wherethehekismarkman

This is the tshirt that our hosts gave Joey.

2010-05-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

He is so proud of it.

2010-05-03T09:19:00.001-07:00

Tour of the Gila is a hard bike race. It's not any easier when you
have a horrible cold and cough which is what was going on with me. I
thought it was just the elevation at first but then I got worse
everyday. Ugh. I called it quits before the gila monster stage hoping
to recover by Thursday when Joe Martin starts.
The Gila is in this town called Silver City in New Mexico Whig is
essentially an abandoned mining town. It's pretty interesting and
desolate there. Our hosts were awesome and they set us up in a trailer
that someone had died in the previous week. No kidding. Never a dull
moment on the road. They were super gracious and it did work out quite
well.
We are driving to Arkansas right now. We should be there sometime
tomorrow.

Quick update

2010-04-26T07:00:00.001-07:00

Quick update
I'm enroute to Albuquerque (that's hard to spell) right now. The tour
of Gila starts on Wednesday.
Athens was it's usually hectic and crazy race self. It was really dark
and really wet and I was too far back picking my nose when the winning
move went. Will tried super hard to get across but the gap was to big
so the whole team chased. And chased. And chased some more. It was to
no avail. In the final sprint bodies were flying everywhere and as
someone fell right in front of me, I decided to see what that felt
like and do it too. It didn't feel that sweet and now my swollen foot
continues to throb.
All in all Athens is always exciting and this year was no different.
Hopefully I'll be able to continue updating during the week but I
wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you.

This is just too much.

2010-04-22T05:31:00.000-07:00

I didn't care much for the Tiger Woods story, but this part of it is just unexcusable, unbelievable, unforgivable and makes me sick. I didn't know Tiger was a white, middle age police officer.

Have I mentioned that Athens is this weekend? Oh yes it is. I am only doing Athens, not any of the rest of speedweek. Instead I am flying to NM to compete in the Tour of the Gila and unfortunately I saw that these guys were registered also...FML.

The Legend is rolling into town tonight, so I better start practicing my dart skills.

Battenkill

2010-04-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

I just bought Super Mario Bros 3 and I had to force myself to put down the controller to update my blog. That is what I call dedication.
This past weekend Team Mountain Khakis fueled by Jittery Joes went up to upstate NY to compete in the 120 mile half pavement/ half gravel all hilly road race. I don't even know what to say about this race other than my hands were really cold for a while.
166 racers started and I believe only 50 some finished. The race was super fast from the gun and stayed fast the entire time. We finished the race in 5 hours and considering how hilly the course was and how much dirt/mud there was that is a fast pace.
The weather started out about 40 and overcast, but at about mile 40, it started pouring and the dirt roads turned to mud and my hands became so numb that i could barely shift my gears. It rained for about an hour and during that hour I was near tears and wondering why the f I do stuff like this. Thankfully the rain stopped and once my hands were dry I found myself still wondering why I do stuff like this.
The race is a pure attrition race and Joey and myself managed to finish in the lead group for 22 and 26th. We were happy just to finish as a ton of people did not.

We have the Honda Insight up and running for the season now. Pretty neat car, and it still gets almost 30 miles to the gallon with 5 bikes on the roof.

On the way up to race we stayed at the Lea's house and they converted and old barn into a guest house/weight room. It was amazing there and they are awesome for letting us crash there.

I'm sad that I have to clean my bike now.

and my shoes...

Joey and me after the finish. I'm not goosing him, I promise.

This saturday is ATHENS TWILIGHT!!!!!

Off to the beach

2010-04-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

Uh and I are off in a few hours to Hilton Head SC. Yes I know we aren't leaving until 9pm but my wonderful wife is taking a photography class and the first class was tonight. I didn't realize Hilton Head was an island until just last night. I'm wondering if I will be a candidate...
We are going there for a infectious disease conference. I am very excited for the conference as it will give me ample time to train. Hopefully I can get off the island by bicycle.
Things have been good for the week that I have been home. I did a landscaping project, caught up with some friends and did the Boone Roubaix which is a very cool bike race. You can read about it here.
Looking forward to Battenkill in a week and a half. Just going to make sure I bring an extra pair of shoes this year.

Awesomeness

2010-04-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

This showed up this morning. Thank-you Quarq!!!!

Back Home

2010-03-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

So The Redlands Bicycle Classic once again came and went. I am back home in North Carolina after taking the red eye home on Sunday after the race. All in all the race was good. We had 3 people crash out on the final day, including our GC guy, Matt. He had to get stitches, and fortunately we were staying at a Doctors house, so he stitched him up outside by the pool. Pretty handy. Will fell over mid conversation and hit the deck hard while Joey hit the wall, literally. There was a cement wall along the side of the road. He got diverted and ran right into it.
I managed to hang on until the final time up the climb where I proceded to come completely apart. I finished in the first chase group, which is quite better than last year, but I still have some work to do.
I am very happy though as this was more of a training trip to get us in shape for the rest of the season. The weather was awesome, we got a ton of hard miles in and no one got seriously injured.
Up next is the Boone Roubaix on Saturday.
I hope Jason gets back soon with my bike, if ever. Jason (our director) has the priveledge of driving back with all our equiptment. He was not entirely thrilled about driving back alone so he put an ad on Craigs List looking for a random person to help him drive back. Someone did respond and the person needed a ride to Asheville (go figure). I spoke with Jason this morning and he is still alive and it turns out his new bff is a modern day gypsy. Never a dull moment in Jason's life.

Time trial

2010-03-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

The time trial was this afternoon. It was 3 miles of pure misery.
Uphill misery actually. We have cool tt bikes this year so at least it
sounds like your going fast if nothing else. Not sure how we did. I
rode about 35 seconds faster than last year but not sure how that
stacks up.
Life in Redlands is good. It's sunny an warm and we are staying on an estate that has acres of orange trees and guacamole trees...wait I mean avacado trees I think.
Cyclingnews wrote a nice article about what a dork I truly am. It's awesome they called me out on that so now everyone can make fun of me, not just the people I know. Check it out here.
Tomorrow is a long road race followed by a crit on Saturday and then a stupid hard, nearly impossible road race on Sunday. This trip is always fun and a good way to see where I have to improve, which right now seems like everywhere.
Looking forward to coming back to NC to UH and the animals. Until then I just need to stay upright.

Cool stuff

2010-03-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

We got these special time trial speed suits that are made of dimpled
fabric and essentially seamless. Very cool. Very tight and very low
cut though.

My butt hurts...bad.

2010-03-21T21:22:00.001-07:00

My butt hurts...bad.
Actually it's my taint. Is that to much information? Just trying to
figure out where the line is.
I'm watching "Life" on the Discovery channel as I type this. The show
is absolutley stunning although I don't know about Oprah narrating it.
I feel like it would be better with someone with a British accent.
Don't know why I feel that way. This entry is just fascinating so far
isn't it.
The criterium was this afternoon and it was pretty uneventful. Fly V
set a fast tempo the entire race and kept all the breaks at bay. I sat
in the field all day. With 7 laps to go the chaos was unleashed and it
was quite difficult maintaining position. David Guttenplan did an
awesome job bringing me to the front and I managed to snag 12th. Not
awesome but I feel stronger each day.
I didn't know fish could fly. This show is amazing.
We are now hanging out in Riverside for a couple days before we head
to Redlands which starts on Thursday.
The weather here in CA has been amazing. Lookin forward to getting
some pool time in this week.

Third try

2010-03-20T21:58:00.001-07:00

I don't know why the words are posting with the picture but here is
the entry.
California rocks. They have bike lanes everywhere and they are enormous.
Today was fast from the gun. Survival was the goal of the day and
only 3 of us made it. It's amazing how fast and strong these teams
are. The course was tricky and had 2 one mile climbs per lap and we
did 12 laps. I made it until the last time up the final climb and
ended up finishing a couple seconds back in 38th. Ugh. Better than
yesterday though. Ha!
Tomorrow is another day. First criterium of the year. I hope my legs
stop throbbing before the start.

Check out this bike lane.

2010-03-20T21:44:00.001-07:00

>
>

Check out this bike lane.

2010-03-20T21:16:00.001-07:00

I'm going to rename this blog

2010-03-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

Whenismarkmanicaboutupdating.
We woke up to this in the hotel parking lot. Jason actually witnessed
the crime and took a picture of the perp. Exciting times in California.

Uphill time trials

2010-03-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

Are not fun. Somehow I thought it would be more fun this year but alas
I was wrong.
We did alright. Not necessarily lighting up the leaderboard but matt
rode to a solid 30thish place And I was 41st which is 25 places better
than last year but I only went 5 seconds faster. I guess the
conditions were harder this year.
Tomorrow is an 84 mile circuit race. We do 12 laps which means 12
awful climbs.
The weather here is awesome and it feels good to get the first race of
the year out of the legs.

