tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215456842024-03-07T10:59:24.350-08:00Book of things that "are not"This Blog is dedicated to all the things that "are not".
We will attempt to list all things (known and unknown) that "are not".
There are many things that "are not" so this could take quite some time. Please feel free to submit anything that you feel "is not" and we will attempt to evaluate whether it truly "is not" or...um not so not.Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.comBlogger235125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-56126663523868907722009-05-29T16:19:00.000-07:002009-05-29T16:23:55.873-07:0024 Hour Racing for a causeSorry for the lack of postage, but looks like blogger may still have a usefulness.<br /><br />We need your help!<br /><br />Some of you may know that my <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243637343_1">cycling team</span> is sending an Ace MTB team to the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243637343_2">24 Hours of Adrenalin</span> at <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243637343_3">Laguna Seca</span> where we plan to do some serious racing and defend our top step on the podium from last year.<br />In addition to racing hard, I will also personally be racing to support the foundation that my wife and I started up and are working to get up and running.<br />To date we have invested our own money, that being said start up is slow as we do not have a huge surplus of personal money to put into it at the moment, and we need help to get things underway.<br /><br />The foundation's purpose is to assist <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243637343_4">families with disabled children</span> like our son with education of how to navigate government services, advocacy and how to be an advocate for their child, acquisition of <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243637343_5">adaptive equipment</span> through donations, and building a network of preferred service providers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuj3cPLBPfmmAA3anLd3bSbmEdXCIv9nH-1xdpsPOvOPC_0-RpRbqVEKRB7Cgrd-lVkkam_wTgrBZSb6UUyauHvBQO44ALgvQQn30oKKBAFdieb4cWJG5JAZSLUU1bgBtNKpO/s1600-h/100_1316.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuj3cPLBPfmmAA3anLd3bSbmEdXCIv9nH-1xdpsPOvOPC_0-RpRbqVEKRB7Cgrd-lVkkam_wTgrBZSb6UUyauHvBQO44ALgvQQn30oKKBAFdieb4cWJG5JAZSLUU1bgBtNKpO/s320/100_1316.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341390356734971266" border="0" /></a><br />To aid in this process I have set up an Active donation site specifically for this event and hope that those who can contribute will partner with me in getting the foundation off the ground so that we can reach the families and children who need our help.<br />I have also invited our other 24 Hour Team members to join me in not just racing for ourselves and sponsors, but also for a greater good.<br /><br />The donation website is:<br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.active.com/donate/InfoVista24hour">http://www.active. com/donate/ InfoVista24hour</a><br /><div><br />Please feel free to spread the word and most certainly to anyone you may know that has a child with special needs.<br />Thank you for reading and considering, it means a lot to us to see this work get underway.<br /><br /></div>Ron and Theresa Castia<br />Special Needs Family Resource Foundation<br /><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243637343_6">925-337-1219</span>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-41805707780227558642009-01-03T19:38:00.000-08:002009-01-03T19:41:10.594-08:00Yeah, it's kind of like this....<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcKbZGOlPJc"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DcKbZGOlPJc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DcKbZGOlPJc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></a>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-10654459086332665812009-01-01T21:46:00.000-08:002009-01-01T21:48:43.938-08:00Training with a planThe first week of pain.<div>Big gear, seated power work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ouch!</div><div><br /></div><div>On the fun side I have been using our Wii Fit for some cross training and core work.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's fun and a nice change.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy New Year!!!!!!</div><div><br /></div>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-72263830054527269492008-12-14T15:27:00.000-08:002008-12-14T16:04:41.691-08:00Big 40We celebrated my 40th birthday last night...a week early, but what is a couple days after 40 years? (How the hell did that happen?)<br /><br />T had a few surprises, lots of photos from our early years<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kIMErCr4buRyY3yezaaushPkZrb2KKNZ0udI_iANIyXAyGTQPuDBYLZlWye2VpXYkvOdc-1zgS_PTNB4Mqerdbva22emCS0msaQXq9_MgJTEF24xHvk_ItlIMuF-FXYAyWsO/s1600-h/Ts+sen+photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kIMErCr4buRyY3yezaaushPkZrb2KKNZ0udI_iANIyXAyGTQPuDBYLZlWye2VpXYkvOdc-1zgS_PTNB4Mqerdbva22emCS0msaQXq9_MgJTEF24xHvk_ItlIMuF-FXYAyWsO/s320/Ts+sen+photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279798031166263074" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1At4sqV4kV7wdvQC6vTC4-UjPee3-rz4FJsy6S77CuMFE5bZQzb_1jJ5yn00ND8AYfbYwjGtjLoGcZbznizS3kDfb1-Mb7G2clkfhbQ5J2pcCTqgOerLb-ERHZavn2dlcr_i/s1600-h/Ron+sen+photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1At4sqV4kV7wdvQC6vTC4-UjPee3-rz4FJsy6S77CuMFE5bZQzb_1jJ5yn00ND8AYfbYwjGtjLoGcZbznizS3kDfb1-Mb7G2clkfhbQ5J2pcCTqgOerLb-ERHZavn2dlcr_i/s320/Ron+sen+photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279797859819738770" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGoM9Jgvbdep7TfTRZw6WIlFEiPM6kbdLD7X4edMuZGkCwKChdehxHR4AZyXE_ux9udbQakIo96N3x1eZS1WIT9kpiRJd_j8yTB8tGEjvwT_1jAp_-ygwuO82UaIdAN0o7MNX/s1600-h/Ron+and+Matt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGoM9Jgvbdep7TfTRZw6WIlFEiPM6kbdLD7X4edMuZGkCwKChdehxHR4AZyXE_ux9udbQakIo96N3x1eZS1WIT9kpiRJd_j8yTB8tGEjvwT_1jAp_-ygwuO82UaIdAN0o7MNX/s320/Ron+and+Matt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279798274245597586" border="0" /></a><br />good friends, and some live music from our friend Fariba.<br /><br />T even invited an old friend who I have not seen in 17 years and was the best man at our wedding.<br />That was cool, he is still the mellowest and nicest guy around. Now a CHP in Modesto, if you are speeding and get pulled over, hope that you get Tom. Exude come positive energy and he'll probably let you off with a warning, that's just how he rolls.<br /><br />The Cheetham and Parson families made it over, always good times when those two crews are around.<br /><br />Lot's of wine was received as presents, and T picked me up a nice Ipod Shuffle with my named etched on it and the H.F.U. monicker.<br /><br />I have been having a blast loading it up with some ass kickin music from the day. MSG, Chillipeppers, Dixie Dreggs, Steve Morse, Accept, Dokken, Ratt(only 1 song), B.O.C. doing Godzilla live (sweet!), Diamond Dave with Steve Vai, and classic called Hot Rod Lincoln.