Today was one of those beautiful, warm, sunny days with blue skies that make San Diego so famous. The weather was awesome with temperatures around 80 degrees- yes, I know I am spoiled.
This afternoon, the Masiparents watched the Masidaughter so that Masiguy could go for a Masibikeride. Getting out in the sun and working on getting my old tanlines back was pretty sweet.
The punkin and I, as I was heading out for the ride.
I rode one of my favorite loops in the east county area of San Diego, in the semi desert hills of Jamul for about 37 miles. I did the ride on my scandium prototype- the same bike I rode in Taiwan. It's built up with a Prologo Nago saddle, Ritchey WCS carbon seatpost, WCS Carbon Evolution bar, Ritchey 4-Axis Carbon Matrix stem, SRAM Rival group and the new Shimano RS80 carbon/ alloy wheels. I have to say, the RS80 wheels are awesome. I rode them for the first time when I was in Taiwan with this bike. I put them on the bike just before shipping it to Taiwan, so my first ride on the wheels was over there and I was really happy with how well they performed. Sure, they aren't super light, but the carbon/ alloy rims provide a really supple ride with great sprinting/ climbing stiffness. I just got the bike back from Taiwan this week and I have been riding these wheels every chance I get... and I really dig them so far. I highly recommend them.
The trusty steed in beautiful Pea Soup Green .
The burned remains of a tree along the road to Otay Lakes.
This area was destroyed in the wildfires a year ago. The valley is full of fresh green grasses now and should be beautiful when the wildflowers are in bloom this Spring.
I didn't feel super strong or anything, but I felt a lot better than I did a few months ago. It's great to be getting just a little bit of fitness showing up and not feeling like quite the same tub of goo.
Over the years, I've had a lot of different jobs and I've worked with many different people. I haven't loved every job, nor have I liked every person- there are extremes on both ends of the spectrum.
For the past 4+ years that I have been the Brand Manager for Masi, I have had the great pleasure of working with a young man by the name of Dave Law. Dave is also the one who drew the artwork for the tattoo on my left calf. Dave, although funny smelling and unable to tie his own shoes (he has those "special shoes" with Velcro straps), has been a member of our Inside Sales for nearly 5 years- most recently as Sales Supervisor. Dave, as well as being a damned good sales person, despite his inability to remember his own name and poor math skills, is also a gifted and talented artist and musician. One of my favorite Interbike-related memories of the past few years was one of my first with the company when Dave and I sat in a bar at our hotel and talked about music for hours. We had a few beers and talked music- one of my favorite topics- and just had a good time getting to know each other a little better.
He's come a long way.
Over the past few years, Dave and I have shared a lot of our music and have argued often over who has the better musical taste (which is obviously me). We've talked about bikes. We've talked about marketing. And I have enjoyed getting to know him better and getting the chance to call him a friend.
Sadly, today was Dave's last day working with us, as he and his too-good-for-him wife are moving back to the San Francisco area to be near their families as they look at starting their own family. All of us who have worked with Dave are sad to see him leave, but we really do wish him and his wife the very best. I'm hoping he'll eventually learn how to spell and will have the Crayon removed from his nose too.
If you're looking for a great new employee in the Bay Area, don't hesitate to let me know and I'll get you in touch with Dave and provide a letter of recommendation- especially if you're in the bike industry. If we can keep Dave in the bike industry, then I can selfishly look forward to seeing him at least once a year at Interbike.
Dave- you will be missed, my friend. I sincerely with you the very best and hope that life unfolds happily in front of you.
So tonight, as I said I wanted to do, I got out on the rollers with my Speciale Fixed. After a long day, grocery shopping, cooking dinner and then getting the Masidaughter to bed (and reading a bedtime book) it is hard to get motivated to hop on the trainer. However, in light of the extra motivation I have these days to improve my health and a desire to just be fit again, I drug myself out into the cool night to ride in the dark in my driveway.
I picked up my daughter from school and then we went to the store to get a few grocery items we needed. We got home and I fired up the grill and made salads while she worked on her homework. I grilled a lean London Broil steak to eat with the salad. After dinner, Masidaughter had a shower and I answered a few emails. Once she was done and I got her hair dried and the book read, I slowly got myself into my riding gear and drug the rollers and my bike down the stairs and set up behind my car.
