Article in Luso-Americano

Luso Americano is a Portuguese community newspaper in the US and for most Portuguese immigrant families its a staple. I use to get a lot of press in it when I was younger and racing seriously but never got the cover. So it was really nice to get the cover in this bad boy. Can't figure out how to post the actual article.

Good Things Happen When you Commute by Bicycle

Ah so apparently Spring Break in the toddler class is two days so I got to ride my bike again to work today. A good day indeed. And I got an added bonus this morning. As I was riding up Lafayette Street I noticed a little store called Kauffman Shoe Repair Supplies where you can find these babies:

What are they you ask? Well for those of you who are more cerebral inclined you probably have made the assumption that they are something for shoes. You would be correct in making such an assumption. These bad boys are for the tips of men's (or ladies) shoes and a good friend of mine in Siena, Italy who makes custom made shoes can't get them. Until a few years ago I was finding them in midtown west but then that supply store closed so luckily this morning as I'm whisteling my way to work I spot Kauffman Shoe Repair Supplies. Twelve boxes of 50 each on their way to Italy as we speak. Commute to work and good things happen. Well unless you get runover by a cab or something like that.

Commuting to Work

So this morning Tiiu tells me that Liam is on Spring Break. Spring Break? He's three and a half and he has Spring Break? Crap that's costing me $152.32 for one day of school. So now I don't have to drop him off at school and because my wallet is missing (later find out Liam hid it under his bed) I've got no money to get to work so I decide to ride my bike to work.

Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge - slight rise a little harder on my Electra Amsterdam than on my Prince. I figure I'm doing a solid 220 Watts right now

Accross the Brooklyn Bridge and by the court houses and government buildings in lower Manhattan

4th Avenue clear and hugging the middle lane. That can't be safe.

Park Avenue with Grand Central in the distance. Almost there and no problem so far

A couple of close fits but all in all maneagable

Almost at Grand Central

Hello there. Little cyclist on the road. My lane. Not that most cars care

Good Morning fellow comutter.

Safe at the office. The last time I commuted to work my bike got stolen. Let's see if this time its safe.

Battle of the breakfasts

I have a weakness for food. Sure I've written about it and you don't come here for those writings but writing about races is boring and this is easier. Besides one of my favorite bloggers, no correction - one of my favorite people in this universe is Ted King of the Cervelo Test team and he never writes about racing. He writes about all sort of strange things and manages to be funny quite often and I, well I am just trying to match his wit. I'll get you Ted King.

Anyhoot back to the breakfast question. I love breakfast. It's my favorite meal of the day right after lunch and dinner. I should be eating healthy Kashi cereal in the morning but Liam is usually late for school and we run out the door every morning hoping to get him to school within 15 minutes of when he is suppose to be there. For those of you who are about to accuse me of being an irresponsible parent he's only three so I am not sure that it actually qualifies as school. Off subject again sorry.

Oh yeah breakfast. You might recall an earlier blog entry titled I just want to eat, in it I wrote about some of my favorite breakfast places. Now I expand and will include some photos so that you the reader (mom, dad and Jason) can vote on what you think is the best. Drum roll paalleeaasee -

A few years ago while I was still at Esquire I discovered a great little place (literally it's tiny) on sixth avenue that served a real espresso. I was blown away by how well they made espresso and cappuccinos (and no I never ordered one after 11:00 a.m.). It's name is Zibetto's and it's on 6th Avenue near 56th Street. Be careful because you will walk right by it since it's tiny. I've recommended a ton of people there. Unfortunately when I moved to my current job across town it became rather inconvenient to go to Zibetto's. So imagine my surprise when I was walking back to the subway one day after dropping Liam off at school to discover a Zibetto's under construction on Fulton street. It took a few weeks but it finally opened and when I am not running too late I stop in for a cappuccino (never after 11:00 a.m. of course) and a brioche. Here is example number #1:

Near the office is Cafe Macchiato. It's the place I go to the most for breakfast and lunch. The staff is awesome and the owner Tal is a great guy. Most of the time I manage to stay away from the chocolate chip cookies which are honestly the best I've ever had but sooo baaddd for my girlish figure. For breakfast go with the toasted ciabatta with butter and some strawberry jam if your feeling freaky. Example #2:

And last but not least there is my man on 3rd. He's got real Portuguese roll (even though I am sure he's not Portuguese) and saves one for me each morning. If I have a particularly tough day or am feeling just a tad blue (shocker) I go to my man on 3rd. $2.50 and he sets me straight. Portuguese roll with real butter and coffee, milk and lots of sugar. Nanna doesn't approve but every once in a while its good for me. Example #3:

Merced Done - Didn't Crash

It was a hectic weekend with plenty of crashes as usual at the Merced races.  Fortunately neither myself nor any of my teammates bit the dust.  I didn't feel all that hot this weekend but finished both days respectably and Andy Jacques-Maynes managed a 3rd in the 200 Km road race after riging a break for a good part of the race.  We represented strong with Ben in the moves as well as Paul Mach, Sheldon Deeny and Coday "Neil" O'Reilly.  I followed some moves but nothing stuck which was just as good since I didn't think I'd be able to contribute to much.  Did the last two laps with cramps and was just happy to get accross the line happy and do a little bit for the team.  Now I'm eating my customary recovery meal at In N Out Burger.  When in Cali!  Tonight Red Eye home.  Tomorrow work after hopefully making ithome in time to take the little guy to school.  Miss him more and more on these trips.

