The Yellow Bug Times

I have a new blog!

2007-11-13T17:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Yellowbug Readers,
It is with mixed emotions that I tell you I am moving my blog to http://www.martinayellowbug.missingsaddle.com/. I am doing this to be part of the Missing Saddle community of cyclists and to help promote women's cycling to a broader audience. Don't worry, everything will work out just fine - promise.

I am sorry for the delay, you know how I am with change: reluctant. So please update your sidebar links, add my new url to your bookmarks, and have patience while I learn how to blog again.
Love,
Martina

A Series of Unusual Events

2007-10-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

It all started yesterday when Taitt e-mailed me a link to the Oakland Regional Grilled Cheese Invitational at Eli's Mile High Club at MLK and MacArthur. I was skeptical at first and said "Taitt, is this a drug house or something?" She said no and I believed her, given that she has way more experience with that stuff than I do. I was planning on having dinner with Elis, so we decided to make it a girls night out on town.

The Grilled Cheese Invitational is an actual grilled cheese sandwich making and sampling contest. I had my hopes set high of platters mounded with hot greasy grilled cheese sandwiches cut into triangle size sample pieces for me. A dream come true.

Elis and I had a nice big snack of lots of vegetables to fill up before heading to the spot. Roman decided to drive us there and come too, so I guess it wasn't really a girls night out after all. So after parking in a biohazard, we finally got the place and there was a long line of Oaklanders waiting to get their paws on sandwiches, including Taitt and her rommie Oliver. We cut in line with Taitt to avoid the line and soon we were into Eli's dive to gorge ourselves on sandwiches.

Finally we were in the club and were given these nice paper hats to wear. More lines, but in no time we were divulging ourselves to a diverse selection of grilled cheese sandwiches.

I am fairly certain that these sandwiches were probably not actually safe to eat and also made in unsanitary conditions, possibly somesort of car-engine-turned-sandwich-griller situation. Or maybe they were ironed into a dance floor slathered with butter.

Either way, we were willing to risk it and vote for the best. None of them were all that good to be honest, but we were high on the life of an Oakland wannabe hipster. I think that Oliver got food poisoning and it made his eyes grow in different directions.

Roman was, of course, very analytical about the entire event. He did not like cutting in line and he was absolutely not impressed with any sandwiches at the event.

But one thing we were all impressed with was Christian Kearney's (remember him, he was on the Yellow Bug Time's 50 Sexiest People List a while back) halloween costume at bike polo later that night. I am not sure what he is dressed as exactly, but that really is a Louis Girneau tt helmet on backwards. Tight.

Finally, my series of unusal events ends tonight with hot date at the Lafayette tanning salon and a trip to the halloween store in Berkeley.

For the love of god, I don't know what I was thinking in taking me or Roman to the tanning salon, but by god we went tonight. I wanted to make it a low key, in and out type of event, as this was my first time (and last time) ever at this type of place. A pathetic attempt to rid myself of tanlines forever. However, Roman was so entertained with the situation that he wanted to drag it out as long as possible by heckling the poor girl at the front desk, purchasing special tanning lotions, wearing the eye goggles outside of the actual tanning bed, etc. I was not entertained, in fact I was thoroughly embarrassed and wanted to crawl under the tanning bed and come out next year when nobody would remember me. Due to his special tanning lotions, he came out looking like a ripe tomatoe for a few hours. Now his tan has mellowed out and he is looking like a Jamaican beauty. My tan is still no-where to be found.

While Roman got a nice tan tonight, I got a nice halloween costume. From the kids section. If a curvy Darth Vador comes trick or treating at your door, that is probably me, as the lady at the store told me I am the first adult woman she has seen trying on Darth Vador suits from the little boys sectionn (I guess other people may have used the dressing room, but I decided to use the aisle to save time). Still, Roman says it looks fantastic and it comes with pants attached to boots that fit over your shoes. I usually would never actually purchase a halloween costume but we have to go to some event with his high school girlfriend and costumes are required. Roman just told me that I am not allowed to talk about this stuff on the blog anymore, so I gotta go.

Riding Dirty

2007-10-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

We went and road the Pine Mountain loop in Marin. I was in a world of pain!

Roman kept trying to keep up with me on these wicked fire trails descents, but he just didn't have the skills :(

Finally I stop and wait so that he can catch up!

When we got back the car, it appeared that a native of Fairfax wit the initials LH had vandelized the white hood of Roman's red Volvo. This person is also a team director and tends to heckle people in the peloton. She is also married to a man who has a broken hip right now, but she still makes him ride around with her. Sick and twisted.

Roller Skate Birthday Party!

2007-10-24T17:55:00.001-07:00

If you come skate with me on my birthday, I promise that maybe one of my teammates will jump out of the birthday cake in a skinsuit. And my mom will feed you unlimited chocolate cupcakes with purple frosting. So please come.

A Day At the Bike Swap

2007-10-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

Today was a lazy Sunday which is great cuz its still my off season. But what off season would be complete without a trip to the bike swap? I think it is Roman's favorite thing to do. So we headed off to the bike swap in San Pablo today.
Roman is hard to control at the swap because he gets so excited. Don't get the wrong idea here, its not like the swap is swimming with Gucci bike parts. Quite the opposite- it appeared to me that most of the items there were over-priced rusty stuff. Exactly what we don't need!
The people there are pretty cool. We ran into Uthman Ray IV from Cal Cycling and BPG while he was trying to sell some stuff.
This the new 2008 team beauty bike for the CRASH BANDICOOT in the NRC. I hope and pray that maybe this will be a more stable ride for the bandicoot! Lets keep our fingers crossed!

Now take a look at the most sickest motorcycle bike rack in the universe. This is Ricardo from Colombia and he can fit 4 bikes on the back of this ride, plus an assortment of wheels.

I picked up a cool Specialized helmet for Elizabet, Rome's 9 year old sister for $2. As we were leaving, Roman was a little bit sad that he did not find anything he wanted to take home. And so we were heading out of the parking lot when he spyed this SRM for an unbelievable deal.
And so we left happily with more bike stuff and less money than we started the day with! The End!

just testing the ping

2007-10-19T17:00:00.001-07:00

Oakland Bike Polo

2007-10-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Bike polo is my only training so far this season! If you are unfamiliar with the game, I'll tell you how it goes. First, you go to the Rockridge BART parking lot with your fixed gear. Some people show up after drinking, but not me . . . I've got to watch Grey's Anatomy on ABC from 9 to 10.

There are goals set up at each end of the parking lot and threee people per team. So you start on opposite ends of the parking lot, sprint the center of the lot to get the ball going with your mallet.
Dennis Guikema has some wicked skills, I end up doing alot of "blocking" as a teammate cuz I've got no skills.
Christian Kearney has just moved to the area so he is a regular now.
Denny showing off, again.
Roman chilling out.
The end.

Roller Skate Birthday Party - Part II!

2007-10-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Guess what! I am having my birthday party at the San Ramon Golden Skate again this year. I wasn't going to, but alot of people mentioned they liked it so we are doing it again.

But there are some changes coming. First of all, I just got in a fight with the women who books the party rooms. So we won't be having a party room, but we will be having tons of cupcakes and pizza and we will just have to monopolize the communal tables! The good news is that my birthday also happens to fall on All-You-Can-Eat-Pizza night for the price of regular skate night! Saturday night some sugar mama booked the entire rink, so the party is on Sunday night from 6:30-9:00 November 4th, which is actually my birthday. Don't worry, I will have the official invitation out soon! Last year we had tons of fun, so I really hope people can make it to the party!

Airport disasters and Saturday night at mom's house

2007-10-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

My one and only brother Dominic flew into town on Thursday night. Here's a warning: if the occassion ever arrises that either my brother or I fly with you, ask for a ride to or from the airport, or casually discuss flight plans, you should disregard any details we provide you. We suck at that stuff.

I went to the Oakland airport at 11:00 pm on Thursday night to pick up Nic. He was supposed to fly in on Air Faganone, OAK 11:00 pm. I circled around pick up, his phone wasn't ringing, I couldn't find him. No big deal, I just hung out in a park and call lot for a while. Then a while turned into two and half hours . . . I needed to take a nap in my car. I decided to call it a night, I just can't get ahold of him. So I start driving home, he'd have to fend for himself, and of course that's when he calls. "Where have you been!" I was pretty livid and completely exhausted. His flight didn't actually get in until 1:00 am, plus it was delayed an hour, and guess what? Turns out he was flying into SFO and Air Faganone doesn't really exist. Ooops! He was willing to take the BART, but I told him he'd have to wait until 4:00 am to hop on the next train. So being the phenomenal little sis that I am, I drove over the bay bridge to pick him up. LIES. I mean Roman drove me over the bay bridge to pick him up. I was very tired from circling the OAK pick up, so I decided it would be safer for all bay area residents if I slept in the passenger seat.

One time I showed up at the Philly airport, tried to check in and failed. Turns out I was there on the wrong day and at the wrong airline desk. Details are for suckers!

Now Nic and I drove home to my mom and dad's house for a sleep over. Me, Nic, and my mom are watching the Discovery on the couch together on a wild Saturday night in Medford, Or.

Today: An East Bay Kitten Outing

2007-10-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Taitt and I headed out to San Francisco this morning for some fun. We had breakfast with a friend and then we went to scooter shop. Taitt is selling her Miyata convertible for a scooter. She wants one just like my Honda 1985 Aero50, but those are hard to come by so she might have to settle for something a little nicer. We also went to Rockridge Two Wheels today to check out there stuff.
How chic. What do you think of this scooter? It's the LT150 by Piaggio, a very nice bike. Unfortunately they have discontinued this model in the USA, so Taitt and I have decided to take a European delivery trip so she can have her (almost) dream scooter.
Taitt is trying to sweet talk the man at Scooter West SF. He wants to give me that scooter for free . . .
But this is the bike I really want. The tough thing is that its so hard to be a good leader for the East Bay Kittens if I am riding a this big old bike and they are riding little scooters. If only I could find a cute scooter in red and lavendar. Better yet, could this be the color combination for the ValueAct kits next year? True the blue is so nice, but come on variety is the spice of life. And with so many colors to chose from in illustrator, how can we commit to the same old blue?
The day ended with the scooter man giving me this scooter because I am sweet bike racer. Thank you so much, scooter man, you really made my day!

The Off Season Sucks!

2007-10-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

Every year my feelings towards the off season change a little bit. Last year I felt pretty good about it, and I even trained a few days a week. The year before, I was pretty cracked and I couldn't get enough recovery. This year, I felt indifferent towards the idea of an off season, but I didn't want the racing to stop. So the last week, I have done pretty much nothing. I have been riding my commuter bike-way too lazy to walk! Yesterday I actually got kitted up to do some skills on my mountain bike, only un-kit myself and go out to practice wheelies on the grass in shorts and running kicks. I have found semi-success in my wheelie skills . . . I can get the front wheel up real good, get in a few seconds of pedal strokes, then I either roll completely backward or my front wheel falls forward again. That delicate balance is almost there, just not quite yet. If I train very hard, then I will be doing one handed wheelies across the finish line. Then Velo Promo will revoke my prize money for recklessness. Oh wait, there is no prize money.