It was 9:04PM when I clicked in and began pedalling with my iPod Shuffle providing the soundtrack to keep me at least marginally motivated to pedal. It's amazing how a relatively small gear like a 46x16 feels so big when your legs are tired and you'd rather be sipping a cold beer inside in the warmth. But I kept pedaling and one song moved to the next and the next and then 15 minutes was gone and I thought, "I might try and do another 2- 3 songs". I still wasn't feeling "in the groove" like I had on my rides over the weekend. But after a couple more good songs another 15 minutes had gone by and I was beginning to feel a little less dead in the legs.
Somewhere, somehow, something happens with my body during a 1hr roller workout- almost like clockwork. No matter how good or bad I feel in the first 50min, the last 10min my legs feel absolutely amazing! It's about that same time that my arse decides that it hates my saddle, hates my cycling shorts and even hates me. It seems like I can not find a comfortable spot anywhere on the saddle and I shift my weight again and again. All the while, my legs feel totally invincible- it's during this time that I get those "I could beat (Sir) Chris Hoy if he was here" thoughts. Frankly, it's just not fair or right.
I kept a close eye on my watch so I could be sure to get my hour in- there is just something about that number, that span of time... an hour. I feel like I've done something if I've ridden for an hour. Less than that by even a few minutes and it seems pointless. At 10:04 and as a song wound down on the Shuffle, I began to slow my pedaling so I could hop off the bike... but then one more really good song started and with a big grin, I wound the pedals back up to their highest cadence of the night and I blurred my legs to the ever-increasing beats in the music. By the time the song was done, I was further drenched in sweat and my hour had been extended. My legs felt awesome and my butt went quietly along for the ride.
The Zen had set in. The smoothness of the pedal stroke had been found. I was able to unclip from the pedals at 10:10... ready for my beer and the drier warmth inside.
So, my legs did not fall off in my sleep after my nearly 69 mile ride yesterday. I woke up with legs that felt about as alive as balsa wood and as heavy as oak... but they were less sore than I thought they would be.
Today was much like yesterday, as far the weather was concerned, but with a good bit more wind and a bit cooler. I waited until a little after noon to get out to ride again, hoping the weather would warm up a bit... because I could... but it didn't, so I got all spandex-ed up and hopped out for another 1hr 53min ride for about 29 miles of recovery ride around town today.
Visited my grandparents at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery; I never miss a chance to see them when I am near the cemetery.
The view of the city is pretty amazing from the top of the Point.
Though it was cooler and windier than yesterday, it was still a beautiful day for a bike ride. Along the way back home, I got a glimpse of my old form. I wasn't going super fast or simply smashing the pedals, but I was having the same sensations in the legs that I did when I used to be in great shape and could smash the pedals. It didn't last long, but it was the first time I had those feelings since the crash last April. Given that I rode so hard the day before, it was a bit of a shock to me... and I was very happy about it.
I won't be riding at work this week, since this is my week with my daughter and I have to leave work early to get her from school... but I'll be doing my best to stay focused and motivated to hop on the rollers each night after she is asleep.
For now... I think I might just grab myself a little sleep too.
It seems like almost a hundred years since my crash last April and all the recovery from the injuries. Over the past several months I have hit many obstacles and setbacks- mostly in the form of work and lots of travel. My body itself has been healing much better than I ever dreamed. The knee doesn't bother me at all when I ride- if anything, the other knee bothers me. The right arm still doesn't fully straighten, but I am beginning to learn how to cope with it. The neck, fractured in three places along with the fracture of my skull, is still stiff and sore when I ride much of the time, but I contribute that to so much muscle/ strength loss from wearing the neck brace for 2 months. The thumb... with that ugly reattached tip... is nearly completely healed now. It isn't a pretty thumb or nail, but it is closer to "normal" and fully functional again.