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oTQ2EIcROVrOfQ0r_Y1Q-ATf1GoGxXtJSlSb7T6TVDYXxuaLhZU5VYKkgiI2mhFFsWcizzMydFgB5yYKrv9YKPgRiKtguy-ID1FT8sIAtFp-23DMsm7EXC1nKYQQ9PenFbeW/s1600-h/stevemorse_PrimeCuts.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oTQ2EIcROVrOfQ0r_Y1Q-ATf1GoGxXtJSlSb7T6TVDYXxuaLhZU5VYKkgiI2mhFFsWcizzMydFgB5yYKrv9YKPgRiKtguy-ID1FT8sIAtFp-23DMsm7EXC1nKYQQ9PenFbeW/s320/stevemorse_PrimeCuts.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279799956257409906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGd_JmfV9hk72HYfZ6gg4gXY7L1bCxlV4xgM_15EcRMT2ZLkU3rPG4oqvMPyk7Ch1DzijJrNuKOZe1fwOxio2aLiIi9l9o3Uu4H8VnBdqFVLK_KD_tPZhW_pz03SG5-Ri1Jgx/s1600-h/David+Lee+Roth+-+Eat+Em+And+Smile.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGd_JmfV9hk72HYfZ6gg4gXY7L1bCxlV4xgM_15EcRMT2ZLkU3rPG4oqvMPyk7Ch1DzijJrNuKOZe1fwOxio2aLiIi9l9o3Uu4H8VnBdqFVLK_KD_tPZhW_pz03SG5-Ri1Jgx/s320/David+Lee+Roth+-+Eat+Em+And+Smile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279800525408908514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16l3zccQjsPhyphenhyphenvpHtsHPpizyMJBiDduLVTm6oIJGby9ZAz1TiQTxepl8wJD2RRZlGW8p7HGsw1Fj2maE1EgqUaWztY2B8yOSliQMe1EbDxyeA0-H9XAypl6qT5yMitndYy-Rm/s1600-h/Steve+Vai.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16l3zccQjsPhyphenhyphenvpHtsHPpizyMJBiDduLVTm6oIJGby9ZAz1TiQTxepl8wJD2RRZlGW8p7HGsw1Fj2maE1EgqUaWztY2B8yOSliQMe1EbDxyeA0-H9XAypl6qT5yMitndYy-Rm/s320/Steve+Vai.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279799144277269538" border="0" /></a>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-60598793581150817992008-12-07T18:51:00.000-08:002008-12-07T19:11:04.010-08:00DeceptionI am always curious about the motivation and rational behind a compulsive liar.<br />I am blown away by the gall some have when telling a lie that can so easily be found out with nothing more than a simple phone call.<br />Or a lie told that is so contrary to the circumstances that there is virtually no possible way it could be true unless it existed in some alternate universe or reality.<br /><br />I do think that some times individuals are so driven to achieve a particular goal that they will manufacturer scenarios that they might later use to give a lie some prospect of credibility. Or at least give their lie just enough vale that it has certain possibilities. The recipient may be inclined to think or say "yeah, I could see how that can happen".<br /><br />Whether artfully done, or blatant, and regardless of the motivation, I tend to believe that lying is the lowest and most disgusting human trait I can think of.<br />It's a little bit worthy.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoerKjOFfIL68PIqU78_oVGhVOEj_P2HhxnKAB0nXFn2jTKJaSTgEFHE3w2ofkf0KO8aQMdvwvczes-4uQxl1fC3gxlNCaKNhDCCItBphiDeknH0rNd0cT27fT26oL8T-I2fHZ/s1600-h/liar+kid.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 377px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoerKjOFfIL68PIqU78_oVGhVOEj_P2HhxnKAB0nXFn2jTKJaSTgEFHE3w2ofkf0KO8aQMdvwvczes-4uQxl1fC3gxlNCaKNhDCCItBphiDeknH0rNd0cT27fT26oL8T-I2fHZ/s400/liar+kid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277250721582807458" border="0" /></a>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-21782894667783955292008-11-20T21:46:00.000-08:002008-11-20T21:52:44.486-08:00Exciting NewsI am thrilled to announce a kick off to a new career, something much more fun and hopefully long term.<br />I have been accepted as a coach with.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0zNAYFz9chwnykWUxX-4zJg9L4KMMa-7AT6k6AK0UtTEWJAo85EynKAF1nYMTA-8tYyCvonpJb8_vXkAUXb1VC6TTlpgVGDr6TksJZy0Tq7u-4HXE93Ket0Fr8Epxv4cRxya/s1600-h/wenzel-logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0zNAYFz9chwnykWUxX-4zJg9L4KMMa-7AT6k6AK0UtTEWJAo85EynKAF1nYMTA-8tYyCvonpJb8_vXkAUXb1VC6TTlpgVGDr6TksJZy0Tq7u-4HXE93Ket0Fr8Epxv4cRxya/s400/wenzel-logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270983615239480978" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.wenzelcoaching.com"><br />www.wenzelcoaching.com</a><br />This new career will give me the opportunity to work from home and be near Little Ronnie much more. He misses me when I work away from home and does so much better when I am around and happy.<br />Special thanks to Kendra Wenzel and Scott Saifer for this opportunity.Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-9052933084470408942008-10-20T14:27:00.000-07:002008-10-20T14:39:36.041-07:00It begins...Last week Theresa and I set in motion the launch of a new foundation to assist families with Special Needs Children.<br /><br />It's been a long time coming, and thanks to our son Ronnie we have 16 years of experience in dealing with government services, trusts, and countless doctors. Not to mention all the research into alternative health and medicine.<br /><br />Our first draft of the Mission Statement:<br />"The Mission of our foundation is to provide, education, services, and equipment to families caring for their Special Needs children, primarily through consultation, a network of service providers, financial and mobility equipment donations, and advocacy for government services."<br /><br />This also means I will be racing for a cause. One of the things we plan on doing is raising money to help low income families with special needs children acquire mobility equipment and or services that they cannot afford.<br />This will be done one family at a time, one pedal stroke at a time, and every race I attend will be a victory for the families we are working with.<br /><br />My first step is to find our first family that needs our help.<br />I'll have a donation site up soon, the goal is to start now.<br /><br />Please spread the word.Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-10357602320598621942008-10-05T20:42:00.000-07:002008-10-05T20:51:34.019-07:00Sacramento CXTime for a new post, not much to write but had some fun on the new Van Dessel Hole Shot today out at the Sacramento CX race.<br /><br />Due to time constraints and a morning team ride I had to sand bag the Bs at 2:00.<br />I really just wanted to ride the new rig and loosen the legs up.<br />The bike felt great and the course was fun.<br />If you are looking for a new CX rig, you might want to call Joel at <a href="http://cyclepath.com/">Cyclepath </a>and order up the Hole Shot.<br />If money is no object, then go for the upgrade to the Gin and Trombones.<br />But honestly, I am really impressed with the handling and weight of the Hole Shot.<br /><br />Oh, and built it up with SRAM Rival. Best hoods ever, shifting was flawless (on a Campy 10 speed cassette even).<br /><br />As far as my racing: I had a good clean run, had to back off a little towards the end due to a loose cleat. Finished 3rd by a fair margin. Not bad for just wanting to play around and test the bike.Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-57599426263745904762008-09-15T20:25:00.000-07:002008-09-15T20:35:13.255-07:00Oh Crap, I just became a ProNews from NORBA/USA Cycling says I and many other will get to upgrade and race Pro Mountain Bike by simply renewing the license.