Memorial Day Crit Pics

Posted pics from the San Jose Bicycle Club's Memorial Day Criterium on Monday, June 25.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/67669459@N00/sets/72157618891172808/

Have a look!

Thanks.

j.

A Very Sad and Dark Day for Justness and Society.

“All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will, to be rightful, must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal laws must protect, and to violate would be oppression.” --Thomas Jefferson

I'm very saddened that the place that I and my family has thrived in for 5 generations has concluded that fairness applies only to the majority.

I'll be posting more on this soon, but please do know, that if it can happen now to "them", it will happen soon enough to you.

Goin' Detox - Day10, 1 April, 2009 - Commencement or "No joke, we made it!"

I've been remiss in getting this day 10 blog update out. Apologies.

The "final" day of the detox went extremely well....again, no real breakfast which I need to figure out a way to fix. I had some nice comments and mails from some folks with suggestions on ideas to try. I'll work on that and let you know how they go.

Additionally, I got some really cool encouragement from some cool folks via tweets. Very cool to see other people who are so willing to be encouraging to me. I really appreciate that....as well as others who are being encouraged by my efforts. That's a great side effect, and the number two reason for doing this. By doing this, I've got some degree of personal accountability. The fact that you're reading this provides even further evidence of that. Thanks! That's been the primary reason.

Many have asked how I feel and "do you feel any different?' Well, yes and yes.

I do feel a bit more "clear" and "clean", but not that much different. However, I'm not sure that the physical difference was part of the goal, so I'm fine with it. I DO feel much, much better in many other ways. The fact that I accomplished something that not too long ago would have been WAY out of my box is very empowering. It's a confirmation of my new outlook, or going beyond and in treating myself well.

Next, lots of folks have asked "What are you going to have once the detox is over?"

Simple..pretty much the same.

This is not just a 10 day thing as I mentioned before. It's a new way of doing things, and accordingly , I've added some things...so, the plan is to add back brown rice no more than 4x week and no more than 5 glasses of wine a week, increase the green veggies and fruit and the only dairy will be nonfat milk and whey protein powder.

So, there you have it.

Lots of thanks to Chris Brewer for the inspiration.

I look forward to hearing more from each of you and give you my thanks for all the encouragement you've given me.

Peace to you.

j.

(now, let's get back to the rants)

Goin' Detox - Day 8 & 9 - 30 & 31 March, 2009 - The Homestretch

Almost there. Not that it's a big deal. Nice to be swingin' in a routine now.

Day 8 was a Monday, so starting off the 2nd week of the program. I definitely now know that my gas tank is lower than it has been in the recent past.

Last week I did 60 miles on the bike....around 20 miles per ride..good interval training and then the balance of the distance nice decent pace...around 20MPH. Today I was on the trainer and struggled for 15 miles. OUCH.  While I was still doing TMax training today, the efforts were much more difficult and the last interval was pitiful. Legs just weren't there.

I suspect the reduction in both calories and carbohydrates has really caught up with me. I've been averaging around 12-1300 calories a day....much lower than I would like, but since this is a temporary thing, I figured I could live with it. In hindsight, I think the lack of a proper breakfast and the nutrition from that is probably the one key thing. Since I don't eat eggs, a breakfast is usually a protein shake, or 1 day a week,  some toast/bread/bagel and chicken or turkey sausage. Since dairy is out in the detox, both the whey and milk in the shake are out. Consequentially, I've just been having an apple or skipping breakfast altogether. Certainly not what I ought to be doing, I KNOW, but...not any options for a quick, weekday breakfast came to mind and my tweeps didn't come back with anything that was practical.

If you have some ideas that will fit in the no grain plan, I'd love to hear what you have to say. Please leave comments!!!!!

So, here's the drill...we'll re-evaluate on Thurday and see what we can come up with to get this worked out.