The night of the crash on April 29th, I was feeling super strong. Not the best I've ever felt, but certainly the strongest I've felt in several years. I could feel that a win was coming and I was excited. Also, on the night of the crash, I weighed a more respectable 205 lbs. By the time I left the hospital the second time in mid May, I had dropped to 184lbs. Just last month, in December, I had ballooned up to just over 225lbs. After a visit to my doctor for a blood test found that my cholesterol is too high- like it probably has been for the past 6 years- I decided that all of the waiting for a break in my schedule was going to have to be thrown out and I was going to ride again and at least give myself an even better shot at a longer life. I'm still watching my diet and taking my Prevachol, but I have gotten back on the bike as well. In the past 4 weeks or so, I've really only missed 3-4 days of riding. Granted, much of this riding ranges from a simple spin on the rollers with my fixed gear for an hour to 2 hour rides on the weekends... but it's a far cry from almost NO riding over the previous 4 months.
Today, according to MapMyRide.com, I managed to get out for 68.64 miles ridden in about 4hrs 20min along the coast and up and down the numerous hills along the way. It's not exactly like doing a scorching team training ride or group ride, but for me it is a big day. When I reached what would have been the half way point for a 35-40 mile ride, I decided that I still felt pretty good and just kept rolling. Again... it's not like I was blasting along at race pace or anything, but I was riding for longer than I had set out to ride. I had hoped to ride for 4-5 hours today, but the realist buried way, way, way down deep in me thought it impossible. I'm as tired as I can be right now, but I am extremely happy about my ride. And, if my legs arenot so totally cooked that I can't walk in the morning, I'm going out again for a much shorter 1-2 hrs to get the kinks out.
My "official" team picture, taken about 2 weeks before the crash on 4/29.
My retake of the picture today, after my ride- not exactly April's fitness, but improving.
The thumb... still a little misshapen, but FAR better than it looked a few months ago.
It's a long way to go before I am in race shape again, but I am closer now than I was in December- and frankly, that's a damned good feeling.
On Wednesday of this week, I got an email from William (Billy) Savage- the writer, producer, director of the mountain bike documentary film Klunkerz. He asked if I would mind if he sent me a DVD of the movie so I could watch it and maybe give it a little review. I love bikes- all bikes- so I jumped at the chance to get the movie because I've heard good things about it.
From the opening moments of the film, I was drawn in. So many of the names we call "legends" in the sport of mountain biking- cycling in general- were part of the movie. Names like Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Tom Ritchey, Otis Guy, Steve Potts, Jacquie Phelan, Charlie Cunningham, Mike Sinyard... it's a who's-who for sure. I'm such a nerd for this kind of thing, but I was drawn in immediately by all the old home movie images and photographs (many by Wende Cragg). Hearing the commentary from these guys and gals on the genesis of what would eventually become what is now called a "mountain bike" is amazing. I have met several of these people, but many I have not and it was cool to hear all of them retell this moment in cycling history.
The fact that the early bikes, "klunkerz", were born from a combination of athleticism, fun, 60's-70's hippie rebellion and a bunch of weed is not too much of a surprise. Hearing the stories- told by the people who lived them- is just surreal in some ways. The constant hunting and rummaging around for parts sturdy enough to handle the abuse they were not designed for and the epic days of riding broken, bent or demolished bikes up and down the hills around Tamalpais, Marin and Lancaster becomes an intoxicating blend. The competitiveness that developed between icons like Joe Breeze and Gary Fisher was born from a friendly rivalry to simply do it a little better or a little faster.
I've always been a huge fan of Tom Ritchey and his bikes and components, but this movie certainly added to that. Hearing guys like Joe Breeze, Gary Fisher, Mike Sinyard and others rave about his genius and craftmanship was very touching. The sweet nostalgia that exists in those comments is not lost on me now, as we battle with the most unhealthy and uber-competitive US cycling industry that I have ever experienced in the past 27 years I've been in it. I watched the movie and loved it for what it is; an epic retelling of the formation of what would become the mountain bike and the billion dollar industry that grew around it. But, seeing the respect and admiration that existed and still exists to some degree between these men and women just left me sad towards the end because I am jealous of it. Don't get me wrong, I have many friends in the bike industry and even many at other bike companies, but the "industry" as a whole has become much less friendly and cooperative in too many ways. It's an ugly reminder that some people change with money and/ or power sometimes.
But... it's a damned great movie. I loved it. Sure, I'm a skinny tired guy (just like Gary Fisher and Tom Ritchey started out), but I love all bikes (or nearly all) and the story of Klunkerz is so worth watching. So if you want to take a great trip down memory lane or simply learn the origins of a massive part of the cycling industry, Klunkerz is more than worth it.
