UNCHAINED CYCLING

GOOD RIDE

2009-12-13T17:03:00.004-10:00

Saturday I got in a good ride. Started out from the house a little after 0600 and headed up Kunia Road. I got to Schofield and didn't see the rest of the HACCers, so headed up Kolekole solo. After a quick break at the top, I headed back down and saw Kelly, Tony, and Jason starting the climb. I turned around and headed back up. After coming down and doing a loop through the base, we decided to do Kolekole one more time. After that and a quick stop for a coffee break, I headed back home. Ended up with just over 50 miles...good ride!

SATURDAY RIDE

2009-11-15T11:23:00.004-10:00

Haven't posted in a while...

Started training back up....been riding, running and swimming. Even got in a Saturday ride. Thanks Ben, Steve and Kelly.

DICK EVANS MEMORIAL ROAD RACE

2009-09-07T15:10:00.006-10:00

Yesterday day I rode in the Dick Evans Memorial Road Race, a 112 mile bike ride around the island of Oahu. Things were going pretty good. I believe I was in the second group back from the lead group. After clearing Kunia Road, I hooked up with Brian Denaro and a pretty big group and we were hammering away. Then I got a flat. I got a new tube in and found out my CO2 cartridge wasn't working. Luckily, one of the support vehicles had just pulled over and had a floor pump. I got back on and hammered away until I caught two guys who wanted to work together. As soon as we started to get organized, I got another flat. This one was worse. I was changing things out when the support vehicle pulled over. We found a cut in my tire and the tube was showing through a little. Luckily (again), one of the guys offered me a new tire and it just happened to be the same kind I had on. This evolution took about 30 minutes and by this time almost everyone had blown by me. I hammered it out as long as I could and passed several people. My goal this year was to better my time from last year. With the two flats, that didn't happen. I know I would have done well if I hadn't gotten the flats and had been able to stay with a group because despite having done the race solo from the North Shore, I felt pretty good. Oh, well...there's always next year.

TANTALUS - HACC PHOTO RIDE

2009-08-23T16:51:00.008-10:00

Saturday I got out for a ride with HACC. This was to be a ride up Tantalus for a group photo with a stop at the Yard House for beer/food after the ride. Tantalus is a great place to ride...lots of climbing and great scenery.

Heading up Tantalus.

John and Debi took the tandem up.

Jason and I stop for a photo...Daimond Head in the background.

Steve and Kelly Becker did a great job of coordinating this ride and snapping photos!

Diamond Head.

This is a cool shot of us heading up the road.

Our group shot. Fun ride.

I had to depart early so didnt' get to stick around for the Yard House festivities.

PARTY!

2009-08-02T13:47:00.004-10:00

Last night Goy and I went out to our friend's bar to celebrate the bar's three year anniversary and our friend, Willy's birthday.

PLOTTING NEXT YEAR'S REVENGE?

2009-07-28T05:53:00.001-10:00

BACK ON THE BIKE

2009-07-22T08:28:00.002-10:00

After two weeks off due to surgery, it was good to get back on the bike yesterday...well, sort of. I probably picked the best or worst day as a first day back...depends on how you look at it. I went out for the HACC Hammerfest yesterday and it was brutal. We were rolling along and I was feeling pretty good. When a car passed the group on the left, I saw an opportunity to get in its slipstream and take a flyer off the front. I got a good lead on the group and was hitting it hard. Just as we were getting out to the beach, the lead group caught me. I tried to hang on but didn't have the steam...they were cooking it! I dropped back to the second group and got in with them to finish up the ride. Kelly and I had a nice little sprint at the end...fun! I was spent after the ride but it felt good. This morning I started back my riding to work and had a great ride in. Next move is to decide on whether I'm going to ride Dick Evans in September.

DAVE Z. SHOWS PROPER DESCENDING TECHNIQUE

2009-07-13T13:01:00.003-10:00

Here is a great shot of Dave Zabriskie showing us his descending technique.

MORE FROM ASG - PINEAPPLE HILL ROAD RACE

2009-06-30T14:25:00.004-10:00

Having some fun at the starting line.

Pre-race brief.

And we're off.

At the front...temporarily.

ALOHA STATE GAMES - TOUR OF WAHIAWA

2009-06-29T05:33:00.010-10:00

This weekend, a few of us HACCers participated in the Aloha State Games - Tour of Wahiawa which consisted of a Time Trial and Crit on Saturday and a Road Race on Sunday. It was a great weekend of racing with three awesome races!

Getting things set up to race.

Ready to go!

Jeff ready to attack Kolekole!

Steve at the line, assisted by Bennie, while Casey waits for his turn.

Ben stylin' on his Transition...the look of SPEED!

John is ready to go!

At the top of Kolekole...that wasn't so bad!

Kelly reaches the top! Awesome!

Some of the HACC pose for a photo.

Everyone anxiously awaiting the results of the Time Trial.

HACC Daddy..."and the winner is..."!

COMMAND PICNIC

2009-06-14T19:20:00.012-10:00

On Friday, our command had a Command Picnic. It was fun...good food, friends, and lots of activities.

Goy and Breanna hamming it up.

Damien and the Merino twins in action.

He is The Warrior!

Damien ready to get wet.

He got it!

Sexy boy...like his Daddy!

Damien loved the dunk tank!

The Chiefs played the E-6 and below in a practice volley tournament. The real tournament is scheduled for next Friday.

Who is that sexy guy in yellow?

Ready for the action.

The junior guys played well. It was a great game.

AIEA HEIGHTS ON A 23

2009-06-04T14:16:00.002-10:00

This morning as I was getting ready for my bike commute to work, I noticed my rear tire was flat. I was in a hurry and need to get to work so threw on a different set of wheels. The wheels I took off had an 12-27 cassette and the other wheelset had a 12-23 cassette. No big deal for the commute and even for doing the AMR ride at lunch. However, when I met everyone for the lunch time ride the plan changed. Everyone wanted to ride up Aiea Heights Drive...first thing I thought was, this is going to hurt...and it did. The heat didn't help much either but I got through it and actually didn't do too bad.

JUMPING ON THE BANDWAGON

2009-06-02T08:13:00.003-10:00

Yes I'm jumping on the bandwagon. It looks like the thing to do is post stats for May...so here are mine.

MILES: 642
AVERAGE MPH: 17.07
MAX MPH: 44.90

All done on my Trek..."The Griffen" has been feeling neglected, may have to take her out for a spin one day.

MY BEST BUDDY IN THE WHOLE WORLD!

2009-05-22T20:49:00.005-10:00

Damien playing video game with Lucky.

Best buddies.

