually, there were like 8 of us just rolling down the course for the first 15 or so feet with one foot in struggling to get going. Rookies. It happens to the best of us, I think. As per usual, the pace is hot for the first few minutes but its important that I inform you about the back stretch of the course: it's slightly uphill (downhill finish). This works for Ted and I quite well because we are better at going up hill than most of the fatties we race with. Anyways, the pace stayed around 25mph for the first few laps then everyone gets tired and it slows. Normally this is where I attack and make everyone go fast again when they don't want to... today was different, I needed to conserve all my energy for the finish (smart guy here). So I just alternated between a few stronger dude's wheels when the surging would happen and successfully stayed top 10 the entire 30 minutes (top 10 is safest because there are less people in front of you when a crash happens).

-Down to Lap Cards
In a crit, if you're caught off the back of the pack and are likely to get lapped by the leaders the official will pull you from the race. This alone may explain why these are some of the fastest races in the world. Who wants to get pulled from a race for being too slow infront of a huge crowd of people? At 10 minutes to go, the clock is killed and the official switches the race to a countdown of lap cards, usually starting at 10 to go. At this point in the race, I was pretty confident not only because I felt super fresh and had done hardly any work (for once) but also because I could hear everyone breathing super hard around me, the incline was obviously taking its toll. At 5 laps to go, a criterium race usually starts to get pretty sketchy, in all categories, because this when all the teams want begin lining up to get their "leadout train" rolling for their main man. 75 people trying to organize and group up at 25mph? Yeah, it's dangerous. At 4 to go, I began to worry because I hadn't seen Jake or Ted and the pace was getting hotter and the gaps were closing. Just before I said fuck it and took off, Ted rolls up into the spot infront of me. I hold his wheel as close as possible for the next two laps to conserve my energy and make sure nobody else steals it from me.

-2 Laps to Go
We survived this far, now its time to "lay the hammer down". I've got Teds wheel in a vice grip as we cross the line for 2 to go. The pace is roaring fast going into corner 1, and we're sitting top 10 (perfect), we carry through corner 2 and begins the uphill. Ted looks over his shoulder to make sure I'm there, I nod and BOOOM! This motherfucker LIGHTS IT UP! We come around the left side of everyone and I can see some worried faces but mostly doubtful faces. To perfectly execute a leadout with only 2 guys, you must be EXPLOSIVE with your acceleration. That we were. After rounding corner 3 and 4, I began to worry because Ted pulled almost a bike length on me. He was doing his part of going full gas, but I needed to get in closer. I shift up and get out of the saddle to close the gap as we cross the line for final lap, now I'm sitting pretty and really fucking fast. I'm confident at this point that we've put quite the gap on the field but I know the sprinters are working hard to catch us. We round corner 1 and 2 and half way up the back stretch Ted pulls off to the left "GO BABY GO!" I dump a few more gears (I don't have much, I ride a 9spd, haha) and get on my horse, sprint to the top of the hill round corners 3, 4 and full gas it to the finish without looking back. Nobody comes around me, I win.

I have this phobia of looking back on an attack because it seems like bad luck. I mean, look at Fabian at the Roubiax 2 years ago(marker 6:30)... Beast Mode. Although, had I looked back, I would have seen my leadout, Ted, finishing 2nd! And 3rd place just rounding corner 4. Probably coulda slow rolled it, zipped my jersey up, and pointed to the sky like a PRO. Now I get to give my boys back that same effort I asked of them, and I can't wait. :)

EDIT: 8/9/11
A few more photos floating around from Dennis Crane Photography

Tour De Watertower

2011-07-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

2 cups of coffee, pb&j, begal w/ "cream cheese", bowl of steel cut oats ( plus flaxseed, brownsugar), emergen-c, cytomax, water... just consumed all of that in the past 3 hrs in hopes that I wont crack on the hardest race in Seattle: The Tour De Watertower. Let's hope I don't flat and end up in 6th place like last year. Revenge will be mine.

Happy 24th Birthday to ME!

2011-06-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

Treated myself to a 2hr tempo ride with some 3x5min effort and 3 sets of hill repeats up Madrona. That's a long hill. I'll come back for more, or just go out to Cougar Mt.

After my 3rd set, I decided to go all the way up to the top of 34th Ave and explore a little. It was then I saw the most camo-ed out truck in existence. If I wasn't so afraid of being picked off by a rifle when they smell a vegetarian in the air, I would have gotten closer to see if that was an impressive wrap job or completely hand painted. The world my never know.

Also, thanks Mike for the white Swiftwick socks. They really did make me look tanner than I already am (I can say that because NW racers are pasty).

I'd like to inform you all that you can finally sleep better tonight knowing that soon you won't be forced to look at more pictures of my pathetic "race bike." That's right, I'm finally getting a new bike. Team Director Sportif, James Becher (becher+), has kindly sold me last years team bike, Masi 3vc Team Issue. Its got mixed Campy Record/Chorus, a set of DT Swiss wheels, and is expected to be in my arms in a week or so. Woohoo. Finally, I'll look like a real bike racer. It's almost certain that I'll be faster too, since my current steed is mostly aluminum and 6 years old. Lets just call it "weight training" for now.

Eeeaak!

Food Done Right

2011-06-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took my friend (& teammate), Mike Roecklein to one of Seattle's few organic cafes, Chaco Canyon, for lunch. He's only able to come visit from California once or twice a year so I try to make sure he gets to experience some of the best vegan food this city has to offer. It was difficult to finalize an order with so many delicious looking menu items, but in the end we stuck with an Artichoke Melt (w/ House Salad) and a Lentil Burger (w/ quinoa taboulleh). We devoured our own sides and split the burger and sandwich so we could get a well rounded experience. Before I go any further about the meal, I have something to get off my chest...

-Almost everywhere I've gone to eat that offers a vegan plate, fails to put ANY salt in said meal. WTF?! We like flavor just as much as the next person, theres nothing cruel about salt consumption!

As you may have guessed, yes, our meal was a little under-seasoned. But on the flip side, it was still really fucking good. They've got Himalayan salt and black pepper on the table, so no harm done. The lentil burger was especially impressive. It wasn't dry, nor did it flake apart after each bite. In fact, it had the texture everyone desires in a burger patty: moist, firm and flavorful throughout. And for being so well executed, it was surprisingly "light," as Mike put it.

If you're in the University District of Seattle looking for some good eats, Chaco Canyon gets my vote. But don't take my word for it... take a look at their menu.