Monday

BFast

Apple

Cashews

Decaf Coffee

Lunch

Mongolian BBQ Chicken & Veggies

H20

Dinner

Green Salad with tomatoes & avocado & organic grilled chicken

Vinaigrette

Veggie Soup

Tues

BFast

Decaf Coffee

Lunch

Burrito Bowl (burrito w/o tortilla)

Lettuce, black beans, chicken, salsa, onions

H20

Dinner

Turkey Chili (ground turkey, pinto beans, tomatoes)

Green Salad

Vinaigrette

Goin' Detox - Day 6 & 7 - 28 & 29 March, 2009

Weekends, for me Sat & Sun, are now typically a time to set the work week aside and get on to life a bit more. I get most of my cycling in on weekends and try and get out to lunch and a beer or 4 with friends at least one day, when possible. Perhaps get to a crit or road race to shoot photos...you know...stuff that's out of the house.

This weekend turned out to be not quite that.

I was fortunate enough to shop for a new refrigerator on Sat...yep, 2400 duckets of stainless side-by-side coldness...and it was delivered on Sun. Between errands and fridge dealing/coping/scheming/shopping/installing and some fence building/yardwork, I was sucked into the homeowner's weekend. Bleck, but necessary. I'm very fortunate that I have fresh, cold, organic food and that I can afford to purchase a new fridge.

One thing that was nice about staying around the house is that since I was there and not running out someplace, I took the time to make a proper breakfast both days. Nice. Also, I got to grill on Saturday for dinner. Again, sure felt like I was supposed to have a glass of wine in my hands, but alas, no. Not for another few days.

Still having some intestinal issues...nothing major. I suspect just the body getting rid of toxins.

Some folks have asked about supplements, so here's the rundown.

For the duration of the detox/cleanse I'm taking RestoreLife's Organic Total Cleanse. I'm not endorsing it, nor am I not. I have no idea if it's working or not, but it's not expensive and the nutritionist recommended it, so I'm game.

For the other stuff it's:

Vit B

Vit C

Vit E

Potassium

Chromium

Calcium & Minerals

Men's Multi

Food was:

Sat -

BFast

Chicken BFast Sausage - 4 links

Apple

Almond butter

Decaf Coffee

Lunch

Chopped Salad (no cheese) w/ vinaigrette

H20

Dinner

Grilled chicken

Grilled veggies

Hummus

H20

Sunday

BFast

Chicken BFast Sausage

Apple

Cashew Butter

Decaf Coffee

Organic Blood Orange Juice (more sugar than I should have, but it was awesome)

Lunch

Apple

Mixed Nuts

H20

Dinner

Salmon & Maguro Sashimi

Green & Seaweed Salad

H20

Green Tea

Goin' Detox, Day 5 - 27 March, 2009. All Good...All Happy!

Halfway Home.

Nice to make the halfway point. 5 days ago, there was much fear, self doubt and anxiety about this detox. That seems to be replaced by confidence, accomplishment and peace.

Albeit, Friday was a bit of a tough day, since it was bagel day at the office and I'm a bit of a bagel fan. Made it thru OK, but was definitely tempting. Had a good couple of meetings, one with my VP. Always great to sync up with him, then met friends at Pizza Antica in Satan's Row for lunch.

Interesting, as it wasn't as tough as I thought it would be. It's one of my favs for pizza and wouldn't have been my first choice during non-grain, non-dairy detox, but chose to catch up with Joe before he takes off for a month..so the mountain's gotta go....:)

After the office, did a really killer KB workout from Sandy Sommer ...20 mins of Swings & Squats, then a 10 min :30/:30 snatches. Very simple. Very tough.