COFFEE RIDE

2009-05-22T16:20:00.008-10:00

On Tuesday a group of us met for a nice ride out to Kaimuki. Our first stop was in Waikiki for some coffee and a couple of photos. We then headed out to Kaimuki for a quick stop for a bite to eat. Along the way, John pointed out a hill that looked like it would be a pretty challenging climb...I'll have to check that out later. On the way back, we stopped at a cool little place called the Kalihi Bike Exchange. I had never seen this place and thought it was pretty cool. I'll have to drop off some old bike parts to them and see if they have anything for the fixed gear/single speed project I've been contemplating. We made it back in time for the HACC Hammerfest which was brutal as usual. After finishing up with my commute home, I ended up riding about 82 miles...on a Tuesday...not bad considering I was supposed to be at work.

We stopped for a pit stop and I noticed something...John, were you trying to tell us something? Just kidding!!!

ANOTHER LATE POST

2009-05-19T14:28:00.004-10:00

Forgot to post a picture of Damien after he FINALLY got a haircut about a week ago.

HACC BBQ - LATE POST

2009-05-18T14:30:00.004-10:00

Forgot to post this...last Tuesday HACC had a BBQ at Hickam Beach to say goodbye to some of our riders that are leaving in the next few months. We have a lot of families leaving the island and Kelly coordinated a great cookout to send them off.

BIKE TO WORK DAY

2009-05-16T10:09:00.007-10:00

Yesterday a group of us rode downtown to Tamarind Park for the Bike to Work Day festival. It was a beautiful day out and it was good to get some people out on the road that would probably not have made a trip like that had they not been with us.

As we got into town, we started seeing a few other cyclists.

Bike To Work Day 2009!

This is a bike they had set up with a blender that you could peddle to make smoothies.

Good riding by everyone today!

HACC SATURDAY RIDE

2009-05-02T22:03:00.005-10:00

Today I got up early and headed up to Schofiled to do the HACC Saturday ride. I haven't been on this ride in a LONG time...the only one other time I did it, I actually ended up taking a bus back to base because of a couple of flats.

Today was a beautiful day...the sun was out, no clouds...very nice. We had a pretty good group show up for the ride. John made a couple of comments about me being there...I think he was in shock!

We did the Kolekole climb, then headed towards North Shore and climbed Pupekea, and then it was a climb up Pineapple Hill. I felt good and would have liked to have done another Pineapple Hill climb but kept getting phone calls to come home so Steve Lindsey and I headed back to Schofield. Got in about 50 miles.

Awesome ride on an awesome day in Hawaii!

CARTOON FOR CYCLIST

2009-04-23T18:45:00.001-10:00

Check this out...

http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2008-01-22

OUCH!!!

2009-04-21T19:05:00.004-10:00

As a lot of you know, the HACC Hammerfest lunch time ride gets fast...and fast equals dangerous. However, speed is not what caused me to crash today...it was a little girl about 9 years old.

It went down like this...we were headed out on our usual Tuesday lunch time ride. As we were rounding the turn before the beach, I saw a little girl on her bike followed by a lady pulling a kid trailer behind her bike. I saw the little girl stand up and peddle hard as a couple in our group passed by her. As I got closer, I swung wide to ensure I was very far away from them. Just as I started to pass, the little girl stands up to peddle hard, her left foot slips off the peddle, she wobbles and swerves right into my path, and then she falls...right in front of me. I hit the brakes as hard as I could, locked it up, see my front wheel hit her or her bike (not sure), fly over her and her bike with my bike still attached to my feet, and land hard in the middle of the road. I took most of the fall with my right elbow, shoulder and right side. OUCH!!!

I laid there in the middle of the road for a second, not sure what just happened...then I remembered that I was lying the middle of the road in a turn. I jumped up, grabbed my bike, and made my way to the side of the road...already inspecting my bike for damage. I noticed the chain off but nothing serious so lean my bike against the wall and start assessing other damage...blood on elbow, pain in my side. Then a couple of other guys pull up and start asking me if I'm alright and helping me check things out. I truck drives by and offers a cell phone...no need. I can hear the little girl saying "I'm sorry" over and over. The lady comes over and asks me if I'm alright. I am, bike is, no problem. I ask her if the little girl is alright and she says that she is but she is very sorry. I tell her not to worry. She gets a couple of our thoughts about her and her kid riding in flip-flops and we are off riding again.

I do a couple of early turns to get back with the front group, take third in the sprint at the end, and call it a day. Jason hooks me up with some great bandaging before I head back to work...thanks Jason!

Ended up with a pretty scraped up elbow and a few on my back...bike was good, front wheel may need aligning...definitely could have been worse for me, the little girl, or my bike!!!

Best thing said today: "I am worried everyday by you getting hit by a car while riding to and from work and you ended up getting taken out by a little girl." - LT Fortino (my boss).

Here is a bit of the damage...

BUSY WEEKS - LOGGING THE MILES

2009-04-17T13:18:00.003-10:00

Last week and this week I was very busy at work conducting the command's Physical Fitness Assessment. Three days this week I was up at 0430 and out the door at 0500 to bike to work in time to start up the testing. Whew!!! I'm glad that's over. Yesterday I ended up getting in almost 60 miles of riding on a week day!!! I biked to and from work and did the HACC ride at lunch which turned into an extended ride when John took a few us over to Ford Island to check out a couple of courses for a race we are doing over there. Today I drove in so that I would feel like riding Saturday morning but it was so beautiful out today that I ended up going on a six mile run during lunch. One more PT test to do and I'm done for the week!

TANTALUS TIME TRIAL

2009-04-06T13:12:00.002-10:00

This past weekend I raced in the Tantalus Time Trial. This is one of my favorite races of the season. The race is about 5 miles long with about 1,400 feet of climbing...fun! We had great weather for the race. I improved my time over 2 minutes from last year. A few HACCers grouped up at the top for the descent which is always fun. I took a slight off-road detour when I saw a break in the trees and was checking out the view. I kept the bike up right and got it back on the road with no issues. Jeff A. told me later that I was headed right for a sign but pulled it back on the road just in time...whew! Fun morning!

BACK ON THE BIKE

2009-04-04T08:53:00.003-10:00

My first bike ride after my week off from our Georgia trip was three times up to Camp Smith. It went well and was good preparation for the Tantalus race this weekend. I was getting some chain slip when I stood or pedaled hard. I had taken off my crank/bottom bracket the day before and don't think I got it back on tight enough. I checked it out when I got home and everything seems to be o.k. now. Hopefully there will be no issues during the race tomorrow.

Last month I got in some pretty good miles despite being off the bike for a week and some bad weather.

Miles - 264.42
Average - 17.58 mph
Max - 44.0 mph

I am way behind in the commuter challenge. Maybe I need to do a couple of trips around the island to catch up!

MORE FROM GEORGIA

2009-04-01T13:57:00.013-10:00

Visiting with Dad.

Goy with Dad.

Visiting the farm.

Hanging with the cows.

Goy feeding the cows.

More cows.

Damien driving the tractor.

Damien and me on the four-wheeler...he was not too thrilled about this ride.

Giving Goy a ride. Check out the death grip Goy has on me!

Goy and friend.

Back to Dahlonega for more shopping.

Going home!!! Looks like Damien has had it with all the picture taking!