Easy Fridays

2011-06-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

Fridays aren't always easy, in fact, they are often the most difficult day of the week. If you are a M-F/9-5, you're probably on crunch time and for those of us that are industry workers, it's all about prepping an arsenal of essentials to sustain the weekend. Luckily, if you race bikes, Friday is one of the easiest days of the week for you. Short and super easy, and sometimes a little more volume... but still easy. Don't wanna stress those legs before race day(s). Since I didn't have to show up til 3 to start my saute shift, a sunny day ride with the Gregg's Cycles boys was in order. Today was especially special because it was also a "welcome to Seattle" ride for my old friend Josh Burns. He's gonna love it here :)

Capital Stage Race: Report

2011-06-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

So there are a few things to get out of the way before I dive into the good stuff:
-This stage race was unprofessional and poorly organized.
-Not a single category met its field limit, thus yielding numerous combined fields.
-Prize money/merchandise distribution wasn't a priority, leaving racers to their own devices to collect winnings.
-Not one hay bale insight on the 7-corner criterium course. One racer crashed into a tree. Could have been prevented.
-No professional photography on 3 of the 4 stages.
-Our lead car got lost on the Queen stage.

The good stuff.

My good friend/ ex-teammate, Ben Barry (Humboldt State Cycling) was in town to race the Cat3's. Needless to say, his experience and good company were appreciated this weekend. For the Capital SR I only had one other B+Radsport teammate, Ted Schwartz. He kindly drove us down to Olympia for each stage from Seattle, which ended up saving us a lot of money and being convenient in other ways as well. I was content only having Ted to work with since we often train together and have around the same fitness/experience, so team work flowed very naturally.

Stage 1 - Road Race:
Friday 6/10/2011
Cloudy, 49*F, 11:00am
41mi, Cat 4/5, 34th place of 42 starters (1:43.29 - 23sec back)
Avg Speed- 24.4mph, Max Speed- 35.2mph

We showed up at 10:45, rushed to get our packets and pin our numbers. No time for anything. Ben quick-tuned by derailleurs since I forgot to, pumped my tires up, and brought my sunglasses to me at the start line when he noticed I left them on the car. Oh, and I had a full bladder. Bad start. 2k neutral roll-out, nothing happens for 3 laps unless you count the 5 pointless crashes. I get bored and break on the backstretch, but nobody joins me. I'm reeled in a few miles later. It becomes obvious that stage 1 will end in a field sprint. Great, most of our field is full of sprinters. 1k to go, things heat up and everyone manages to get more sketchy than they were the entire race. Sitting mid-pack Ted and I cool it, but as we approach 200m everyone books it, and a Univ. WA racer in front of me finds an opening to sprint. Naturally I jump on his wheel and we start to move up FAST, just before the excitement of a decent finish sets in-HE EATS MAJOR SHIT! By the grace of the Cycling Gods I lock up both wheels and skid-stop-speedwabble my way around him and into the grassy ditch. Ben was sitting in a lawn chair reading by the finish line when this went down. He shoots up, runs over, throws me back on my bike and push starts me, all the while reminding me that I'm being timed. Wow. I would have been screwed without him.

Stage 2 - Time Trial:
Saturday 6/11/2011
Partly Sunny, 52*F, 8:21am
3.6mi Out & Back, Cat 4, 13th place of 39 starters (8:12.8 - 32sec back)
Avg Speed- 26.3mph, Max Speed- 28.8mph

The only "aero gear" I had was an LG TT helmet I got from Kirk and some booties. I didn't warm up and rolled into the gate at my start time with one foot un-clipped. That one foot didn't even touch the ground before they grabbed my saddle and started the count down. Not PRO. 3-2-1- elbows on the bars and I hammered my brains out to the cone, took the turnaround tight and continued punishing myself to the sprint at 200m. I should have warmed up, and should have finished college and got a real job so I could afford the space bikes and suits everyone else had. Oh well. We got burritos downtown, hung out at the car and stayed lazy until the crit 6.5hrs later.

Stage 3 - Olympia Capital Criterium:
Saturday 6/11/2011
Partly Cloudy, 62*F, 2:55pm
30min, 1k, Cat 4/5, 7-corner course with uphill start/finish, 12th place of 38 starters (27.55, 0sec back)
Avg Speed- 24.1, Max Speed- 32.2

Surprise, we showed up at the very last second. The race official chuckled at the startline as we scrambled to sign in. "I got, heheh, I got it. It's fine," he says. then we find a spot in the back of the line. It's silly, but we were posted up in a perfect parking spot maybe 6 blocks away. I don't know what our problem was, we just suck. The gun is off and so are we. The "ideal" plan was to drive the pace and take turns attacking, just like any other "ideal" race would go for anyone else. A rider from Recycled Cycles leads the first few laps, and wouldn't you know, everyone starts getting tired and slowing. That uphill on the main stretch has done it's part, so now it's b+radsport's turn to do theirs. I wait until everyone reaches for their water after corner 1 then take off. I string it out real nice like for a couple laps, and on the same spot - BOOM! Ted takes off, forcing everyone into single file with a bike length in between each wheel. He tugs some motivation out of them for a few laps, then in our magic spot on corner 1, I attack again. Ted and I take turns dropping everyone out of the race for a little while longer. While he is out front for a few laps I do my best to shut down all counter attacks, fairly successfully. He takes a couple primes, then I relieve him with another attack using almost everything I've got. To my suprise nobody chases me. So off the front I go. After a few laps by myself I hear the announcer say something about how "These boys from LA aren't making it easy for anyone today" and that I've pulled an 8 sec gap on everyone as he rings the bell for the final prime lap. CASH MONEY! It will be mine. I've never won anything in a bike race. I wanted it bad. I hold everyone off for the remainder of the lap and ITS MINE! Then at corner 2, Ted comes through again! Who do we think we are?! I recover behind the GC guys as they try and hang on. We cross the line, and suddenly it's 1 TO GO! Ted stays on the front keeping the pace painful and I move up behind the sprinters that are pining for him. They drop me just before corner 7 but I dig it out for a 12th place finish. No time lost if you don't count the time bonuses. The usual suspect come around Ted at the last second, leaving him with 3rd place.

This was the highlight of my weekend. Everyone congratulated us after the race, they made us feel like celebrities. "If there were Most-Aggressive jerseys, they'd belong to you guys" some said. Lots of respect was earned this day. Beautiful display of team work. :)

Stage 4 - Independence Valley Road Race
Sunday 6/12/2011
Partly Cloudy, 59*F, 11:00am
50.4mi, Cat 4/5, 10th place of 35 starters (1:58.23 - 0sec back)
Avg Speed- 23.2mph, Max Speed- 48.4mph