So today here's what I'm up to:

1. Go to work for a while

2. Come home and talk to the huntress about 2008

3. Paint my nails hot pink

4. Pimp out my rides in preparation for winter training. New saddle here and there, some new cable/housing, a few measurements.

5. Make some healthy foods so I don't turn into an off season migrating whale.

Oh wait . . . Roman K just tromped in here. He wants to say something.

RK:I had a really fun time at nationals. I just want to thank Matt Martinez for setting up really good nice housing for us. And I just wanted to thank the whole norcal crew for being so fun and supportive.

Back to MP: Does he think he just won a grammy or something? Don't worry, he just got distracted by fixing a flat tire so his acceptance speech is over.

Whats Wrong With You People?

2007-10-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

I just checked out Vanderhoot's blog and there is not a single new scribbling to be found. What a let down. People - I know its the office season, but put some effort in, ok? Especially since it's the off season. I've got even less stuff to keep me entertained, I really need you to write about yourself, significant other, dog, cat, new bike, old car, dream boy, dream girl, whatever floats your fancy. Or better yet, send me some nice emails. I might not respond, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the gesture. It's a little tricky. While I genuinely enjoying recieving emails, I frequently don't actually have the energy to write back.

Here's one more smokin picture from bermuda for your reading enjoyment. Gosh, I need to go back there.

Roman has left with Devon and Dave McCook for track nationals in LA today. Three cool dudes, I am lucky to have nice friends. I'd be even luckier if they stayed in town when I am in town. C'est la vie.

What happens in Las Vegas

2007-10-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if I hate Vegas, love Vegas, or maybe both. When I showed up here on Tuesday, I was all peppy and full of energy. The constant stimulation from lights, people, and slot machine noises were somehow very satisfying. For about an hour.
If you have heard anything about Interbike, you have probably heard about the Sinclair party. I've been looking forward to this one since I was a cat 12, but unfortunately it was a let down. They did have pole dancers at the party, but it just wasn't enough to get me to spend my evening crammed into a bar like a sardine with a bunch of sweaty guys. So I went and got hamburgers with some cool dudes and girls in the middle of the night. Me and my roomie Rosy who works for Ritchey were out causing trouble in Vegas. She is a hottie bringing new marketing tactics to the the Ritchey line!
Oh gosh, am I the luckiest girl at Interbike? With Karl and Kirk on each side, I think so. How did these two get so cute? It must be something they put in their team waterbottles.
And then it was all over. This is the morning-after Interbike walk of shame. So sad.
The end. The season is over and it is so sad as well! I am not racing cross but I just feel like I could keep racing road. But I guess its time for a lazy month off the bike and then I am going to put the hammer down and get some training done. Get her done.

Bermuda is the best place on earth

2007-09-25T13:49:00.001-07:00

Webcor girls, hot mama Beverley Harper, Karen Brems in swim suit, more NRC beautie sin the back ground at Horseshow beach.

Me and Rome on Sunday after the race. He was too busy with bikes and water bottles to get make much progress on the tan lines :(
Host dad and Bermuda parlimentarian Jon steering his boat on the ocean.
Roman did find the time to mold his dream girl out of sand. Wow, those are some proportions!
Taitt, Lucas, and Me on the butterfield boat a few days earlier. Maybe I already posted this? I can't remember, I still feeling like I am on a boat even today.

Taitt and Roman on the way out of one of the little boat docks. On our way to go rock jumping at Princess Island.
Taitt and Hannah.
The Shazborn working the tanlines as a patch of rain clouds rolls into the beach. Don't worry, the clouds left after a few minutes of rain.
The ValueAct team working very hard at the beach.
Roman and I decided to try to take the bus to the airport. After we hauled all our luggage to the bus stop in 100 degree heat, they wouldn't let us on the bus so we had to call a cab anyway. Oh well, I probably needed the exercise.
So Sunday was another good day on the bike. We had a hilly circuit race that came down to a field sprint and I finished 5th, with alot of help from the girls. Then we headed out for some boating and beautiful awards ceremony and dinner in the evening. The night was filled with lots of scooter riding, club hopping and night swimming with other racers - very fun.

Here is my little slice of advice. Get yourself to Bermuda at some point in your life, no matter what. The place is unbelievable. If I am born twice, I want to come back as a Bermudian princess raised in the basket of a beautiful scooter.

Tonight I am off to Vegas to hang out at the Ritchey Logic booth, party, and race on Thursday night criterium. It's the World Championship in Vegas. Wish me luck, if I win I wonder what color my stripes will be on my jersey?

Today was very exciting!

2007-09-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a criterium at the port thingy in Bermuda. The course is very technical and narrow, with some off-camber sections and shacanes. So many corners I can't even remember. But today the ValueAct girls road awesome teamwork. We had Sharon at the front at times, stringing out the field or attacking. We had Hannah moving through the pack with ease. Finally, with three laps to go Taitt and Marni and I were lined up together, sitting a few wheels back in preparation for the field sprint. Things were looking good until another rider barelled into Taitt coming out of the corner. Luckily, she cart wheeled over her bike very gracefully and was only scraped up a bit. So we had an improptu final two laps, but with everyone's hard work I finished 3rd in the sprint behind Laura Van Gilder and Karen Kurreck. So it was a very exciting race for me and the team today. I have felt like I am so close to finishing well in field sprints against some of the top women, but somehow every race has one little glitch. I know its not the largest field here, but its still a very motivating race for me and I hope for the teammies.

Off to the beach this afternoon and then rest up for a hilly circuit race tomorrow! Sorry, no pictures today!

Bermuda Part 3

2007-09-21T11:55:00.001-07:00

Last night was an awesome down town criterium and Taitt finished 6th! I got a little tired after fighting Van Gilder for a $1000 prime and coming up short. She is one fast lady!

Today we had a chance to go boating with some of the Slipstream boys. We went snorkeling and out to lunch at a place where they accept "no cash or credit." Perfect, because I don't have either! Finally, some people are operating on my same currency!

The boys steering the boat.
This is Lucas Euser from Slipstream. He's all pro here, but I remember him when he was a 100 lb. collegiate rider at Cal Poly. Love the fo-hawk Lucas!

The uphill tt is about to start in an hour and half and I still feel like I am on the boat.

Bermuda Part 2

2007-09-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, I was just kidding yesterday. Tonight is the criterium downtown Hamilton and tommorrow is the uphill TT, for which I am carbo-loading.

Life Is So Hard In Bermuda

2007-09-19T18:35:00.001-07:00

Yeah we are finally in Bermuda! This place is the bomb and puts Hawaii to shame. Hawaii is great, but Bermuda has a special charm. A mix of funky architecture, palm trees, and odly shaped taxis. Plus there are tons of people cruising on Scooties. I like to think they are all members of my motorcycle gang - the East Bay Kittens. Alas, the EBK's really haven't networked to other countries yet, but I can still pretend.

Here is Roman looking all suave at the airport shuttle in San Francisco. In about 30 minutes from the time of this picture, we will both be running frantically to narrowly make our flight to New York by 3 minutes.

This is how fantastic I look after a trans-continental flight with a middle-seat.
Our first real taste of Bermuda. Hop off the plane, shuffle down the tarmac and into the airport to be greated by these fine musicians. Yes, Bermuda is just as beautiful as that back drop!

And now off for a ride! Hannah, Marni, Taitt, and Shazborn out for a little ride. I'm taking the picture and Roman is drilling it on the front. Notice that we are riding on the left side of the road, which is a little tricky.

Alright, I am off to bed for the night because tommorrow we have a one mile up hill time trial and I need to kick some ass.

A shout out to the juniors . . .

2007-09-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

So this is Dominique "Nikka" Van Den Dries, an up and comer junior from Los Gatos Bike Racing Club (my favorite!). She is super cool . . . 12 years old and just won two junior state titles in Time Trialing and Track. Oh yeah, Nikka, way to bring home the bacon! Did I mention she just started racing this year?

Nikka is out there racing alot of the local races and even racing at nationals, bringing home two medals. I saw Nikka at the SF Giro last week and she and her family gave me a big "We Love ValueAct," which is something I like to hear. She will probably be kicking my butt in a few years, so I better watch out.

LGBRC does a killer job of developing phenomenal junior and collegiate riders, many of whom have gone on to race on pro teams. I hope they keep up the support of the youngsters and keep turning out great cyclists. If anyone is looking for a cool bay-area team, I definitely recommend the Cat's. Ok, the kits might not be the most flattering (thats speaking from experience), but everything else is top notch.

Speaking of kits, Slipstream has a cool kit design contest going on right now. Taitt and I worked on a kit design (THIS LINK IS UPDATED SO YOU CAN VIEW THE JERSEY DESIGNS)together (of course, with consultations from Hannah) and I think ours looks pretty good. We won't find out if we made the top 5 finalists yet, but if you look on the slipstream website tomorrow you can vote for your favorite out of the judges top 5 picks. Hopefully the design called "Martina-Taitt" will be there and you can do those slipstream boys a favor and vote for our design.

Benicia: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

2007-09-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

Let's start with the good. Here is Taitt Sato putting the hurt down on the fiel. Local commedian turned super star Sarah Bamberger on her wheel. Hannah and Taitt did a phenomenal two-women power house lead out train to deliver me to the last corner for a sprint finish win. Sorry, no victory pictures today but some might pop up out there. Also in the good category is Devon-stator Vigus win the in the men's pro race.On to the bad. Little Roman had a spectatular crash while he was riding in the gutter and knicked the lap counter that was protruding onto the course. The poor guy has stitches in his face, deep road rash everywhere, has had four dentist appointments in the last two days, but things are getting fixed up and he will be back in action soon. Right now he is watching t.v. on the couch with an ice pack on his chin. Thank you everyone who was at the race for your support and quick thinking! And thank you to everyone who has been checking up on him via email and phone, he loves hearing from you guys while he is laid up.

The ugly. Just kidding, no ugly here!

But there is one more thing I need to mention. Friend and Velonews journalist Kathie Reid is doing a super cool benefit ride for MS in Italy. She has got some great photos of the Italian climbs and a recap of their daily riding stages at www.kathiereid.blogspot.com.

It's Been a While

2007-09-06T11:44:00.001-07:00

So this weekend was the Giro di San Francisco. Regardless of how the race played out for me, I think that the entire Metro Mint crew did a super job organizing and promoting the race. Even people in my work office in Lafayette had seen flyers for the race. So thanks Minties for making a really cool local race with lots of spectators and great primes!