Breakfast
Decaf Coffee
Apple
Almond Butter

Lunch
Green Salad w/ veggies & grilled chicken
Vinagrette
H20

Snack
Mixed nuts
H20

Dinner
Organic chicken & veggie soup
Greek Salad (no cheese)
H20

Detox, Day 4 - 26 March 2009

Had a pretty good day today. I guess I may starting to feel a bit different, but no drastic changes. I still seem to have a bit less energy in workouts as I'm expecting myself to have, but again, nothing drastic. One major thing that hit me was really wanting a glass of wine as I was on the patio grilling chicken and veggies. It's one of my routines...if I'm grillin', I've got a glass of wine. Perhaps the only time I've been vinoless at the grill. Lots of temptations at the office yesterday...I forgot to mention..... I spoke at an summer intern recruiting event and they had lots of chips, dip, cookies, etc, etc etc....I had water. The next meeting had some mixed nuts, so I had an afternoon snack...that worked out well. Also, talked to a great new friend who has already benefitted from these notes/blogs. Happy to see that a bit of change can trickle down and spread out. Nice! Got a nice ride in last night (lovin' daylight savings time...in the evening, at least) and did 2 loops of my normal training ride. I know it's a tough ride, but I figured out why yesterday. It climbs 600 feet in 1/2 of a mile..the last 100 yards or so are >12%. Now I know why it's so freekin' tough. June 6 is coming fast and I'm doing everything I can to be ready. Also, had time to make a proper BFast as I was at home in the AM. Nice.

Breakfast

4 links chicken BFast sausage

Apple

Almond Butter

Decaf Coffee

Lunch

Green Beans and Chicken

H20

MTB Ride - 90 mins

Snack

Mixed Nuts & Organic Raisins (no sulfate/sulfur)

Dinner

Grilled Chicken Grilled Veggies w/ Zatar

Hummus

Tomato and Avocado Salad w/ Olive Oil & Lemon Juice

H20

Goin' Detox, Day 3 - 25 March, 2009.. Damn, hang on, I gotta pee again.

First, I want to talk about this detox thing a bit. Chris Brewer left me a note and the tone seemed to be that he was concerned about me doing this thing very "cowboy" style. ..and rightfully so, as he didn't know I sought the advice of a professional nutritionist.

So, while my program is something similar to other people who are doing a detox/cleansing, this is really an individually designed program. If this detox idea interests you, PLEASE don't just take what I'm doing and apply it. I'm not the oracle. I'm writing/blogging this for two purposes: personal accountability and to perhaps spark the interest of others who might have considered this and thought it was too difficult or not very approachable. If I can do this, you can too, just seek professional help (NO, not THAT kind of professional help, a nutritionist) so you can make this work and make the sacrifices beneficial!

Day 3

I had a good day today as well with the exception of my legs. REALLY heavy today. I did a couple of heavy TMax intervals the past couple of days and not sure if that's the sole culprit or if removing certain things and taking calorie/carbohydrate levels down a good bit is part of the issue. I'll have to keep an eye on it.

..and now to the title. Yes. Seems as if I am always running to the toilet. Between 9:30PM and11:00PM I went 3 times. I suppose that's what you get for drinking so much H20...and that's good and is part of the plan. Water is one of the methods of cleaning the toxins from the body. Drink up, Mancebo!

Breakfast

Apple & Banana
Decaf Coffee

Lunch

Chicken Verde Salad, greens, tomatoes, salsa, cilantro
Nectarine
H20

Snack
Mixed nuts

Apple
H20

Workout - Light KBs...upper body only.

Dinner

Sauteed chicken and veggies (red peppers, zucchini, green beans, onion, celery) with Moroccan spices
H20

Goin' Detox - Day 2 - 24 March, 2009

2nd day was also pretty good, but I was a bit more hungry than the first day. Seems logical given the pull back in all bread and my lack of a proper breakfast. Also, lunch was on the small side. Not much chicken.

One thing that I noticed is that the legs are pretty heavy today. I'm not sure if doing two consecutive days of TMax training is the culprit, but I was definitely not as crisp on the trainer today.

Had a business dinner at Gordon Biersch and was tough not having a beer or two with dinner...but I did keep it on the straight and narrow.

Breakfast

Apple
Banana
Raw Cashews
Decaf Coffee

Lunch

Chicken with Cilantro and Curry spices
Garbanzo Beans with green curry
Water

Snack
Nuts & H20

Workout - 45 mins TMax intervals (320 watts) on trainer

Dinner

Green salad with Vinaigrette
Seared Tuna
Sauteed veggies and garlic spinach
Water

T-Max Intervals...or how to puke your guts out, then climb strong.