This stage was dedicated to putting Ted on the GC podium. We figured with 2 large climbs, the sprinters wouldn't be able to contest and we'd probably get a solid break going. Nope. We did all the work the entire race. I even slowed it down to 16mph and asked if anyone wanted to take a pull. They mostly just shrugged their shoulders and let us lead the way. Byrne/Invent had 2 guys in GC and a guy from CycleUniv. was the GC leader. Needless to say, both teams were stacked in the front...behind us. First climb. Ted pulls away, I follow and its strung out behind us. We book it, but everyone is right behind us within a couple miles. Climb 2 Ted pulls away big time and I sit and wait if anyone else will join. Nobody. Instead he drops the field and continues solo. Still everyone lets him dangle after the descent. I bridge and figure its best for us to wait again to see if anyone will break for round 2.
Here's where my biggest regret of the stage comes in. We force a couple surges, then everyone slows down as the big climb comes into view. I attack, everyone gets pissed. Ted comes around me in mid climb, 2 others come around me. Theres a small gap but nothing promising. I wait and nobody really hangs on so I sit in. Ted off the front again. I could have SHOULD HAVE bridged to Ted and the two of us ride of into the sunrise together. Instead I kept waiting for someone else to come with and when no one did, I lost faith in our chances.
Final climb. Everyones got Ted in their sights, but he doesn't jump. So it turns into an all out race up the hill, where we finally get a group of 12 or so that make it over together. I'm sure everyone was surprised he didn't try and drop everyone again. Well, I know they were cause they all said something after the race. Anyways, we descend at 48mph, reach the 5k sign at the bottom and keep the pace high until the... 1k....sign? Yes, there was a 5k marker. What the hell for? Get us all antsy. It turned out to be way longer than 5k anyways. 1k, and I look over my shoulder and Travis, the GC leader is right behind me and Ted behind him. He says something nice and I jokingly asked if he wanted to lead me out. He said "sure! Grab my wheel and I'll peel off to the right for you at 100m! SWEET! I figured this would be an opportunity to put Ted up a little further than 6th GC. The lead out begins, early sprints fail, I hold on and the sucker pops early so I do the best I can to elbow myself some room and lead out our boy. The sprint got super dangerous so I let off early. Didn't see Ted pass me, so I knew it was even sketchier in the back.

We were thanked for making the race fun and exciting by the other riders. The GC winner wouldn't shut up about us. So we smiled shook hands all around and tried to make the best of our rather annoying situation. This was Teds race and nobody could touch him. Even I felt like insufficient help. Too bad they couldn't have hooked him up with a KOM jersey at the very least. Sorry buddy.

I had a great time regardless. It was a pleasure racing with you.

CAT4 GC FINAL
Ted Schwartz - 6th place
Eric Cockrell- 12th place

More (unbiased) info and photos here:
Velocity: The Seattle Area Cycling Blog

Another Beautiful Day in Seattle

2011-06-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

After "sleeping in" and enjoying a delicious lemon-pancake breakfast with the lady, I found myself 12oz of eye-opening single origin Sulawesi Toraja Jaya (Melita) from my neighborhood Zoka Coffee Roasters: Full body, loamy, notes of bourbon and subtle chocolate finish. Definitely worth checking out if you need a break from sweeter varieties. Fueled up and off to downtown for a recovery ride along the water. Luckily the clouds opened up for me so I could work on the tan lines a bit and snap a couple pictures.

Playing Catch-Up

2011-06-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's safe to say I've been preoccupied with life circumstances lately and owe you a Ballard Twilight race report as well as one from the Capital Stage Race. Expect an update tomorrow and the following days. I won't leave you empty handed so know this:

-I recently asked my girlfriend of almost 3 years, Jessica Weddle, to marry me! She said yes.

-I do have a few pictures to hold you over until next time. Enjoy.

Stretching before Queen Stage

Ted's "Party Gurlz" team car

Off the front with an 8 sec gap :) CapSR

Ted taking a turn on the "Pain Train" CapSR

On the attack at the Ballard Twilight

Ben relaxing before Stage 1 RR CapSR

Ben ready to roll CapSR

Training

2011-05-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

11:30am 52*F
39.5 miles, 2h:16m
17.3mph Avg, 35.4mph Max
HR Avg- 137bpm, HR Max- 176bpm
Calories Burned- 1,614

Easy pace today. Solo South-Lake Washington loop, through the hood, into Capitol Hill and up the U-District homeward. Everyone was mowing their lawn so my nose was unhappy. Today was a step forward for me: decent pace and kept my HR Avg below 140bpm. I really want some upgrade points in the Ballard Crit (Top 10), so keeping my composure is going to be key.

Sorry no photos this time.

RIP Xavier Tondo

2011-05-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

(Photo-Link via CyclingNews)

It's heartbreaking that teams racing the Giro d'Italia are facing TWO deaths in this years Gran Tour. First Weylandt Wouter of Leopard-Trek and now Tondo of Movistar. My thoughts go out to both teams for their loss of a great friend team mate. Today is a rest day for the racers in Italy, tomorrows stage will start with a moment of silence of Xavier Tondo.

Spectating, Made Fun

2011-05-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

The Ballard Twilight Crit is upon us and you know what that means? People on bikes racing through Old Ballard at 25+MPH while enthused locals cheer them on from one of many awesome bars along the course. Some of which actually stream the race live on their TVs. If booze isn't your thing, you can always get super jacked on caffeine at some the local cafes.

Either way, this event holds a special place in my heart because of the post-race comradery that develops between me and my opponents. Nothing like hauling ass for 40 minutes through a historic part of town on shitty brick against 75 other dudes who all want it was badly as you, then kicking back some cold ones and nerding out together. It's magical, and if youre reading this I highly recommend that you join me in the race and/or post-race. I mean, it's a Saturday afternoon, lets have a good time!

Brazil Critical MASSACRE

2011-02-27T16:13:00.000-08:00

via ZLOGBLOG

GRAPHIC. I cannot believe that another human being has the will to just run over people at full speed. I'm more sad than mad.

Stache Sprints

2011-02-19T22:09:00.000-08:00

I'll be there. You should be too.

(via @gomeansgo)

I'm Baaaaack.

2011-02-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry, It's been real

2010-11-19T20:59:00.000-08:00

I am redirecting my "blogging" to tumblr. follow me if you please.

http://www.ericgantbastard.tumblr.com

I want.

2010-08-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Izalco Extreme Super Record. Mmmm.

Lucifer

2010-08-26T22:13:00.001-07:00

It's almost as though he's always instigating a photoshoot.

Addicting Habenero Salsa

2010-08-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Makes roughly 32oz of delicious salsa you will have a hard time not eating in a single sitting.

In order to complete said task you will need:

A pot. 3 quarts? Likely the one that you use when you make pasta.
A blender or food processor. If you have both, use the food processor, the blender too often purees it.
Lots of tortilla chips.If you can, make your own. You may as well.
Peppers, carrots, tomatoes and an onion. Personally, I'm a fan of this combination:

3 Habeneros
4-6 Jalapenos
2 Serrano Chilies
2 Anaheim Peppers
2 Padron Peppers
2 Bell Peppers
2 medium sized carrots, skinned, chopped
1 small onion, peeled, quartered
3-4 tomatoes, cored, roasted
1 pinch of red chili flakes
salt to taste
water

Here's what you should do:

Boil everything together in just enough water to where it's almost submerged for 15 minutes or until everything is tender. Strain, and reserve the water to adjust viscosity. Throw it in a food processor, and press "Go". Add reserved fire water and salt as needed. You should mess with all kinds of peppers until you can dial in your personal spicy/sweet salsa requirements.

Enjoy.