Now, on to the good material. Below are two of the NorCal Velo beauties giving new definition to the term "warm-up." I have never thought about using air mattresses on the sidewalk in my race preparation, but they may in fact prove to be performance enhancing. Secondly, I took this photo at the special request of a some very powerful women. Hot hunk of love Christian Kearney - you just won yourself a spot on the Yellow Bug Times 50 Sexiest People List.

Last but not least we have perennial favorite Hot Taitt Sato, also giving new meaning to the concept of "warm-up". In case you all thought that she just wakes up looking so good, I have this photo here to prove that she does in fact have to do some work to be on her A-game at every bike race. Look closely here and you will see that Hot Sato actually has a compact beauty mirror and tweezers in her hand. Who says that beauty and bike racing don't mix?

Now I was just teasing with the previous "last but not least." You thought you could get back to work, but no - I have more time consuming material for you all: Check out my Cyclingnews.com Diary for the US Women's Cycling Development Program.

While you may notice that my level of self-expression is diminished in comparison to my other material online, I hope you understand that I saw this as an opportunity to present the ValueAct team in a positive and professional manner to an international audience.

The End.

Wild Animals Seen at Downer's Grove Criterium Nationals

2007-08-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

Interesting to note that these ones are actually sponsor correct, even while smothered in cupcakes. The top picture is what Martin Gilbert, the guy who won crit nationals, looks like when he is very hydrated and has been attacked by other cupcake-bearing mammals.

Wild Animals Seen At Tour of Elk Grove

2007-08-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Other highlights include winning a $500 prime, minor broken bike parts in a major crash, dry ice fountains, and seductive members of the Elk Grove Village community.

Why We Love ValueAct

2007-08-07T18:40:00.001-07:00

Here is the reason!

I have other friends

2007-08-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

but Taitt seems to be the one that I am photographed with the most.

Love Taitt

2007-08-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have Hot Sato on the phone right now (I am in bed eating LIFE cereal and I have a small cold). She wants everyone to know that she is doing just fine. She is flattered that a ton of people have been asking about her little old broken leg (oh god is she just trying to steal attention from me?). After two months of super secret training she says she is ready to make a come-back at the Tour of Elk Grove in Illinois (me, Hannah, Court, and Shazborn will be there too). She won a race last weekend and I think she just about the fittest and freshest racer around right now, and she says watch out to all the men's category 3's she is racing this weekend.

Untitled

2007-07-31T17:23:00.001-07:00

I ache

2007-06-28T21:16:00.001-07:00

She died today.

We Are In Minnesota

2007-06-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

for the Nature Valley Grand Prix. The race starts tomorrow night with down town St. Paul criterium. Right now I am laying in bed listening to my ipod and messing around with my computer - so tired today. Hannah is sleeping on the air mattress near mine, in the corner. She has had the Philly SARS flu (stole that name from Mike Jones) all week and she is not doing so hot today.

We have three host kids. Two teenagers who are world class speedskaters and junior cyclists, then a little kid tame Artyom from Russia. They are cool and showed us around riding today, the mom is running the next Olympic Training Center from this house I think. The kids are also world class athletes in Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero and they like to play it in our bedroom. Somehow it appears that Hannah has slept through these performances today, which is a talent in its own right.

My camera is still out of batteries, so I don't have any fantastic pictures for anyone. I could easily get new batteries, but I am too f*@#ing poor to cough up the money. But I do have photos these from Philly:

Joining the team for Nature Valley is Marni Hambleton from Canuckia and super start Jill McLoughlin from Touchstone. Both are rock star girls and I am excited to be racing with both of them, as well as the rest of the ValueAct girls.

I Am in the Dallas Airport

2007-06-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

traveling across the country today. Yesterday was the Philly race, which is the bomb, but not for me. Mmm, lots of things went wrong. I don't want to talk about it.

Today's travel started out a litle rough for Taitt, Hannah and I. We went out last night after the race and, even though we woke up at 10 am, the morning came just a little too quickly for all of us. On our way to the Philly airport, we hit a rough patch of traffic. And by "rough patch", I mean stand-still, grid-lock, turn-off-the-renta-car, talk-to-the-trucker-next-to-you type of thing. Eventually, we made it to the airport, and even with time to spare. I have to admit that I secretly love traffic jams. Just like I love the Central Valley, California. Ok, a little different. But what I like is that we can't do anything about it. I just have to sit there. I can't clean anything, I can't check my email, I can't do anything at all except just wait it out patiently and relax. Listen up people, learn to the love what you can't control. Just try it, ok.

First flight from Philly to Dallas/Fort Worth went well, and even got my bike on the airplane for FREE (thank you American). I am a little bothered by race yesterday and I feel bad for the kid next to me on the flight who looked like he was about 15 because I think I may have been talking to myself outloud. Oops. Get used to it, everybody is crazy deep down. I had the window seat and when I asked if he could let me out to use the bathroom, he just scooted back in his chair like I was supposed to crawl over him to get out of there. No thanks, teeny bopper, I definitely can't do that sort of stuff . . . especially in my Lulu hot pants.

The Dallas/Fort Worth airport sports posters that boast its size matches that of Manhattan. Thats cool, except when you are lost and lugging a huge team backpack full of heavy stuff. Which is what I am doing because all my luggage is overweight and the airport employees don't want to shuffle it around from plane to plane. Which means I have to shuffle it around myself. As I was passing Brookstone (this airport is a mall/airport in-one), I decided to get myself a massage for about an hour in the massage chairs and catch up on my daily banter with my mom. When the Brookstone people finally had their fill of me, I stopped in the bux to treat myself to a drink, which never came. I got tired of waiting, I snagged the venti iced soy chai latte that nobody had claimed and it really hit the spot. I suspect that it was more expensive than my original drink order, but my time has a value and I think me and Starbucks evened out somewhere in the exchange.

Now I will talk about the race. Started fast and I did a really good job of keeping our Katie-World-Champ-Mactier at the front, out of the wind, and safe of crashes. Really good job. Such a good job that I couldn't quite make it up the hill with the rest of the girls. That's cool, cuz I did my job like a rockstar and thats hard to do. It takes a lot put your nose in the wind at a big race. And to show, I had a few moments of not-so-famed-fame being on the big screen in downtown Philly as I led the pack through Logan Circle on lap 1. And Katie was up there for ValueAct in the sprint. And the rest of the Value girls did great, hanging in there for the field sprint, with little Hannah Banana in the prize money too.

I am still in Dallas. Why am I in Dallas? I don't know why, but I like it here.

Men's Fashion in Dallas Airport: Light colored jeans, collared shirt tucked in, and cowboy boots and a matching belt buckle.

Women's Fashion in Dallas Airport: confused, very confused.

Ok, three hour lay-over is coming to an end.

There's More Good News

2007-05-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

We've been wondering for a few months now . . . he took the test back in February after doing double duty as a pro on the road and going to law school for the last three years.

But now it's official: Roman passed the BAR exam!

As for me, I headed North to my parents house to visit for a few days before making the trip to Hood River, Oregon. Things are great, Katie Mactier is finally here with the team and we are ready to put the hammer down here. Host housing is great and I have an awesome view of the Columbia Gorge and Mt. St. Helen's from my bedroom. Camera is out of batteries today, but hopefully I will get some great pictures of the race soon. Tonight is the prologue . . . which I love. Last year I was 11th here, but the times are so close together you have to nickel and dime every pedalstroke, corner, and shift. So wish the ValueAct girls some luck and positive thoughts when you get a chance!

There's Good News and Bad News

2007-05-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

The good news - Taitt's leg is broken! The bad news is . . . Taitt's leg is broken. But thats a whole lot better than tearing a fistful of ligaments, so we are happy with the diagnosis. As I've discussed before, ValueAct Teamie Taitt Hot Sato had a run-in with a car 16 days ago that left her off the bike and on the crutches. Alot fo people have been asking about her condition and return to racing, so I thought I'd catch up with her (its not that hard now that she can't walk and I miss our chit chat on the bike, so we have to talk on the phone alot) to find out exactly what the scoop is on Taitt Sato and her leg.

MP: Whats the status of the leg right now?

T Hot S: 16th day off bike and onto crutches. Pain is not so bad, but being off the bike is the worst. Four more weeks to go! The thing that is actually broken is called the Tibial Plateau.

This is Taitt's leg. Wow, lots of muscle!

MP: I've heard that sort of injury only happens to highly attractive and intelligent women, like you. And John Hunt (I'm referring to the broken tibial plateau, not the highly attractive and intelligent women part).

T Hot S: The real problem is that tibia is the main weight bearing bone in your body. You can crack it like a grain of wood if you have a fracture, so I have to be really careful. It's so hard to be good, because it actually doesn't hurt too bad if I stand and walk carefully at this point.

MP: Is the fracture north to south or east to west?

T Hot S: North to south.

MP: What are you doing to stay busy?

T Hot S: Going to pull to work on my tan. On one hand, I get to work on my tan, but on the other hand I still haven't figured out to do a flipturn with a pull buoy between my legs. But I have four more weeks to figure it out I guess.

MP: Lets look at the positive. Whats the best part about having a broken leg?

T Hot S: On one hand I get to wear really short shorts and skirts, but the bad thing is the knee brace is really ugly and so is my knee. My one good leg is looking pretty good, but my bad leg is looking pretty hideous. Absolute highlight of the injury so far: the drugs.

MP: First of all, no leg of yours could look hideous, but the drugs sound nice.

Taitt: Yep, its still swollen, maybe like half a canteloupe.

MP: So then what are you going to wear at Philly when you come for my moral support?

T Hot S: Really short shorts and a hot top. I've gotta have something going for me. My arms are looking really good from the crutches.

MP: Well, you better not steal all the attention out there.

MYB and T Hot S together in action

Marin-tervals

2007-05-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

If you want a challenge for your Saturday ride, try hitting Marin Avenue in north Berkeley California. The steepest block is a grueling 25% grade! Today I threw in a couple of intervals here . . . just for fun.

When I did the San Francisco Grand Prix two years ago I tried doing some intervals here but I couldn't get up the street. Today they were tough, but a big improvement since the last time I came here.

The Other Day . . .

2007-05-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

I was riding and some very strange stuff happened. It went like this:

We started a group ride from Royal Coffee on 63rd and College Avenue. It was a usual Sunday, we grabbed some coffee, made some chit chat with everyone, and then headed over the hills.

Then as I am riding down a fast and gradual descent on North Pinehurst, I hit a humungous invisible pot hole in the rode (this not the exciting part . . . oh wait, I am not sure if any of this is exciting), which was not too big of a deal. But then my water bottle flew into the air and somehow lodged itself into the spokes of my rear wheel. Now we were going atleast 35 mph here, but now suddenly my wheels will not turn, I can't pedal, no nothing. So I skidded for 50 feet with my bike spewing water and smoking rubber until my tire exploded.

How many people does it take to fix my bike?