Actually there are 8 of us.

2010-03-19T12:38:00.001-07:00

I forgot to count myself.

Logistics

2010-03-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

All we have is a quad cab pick up. We have 7 of us in here right now.
It's gonna be a long trip.

2010-03-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

California
Team Mtn Khakis Fueled by Jittery Joes is now in California. The San
Dimas stage race starts today with am uphill time trial. Since we all
got in late last night we are not really expecting to light this thing
up although we are sure going to try.
We wrapped up our training camp by traveling to Athens Ga where we met
some sponsors and did some riding and drank quite a bit of coffee.
Athens is a sweet city and I always enjoy my time there.
Since u have an iPhone I will try to give a short recap after each
stage. Don't hold your breath though.

Team Camp Picture Update

2010-03-11T17:11:00.001-08:00

Team Mountain Khakis Fueled by Jittery Joe's cycling team is having training camp in Winston-Salem NC right now. I love being on the hometown team for many reasons, but one is that I get to stay at home during training camp.
Camp is fun, we got some of our new bikes and have had many meetings and have been riding a decent amount.
First and foremost I must say congratulations to Rich and Rachel who popped out Natalie Grace Hekman on Sunday morning. Welcome to the world Natalie!!!!

Here is my photo diary from camp so far:
We have been having meetings at the Wake Forest Football Field which evidently has a conference room overloooking it. Pretty Sweet. The team is also sponsored by Keen shoes and we got to pick any pair we wanted. I missed the part of the memo that said we were going to have to wear them to team functions...whoops. So here am I at a meeting rocking my "official" team gear...Its gonna be a long hot sweaty stinky foot summer.

The weather has been good to us so far and we have a good sized group for the rides. In three days we have ridden 13 hours so far and combine that with the meetings, its been a busy and fun week.

Jason has been growing his hair out all summer and insists that we call him Ron Jeremy now.

Our equipment is sweet this year here is my new Jack Kane K Team Racing. The paint job is fantastic and in the light, it fades from red to orange. Love it.

We have MTN Khaki Hubs:

To go with our Radical Reynolds Carbon Clinchers

Which are stopped with our TRP brakes:

And we pedal fast with the sweetest shoes I have ever put on my feet:

Breakfast

2010-03-05T04:14:00.000-08:00

darn camry

2010-03-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

Boy am I sure glad I don’t have a Toyota Camry anymore. I drove one of those for years and after 240k of miles my gas pedal also stuck but mainly because of all the spilled mochas, red vines, and melted mike n’ ikes littering the floorboards. That car was sweet, for the longest time the drivers side door handle (on the exterior) was completely broken off so I would just get in the passenger side. That car was also home to a family of mice that escaped the trash I was carrying around in my trunk looking for a dumpster to poach. With all this camry talk in the news, it makes me miss my purplish tan camry. It was a car with class too, at one point I was missing a hub cap on one side, so I just removed the other one on that side so each side matched. Jim Baldesare had the exact model with a missing hubcap also, and my crowning achievement was stealing one of his so I had a complete set. The funny thing was he never noticed until I returned it after I had retired that car. Hard to believe that was 4 years ago now. It seems like its been that long since I have updated this blog.

So much has happened since my last post. Here is a very brief synopsis not necessarily chronological order:

After the wedding I raced my bicycle until the end September and along with Team Mountain Khakis won the USA Crits Series...FINALLY.
During that time lots of people were getting busy because it seems like everyone we (UHLYZA and myself) know are having babies. I mean everybody except us... The first up to pop them out will be Rich and Rachel's secretly named spawn and thats gonna happen any day now.

Aliza became an Infectious Disease Specialist which is exciting because we have interesting conversations when she comes home from work. Aliza: “Um, so, ah...I think I may have gotten syphilis at work today, but don’t worry, I probably didn’t, I mean I think I might have had gloves on” Me (insert Buttheads voice): “uhhh, uhhh, you just said syphilis”

Burger got his tail shortened twice. The first time didn’t really stick, in fact the only thing sticking out was the bone of his tail sticking out of the most disgusting wound I have ever laid eyes on. Its really enjoying bringing your dog into the vet only to have the vets flinch when they look at it. Thats a comforting feeling. Poor guy. He is doing great now and his tail no longer shoots blood like a flame thrower. And he still eats everything he can get his snout around.

Bugs still naps all day.

We went our honeymoon to Cat Island in the Bahamas. Its SWEET there and I LOVE their artwork.

After the race season ended I made a daring comeback to the world of bassoonology. I applied to the DMA program at UNCG (that's University of North Carolina Greensboro), started practicing intensely and consistently, and got back into decent playing shape quickly. I even contacted the Prof at UNCG for some lessons.

Right after I had set a lesson time, Cameron and I decided to try backpacking for the first time and like true rookies, we bit off WAY more than we could chew. Evidently building a bridge across a river with only a multitool is more difficult than it seems and I returned home with a broken finger. Here is the write up of our Backpacking trip with photos.

Hence the bassoon was put on hold for 4 weeks. Then the pressure was on. After I was healed up I had 6 weeks to put together an entire recitals (an hour) worth of music for my Audition. I managed and in the fall I will start working on my DMA. Its very exciting to be going back to school and starting my life as a musician once again.

For some reason, since the bassoon comeback started, I have been listening to the same music I did in college. I found the best Podcast EVER. I listen to this when I ride my bike, when I walk the dog, whenever I can its always on. I’m like really into it for some weird reason. Probably because its awesome.

check out the wedding pics

2009-07-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

We had the best wedding ever with the most awesome photographers.
Here are the pictures. Click on the slideshow and then you can see the proofs.

best quote ever

2009-07-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

I have so much to report its ridiculous. Here is the important stuff:
I got married!!!!!!!!!
I got married to Aliza who is the most awesomest person in the whole world!!!!
We had the best wedding ever with the best friends and family in the world!!!
$Rich$ is the best entertainment ever at a wedding!!!!!

Thats the important stuff. I will put up endless pictures soon so don't worry.

This weekend is the Iron Hill Twilight and here is the press release
I love Frank's quote, "after the race he will wish he was still a bassoonist!!" HA!!

Bad Luck

2009-06-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Philly was yesterday and the team raced awesome. Philly is a super hard race and super long (156 miles or something like that). I was feeling good but with 5 miles to go we were flying and I got a flat tire. I got a wheel change but being a gigantic wuss, I couldn't catch back on to a peleton that was going 30+ mph. OH well that is racing for you.

I realized the other day I never give my coach enough props. Andy Applegate has been coaching me for 3 years now and ever since I started working with him, I got fast. He is the best coach ever and works for Asheville Velosports.
Andy has been so influential in my training, racing, and mental attitude and I owe him so much and couldn't be where I am in cycling without him.
We did a podcast via the phone last week for his website. It was a ton of fun so check it out here.

We love Tulsa

2009-06-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

Tulsa Tough is the best bike race in the world. It is a three criterium omnium over 3 days on three distinct courses. There also is a ton of prize money, which makes it an even cooler bike race, AND they pay out on the spot which definately makes it the coolest ever.
Anyway on the last day, Daniel rode away with 4 laps to go and stayed away for the win! It was by far the biggest win I have ever been on a team for and it is super exciting. Good Job Dan!!!!!!!!!
Next up is Philly on sunday so I better start training now...

just for the record

2009-05-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

It hasn't been a month yet. We are in Tulsa OK. 3 of us drove here from Somerville NJ and it feels good to get out of the van for a while. Tulsa seems nice and chill. We are racing a three race omnium here for the weekend and then driving home.
During speedweek I had a camera on my bike thanks to Oregon Scientific and Race announcer Chad Andrews from Total Cyclist. Here is the first video which is from Dilworth NC.

2009-05-03T16:50:00.001-07:00

Team Mtn Khakis won the overall, team comp, and lap lead!! Now we are eating big bufords and fries...w/ diet cokes tho.

Technology

2009-04-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

So i can post from my phone, but unfortunately they come up in reverse order, so I'm going to have to start typing backwards which is kind of difficult.
We are neck deep in Speedweek right now. We have done 4 races and have 3 to go. Tom won in Beaufort which was totally amazing and sweet and hardcore and just plain crazy and he is such a rockstar and I'm so happy I'm on his team, check it out here and he took the overall lead in the series.
Last night was Walterboro and was a super fast non-selective course which was difficult to get away on and difficult to sit in. I ended up 8th and Tom was 11th so we are still leading the series, but lost some points. The team is racing super strong and it is so much fun to be a part of it.
Here is the link to the results page of Speedweek.
We had off today (thursday) and I actually hitched a ride home with Jay and Joe last night, so Uh and I have been able to hang out today in the dash and then we are going to roadtrip it together for the rest of the series...I'm sure traveling with her won't smell as bad as that team van does...