TRIP TO HELEN AND DAHLONEGA

2009-03-28T15:21:00.018-10:00

Entering Helen, Georgia.

At the Helen square.

Another shot from Helen.

Fun in Helen.

What a great looking couple.

Goy feeding Bob.

New best friends.

Goy cutting the cheese.

Windmill in Helen.

Damien and Goy in Helen.

Goy and me in Helen.

Panning for gems. Damien found something.

Keep looking.

After leaving Helen, we swung over to Dahlonega and got there just as the Celtic festival was wrapping up. A bagpipe band was still playing and we got there in time to visit the candle store Goy wanted to go to.

THE NEXT MRS. GEORGIA

2009-03-28T15:13:00.005-10:00

Mrs. Georgia 2009!!!

Mrs. Georgia, Mrs. Hawaii, or Mrs. Thailand...who knows?

Not sure who is the lucky one.

AT THE MALL OF GEORGIA

2009-03-28T14:39:00.010-10:00

Everybody lean to the right...now lean to the left.

Taking a break from all the shopping.

More from the Mall.

Check out the cool bunny ears I picked up...you can't find these at Pearl Ridge.

ON THE WAY TO GA

2009-03-27T04:44:00.004-10:00

DRUMMER BOY

2009-03-27T04:37:00.004-10:00

MORE PICS FROM THE TEAM TIME TRIAL PLUS RESULTS

2009-03-23T16:12:00.006-10:00

Here are some more pictures from the team time trial...plus I found out that we finished third in our category, so I scored my first medal since taking up racing.

Getting ready to roll!

And we're off!

Marianne and Linsey in action and striking a pose.

HAWAII STATE TEAM TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP

2009-03-22T19:45:00.009-10:00

Today the team participated in the Hawaii State Team Time Trial Championship near Kualoa Park. I woke up around 0530 and decided to go ahead and head out. I had packed up the truck the night before, so I was ready to roll. There were a lot of people already there when I got there and HACC had a great showing with four teams competing and all were mixed teams.

I rode with John Girmsey, Brian Denaro, and Linsey Cousins. All three are strong riders and I knew we would be a good team.

The aftermath...looks like a bomb was set off in the middle of a bunch of bicycles.

Lots of fun today!

The HACC family!

ST. PATRICK'S DAY 5K

2009-03-17T18:55:00.006-10:00

This morning a few of us met at Hickam Gym at 0545 to ride our bikes over to Ford Island for the 1st St. Patrick's Day 5K. It was a fun run with a good turn out. I saw lots of familiar faces!

Mike gives me an action photo.

Great crowd & great weather.

You can't beat a run on a beautiful Hawaii morning...we could have been at work!

John was warming up while I was taking pictures.

This was the best...this guy showed up "Braveheart" style...painted face, kilt and all!

SLEEPY HEAD

2009-03-17T18:40:00.007-10:00

Caught Damien passed out while watching t.v. last night.

My New Ride

2009-02-27T07:41:00.005-10:00

Well, it has been almost two weeks...so I guess I should post something about my new ride. This is a 2003 Trek 5900. This is the exact same bike Lance Armstrong used during parts of the 2002 and 2003 Tours de France. I picked it up from a guy here on the island on 16 February but haven't had time to post. Plus I had to do a major cleaning job on it that I still need to finish up this weekend. So far, I have already taken off and cleaned the chainrings, did some deep cleaning in almost all areas, cleaned and the replaced the cassette (changed to a 12-27, thanks John!), new bar tape, etc. It is starting to look pretty good. I rode it all this week and it is riding pretty good, just a few more areas to clean up and it will be good to go.

Mokuleia Time Trial

2009-02-22T19:39:00.003-10:00

This weekend I participated in the Mokuleia Time Trial, a 20K TT out and back. It was a good race with a pretty good turnout. The ride out was great but after the turn around, we were hit with a pretty good head wind.

Spotted a couple of familiar fellows warming up on some strange contraptions.

John saw a ghost but he didn't let it didn't phase his warm up one bit.

Steve and Bryant trying to see who has the better balance while Kelly looks on in amazement. Bryant looks to be having a little trouble.

Bryant gets it down...Jon doesn't seem to be too interested in Bryant's skills.

After the race with the Griffen!

MOMENTUM CRITERIUM #2

2009-02-08T16:13:00.029-10:00

Today was the second criterium put on by Momentum Multisport at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base, Hawaii. Since it was originally put out that Category 5 riders should sign up for the Cat 5 race, that is what I went with this time. I later found out that I could have done the Senior race since I scored points in the last crit, but I decided to go ahead and race the Cat 5 race. Since I was dragging Goy and Damien along with me, I showed up late and missed the Expert and Senior races. We got there just as the Womens race was starting.

It was a little windy for our race but still a nice day for racing and we had a pretty good size group for our race.

Here we are getting ready to start.

A group of 5 or 6 of us got out front early as the lead group.

I took a flyer off the front and opened up a pretty good gap.

I think I stayed away for about 3 or 4 laps.

Here is my #1 fan...but don't ask him, he'll tell you a different story.

I was doing great in the race and was set up for a top finish for sure until about 3 laps from the finish I noticed something going wrong. As I put pressure on my left crank, I noticed my foot was turning. I thought the tension in my pedals was allowing my cleat to slip, then I thought my pedal was coming out of the crank arm. When I looked down I saw what the problem was. I had broken the crank arm and I was bending it as I put pressure on it. Since I only had about one more lap to finish by the time I figured this out, I decided to go ahead and finish. So, I ended up pedaling about the last four laps with a broken crank arm and did the last lap basically one-legged. Despite all this, I didn't finish too far behind the lead group.

Here are some pictures of what my crank looked like after the race.

I did talk to a friend of mine who works at the store where I bought the bike and he said they will replace it since it looked like a manufacturer defect. I plan to take it by there tomorrow during lunch.

SCARRED!!!!

2009-02-02T19:37:00.007-10:00

This is Damien Neal from Ewa Beach....

and this is his SCARRED STORY!!!!

Damien and I went over to the skateboard park tonight after work for his first try on some ramps. He did pretty good but came home with a nice little boo boo on his knee. Here are some more shots of him in action.

Just another day in the life of a skater!

JANUARY STATS

2009-01-31T14:49:00.007-10:00

Didn't get to ride today due to my wife and her girlfriend having a garage sale at our house which I was roped into helping with.

Got in some pretty good ride time this month despite the weather we have had. I even put a few miles on the Griffen.

My riding stats for January...

Miles - 463.54 (745.99km)
Average MPH - 17.49 (28.15km)
Max MPH - 44.20 (71.13km)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-01-25T13:11:00.005-10:00

This weekend is the celebration of the Chinese New Year. We had to go to the Exchange today and they had the Chinese dragons performing there. It is believed that if you give the dragon money, you get good luck for the year. Here is Goy and Damien with the dragons.