Now check out this tire. This was the Maxxis Re-Fuse, which I have to say is a pretty harty tire here. You can even see how many layers are actually on this tire. Here's a tip I learned from this experience: if you have a major tire disaster such as the one shown above, make a boot to get you to the nearest shop with your gel or bar wrapper. When this isn't enough, use a large piece of the olde tube and layer it with your wrappers and this should do the trick . . . it worked for this situation here, where my rear tire was obviously in pretty rough shape.

Speaking of rough shape, I just wanted you guys to know that our ValueAct Teamie Taitt Sato was hit by a car last Wednesday on our training ride. We are still awaiting a final diagnosis, but it looks like she has some ligament damage to her knee. So if you have some spare energy, please send her some positive "get better" energy so we can have her back on her bike soon.

Here is Taitt kicking ass at Cat's Hill last week.

One more thing . . . K-man has me featured at as Oregonian racer on his blog here, so check it out!

Cat's Hill and Santa Rosa

2007-05-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

Today we won the Santa Rosa Criterium. What a cool race! Down town Santa Rosa, kind of technical course, nice prize list for women, and lots of people out cheering for us.

Of course, I really could not have won this race without Taitt's help. She basically had the field in tears, with a strong wind and she was just attacking and driving breaks! By the time I finally attacked, luckily everybody was too tired after chasing Taitt to respond or they just didn't want to stick their nose in the wind (which is understandable - it was really windy!) Plus I could afford to take risks because I knew if I was caught before the finish line, Taitt would be in the field ready to handle the sprint. It was a win-win situation. The minties did a great job being agressive and I hear that they had a full lead-out train going to the finish line. Laura Charameda, I think she is a previous Champion of the Universe or something similar, took the field sprint with Taitt crossing the line for 3rd.
Cat's Hill was also a great team race with Taitt taking the ever-competitive Queen of the Mountain competition for the second year in a row! Courtenay Brown took 3rd place and I finished in 4th place! Not bad for a team with only three people in the race! Karen Brems won for about the 20th time. I think she started winning that race when she was still in elementary school or something! Anyway, she is one crafty bike racer and very difficult to beat on that course. Of course, big thanks to LGBRC for putting so much energy into making Cat's Hill the race that it is, one of the gems of the NCNCA calendar.

Check This Out Now

2007-05-04T16:40:00.000-07:00

Taitt and Martina Live and Unplugged x 2 on Pez Cycling News!

Click Here!

This Is How The Weekend Went

2007-05-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

My Dad and I go riding together. He is in training for Cycle Oregon next summer!

Here is the view as you enter Jacksonville

The left picture is climbing up Sterling Creek and the right picture is the Applegate River Valley facing South. These hills are actually the Southern Oregon-Northern California boarder.

These are the really happy Oregonian cows that contribute the Horizon Organic Dairy. Based on my observations, I am pretty impressed with their treatment and happiness levels so I encourage everyone to support this dairy.

Then there was Lola . . .

News Flash

2007-04-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

This just in . . . Roman Kilun Killin'-it, boyfriend extraordinaire, 3rd place at Vuelta de Bisbee General Classification.

You go RK.

On The Bike Fashion

2007-04-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

I'd like to share some on-the-bike-fashion tips that I think are important. With that said, I understand that most people who might have time to read this post probably aren't loaded with cash. So I have designed these on-the-bike-fashion features to be low cost and really available options for the empty pocketed cyclist. The real focus of this post is on the bike, not the rider, although there are plenty of fashion disasters to bring up in that arena as well. Let me just come out and say right now that I have committed and will continue to commit numerous bike fashion no-no's. Hey, who hasn't? But I do my best and I'd like to help everyone else do their best as well.

For starters, lets begin with the most common on-the-bike-fashion blunder: the filthy chain (see photo right). Not only is this terribly unattractive, but it is euthenasia for your drive train. And if, for whatever reason, you need to touch your chain, you will have a black greasy disaster on your hands. Literally. Oh yeah, this much chain junk will make you slower on the bike as well.

So it is very important to clean this area of your bike on a regular basis, i.e. every other day or so. When you do this, you will have less cat. 6 calf marks on your legs, less chain grease all over your clothes and house, and your drive train will last longer. No need to do anything drastic like put your bike in the shower with you, but a spray bottle and rag or paper towel will go a long way. If your chain looks similar to the photo above, I recommend using WD40 spray as a degreaser. Spray the chain and wipe down with a rag. Then lightly apply chain lubricant to the chain, spin the chain for several seconds, and wipe down again.

The spray bottle and rag situation is very important for the overall look and care of you and your bike. Its simple, inexpensive, and can go a long way in keeping your bike looking slick. If you ride a white saddle like I do, I think it is important to wash down the saddle to keep it looking bright and white. For saddles, I recommend trying to find a saddle that is a reasonable match to your frame. I know that saddles are very expensive, so don't really worry about this unless you are about to purchase something new in the near future.

While you are at it, be sure to wipe down the rest of the frame. Make an effort to focus on areas such as the top and down tubes, the head tube, and the stays. Honestly, I wouldn't mess around with the bottom bracket area - thats something that might require a hose and brush, especially when the weather is bad. If your bottom bracket is very dirty, try not to show it to anybody.

This photo also exhibits the importance of matching water bottles. I know, I know, you always lose them in the feedzone at road races, etc. But here is a solution: always keep a matching pair of water bottles for your bike that you don't have to take to races. If you do not have a drink sponsor that provides water bottles, I suggest something like the Nalgene bottle for cycling cages, which you can use again and again. The plastic is harder than traditional water bottles, which makes it better for your health as well and your drinks will tast better.

Next I'd like to highlight a sensitive issue: the stem angle. I think that your bike will always look its best when the stem is run in the negative position. Of course, this might not be possible for all people and I'd like to encourage fit over fashion here. However, when you have a new fork, be sure to measure with diligency and don't be afraid to use matching spacers in order to run your stem in the negative direction. This photo also presents an opportunity to discuss handle bar tape. While everyone will have their own brand preference, my strongest recommendation would be for one that you can wash or a dark color. Here my bike has white handle bar tape, that was a team color, that looks a little dingy.

The photo to the left here exhibits the stem face and head tube. Please also make note of the power meter cable. This area is especially prone to unattractive problems. Do not let is area become the collection site for your exotic dead bug collection. Gross. Use the spray bottle and rag to wipe down. You may need a little elbow grease to get the bugs off this area, especially after a road trip with bikes on the roof rack.

As for the power meter cable (or whatever training tool you use), try to make sure that the transition from frame-to-housing-to-handlebars is smooth. I know this can be difficult for many cyclists, but don't be afraid to us zip ties (in a color that blend in with your frame), small pieces of clear packing tape (I recommend for the underneith section of the down tube or stays only), or a little creativity. Zip ties will not scratch your frame if applied properly and can be found in several sizes.

Here I would like to point out the importance of matching tires. Of course, this might be one of those "I'll use what I can get my hands on" typ of issues. I know it is for me. But when you have a chance, a tire sponsor, or go tire shopping, be sure to get a matching set. This seems very obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people enjoy miss-matched tires. My biggest problem is that the front and the back tires wear out at different rates, making matching tires on my bike a rare occurrence. Notice in this photo that my brakes are open. Not cool.

Finally, I'd like to add something especially for the women cyclists out there: the importance of earrings. I know that not everyone has their ears pierced, but I would encourage it. And I also encourage all women cyclists to not be shy about wearing reasonable jewlery on the bike. Why not? I recommend a large stud earring that matches your kit or your favorite on-the-bike outfit. Make sure that your helmet straps fall just below the ear lobe so that the earrings are visible, but the helmet is still secure. My personal favorite is large cubic zirconia (2-3 karrots in each ear, depending on size and the look you are going for), which is the green choice as compared to diamonds, which Taitt tells me are very controversial and I should not mention. Plus, we have already concluded that most people reading this post aren't rolling in dough. With CZ, you can get any size you want at the cost of dinner, and all the sparkle of the real thing. But really, any larger sized stud earring will work, within reason. I would shy away from on the bike earrings such as hoops of any size (they flap in the wind), dangling anything, or studs that are larger than your ear lobe.

Thats it for now.

Check out Romans Win

2007-04-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

Click here to watch the super cool Delta Velo (you guys do a great job!) video of Roman at Wente!

NEW: LINK IS FIXED!

Roman Wins Wente

2007-04-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

Yep, its true. My boyfriend won the world famous Wente Road Race today. I taught him everything he knows about bike racing, except how to win on hilly courses. He learned that himself. Just kididng. When we met, I was still riding with underwear on beneath my cycling shorts and he was practically professional. Cool.

According to the cyclingnews.com report, he just attacked from the gun and rode the entire field off his wheel. Then everyone in the pack gave up, too demoralized to go on. So then, after one lap the officials said "Ok Roman, you win." And he zipped up his jersey and blew kisses to the fans on the side of the road, picked up his huge bag of prize money, and his several barrels of Wente Vineyards wine. From now on, I will only drink Wente Vineyards wine when I am on my bike.

Familiar picture? Stole it from someone who was at the race.

Fortune Cookie Says

2007-04-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

Teamwork: the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.

Seriously, thats what I got tonight at Chinese food in downtown Oakland with homeboy Roman.

Todays training involved a righteous event for all cyclists abused by cars out there. Me, RK, Matt Willinger, and triathlete super star Kristi Gough were training on Olympic Blvd. Some high schoolers drove by . . . it was there lunch time maybe. They heckled us. I just couldn't take it anymore. I saw the traffic light up ahead turn read, and the car packed with high school guys pulled into the left hand turn lane.

I rolled up casually to their car. The rear window is rolled down and there are three guys in the back seat.

Take the lid off my bottle of Cytomax.

Dump the entire bottle of Cytomax into the car.

On this guys head.

I pedal away as they have to turn left.

Cytomax is really sweet, and so is revenge.

They chucked a tangerine at me and it hit my rear spokes. Didn't bother me one bit.

Cytomax: it doubles as a hydration and communication tool.

Today . . .

2007-04-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

Was one of those days where you say, damn it feels good to be a bike racer. When the saddle feels alright, and the legs are reasonably fresh. When the watts just come along easily, the conversation is good, and its warm but you don't have to wear sun screen.

I think to myself that we must be some of the luckiest people on earth.

Whats Happened to Taitt's Shoe Cover?

2007-04-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Well, The Yellow Bug Times has had a tremendous response the question of "Why does Taitt only have on one shoe cover?"

I'd like to say that one of my genius readers got it right, but truth be told . . . I'm not really sure what happened to it. But I can re-tell the experience that gave us the picture we are referring to below.

We all know that we were at the Ojai Garrett Lemire Grand Prix. Warming up. And I said, hey guys, lets get a team pic real fast on my camera. For the bloggers, you know. And all the ValueAct girls were like, cool. And they straightened their helmets, rubbed in the sunscreen, zipped up the jerseys. The whole nine yards - we like to look good.