Heading to Cali

I realize I haven't updated the blog lately. This week has been particularly busy at work and I only managed to get out on the bike once and it was on the trainer. Here is Liam saying good night to daddy. Not good but here I am sitting at the airport and they are calling. Heading to do the Merco Classic in Merced. A 40 mile criterium tomorrow and a 125 mile road race on Sunday. I've done this race since I started my comeback two years ago so I wanted to make sure I was there. The team has been riding well. Graham got 3rd at Valley of the Sun and the Tour of California boys rode like lions. The highlights were Tom's 7th in the TT and top 10 in the Prologue while Ben was right there with him with his usual 1 second difference (they trade who puts one second on who) in the prologue and a great ride in the TT as well. Ben rode a lot of the breaks as well and got some nice TV time.

I'm trying out Twitter and there is a link to that on the right hand side nav bar of the site. I don't update it as often as Lance does but eh I've got a different kind of full time job. Also a link to my facebook page if anybody is on there send me a friend request. While your at it go to YouTube and type in the real facebook for a funny spoof on facebook by three British guys. Those crazy English.

A bike for a cuban?

You know you've been riding a long time when you can say that you competed against the soviets. I remember racing against riders from the eastern block and on many occasions getting my butt kicked by guys in pretty much BMX cranks. It was crazy some of the equipment these guys were on.

Recently at the Tour of San Luis I was reminded that the latest and greatest equipment isn't always necessary when I saw the Cubans. Chad Nordwall a buddy of mine who owns Above Category probably the sweetest bicycle shop on earth e-mailed me about a photo he'd seen at the Tour of San Luis on cyclingnews.com of a Cuban rider on. Well I'll just paste what he wrote:

"I’m looking a pic of one of the Cuban guys, crazy! First you see Basso, then you see this Cuban guy on an old Scott, with OLD campy! Like 3 rolls of bar tape used to cover the bars! Standard wheels, tube socks and all, super crazy!"

When I saw the picture Chad was talking about I chuckled since I had just been talking to that guy on the same day. His name is Alonso Lisuandy and I was blown away by how strong he was yet the crap he was riding. I mean were talking 80's here. What also struck me was that the Liquigas guys kept yelling at him to get out of the way. (Although Basso wasn't one of those guys) Not very nice boys. The guy was just trying to keep his position and since he's on a small national team like Cuba the Pro Tour neanderthals just pushed him around. But the kid held his own and wouldn't move.

Anyhoot. After San Luis I went to camp and met up with Chad at the shop and he had a great idea of getting this guy a bike. So Chad and I are now in the market to get a bike for Alonso and the more challenging part is to get the bike to Alonso either in Cuba or when he travels out. If any of you out there are interested in helping then please get out your checkbook and send some money out to contribute to the project. You can e-mail me at joaoisme@gmail.com and the checks can be made to Above Category Chad's shop.

Team Camp

Ah yes team camp time again. So different than last year. No longer one of the new guys, still not one of the good guys and I get to make a little fun of myself and a lot of fun of everyone else. The first three days Burke and I tried not to get everybody sick so we hate by ourselves and pretty much were miserable trying to get over this cold. We had team pictures taken and other photo shoots. Innevetably we had to do a little riding and even if it was just 45 minutes easy back to Santa Rosa from the shoot some anxious obnoxious person would always have to jam it up a hill but still act like they were going easy. Not fun when your sick. I'm taking notes and there will be hell to pay later when I'm better. Not in the way that I will actually hurt somebody on the bike but, but I will hurt somebody period. You know who you are stop pretending.

Don't cry for me Argentina

Well about to board the plane with a heavy head cold.  Let's see it was 20 degrees in NYC when I left 10 days ago, the high here was 112 on one of the stages that somebody pointed out to me was literally through the desert.  What's that spread.  Damm.  An 11 hour red eye flight in coach and then a 5 hour flight (although I did get upgraded), should do wonders for my head. 