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="homearticlebody">Members currently categorized as Semi-Pro may choose either Category 1 or Pro designation for the 2009 racing season. When renewing their license, Semi-Pro members will be offered an automatic upgrade to Pro throughout the 2009 licensing period which runs from December 1, 2008 to November 30, 2009. To take advantage of this upgrade, Semi-Pro members must purchase an annual license during this time as this automatic upgrade will only be offered during the 2009 season."<br /></span><span class="homearticlebody"><br />I was actually pretty happy in the Semi-Pro, but what the heck, I am used to jumping into things both feet so bring it. It might even give an opportunity to do some races not previously available. I may even get to rub shoulders at the start line with a few of my heroes (then get dropped like a bag of dirt 2 seconds later).<br /><br /><br />It's been a year of changes for sure, but I am hoping this is kind of the last one for a while. After all, I hit the big 40 in December and that's messing with my head a bit.<br /><br />Even if I downgrade later, I will be able to say I am a Pro Mountain Bike Racer, or Ex-Pro.<br />(What a tool)<br /><br />I just hope doing some P/1/2 races helps a bit with the speed. Pay it forward baby...pay it forward.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="homearticlebody"> <br /></span>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-10421586790352051292008-09-05T20:57:00.000-07:002008-09-05T21:00:16.291-07:00Deuce BabyAfter many years of trying, I finally got my Deuce upgrade.<br /><br />Before my 40th birthday even.<br /><br />Yeah, it will be painful and a whole new World of suffering, but passing it forward will make it all worth while.<br /><br />Nome Out!Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-27321959392639866312008-09-02T20:23:00.000-07:002008-09-02T20:50:41.909-07:00Eugene Celebration Stage Race<p class="MsoNormal">It's all about the team.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Steve Vickery (aka Fabian Cancellara), John (Jens) Cheetham and myself rolled up to Eugene Oregon for a little stage racing and one final fling for our road season.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">With the shrinking roster of riders (was 6) we were not sure what to expect and how to play it. Fortunately we recruited Wilson from Sierra Nevada as a pseudo teammate, we fed him well and he earned every morsel (big thanks).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage 1:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the start we took inventory of who looked really fit and might be key to watch. I noted a guy wearing Hammer shorts who resembled Larry Hibbard. The first stage is a 50ish mile road race with very minor climbs, not enough to drop anyone.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Right from the gun the LH looking guy starts riding pretty aggressively so I marked his wheel along with an unattached rider from Idaho (Kai). I shirked some pulls and really just marked the move to see where it would go. Once Sal in the official’s car gave us 30+ second time split I decided to contribute and give it a run.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">George from Portland (Nike) started bridging and the spideys let him across. Our 3-man break agreed 4 would be better and we eased up to let George on. Once there we worked a very smooth paceline and quickly brought the gap up to 1:30 with John, Steve and Wilson back in the bunch covering but not interrupting anything that was coordinated. We later received a lot of compliments for racing with class.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was about 15 miles in and Hammer Dude went space cadet and drifted off of the break thinking it wouldn’t work. The 3 of us kept rolling and starting the second lap, a 25 mile loop, had our gap built up to 2 minutes. We were rolling smooth but not killing it, and it was starting to get VERY windy, a great deterrent for a chasing field. George was starting to look a little weak so Kai and I contemplated dispatching him on the next climb. About 5 minutes later George said he would be happy with 3<sup>rd</sup> (smart man). I replied that we would keep him on and asked him to contribute when he could. He agreed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Through the feedzone and about 4 miles from the finish we looked back and the field was at the bottom of the hill and only about 40 seconds back. Kai and I drilled it into the headwind to the finish with the hopeful idea that the strong wind would once again take the impetus out of the chase. John and Steve confirmed that it did. Kai out sprinted me for the stage win but we were given the same time, 1 minute 2 seconds ahead of the field. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I enjoyed watching the field sprint from the other side of the line and seeing John take 4<sup>th</sup> in the sprint for a 7<sup>th</sup> place finish. Two in the top 10 and GC contention…NICE!<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage 2:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">7 mile time trial. This was Steve (Cancellara) Vikery’s day. He handily won the TT and we celebrated later that night with much wine and food. I turned a fair time, but lost 6 seconds to my Stage 1 breakaway partner and moved into an official 2<sup>nd</sup> place in the GC.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage 3:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">45 minute business park (minus the buildings) windy criterium. At this point we were racing defensively while also taking some snap out of some of the other riders who looked they could climb. John covered many breaks while Steve and Wilson made sure I was always near the front. When John wasn't firmly attached to a move Wilson and Steve gave the rest of the field something to chase. I closed down a few moves but any acceleration sent alarm bells off with people yelling “GC Attack, GC”. (That was fun). </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Steve kept it nicely under control on the last lap and I even managed a nice sprint for 7<sup>th</sup>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage 4, The Queen Stage:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">84 mile hilly road race with an uphill finish into a winery.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The profile of the course is not too unlike Winters. Climbs are moderate with only a few short steeper sections (all big ringable). Descents are fast and twisty with a bit of pea gravel, but not really that bad. Roads are all very nice. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">A joke we made on Friday is that Velo Bob would likely take a jackhammer to the roads because they are too nice.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sunday nights dinner and celebration for Steve’s stage win had us cooking up some ideas of how to play this stage. With me as the only climber and the first 10 miles being slightly down hill we made our goal to get Steve off solo or with 1 other rider. Steve goes downhill and TTs like a freight train (lots-o-power). The idea was Cancellaraish in that we wanted him to have a head start and get far enough up the climb that he could be with me on the second lap. After a few tries Steve finally got loose and two riders made it across. One was a junior, probably about 15, on a bike that was way too small for him. Imagine Kenny riding Jasmine’s bike. (OK, not that extreme, but you have the visual, not pretty). The other rider was a would-be good climber. Steve played it perfect and made his two breakaway partners tow him around. He was sucking the life out of them. The junior biffed in a tight corner descending, a corner that the promoter told us to be careful in.