2009-04-30T17:13:00.003-07:00

til now. Unfortunately now I don't have an excuse for not posting.

2009-04-30T17:13:00.001-07:00

So technology is crazy. Apparently I can post from my phone now. I probably could have done this for a while but with my lack of blogging I didn't notice

Here is the "official" race report. I'm sure glad we are on the same team...

2009-04-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Soladay Displays Raw Power to Take Big Win
At Historic Roswell Criterium
By Daniel Carruthers
Tom Soladay (Team Mtn. Khakis) took the biggest win of his career at the Historic Roswell Criterium, Sunday in the second race of the USA CRITS Speed Week series. Soladay won with such a tremendous display of raw power that he took the Gamblers prime on the penultimate lap and still managed, comfortably, to cross the finish line ahead of his more favored breakaway companions: Kyle Walmsley (Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light), Zach Bell (Kelly Benefit Strategies), Frank Travieso (Champion Porsche P/b Herbalife/Racers Edge) and Bobby Lea (OUCH).
How it unfolded:
150 riders lined up on the one mile, tree-lined, Roswell course under sunny skies, Sunday. Besides the USA, there was quite an international flavor, with riders from New Zealand, Australia, Cuba, Ireland, Mexico, and Canada to name a few.
The race at Roswell was not as lightning fast as the Athens Twilight, but a high pace was still maintained throughout, with an average speed of 29 mph for the 80-minute contest. The hill on the back side of the course, combined with a slight cross-wind, served to stretch out the field each lap. But it usually came back together on the home straight where speeds were hitting 31 to 34 mph through the start-finish line. Riders would fan out going through the first turn and allow for some recovery before the hill.
Various attacks from different teams went up the road, but were quickly snuffed out by the spritely peloton. Nothing changed until a late race attack by Zach Bell of Canada started the winning breakaway. His move was quickly followed by Kyle Walmsley, Frank Travieso, Tom Soladay, and Bobby Lea. The five escapees quickly established a large gap that grew to 30 seconds through some slick work together. Teams that missed the break, such as Fly V Australia, Team Hotel San Jose and Team Type 1, were trying desperately to either bridge across, or bring it back to set up for a field sprint. Carlos Vargas (Team Hotel San Jose) was one of those riders doing his best to jump across but to no avail.
It was interesting to note that Jonny Sundt (Kelly Benefits) started from the back of the field at the beginning of the race and spent the majority of the time moving up slowly but surely on every lap. By the time he hit the front of the race, his teammate Bell was already in the breakaway group. Sundt then concentrated on protecting Bell’s advantage. He commented later that it was “difficult for the guys [Kelly Benefits] since we are recently back from stage racing in Asia, and are just getting back into the criterium style of racing.” Sundt was full of praise for Team Mountain Khakis. “They are racing extremely well and clearly have come to dominate; so my hats off to them.”
In a post-race interview, Soladay commented that the team had come to Roswell to win the race and were following the same plan as they did at the Athens Twilight Criterium a day earlier. Soladay’s win is even more remarkable when you consider that it wasn’t that long ago when he was hit by a car and suffered slight nerve damage. He seems to have made a speedy recovery, and the whole Team Mountain Khakis squad was right behind him Sunday. If the break was brought back, there were five other strong riders poised to do what it takes [to win].
Bell, who finished third, said that his teammates “dug in very deep today” and the Roswell Criterium was only his second crit this year (Athens Twilight being the first one); so he is still re-adjusting. Bell said that he thought Travieso “would go harder coming out of the final turn, but he eased up, and I ended up leading out.” Bell still held on to claim the final podium spot behind Kyle Walmsley.
Aldo Ilesic (Team Type 1) of Slovenia took out the bunch sprint by at least a bike length in front of John Murphy (OUCH) and Ben Kersten (Fly V Australia). Mark Hekman (Team Mountain Khakis) and Carlos Vargas (Team Hotel San Jose) rounded out the top ten.

Pigs almost flew again...

2009-04-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

but not quite.
Athens was good to Team Mountain Khakis this year. The team raced awesome and everyone contributed an insane amount. The race this year had more spectators than I ever have seen in my 5 previous times doing it and it was so much fun to race in that atmosphere. I was lucky enough to make the right moves and end up in the winning break. I was pretty tired toward the end and am super happy with 2nd. Here is a good right up about the race.
Life is good here in GA. We are staying in the woods outside athens in this little compound and it is sweet. We have learned to watch out for vines ripping the bikes off the roof rack though. The bikes are okay and I have an amazing picture of it to come.

Older and wiser

2009-04-25T21:08:00.001-07:00

So I turned 31 last week and you would think that my wisdom with regards to bicycle racing would be that much greater. Apparently not. We traveled to the Tour of Battenkill last weekend which was a 13 hour car drive one way. The morning of the race I thought (in my infinite wisdom) that I should adjust my cleats. So with two hours til the race start I managed to strip the threads out of my shoes. Sweet. With no other option I did what every other hack bike mechanic would do and I welded my cleat on. It lasted 20 minutes until it fell completly off and my trip was over. Double sweet. I was really proud of myself and luckily had a 13 hour drive to think about it.
We are enroute to Athens for Speedweek. I'm excited for this trip. We have a ton of fast guys on Team Mtn Khakis so it should be a fun fast week.

I love the south...

2009-04-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

but I will still be rooting for MSU tonight!
Here is my apology for not posting, I'm just copying it from every other post on this blog.
It is good to be home. The Cali trip was a great time and we did some really hard racing which is good for training and now we all feel much stronger and faster than when we got out there.
This past weekend we traveled to Rock Hill SC for a local race weekend. I have done these races many times in the past and have always enjoyed them. Here is the official race report from the official Mountain Khaki Website!!!!!!!!
The best part of the trip was when Logan and I were driving home at 80 mph on the freeway and we get pasted by this:
I'm now home for a few weeks before my next race which is the the Tour of Battenkill in Upstate NY.

GO SPARTANS!!!!

Reason # 2129 why Cali is the best

2009-03-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

Reason # 2129 why Cali is the best
I'm on a public transit bus and it has wifi. That is crazy.
I'm on my way back to Redlands for the Redlands classic. I just
spent the last 3 days visiting with Aliza and her brother, Taylor and
his wife, Sarah. We had a great time. They picked me up after San
dimas and we spent a couple days riding beach cruisers around Venice,
eating, bowling, eating, being tourists, eating, hiking, eating and
just relaxing. It was awesome to see them and Aliza. Now taking the
bus halfway back to Redlands and then Im gonna ride my bike the rest
of the way (they have bike racks on the busses).
The racing has been going good. No crashes yet and we have been
consistently finishing in the front groups which is no small feat on
the west coast this time of year. Redlands starts tom and that is our
final race out here. I'm definately going to miss California but at
the same time am excited to get home.

Sent from my iPod

cathcing up on california

2009-03-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Here is the official race report from the official website!!
What it left out was this awesome prime that David Guttenplan won! Check it out:

My stitches had to come out, but I didn't want to have to pay for it so luckily my parents had given me a sweet multi-tool for christmas.

We are still staying in Redlands and the weather has been amazing. The roads here are really nice and have shoulders!! Look at how big this shoulder is!

The San Dimas Stage race starts tomorrow with an uphill time trial.

Fun video from camp

2009-03-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

We made it!

2009-03-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

We made it!
After three days of driving on I-40, we have made it California. The
drive was uneventful and actually quite fun. We all took turns driving
and the time just went by.
We are now staying at our awesome host house in redlands. The hosts
are amazing, they are putting us up for our entire stay here which is
18 days. The rest of the team is flying in today and we have our first
race tomorrow which is a criterium. I am excited to see how my fitness
is and to race with the team for the first time.

Sent from my iPod

whoops

2009-03-08T05:45:00.000-07:00

So I ws showing off my mechanicing skills and this is what I ended up with. 6 stiches compliments of a star nut and rusty hammer.

Training camp concludes today and we leave tomorrow for California. I have never driven out to California before and I hear that it takes a little while to get there. I guess I will find out. We will be there for 3 weekends of racing and then we are driving home.
These last two days have been 80 degrees here which is quite the contrast to the 15 degrees it was three days ago. I'm not complaining.

Snow day at training camp

2009-03-02T15:29:00.001-08:00

The Team Mountain Khaki training camp is going on right now here in Winston-Salem and everyone has been lucky to experience the absolute WORST weather I have ever experienced in NC. I am sure the guys from Southern California are loving it. Here is what we woke up to today:

I was lucky enough to have and know what one of these are. I rented it out to my neighbors after I noticed their puzzled looks when I was scraping my winshield off.