And then comes Taitt. She strolls up with just one shoe cover? And I say, Taitt, where is your other shoe cover? She didn't want to put it on. Too much effort. And who am I to fight with her over this? So I let it roll. F#@*k, if Taitt wants to race with just one shoe even, I don't mind, long as she can still pedal. I guess you'd say the real answer to the question was self-sabotage.

But then when the picture came out, she was surprised to see that it was a head-to-toe shot. Not the waste up thing she was thinking of. And I liked the pic, so I put it on my blog anyway. Despite Taitt's missing shoe cover.

But Miss Tracie Nelson answered the question (three times actually) and was particularly brilliant. Of course. She said that Taitt did not have on sponsorship shoes and so she put on one shoe cover on the side of Dave Toule's anouncer stand. I'll add in this hypothetically correct answer that the reason she only wore one was so that she could be sponsor correct on the announcer side, but combat the warm temperatures by foregoing the other shoe cover so she wouldn't over heat.

One last final thing:

This is the closest that most people will ever get to making out with Taitt Sato.

Real Quick

2007-04-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Hey, I just wanted to let you all know that Roman has started using his blog again. So check him out!Secondly, does my blog look a little messed up on the sidebar on anyone elses computer, or could it be just mine? Anybody know how to fix it?

Oh yeah, so far nobody has correctly answered my trivia question below, but Elf is winning the competition by default so far.

Ojai: you should try it!

2007-04-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the Garrett Memorial Criterium in Ojai California. Now, not to offend anyone from Ojai, but I don't think it is the prettiest sounding name for a town.

But it turns out that Ojai is in fact great! We couldn't believe charming all the small bungalows are and they put on a great NRC race! Our team finished 9th (MP), 10th (TS), and 18th(HB), so three in the money.

Overall, phenomenal team work, positive attitudes, team PR, and nice sunshine.

Anybody who can correctly tell me why Taitt (2nd, right) is wearing only one Defeet shoe cover can win . . . (let me think about this here) . . . a free, clean, and brand new Cytomax waterbottle from my personal collections. And a Cyto gel. No shipping to Canada.

The Power of the Positive

2007-03-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

Ever realized how powerful positive thinking can be? Plenty of research shows that exposure to positive language or images actually increases the activity of your brain, making you smarter and more stimulated. And I have no doubt that positive thinking influences your biochemistry - for the better. So here are just a few of my positive thoughts for the day:

1. Still feeling fresh on my bike, despite 4 weeks straight of NRC racing.

The highly stimulated brain image

2. Just got my new team issue Fizik Chrono on - finally! Comfort and beauty!

3. Might see Lola in a week. Love.

4. Mom says they are putting a new velodrome in my Medford, my home town. Mom, I'm moving home!

5. Pez diary pic is not the best, but luckily I am cuter in person.

6. Dear blog readers: thank you for reading my ramblings. I love you.

Back to work!

Biscuits and Muesli Bars

2007-03-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Last night one of our team Aussie's, Hannah Banks, finally arrived in Oakland. She is too cute! We went out for a team dinner and then I got to take her grocery shopping at Safeway. It's her first time grocery shopping in the US, and I was a little disappointed to take her to plain old Safeway - kind a sad showing of the American grocery store. Of course, the Berkeley Bowl would have been ideal with their huge acreage and selection of produce, bulk, deli, cheeses, and organic everythin' but it was late I didn't have the energy to fight the nuts and granola hippie moms of Berkeley.

But it was still a fun trip to the store. I asked Hannah what she wanted to buy and she responded in Aussie speak, "Just some biscuits and muesli bars." Ok, well thats new. Of course I can translate into Martina speak that means crackers (maybe?) and granola bars. The bar selection is weak and expensive in Safeway, so I take her to the snack/granola bar/sugary cereal aisle for some ride food. After I taught her what the "S'mores" flavor was all about (I've never been more proud to be American as when I was explaining exactly what the word was derived from . . . little piglets we are), she picked up a box of chocolate chip granola bars and of course, one of S'mores.

After that I showed her around frat row in Berkeley (she was actually really interested in these and she wanted to know about the secret hand shakes? Must be from the movies!). Then we cruised around the UC Berkeley campus and a little bit of the hills before I got her all settled into her new host house at the Cal MTB house (Thanks guys!).

Today we are heading out for a ride and then later maybe I will teach her how to drive my scooter around town. If you see a cute little Aussie girl on the wrong side of the road, please get her going in the right direction!

The Fire Drill

2007-03-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

It was about 5:30 this morning when the lights started flashing, the sirens blaring. This hasn't happened here at my apartment building, so I took these fire warnings seriously, as all tenants should. I roll jump out of bed, slapped on my bathrobe (with Blankie in the pocket), put on all my best jewlery, and grabbed a special box of pictures that I have prepared for emergencies such as this. But as I am running out the door, a thought runs through my head:

what if this is the last time I see all this stuff?

So I grab the 8 by 10 snap shot of grandma off the wall. And my laptop can't hurt . . . I have a million pictures on there. Then I need to hunt for my CD storing my Lola pics. And a few other special items that weigh down the pockets of my robe. Then I hussle down stairs so that I don't die from ventilating the smoke that should be billowing from behind a door at any second.

In front of my soon-to-be-disintegrated building are all my neighbors. Mostly fully clothed. Not carrying any special belongings, emergency keepsake boxes, blankies, or anything else for that matter. And about 10 firemen too. They are obviously fully clothed as well.

And 20 minutes later, we are all filing back into the building. False alarm, thank goodness there was no fire. And I am hauling all my stuff back to my apartment in my furry slippers, and slightly embarrassed with my drama.

Do you think the neighbors will remember that I was the one who thought it was necessary to haul all their junk out during an emergency?

Happiness

2007-03-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

This is how I feel about bike racing.

__________________________________________________________

A letter from Redlands

2007-03-26T01:08:00.000-07:00

Found this sweet little letter from my 11-year-old Redlands host sister in my in-box tonight:

"how was the drive home? r u glad to sleep in your own bed? it feels really wierd not having bags in my room or even you guys i started missing u and taitt like 5 min. after u left the fire station we all miss u soooo much!!! hopefully u guys can make a request on host housing and we can see u next year i miss u all soooooooo much already it won't be the same i miss u guys sooooooo much it is insain!!!!!! we need to get together sometime maybe i will talk to u latermiss you!!!
Caroline (quad genius)"
Thanks Caroline! I miss you too!

Other highlights of the race include:

1. Second place in the sprinter's competition.
2. Awesome teamwork in the Sunset course today.
3. Big family/team/friends dinner on Saturday that had great food and lots of positive energy.

New Kits Finally Arrive

2007-03-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Ooh, that really sounds like the title of a real news article. And here are the pics:

Looking For Host Housing

2007-03-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hey People! I have a teamie coming in from Australia and we are looking for host housing for her. Her name is Hannah Banks and she is part of the AIS program. She is super nice and fun and a rock star bike racer!We are looking for host housing for her in the Oakland/Berkeley area for about 2 weeks starting March 28th. If you might have room, please leave me a message here and I will contact you. Hannah (left) duking it out in Australia.

Going Back to School

2007-03-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

So after the race last night, the ValueAct Capital team stayed the night at our awesome host house again. Did I mention that my host mom Susan raced the 40k TT on Saturday and got 4th in her category? Oh yeah, that was MY host mom.

And then the teamies and I went down to one of the local elementary schools to teach bike safety and cycling coolness to about a hundy second graders. As I am entering the school grounds, some how I am swept off my bike by a wave of elementary school anxiety. I hate school. But somehow I get through it. I manage to go to the office and sign in. I get a name tag. I grab a mint from the secretaries desk. Panic attack from memories of Catholic school avoided. Barely. But only because I knew my zippy bike was right outside the office door. I could escape at any moment if I wanted to.

Me and VAC teamie Taitt

Get some cornering pointers from the ValueAct Capital Team

But once I got in front of the kids, I started to like it. Not so bad. And these second graders proved to be entertaining. And they helped my ego a little bit. They were very impressed that I can clip into and out of my Speedplay pedals with ease. And why shouldn't they be? Its hard to learn. I guess there is nothing like showing off for 7 year olds to boost your confidence, right?

Visalia: the race of my life . . . not quite

2007-03-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today was the the Visalia criterium. Fun fun fun. Called up and everything, big thanks to Dave T., the big voice of the NRC (way to go Dave for making cycling cool). Anyway, I think I raced myself all over that course. And here is how it ended: crash. Duh. Now I am not going to go into details of why there were three crashes on the this course. But let me just say that this course is flat, fast, and you don't need to break through any corners. Actually, you can pedal through almost everything. So any crashes today have to be attributed to stupidity.

Sorry, but this is the only picture I have of this race weekend. Stole this pic from lil ole Sharon Allpress.

Today: a disaster

2007-03-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

So today I wake up, I go to work for a few hours, and I come home . . . ready to ride. And it's so sunny out that I decide to take an old McGuire kit and cut the sleeves off (which officially makes me a dork). So long tan lines. Hello beautiful even tan that I might even be able to show off in a tank top. Well, while I am at it with all the cutting, why don't I just sew the edges too? It will look much nicer that way.

Sew sew sew. New sleeveless tank jersey - voila! Put sewing maching away. Ok, I am now an hour late to get on bike. But hey, it's day light savings - right?

Ok, on bike. Pedal pedal pedal for about one block. Adjust seat set back and hope back on. For about 2 blocks. Now adjust seat height and hope back on. For about 3 blocks. Adjust some more and . . . snap! There goes the seat collar - cracked in half.

No problem. I am now about two hours late. Except that I have to go to the only SerHOTta dealer in town. Who I have to talk business with, while I am wearing my home-made-dork-tank-top-jersey and have nothing on that is sponsor correct. With the tops of my arms still pastey white from the bad central valley tan lines.

So finally I get a new seat collar and am on the road for about a mile when Roman calls from Taiwan. We talk. I remount the bike and pedal pedal pedal until I have to adjust my seat again. This proceeds for the next 2.5 hrs when I finally call it a day and come home to actually measure everything and try using one of those handy dandy plumb bob things (which I made out of a metal toy car and string). And now I am wondering why I just can't keep my life together?

Confessions of a Central Valley Junky:

2007-03-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

I love it. Love Fresno, Merced, and the Fig Garden Shopping Center. I love the hot weather, the sunburns, the bikes, the boys, the cheers, the announcer. Love the carbon, the tactics, the thrill. And the bad tan lines and the bright kits. Love the talk on Mondays, the emails, the Vnews articles with props. This is my confession. I am a central valley junky.

Wrong valley but I like the pic.

Just Cuz Its Been So Long

2007-03-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

and I have to show her off. This is how I feel now in Fresno. The sun is so bright here and I am too adjusted to temperate bay area weather.