Tour De Water Tower

2010-07-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

via Go Means Go

We were exploring and getting acquainted with our new city during last years Tour De Water Tower. So needless to say (but I will regardless) I am very excited to race this years "Guerilla TT."

And while we're on the topic of bike racing, I'd like to share that my new friend, Eric Becker (Thumb Print Racing) talked some sense into me and I will now be racing the rest of the season's Seward Park Series for experience and for the hopes of a late season upgrade to CAT4. Commencing name taking/ ass kicking.

Recap

2010-07-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

Things I liked this week.

Our cats, Lucifer (top) and RZA (bottom) "wraslin"

Warm and sunny early morning bike rides

I was given the components for a special last Wednesday and I came up with this: julienne Padron pepper saute over herbed goat cheese on toast.

My good friend, Brad Terry, just started a new art project he's calling "Black Teeth" (left). I'm way into it...So into it that I'm compelled to decorate these lovely stickers compliments of USPS.

Semi-Exciting Stuff

2010-07-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

New Knife: Yoshikane Nakiri [Vegetable Cleaver, top]

New Training Plan: M-Rest, T-Hills, W-Aerobic, Th-Sprints (crit style), F-Rest, S-Endurance w/Sprints, Sun-Race and Destroy
All of which include awesome visuals such as these-

Thanks Mike.

b+ radsport: North West

2010-06-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

My friend and teammate, Mike Roecklein, stepped outside his warm and sunny comfort zone of Southern California for some business in our fair city of Seattle. During his stay we made sure to include a couple training rides, one in particular included the classic 55 mile Lake Washington loop (counter clockwise). I've completed this ride a dozen times before and not once have I encountered a mechanical mishap (lucky I know). Wednesday just wasn't our day. My water bottle popped out of the holder on a decent and was ran over by a Benz, then Mikes seat post mounted holder failed and dropped both of his bottles...one of which was ran over. I then was confronted with glass penetration for rear flat #1, changed the tube hand pumped it and delt with it until Bellevue where we found Gregg's Cycles. Largest bike shop ever. We re-upped on supplies and off we went. As we started our climb out of downtown Kirkland, Mike managed to find a nail to puncture his rear tire. Luckily we were prepared due to my initial flat, because 48mm valves don't fit in 70mm carbon rims. All interesting fails aside. I had a lot of fun on this ride. It truly makes a difference when you're not going it alone. Thanks for the good company and words of wisdom Mike.

Learning To Have More Fun With This Thing

2010-06-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

After recently being introduced to a (now inactive) blog whose mission statement primarily invokes creativity among its readers, Jessica and I have been sucked in. I would assume that most (new/ish) "bloggers" struggle with getting creative and consistent posts up for readers, and with this new find the motivation is here! The said blog is called "Learning To Love You More". And thanks to Ms. Lindsay Hall for introducing us to this, Jess and I have begun to embark on our own creative journey to get the juices flowing.

Monday's Mission: Photograph an Animal

Spotted @ 89th and Aurora during training ride.

You can see Jessica's finds here: www.youandthewine.blogspot.com
More photo challenges to come.

Monday Miles: North Seattle

2010-06-14T17:10:00.001-07:00

Woke up at the crack of 6:30 this morning and somehow managed to take an hour and a half to drink my 20oz. french-press, eat my oatmeal and get in the saddle. Its my day off so it doesnt really matter, but ideally I'd like to be rolling by 7 at the latest. The weather was perfect, 58 and partly cloudy, if I remember correctly... naturally the coastline became the destination. Road north to Zoka Coffee in Greenlake to say whats up to Brad and grab a shot before getting into it.

Turns out theres a lot of hills out that way, perfect for optimal views. This one is from High St. in Edmonds.

Time- 2:40.33
Avg HR- 141bpm
Max HR- 177bpm
KiloCalories Burned- 2,082
Distance- 42.3miles
Avg Speed- 15.8mph
Max Speed- 39.6mph

Published with Blogger-droid v1.3

(Mid-Season?) Base Training

2010-06-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

Since my mental downfall at the Ballard Twilight and heavy drinking this past week, it only seem appropriate to regain maximum strength via "easy spinning" with of course the constant hill climb and occasional 15 minute interval session. I say "downfall" because I failed to preregister for my A-Priority race of the season and got left on the sidelines with at least 30 other people (unfortunate racers) to watch the 75 lucky (smart) ones race. Total buzz-kill.

Regardless, this was enough to make me want to whip into shape as effectively as possible if only to get a road racing clinic (worth 5 races toward my CAT4 upgrade via Cycle University), a couple track races, and a few intense Team Becher+ training rides in with a teammate/friend (Mike Roecklien)coming up from Southern California. There's no way in hell I'm about to accept the fact that I won't have the opportunity to race in anything over 30 miles for the rest of the season...even though, it's a fact... I won't.

I need to put the miles in my legs regardless of my emotional cycling crisis, so I've made sure to keep my phone and/or a real life camera with me for the excursions ahead. Consider the following (cycling related) entries part of the "Scenic Route" impromptu series I've just started.

Golden Gardens

Magnolia

Elliot Bay Bike Trail

Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow.

PDX: Food Heaven

2010-06-06T16:44:00.001-07:00

Last week Jessica and I took the train down to Portland to celebrate for her 27th birthday. Although it would have been nice to spend more than 8 hours there, it was still a success.

Veganopolis was our priority food stop until we discovered they were moving cities. We did however find ourselves at an equally mind-blowing vegan friendly spot: Vita Cafe.

The food went down too quickly to snap any photos, but I did have a couple of their delicious Bloody Marys.

I will say this though, best biscuits and gravy in the country. Some of you may be semi familiar with my U.S. Tour de Vegan Biscuits and Gravy that began a couple years ago when I was invited to tour with Embrace the End for their album release, Ley Lines. During our month and a half long trip around the country, I made it a point to order, consume, and reflect on vegan biscuits and gravy at any stop possible. At the time, Salt Lake City's Vertical Diner was holding strong at 1st place...but alas! Vita Cafe is now our country's leader. Portland peeps, get at it.

Think you've found the best? Please, do tell.

Until the next breakfast, thanks for reading.

This Never Gets Old

2010-06-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

Criterium Training Time

2010-05-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

At the end of this month Michelob Ultra is sponsoring Cascadia Crit Series held in our fair city of Seattle. I for one, will be racing on the very streets that I get the privilege of training on everyday, those being the second and third criteriums of the series.

May 30th - 35th and Phinney, Fremont: Cat 4/5's @ 10:20am

June 5th - 20th and Ballard Ave, Ballard: Cat 4/5's @ 4:00pm

Yesterday I did 4 sets of intervals during my training ride in preparation for what I am anticipating a crit race will be like. Each set consisting of 4 all out, pedal to the metal sprints for 1 minute immediately followed by 1 minute of easy spinning, with 4 minutes of easy spinning between each set. I usually don't put much emphasis on intervals during my training because, well...its really painful, and I'd much rather save my efforts for all the 10-20% grade hills I ride on everyday.