In other weekend news, a peach-faced lovebird flew into our yard and landed on Goy's head yesterday. This is also suppose to be good luck. So we went over to the pet store and bought a cage and food for it...and named it George (as in Hincapie). Today Goy thought George was lonely, so we had to go back to the pet store and buy another bird.

MY WIFE ALMOST GETS PAID

2009-01-23T08:23:00.004-10:00

I had a pretty exciting commute into work this morning when a white van decided to change lanes and then make an immediate right hand turn right in front of me without signaling. I jammed on the brakes, slid sideways and then had to push off the van with my elbow to keep from plowing into the side of it. Sorry honey, maybe they'll get me next time!

Be on the lookout...should be easy to spot...right?

MOMENTUM MULTISPORT CRIT #1

2009-01-19T10:13:00.005-10:00

Yesterday we participated in the first race of the season. Momentum Multisport put on the first criterium in their four race series at Kaneohe MCBH. It was a nice day for racing and there was a pretty good turnout. HACC put on a good showing and took a few wins. Good job to everyone who participated!

Here I am in action! Looks like I should be at the Tour Down Under this week, huh?

LANCE TRAINS ON BIG ISLAND

2009-01-16T11:37:00.002-10:00

Video of LA doing some training on the big island.

http://video.bicycling.com/video/Lance-Trains-in-Kona

THE GRIFFEN GETS SOME LIVESTRONG

2009-01-11T18:54:00.003-10:00

Did some work on the Griffen today. Finally got the shifting dailed in and did a little creative taping. The Griffen now has its own Livestrong band. I should patent this idea!

Goy and Damien stop for a picture.

SATURDAY RIDE

2009-01-10T18:49:00.006-10:00

Got up this morning and headed out on the bike around 0700. Headed down Ft. Weaver and caught up with Ben, Dev, and John in Waipahu. Got in a good 30 mile ride. It was so nice out this morning and even a little cool in some spots. A couple of guys mentioned that I must have been tired when they saw this picture. I would like to set the record straight...I just had time to get a quick nap in while I was waiting on these guys...LOL!

Photo by Dev

END OF 2008, NEW YEAR UPDATE

2009-01-03T13:36:00.013-10:00

It was a good year. I met lots of great people and got in touch with many special friends from the past. I had a blast with HACC throughout the year, especially during the racing season. I participated in many cycling races that I had never done, including the 112 mile Dick Evan's Memorial race, and did the Honolulu Marathon again this year. I ended up finishing second in the Commuter Challenge with 4069 miles of riding for the year. Training has already started up for the 2009 season. Looking forward to some great riding in '09. See you all on the road!

Here is a pic from this morning, courtesy of Dev.

Here is my first try at doing a video on my Palm while riding. It is the final sprint I always do as I'm returning home after a ride. A little shaky...I'll have to work on that.

40 GOES FOR 50

2008-12-30T21:25:00.003-10:00

I couldn't let today go by without getting in a ride. If you can't ride on your birthday, when can you? Yes, today I hit the big four zero. So, I set out for a ride with no real plan for where I was headed. It was clear over towards Barbers Point and I could tell it was raining towards Pearl City. At the last minute I decided to take a chance and ride over for the HACC Hammerfest. As soon as I got half way down Ft. Weaver Road, I hit the rain and it was coming down hard. It rained on me all the way to Pearl Harbor. By the time I got to Hickam it had cleared up and I met a small group of HACCers for the lunchtime ride. The ride back wasn't bad and I got in about 50 miles. At least my ride wasn't as bad as this guy's.

YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY!!!

2008-12-27T19:55:00.007-10:00

Today I learned that if your wife sends you to the store to get something and you get the wrong thing, this means you don't pay attention to what you eat.

I also learned that there is a difference between broccoli and broccolini...about a $10.00 difference.

I was sent to the store to get broccoli and came home with broccolini. Broccolini costs over $13.00 for two heads...broccoli costs just over $3.00 for two heads.

So for those of you out there that don't know, here are a couple of pictures to clear it up.

This is broccolini...

This is broccoli...

My wife said this was the most expensive vegetable she has ever seen. Luckily the grocery store let me exchange what I bought. Don't make the same mistake I did...pay attention to what you eat!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-25T21:19:00.005-10:00

This year Christmas was done a little differently. We kept buying the kids gifts and then giving them to them before Christmas. They both wanted custom skateboards, so we took them to a skateboard shop to pick their own decks, trucks, wheels, etc. They ended up using them the same day. They both had other things they wanted but ended up getting early. Regardless, today they still had gifts to open and Damien was up bright and early. He didn't even wait for us to get out of bed before opening.

Breanna finally woke up a bit later to open her gifts.

We spent the rest of the day taking Goy's mom to lunch and then came home to relax. We took some pictures of our dogs (Lucky and Pokey).

Pokey is very protective of her bone.

She doesn't like anyone getting close to it...much less touching it.

DAMIEN'S CHRISTMAS SHOW

2008-12-19T19:34:00.009-10:00

Today Damien's school put on a Christmas show for the last day of school. Here are some pictures taken on his last day of school.

TUESDAY HAMMERFEST

2008-12-16T13:11:00.003-10:00

Went out for the HACC Hammerfest today to stretch the legs out and surprisingly felt pretty good. I rode by myself after deciding not to try to hang with the first group out and then hooked up with second group after the first turn around. Stayed with these guys until getting back to the main base. The first group slowed down and we were able to catch up. On the final stretch, I sat back and watched a few guys that were out in front. Jon came screaming by and a couple of guys jumped to pull him back. I watched everyone who jumped and hung on their wheel when they did. I realized that I was out front with Steve Steele and a couple of others. Steve started sprinting away from everyone and I hung right on his wheel until the end of the sprint. I'm not sure if it was skill, strategy, luck , or a combination of the three that enabled me to pull that off but I was surprised, especially since my legs were still sore from the marathon. Great ride and legs actually feel better!

MARATHON RESULTS

2008-12-15T09:35:00.003-10:00

I knocked out the Honolulu Marathon yesterday. I didn't quite make my goal of under four hours but finished with a pretty good time considering I didn't train at all for this run. My time was 4 hours, 22 minutes. I started out pretty good, despite the fact that it rained on us through most of the morning. Around mile 18, both my calves started to cramp. I believe it was from being cold during the rain and then warming up. I actually felt both of them pop when trying to run. I had to stop for a minute and stretch them out. Then I got back to running. After finishing, I got a massage and then headed home. When I got home, Goy wanted to go grocery shopping. I guess it was quite commical watching me trying to get around after running 26.2 miles. I was in some pain but, of course, Goy and Damien showed no sympathy...they pretty much made fun of me the whole time. I'm a little sore this morning, but not too bad.

CHRISTMAS PARTY

2008-12-12T07:28:00.004-10:00

Last night we had our command Christmas party at the Hickam Enlisted Club. The food was good and there was a hula show. We didn't stick around too late due to it being Thursday night and we had to get home and get the kids in bed and ready for school.

Goy and I at the party.

Our friends Mike and Pon.