At least the precipitation is done so now we just have to deal with the cold.

I thought I was gonna be a hero.

2009-02-25T04:21:00.000-08:00

I was outside yesterday and a lady walked by and asked if I had seen
an orange cat. Hers had gotten out and she was worried about it. I
hadn't seen it but she told me where she lived in case I did run into
it. So later I was walking burger around the block and I saw this
orange cat sitting under a car and it matched the description. So I
quickly took Burger home and went back to where the cat was; it wasn't
under the car anymore but it was in this frontyard. So I gently
approached this cat and i waa thinking how much of a hero i was going
to be for gettimg this ladys cat back. As I was bending over to pick
it up this guy opens his door and yells, "what are you doing to my
cat?!?!" Evidently it was the wrong cat.

Fortunately he had a sense of humor and after I explained to him why I
was trying to steal his cat he was okay with everything.
My life is so exciting now that I live in the city. I can't beleive I
just blogged about cats.

Sent from my iPod

life lesson #2:

2009-02-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

just try harder. That became the best answer this weekend when i was like, "Waayne how do I do this? Waaayne, its not working, what do I do?" Its amazing that everytime I tried harder it worked. I am such a newbie at home improvement, but after this weekend I can almost put in a drywall plug, and I can definately hold tools really well.
Aliza"s parents were down for 2 full days and they really worked hard and hooked up our house, we all did and got so much done. Here is what our little project ended up looking like:

Go Clemson!!!

life lesson #1

2009-02-21T05:03:00.000-08:00

Never cut drywall with a circular saw. It makes a mess. A really really really big mess that travels through the entire house. I have never done any sort of home improvement, not even painting so the hole in the wall was quite the project. It is almost done and luckily the studs weren't weight bearing...phew.

Home improvement

2009-02-20T03:49:00.000-08:00

So the reason I haven't updated in a while this time is because Aliza and I bought a house and moved. Couple that with training and her working full time, moving in a ford focus, and no internet; it makes for a busy time.
Our new house is in Winston-Salem and now we have internet so I'm back posting. We aren't totally settled yet but we are steadily working on it. I usually hate moving but this time it has been a ton of fun.
Alizas parents came down last night and so today we were all going to go to the new Ikea which opened in Charlotte, but upon brainstorming Wayne (alizas dad) and I decided to knock out a wall and put a bar/window from our dining room into the kitchen.
Here are the before pictures and who knows what it is going to look like after...I hope wayne does because I just learned how to use a drill last week...

As far as cycling goes, I picked up a SRM so now instead of posting i can just put up my power files. HA
Our team camp is in a week and it is in Winston, so I am really looking forward to that and then we leave for california right from camp so the season is here!! Yikes!!! I better go train.

Can a three hour race be considered epic?

2009-01-28T12:07:00.001-08:00

Andy doesn't think so, but I felt like can be after attempting to compete in Southern Cross on a singlespeed with a way too big of gear on. I feel like if you have to walk your bike up a mountain for more than 3 miles, it can be considered epic.
The race was awesome and a ton of fun. The 12 mile climb wasn't too bad for the first 9 miles, but the last 3 were so steep and muddy that I couldn't push my gear over any more. Luckily for me Will Black, who was also on a SS had a bigger gear than me so we were both walking/jogging with our bikes. If you want to see something funny watch a couple of guys attack each other while carrying or pushing their bikes in cycling shoes up a muddy mountain. It is a sight behold for sure.
All in all it was a super fun weekend and some really good training...
Here is the write up about. I love the picture of Rich drinking beer in his team kit. He is making his sponsors proud.

Snow Days

2009-01-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

This morning we southerners experienced "treacherous and whiteout conditions" the schools were cancelled, roads were closed, and everything shut down. Since I no longer have television I seemed to miss the "news flash" about the severe weather and drove into work on these horrible roads.

This was my backyard which led me to believe that we were in a winter weather advisory. If you look closely, there is some of that white stuff out there.

Today just reinforced how lucky I am to be living in the south. This comment showed up on my facebook wall and it made me think of all my friends and family up in the homeland.

Mark,
We are missing all things Mark Hekman up here in Rochester Hills, Mi. You did the right thing by moving south though as we have doubled our annual yearly snowfall for the season and winter aint over yet. I think we normally get 17 inches annually in metro Detroit and we are up to something like 45 as of yesterday. Lots of shovel use, ...actually my favorite is slowly being worn through the bottom. Anywho, I still have managed to get out and ride about a dozen or so times this year, of course I have to have spikes on my tires, four layers of clothing, chemical toe and hand warmers, lobster mitts, and lots of lights. My neighbors must think the Gay, Eskimo circus has come to town when I go rolling through the neighborhood with my electric blue tights and blinking lights, blazing headlamp, and tires sparking on infrequent patches of bare asphalt. Gotta Love Biking in Michigan!!!!

Ciao, for now
Papa Tony

What I really need is a picture of Papa Tony in that getup...

The weather down here hasn't been all that great, I had to remove a pair of gloves to take this picture, I am not sure whether I was showing off my cookies or my sweet spinaci aerobars which have elevated my fred level to a new all time high.

I rode a ton last week (a ton being 20 hours) and I was fortunate enough to have this guy entertain me for some of it. He rides with his hands on the tops like this all the time, I don't know why it annoys me when he does it, but it just does. I think me being 30 is making me grumpy.

Here is a classic example of us being bored and trying unsuccesfully to be funny.

This weekend I am going to go do "southern cross" which is a dirt road race in the GA mountains. I am excited and looking forward to getting some good pics which usually means I won't ever post them.
Enjoy the weather wherever you are...

I found another college photo

2009-01-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

2009-01-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

Yes it is sunday and I succesfully survived another week of training. The volume is pretty high right now but it feels good be riding on a consistent basis. I get to see tons of church signs. This one is this weeks winner.

The rivers were high this week and I did manage to get through these high waters. This one required hiking over rocks and yes I was wearing my road shoes.

This one I did the classic "unclip and pick my feet up as I can and hope my momentum gets me through it" I went to fast though and the spray up soaked me.

Burger graduated on friday from the PetSmart Puppy School. If you look closely you can see me choking him to get him to stand still. He is totally Marley from "Marley and Me" Its uncanny.

This could be the best mispelling of Hekman ever.

wherethehekhasmarkbeen

2009-01-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

is the new name of my blog. Since it is a new year and it is my resolution to update again, I have decided to start slow and not tell all my stories at once. I hope to be updating more frequently now as I don't have television anymore so no more American Idol, Biggest Loser, Real Housewives of Orange County, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Real Housewives of New York City, Americas Next Top Model, or any wedding show you can think of...its going to be a long winter.

I am back to training and just won my first trophy of the 2009 season!!! Good thing I was the only one on a singlespeed, and yes I did get thirsty and drink it, whoops.

I was up in MI for Christmas and New Years and since there was 50 inches of snow I decided to get some serious cross-training in. This is how the MIganders roll and it is a riot.

My favorite part of MI is getting carted around downtown by the drunken pedicab drivers. This guy wasn't drunk, he just looked like it.

I hope someone still checks this blog and if you do, HAPPY 2009.

I got assaulted today

2008-10-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

with a hotdog and then a 32oz Dr. Pepper.
I was riding home from work today and someone threw a hotdog at me and followed it up the finger and a nasty grin. I brushed it off as no big deal as my emo music was making me feel calm and sensitive. 3 miles later however some other carful of kids threw a FULL 32oz Dr. Pepper at me and it hit me on the shoulder, they didn't have their timing right as they had to stop at a light right away; I was enraged this time and ripped out my frame pump and held it above my head as I was screaming at them, unfortunately for me I forgot I was riding a fixed gear and as I was holding that pump so high I forgot to pedal and was bucked off my bike only to chest plant the handlebars and fall over sideways as everyone was looking. I am okay and it was a spectacle to say the least.

So I would like to thank all the faithful commentors on my blog as I was thoroughly entertained by them.

I have been up to a number of things.
Here are a couple of things that have happened since I last posted.

I survived Mexico, barely. That was the fastest and hardest race I have ever done and I am glad that I did it.

I went to Vegas where the Toshiba Santo team protected Yosvany's lead in the USA CRIT series and helped him win the Overall. We also managed to win the Team Overall and I won the Laps Led Comp. It was a succesful series for us. Vegas also marked the official end of my season and the first season that wasn't ended by an injury.

I signed a contract for next year with the team formerly known as Time Pro Cycling and will now be known as Premier Sports Partnership. I am really excited to race for this team and with these guys.