Needless to say, my efforts should really be applied toward my weakness... sprinting, which means if I'm aiming to do well in Criteriums, "intervals" need to be a priority. With that said, during my recovery ride today I took a visit to both the Fremont course and the Ballard one. All I can say is, Holy Crap. Both of these courses are on the shittiest roads in Seattle...or close to the shittiest.

Let's take a look:

Fremont .8mile Loop counter-clockwise concrete road: 35th to Canal St. to Phinney to 35th:

Start at white Jeep, sprint to left 180 degree turn at the end of the road.

Said 180 turn (L to R), photo does no justice to cracks in the road, there will be many crashes at this very spot. Slowing from 30mph into this? Lame.

.2mile straight road with heavy separation between slabs of concrete

2nd turn L-R

Turn 3 L-R, smooth/fast to finish. If your watching from the patio @ Brouwer's Cafe this will be your view (except you'll likely have 1 of their 364 brews in hand)

How exciting.

Ballard 1km loop counter-clockwise on brick, concrete, and asphalt: 20th and Ballard Ave to Vernon to Shilshole to 22nd to Ballard Ave:

Starting Line at intersection

L-R Left hand turn on Vernon to slight downhill

Left hand turn onto Shilshole. I pity the fool who tries to take this one on the inside and gets a piece of that asphalt.

Nasty left turn onto brick 22nd

I mean real nasty

Then left back onto semi-asphalt Ballard Ave to finish. Hopefully avoiding both sewer caps.

Got my eye on the primes, just gotta keep my rubber on the road.

When Taking It Easy Goes Wrong, Sort Of [Pt. II]

2010-05-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

The other day, the boys and I went out for a little ride. And by "the boys" I mean Brad and Matt. It's literally been months since we all rode together, which is really pathetic if you ask me. Considering the rare occasion, we decided to take it easy and ride out to Fremont and enjoy the classic Gas Works Park scenery. It's a pretty mellow 4 miles, fun for the whole family.

After powering through endless swarms of gnats, being as how we are riding along the water front most of the time, we made it safely to the ever crowded Gas Works... A little too crowded, so we chugged along in hopes of a more relaxing spot. We eventually found the said spot, on the other side of the water. So on our way to the Fremont Bridge for some water crossing we spotted a huge bike gang, who just so happened to be egging us on to join the ride. Naturally, and skeptically, we did.

This picture doesn't really do any justice to the size of the group, there were atleast 30 peeps.

So we caught up to the group and chatted a little bit only to discover that it seemed as though NOBODY in the group seemed to have any idea as to where they were all headed. Sounds awesome. We trucked along figuring that we'd end up at some bar close by (they seemed like the drinking type). As almost a half hour or so of zig zagging our way through town (due north, which should be a bitch of a hill climb but wasn't somehow?) we found ourselves out in Shoreline (Google Map it) at a grocery store of all places... Go figure, what the hell would 30+ grungy cyclists be doing there?

BEEEEER!

It was getting late and unfortunately Brad was hoodie-less, I was glove-less and Matt... Well Matt was probably fine, but all in all we weren't really prepared for what was talk of a late night bonfire and lots of beer. Before ditching everyone at the store we asked one of the "leaders" what this was all about. Turns out they are all members of the infamous Point Eight Three bike club. As one could imagine, the name was born after the groups first ride... where they only made it .83 miles before stopping at a bar and getting wasted beyond repair (forgive me for any minor inaccuracy, for I was not present for the birth of .83)

Needless to say, we will return for future rides and we will be well prepared :)

Brad Terry

Matt Gastelum

Flat tire break

Michelob Ultra Circut - BUST

2010-05-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

Since today's race was too far for me to make it, I did my own "Tour of Seattle."

It was a pretty awesome ride. Found myself some 27% grade hill climb (Ooowee).
Check out my loop here.

2-Oh-Sickness Relief

2010-05-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Come out and support some local fun. (Via GoMeansGo)

Lift Off!

2010-04-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Last Weekend, April 24th, I had my first race as a Category 5 Road racer. There couldn't have been a better event to break the ice for me than the Pedal Dynamics Green Valley Time Trial in Flaming Geyser Park, Wa. There were only about 156 racers and most of them came equipped with full carbon TT bikes, as opposed to something like I have which is a road bike that normal people ride. This made for excellent bike and people watching, mostly because the people that specialize in time trials have the biggest legs you'll ever see and their aero suits are sorta funny looking anyhow. The course was 12 miles with a turn-around marker 6 miles out, fairly flat and straight and super wet. It started raining just before my start time :)

I'm going to have to say, I had a lot of fun and placed better than I thought I would.

Time: 30:25.67
Cat 4/5: 32nd place out of 45
Overall: 99th place out of 156

Avg HR: 173bpm
Max HR: 181bpm
Kcal: 571
Avg spd: 23.7mph
Max Spd: 25.3mph

Looking forward to knocking out 9 more races, then I can upgrade to a Cat 4. A fun journey I'm sure.

When Taking It Easy Goes Wrong, Sort Of.

2010-04-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

Today is my "Sunday" and what better way to spend a "Sunday" than a nice long bike ride... With sort of a late start (8am) I figured I'd do the Lake Washington loop clockwise (~55mi.) at a leisurely pace, since I don't have any riding friends yet. As soon as I found myself at the Northern tip of Lake Wa, it seemed like a good idea to stay East and loop around Lake Sammamish.

L to R: Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish

Just as I got to the waterfront of Sammamish, I noticed a USC Trojans Team rider out in front of me (just far enough away so that I could barely read the "USC" on his team kit). It took me a few minutes to catch up to him, which became a priority because I'm so sick of riding by myself, but once I did he was very friendly and also stoked to be able to ride with someone. His name is Marcus, and he has a very pretty red Eddy Merckx 20-speed. After some initial bullshitting and occasional pulls we discovered that we were both trying to end up in Downtown Seattle.

Apparently Marcus does this loop often so when I asked him if there were any good climbs on our way around, he just laughed and said "Yeah, just follow me when we get to the stoplight at the bottom of this hill"... I had no fucking idea what I was about to get myself into. After the said stoplight we proceeded to climb, what I discovered is known as, the Issaquah Alps. There are so many trees and switchback turns the entire climb that I really didn't know when it was going to end or where the hell we were.

About a mile into it I dropped Marcus and just figured I'd wait for him at the top. Almost 45 minutes later I was still climbing and there was no sign of it letting up so I rolled in circles at the first flat area I found and waited. When he caught up, we road together another 20 minutes until we reach what I thought was the top...he directed us up a side road labeled "Dead End" but he assured me that it would be well worth the climb, since we came this far and all. I didn't think I was gonna make it, since my HeartRate had plateaued long ago and my legs wanted to explode, but we put the hammer down and road to the peak of what I learned is East Tiger Mountain. A pleasant old man named Bob lives on the summit and complimented our efforts while we soaked up this amazing scenery.