Game Over

After almost 5 stages I finally packed it in today. It was a 205km stage with a 2 climb at 88km and a cat 3 and 1 to the finish. Unfortunately I didn't make it over the cat 2 climb and pulled off at the feed zone after 105 km since I wouldn't have made the time cut. Can't really say anything was wrong except that my legs were just empty on the climb. I was told after the stage that it was over 110 degrees on the climb which would explain why nobody was talking eventhough the pace was reasonable. Its a great race but a little crazy. Yesterday the ESPN helicopter crashed and today while I was in the wagon from the feed zone going 50 miles per hour the front right wheel just popped off and we came to a skidding stop. I was in the front passenger seat and I am not sure how the thing didn't just flip. I should get some good form from this race. A little rest now and off to camp next week and then home and back to normal life and training at night in central park. Thank you all for following the race.

Stage 4 done and polished

On the bus on the way back from stage 4. 160 K with two Cat 2 climbs. The last one was 20Km long and 15 K from the line. I was popped for good about halfway up and coasted in with about 10 guys. It was a very up and down stage and its really hot here. The argentinians who have the leaders jersey controled the race pretty well and I even managed to get in a short lived move with Juan Jose Haedo from Saxo Bank and Tyler Wren. But it was not to be which is good because I was definitely hurting. Tomorrow is a 205 Km stage with 3 climbs. A Cat 3, a Cat 2 after 80K or so and a Cat 1 to the finish. That will be an interesting stage. And to add to it there are massive transfers to and from the hotel so we probably won't get back until 10-11 pm or so. Hope the bus doesn't leave without me on the way back.

Stage 2 and 3 Update

Yesterday's stage finished on a climb so at the bottom I got into a group that was going at a nice tempo and came in about 8 minutes down on the winner. I had a little run-in with the car mirror as I was getting bottles and I'll try to get some pictures of me on the ground. Not hurt but a little embarrasing. Today Tom Zirbel was second in the TT and Ben 4th. Tom had the lead until the last few guys and was beat by an Argentinian. Its a shame since today's stage had a nice purse of $15,000, but probably more important would have been a win for the big man. Here's a picture of him on the podium. The steps are actually pretty different which shows how much taller Tom is than everybody. My TT went fine. I rode it as easy as possible but made sure not to get caught and since Kurt Asle Arveson from CSC was starting a minute behind me I was getting a little nervous until we spoke at the start and he said he was going easy as well. Tomorrow starts two really tough days and its time to start riding harder. Let's see how the legs hold up. The cycling culture here is pretty amazing and its been interesting to sign autographs again.

Stage 1 in the bag

Ben Jacques-Maynes spent 140K in the break and bagged the Mountain Jersey so it was a good day for the team. I managed to sttay out of trouble and finished in the first group. The stage was suppose to be an easy first one but because of the cross-winds it was fairly tough. It also ran about 10K long which isn't nice when you're already in the hurt box. Here is a picture of the bus back to the hotel. Davide Fratini from Colavita in front of me. His teammate Haedo was 3rd on the stage so a good day for the US teams all around.

Legs up on MLK

Laying in my bed with my legs up waiting for the first stage. All the stages are afternoon starts so the mornings are free which is nice. Yesterday was the team presentations in the town square and there were a few thousand people there. The cycling culture in Argentina is amazing. Cars pass and they beep (and not the NY angry beeps) and take pictures. At the presentation people were taking pictures with cyclists everywhere and it didn't matter if you were famous or not. I got pulled for a radio interview and the only pre-requisite seemed to be that I spoke spanish. So far its been a great experience. Let's see how stage 1 goes. Thanks to everybody for the encouragement and comments. My goals here are modest for sure. First

help the team as much as I can and second get to the finish. Here is the photo of the photographer who was taking my picture. Funny eh.

First Update

After a thirty hour trip I arrived on Friday night at around mid-night. Lucky for me dinner is served late here. Since by the comments you are all more interested in Basso (photo credit Kirsten Robbins) here is a nice photo of him. My prediction is that he will take it somewhat easy but ride the TT all out.

My body is a little out of wack after such a long trip and especially my lower back. I guess that I should have done those core workouts that Max had told me to do. The race starts tomorrow and my legs are feeling OK. Let's see how it goes.

Argentina here I come

At the airport about to board the plane to Argentina. I'll try to do daily updates and promise not to make them too boring. Results can be seen on cyclingnews.com and I suggest you guys start from the bottom and work your way up. Kidding. I'm really looking forward to doing this race. I spoke to Aaron Olson whose already down there and racing for Colavita and he said its been in the 90's. I went back into the closet and got out the summer jerseys. A little more lightweight than the regular short sleeve jerseys. And my shoes showed up yesterday. What else can a guy ask for.

Dinner at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn

Here is the best pizza in NYC on Old Fulton.  My dad, Hugo, Liam and Tiiu and the Pizza.  Mom and Luciene were on my side of the table.