2008 HONOLULU MARATHON - SIGNED UP!!!

2008-12-10T15:13:00.003-10:00

Well, I went ahead and signed up...despite lack of proper training/preparation. I guess I'll just gut it out and see how I do. My goal...FINISH (hopefully in under four hours)!!!

UPDATE

2008-12-02T12:59:00.003-10:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything, so I'll do a quick, one-shot catch up.

Thanksgiving went well. I did a 7 mile run before chowing down. The Friday after Thanksgiving I got up early to meet up for the HACC ride but was feeling lazy. I ended up sitting around and then going for a 30 mile ride later that day. Saturday and Sunday were uneventful. Saturday I got up again with plans to do the ride with HACC but was still feeling unmotivated. Not sure what was going on with me this weekend but at least I got in one run and one ride. We did get some shopping in too. Pretty much just a normal weekend with a little bit of laziness thrown in.

Today it was raining, so I drove in. It cleared up by lunch and I went over for the HACC Hamerfest. I had decided to go hard. I was up with the lead group as we came around for the cool down/sprint. I tried making a covert move off the front (Bryant taught me this move). Then I noticed a couple of guys making a move on my left. I jumped on their wheel and hung on. Just before the next to the last sign, I made a move and took the lead. I looked down and was hittng 32mph. The next thing I saw was Mauricio blowing by me. I held on to second! Ouch, that hurt!

BORN TO BE PHI CHI!

2008-11-24T05:16:00.002-10:00

Since I have been in touch with some of my friends from college, I thought I would post a little PHI CHI tribute photo. Some of us are "BORN TO BE PHI CHI!". Damien really liked my old fraternity jersey, especially since his name was on the back. Get some, like it!

BAD WEATHER

2008-11-22T12:21:00.003-10:00

Looks like no riding or running this weekend. Hawaii is currently under a flash flood watch and it has been raining all day. Maybe if it lightens up I will try to go for a run later.

LANA'S BACK

2008-11-21T12:29:00.006-10:00

It may or may not be well known...one of my guilty pleasures is the t.v. show Smallville (no comments from any of my Afghanistan shipmates). I guess the cat is out of the bag now. Well, last night Lana Lang returned to the show. This gives me something to use to get on my wife's nerves since she knows I have a schoolboy crush on Lana...she gets so jealous...I love it!

FORCAST - RAIN!

2008-11-20T16:13:00.002-10:00

I got up this morning and watched the news...they predicted heavy rain today, so I decided not to bike to work. I did throw my bike in the back of the truck just in case. Good thing because we had great weather for the lunch time ride and it wasn't even windy like the lunch time ride on Tuesday.

A HOT HAAC HILL DAY!

2008-11-14T05:28:00.005-10:00

Yesterday I went out on the HACC Thursday ride during lunch and it was hot!!! We did the AMR loops and on the second loop, I was hurting. I really had to push on the third loop. On the "race" back to base my legs were screaming. I kept up but was not up for launching anything. Good ride!

Photo by Dev.

SUNDAY RIDE

2008-11-09T12:11:00.006-10:00

Missed the Saturday ride. I really wanted to make this one. For one reason because it started in my neck of the woods and for another reason because it was a route I haven't done in a long time. My luck with Saturday rides hasn't been going too well...but I'll keep trying.

Luckily there was a ride down my way on Sunday. I headed out a little after 0630 and met up with the guys as they were coming down Kam Highway. It was a beautiful morning...great for cycling. We did the usually stop at the beach.

You just can't beat mornings at the beach in Hawaii. Check out those...waves.

The guys taking a break.

Good ride this morning. Only one minor incident towards the end of the ride with someone going down after a little tire rubbing. Oh the hazards of the paceline.

F'ING HAWAII DRIVERS!!!

2008-11-06T20:07:00.004-10:00

This morning on my commute to work I was treated to another reminder of why it is so dangerous to ride a bike in Hawaii. As I was ascending one of the climbs between home and work, I noticed that a car that had just passed me actually moved over into the shoulder I was riding in before stopping at a red light. It was obvious that he was trying to block me from riding by him...what an idiot.

I really hate people that think they own the road because they are in a car and that this gives them a right to harrass people of bikes. Ever hear of "SHARE THE ROAD"? Cyclists have just as much right to be on the road as anyone else and whenever I get a chance to get in front of these idiots, I always ride in the middle of the lane so they can't pass. I also believe cyclist have more right on the road than people in cars. I have hit every little bump in the road between Ewa Beach and Pearl Harbor probably more than 1,000 times and have the saddle sores to prove it. I could probably do that ride with my eyes closed. I have earned the right to be on that road!

Anyway, back to the story...when I saw the guy blocking my path, I did a quick bunny hop up on the curb and passed by him (still going up hill I'd like to point out). As I go by him, I couldn't resist looking over my shoulder and giving him "THE LOOK". If you don't know about "THE LOOK", then you can check it here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7THIhZEP4QM).

Thanks to all the drivers that do look out for cyclists...I have actually seen a lot of them lately too. To those that don't...stand by, you'll get "THE LOOK" one day for sure.

TRICK OR TREAT

2008-11-04T05:42:00.002-10:00

This year Damien wanted to wear the Scream ghost costume. I'm not sure where he got the idea for this one. He is into so many different characters so I thought it was funny that that he chose this costume. This year he went out with Breanna and her friends again. When he came home he was beat and said next year he wanted to go with me. Goy and I stayed home and passed out candy. It was fun to see all the different costumes. We didn't dress up but everyone at work had to get their digs in on me and asked what I was going to be for Halloween...Captain America (their nickname for me) or Lance Armstrong. They love to give me a hard time.

TUESDAY HACC RIDE - GUEST RIDER

2008-10-29T15:48:00.007-10:00

Hawaii's own pro triathlete Tim Marr joined us for the HACC Hammerfest yesterday and of course it was FAST!

I hooked up with the big dogs on the ride back and took the sprint to the speed limit sign...but sadly it was uncontested.

LOOK OUT! YOU AIN'T SEEN FAST!!!

2008-10-26T14:32:00.005-10:00

We had rainy weather all weekend...sooooo...somebody had some time to do some bike work! Finally finished building the Griffen that Gil Loomis gave me. Check it out.

Who needs "Transition" when ya got a Griffen?

It was fun doing the build. I think I got the whole thing done for just under $800. It took a while and was a real learning process. I still need to fine tune the shifting and get the fit right but I took it out for a spin around the neighborhood and it is fun to ride. Thanks to Gil and to everyone who provided their expert advice along the way.

KOLEKOLE SOLO - WET & COLD

2008-10-18T11:11:00.004-10:00

This morning I got up around 0530 and decided to head out for a ride. The plan was to start riding and see who I bumped into along the way. After a stop in Kunia, I continued on. I ended up going all the way up Kolekole alone. I saw one other rider along the way and a few runners, but no one I knew. It was wet and I got rained on a few times on the way to Schofield. When I got to the top of Kolekole it started coming down and I was actually feeling cold. I threw on arm warmers and headed down Kolekole. It poured on me all the way out Schofield and part of the way down Kunia Road. Got home just before 0900 and gave my bike a good cleaning. Then got myself cleaned up. Goy didn't have any plans, so I got in a good after ride nap. Not a bad Saturday so far.