So the ValueAct Capital Team is in Fresno now, staying at the home of the one and only Marky Mark "Pro Ho" Purnell. Press breakfast this morning, team ride later, work on bikes in the afternoon. Tomorrow is a hilly road race, followed by a 16.5 mile TT on Saturday, and a downtown criterium on Sunday. Oh yeah.

Interview With A Genius

2007-03-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I got a chance to meet up with Miss Fantastic Holly Borowski. As many of you know, Holly has been riding in phenomenal form this season. Unfortunately, she was caught up in a nasty crash at the Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic Road Race on Sunday and suffered several injuries and a broken collar bone. She's off the bike for now, but don't worry, I know she'll be back and in top form soon.

MYB: So Holly, is it really true that you are in a masters program for totally brilliant genius mathematicians.

HB: Yes, its true. I am in the masters program. Its for real.

MYB: How exactly do you spell mathematician?

HB: I don't really know but I think its mathmitician. I was a math major, not English.

MYB: What happened in the crash at Merco?

HB: All I remember is that we were moving along kind of fast and it was in between attacks. I was over on the left and I didn't have room to move around. All of a sudden the rider to my left started screaming at me to move over but I didn't have anywhere to go. Somehow she locked handlebars and we all went down pretty hard. After I hit the ground, I just hoped no one else would run over me.

MYB: I saw one bike flying through the air after the crash - like an airplane. After witnessing this crash, I'd like to share a thought with some women: just cuz you suck it in, doesn't mean your handlebars get any smaller.

HB: Yeah, my bike flew about 15 feet past me so that might have been mine. Luckily Mike Hernandez and Coach Mike were both there to help. It still took a long time time for the ambulance to come.

MYB: You actually had to go in the ambulance?

HB: Well the funny thing was that I wanted to take the ambulance to the hospital but they took me to start/finish. (MYB thought: WTF - I probably could have walked there?) I ended up going to the hospital in Los Gatos because the hospital in Merced was too crowded with other crash victims.

MYB: Man, that is rough. This was a violent weekend in Merced. Now I really love Merced actually. A liveley downtown, hot bike racers everywhere, and awesome Mexican food.

HB: I kind of do too. But this was my second weekend there so I was getting a little sick of it. There are a lot of great Mexican places to eat but I get a little tired of it.

MYB: Yeah, I know the feeling. I think I ate Maria's Homemade Enchiladas (the hot-pink place downtown) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner two days in a row. Now I know you are in the military and that they really support your bike racing.

HB: I'm a first lieutenant.

MYB: Wow. I don't know much about the air force, but I can tell thats pretty good. This picture is pretty scary and I am really glad we are friends.

WARNING FOR ALL BIKE RACING WOMEN: Don't crash out Holly. She will f*#$!k you up.

You guys wanna laugh?

2007-03-01T14:08:00.000-08:00

You gotta check this out from the the hilarious, fanta-booty-licious, Ms. Tracie T. Nelsons blog. Not only is she a heck of a bike racer, but holy cow is this girl funny.

Ms. T, if I could be as funny as you, I would quit bike racing and fully commit myself to something like comedy central.

No, Tracie, if I were as entertaining as you, I might reach out to the people on the streets of Telegraph Ave, Berkeley Ca and make my fortune standing on a milk crate letting the world know my thoughts.

Actually, I used to live in the brick apartment building on the right in college, right above the Blondies Pizza sign. So did the Unabomber. And so did a whole bunch of other kids who pretend to be homeless. Don't move here - ever. If you aren't already crazy to begin with, living here could put even the sanists of people over the edge.

But I did find this photo in my Telegraph search. Sorry to shock you, but its just so Berkeley I couldn't resist.

The Berkeley Naked Day Parade - you can thank me for posting this as a small picture.

Interview With Roman During the Bar Lunch Break

2007-02-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

Like I said before, Roman is off at the Cow Palace taking the Cali bar exam. Its a three day 8-5 test. He has been reporting to the YBT's via phone during his lunch break so that we can all stay up-to-date with the excitement of this event. If any of you readers are telepathic, please send him answers to the test via your special powers.

RK: Its really weird, when we get our lunch breaks alot of the people go to Mcdonalds and then go eat lunch in their cars. I'm on my way to McDonalds right now to get a cup of coffe.

MP: You are going to McD's to get a cup of coffee?

RK: Yeah, this is the waste land of san francisco. Big time. There is nothing here, just McDonalds, the cow palace, Taco Bell, and KFC.

MP: Does is smell like manuer in the cow palace?

RK: No. It doesn't smell like anything. It smells like a normal building. Maybe it used to be a special holding ben for something, but it definitely doesn't smell like cows now as far as I can tell.

MP: Are the future-lawyers doing anything special?

RK: There is this one guy who was sitting next to me and the proctor gave him the wrong test. The proctor went back and asked to exchange the test, but the future-lawyer refused and threw a quite a fit during the exam. He must be a conspiracy theorists.

MP: Interesting observations and its probably a good thing that guy went to law school. I am now imagining a very large and decrepit livestock facility filled with strangely behaved and sweating law students who haven't slept in three days. Because its called "cow palace", I imagine that probably there is a large and sparkling chandelier in the center of all the stalls. This is reminiscent of a trip to the zoo.

Go Roman!

2007-02-27T16:58:00.000-08:00

Roman headed out to the Cow Palace today to take the California bar exam. I know he going to kick some ass, just like he always does.

Serotta . . .

2007-02-27T08:17:00.000-08:00

Will now be spelled Ser-H-O-T-ta.

And the HSG on this bikes stands for Hot Sexy Girls, which is who they prefer to be riding their bikes. Which is why they teamed up with ValueAct Capital, duh.

See Below

2007-02-24T23:56:00.001-08:00

ValueAct Capital Team Camp

2007-02-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

AKA Princess Camp. This was like the week from heaven. Check out our little shin dig we stayed at for the week, thanks to the generosity of super star sponsor ValueAct Capital:

Yeah, it was a really tough week. We basically got a ton of awesome sponsorship stuff, had a full time mechanic, a follow car on every ride, and the company of our new teammates and team staff. The best part was sharing a bed with Taitt because she kept trying to put the moves on me. Luckily it was a California King bed, or maybe bigger. Maybe it was an Alaska King because it was so big that I don't think we could have kicked each other if we tried.

Ok, I have to admit that it did rain on us almost every ride. But it didn't stop us from training like crazy in the rolling hills of Sonoma. The worst part about the weather was that I couldn't really get any good bike pics of our training rides without risking damaging the camera. Here is a pic of one of the dinners. One thing that I learned at team camp is that my teammates are very multi-talented. Everyone took turns making very gourmet meals that were d-lish! Actually, my dinner came out like a bland, off-white, tofu sludge. Luckily I have a couple other talents to fall back on and my teammates are very polite. The reason we are throwing back the vino in the pic is because we were staying on the Chateau St. Jean winery and they needed the team to do alot of Quality Control while we were there.

So the last thing I'd like to talk about here is one of my new teammates, Missy Super Snazy Svelte and Special Sharon Allpress. And the reason I am singling her out is because she has a very nice blog that has been hidden to me until today, so check it out! Oh yeah, and I wanted to say big thanks to director Huntress, coach Smartt, and mechanic/team mom Mark Purnell.

Here is me and dictator, I mean director, Lisa helping out the men's HNpbM team at the ToC. I am not sure whats going on with her lately, but she is like always trying to wear the same outfit as me and stuff.

Matt Says . . .

2007-02-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

Yeah, of course I'm single. How else would I be? Duh. Well, its basically like you know I am looking for just the perfect girl. And I haven't found her quite yet.

MYB: But what are you looking for?

Basically myself but in a female version. I'm looking for a girl with beauty, brains, and beer. I want a girl that can outsprint me on the bike and out drink me under the table and makes a mean lasagna.

MYB: WTF???????

I'll tell you what, why don't you use your journalistic integrity to doctor this up?

Karl Ten-Menzies At Team Camp

2007-02-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

The Team Health Net pb Maxxis camp is wrapping up tomorrow, but I somehow managed to wrangle THE Karl Ten-Menzies in for an all-important YBT interview. Believe it or not, this huge hunk o' muscle does get off his bike occassionally to sleep and eat. Besides winning like every bike race in North America (plus some in his homeland of Oz), he is on a mission to let the women of the world know that bald is beautiful. We hear you, Karl.

MYB: I heard through the grapevine that you have been outclimbing some of your skinny, climber teammates. I hope you haven't lost too much weight off your full figure.

KARL: It's true, I am a climber now - I've lost 20 lbs over the winter.

MYB: Oh God, thats heart breaking; my female readers will be crushed. What are you focusing on this season?

KARL: Winning races. And helping my teammates win races. Ok, the Tour of California, Tour of Georgia. Any race really, I don't care what it is. (Translation: I will tear the legs off anyone in my path of complete North American cyclng domination)

MYB: Ok, enough bike racing. Let's get down to the really important stuff: romance. Is it true that you are off the market?

KARL: Oh, I've had a few good female friends.

MYB: So my readers want to know if you are still single?

KARL: Kind of, yeah. I am in an interesting situation but, yes, I am still single. So if there are any listeners out there, they can call my cell 1-303-4MENZIES.

MYB: Did you know that there are alot of eligible women on the prowl for you?

KARL: You should have told me! None of this information ever gets to me. I'm very focused on my bike racing.

MYB: Unfortunately that is not a quality that these women are looking for. But have you ever thought of starting your own website so you can keep the world updated? I think that www.seekarlsmuscles.com is still available.

KARL: That is a good one. Unfortunately www.karlmenzies.com is already taken, so we have to get creative.

MYB: Aside from the personal stuff, what is your typical day like?

KARL: About 4 or 5 hrs, just riding. Nothing too strenuous. Then I'll eat three prime ribs and a dozen raw eggs as a recovery snack. I'll head to California soon to do some sprinting and warm the legs up. Alot of climbing. I usually do 3 hard days and then one or two recovery days. Closer to racing, I'll do one hard day and one easy day.

MYB: How strong are you right now?

KARL: I'm always about the same. There is never a day when I wake up and say "fuck, you are strong." But I might have one or two bad days a year.

MYB: Thats it! I'm lucky if I have one or two good days a year. But what happens on those bad days?

KARL: Usually I just lie in bed and hug my pillow and cry.

MYB: Is it because you miss me so much?

KARL: Yes, it's because I miss you and all your gorgeous teammates.

MYB: Oh Karl, that is so sweet! Don't cry, the ValueAct Capital Women's Team will be at the Tour of California to cheer for you.

Karl wins style points for the bold victory salute at the Parker Street Omnium.

Interview With Roman At Camp

2007-01-30T20:40:00.000-08:00

Today I had a chance to meet up with the one and only Roman Kilun of the NRC champion Team Health Net presented by Maxxis. The team has been at training camp with sponsors and staff in sunny Temecula, California.

MYB: Roman, how has this years Health Net training camp been different for you than last years?