After vegas Aliza and I got tattoos, a new couch and a labradoodle all in 3 days. Our dog is awesome and his name is Burger.

Our cat, Bugs, destroyed Burgers eye the first night we had him so he had to wear this collar for a week.

My sister and family came to visit for the weekend. We had an awesome time and it was so much fun having people come visit.

I went for a hike with Aliza and this guy which was supposed to be an hour and a half but ended up being 5. I did realize that my skin is lighter than white.

Other than that I have been doing a little bit of cross, working full time at Paceline and finding what kinds of foods taste good with Ranch dressing...oh yeah and eating these:

Catching up

2008-09-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Catching up
Vuelta Mexico is rolling along. We have done three stages so far and
raced 660k in three days. It has been hard and fast. Yesterday was the
longest stage and I was set up awesome for the sprint only to flat
with 1 k to go. It was pouring and the run into town was all downhill.
It could have been the scariest experience of my life. There were
crashes everywhere with guys sliding on the pavement for forever
before they stopped. We all survived unscathed.
Today is a short circuit race in the town of Guadalajara and then the
climbing starts tom. Hopefully the rain will stop one of these days.

Sent from my iPod

Vuelta Mexico stage 1

2008-09-13T15:44:00.001-07:00

Vuelta Mexico stage 1
Our day was crazy!! It started with Dan getting stung by a scorpian
when he went to put his shoes on this morning. He survived thank
goodness but it was scary!!!!
Then Procick crashed so hard and had to get in the ambulance and
abandon the race with a couple broken ribs. Yuck.
There were probablly 8 nasty crashes today over the 200k. We did the
stage in 4 hours thanks to a mild tailwind and the saunier duval team
(now Scott American Beef) setting an insane tempo. It was so fast and
my 54 x 11 was not even close to big enough. I guess I could spin more.
Anyway a group of 5 got away from the gun and stayed away by 30
seconds. I was mixing up the field sprint but got caught behind
another crash. So most of us survived although I got my front wheel
caught in a vertical sewer grate on the way to the hotel and it sank
down to the hub and I went over the bars. Thank goodness I was going
slow.
I Love the insanity of racing here. It is almost comical. The race is
good as we have good hotels and good food for us.
Tomorrow starts with a 20k climb right away. Hopefully I will make it
over otherwise it will be a long day as it is another 200k stage.

Sent from my iPod

Guess what I am up to?

2008-09-09T17:10:00.001-07:00

I am going to Mexico, and no they don't have snacks there so I am coming prepared this time.
The race is Vuelta Mexico and it is a pretty serious race. Here is the website. I am hoping to post reports kind of frequently but don't get your hopes too high.

It's September already

2008-09-04T06:58:00.001-07:00

and almost time for cross.
Aliza and I are coming up to the homeland this weekend. There is a
couple of good crits up there and we are looking forward to a cool
little road trip.
The race is Saturday downtown GR at 3pm so if you are around, come
watch and then it will be party time after.

home

2008-08-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

I am home!!! I have been gone since the beginning of August and it feels really good to be back in North Cackalacky.
Chris Thater was good, I made the winning break but took the last corner way to fast and had to grab way to much brake and lost all my momentum and that was all she wrote. I ended up sixth.
I was on the road this road trip with Frank and Yosvany. We had a ton of fun and even mangaged to take a romantic roadtrip to Niagara Falls. They had never been there and they were really impressed at looking at water.

I am home this week and then going to South Carolina for the USPRO road race on sunday, then to Atlanta for 10k Classic, then I go to MI for the Priority Health Classic.
I love driving...

This is how we roll.

2008-08-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

Had to fix the van ourselves before heading out for thater. Didnt even have time to change out of chamios!
USA CRIT race tom in Binghamton NY should be fun. I used to do this race when i went to Ithaca college so it is good to come back and do it. I dont think anyone will recognize me now as i used to have A TON more hair.

Sent via AOL Mobile Mail on T-mobile

This is what I looked like the last time I did Chris Thater

2008-08-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Bahati is one quick dude.

2008-08-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

Here is Frank killing it for me.

2008-08-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, 90 mm rims rock!!

Better than last year.

2008-08-18T12:40:00.001-07:00

Better than last year.
This past weekend was the US Professional criterium championships in
Downers Grove IL. I have never done the pro race before and the
amateur race was where I broke my heel last year.
It was a surreal experience doing this race as I have watched it for
years and years and always dreamed of doing it.
The toshiba team consisted of frank, Yosvany, and myself. We were a
little outnumbered as many teams had as many as 9 guys. Frank and Yos
absolutely slayed themselves for me and I managed to get on the podium
for 3rd place!! It was awweeesome!!!
We are now driving back to MI for a few days before heading out to
Binghamton NY for a USA Crit race on Sunday.
I know the posts have been a bit sparce and I will try to be better
but don't count on it.

Sent from my iPod

Rochester TT

2008-08-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

If only I was 4 seconds faster in the TT, I would have moved up like 4 spots. Shouldn't have shown all my sweet moves at the wedding...

catching up

2008-08-05T16:42:00.001-07:00

Wow, it has been a while since I posted. I am not quite sure what I have been doing but I feel like I have been really really busy.
After Venezuela I was home for 2 days before departing for Las Vegas. I went to Vegas with UH for her brother, Taylor's, wedding. It was SO much fun there and I enjoyed getting to know her extended family and got some quality clubbing and pool time in as well. I left my bicycle at home, which felt good. I did get some good exercise in by dancing like a white boy from MI and we also went for a hike in red rock canyon.
I was in Vegas for 4 days and was home for only 18 hours before I was racing again. Last week was a week of criterium racing down here called the Crossroads Classic. I raced 5 crits in 6 days and it was a riot. It was a good week and I felt incredibly fresh all week. Must have been all the Red Bull and Vodkas in Vegas. Anyway in 5 races I went 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, and 8th. In that order!!! It was a steady downward progression!! HA! In my defense the races got a touch harder as the week went on.
Now I am in Winston-Salem hanging out with my two cuban teammates. We leave on thursday for Rochester NY for a 3 day race there this weekend. From Rochester we are going to Grand Rapids to hang out until Downers Grove, and then going back to MI until we drive back to NY the following weekend. So Mom and Dad if you are reading this can you put up my whole team for 2 weeks? HA!!! (they know already stop your "tsk tsk" ing).
Here is something I discovered. Life Lesson #1:
If you wait long enough to do something, someone else will do it for you. Case in point. I LOVE coffee and so does my good friend Jim B. I don't have a coffee grinder and Jim comes to visit a lot, he finally got so fed up with me not having one that he got me one just for when he comes to visit. Thanks Jim.

Procrastination Works!!!

Life Lesson #2 Here is what Optygen is good for:

Now that I found out I can still type, maybe I will post more frequently...

Venezuela

2008-07-21T03:43:00.001-07:00

Venezuela
almost loves us. Frank missed the win by 2 mm. It was so so close.
We had a great race. Frank was 2nd, Yosvany was 5th, I won the mid
race prime, and we got third in the team comp.
Well worth the trip. Although I am starting my 5th 12+ hour trip in 8
days.

Sent from my iPod

Venezuela

2008-07-21T03:38:00.000-07:00

Sent from my iPod

Vancouver is...

2008-07-18T07:28:00.001-07:00

Vancouver is...
Awesome and the self proclaimed 'weed' Capitol of the world. At least
that is what a spectator was telling me as he blew smoke in my face
and explained why we kept racing through clouds of it on the course.
The Tour de Gastown is a tough course that has only three corners and
a tough false flat straightaway. The field started with 152 racers and
by the end there were only 35 finishers.
The race was 60k of attacks followed by more attacks followed by svein
tuft going away solo only to be caught on the last lap. The bunch
sprint was a little crazy and we squeezed out 7th and 8th. There was a
little miscommunication towards the end as we all couldn't find each
other to get organized. Anyway symetrics ended up winning. It was a
super fast race and def worth all the travel. The crowd was amazing
and it was so much fun checking out Vancouver. It is probably the
coolest city I have been to yet.

Sent from my iPod

Traveling

2008-07-14T18:03:00.001-07:00

to Vancouver for Tour de Gastown which is a USA CRIT race in Canada...I guess it shouldn't be called USA anymore as we are going to Canada...
The race is on Wed and I get back to Winston Thursday only to drive to Atlanta to fly to Venuzuela for a one day race there on Sunday, and then I am home for a few days and then off to VEGAS for Aliza brothers wedding...
I am sure I will have interesting stories to share during these next few weeks.