East Tiger Mountain Summit 3,004 feet! w00f!
(see flickr for larger scale)

Although, I wanted to die, Marcus was right... well worth the extra climb. Since I've never done anything like this before it was really inspiring. Just looking down and seeing the water and knowing that we climbed from Sea Level up to 3000 feet was fun. No, what was fun was bombing all the way down to Mercer Island, a true reward - new top speed! Just before we parted ways, close to Martin Luther King Blvd, he informed me of 3-4 fast paced group rides that I apparently could hang with. Thanks buddy, no more lonely rides for me :)

Thanks for reading.

4/20/2010
Time: 3:43.56
Avg. HR: 144bpm
Max HR: 176bpm
KCAL burned: 3025
Distance: 59.7 miles
Avg. Speed: 16mph
Max Speed: 42.4mph

BIRDS

2010-04-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

I had no idea my friend Brian was anything more than a nice guy with an intimidating culinary experience and a solid sense of humor. "Impressed" doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when I walked into that coffee shop.

I look forward to more of this. Excellent work Brian.

All Play & No Work

2010-04-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

Busy Bees

2010-04-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Game Night [Scatagories followed by "Jenga"]

Peppermint Majesty @ Neumos [Opened for "Deakin" aka Josh from Animal Collective]

This is the only reason I ever sleep in...

My impromptu Cod Special @ Ocho last Sunday [Cod, King Oyster Mushrooms, Asparagus, Garlic/Shallots, Arugula, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Lemon.]

Now I Can Breathe

2010-03-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

This past week has been quite eventful, more so than I had anticipated. With Sean and Miki (brother/sister - inlaw, if you will) visiting for the weekend from Sacramento, Ca and Ocho getting busier now that spring is coming, to say the least, I haven't been making any real time for training. Marymoor Velodrome is taking sign ups for racing classes and my track bike is still a rear wheel and crankset away from ridable. But, I did just get a pro-tune (plus new cassette and chain) on the Trek. Perhaps I should "suck it up" and be more productive with this following week, "like new" road bike and all.

During my off week i was however, able to snap off some cool pictures that I'm pretty stoked on:

Seattle Aquarium

B.O.H.

Home

I Outlined Jess' Birthmark

Espresso: Bomb/ Drip: Not-So-Much

More Scenic Shots from Golden Gardens/Carkeek Park

2010-03-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These

2010-03-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to put in a lot of punishing miles as of late. This was my resting place after an hour and a half ride, plus some hill intervals in and around the Golden Gardens/ Carkeek Park area.

When it was time to retire, I figured I should end with a strong effort. A Time Trial seemed to sufice.

Personal TT; Golden Gardens Park to Home

Distance: 8.0mi
Time: 26:52.4
Avg Speed: 17.9mph
Max Speed: 31.8mph
Avg HeartRate: 162bpm
Max HeartRate: 179bpm (closest to 200 is the goal, getting there...)

(click image for closeup)

He's Too Much

2010-03-17T00:07:00.001-07:00

Lucifer.

Magnolia Loop (Interbay)

2010-03-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a hill workout to the most extreme. I rode the Magnolia Loop for a total of 15.5 miles and it punished me at every block. I warmed up around Capitol Hill, then bombed Denny Way to Interbay, where I took a detour, 11 blocks up West Dravus St. If I can climb that wall of a street with just 75% effort in the future, then I know my training is going well. Easily the steepest grade hill I've ever ridden. After climbing up to 26th St. I took Manor Pl to Gilman Ave for a gradual climb up and around Discovery Park.

The great thing about climbing hills in Seattle is that more often than not, there is a breathtaking view once you get to the top.

Avg. Speed: 14.5mph
Max Speed: 35.9mph
Avg. HR: 151bpm
Max HR: 183bpm (there must be something wrong, shouldn't this be higher?)

Home

2010-03-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Currently Reading

2010-03-07T14:26:00.000-08:00

"This is for the cooks."

Into it.

Save It For A Rainy Day Kid

2010-02-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

Bradley and I made a FourLoko induced decision to ride out to Gas Works Park for some, drank, and good ol' fashioned sight seeing. Included in the sight seeing tour was a visit to the Fremont Troll, whose existence has been officially confirmed by yours truly.

There was a minor delay in the ride, on account of an underage stow-away. An easy fix nonetheless.

Nomads, on the water? Does that make them Pirates?

I'm definitely proud of us for making it out of the house on yet another cold, wet and gloomy day in our fair city of Seattle. More to come, as usual.

More Photos aqui

Huh?

2010-02-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

Looks like I wound up with a "Bro-Tat" after all. Too bad I'll probably never meet him/her.

Him. [artist: unknown]

Me. [artist: Thad Ritchey]

Talk About Being a Good Sport

2010-02-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

These may be older, but new to me.

bah dass

2010-02-09T12:11:00.001-08:00

Finish Me?

2010-02-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

Stumbled across this one of Mark Pricks working on my knee. It's a gnarly monster mouth, tongue needs finishing. Fool's spent a good 20 hours on me. Thanks for the good times buddy.

New Styles

2010-02-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

I've been getting excited about this kind of stuff lately. The doodles, the layers, colors and themes... This isn't even my table, let alone my paint pens... Brad is killing this right now. Base Layer 1.

I jumped in for a fill in sesh on this one.

It's time to invest in some pens, the possibilities are endless when we start getting in the groove for collab pieces. I'm excited to see what this looks like next week.

He Takes After His Father

2010-02-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

My boy is growing up so fast..

And lookin real fast!

Mercer Island Loop

2010-02-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Matt and I went out to ride the Mercer Island Loop. This was easily the most gorgeous 2 hours yet. And considering it was so short, I'm sure this will become a pre-work ride.

We entered/exited through the I-90 bike tunnel. Martin Luther King Blvd. will take you right up to the tunnel which will dump you off on a trail that runs up against the freeway.

The worst head wind imaginable is to be expected anytime one encounters the I90 bridge via bicycle. That isn't to say you can't haul some serious ass down that slope.

During the said "ass-hauling" I noticed a mildly obscure placement of what appears to be an small arsenal of "security cameras". I say obscure, because these are located on the water underneath a bridge... Let's take a closer look.

What are you looking at?

Once we made it to the Island, there was no head wind or big brother to distract us. There was however, the now, undisclosed location of FernGully.

Herb Break

After our pit stop, we got back on the dusty trail only to be immediately passed up by 3 young roadies holding what I would consider an impressive pace for such a distance as the loop. Naturally we sped up and tried to tail them. They were quick, but once we hit the rollers it was on. I think this is where they had agreed to drop eachother as need be. Matt and I passed up one of them on the first set... And let me give a shout out to Matt, because this fool rides with me all the time and he rolls on a track bike. Not easy when you live amongst some of the most retarded hills I've ever witnessed. I sprinted up the last hill (easy 2 miles) and caught #2 mid way, continued to the peak and bombed down to the freeway... #1 was a beast, fool was already halfway down the bridge when I stopped. There I waited for Matt and we made way to the hood for some more climbing before heading home. A productive day.