Countdown to Tour de San Luis

9 days left to the first race of the season and I haven't shaved in months. My legs that is. Argentina here I come. Camp numero 2 went rather well. Unlike last year I managed two weeks of training without a) getting sick, b) getting divorced c) getting fired. All good things in my book. Two 25 hour weeks and saw some mates as well as a few friends/clients down in San Diego and San Francisco where we flew out of on Sunday the 5th. The most embarrassing story of all was on Saturday the 4th my last day of training going on a ride with uber marketing guru at Specialized Ben Capron and being spanked, schooled and just plain embarrassed on the ride. It was one of those rides where your checking the wheels for friction, your wondering if the guy tightened your bottom bracket and you are just not sure that this whole racing another season thing was a good idea. I finally said after two hours "hey man I am really embarrassed but I need to turn around and go home". Damn that hurt. Mission accomplished I am done now turn me over.

If that wasn't enough I managed to loose my brand new shoes. And these had a little Portuguese flag on them and only work with Speedplay pedals so keep an eye out for them.

The flight back was non eventful which was good. Tiiu, Liam and I arrived at home on Sunday night and for the next few days everybody was jet lagged. Especially Liam who wouldn't go to sleep until 10 on most nights and then the next morning didn't want to get up for school. The week was also a busy one work wise so I only managed to get on the bike 3 times this week. One easy one hour spin on Monday with my boy Jason Gay, then an hour and half Park ride to make sure it was still there in 36 degrees and rain. (Home in bed sick the next day with a weird virus) and a forty-five minute trainer ride tonight (Friday). All of this and 9 days to go before San Luis. I bet you Ivan Basso doesn't have to put up with this shit. Now the weather forecast for the next week in New York is lovely. snow for the next three days and balmy highs of mid-twenties for the next week. I am going to stare at the Empire State Building out of the fire exit of my building a whole lot.

Many funny stories out of my trip to Cali but one stood out in particular. Wootton and I are riding out of Mulholland Drive onto PCH about 50 K up from LA and I am in dire need to an espresso and a little cake. We pop into the nearest Starbucks when I notice a nice little De Rosa parked on the bike rack and a guy with a rock racing uniform on. We do the hey how ya doin' stare while checking each other out and I go in for my espresso. I turn to Wootton and say hhhmmm I bet you that guy was on LPR last year. He looks Euro and he's wearing LPR socks. Lets find out who it is. I go out and introduce myself and the guy all of a sudden goes. wait for it...wait for it..Danilo. Ah freaking Danilo di Luca running around in a Rock Racing uniform. Yes he's still with LPR. I'm sure Michael Ball just got him a kit since if your a pro and you come to LA you have to go kiss the jeans. Apparently I'm not pro enough since I didn't get a uniform. Nice guy we rode back with him to Santa Monica and he couldn't be more pleasant. A little insider info for y'all. He's got his money on Lance for the Giro and Tour. But the world's are his he says. Well you heard it here first. Now if Wootton hadn't attacked the guy 5 or six times on the way back it would have been perfect. It was like he was shooting out of a cannon. Bamm take that Danilo.

Slow news day again -- in Portugal

Most of you don't read Portuguese, unless of course you are in Portugal or had a really boring weekend and decided to learn it by buying the Rosetta Stone (in which case you speak Brazilian Portuguese) but this past week I got a call from a Portuguese reporter who was really digging hard for a story so after everybody else must of said no she called me when I was in California.

Happy Holiday's From Our Family To Yours

Liam and Daddy's Adventure in Beverly Hills

So Tiiu is out with the girls tonight and I decided to take Liam on an adventure.  First we bought a little Christmas Tree with mom and then we went out.  I asked Liam if he wanted to go see Santa and he said no.  "Well where do you want to go" I asked.  "The restaurant" he said.  There is something seriously wrong that he associates food with a restaurant but that's my fault.  At least he likes eating.  We settled on Pasta.  Actually he settled on pasta since I'm sure Nanna had something else planned for me. 
Since I don't know LA that well I just put Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills on my Garmin.  There's probably an Italian restaurant there.  And bingo we get to Rodeo and I hit Places of Interest on the Garmin, restaurants and then Italian restaurants and bingo we end up at Il Fornaio.  We get a table in the back Liam orderes the penne bolognese (damm the kid knows how to order) - now its not pepe's but here what I learned tonight.  When your feeding them and with abundant choices of how many pieces of penne on a plate they actually start asking for individual pieces as in "this piece daddy".

After this were going to see if we can find a Santa who is not drunk.

Oh yeah training is going well.  16 hours in the last 4 days and all fairly hard. 

Gosh I love this mobile blogigng.  I'm doing it from the restaurant.  Damm where's Liam...

Sitting on plane heading to Camp #2

There was a huge storm in New York today and the flight was suppose to take off at 6:30 and right now its 9:45 and were still in the plane.  Tiiu is entertaining Liam whose already done 2 puzzles and sang about 5 songs.  Right now its Bob the builder.  I've finished the Times and just realized that I could test the mobile blogging feature on my blog.  Screw twitter.