I've mentioned TMax intervals a couple times and some folks have asked ...what's TMax?

Tmax intervals are a method of power training aimed at increasing power levels and sustain times. To do this you need a bicycle with a power measurement device and a trainer, or an exercise/spin bike with a power measurement display.

The reader's digest version is this:

1) Figure your TMax -- On a trainer do an all out max VO2 effort. Max power for 4-6 minutes. You should puke, or be close to it at the end of this. Nice. Don't worry, you only need to do this once....in a while.

2) Wait 2 days, then do intervals of 60% of the time you set your TMax, then double that for an active recovery....so if you did 350 watts for 5 minutes, you'll do 3 mins @350 watts, then recover for 6 minutes.

3) Repeat 3-8 intervals. You'll likely not be able to do more than 3-4 to start. As soon as you can do 8 intervals, set a new TMax.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

For a full read up, check here

Goin' Detox - Updated daily for 10 Days

As you may know, I'm doing a body detox that is inspired by Chris Brewer doing the same "concept" coupled with some interesting timing.

Disclaimer - Don't try this at home. I'm not a doctor, I only play one on TV, and objects in mirror are closer than they actually appear..etc, etc. ....so please see a nutrionist if you find this interesting and want more info. If you're near a Whole Foods SuperOrganiMercado many offer the opportunity to speak with a staff nutrionist. Check it out. It's a good deal! This is an individual plan, so it varies from person to person.

The goal of the detox is to try and get your body back to as neutral a state as possible and then add things back to the diet and watch for potential negative reactions. I've never done anything like this before but the idea of it seems really interesting to me.

The detox lasts 10 days, but this is not a temporary 10 day fix-it...it's a foundation for a new, more balanced plan of eating. It's pretty simple...no dairy, grains, sugar, soy, alcohol, no starchy veg (potatoes, tubers, etc), artificial sweeteners, caffeine, no red meat or pork....and everything organic. No sense of potentially putting toxic chemicals back in your system.

So, think caveman diet. Veggies, fruit, nuts, meat. Goal is 5 meals a day...3 regular and 2 snacks and LOTS of H20. My goal is 6 litres of water a day.


Day 1 - Monday, 23 March, 2009

I felt really good in the AM. Not hungry at all. Interesting what a commitment will do to things.

BFast
Decaf coffee

Lunch
Mexican style green salad with Chicken, roasted veggies, black beans, onions, tomatoes, salsa, avo.
H20

Workout - 45 mins TMax intervals (320 watts) on trainer

Dinner
Shrimp StirFry with veggies
H20
Handful of nuts

Had a good day. No real trouble spots here. No temptations. Felt fine, plenty of energy Some interesting digestive tract issues.

Thinking about things more & tough finding something for breakfast.

Rant - Real News vs. Real COMEDY

Rant ON.

Seems as if Jeff Zucker, El UberPresidente of NBC Uni is ticked at Jon Stewart for being tough on CNBC & his lamb, Jimmy Cramer (seen here for those under the covers for the last week.) Zucker made the following comments at the McGraw Hill Media Summit in NYC earlier this week:

"I think Jon Stewart was incrediby unfair to CNBC and to the business media in general. Everybody wants to find a scapegoat. I'm upset that my 401(k) isn't what it was. But to suggest that CNBC is responsible is absurd. Last year, Jim Cramer was out in front during two days in particular, when he went after Ben Bernanke. He told viewers six months ago to go cash now. It's like holding BusinessWeek responsible for Nov. 2007 suggesting that AIG was the best stock to buy. You can't look at any singular call that CNBC or Jim Cramer makes. I'm incredibly proud of what we've done."

I just can't figure out what he's referring to. Unfair? What the hell are you talking about, Einstein? 