My 1st Special @ Ocho

2010-01-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

I finally had an opportunity to throw a special on the menu for my weekend saute shifts. There are so many bland mushroom dishes out there, I knew I had to keep it simple but definitely unique for it to sell. With the help of my friend Slick Johnny in Sacramento, who's food knowledge is highly regarded, I was able to put together a Portabella Mushroom skewer laid over a Sofrito Eggplant White Bean puree with some Sweet Pequillo Peppers and Pine Nuts.

vegan power

To my surprise we sold out of the first batch of 35 skewers that I made. The mushrooms are submerged in balsamic vinegar and garlic while as I filleted them. After they were sliced I sauted them with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Hickory Smoked Chard (because I couldn't actually find any Hickory Wood Chips, to achieve that smoked flavor) then braised them in red wine. Once the red wine reduced I rolled the slices and skewed them.

bomb.com

Lake Washington/ Mercer Is. Loop Clockwise

2010-01-27T14:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Matt and I took an "easy" ride around Lake Washington, which included a detour through Mercer Island. I say easy because the idea of the ride was to stay at a leisurely pace and put in some decent miles. In reality we all know that when you get excited about a new ride you just wanna haul ass for as much of it as you can, well, atleast I do. With that being said I was really impressed with Matt keeping up on his track bike. There were four major climbs in the loop, each consisting of atleast a mile or two and all of which were just north of Bellevue. Perhaps that's why they call that area Juanita Hills, go figure. There was, however, a nice reward after the bombing of said hills... A pit stop in Juanita Bay where we enjoyed some kind herb and a gorgeous view.

The tiny erect figures in the middle-right part of the skyline are buildings from downtown Seattle.

This last one was snapped by yours truly seconds before Matt's rear tube spontaneously pops with that violent gun shot sound. After we repaired the overly inflated situation, it went from trail bound to road side. I will admit that I didn't follow my own directions and got us lost and about 10 miles off course, which wasn't bad but roads without bike lanes suck in suburbia.

We took the scenic route at hwy90 and cut through Mercer Island where I had hoped to hit up the Mercer Island loop, but alas. I'm sure Matt was hurting by that point, 50 miles w/o a shammy on a track bike doesn't seem that awesome... so we skipped the loop and went straight back to the hill for some protein drank at Emerald City Smoothie

Anyone looking for the directions I mostly took, and should have followed for an optimal experience, PEEP GAME!

Vegan Yogurt-Tahini Sauce

2010-01-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Use how you will.

Ingrediants:

-1/2 cup soy yogurt
-2 tablespoons tahini
-2 teaspoons lemon juice
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 pinch red pepper
-4 teaspoons ketchup
-2 tablespoons water

Whisk together in a large mixing bowl. Done. Put it on something. Eat it.

reup.

2010-01-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

Make Your Own Vegan Goddess Dressing

2010-01-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

-1/2 c. raw tahini
-1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
-1/4 c. soy sauce
-1 Tb. lemon juic
-1/2 tsp. salt
-3 cloves roasted garlic (raw will do, but honestly just roast it first)
-1/2 c. h2o
-2 Tb. chopped parsley
-1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
-1 Tb. sugar
-1/2 c. olive oil

Method:

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT OLIVE OIL in a food processor (or blender if large enough). Blend until well incorperated. Now gently stream oil into the mix while blending. Add more salt and/or tahini if needed.

Saturday @ The Locks

2010-01-12T16:02:00.000-08:00

Kusha, Blake, Kendall and Jeremiah dropped by Ocho on Saturday while I was manning the kitchen for brunch. After getting them fed real nice I clocked off and we all spent the next couple of hours checking out the Ballard Locks. This is definitely a tourist spot, but after a doobie you're basically on a field trip where everything is interesting again.

Not a good spot to practice bike tricks you're friend saw on youtube via (insert smartphone name here)

[The green wheeled bike in the middle has a Shimano Nexus coaster brake 8-speed rear hub on it... dangerously fun, all I can say]

Until Next Time Kids...

Trip Sitting on New Years Eve Day

2010-01-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

A couple of friends from Sacramento, Daniel and Michael, came to Seattle for New Years during a rock-climbing trip they took up the West Coast. I hung out and snapped a few shots while they tripped their brains out of the galaxy off some Gold Caps. A day to remember, if you will.

Volunteer Park

Vitamin Ckull

Waffle Face

Dig the Fog

2010-01-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

I recently started to really appreciate the Seattle skyline. There's something about wet streets and fog that just does it for me.

More like Space-Ship, eerie.

Goodmorning SEA!

2009-12-29T11:57:00.000-08:00

I would love to see this go down.

2009-12-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

With the partially frozen fountain water included.

Someone is Getting a Little Lazy.

2009-12-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

It's About Time

2009-12-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

For not going home for the holidays, I'm impressed that we had as much fun as we did. We woke up and had Mimosas with a lovely brunch I put together for the Family (Jess, Matt, Bradley and myself).

With the help of my new Shun Classic Chef's Knife...

(Thanks a million, mom and pop).

To be truthfully honest, Christmas Day wasn't anything too insane. Between the five of us had about 2 bottles of champagne worth of mimosas, 23 beers (I'm currently drinking the 1 beer that was left over), a shot of Evan Williams Sour Mash each, some wine, ate breakfast burritos, home-made vegan sugar cookies, some pizza, pb&j, went for a brief walk to Cal Anderson Park,

went home and ate some butternut squash soup from scratch and I'm sure there's a little something I left out but can't remember....because we passed out at 8:30pm.

A day well spent. Missed all of you in SacTown.

Boom'n

2009-12-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

Coincidentally, a good friend had just gobbled up some hongos mágicos (w/o my knowledge) 10 miles away as I snapped this photo in someone's bathroom at a house show.

The universe works in mysterious ways.

Discovery Park

2009-12-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

With clear skies and a nug in hand, Brad and I made use of our day off.

We must have looked a little suspicious

2009-12-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

carrying a TV 10 blocks from 11th & Harrison to Bellevue & Mercer at 11:00 pm.

Fortunately, for us, we're both white so law enforcement wasn't an issue.

Busted Thompson Stem

2009-12-01T09:16:00.001-08:00

It's not everyday you get to see this. Matt's brand new Thompson stem is currently out of service.

The hell of it is, we don't know how or when that could have happened. Send that shit into Thompson, Matt. They owe you.

It's Cough Fee Thyme!

2009-11-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

Everyday is a good day for coffee, and to make it the most pleasant experience every time I'm going to show y'all how to properly make the perfect cup via French Press. The right method is key, because every subtlety makes a world of difference. Take note:

Step 1: Pick Your Roast

Today we're going to brew up a bag I picked up from Brad at Zoka Coffee Roasters, Costa Rica Finca La Lia. Papaya, Carmel & Lemon Notes. (we'll see)

Step 2: Gather Supplies

French Press, Scale & Beans (ground specifically for French Press).