Tired

2008-07-07T07:59:00.001-07:00

So Iron Hill came and went and it feels like a dream. Maybe it was the 7 super high gravity beers from Iron Hill right after the race and then getting in the car and driving (actually riding until I sobered up) straight to MI. We (uh and I) did sleep in a rest area for a while until someone parked RIGHT next to us, literally. There was a totally empty parking lot and they had to park right next to us, so we left then. We got here yesterday afternoon, just in time for back to back family reunions. We were tired but it feels good to be back up here hanging out with Yankees.

The race was sweet. The course there is my dream course. Super tight corners and half of the course was up hill. You could make up so much time in the corners and that is what I did. I followed people bridgeing up to a move that frank was in and everyone stopped pedaling and I just took off. Since I was alone, at first I was just going to hang out and soak up as many primes as I could. Each lap i would hammer the hill, recover on the downhill and take the corners as fast as I could. Thankfully I had 3 other teamates in the field slowing things down, so I managed to take a lap with 20 to go and stayed upright for the win.
Everyone was a stud today, Frank took off with 15 to go and stayed clear for 3rd and Parra took 6th and Yosvany took 9th. All four of us got in the top ten.

My life is so glamorous, since we were leaving after the race we didn't have a place to hang beforehand. I forgot to shave and had to do it in the parking lot of a Gas Staion.

Brian, who hosted us before Harlem was helping out and enjoyed some beers with us. Here he is now with Yosvany who is now leading the series..

I love races that are sponsored by beer...

Important Note: Frank wore a skinsuit, and a long sleeved one at that...Just had to go on record and say that.

Here is the Velonews article...

Coming home

2008-06-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

Coming home
So Vuelta Puebla is finished and we are at the airport eager for some
tap water.
The final stage was anti climatic as a breakaway went but with no gc
people in it. Andrew was a stud as he made the break and got fourth on
the day.
Alex was third overall and 2nd in the kom. Dan was 8th and I was 18th
and 2nd in the sprints and 3rd in the kom. All in all it was a great
week and it was fun to finally 'make it rain' especially with only
four guys.
I am looking forward to going back to nc for a few days before I head
up to the 'Iron Hill' crit in west Chester PA and then I am going to
be in MI for a while. Uh and I will be up there for a week. I am
already dreaming about founders beer...

Sent from my iPod

Stage 5: gringos win in Puebla!

2008-06-28T15:41:00.001-07:00

Stage 5: gringos win in Puebla!
We went 1 2 today!!!!!!!! It was awesome. Dan Vaillancourt attacked
out of our break with 3 k to go and stayed clear to win!!! It was so
cool. I took the sprint for second and a toshiba 1 2!!!
Today race was the longest day yet. It was 150k with 3 sprints and 2
koms. The plan was for me to make the early break and soak up all the
points. I made the break which went from the gun and then dan bridged
with a couple other guys about 10k later. We were able to sit on the
break and take the points all day because we were protecting alexs
lead. I sprinted for all the sprints and the koms. Unfortunately a guy
in the break took the lead in the kom, putting alex in second but my
efforts netted me third and it pays three deep! The kom comp is over
and 2nd and 3rd is way more money than first although it would have
been nice to get alex that jersey.
Anyway the break stuck and after 147k of being up the road, dan put in
an amazing attack and took it all the way home. It was the coolest
thing ever. Go dan!!!
So as it sits now alex is in third and dan moved up to eighth and I am
eighteenth and second in the sprint comp by one point. Tom is a
circuit in downtown Puebla so it should be a battle to the end with
the sprints.

I have to say congrats to my homeys Marco and Tara who are getting
married today!!!! Wish I was there. Congrats!

Sent from my iPod

stage 3 and 4

2008-06-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

I am currently in THE seediest internet cafe in some random city in mexico and it is awesome. This trip is going quite well so far and the cities we are in are all small little villages in the mountains and the weather here is awesome, its not humid and in the 70s all the time. It is great.
Stage 3 was super flat, I got some sprint points in the first sprint, but then a break rolled off and took the remaining points and so now i am in 3rd. Alex is still in 3rd overall and leading the KOMs and that is the priority so everything is good still.
Today was stage 4 and it was short. We raced 35 miles up a mountain and then descended for 35 miles. There were only 32 finishers in the front group today, but Alex, Dan, and Myself were all in there. A break rolled early and we almost caught them in the finishing straight. I ended up sixth on the day. Alex is still leading the KOM and is still in 3rd overall. We just have one more really hard day tomorrow and then sunday in a circuit. Everyones spririts are high and we are having a great time here.
The food and beer are super cheap here, but the gas is crazy expensive. It is 4usd a liter!! Crazy.
I am going to wash my hands now...

Stage 2 Zataclan to some city at the top of a huge mtn. 110k with only 13k in climbing.

2008-06-25T16:13:00.001-07:00

Stage 2 Zataclan to some city at the top of a huge mtn. 110k with only
13k in climbing.
Todays stage was one of the more epic rides I have ever done in my
life. The climbing was out of control. I have never come close to
doing climbs that long or as steep. The descents were the scariest
experience too. I can't tell if it was the tiny mexicans getting speed
wobbles at 50 mph or the speed bumps in the apex of hairpin turns or
the wild horses charging at the pack or the landslides or the other
tiny mexicans not cornering right and launching over the edge or the
dude hitting a huge pot hole and snapping his carbon bars at Mach 4 or
the sections of pavement missing or the Moto crashing in the corner.
Either way it was a frightening day and ridiculously hard and I loved
it!!! It is so pretty riding here in the mountains. We climbed above
9000 ft twice today.
As far as the race goes, alex ripped it today big time. He got 3rd on
the day and is now leading the kom. Tecos went 1 2 and is now firmly
in the overall lead.
I faired well for my size and came in around 25th I got shelled
about halfway and just rode my own pace and caught some people near
the finish.
Rumor has it that tomorrow is flat...thank goodness.

Sent from my iPod

Stage 1 Puebla to Zacatlan 140 k

2008-06-24T16:11:00.001-07:00

Stage 1 Puebla to Zacatlan 140 k
Todays stage was sweet. It had 4 hot spot sprints and 1 kom. The route
was pretty rolly with a big climb at about 40 k in. The field
shattered on the climb and there were 20 people left in the front
group. We had 3 of us in there. It was me, dan, and alex and 5 tecos.
I managed to snag 2 be in a couple of the hot spots and alex got 2 nd
on the kom. The finish was a little hairy and I got 4th. I was hoping
for a little better but I will take it. The team worked so great today
and we now have 3 of us in the top 20 and 21st is about 6 minutes down.
Alex and I both got to go on the podium where they gave us these
framed pictures. It was pretty neat. This town we are in is a tiny
village tucked away in the mountains.
Everything is going sweet except poor gus hasn't left the bathroom in
about 3 hours. Ha! I think I might have just jinxed myself by writing
that.
Tomorrow is crazy hard with 2 20k climbs and then a 5k climb to the
finish all at elevation too. This is a bit different than crit racing
in the states but I am having a blast!

Sent from my iPod

Prologue

2008-06-23T16:48:00.001-07:00

I was super excited for today prologue as it was only 3 k and I
assumed it was flat. We rode our bikes to the course and we went down
this huge hill for a long time and in my head I was thinking uh oh,
this might be an uphill tt. Indeed it was. 3 k of climbing at 7000 ft
was def interesting. I totally started out way to fast and blew up and
held on for dear life. It was Miserable!!!
Anyway it was good enough for 3rd place! Ha!!! I was 8 seconds off the
lead. Hopefully this bodes well for our team for the rest of the week.
The gringo toshiba team is having a ton of fun, now if only we spoke
any Spanish...

Sent from my iPod

In Mexico.

2008-06-23T12:54:00.001-07:00

In Mexico.
I flew into Mexico City today with gus and andrew. It was a fine
flight and Delta only charges $150 for bikes now. Crazy!
We are now on a five hour bus ride to the city where the race starts
tom. I have no idea where it is but i will let you know when I find
out. (I just follow the heard)
Mexico City is enormous! Like really really big.
So far so good and I am sure I will have some stuff to tell tom. The
race starts tom with a 3 k prologue.

Sent from my iPod

Going to MEXICO!!!!

2008-06-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

I am typing this as I watch back to back to back to back to back episodes of "whose wedding is it anyway?" The DVR is completely filled with wedding shows...