Thanks again to Billy Savage for getting in touch with me and offering me a copy of the movie to view- it's going into the library permanently now.
Now, for all the San Diego area folks a bit of Klunkerz news;
From Billy Savage-
I just wanted to let you know that Gary Fisher and his old business partner Charlie Kelly will be coming to town for a free screening of my cycling film, KLUNKERZ, at the end of the month. In 1979 these two cyclists started a little company, cleverly called MountainBikes, that was the first MTB company in the world. They are both really fun guys and they will be available for questions after the film. The screening is at noon on Friday, 1/30 at the La Paloma Theater in Encinitas. It is part of the Competitor Magazine Film Festival.
Gary and I will be doing The Morning Show on NBC San Diego next Monday 1/26 at 6:30 am to promote the screening. We'll also be doing The Competitor Radio Show next Sunday night at 8:00pm. If you can let folks know, I'd sure appreciate it.
So... now you know a bit more about Klunkerz and the screening of the movie in Encinitas next week. If you can make it, I highly recommend that you go!
Thanks again Billy; it's a great movie and I am sincerely happy that you were gracious enough to send me a copy.
My friend Becky Carroll is a very smart and savvy Marketer and blogger. So smart, she's actually teaching about the topic at local university, UCSD, in the class Marketing via New Media. Becky was very kind and sincerely flattered me by asking me to come speak to her class as somebody "in the trenches" who is utilizing blogs and other forms of Social Media in a business. It's no secret that I'm pretty passionate about the topic... and it's no secret that I am a rambling talker. I prepared a small PowerPoint presentation last night (and we all know how much I love PowerPoint) in hope that I would ramble less... but it didn't actually work, of course.
Becky going over a few things before the start of the class.
The class listenting to Becky! (Smart group.)
Note; nobody is sleeping in this photo taken after my presentation! I consider that a victory.
Me with Becky after the presentation. Note; she's not crying or throwing me out of the classroom!
My parking permit! My little souvenir of the night... well, beside the photographs and the PowerPoint presentation files... but you get where I'm going with this.
The class itself is 3 hours long, but I spoke at the beginning of the class and was supposed to talk for about 30 minutes... and ended up speaking for an hour instead. I mean... this is ME we're talking about. And yes, for the curious, I did have the usual arm flailing enthusiasm working. I mean... this is ME we're talking about.
The best part; after my presentation, the class had several great questions and some excellent discussion followed. I love that! Second best part; the class itself is comprised of students from countries in Asia, Europe, South America, students from the greater UCSD campus and people from local businesses. That diversity was really exciting to see and to get to speak to.
Thank you again to the class and to Becky for graciously asking me to share my experiences in Social Media.
My good buddy Karl Wiedemann is the "PR and Communications Manager" at Thule racks. Karl and the crew at Thule have a nice collection of Masi bikes growing there in Connecticut.
Karl was kind enough to help me get set up with a Thule rack for my Saturn and I am totally in love with it... and so is my scandium Gran Criterium.
I got an email from a member of the Masi family today;
Tim,
If you didn't see it Friday, you HAVE to see the latest Monk episode starring a Masi Soulville!!!! (Mr. Monk on Wheels). You probably already know about it but it was so cool to bounce up and down on my couch telling my wife and kids "THAT'S MY BIKE ON TV".
I emailed you for help a few months ago about getting a Soulville. I bought it and love it! Thanks for your input.
Richard Suits
If you weren't a Monk fan before, you have good reason to become one now!
The logos are covered on the frame, but you can see the head badge and the look is unmistakably a Masi SoulVille 3 speed. Awesome, awesome, awesome!
Awesome! Thanks again Richard for bringing this to my attention. I had no idea this was even happening. Very, very cool indeed.
Last week was a fairly long and stressful one, so this weekend has been all about relaxing. Wish I could say I got a ride in as well... but I didn't. BUT I did get some great time with Masidaughter yesterday and today is just getting started.
Here's to your Sunday being filled with some relaxing too.
The punkin and I, as I was heading out for the ride. 
Soaking in the sun!