ROMAN: Last year was my first year on the team and I was a bit nervous and new to everything. I am still nervous this year because I know how high the bar is set on this team for me. But I feel more comfortable and at home with the team this year.

MYB: Tell me more about the pressures you feel as a member of the best team in America.

ROMAN: Last year I had a lot of pressure, but this year I know I really need to up my game. To be honest, most of this pressure is not from the team - it's from me.

MYB: What have you guys been doing at camp?

ROMAN: The first few days we had sponsor rides, dinners, and presentations. We still rode a little bit but it was pretty mellow. We then did a 4 hr ride on Sunday, a 5 hr ride yesterday (10,000 ft of climbing), and a 5 hr ride today (6,000 ft of climbing). It rained on us all day today. Tomorrow we will be doing a 6 hr. Everywhere we go there are lots of avocados.

MYB: How are the new teammates?

ROMAN: The new teammates are awesome! They are a total riot, but sometimes I can't understand what they are saying. Somehow they all understand each other. They are ridiculously talented.

MYB: How is THE Menzies this year?

ROMAN: The Menzies is in rare form - he is looking really good on his bike.

MYB: Anything else we should know about the Team Health Net camp?

ROMAN: If you are every in a race and you are suffering really bad, just remember that Menzies isn't.

MYB: Ok, I'll keep that in mind because when I am suffering in race Menzies is usually just kicking it in the team bus. Anything else?

ROMAN: Well, the team has also been participating in top secret physiology research for James Madison University (JMU). Doctors are reviewing the entire team's powerfiles and nutrition daily.

MYB: Way cool, but I am sure that no one on the team's powerfiles can compare to my power files - even Menzies'. Send the doctors over here if they want to do research on an elite athlete.

ROMAN: Fair enough. I'll tell you what: I bet that Menzies has more power in one leg than you have in your whole body.

MYB: Those sound like fighting words to me and its lucky for you that this was a phone interview.

The World According To Matt

2007-01-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers of the Yellow Bug Times,
I would like to introduce one of our new writers, Matt Willinger. Matt is an RH Villian racing for America's right to alternative medicine. You can write in to our comments section to ask Matt questions. He probably won't really know any real answers, but he might have a good response. He has the experience to deal with any problem or moral dilemma.

Interview with Matt:

MYB: So Matt, I have heard that you also owned a yellow bug as a teenaged trouble maker. Is that true and what has happened to the yellow bug now?

MATT: It started out as a yellow bug but we soon painted it flat back, after we cut off the fenders and the roof with a saw-z-all. We served it up for a couple months all over Walnut Creek.

MYB: Wow, I'm glad we weren't friends back then - I would probably be in prison now.

MATT: That's true I would have ruilned (sic) your life.

MYB: What an interesting way to pronounce the word "ruined." Is that part of the Walnut Creek gangster diction? Are there any more words that have been influenced by the rich culture of Walnut Creek?

MATT: Aminal. It just comes out sometimes.

MYB: So what did happen to the yellow bug?

MATT: We hit a curb and flatted all four tires at once. Thanks to the Clean Air Act, we sold the bug to the government for $500. It was a good deal, especially since I paid $400 for it.

Here is Lolikins on the Martina Yellow Bug which is much nicer than Matt's Yellow Bug ever could have been.

The Early Bird

2007-01-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have a new computer so I have no excuses now. Today I went to the Early Bird Criterium in Fremont, California, and raced in the men's 1/2/3. Luckily no crashes today . . . the photo above is from the women's race a few years ago.

So the race was not so bad - I think the men need to get out there and train more because it was not as fast as it has been in the past. Superstar sprinter Dave McCook came out with the big win today after I led him out like a rock star. Oh yeah. Maybe my RK would have won if he were in town, but he is off at training camp with the green machine somewhere sunny.

So now I am back to writing for the YBT's so come back and read now!

New Year's Rablings . . .

2007-01-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

I mean Resolutions.

Today it was clear to me that the all the drivers in the city of Oakland, California are all in on the same New Year's resolution: to hit a cyclists in 2007.

I was out at the lake today - recovery ride. And the drivers were in good form for their resolution. I pulled over one lady and knocked on her window. She drove up next to me, spotted a parking space, and decided to turn right into the parking space. Hey, who cares that there is a cyclists directly next to your car, i.e. where you are about to turn?

So I'd like to make my own little New Year's resolution and announce to this world wide web:

IF YOU HIT ME, I WILL SUE YOU.

if you hit me, i will sue you.

Speaking of the world wide web, the reason that I can blog today is because I am borrowing Roman K's computee. Roman, the world wide web thanks you for your contribution. Why is this called the world wide web anyway, it sure seems like alot of the world is not on this web. Maybe we should call it the FIRST WORLDwide web?

And one more cool thing: I got my dad a bike for Christmas. A super cool Jamis hybrid thingy. I put him on it to test ride it - he hopped on and rode for about a mile before turning around. Loves it, I can tell. So if you hit my dad, I will sue you. And if you hit my boyfriend or my brother or my teammates, I wil sue you too. Ok, so now we've got that straight.

Happy New Years.

Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you what I did for New Years. I went to my vegetarian chinese food restuarant with a friend. Then I drank half a glass of wine and went ot bed. Somehow I still woke up with a hang over.

Thats Nice To Know

2006-12-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
0
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Tis The Season

2006-12-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

ValueAct Capital Announces Team

2006-12-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,
Check this out! Our first team press release on cyclingnews today - way cool.
Martina

It Takes More Than Everything You've Got

2006-12-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

It takes almost everything anybody has got too . . . i.e. your family, friends, sponsors, boss, director, and teammates. And host families and friends in different states.

Here is one inspiration photo of the Brenda Lyons with a big win at the International Tour de Toona. Single mom turned local racer, turned pro, turned big race winner. Thats what we like, right?

I guess, more than anything, it takes a desperate hunger to be an athlete. And to be taken seriously by others as an athlete - something that is relatively new to female athletes who aren't wearing a short ice skating skirt or a leotard (well ok, cycling kits are awfully close to leotards). But you know what I mean.

So are we getting closer?

Vino might win the tour?

2006-12-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

Mmmm . . . well thats what Zabel is saying here on c-news. I'd love it to happen - I love the blond Khazak but I am just not so convinced thats the way it'll be.

I think that the Vinokourov won the Vuelta off the fumes of being rejected from the 2006 Tour. To me, its almost as if he has too much crazy excitement to hold out for a Tour win and he'd rather just kick the crap out of everyone by winning stages when he pleases.

And on that note of the men's cycling scene, I'd like to add some stuff about the women' scene. It looks like the women's peloton has seen a lot of changes this year. Lots of riders shuffling about and the uprising of several new teams. I think that the old Biovail team, now Express Copy I think, is going to be super strong with riders like Erinne Wilock, Anne Slam, and Gina Grain - but it sounds like they will be spending most of their time in Europe. And Team Lipton will obviously be in full force with the World Champion on the roster. Everyone knows Cheerwine is on the rise with lots of cash and big name riders like LVG coming on board too. And you can't forget Colavita and Webcor - both as strong as any team mentioned above. And there are lots of smaller teams racing nationally that always manage to wrangle their way onto the podium - developing riders into ass kickers.

So what does it take to make it in the women's cycling? What does it take to really make it in any women's sport?

I think it takes everything.

What have I got to say for myself?

2006-12-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

Not much. Not much these days.

I am working alot more than I usually do when I am racing.

There are a couple things that I am thrilled about:

1. Three members of the adorable Kim Family were found in Southern Oregon, my old tromping grounds. Dad is still missing but I believe they can find him. I know the road they were traveling when they became stranded - its twisty, and steep, and car-sickening even without snow. But the family was smart and lucky . . . they had enough gas to run the car to stay warm and when that ran out they took the tires off the car and burned them for heat.

2. This doesn't compare to above, but we just found out that the fantastic Serotta Bikes will be sponsoring the new women's team with ass-kicking, super sweet, fast rides. Keep your eyes peedled on cyclingnews.com for the press release with the team roster and other info. We have great sponsorship, great directorship, and a couple secret weapons coming from the land of Oz.

Cal Wins Big Game

2006-12-02T21:43:00.000-08:00

On campus today tutoring my girl Kyra.

Big game today so things were very messy: lots of traffic, pedestrians, and cops. Cal kicked some Stanford booty - good thing too cuz my big brother went to Stanford and I hate it when they win.

I wasn't near the stadium, but the crowd was so loud I could hear the cheering all the way on the other end of campus. I think the stadium holds nearly 30,000 people.

Just imagine if the US cycling scene could attract that kind of attention?

Roman's Birthday

2006-11-27T11:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Roman!

Love

2006-11-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

Thats all I've got.

Train for the Holidays

2006-11-20T21:41:00.000-08:00

Lola is training for her holiday feast. This is how much she ate last year. I had to feed her ever bite because she doesn't like to get her paws greasy. I don't know how she stays a svelt 29 lbs? Well, her BMI is approximate 65 - but she's a very muscular dog.

This Is How the Weekend Goes

2006-11-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

The End.

Happened Again

2006-11-16T19:55:00.000-08:00

Actually today I was riding and came upon this guy. And guess what he was riding? Lightspeed with Zipp 303's in the middle of town. And then he hopped on my wheel and suffered for a few miles.

Surprise surprise.

Not trying to talk down about anybody on bike or exercise - its all good. I am really commenting on the phenomenon that seems to hold so true around these parts. Or from the comments I've gotten, I guess its everywhere.

Just wish I could borrow these carbon wheels for a season.

Is that too much to ask?

Dear Mr. Middle Aged Man,

2006-11-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

Why do you always feel it is appropriate to hop on my wheel uninvited? I do not like this habit that is so common to macho men in your age group. You would lock me up in the loony house if I came and sat in your office during a business meeting uninvited, unknown, unwelcomed. Or would you like it if I joined you and your dinner date on a whim? Would you pick up the tab? Yet you are so eager to join in my training, listen to my conversations, intrude on my privacy. Why do you think this is ok?

Let me explain something to you, Mr. Middle Aged Man. A ride is generally private unless you are invited. If I don't know you and I haven't instigated a conversation with you, then its a good bet to assume its a private ride. You are welcomed to sit on or join the ride if I or someone else on the ride says something along the lines of "Where ya heading? Would you like to come along with us?" Or you could always ask if everyone is welcome - it is alot less awkward than just pretending everything is hunky-dory between us.

I know, I know, you think we have a common bond because we are both in the middle of no-where on bikes. But guess what? I don't like it! And I don't want to race you on my recovery rides either. Oh, whats that you say? You feel really cool when you get to beat me up a hill even though I am intentially riding at 150 watts. I thought so. I don't mean to be too harsh, but it drives me nuts to hear the squeaking of your chain and peak behind to see you, Mr. Middle Aged Man Stranger on an ill-fitting Lightspeed with race wheels, operating at 90% of your VO2 max to hang on and loving it! What if you had a heart attack back there? Would I be liable? Oh god, this is more serious than I had initially thought.