HILLS WITH HACC

2008-10-16T18:31:00.002-10:00

Did the "Hills with HACC" Thursday lunch time ride. There were only a few of us riding today but it was a good ride.

My plan today was to see how close to the front I could stay. So, I stayed behind HACC Daddy on the way into AMR and stayed with him as long as I could. For the rest of the three loops around AMR, Jon L., Brandon, Gil and I were swaping places throughout the ride. It seemed like they were taking me on the ascents but I was taking the lead on the descents. It was fun going back and forth with those guys throughout the ride.

The way back to Hickam was fast. I got on Gil's wheel through Pearl Harbor until Jon L. and John G. came flying by. I gave chase. It was sprint after sprint all the way to Hickam. Another good ride.

Looking forward to getting back into the routine next week. With two days off last week and this week being a short week, I ended up taking two weeks off from commuting to work by bike. I will start back up next week.

DEMRR VIDEO

2008-10-16T08:42:00.001-10:00

Here is a link to video coverage of the Dick Evan's Memorial Road Race.

http://www.vimeo.com/1967806

I FINALLY GET TO RIDE - TUESDAY HAMMERFEST

2008-10-15T12:37:00.006-10:00

Dev said it well...on the Tuesday Hammerfest with HACC you can either chase, be chased, or hang on for dear life.

Yesterday was my first ride since last Tuesday's Hammerfest. At least this week I got there in time and was not playing catch up the whole ride.

My goal was to hang in the back and see what happened and then try to tag along with the guys in front. Some how I got ahead of everyone and couldn't seem to drop back enough to get behind them. So, as we turned on the main drag out to the beach, I slowed down and waited. I saw the first group go by and jumped on. I was hanging on pretty good until we got out by beach. I started dropping back a bit but then got a couple of little pushes from behind and got back on the wheel. We kept a pretty good pace until Steve took the lead and dropped the hammer. I couldn't hang on.

On the way back I hooked up with Jeff S., Lindsey and Brandon and made it back in one piece. Everyone broke off and went their own ways so I kept going out to do the final leg alone.

On the way back around I spotted John, Bennie, and Gil. I cruised up next to them and we started heading back. Suddenly, Bennie jumps. I waited to see what would come next. John takes off after him and I follow. I took them at the sign and we slowed down. Then here comes Gil performing one of his signature short cut moves and he almost loses it on the wet pavement.

Good Ride!

A WEEKEND OF RIDING...NOT!

2008-10-12T22:03:00.006-10:00

Well, I took Thursday and Friday off from work. With Monday off also, I have had a very long weekend. You would think that I would have gotten in some great riding, but I haven't riden since the Tuesday lunch time HACC ride.

Saturday I had planned to get up early and do a ride, but Goy was doing an all night card game with her girlfriends so I had to take care of the kids.

Sunday I was going to try to do a ride but Goy had plans to get up early and hit the road for a day out. She wanted to get her hair done, so we went down and ate at China Town. While she was getting her hair done, Damien and I hit The Bike Shop, IT&B, and The Bike Factory. I couldn't find a thing to buy...believe that?

Tomorrow I am going to try to go on the HACC ride over Tantalus with lunch at The Yard House. We'll see how that goes.

I did get a lot of work done on the Griffen and other than a few minor things, she is almost ready to hit the road.

The only other excitement this weekend was watching the Vuelta A Espana and the Paris Tours race on Versus.

little bitin' doggy

2008-10-05T19:41:00.003-10:00

LANCE PRESS CONFERENCE

2008-09-30T15:53:00.004-10:00

Here is a link to the press conference (video, podcast, or transcript - pick your poison) with Lance Armstrong at the Clinton Global Initiative. Interesting question and answer session.

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=3003

STRANDED - LESSONS LEARNED

2008-09-27T18:14:00.008-10:00

Today I did the HACC Saturday ride for the first time. I'm not sure why I have never made it out to this ride, but I'm glad I finally did. The ride started out with a climb up Kolekole Pass. After regrouping, we headed out towards Dillingham Field.

We did a quick stop to refill water bottles then some of us headed over to climb Pupekea (my first time climbing this road...thought it would never end). We decended Pupekea and did another bottle refill at Sunset Beach and then headed back toward Schofield. On the next climb, I popped a flat. John and Jeff stopped to lend a hand. We got back on the road and I noticed that my tire was still a little low. So, I stopped to pop another CO2. As soon as I started putting air in, I heard a loud pop. I looked down and saw that the exploding tube had caused a rip in the sidewall of my tire...NUTS! The other guys didn't realize I had stopped, so I was stuck.

Luckily, I had stopped at a bus stop and the bus soon showed up. I racked my bike and jumped on. We passed the group just as they were finishing up the Pineapple Hill climb. I had to change busses in Wahiawa and finally made it back to Schofield. I packed everything up and headed home.

On the way home, John called. I told him to call off the search. Ben called and told me John was looking for me. Thanks to everyone who helped out today!!! Sorry I couldn't call and let you know I had made it back. Lesson learned: Put some phone numbers of the people I ride with in my cell phone!

CATCHING UP

2008-09-27T18:09:00.003-10:00

Need to do a little catch up post. A couple of weeks ago, Damien had to do a project for school showing his family timeline. He and I worked on this for about four hours. Here is what we came up with.

OUCH!

2008-09-23T18:27:00.003-10:00

It has been a busy month. We got the results from the Chief board so I was busy with the new Chiefs all month. I was the Fitness Coordinator for all the new Chiefs in the area and I was chosen as a Sponsor for one new Chief. We finally wrapped everything up on 16 September. This week I rolled right into coordinating the PT test for our command and will be doing that for the next two weeks. To top it off, I caught a cold while camping out with the new Chiefs on their last night as First Classess.

Today I finally got back out for a Tuesday lunch time ride and it hurt. I thought I was on the down slide with this cold but soon found out I wasn't and it kicked my butt. I could not breathe and was continuously having to clear my nose. It sucked! I just could not get moving. I got a little help on the way out for the first loop but fell behind. I ended up time trialing it for the second loop and the return to base. Tough ride with no sprint at the end. I finally went and talked to our Corpsman this afternoon and got some meds. Hopefully I will be cleared up by Thursday for the lunch time ride.