Speaking of Twitter, Lance just said on his twitter page that they flew some guy from Germany to test him in Texas.  That's gotta be expensive.  I realized that I hadn't sent my whereabouts forms in to the UCI for the next two weeks of camp #2.  Then I realized (can you realize a realization?) That I'm not in the whereabouts system and despite the fact that I keep telling the UCI, USA Cycling, The Portuese Cycling Federation and the NYPD that they really should be testing me on a regular basis nobody seems to be listening.  I mean what does a guy have to do to get some surprise testings going.  Since that hasn't worked I've invoked my wife in my own anti-doping testing system (its not governed by anybody) and my wife now does surprise dope tests on me.  I have to keep a whereabouts system (calendar in the back of the wine closet) updated and she's even gotten me a GPS enabled phone to make sure she knows where I am at all times.  I've been tested 5 times in the past three weeks and on two occasions it was in the middle of the night.  Both times I got an elbow to the ribs and she said "wake up and go pee in the cup". Damm it.  I had to do early morning rides on both days.  I am happy to report that 4 out of 5 tests came back negative and one test was positive for excess cholestorol although I am sure the Pepe's Oso Bucco had something to do with that.  I was immediately handed a two week no eating at La Maseria sentence and its been rough. 

So I'm heading for Southern California for two weeks and two 25 Hour riding weeks.  That should be fun.  If anybody finds themselves in the LA area come out for a ride.  I'll finish at Pete's Coffee on Montana for a coffee and cookie.

See who needs twitter when you've got blogger.  Thanks Google guys. 

3 Incredible Photos

Look I am just not that funny.  I know it, you know it.  My blog isn't going to be read because it cracks people up.  Teddy King is funny, Richard Pryor is funny, Rodney Dangerfield now that's funny.  Joao Correia - just a funny name.  So I have to go out of my way and do some serious investigative journalism in order to grab attention and as everybody knows I suffer from low self esteem.  Basically I'm the Holland of self esteem (hey that might be funny)...  So here are three photos worth your while.  Although they are not funny.

I was late yet again and for the second time he was not amused.   We had a really nice lunch and two bottles of wine later I'm busting his nuts again when he said racing was hard.  Come on Eddy racing was hard but not for you, it was hard for the poor schleps who had to ride after you or on your wheel.  Yes he's just a man but damm is he a great man.  Greatest cyclist ever ladies and gentleman Eddy Merckx

OK so you have all heard of the Prince of Spain bike that Alejandro Valverde was touting after winning the Spanish National Championships this summer.  He was at the Tour won a stage or two or three something like that.  Well allow me to present to you the Princess of Portugal.  Everybody knows that princesses have all the fun.  Fausto Pinarello presenting me with my 09 bike.  It's not a great picture but there it is.

And last but not least and as promised.  You may all remember the famous Champs Elysees sprint.  The right veer and then collision into the barriers.  Ouch.  But the man was tough and he was fast.  Lovely guy in person as well.  And no he does not veer right when he walks.   Here is Djamalodin Abdujaparov and Ernesto Colnago.  

Like I said I'm not very funny but try beating that Teddy King...

Some Photos from Europe

I'll download some more photos from my European trip when I am home including an interesting one with the man knows as the Tashkent Terror. Certain unnamed cycling magazines have been publishing stories about how difficult it is to find him and how he won't talk to anybody. Blah blah blah. I don't know what the big deal is. He wasn't that hard to find.

So I tought I'd share the photos of my new bike for 09 and of a certain place where they make custom cycling shoes, including the wall of boxes of the various folks they make them for under all sorts of different brands.

Here is a photo after the frame was assembled and painted but pre-decals. a guy named Giancarlo painted the frame. He's been at Pinarello since 1977.

Valverde might be the Prince of Spain but there is only one Princess of Portugal.

Assembled by the master Piero and checked by the Grand Master Borgetto to make sure it was up to my dimensions on file. Piero has been at Pinarello since 1978 and Borgo since 1974.

Ah the last file. Probably hard to read the names but let's just say that everybody is there including a certain American who's actual foot mold I held. Hmm smaller than I tought.

And of course the most important box. The funny thing is that I've known Chantal Beltman since 1993. We got into some trouble together after the worlds in Australia in 1993. Egon Van Kessell (then the Dutch National Team coach) still doesn't talk to me to this day and after that incident my contract with the Eddy Merckx Boys simply disappeared. Tool.