Step 3: Get The Water Boiling

Step 4: Weigh Out The Grounds

Ideally you want 1.5 oz. of coffee per 20 oz. of water. This is where the scale is clutch.

Step 5: Pour & Stir

I feel that a quick stir is crucial to allow the coffee and water to incorporate, thus allowing you to experience the full flavor.

Step 666: Allow 4 (Four) Minutes to Brew Then Slowly Press the Screen Down.

Pour and enjoy.

For a more intimate online encounters with coffee culture and info see Ben @ http://sosprodown.blogspot.com

The Itch

2009-11-04T14:13:00.001-08:00

It's back. Time to restore productivity in the things that truly bring me joy. FCP Studio is almost installed, next order of business:

Someday.

Halloween

2009-10-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I'll be some rendition of these guys...

2009-10-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Kid Sister was a pretty rad night. Thanks to Ben for the pre-party tequila, and Teada for for the FREE ticket and the entry "password" for the post-party. The generosity of this city is sometimes overwhelming. If only I hadn't drank so much beer. Thanks for the help Jess.

What a night... and what a babe.

Don't Ask Me Why

2009-10-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

I had the camera in the bathroom, but I was able snap another epic picture of Satan, Himself.

FML

2009-10-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Rando Glow

2009-10-10T13:58:00.001-07:00

These guys...

Converge @ El Corazón - Oct. 3, 2009

2009-10-10T12:57:00.001-07:00

Converge @ El Corazón - Oct. 3, 2009
Originally uploaded by Paul Israel

This was a good night.

I Miss This Guy...

2009-10-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

My old partner in crime.
Come to the SEA already asshole.

Seattle Art Walk

2009-09-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Derby Salon hosted a gallery for the monthly art walk in Seattle. This month featured paintings from yours truly and my homie, Brad Terry.

Paint Pen on Wood - B. Terry

Watercolor - E.C.

Check out the rest HERE

Thank You Burt Gilman, Thank You!

2009-09-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

Matt and I have been taking some fun round trips to Zoka Coffee in University Village as and excuse to ride when Bradley gets off work. It's about the most delightful 15 miles I've ridden in a while.

From our Room

2009-09-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

Dinosaur Jr? Free? And a Beergarden?

2009-08-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Last week Dinosaur Jr. played a free show at The Mural Amphitheater by the Seattle Center sponsored by PBR and KEXP. Pretty rad.

UV time

2009-08-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago Seattle experienced the hottest days the state has ever seen... I think it hit 103 one of the days and the rest were in the mid to high 90's. Needless to say, that shit's weak cheese. I fully understand this is the Pacific Northwest, but there were far too many complaints among the Seattlites that week in regards to the heat than need be. This is the kind of weather that people ignorantly move to California for, so we felt right at home.

Even Lucifer got some summer water action...

Fresh Start

2009-07-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for the delayed update, we moved.

Check back this weekend for a full report on Point A to Point B and everything that ensued furthermore. I got some quality flicks for yalls.

It's Been Real

2009-07-23T20:13:00.001-07:00

Thank you good friends and family. I think you'll know who you are when I say that Sacramento residency has been a journey of growth and true friendships, I'll miss some of you. Thanks to everyone that came out and celebrated our last night of Nineone666ing.

Up and Coming

2009-07-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Everyone keep an eye out for Brad Terry. This guy is always fucking shit up, bringing something new to the table. He's a personal inspiration to be imaginative, always reminding you to just go with your flow.

* the cupboard door in the middle is one of my favorite collaboration pieces we've done yet.

Check back this weekend because I have some more peeps that deserve some recognition for the beautiful art they constantly produce.

[don't be afraid to hit my flickr up for some more mind blowing imagery]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28920493@N03/

BOC

2009-07-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

FYL, mines better :]

-hashed browns
-soyRizo
-scramble
*tofu, bellpepper, carrot, spinach, tomato, avocado, tofutti sour cream, follow your heart chedder cheese, minced garlic, cumin, black pepper, blair's after death sauce.
-cup a joe

It's Finally Here!

2009-07-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, our fair city of Sacramento has a slim selection of coffee houses worth mentioning. And by slim I mean we have one, Temple Fine Coffee and Tea, located in the heart of downtown (1014 10th street). They have a couple of the best Baristas in California, and not to mention the most beautiful hand built cafe I've ever seen. If you typically get your morning/afternoon cup from a corporate establishment (i.e. Pete's, Starbucks, McDonalds, Tully's, Java City, Seattle's Best), then I challenge you specifically to make the journey no matter how close or far it may be to Temple. The freshest beans you've ever tasted. Oh, did I also mention that your trek to Godliness may not be as far as you thought? Their second location recently opened on June 29th at 6am on 2829 S street. To ensure legitimacy, the new cafe was also completely hand built, partially by yours truly.

come get some.

(more pictures to come.)

A Weekend of Productivity

2009-07-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Big Twenty-Two Cancer Boy

2009-06-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Alright everyone, it's my birthday. Which means it's time to party all over again. Who's with me?

Anyone Wanna Take a Bump of the Boss?

2009-06-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Vegan Breakfast > Everything Else

2009-05-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

To start this week off right, I'm going to share my latest breakfast creation. I'm calling it the Apple Sage Scramble. In order to have a successful product, wake your ass up with a cup or two of some nice coffee so you can pay attention to what you're doing.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 Minutes
Serves 2 Starving people, or 3 mildly hungry people.

Ingredients:

- 1 or 2 Apple Sage Sausages (chopped)
- 3 Mushrooms (chopped)
- 1/2 Yellow Onion (sliced)
- 1/2 Bell Pepper (sliced)
- 1/4 cube Firm Tofu
- 3/4 c of Broccoli (chopped)
- 2 T of Soy Bleu Cheese (chopped)
- 1 Tomato
- 1 Avocado
- 1/4 c Green Onion (chopped to garnish)
- Sea Salt & Crushed Black Pepper to taste
- Tofutti Sour Cream & Sriracha Cock Sauce (optional, but recommended for full effect)

Pour a little olive oil into a saucepan and heat on high for a minute or two (we're going to flash cook as much as we can). Squish the tofu with a fork so it looks mushy like scrambled eggs and add to saucepan. I like to add the salt and pepper with the tofu so it's absorbed immediately. Once the tofu begins to brown ever-so-slightly, add the mushrooms, onions and the apple sage sausages. Allow them to soften a little bit then reduce heat to medium high and add the bleu cheese. Remember to stir constantly, the pan is wicked hot and you don't want any black on your food. I prefer to add the broccoli and pepper last so that you can still get a mild crunch when its all said and done. Allow everything to cook together for a minute on Medium heat so that you can chop up that tomato, avo, and green onion.

Now serve in a bowl with sour cream, cock sauce, tomato, avocado and green onion on top...or if your really trying to get down serve in a large tortilla for the best vegan breakfast burritos you'll ever have.

she's getting so big..

2009-05-16T10:08:00.000-07:00