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">He was up and moving but seemed stunned, he was done.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mean while John and Wilson kept me protected and we marked any other climby like guys who tried to make a move.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We started the first of two climbs and picked up Steve about 3/4s of the way up. The other rider was not too far ahead and did not seem to be going all that well (sucker).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I monitored the pace and set a false tempo on the climb when the field would let me. Our plan was to have Steve drop back on while descending and we felt he could probably close as much as a 4 minute gap. This was due in part to the style of the 3s, go really hard on the climb then ride slow and let everyone back on.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">One local rider, a bit of a loon, drilled the descent with me tucked in nicely so I could see and read the road. Once we got down to the rolling part of the course the pace slowed and many chasing riders made it back. Just after the feed zone one rider in contention for a top 5 said he needed a nature break. I took control and yelled “nobody attack, just roll slow”. All were happy to oblige so we all stopped for a groupo al naturale. The little gentlemanly like break also let John, Steve and Wilson back onto the group.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We started rolling slowly and getting all chitty chatty and a rider that was dropped previously rolled away. Kai and I were not too worried about it since he was 2 minutes down and we knew he would not last on the climb. A De Salvo rider, again a little too heavy to be a climber, slipped away, then the local (Luke) made an attempt. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Luke was a little bit of a character, and had mentioned that he was going to snap my legs like sticks the next time up the climb. John and Steve started a moderate chase then Luke’s youngster teammate attempted to block and that’s when the spidey squad went all CSC 2008 Tour de France on their ass. The course had about 10 to 15 miles of flat to rolling smooth roads with a mild headwind. John, Steve, and Wilson drove the pace rotating 15 second pulls at 27 to 30 miles and hour for the next 30 minutes. I sat 4<sup>th</sup> wheel giving each one of them just enough room to slot in while everyone behind me went bug eyed trying to stay on a wheel strung single file. At one point John looked back and saw the single file line and that just gave him more juice to tug and keep Steve and Wilson doing the same. Luke was brought back pretty quick then the boys closed down the other two who were riding solo. Man, there were some long faces back in the line. It was sweet!!!!!!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At this point I was smiling ear to ear as these three were distributing a severe ass whooping to the rest of the field. Later one rider mentioned to John about how intense that bit of riding was.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The boys brought us to the first short climb and took a short break while the rest of the field let me set false tempo. I eased and let a couple of riders set the pace on the short climb. We hit another 3 mile rolling section and John, Steve and Wilson all reappeared at the front and cranked the machine back up to full speed. I guess they weren’t quite done flogging these boys.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was kind of like a bar fight where the large friends of the little guy hold everyone down while to little guy kicks everyone in the nuts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the crit the day before we had promised the field a full on California style bike fight for the last stage, and they got one.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>The real climb came and I let one or two riders set the pace, I used the small ring on the first portion and just covered. Kai (6 seconds up on GC) was plenty strong and just shadowed my moves. We hit the transition flat section between the two climbs and the pace picked up. I kicked it into the big chain ring and rode the next climb putting in about 10 good surges, there was a lot of heavy breathing and gears shifting behind me. I drilled it over the top pulling Kai and 4 other riders with me. One rider decided to rip the descent and put in some big efforts to keep the pace fast. Once on the flats and less than 20 miles to go the 4 riders with Kai and I wanted to push the pace hard. Kai and I were sitting pretty and did not need to gain any more time so we let the 4 riders do their thing. We rotated through now and again when we didn’t have to put out too much of an effort, just to be nice.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Two riders cracked along the way leaving 4 of us to work out the finish. Again, Kai and I were solid in first and second for the GC, so it was the other two that were climbing up the overall behind us in the General Classification. We let them do most of the work.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At 4 miles to go I was feeling pretty good so I lifted the pace over a short rolling climb just see what would happen. The 3 hung on but seemed close to cracking and the first time I saw any sign of weakness in Kai. At this point I saw my chances of stage win increase exponentially, but with two other wanting the same victory I knew they would chase if I tried to get away solo. I weighed my options carefully and decided I really wanted a stage win.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was a 1K climb to the finish up the Winery entrance. We made the right, saw the 1K to go flag and I marked accelerations. At 400 meters the rider 4<sup>th</sup> wheel made a move, I followed while Kai and the 4<sup>th</sup> riders cracked. At 200 meters I was stuck like glue and had plenty of juice. The rider made one more short surge then that wonderful sound came out of him. That sound that the body makes when the cracking happens and all energy is gone. With 100 meters left I punched it and then clicked an extra gear just for good measure showing my sprint opponent what a rear William’s 38 looks like as it crosses the finish line in first place.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><a href="http://app.obra.org/results/2008/Road/12997"> http://app.obra.org/results/2008/Road/12997</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">As for Luke, 3:02 back on the final stage.<br /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thanks to the incredible work of my teammates and Wilson I had me a stage win on the hardest day of the weekend.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Kai and I finished 4 seconds apart in GC Kai first and myself in second.