First "Training Camp"

So finally the first camp. Sort of; its a private camp I do every year. Training starts on November 1st or so and then around Thanksgiving I like to do a 5 day block. This year I came to Italy to see my daughter and then to see some clients the week after Thanksgiving. I based myself in Lecchi in Chianti which is about 20K outside of Siena and unfortunately the weather wasn't cooperating. It rained every day and I even got sleet once. But did the riding anyways and also had a great Thanksgiving dinner which my cousin Hugo making the bird.  Unfortunately Tiiu and Liam weren't able to come so it could have been better. Here is what the training from Max and nutrition from Nanna looked like for the week for those of you interested.

I usually did a little more riding than prescribed and this year in order to help loose a little more weight I would train through lunch so as not to have lunch and would just have breakfast then dinner and perhaps a small snack if I was very hungry before dinner. But here is the program as prescribed.

Thursday November 27, 2008
Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ coffee
Water only during Training

2.5 hrs
20 min below 200W, spinning easily
15 min 200-250watts on flats
5 x 4 min 250-270 watts/rest 1 min
Flats: 4 x 10 sec sprints on 53 x 18/rest 3 min
Hills: 6 x 3 min 320-340 watts, standing 10 sec every min/rest 4 min
Easy x 20 min
2 x 8 min ~ 250 watts on flats/rest 3 min
Cool down

Thanksgiving dinner 

Eat slowly
Small portion of sweets…
Turkey, sweet potatoes w/ olive oil and salt/pepper (1 medium), broccoli or some dark green veggies, cranberry sauce (little); no gravy…Small piece pumpkin pie

Friday November 28, 2008
Breakfast Oatmeal w/ coffee
Bring Accelerade but use only if you need before hill work

3.5 hrs
20 min below 200W, spinning easily
20 min 200-250watts on flats
4 x 8 min 250-270 watts/rest 1 min
Flats: 4 x 10 sec sprints on 53 x 18/rest 3 min
Hills: 4 x 3 min 320-340 watts, standing 10 sec every min/rest 4 min
Easy x 20 min
Hill: 1 x 15 min 260-290 watts
2 x 5 min ~ 250 watts on flats/rest 3 min
Cool down

Lunch: Risotto of your choice (primo)
Meat, fish, poultry w/ Salad (large plate w/ grated parmesan); no potatoes…
Eat slowly…
Fresh fruit if you are hungry Or have some coffee…

Dinner: Minestrone w/ little bread
Fish, meat, poultry w/ veggies (no potatoes)
No dessert…
1 glass red wine;

Saturday November 29, 2008
Breakfast: Coffee only before riding (black, no sugar, no milk)

Easy x 2 hours
Breakfast after riding:
Skinny eggs (1 full egg, 2-3 egg whites) w/ veggies, mushrooms, touch of cheese, salt, pepper, herbs, whole grain toast (2 slices)
Bowl of fresh fruit

Late lunch:
Meat, poultry, fish + veggies or greens, other veggies, fresh fruit, toss of almonds

Fresh fruit if you are hungry
Dinner: Pasta (primo of your choice); meat, fish, poultry + veggies (secondo); glass of red wine,No dessert

Sunday November 30, 2008
Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ coffee
Bring Accelerade use half-way through workout

4.5 hours
20 min warm up, below 200W
Flats: 30 min between 200 and 250 watts
4 x 8 min 250-270W on flats/100 rpm, rest 3 min
Hills: 3 x 15 min 280-300 W/80 rpm, rest 5 min
40 min between 220-240 watts on flats.
Cool down

Endurox 1 scoop

Lunch: Salad + Pizza
Coffee if you like or fresh fruit

Dinner:
Pasta or risotto (primo of your choice); meat, fish, poultry + veggies (secondo); glass of red wine,
Gelato (1 scoop)

Monday December 1, 2008

Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ coffee
Bring Accelerade but use only if you need before hill work

3 hours
20 min warm up, below 200W
Flats: 30 min between 200 and 250 watts
4 x 8 min 250-270W on flats/100 rpm, rest 3 min
Hills: 3 x 10 min 280-300 W/80 rpm, rest 5 min
Flats: 20 min 220-240 watts
1 x 8 min hill at 300-310 watts
Cool down

Lunch: primo: minestrone w/ grissini + parmesan; secondo: fish + veggies (handful of potatoes)

Fresh fruit if you are hungry Or have some coffee…

Dinner: You choose…I would go for a nice Toscana Dinner

I JUST WANT TO EAT

OK this is ridiculous. I really just think about food all the time. I'm not hungry all the time but I think of food all the time. I get up in the morning take Liam to school then go to Cafe Macchiato for a quick latte. What I really want is the damm ciabata toasted with butter as well. So I sip my latte and read the paper quickly and then walk to the Northwest corner of 48th Street and Third Avenue where there is probably the best fruit guy in the city. Don't get me wrong he has the best fruit and makes the best juices but what I really want is my portuguese roll with butter and coffee with sugar from the street guy on the Northeast corner of 47th Street. I have to walk past him and then walk back and not go to him. And he always saves me the last portuguese roll since he knows how much I love them. Out of guilt today I went there to get the roll and pay for the other 4 that I know he saved for me througout the week. But I only do that out of guilt.