If you watch the piece, Stewart brings up several clips where Jimmy the C talks some awfully irresponsible and two faced crap. It seems pretty obvious that Stewart is calling them on their shit. The message is not "The mess here is all your fault Jimmy and CNBC and financial news media", the message that I got, and that seems presented pretty simply, was something along the lines of ..."you guys are supposed to be REAL news and you're not acting that way...you're acting as if you're promoting the interests of connected parties. That's not news. Start acting like news, people are relying on you being informative and honest. You've been neither, lately" (my words, of course)

When Cramer talks out of both sides of his mouth..."Lehman is a great bet" and also "I told people to take cash positions six months ago", he's clearly trying to be more relevant and more of a hero than an oracle. Jimmy, you're just a news guy. Nothing more, nothing less. If that's too "little" for you, you should probably look for a new hedge fund to skunk.

So Jeff, suck it up and get your financial news goons to start acting, reporting, talking, & discussing financial "stuff" more like it's NEWS, not just stuff that really doesn't matter to people. Like Stewart said, it's not a fuckin' game. People are relying on you being news and not entertainment.

Absolutely freakin' amazing that it takes a comedy news show to get to tough questions and call the alleged "REAL" news folks out. These are the guys that are supposed to make us laugh and Cramer and clan are the guys that are supposed to tell us the truth. WHAT?

Both Zucker and CNBC are a joke. Have some gravitas and take responsibility for your inattentiveness to your job. Man up, dude.

Rant OFF

2007 UNTI Barbera

Well, seems as if I have a bromance goin' with Mick Unti of UNTI Vineyards

We met Mick at Nectar Wine Bar in Burlingame last night (09 Mar 09). His wines were the feature for the Monday evening tasting and he brought some excellent representations of his family-owned, craft-oriented vineyard. (That's code for he gives a shit about the wine more than capturing the $$ following the latest trend.)

We talked about our preferences in styles of wine and how overdone things are and we just seemed to be agreeing. Santa Lucia Highlands is not really Pinot but rather Zin and Rombauer ...well, you get the idea...it's about the wine, not the winemaker. We're a perfect match.

Mick graciously presented the flight of the four featured wines. First, the 2007 Cuvee Blanc, a clean mineral rich Grenache Blanc blend with Picpoul. Nice. Shale, green olive finish. Next, my friend, the 2006 Petit Frere. See previous blog for review. 3rd for the evening was the 2006 Zinfandel. Pleasant, not your average Dry Creek Zin. Very personable and understated. Reserved. Nice! Finally, the 2005 Syrah Benchland. Sourced from their own acreage on the East Dry Creek Bench. Well, OK. Syrah's not really my favorite, but it's certainly showing of it's character. Good. Ok.....Time to go home.

Now, I think I know what you're thinking..."tell us more about the bromance, Jase." Ok, Ok...well, this is where he sealed the deal.

See, while I was plenty excited on the drive up to catch up with the latest Unti news and "brews", I didn't have any idea what was in store for me. I though she'd stayed at home, at least that's what the rumors were, but no, thankfully the rumor mill was blowin' smoke and Barbera was there to show me what's what!

Mick brought down a single bottle of the yet to be released 2007 Unti Barbera and was generous enough to not only share a taste with several of us, but several tastes for a few lucky souls. This delightful, honest ruby toned delight brought with her a celebration. She's Piemontes for sure, but with a tad more soft fruit, perhaps a slight bit richer than her Italian cousins, but with a more vivacious and youthful aire about her. 

In a word, she's "glorious!"

Earlier in the evening, I asked Mick for his thoughts on veracity, that is, how truthful a wine can or should be, and that's where the connection was hooked. Mick's style is to let the wine be. Let it show itself, be itself, and alter very, very little, if at all. 

Mick, I love you, man!

This Barbera shows great young character, and her glory is her truth. 2007 Unti Barbera releases shortly. Keep an eye out for it. Remember, it's NEVER at Whole Foods in San Mateo, so don't look there.

2007 Unti Barbera

$ TBD (estimated $25-28)

91 Points

Ok...time to get going again!

So to start, we'll harness the power of coal :-)