Now please don't take this letter personally. It's not you, its me. Really. Its not that I don't like you, its just that I don't like you on MY ride. You understand, right?

Try This

2006-11-14T13:09:00.000-08:00

Dutch Baby Pancakes are mmm mmm good and my cousin Suzie taught me how to makem.

Here's the ingredients:

2-3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk or soy milk
little butter
fresh or frozen fruit (apples, strawberries, peaches)
lemon juice
sprinkling of powdered sugar

Here's what you do:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Then you put a nice little patty of butta in an iron skillet (it has to be an iron skillet to work right, ok!) and you put it in the oven just long enough to melt the butter. While the butter is melting, you mix the eggs with flour and milk. Take the skillet out of the oven and be sure to swirl the butter up the sides walls of the skillet as well. The you just poor the batter into the skillet. Then you add your fruit right on top. Today I added frozen strawberries that came out sooo good. So then you put the skillet back in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the sides of the dutch baby are golden brown and the center is completely cooked. The sides of the dutch baby should climb up the walls of the skillet and create almost a bowl shape. Then remove the skillet from the oven and I add a little extra patty of butter to spread around and a squirt of lemon juice. Then I sprinkle a light dusting of powdered sugar on top, remove the dutch baby from the skillet with a spatula and then devour. If you really want to make it the way cousin Suzie does, then you have to stand in the kitchen in your underwear and an oversized t-shirt, sing at the top of your lungs, and add extra butter. Really, it makes it taste better.

Mmmm mmmm good.

Back to the Smurfs

2006-11-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

Do you recognize these characters? People think they are Gargamel (left) and Azrael (right), but I know these are really pictures of two semi-evil characters from the East Bay.

I will give you a clue for Gargamel: he's old and grumpy and lives on the top of the hill.

Here's a clue for Azrael: he's a cat and he's old and grumpy and lives on the top of the hill.

Any guesses?

Finally

2006-11-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

Just call this "The Yellow Bug behind the Times" from now on.

Ok, we all know the Yellow Bug Times is a low budget organization. But come on, can't we atleast have more pictures of the guests at the roller party? One would think, but when Mom is doubling as hostess assistant and photographer, things are tough. Plus the Yellow Bug Times official camera equipment won't let me download any images that are blurry. Huh? That means that anybody skating too fast won't show up unless someone emails me with more pics. Sorry RK, you are just too fast and all your pics are blury.
The YBT apologizes for any viewing delays and basically for being a crappy news source.

Don't Worry

2006-11-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

I am still alive. Just no time for blogging. No internet for blogging. What is this world coming to?

Still, come back tonight cuz there will be roller pics.

Breaking News

2006-11-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

Birthday Girl Eats Cake for Breakfast

Martina Patella, a resident of Oakland California, was spotted eating Birthday Cake for breakfast on the morning of Nov. 4.

The birthday girl was alledged to be recovering from a very taxing evening at the roller rink on the previous day, November 3rd.

The cake was homemade Tiramisu, an Italian specialty of marscapone cheese, cream, lady fingers, chocolate, and espresso. The birthday girl's mother made the cake with love and lots of fattening ingredients. Thanks Mom!

After the evening of skating, the birthday girl and some friends went out for one single drink. She drank only half a pint glass of Pab's Blue Ribbon before announcing she was too tired to go continue the festivities through the night.
Martina, the birthday girl, said the party was so super fun. "Thank you to everyone who came out to skate! I had a great 25th birthday bash and I think everyone at the party had a great time as well!" The party had a robust turnout, with over 60 attendees, most of whom shoved their little faces full of an assortment of homemade cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and pizza. Special guests included young development skaters Hailey and Lulu Harper (believed to be ages 8 and 6), Elizabeth Patchel (age 8) and Sophie Hastings Temple (age 8).

Pictures of the guests and other party related images will be posted soon.

Written by the Yellow Bug Associated Press. They are sorry that these pictures stink - its Blogger's fault and will be fixed soon. For now, just squint your eyes a little during viewing. It helps everything look less grainy

Directions to Skate Party

2006-11-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

COME TO MY SKATE PARTY!

Here's the directions to the San Ramon Golden Skate:

It's easy. Take 680 to the Crow Canyon Rd. exit. From there go West, then right onto San Ramon Valley Blvd. North for 1/2 mile. Then left at Hooper Dr. Then throw your skates on and hit the roller rink at 2701 Hooper Drive.

See you there!

The Big Win

2006-11-01T21:36:00.000-08:00

You got it - we won the prestigious UC Hastings Pumpkin Contest.

My blog readers (collectively) are my lucky charm.

Here is one more picture of the winner in natural lighting.

Gosh it feels good to win. When I was running track for UC Berkeley, one of the sprinters said to me "If I was the best shit shoveler on earth, I'd shovel shit like it was my job." Maybe not the wisests words, but there is truth in doing what you love and loving what you - and being good at it.

Perhaps when I turn 25 on Saturday I will have some wiser comments for you readers out there. Maybe, somehow, defying all logic, my neuronal connections will somehow explode in numbers.

But right now I am just 24, and when I turn 25 I will officially begin my Quarter Life Crisis. I told my best friend from college that I was in a Quarter Life Crises. Her response: "Didn't you already go through that?" Nope . . . everything else was just practice. Practice makes perfect, right?

To celebrate our big win, RK took me Trick or Treating with his sisters.

Check it out

And here is a big reminder to PLEASE COME TO MY BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Details:

NOVEMBER 3rd, 8:30-11:00 pm

SAN RAMON GOLDEN SKATE

2701 HOOPER DR., SAN RAMON

And back by popular demand are the party invitations:

So for real, I really want to see everyone there to celebrate. Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Halloween

2006-10-31T08:47:00.000-08:00

This could be the winning pumpkin . . .

Are you scared?

Here is the little beauty with the lights on. We use some paint because the contest is during the day in a lit room and we gotta snazz it up a little for these law students, many of whom have no creative vision (but may still be very smart).

Here is little RK just slaving away. He is smiling for the picture, but he is really scared that if he messes up things could get ugly.

The pumpkin carving contest is put on by UC Hastings in San Francisco. Last year we won $500 for grand champion. If we win this year, our proceeds will go towards signing RK up for the Calfornia BAR exam in February (well, there might be a commission for a new sweat suit for little ole me).

Keep your fingers crossed!

By the way, I heard on NPR last night that a good way to stay safe tonight is to "avoid hiding under parked cars." Good to keep in mind, especially if you are dressing up as a cat. I like NPR, but how do they call this news? - especially when compared to an outstanding source such as The Yellow Bug Times.

Notice the name change - I added a seperation between Yellow n Bug. Don't know why I never thought of it before? I guess its cause I've been using "yellowbug" in my email address (top secret) for so long it just became one word in my feable little brain that rattles in my skull. Thats how I create my mental kinetic energy, I rattle my brain around in my skull and it bounces around a makes energy that I then use for very special creative endeavors such as the one above.

Happy Halloween. Good luck to your teeth.

WARNING: Friends don't let friends hide under parked cars.

Smurf Yourself Into the Spirit

2006-10-29T19:45:00.000-08:00

"Hou" must be French for "Boo"

perhaps

"Hou" is Smurf for "Boo.

If you can't make your mind up

we'll never get started.

Ain't that the truth?

Maybe I should take a spoonful of my own advice.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

2006-10-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

Or Saturday morning. Sweet Royal Coffee group ride on the weekends - my favorite thing to do.

Me and RK trying to stay warm in the morning

The rides. RK's bike is the red one in the middle. You can't see them in the picture, but he still has kiddie training wheels on so he won't fall over.

Long rides have started and I am making every pedal stroke count. As D. Guikenator commented a few days ago, I don't have a training day to spare this year. Thats right, not one to spare - especially if I want to more than just win the first couple of hot laps at the McClane Criterium. And guess what? Its back on folks. Can't find the article, but the McClane weekend will once again be the kickoff for the NRC calendar. Which means I only have 16 weeks to get my legs in gear to kick some booty. Which means this post is over - I gotta go ride.

Nutrition 53

2006-10-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

For all those Romo and Neuropath fans out there, Pure Romo Nutrition is now Nutrition 53 (which is a way cooler name, huh?) and the highly touted Neuropath is now Neuro1.

Check it out and get neuro-fied.

So tired.

2006-10-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Oh this training is making life a lot more busy. Busy busy busy squeezing everything into the small nooks and crannies of time that training spares me. I will be more organized with my time - I promise.

Don't know if its the weather or just my magination, but every minute seems more sentimental to me lately. My eyes get teary easily, I am overly excited about way too much, and I find myself pleasantly surprised with thoughts of good intentions. I am guessing its mostly the weather, plus an increase in caffeine consumption on a regular basis. Which can do a lot for mood enhancement really. Really.

Vvvrrrrmmm!

2006-10-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Guess who is up and running?

SCOOTIE!

You guessed it. Little Old 1986 Honda Aero 50 is back in action and registered (THANKS DAD). Now Scootie and I are cruising the streets and hills in style together.

I'd like to point out that when I first took custody of Scootie from my great uncle Mauricio, not many people in Berkeley or Oakland were cruising this kind of ride. In fact, I remember being made fun of quite frequently as I rolled down Bancroft Avenue on my way to the Berkeley Bowl war zone/grocery store. Now take note of the picture above and you will see a similar but less special scootie in the background. Notice that this scootie is not really as cool as my Scootie, but still very nice, I guess. Nowadays everybody is riding a scootie and we honk honk at each as we zoom by. I hate to take give myself credit when its not due, but I can only attribute this change in attitudes towards scooties to the confident style that I once displayed when I was one of the only scootie gals in town. Its hard to be a trendsetter, but somebody has got to do it.

In light of these marketing and trendsetting abilities that I appear to have, I will volunteer my services out to any company in need who has the appropriate funds. I won't lie to you here, its not going to be cheap but I think you will find a 100% increase in sales and an invaluable spike in brand awareness.

For any corporations or individuals interested, please leave your contact information in my comments section.

Classified

2006-10-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

Funny, charming, cynical, and athletic male on the prowl for nice female girlfriend. See photo of advertiser (Matthew Willinger 510-228-5911) below:

Desired qualities of applicant:

Fun loving
No major drug habits
Minimal criminal records
Beautiful hair
Some athletic interests
Appreciation for fine caffeine sources
Available to work feedzone on weekends
Typing skills not required
Resides within 50 mile radius of Oakland CA
No prior genders

Candidates of all nationalities encouraged to apply. No reasonable offers will be turned down. Please leave your contact info with The Yellowbug Times if you are interested.

Thats Why

2006-10-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

Cause I gots an old yellow one. Don't worry, I don't let her drive except for real slow on Sundays. Her paws have trouble with the stick shift.

Training

2006-10-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

Just started my real training for the year. Watch out world, real big plans for 07.