By the time lunch rolls around its off to the Hale and Hearthy Soup to have a nice salad and a bowl of soup. Look nothing wrong with the salad or the soup. They are delicious. But seriously I'm next to Sparks, Smith & Wollensky and Patroon's. I mean can't I just have a stake, a baked potato and a bottle of wine for lunch. Is that too much to ask for. Timy at Smith's even complains that he hardly sees me anymore. The other day I actually had to wait for a seat at the bar. I've lost my place at the place. It's like falling out of a buddy's spee dial list. Relegated.

Don't get me started on dinner. Jason Nikic one of my New York colleagues texts me the other day from Roberto's in the Bronx asking me if I wanted the Burata. Do I want the burata? What the f*$# do I really need to hear this. Roberto's is the genius of NYC Italian restaurants in Little Italy in the Bronx. I started going there with my college buddies back at Fordham. I've had many, many wonderful dinners there. But what I really want is to leave work, walk accross town to get a little exercise in and wake up the stomach juices and go to Pepe's. La Maseria on 48th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. Pino plays the symphony with the dishes. I just sit down and he starts throwing them out. Pepe and Enzo fight over which bottle to get me and I just eat course after course of delicious food. A little mixed sea plate, a small dish of pasta or two, a fish plate and perhaps the rabbit to finish it all off. But no I go home after training and have a small dose of a healthy meal that our kind nanny Charlene has prepared for us. It tastes good but its not the indulgence I am looking for.

Yesterday I was driving home and talking to Nanna my nutritionist and I drove by Grimaldis's Pizza on Old Fulton Street. I really just wanted to stop and have a pie (yes a whole pie) with mushroom and peperoni. My favorite. There wasn't even a line when I drove by. It's like they do this to temp me more. Normally the line is 30 minutes long for the brick oven pizza. Damm it. It's not fair.

So the first week of training is almost behind me. Today I went out to do some hill repeats on river road and it was raining the whole time. And I forgot my rain jacket. By the last repeat it was pitch dark and I could hardly see the powermeter. After the last repeat I hooked it back to the city hoping not to get mowed down by a car. Came close a few times but like that guy said. Lights are for sissy's. It only let's the enemy know where you are. I finished off in the park with a few light intervals and then went back to the office to check my inbox and send out some e-mails. Finally home by 9 where Liam was still up. Dinner (don't ask), a little blog entry after watching a little of Sabrina. One of Harrison Ford's best and now to bed. Pardon the ranting but I am trying to do these a little more often.

If anybody is up for Gimbles (and who wouldn't be) this weekend see you on Sunday. For you newcomers here are the rules. Tempo up the first set of climbs off of 22, right turn at the gas station in armonk and watch the lights. Tempo to hard until the second set of climbs where it will be all together to the top. Back to 22 and more climbs. Again all together to the top. Now some of you may want to get frisky and go ahead of the group. Not a good idea. It pisses people off and ruins my week so if you do. I will bring you back and I won't be happy about it. After the climbs its a free for all to the finish line and everybody knows that real man attack on the flats.

New Season Starts Now

Wow is it already November? Normally I like to test at the very end of October to see where my baseline is for the first period of training starting November 1st. Yes I am a big dork. But this year on November 1st I was at a Bissell event in Grand Rapids with Tom Zirbel and Ben Jacques-Maynes as well as new director Eric Wohlberg and team manager Glen Mitchel. If Glen ever gets me the pictures he took than you can see me stepping off a certain private plane. It was very nice. Oh look the pictures "finally" arrived. It wasn't all fun and games on the plane. Below you see half of Eric Wohlberg looking very seriously wondering if this thing came with parachutes. Tom and I engaged in a very serious conversation about how we were going to split the season. Ben was next to us (out of picture) but he remained mostly silent. The second photo is Tom negotiating whether or not I could win some time trials. Jeez the guy just can't give one up. And of course the group shot. Bissel team complete with team manager, bike-washer, director-sportif and star riders. Finally Tom giving me a piggy back ride into the plane. It's about time he works for me.

Instead I had to postpone my tests to the first week of November which I am sure will completely undermine my season by missing all of my goals by exactly one week. I wish I had good news but I don't. My test results were absolutely horrible. I was trying to gain power and loose weight but instead I gained weight and lost power. Max of course always sees the positive of everything and says it will be fine don't worry. Don't worry! Crap I have a part time job in worrying. Here is a picture that Teddy King took of me doing a Vo2Max on his handy iPhone. Notice the exhale coming out of the stomach. That's a new breathing technique being employed very successfully by the Iranian national team. I did 80 Watts less than at this time last year on the Vo2Max test and 40 Watts less on the Lactate Test.