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH

2008-09-11T14:59:00.003-10:00

Here it is...straight from Lance himself.

http://www.livestrong.com/lance2009/

The Vanity Fair article

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/09/armstrong200809?curre

MORE ON LANCE

2008-09-09T15:22:00.004-10:00

An update to my last post on Lance Armstrong coming out of retirement...looks like the rumors were true. Here is another article on the subject.

http://news.aol.com/article/armstrong-coming-out-of-retirement-for/167827?icid=100214839x1209029631x1200509309

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK

2008-09-08T20:22:00.006-10:00

If there are any other Lance Fans out there, you need to read this...

http://www.velonews.com/article/82892/sources-lance-armstrong-coming-back?loc=interstitialskip

DICK EVANS MEMORIAL ROAD RACE

2008-09-01T14:45:00.005-10:00

Yesterday I participated in the Dick Evans Memorial Road Race. This is a 112 mile bike race that was once called the "Around O'ahu Bike Race" and was the inspiration for the first Ironman Triathlon back in 1978. It was renamed the Dick Evan Memorial Road Race in 1983 to honor the memory of one of Hawaii's best cyclists who was killed while training on his bike.

The race was fun but grueling. At the start we got rained on pretty good and it was wet for a good portion of the race. The race was controlled until we got to Kunia Road and then it was opened up for racing. This is also where we had our first crash. Other notable occurances on Kunia Road...ran into some familiar faces going the other direction (Ben, Dev, and Brandon).

It was a good race, won by The Bike Factory's Carl Brooks. I finished in just over 6 hours which I think is pretty good for my first race of this distance and I did the entire race without stopping.

NOT THE ONLY ONE WORKING OUT

2008-08-22T17:53:00.005-10:00

Looks like the workout bug is catching on at home. Last night I caught Goy and Damien doing some sit ups.

I've still got some work to do with others.

LEIPHEIMER TAKES BRONZE

2008-08-13T12:39:00.004-10:00

Congrats to Levi Leipheimer for taking the Bronze in the Olympic Time Trial.

In my own cycling news, started my trips up Kunia Road on the way home on Monday. Man, it was hot but got in some good training. Also got in a good ride plus run brick today.

NO CYCLING WEEKEND

2008-08-10T20:19:00.002-10:00

I decided to take a break from riding this weekend. Shoot, I haven't even taken my bike out of my truck from bringing it home on Friday. I had planned to give it a cleaning this weekend and didn't even do that.

I took a look at some blogs today and see that I missed some good rides. Oh, well. I needed a break and spent the weekend watching Olympics. I caught the men's road race, won by Sammy Sanchez.

This next week I'm going to try to get in some extra miles before and after work to get ready for Dick Evans. I want to try to work in a ride up Kunia road every day, either before or after work.

DOG SITTING

2008-08-04T20:13:00.003-10:00

For the next couple of weeks we are dog sitting for one of Goy's friends. Here is Damien with our guest...Lucky.

PERFECT DAY TO RIDE!

2008-08-02T17:42:00.006-10:00

Today's weather was perfect for riding! Hooked up with Ben, Dev, and Brandon in Kunia for a ride up to Schofield and then back down through Barbers Point. There were a lot of riders out this morning. It looked like everyone had the same idea. Later Brandon left and Greg hooked up with us. Great ride!

Pics by Shane T. and Dev.

MAKING UP THE MILES

2008-07-25T19:47:00.002-10:00

Well, I had to drive in a couple of days this week so I missed out on some miles on the bike...plus I missed the Thursday lunch time ride. I had to do a couple of "Make Up The Miles" sessions. Yesterday after work I took a ride out to the tower before riding home. I heard a rattle and realized my cassette was loose so stopped at The Bike Shop to have them put a thicker spacer on and tighten it up. This morning I headed out early and did a trip over to AMR for one trip around (didn't have time for more than that). Again I noticed that there was a rattling. So, on the way home I stopped by The Bike Shop again and Mel fixed it up. Finally got my last box of bike parts in for The Griffen.

Chain: $12.79
Brakes: $23.99
Skewers: $10.39
Shipping: $17.00

Total: $729.34. This is just about it. Only a couple of small things to pick up now.

13.14 MILES

2008-07-20T21:04:00.003-10:00

After a hard day of taking Goy and Damien around town shopping, I finally got to my Sunday run. I started out some time after 6:00 p.m. The run felt good and I was keeping it around mid 8 minute miles until around mile 10 where I kicked it up to mid 6 minute miles for a while. Finished up some time around 8:00 with 13.14 miles. My own little Sunday half marathon.

ANOTHER BEN PLANS ANOTHER GREAT RIDE

2008-07-19T14:16:00.005-10:00

This morning I headed out around 0530 and met up with Ben S., Casey, Dev, and Jeff S. Ben had planned a trip up Kolekole Pass which worked out great for me since I could meet them on Kunia Road. It was a great ride to a location I haven't ridden yet. On the way back, Casey took a flyer. I was lucky enough to get behind a truck pulling a big horse trailer allowing me to catch up and then pass Casey. Casey then caught me on the next hill and he and I continued to hammer it to Kunia. What a great ride today!

Got home just as Damien was getting up. Took a shower, got some breakfast, and then he and I hit the road for a boy's day out and about.

Now time to do some bike cleaning and work on the Griffen. Got a few parts in the mail recently. Here is an update...

Handle bars w/shipping: $115.50. Also came with an extra set of brake levers.

Bottom bracket w/shipping: $46.01. To replace the wrong one I got with the crank set I bought.

Update on build total: $665.17

Almost there. Waiting on a shipment from Nashbar. Then all I need to do is pick up some brake cables and I'm good to go!

BEN'S ALOHA FRIDAY RIDE

2008-07-18T20:05:00.011-10:00

Today Ben Abney put together an Aloha Friday ride. We all met at the gym at 1330 and decided we would do a trip down to Ko'Olina and back. Riders on this trip were Ben, Dev, Jeff Adkins, and myself. We started the trip on my usual commute route from Pearl Harbor, through Pearl City and Waipahu. Then we headed out towards Ko'Olina. We hit this part of the trip with Jeff pulling us at some pretty good speeds. I heard a familiar noise and realized Dev had popped a flat. I yelled to the others and we pulled over at the waterpark to fix it. Our next stop was Ko'Olina where we stopped and took in some sites at the beach. Then we headed over to White Plains beach for some more beach site seeing.

Here is a picture of our "break away". Talk about an action shot!

You can see that we obeyed all traffic laws and speed limits (check the speed sign and speed radar).

Our stop at Ko'Olina.

And our stop at White Plains...

Honey, I swear I'm only stretching my leg...I'm not looking at anything!

Oops, guess I've been stretching that leg a little too long!

Great idea Ben! Great trip! Photos by Jeff.

THE COBRA GETS BIT

2008-07-17T16:39:00.003-10:00

Riccardo Ricco goes down for doping and his team Saunier Duval pulls out of The Tour. When are these guys going to get a clue? So much for "The Cobra"! I didn't like him anyway.

THE HAUTACAM INSPIRES A LITTLE HILL CLIMB

2008-07-15T15:05:00.007-10:00

Watching the guys climb Hautacam last night must have inspired me this morning. I got up and headed out on the bike early this morning. As I got by the stadium, I noticed that I had plenty of time before I needed to be at work. So, I took a ride to the top of the Camp Smith. Coming down at 40+ was better than a cup of coffe for getting me pumped up for the day.