So not much has been going on. Harlem Rocks was a very sweet race and we raced awesome the entire race until we got boxed into the barriers on the last lap and had to practically stop. It sucks to race perfect for 99.99% of the race and then one wrong line in one corner costs you the results. The good news is that the legs are good and the team raced awesome together.
The finish in Harlem was spectacular as there were 3 crashes in the straightaway and the winner crashes after he wins. Here is the video of it. Major props have to go out to the Time Team for getting a big win in dramatic fashion.
I am flying to Mexico on sunday for Vuelta Puebla, a 7 day stage race with a ton of climbing. I am super excited to go see mexico, but I have a feeling it won't be like going to Cabo--I actually only know what Cabo is like because of watching "Laguna Beach" when they go there on their spring break. So the people going from Toshiba are Dan, Alex, Bobby, Myself, Andrew, and Winston...none of us speak much spanish. It is funny because I went to Joe Martin and I was the only one on the team that spoke english and none of the spanish speakers are going to mexico...
I hope that I will be able to update while I am there...Does Mexico have the Internet?

making up for not calling

2008-06-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

I would like to wish my parents a happy 40th wedding anniversary. 40 years may seem like a long time but when 30 of them are spent hanging out with me, I am sure the years just flew by.
I would have called but yesterday was super busy. I woke up, texted, ate, texted, rode, texted while riding, ate, napped, texted, ate, texted, ate, went to a gay club with frank and yosvany, drank, texted, talked on the phone, and went to bed. So mom and dad, I so sincerely apologize for not calling.
Happy belated anniversary.

How does this thing work?

2008-06-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

So Philly came and went. It was really really hot and really fast and really hard. I was on bottle duty for most of the day and came off the last time up manyuck. Yosvany was a rock star and got 9th. He is going really so good right now.
We are now hanging out in newtown pa until Sunday when we race round 3 of the USA crits series in Harlem. Newtown is awesome as there is a ton of amazing riding around here. Our host is Brian and he is a home brewer so we are in good hands.
I am looking forward to some food old fashioned criterium racing which will be a welcome change from these epic road races.
Gotta go figure this grilling thing out now...

Paco stole my shorts

2008-06-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Its going to be so hot tomorrow. High of 96 with high humidity. Should be interesting...

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McDonalds in Philly...

2008-06-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

I do love McDs but I haven't had that burger yet.

the worst feeling in the world...

2008-06-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

Is eating a gel and somehow coughing and breathing in to deep and getting the cola flavored gel into your sinuses and come oozing out of your nose. It sucks... Trust me.
Reading was today and it was pretty tough. I made it til the last time up the hill and then I popped. It was such a sweet course and the racing here is so so fast. It is so cool to be here and i am just soaking it all in.
we are staying at a youth hostel in downtown philly now. It I'd really cool and I will post pictures soon.
I have to say congrats to uhlyza who passed her boards today! She is now OFFICIALLY a PA.
Time to go celebrate bobbys 21st birthday now. This is a tough life...

Senior games

2008-06-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and was walking to the coffee shop and stumbled across this going on. Its was the senior games home run derby. They had an ambulance and everything on site just in case the excitement was too much to handle.
Yesterdays race was awesome and way way way fast and tough. It is so cool racing against pro tour teams and all the domestic hitters.
The race was 12 laps on a 7 mile course with 3 small climbs each lap. I felt alright and survived although i was just pack fill all day. It is kind of hard to do anything when the pace is mach 8 for 3 hours straight.
I am hoping tomorrow doesn't feel as fast but i have an inkling that is not going to be the case especially since there is a 1 mile climb on each of the last 3 laps. Should be interesting...
I am going to practice my batting now so i can whoop the other seniors when i get that old.

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Csc report

2008-06-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Csc might be my new favorite race. This years race had the most stacked field that i have ever raced against in my life and this whole week is going to be like that.
The race was fast from the gun and within 12 laps, (each lap was 1k) a group of 12 got away. We missed that move and they ended up lapping. It was frustrating to miss that and it just shows that you have to be on your toes at all times.
After they lapped the attacks started again. I got in a move with 3 others with 25 to go (yes we were racing hard for 13th) and after a few laps it was just 2 of us and then there was a ksyrium wheel prime. I won the wheels and i think watching forest gump the night before was wearing off on me because i just kept on going and going and was by myself for the last 10 laps only to be caught inside the final lap and get last! Ha!
We are staying in lancaster pa now for a few days. Our hosts are awesome and this city is so peaceful.Next race is tuesday in allentown pa.

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Carb loading

2008-05-31T12:37:00.000-07:00

I am in the van on my way to csc right now. I brought these for lunch and am on a nasty sugar high right now and going stir crazy.
I am traveling with bobby and andrew today so there is english being spoken. Ha!
This trip is exciting. It turns out that i am hanging out for another week after philly for a crit in Harlem. So i am super stoked to spend some time out on the east coast again.
I will try to be good and update moderately frequently but no promises.

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FOR REAL THIS TIME.

2008-05-27T05:42:00.001-07:00

So....... Aliza and I are engaged!!!! For REAL this time, no joking around. I pulled out all the stops and gave her a really good sales pitch and she said YES!!!!! HA!! So we are super excited about everything now I am finding out that planning for a wedding begins IMMEDIATELY upon being engaged.

In cycling news, I have been training my behind off trying to get some endurance going for Philly week, all these criteriums are fun and fast but they don't really prep you for a 150 mile circuit race. I have been hanging out in Asheville for the last week training in the mountains. Last saturday I did a long ride, long enough to go through the entire box of these and still bonk to the point where I was tearing up when I walked through the door, don't know whether I was crying from joy of being home or from artificial raspberry overdose...Either way it was weird and embarrasing...

Hard at work at the bike shop

2008-05-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

My job is so stressful...

I have been home from the Joe Martin Stage race for a week now and I am just recovering from the drive home. We raced until 4pm and then I drove Carlos back to Athens GA and then drove myself home to Winston...a meer 18 hour drive. I did it straight and proceded to feel cracked out for a week. I must be getting old.
Joe Martin went well, the only way to make up time is in the the TT which is uphill, so the race is practically over after the first stage. It is a wonderful race and AK is really beautiful.

I am home and have been home doing some last minute training for Philly week coming up the first week of June. I am so excited to be able to do these races as they are "Pro" only. I have always dreamed of doing these and now it is really cool to be able to.

Not much else is going on, I am going to asheville for memorial day with UH, who just graduated!!! congrats to her and all her PA friends... I am super excited to just hang out and train in the mountains for the weekend.

Have a good and safe holiday weekend.

much anticipated

2008-05-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

If you were holding your breath for a report on USA Crits SPEEDWEEK...here it is, along with a podium shot. Apparently the canadians were the only ones to write a story...
USA Crits Speedweek Final Report - Canada's Langlois 2nd in Final Race

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hekman, Pic Win Overall - Canada's Trew 10th
release by USA Crits
May 6, 2008 (Atlanta, Ga.) - The final installment of the 2008 USA Crits SpeedWeek series became a race within a race on Sunday, May 4. With a long-standing breakaway out in front of the field for most of the 55 laps that made up the inaugural Global Imports BMW Sandy Springs Cycling Challenge, the race for the overall Speed Week title was being watchfully contested in the pack. The numbers and sheer power of Mark Hekman's TOSHIBA-Santo's teammates, however, simply outgunned Jake Keough's CRCA/Sakonnet Technology squad, which broke the first place series tie between the two and delivered Hekman the overall victory for the week.

"Since we ended up being tied before the start," a breathless Hekman said at the finish,"all I had to do today was watch him and beat him over the line, so it was pretty exciting. Coming in the last corner, I jumped on the inside of him, got a big gap, and then just powered up this hill."

A large crowd lined a hilly course in Sandy Springs to eventually watch Hekman's triumph, but not before they got to cheer on a seven-man breakaway roll away from the main group early on in the race. That split comprised Christian Helmig (Metro Volkswagen), Michael Stoop (TIME), Bennet Van Der Genugten (Team Inferno Racing), Bruno Langlois (Myogenesis.com), Paul Martin (Texas Roadhouse), Rob White (ABD/GEARGRINDER) and eventual race winner Peter Dawson (Rock Racing). With two teammates supporting him in the field, including 2008 Athens Twilight Criterium champion Rahsaan Bahati, Dawson and the rest of his companions in the escape took turns at pulling their lead farther and farther away from the pack behind them.

"We had seven guys up there and, for the first amount of time that we were away, we all chopped off very hard." Dawson said afterwards. "They were taking some pretty hard turns and managed to keep it out there."

As the race for the win wound down, Dawson began to contribute less to the group's effort and storing up the energy he needed to win the final sprint.

"I played it pretty foxy in the end," said Dawson, fairly competent of his turn of speed, having been a multiple world team pursuit champion on the track. "I really had nothing left and, if they attacked me, I probably would have got dropped. But I managed to pull out on the right-hand side when they all fanned out across the course, and ran out of gas in front of me."