Teddy had an awesome test. Damm you Teddy. And there was one other certain Bissell rider there by the name of Tom Zirbel. Oh poor Computrainer. I'm sorry about that. Tom almost snapped his bars at 500+ Watts and the Computrainer was crying uncle. The big man did it again. Burke Swindlehurst was suppose to come and see us suffer but instead he had a late night at a play with some other to be un-named bicycle rider.

So now the work begins. I'm really looking forward to riding in the dark in Central Park and trying to avoid the squirrels. Indecisive little bastards. They go one way then they change their minds and come back the other way.

Oh and one more thing. Bissell team roster was announced this week and I am on it again. Portuguese MSN picked up the news. What the hell? My job will be to once again make my teammates look good by acting as a decoy for the other teams. I'll attack, draw some riders with me because they see the Bissell jersey and then when I can't pull through and the break is doomed one of my more capable teammates will do the coupe d' force and launch the successful attack. Look I don't like it but its the job that I have been given and I will execute it with pride. Besides the looks on the Health-Net or Kelly Benefits guy's face is just too precious when they realize its moi.

Now seriously. This will probably be my last year racing with Bissell and I want to make it count. Last year was a great year but a fairly disappointing year performance wise and I am going to change some things around this year to take advantage of the times of year that I am good mainly in the beginning of the season. I'll focus on that and take a break in April after which I am hoping to be well recuperated for the May criteriums and June nationals.

Camp Twinlakes Wrap Up

Thank you all for donating. I was really touched by the amount of people who donated including some of my teammates. OK so I had to step on some necks but most of you did it willingly and for those of you who needed coercing or in some cases bodily harm. Hey your still an all-star in my book. Besides physical scars heal but what you've done with your donations will last a lifetime in my heart. All in all you guys over matched my contribution so it looks like I need to go make some more money. The total came to nearly $12,000 which is a great contribution to a great cause. Thank you.

A special shout out to my boy Mike Kaeske. Mike came up with the most genius scheme. He made me go out and do a 3 minute interval and send him the file. He promised $3 per watt. Mike thanks for the $1,300 buddy.

Last weekend I went to Camp Twin Lakes for its annual charity ride with one of my colleagues Jason Nikic (thanks for driving man) and Saul Raisin. It was a great day of riding where we got lost, got chased by a bunch of dogs, almost died on a plank bridge and thanks to Saul's Garmin made it back to the camp in amazingly the same amount of distance we were suppose to ride. One of the highlights for me was meeting up after about 10 years with Charlie Seward an old friend of mine who is now living near Atlanta. I met Charlie back in the late eighties when I came to the US and I still remember him motor pacing at SUNY Purchase with his then girlfriend/now wife. Anyways Charlie somehow bumped into this blog a few months ago and we reconnected. Oh the power of the Internet. Charlie has a young daughter who is now a very good competitive swimmer and we reminisced about SUNY Purchase and of course Gimbles where Charlie and a bunch of other folks like the Whalens, Jeff Knisley, Chris Lambiase and a bunch of others used to shelter me when I was around 13, so that I wouldn't get dropped. Come to think of it I think that as soon as I could ride away I re-paid them by dropping them. Not very nice. Any hoots.



The experience at the camp was incredible. I got a tour of the property and its absolutely amazing. It's huge and its got multiple lakes, woods, a garden, a pool and lots of cabins with great looking mailboxes. On my Tour one of the campers came along and it turns out he's the kid in the poster for the ride. His name is Madison and he's been going to camp for a few years. The folks at the camp gave me the star treatment and I was a little embarrassed as I am lining up to real pro's like Cesare Grajales and Phil Southland. I'm sure they are still asking themselves who the hell was that guy.

Camp Twin Lakes Fundraising Drive

As many of you know last year I made a pledge to dedicate my 2008 season to Saul Raisin and donate 100% of my prize money to one of his favorite charities Camp Twin Lakes a not-for-profit organization that offers year-round recreational, therapeutic, and educational programs for children with serious illnesses and life challenges.

Throughout this year and with the help of some great teammates I was able to raise $5,000 which was the first part of my original goal. The second part was to get an additional $5,000 in matches to raise a total of $10,000. So far this year through the generosity of several friends I have received $1,200 in matches and am hoping to raise an additional $3,800. If you would like to donate please click here

On Sunday October 26th I will be going to Camp Twin Lakes along with Saul Raisin for their annual Spin for Kids Charity Ride. If any of you are in the Atlanta area or would like to join me please send me an e-mail to joaoisme@gmail.com.

Fat is back

I do have a good blog entry in me. But today is not the day to talk about my recent trip to Europe and bumping into Andy Hampsten at the top of the Gavia. That's for another day. I was just forcefully moved to a new office a few days ago and I was sitting here organizing a few things when I bumped into these pictures from two years ago. Ah good times.