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <a href="http://app.obra.org/results/2008/Road/12994">http://app.obra.org/results/2008/Road/12994</a><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thanks for reading.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-31373793953068702612008-08-24T20:31:00.000-07:002008-08-24T20:38:26.770-07:00Single Speed WorldsExtremely short version...not so Worldly.<br /><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><br />I started off well and got myself into the top 20 on the fire road climb and things were looking good on the first lap.<br /><br />The bike worked fine other than being over geared, which would have<br />been fine if my shoes would have been functioning a little better when<br />running up steep rocky climbs. (Cyclocross Season...Bring IT!)<br /><br />Wish I would have had time to set up the new Specialized shoes I picked up from Zimmer last night.<br /><br />This is the first MTB race I have DNFed, I think ever.<br /><br />Very extremely technical course, actually a full suspension course if<br />there ever was one. My Santa Cruz Chameleon is a wickedly stiff bike<br />that puts the power to the ground and corners on a dime. Unfortunately<br />it is extremely unforgiving when bouncing down this stuff <a href="http://www.petefagerlin.com/skyline.htm">http://www.petefagerlin.com/skyline.htm.</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSggz8NqmPGRhIBuZRW1hj70LrQeE4rIcXXc0Ivptc7WF9JS4VNYv0R8M1YD27Q9wH6-BMf37kEe6AYW0OqcX-5dIEra0ce9zU13ucT4EjEgWglBakIfGWRsuZ4JE9NMBuRTKC/s1600-h/Rocky+terrain.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSggz8NqmPGRhIBuZRW1hj70LrQeE4rIcXXc0Ivptc7WF9JS4VNYv0R8M1YD27Q9wH6-BMf37kEe6AYW0OqcX-5dIEra0ce9zU13ucT4EjEgWglBakIfGWRsuZ4JE9NMBuRTKC/s400/Rocky+terrain.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238293536460594754" border="0" /></a><br />(Notice the guy in the photo has full suspension).<br /><br />This bike...not so much.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DTl4unU0FhqfCFurq1KxLax6DRw-sQ_kb8SzlRgcjCTezN_EA0_nv0PTbwdOtA4xRqbOoTQmlXgndOChKbDB2c28LFUJfHqxWNS6RK3LFi3BCSr4qWUut7z2TXWBSvbYHjWd/s1600-h/SS+at+Tahoe+2003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DTl4unU0FhqfCFurq1KxLax6DRw-sQ_kb8SzlRgcjCTezN_EA0_nv0PTbwdOtA4xRqbOoTQmlXgndOChKbDB2c28LFUJfHqxWNS6RK3LFi3BCSr4qWUut7z2TXWBSvbYHjWd/s400/SS+at+Tahoe+2003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238294002160458658" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Put together the extreme stiffness of the frame, and shoes that are jack hammering your big toes and what do you get?<br /><br />Black and Blue toes and a loss of mental focus on dangerous terrain.<br /><br /><br /><br />Now I am all about HFU when the going gets tough, but I am also long<br />enough in the tooth to know that continuing in a state of distracting<br />and debilitating pain will only lead to mistakes on terrain that will<br />end your cycling career.<br /><br />A combination of skill, fast reflexes (had to put my hand out to push<br />off of a tree on a particularly gnarly section, instead of running into it), and knowing my limits<br />kept me from crashing.<br /><br />I finished up lap 2 and called it quits while the only injuries I had were my mildly bruised toes and ego.<br /><br />More importantly, I'll be ready to kill it up in Eugene Oregon next weekend at the stage race.<br /><br />Nome out.<br /><br /><br /></div>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-41650523633993332862008-08-12T19:19:00.000-07:002008-08-12T19:48:47.817-07:00A New Chapter BeginsAfter a very pleasant 8 weeks of unemployment, some substantial soul searching, and self-exploration new employment has found me.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_eDQZMr8TwTnTrCIBXs3Tve9jTVBgBN4UfN66ZWN0wk9WBILI472YluOYEnDB5LCVpHsaJUyNDhIvVHbZjWJlkGqlUsHEnQ82YQHjB5CAFvAQesugTWIup9FMFyGMMY5T35T/s1600-h/KW+Logo.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_eDQZMr8TwTnTrCIBXs3Tve9jTVBgBN4UfN66ZWN0wk9WBILI472YluOYEnDB5LCVpHsaJUyNDhIvVHbZjWJlkGqlUsHEnQ82YQHjB5CAFvAQesugTWIup9FMFyGMMY5T35T/s200/KW+Logo.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233827235621806930" border="0" /></a><br />I landed a position at <a href="http://www.kierwright.com/">Kier & Wright Civil Engineers</a> as a draftsman.<br />K & W were one of my former employer's consistent clients and a couple people there knew my work.<br /><br />I was not sure if this was the direction I should go in, so I put them through the tests in the meeting (some call it an interview). They accepted my terms and conditions and agreed to put up with my cycling shenanigans. (It's all about the bike!)<br /><br />My time off aloud me to develop a better perspective, the job thingy is good and I am a Get-R-Done kind of worker, but I am also one that has to keep balance. A job that imposes is a job not needed.<br /><br />What I like about the new gig is that it will expand my resume without the loss of the traffic design experience I have gained. I foresee in the near future them utilizing and capitalizing on what <a href="http://www.tjkm.com/">TJKM</a> took for granted. There is definitely a learning curve while I get to know my way around the civil engineering daftology, but it won't be long. There a couple of really good guys running the department and willing to take the time to bring me up to speed quickly. It's a win/win for them, teach me right and I help them look good. Everyone is happy!<br /><br />During my time off I finished up the coaching certification and invested in the level 2 clinic. I have a few people that have been asking me for coaching advice for a while, so may as well help them out and build up a little side business and something to fall back on.<br />H.F.U. Training Systems will be launched soon.<br /><br />About having 8 weeks off...I got my taste and I like it. It will definitely be brought up when the time is right, no pay is fine, I'll put a bit away to cover. Self financed annual sabbatical...hmmm...has a nice ring to it. Life is just too damn short...savoring is where it's at.<br /><br />Nome OutRon Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-46441125513321045132008-08-03T20:21:00.000-07:002008-12-10T14:21:06.975-08:00Zucchini Blog UpdateIt looks like the term "giant zucchini" has been redefined.<br />While checking on the watermelon plants today I stumbled across this monster hiding in the shade of it's plants leaves. The only thing I could say was "Oh My God!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkZEMo5XOPrW8JvDZheBtym0a2wkkPv58p_cnqeGRiIWSB0xT1UUI2qpGB8VG-X3JS6gkjz8V2NHBk4Q_eG1EZR5Jzjk3cotdBu-E_yr1cHjGbQUc858wYqHvbMkOvX5PKl5o/s1600-h/bigger+zuc001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkZEMo5XOPrW8JvDZheBtym0a2wkkPv58p_cnqeGRiIWSB0xT1UUI2qpGB8VG-X3JS6gkjz8V2NHBk4Q_eG1EZR5Jzjk3cotdBu-E_yr1cHjGbQUc858wYqHvbMkOvX5PKl5o/s400/bigger+zuc001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230498347579234210" border="0" /></a>Yes, that is a normal size bottle of wine (<a href="http://www.entropycellars.com/">Entropy Cellars</a> by the way) that T is holding.<br />18" in length, and roughly 3" in diameter. Who knew that they could get that big?