At lunch, I did the Hickam Hammerfest. Stayed at or near the front for the whole ride. Did some paceline training with Ben A. and Dev. Then the fun began. Ben S. and Ben A. started talking about the plan for the finish. I was given the go ahead from Ben S. to take the sprint. He warned me to watch for Dev. Soon after we rounded the last corner, I saw Dev going for it. In the excitement, I took off after him. He and I were in an all out sprint together. It was great! Then we both died. I quickly realized I had pulled the ultimately rookie move by countering his attack too early. I should have stayed with the other three guys that were leading out until we were closer to the finish. Man, you can learn something everyday with this group. Too much fun today!

STARTING THE WEEK OUT RIGHT

2008-07-14T15:46:00.004-10:00

This morning I got out of the house a little early and decided to get in a few miles on top of my 13 mile commute. So, after getting to Pearl Harbor I headed over to Hickam for the ride out to the tower and back. I pushed it pretty good and got in a good 25 mile ride before work. My plan is to ramp things up a bit and may do a trip up Camp Smith on the way home.

Griffen update: All parts in or on order. All I need is to pick up some cables and then the build begins. More detailed update coming soon!

In Tour news, my wife's "new man" took yellow today. She picks "her men" when they show her they are tough. Last year it was Vinokourov after he crashed and then took the stage the next day. Then he was busted for doping, hope this isn't an omen. I recorded it on DVR and can't wait to get home and watch the action with her.

HAWAII STATE CRIT

2008-07-14T13:24:00.011-10:00

Sunday I did the Hawaii State Criterium. This race was put on by HACC and Momentum Multisport. It was a good day of racing and there was some exciting action. Take a look at the photo finish in the women's race. Shannon Cutting edges out another racer for the win.

My race, the 4/5 category, had the largest number of racers. It all started off with a big bang from a little cannon that was shot off. This was an exciting race. I narrowly averted a crash when someone in our pace line slid during one of the turns. Another rider had to go off road but stayed upright. I end up 4th in my age group. I believe I'm getting better at this but still have some learning to do.

The big dogs did their thing at the front.

The rest of us did our's a little ways back with visions of the lead group dancing in our heads.

I spent the end of the race working with Lindsey, which was a big help.

Wow! Steve shows us what he's made of! What determination!

BUSY WEEK

2008-07-12T07:36:00.003-10:00

With my XO and the Senior Chief I work with on leave, it has been crazy at work. I have enjoyed the ramped up pace, though. It has been more like being on a boat. This shore duty has been a little too laid back at times, but that has been good for riding, running, swimming, etc. I did manage to keep up with my riding by commuting in every day this week but one. It is about a 13 mile trip one way so I got in a few pretty good rides this week and one run. I didn't make it to the Thursday HACC ride which was a bummer.

Thankfully the Tour de France started this past week. This is the time of year all us cyclist wait for. The Versus channel has been showing The Tour all day, every day which has been great. I can always turn on the t.v. and catch some great cycling. So far it has been a great race and looks like it could be anyone's for the taking. VIVA LE TOUR!

THE RIDE AROUND THE ISLAND

2008-07-04T09:59:00.014-10:00

Yesterday a group of us met at Hickam Gym at 0600 for a ride around the island. The ride was planned due to Scott Kimsey's upcoming move from Hawaii. However, changes came up and Scott found out he wasn't leaving and he wouldn't be able to ride either. Regardless, a group of 13 of us rolled out for our "ride around Hawaii". Some planned to do part of the trip and the really crazy of us were set out for the whole thing. It was a great ride and Scott even ended up meeting us later on the road.

We had our first and only flat within the first 10 miles, not bad.

Dev snaps some shots while Jeff fuels up.

There was some great scenerary along the way.

It was a great trip. The only other incident was a crash that took out a couple of riders. The heat was extreme, especially when we got to the dreaded Pineapple Hill climb at about mile 90 with temperatures in the 90's. This part of the trip was a bit rough for me due to the heat and I believe a little poor nutrition planning. John and I ended up finishing the ride up together after my stop for some food and recovery. Thanks to John for sticking with me. When we got back to Hickam we saw Scott who said the other group had gotten there only about five minutes ahead of us. We ended up riding 120 miles in about 7 hours!

A TRIP TO MOMENTUM AND A MOMENTOUS TRIP

2008-07-02T21:06:00.007-10:00

Drove down to Momentum today and couldn't help picking up a couple of things. One of my bottle cages broke and the other isn't holding well...good excuses to buy some new ones. And I had to pick up a new water bottle to go with them.

Tomorrow we are meeting at 0600 for a clockwise ride around the island on the bikes...about 112 miles. Should be a blast. Here is a copy of the route I pulled off Dev's blog. According to Dev, this is the same route as the original Ironman Triathlon back in 1978. Interesting.

LANDIS LOSES THE BATTLE

2008-06-30T21:28:00.004-10:00

The word came out today that Floyd Landis will not retain his yellow jersey from the 2006 Tour de France. A board of arbitrition concluded that even though the drug tests were not up to stadards, they were to be upheld. Still no word if Floyd plans a comeback after his two year suspension which will be up in January 2009.

HAWAII STATE ROAD RACE

2008-06-30T19:44:00.017-10:00

Sunday I did the Hawaii State Road Race Championship. This was one of the most fun races I have done this season, even though it was a tough race and it was very hot and humid. The race was about 42 miles with 3200 feet of climbing. The ascent was a tough climb up Pineapple Hill and the descent was fast...times THREE! I lost a water bottle on the first descent and thought I was done for because I didn't bring any extras...thank goodness someone else had brought some extras, what a life saver. I got a cramp in my right quad on the last ascent but toughed it out until the end with some help from Jeff Adkins...thanks Jeff, I owe you one!

At the starting line.

And at the finish line.

HACC Daddy breaks out a pro move!

Thanks to Rolly Bicaldo for sharing the great photos!

SOME MORE BEACH PHOTOS

2008-06-27T20:29:00.005-10:00

Me with my beautiful wife (yes, getting in some "good husband" points)

Breanna with her Mommy

Eat your heart out Hollywood...here are a couple of Ewa Beach Superstars!

COMMAND PICNIC AT THE BEACH

2008-06-27T20:19:00.006-10:00

Today my command had a picnic at Honeymoon Beach on Hickam Airforce Base. Damien had a blast playing with Mike and Pon's boys and sitting in the dunking booth.

HICKAM CRITERIUM PART 2

2008-06-23T14:52:00.007-10:00

Here are some more pictures from the crit.

Other photos taken by fellow HACCer, John Laurion can be viewed here...
http://picasaweb.google.com/jonlaurion/HACCCriterium

In other news, Versus has started up a new website for the upcoming Tour de France...
http://www.takebackthetour.com/

Did you see Frank Schleck's crash in the Tour de Suisse? Ouch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbyc0gFvsEI&feature=related

and in slow mo...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4wynjBatxo&feature=related