<br /><br />We even let Ronnie touch it, he thought it was neat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCmtB_PYUlnCc5-FbS5o1ru3ordZRMybHo3LxlT9AvGOGVzuxN6tFrUtalt5xVAsbRf8nsN6B-m9T2-A539kf6-kSrv3d95OjuAb_jC9AsWmV_soS3i9eftS6Kmv52C6-4Bq1/s1600-h/bigger+zuc003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCmtB_PYUlnCc5-FbS5o1ru3ordZRMybHo3LxlT9AvGOGVzuxN6tFrUtalt5xVAsbRf8nsN6B-m9T2-A539kf6-kSrv3d95OjuAb_jC9AsWmV_soS3i9eftS6Kmv52C6-4Bq1/s400/bigger+zuc003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230499703129410322" border="0" /></a><br />We knew what was for dinner, but the grilled zucchini thing was getting old. Off to Trader Joes we went looking for ideas. Ah, pizza zucchini! Brilliant!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBzCrHH7x3-VIlVEhEZ9_i91D5a1SDgOlnEFUQrmPlZxug2B9WXudUUVs1ZYDBJmn-iWdKocn6wBuW3s9AiiJgSV1AkY7tx6bL6__9Pm58zuIlIWd5aA41J8cxxJfitlKquPP/s1600-h/bigger+zuc005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBzCrHH7x3-VIlVEhEZ9_i91D5a1SDgOlnEFUQrmPlZxug2B9WXudUUVs1ZYDBJmn-iWdKocn6wBuW3s9AiiJgSV1AkY7tx6bL6__9Pm58zuIlIWd5aA41J8cxxJfitlKquPP/s400/bigger+zuc005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230500046794705474" border="0" /></a><br />First mix some salt, Italian seasonings, and garlic powder into some grape seed oil and brush on to all parts...<br /><br />of the zucchini you sicko.<br /><br />Then we put sun dried tomatoes, pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni on three slices. The other three we did a pesto sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.<br />Bake on 400 for 18 minutes.<br /><br />Absolutely fabulous! Extremely filling, and very low carb.Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-47950720277197623852008-07-24T19:50:00.000-07:002008-12-10T14:21:07.373-08:00The Great Zucchini BlogThis year Theresa planted a garden in the back yard. We have been told it was a little big for a family.<br />In the garden there are several zucchini plants that are major producers. We pretty much can't keep up and we are eating zucchini everyday.<br /><br />Today we pulled this beast that was hiding and continuing to grow at an alarming rate.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC4yOQkBHXGgo0GJQHIuj1cASqf7w13bH8HGJMXcDy_mMC0GAJwI8Z5TK1mRLjah7LLyzOnReUE_Yx2X6W8acftAEi8SloCdJ3JXqnr4kPtdWLRh_xO-sSgOPnCj8Y0mWC4IT/s1600-h/zucchini001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC4yOQkBHXGgo0GJQHIuj1cASqf7w13bH8HGJMXcDy_mMC0GAJwI8Z5TK1mRLjah7LLyzOnReUE_Yx2X6W8acftAEi8SloCdJ3JXqnr4kPtdWLRh_xO-sSgOPnCj8Y0mWC4IT/s320/zucchini001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226779491016860450" border="0" /></a>It also had a brother of nearly equal size.<br /><br />This image is becoming a regular scene here at the house.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsfHhJNoNe0AxbqxgLeNgT8cULaP5Y8RYQ0S50Ref_HRorbWop-QUzdXlc0NXJSIpqRKGQrX_Ko7FO4Pngp9KqeB4oPuaaxkxMkDlDnniKG2Qs5dClTtWba6LOq1-KpBvHXiq/s1600-h/zucchini002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsfHhJNoNe0AxbqxgLeNgT8cULaP5Y8RYQ0S50Ref_HRorbWop-QUzdXlc0NXJSIpqRKGQrX_Ko7FO4Pngp9KqeB4oPuaaxkxMkDlDnniKG2Qs5dClTtWba6LOq1-KpBvHXiq/s320/zucchini002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226779940105797346" border="0" /></a><br />Don't get me wrong, we fix them up right tasty like, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and lemon pepper, but seriously, how much zucchini can one stand?<br /><br />We ate part of this one tonight (guess what is for lunch tomorrow?)<br />I suppose we will be slicing up it's brother tomorrow.<br /><br />Want some? Please, help!Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-54692163204603338682008-07-11T22:23:00.000-07:002008-07-11T22:26:21.041-07:00Cascade Classic day 1<p class="MsoNormal">Quick post about the first day of Cascade Classic.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage 1 14 mile ITT, rolling up hill for the first half and return.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Some sections were steep just steep enough to spin out the 53 x 11. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The time was really all about the way out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thanks to an arrangement with Flavia from Vanderkitten racing this weekend for Touchstone Climbing I got to use some super blinged out Zipp TT wheels.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I provided the bike and she provided the wheels on loan from Mike Freeman.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thanks Mike, and I took very very good care of the wheels while I was on them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Flavia and I were both very happy with our times, and fortunately we did not have to any major modifications to my bike for her to fit.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The course was very Calaverisish in distance and effort. My time was good enough for 16<sup>th</sup> in the Masters. Can’t complain.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Bob rode a great TT as well but suffered from not having a real TT bike. He hopes to fix that very soon.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage two: The criterium from hell.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This course was definitely not designed for 100+ field. Our goal, stay upright and save as much energy for the road race as possible. Despite several bad crashes, Bob and finishes with our skin. Bob got caught out behind one very large crash that broke the field in half and caused a lot of riders to get pulled. I was fortunate enough to find a bit of single track through the hoard of riders laying on the ground and tack onto the back of the remaining field.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A VOS rider went down very hard in a technical part of the course and hurt very bad. I don’t know who it was, probably can get some details on Hernando’s Nor Cal Racing blog. Best wishes to him for a fast recovery.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For the Sporties Corey burned a great TT and felt great during the crit. He is sitting in 7<sup>th</sup> just 1:50ish off the lead. All of our 4s finished up the crit safe and moving forward in tomorrow’s RR.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s all for now, need rest. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-18861514578980934372008-06-29T22:36:00.000-07:002008-06-30T18:36:36.529-07:00Stage Race training...I figureTwo weeks out from Cascade so I figured I would pack on some big miles with ridiculous amounts of steep ass climbing.<br /><br />Saturday: <a href="http://www.fresnocycling.com/kaiser/2007/index.htm">Climb to Kaiser</a>, 155 miles and 13,500' of elevation with extended sections of 16 to 18% grades. At 8,000 feet.<br />Yeah, it's hard, no matter how you slice.<br />In the past I have ridden this thing like a race, as do most. Even finished second one year.<br />This year I needed to keep a little in the tank for Sunday (more later in the post).<br />Drove out with teammate Corey after we had been doing some smog training during the week.<br />I figured it was a lot like elevation training in that there has not been much oxygen in the air this last week.<br />This was Corey's first time at C2K. Corey has the history of endurance events being an Iron Man finisher and a pretty fair climber. This beast would test his metal, and did. We finished it up despite a few mechanical issues with broken spokes and a flat tubular. We weren't breaking any speed records, but no physical mishaps or cramping (like most).<br />After following the Sierra Pacific Bosch Express team leadout on the flats we learned that Corey popped a spoke on his rear William's 38 Carbon Tubular. It slowed us down as we nursed the wheel to the rest stop with a mechanic for some truing.<br />I was amazed out how straight the wheel ran with a spoke missing, and even more amazed at how true it stayed with the abuse dished out over the course.<br /><br />In the end having to be ginger with his rear wheel kept me out of the red zone and 9 hours and 45 minutes of sub threshold riding kept me relatively fresh. Sort of.<br /><br />Here is a <a href="http://www.scobie.com/downloads/Climb2KaiserHighlightsStreaming.mov">video from a cam that Corey had with him</a>. The sound track fits perfectly.<br /><a href="http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=08ZI000T000000&po=0"></a><br />Sunday (today): CCCX Mountain Bike Race Series finally, Pro/Semi-Pro.<br />I figured running long on Saturday and then really hard on Sunday would simulate some hard stage like racing. I also figured I was just racing today to survive.<br />Turned out to be my best placing of the series with a third place finish.<br />No change to the overall, I had a good lock on 4th even if I hadn't done well today.<br />It was really cool biting off a big chunk of hard coreism and finishing the series in the money.<br /><br />CCCX had some nice bling as usual.<br />A flat of California Giant Strawberries (I have never had them before, and DAMN they are good!)<br />CCCX T-Shirt (worn with pride)<br />CCCX Hat<br />Best of all, a very nice commemorative plaque showing the accomplishment.<br /><br />Cheers!Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-64246822154377018422008-06-20T21:21:00.000-07:002008-06-20T21:32:37.507-07:00Interesting weekWeek two of my retirement/extended vacation/lay-off. OK, I am still trying to workout which one of those things it will be. This week has had some signs of interesting developments, but the big thing is I am getting clearer on the parameters of what I want out a revenue source.<br /><br />Not so much as exactly what I want to do, I am open to that, but more so certain elements that must exist in order for the lifestyle I want. I am not talking lavish lifestyle, but quality of life.<br />Time for cycling, time for family, and flexibility. Money isn't my primary motivator, but it has to make sense.<br /><br />Thanks VG for coming out for a social MTB ride in the heat and christening T's new bike. You guys were cute on your pink Yetis. Looking back and seeing two pink kits and bikes bombing down the hill was pretty cool.<br />Also thanks for sharing your experience of trial by fire in the transition from corporate world to creating what you have now. Very helpful.<br /><br />Next time maybe we can go out on one of your routes.<br /><br />Stay cool folks, it's going to be hot this weekend.Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-85589965692379070262008-06-15T18:46:00.000-07:002008-06-15T18:58:51.512-07:00Deconditioning...The word of the day/week.<br /><br />I guess that is the process Theresa and I are going through right now. The deconditioning of society and it's expectations on what we should be, or should do.<br />While we are trying to be open to different possibilities with our lives, specifically what I will do as far as work, not work, or start a business, there is always this little voice that says "you went to school to learn how to do X". Or "if you don't stay in the same field you will lose your skills".<br />"You have to have a job and contribute to society".<br />Of course, the whole contributing to society thing sort of requires society to interact in the process.<br /><br />I suppose my expectations of people are a bit high. I am the type of person that is responsive, returns phone calls, emails, and tries to get things done...NOW! Letting things sit tends to haunt me. Relaxing is exhausting!<br /><br />This week I will work on letting go of what may be an unrealistic expectation of others and try to have a little patience.<br />I am sure some of the things I am throwing against the wall will stick sooner or later.<br /><br />Nome Out.Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-62795235405220587102008-06-13T13:49:00.000-07:002008-06-13T15:03:24.199-07:00Need a Volunteer?If anyone in the Pro Cycling World sees this, I am available to offer my services as a volunteer.<br />Yes...VOLUNTEER!<br /><br />As in you take care of my expenses and I'll help out with whatever needs to be done.<br /><br />I can turn a wrench, hand up bottles, give massages, or whatever.<br /><br />Lots of time on my hands.<br /><br />Contact me at ron@ebcyclist.orgRon Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-49015136209871537112008-06-10T15:34:00.000-07:002008-06-10T15:38:51.681-07:00Mmmm...Lab Rat BurgersA Spidey's delicacy.<br /><br />Out to the Lunch Ride with the Lab Rats to join Ed for little leg stretcher.<br />The Rats showed up with about 30 riders to our two Spideys.<br />Hmmm, this hardly seems fair...the Rats need to go back and get more riders.<br /><br />Once out on the course and the Rats are done running into the back of large parked trucks (hope you are OK Ken) the race begins.<br />With a few early attacks the Spideys draw out the Rats to see who has game. A nice well timed counter attack by the tall lanky Spidey gave the diminutive but highly venomous Spidey a nice opportunity to hide near the front of a flailing pack of <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1213137157_0">Rats</span>. Watching, waiting, and poised to strike the diminutive one patiently plays the game of the hunter as the tall lanky Spider taunts the Rat pack's futile chase.<br /><br />One Wells Fargo Lab Rat slips away and is quickly snared in the tall Spidey's trap, consumed for energy and spat out to have his remains reabsorbed by the yet flailing pack.<br /><br />With no hope of catching the Tall Spidey before the final lunge for the line the cunning Rats decide to change the course and take a short cut. The diminutive Spidey was on to their treachery and began manipulating the chasing pack louring them into fighting the wicked crosswinds. Even forcing those who would not pull to come through and expend their life force energy. In the final 400 meters and a wailing cross wind the diminutive Spidey slipped back allowing 4 Rats to come through creating the perfect wind block for the final venomous bite as the short but powerful legs sprung the diminutive Spidey forward to pounce on it's prey. <br /><br />A satisfying meal.Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-8940144412697947992008-06-03T20:33:00.000-07:002008-06-03T21:35:34.287-07:00Starting a new chapter in life.Wow, what a day!<br />As in "Really? This is the informed business decision your making?"<br /><br />Blind sided I got called into the conference room and handed my walking papers and a small severance package. The explanation was restructuring and they don't have enough work to keep me busy.<br /><br />So I close a relatively long chapter in my life, rather abruptly. I don't think it's the money issue that is getting to me, but more the emotional side, the feeling of betrayal and perhaps a bit of identity loss.<br />Of course, that is the short fall, using our jobs to define ourselves. Something Eckhart Tolle talks about quite a bit. Now I get the opportunity to practice the spiritual teachings I have been trying to grasp for the last 6 months while studying Tolle's work.<br /><br />The thought of it makes it not appear so easy. As a traffic signal and roadway designer my work is everywhere. It will be a challenge to not roll through one of my signal or striping designs that I have done in the last 8 years. As a matter of fact we just raced our bikes around one of the projects this evening at the Tri-Valley Twilight Criterium Series.<br /><br />There is a funny side to things with a twist of irony. The firm is on the eve of starting the largest project in the company's history. It is all design work and very fast track. The person responsible for my departure, the controller who knows nothing about traffic engineering, was a staunch believer that certain issues dealing with Right of Way would put the project on hold for about 5 months.<br />Ha! My supervisor (also blindsided) received a call from the client less than an hour after I left saying they got the go ahead on the project.<br />In his own words from an email this afternoon "I am still in shock and BTW we got the word 5-minutes after you left, from Blank Company that they got the 'notice to proceed' from the City. I cannot do 26 signals myself"<br />I guess that's what happens when you let someone who plays only by the numbers make business decisions. There is always going to be industry specific details that they don't understand.<br /><br />The irony is that I was wearing my company logo shirt today. How is that for a kick in the nuts? To boot I was in the middle of resolving an important roadway geometry issue with a client when they called me in. I guess that one won't get solved. And I tossed my shirt in the trash when I got home.<br /><br />In mist of being stunned I somehow acted completely out of character by remaining calm and not exploding in the meeting. I even worked at keeping the door cracked open by letting them know to call me if conditions changed.<br /><br />While I start to put my feelers out for new job, I have some serious internal work to do. I have to work at not letting the job define who I am. I have to find a new routine for my daily life. I have to work on letting go of the feeling of betrayal.<br /><br />Fortunately our finances are in relatively good shape. The house paid for, and all we really have is a car and trailer payment. It will be tight, and I'll be sucking on ketchup packets instead of Hammer Gel at the races, but I'll have time to get really really fit.<br />I plan on devoting a certain number of hours in the day to finding a new job, then I am on the roads to turn the pedals, burn off the emotion, and find myself spiritually and physically.<br /><br />BTW: If you know of anyone who needs some help with something, let me know. I am very versatile and I can manage projects like you wouldn't believe. Look at the success the team has had as an organization.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-27084879185946210822008-05-19T11:12:00.000-07:002008-12-10T14:21:07.608-08:00Go Spark Plug...State Champ!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlSiGNCzmvCoiwaIaz6xRZvlaW00xCrjMAGqlxj5OKUJIrCQm_vdQYh1roozuAr-Uvz8euhqNmmLES5zVYhVgRkg_EgibpnqcxATi4_sxLnsqsP_ZbL9QpnmhHOq7aZJpyLnj/s1600-h/Jasmin5+crossing+the+finish+line.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlSiGNCzmvCoiwaIaz6xRZvlaW00xCrjMAGqlxj5OKUJIrCQm_vdQYh1roozuAr-Uvz8euhqNmmLES5zVYhVgRkg_EgibpnqcxATi4_sxLnsqsP_ZbL9QpnmhHOq7aZJpyLnj/s320/Jasmin5+crossing+the+finish+line.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202154836344441442" border="0" /></a><br />Over on the team blog I posted race report and congratulations to Jasmin Parson (aka Spark Plug) for her victory and invite to Worlds Qualifier.<br /><br /><a href="http://news.ebcyclist.org/">http://news.ebcyclist.org/</a><br /><br />How awesome is that?!Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-33989070878476329462008-05-09T08:55:00.000-07:002008-05-09T09:04:56.038-07:00About to be glueRace promotion.<br />Makes doing a 24 Hour Race seem easy.<br />Sure, it's only a little criterium.<br />Sure, I roped Jimmy V. into being the race director, and a damn fine job he is doing.<br /><br />But there is still so much preparation that my mind is going numb.<br /><br />Even with Jim at the helm, I worry about things going smoothly, people showing up to work, and everything getting done.<br /><br />It's hard to let go, but I work steadily at having faith in the folks on the team handling things.<br />It's kind of funny though, the more I let go and leave it to them to find the solutions, the better they do and the more ownership they seem to take.<br /><br />People are funny that way.<br /><br />Everyone on the team with a critical pre-race job duty has been incredible.<br />These are some good people. If I had to start a business and needed staff, these folks would be my first pick.Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21545684.post-9425407618312409042008-05-05T09:14:00.000-07:002008-05-05T09:50:08.890-07:00We did it...This is just a little pre-report to get the news out.<br /><br />The Spideys headed out to Laguna Seca this weekend and landed ourselves a nice team victory at the 24 Hours of Adrenalin in the 5 person co-ed.<br /><br />We started well and focused on being clean, Shari our female team mate had a bad spill on her first lap. This lady is double tough and rode the whole climb out bleeding profusely just to make sure she finished her lap. Amazing! Committed! My Hero!<br />She took HFU to the next level and made sure we stayed in the game. The Women on the team have to complete at least 1 lap.<br /><br />It was blow that made us get focused and race hard for her. The biggest thing we focused on was smooth clean laps and perfect transitions. We ran on schedule with not a single hiccup. We didn't have the absolute fastest laps, but the 4 of us ran extremely consistent.<br />That consistency was enough for the 4 of us to not only bring home the win, but turn the second most laps of the entire race.<br /><br />In the end we could not have scripted it better. Ron Rel who works for our sponsor InfoVista and is big into Xterra events was our starter and as luck would have it got to do a Victory lap putting the cap on a great race.<br /><br />Our two secrets?<br />1. Hired a mechanic to take care of our bikes. Worth every dime...and then some.<br />2. Had team mates not racing helping us stay on time, and drive Shari to the hospital for stitches.<br /><br /><br />I'll post a more complete report and hopefully some images on the team blog here:<br /><a href="http://news.ebcyclist.org/">http://news.ebcyclist.org/</a>Ron Castiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02493157439510180124noreply@blogger.com0