Joe Martin is going good...Stage 3 tomorrow, a 90 mile ride at 8am

At Joe Martin

2008-05-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

We are currently in beautiful Arkansas partaking in the Joe Martin Stage Race. We are staying in host housing which is really awesome especially when they have a coffee maker like this...

Things are going good, I feel good. Got sick after Speed Week, but am feeling better every day. I always enjoy doing this race and this year we have a really strong team so I am hoping we will pull out some sort of result.

Things picked up...

2008-05-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

since twilight as we ended up winning the USA CRIT SPEEDWEEK. 2 years in a row!!! It was a tough week for us as our #1 guy Frank sprained his wrist, and then keith hurt his knee, and then Bobby broke a rib, and alex crashed bad leading the whole field out...Anyway I was able to be consistent for the whole week and the team totally sacrificed themselves so I could take the win!!!!
Full report coming soon...

Rough Start

2008-04-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

But at least I have a half naked Jim cooking for me...

So Athens Twilight was this past saturday, and that race is by far the coolest race of the year. The crowds are crazy and super loud and the racing is so so so fast.
I flatted and crashed going really fast about 15 laps in this year taking out Frank in the process. It hurt a good amount and i have some decent road rash. After that my bike didn't seem normal, as it was handling super weird and was flexing all over. Turns out my fork was a bit damaged.

I also broke a carbon Dura Ace wheel, that is probably the last time my team will let me ride the race wheels...HA!

Anyway it was a tough start for us, but there is a ton more crit racing to do this week and it will be a blast. We are super excited to have another go at it.

The best part about athens is hanging out with everyone after the race. The town is sweet and has a ton of cool bars.
Here is UH and Tori celebrating their birthdays.

The inferno boys were out on the town too looking good as ever. Here is bennett protecting UH from Rich...ha!!!

Beufort SC is the next race on tuesday night.

Sounds like a party to me

2008-04-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

Check out this article on Twilight, (scroll down) it sounds like its gonna be a ton of fun.

In other news I got my car back and I am out of vaseline now. It is nice having a new transmission because with the new one I can get up to about 15mph and throw it into reverse while I am still going forward and it catches right away and starts going backwards. It is fun and it only seems to work when the car is new.

check out this prime

2008-04-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

Yes that is the prime i won on sunday during the Dogwood Classic Criterium in Knoxville TN. Yes that is 5 gels at a retail value of $5.89. Ha!!!
The race was sweet though, as it was a non technical crit course but 3 of the 4 straights were uphill and the one that was downhill was super fast.
I managed to get away near the beginning of the race with 5 others and as the race progressed 3 of us lapped. I then took advnatage of some in-fighting between my other 2 breakaway partners and got away again for the win. It was a fun tune up race for twilight this weekend and I feel good...just need to get my car fixed and everything will be alright.

Yes I Know This Guy

2008-04-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

Congrats to my teammate Dan Vaillancourt!!! He ripped it to a 2nd place finish at the Cohutta 100 mtb race. That is a huge result among a very stacked field. Read all about it here.
AWESOME JOB DAN!!!!

Here is the OFFICIAL RACE REPORT FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

2008-04-16T08:31:00.001-07:00

TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycing Team presented by Herbalife Take All Stages
at Chattanooga-Mountain Cove Georgia Cup

It seems that the Georgia Cup race series is drawing more and more high caliber riders to its races week by week. This past weekend was no exception, as several strong men, including the TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife team, made the trip to our neighbors to the North. Frank Travieso, Mark Hekman, Keith Norris, Predrag Prokic, who has recently returned from competing in Serbia, Alex Hagman, Tommy Nankervis, and Dan Vaillancourt all represented Team TOSHIBA against some steep competition, including BMC's Brent Brookwalter, Trent Wilson, Tim Henry, and Ryan Sullivan of Jittery Joe's, and Jeff Hopkins of Team Inferno Racing. This was going to be a great weekend of racing.

The first stage was a 5.5 mile Time Trial. The race against the clock was on as TOSHIBA stong man Travieso flexed his muscle, riding to a first stage victory. Mark Hekman rounded out the top 3.

Time Trial, 5.5 miles
1. Frank Travieso, 11:19.001, TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by Herbalife
2. Brent Brookwalter, 11:22.009, BMC
3. Mark Hekman, 11:24.000, TOSHIBa-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by Herbalife

The second stage hosted a half-day of criteriums in downtown Chattanooga. The ProAm field raced for an hour worth of laps. Early on riders would attack, form a break and then be brought back by our boys in red. Finally, Hekman was able to make the final break of the day, but as the team did not like the make-up of the riders in the break, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife got to the front and brought the group of 5 back to the field. With four laps or so to go, the team set-up its train for sprinter Travieso. Coming into the final turns, it was just Hekman and Travieso, with Travieso sitting on Jeff Hopkins wheel. Into the final 300 meters and into a head wind, it was down to Travieso and Hopkins, with Frank coming around Hopkins at the line., notching his second victory of the weekend.

Downtown Chattanooga Criterium

1. Frank Travieso, TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by Herbalife
2. Jeff Hopkins, Team Inferno Racing
3. Chris Scott, Locos Cycling

The third and final stage was a 90 mile Road Race on the streets of Chickamauga. The ProAm field would complete 4 laps of the rolling course, with one major climb for KOM points. When the field came through, a break of 5 or 6 riders had a 30 second gap, and no TOSHIBA riders were represented in the break. The break had about a one minute lead at one point, with the TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife team moving to the front of the group to reel the break back in with one lap to go. The field blew a part on the final climb with a break of 12 forming, including Travieso and Hekman. In the gallop to the finish it would be Travieso and Hekman taking 1st and 2nd.

Mountain Cove Road Race, 90 miles
1. Frank Travieso, TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by Herbalife
2. Mark Hekman, TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by Herbalife
3. Thad Dulin, DLP Racing

Chattanooga-Mountain Cove General Classification
1. Frank Travieso, TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by Herbalife
2. Mark Hekman, TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by Herbalife

With a strong showing in the past weekend's Georgia Cup, Travieso and the team slotted 4 victories. Next up for the team is the much anticipated 29th Annual Athens Twilight Criterium (www.athenstwilight.com) on April 26, and the USA CRITS Speed Week (www.usacrits.com), as well as the US Air Force Classic in Arlington, VA, the Joe Martin Stage Race and Tri-Peaks, both in Arkansas.

Follow the boys in red and all of their adventures online at www.toshibacycling.com.

ITS MY 30th (ouch) BIRTHDAY and I am celebrating it by finding out today that I have to replace the transmission in my car...yay. WOW, I don't understand how it can cost as much as the car is worth. Cars Suck.

QUICK UPDATE!!!

2008-04-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

So, we (Toshiba Team) raced another Georgia Cup this weekend and it couldn't have gone better. Frank won every single stage and the overall...not too shabby. I managed to snag 3rd in the TT and 2nd in the RR for 2nd overall, so it was a Toshiba 1, 2 for the second week in a row. It was really cool to be on a team that works so well together. WE as a team TOTALLY UNSELFISHLY SLAYED ourselves for one cause, to win the race and Frank delivered. It was a super good feeling.
I am currently in Asheville visiting with UH and her pet shelter. It is so nice here and I wish I didn't have to return to reality tomorrow and go to work.
I will have the "official" race report coming soon with some action pics, but I just wanted to post and tell everyone how cool we are...HA!!!

Here is Dan and myself eating a Garlic Pizza after the crit. Each slice had multiple entire cloves on it. It was a good thing we were rooming with each other. All that mouth breathing while we sleep was very enjoyable I am sure.

Other people opted for the Calzones, they were ENORMOUS!!!! Here is Keally (Tommy's Fiance) staring in disbelief at her food.

Thanks Kyle

2008-04-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

My friend kyle P sent me this article from slate.com. The whole article is great and funny. It talks more about oboe, but the bassoon is just as relevant. Here is the excerpt:

From "Death by Oboe" by Jan Swafford.
In the modern world, nothing in music is more tragicomic than the subject of double-reed instruments like the oboe and bassoon. If you're an oboist or bassoonist in a high-school band, you buy ready-made reeds. Otherwise, you make your own from scratch, using expensive aged cane from particular terroirs, preferably in southern France. Cutting and trimming and binding and shaving reeds consumes a good deal of your days, while other musicians are practicing and regular people are having fun or making love. If you play the oboe seriously, much of your free time is spent making reeds, not love. Besides being ridiculously fragile, reeds are also sensitive to humidity, which on a soggy night can turn an orchestral woodwind section into a squawkfest.

A professional oboist will tell you more than you need to know about what constitutes a Mozart reed, a Mahler reed, a Stravinsky reed, and so on. If he plays in a pops orchestra, there's probably a Lennon/McCartney reed. If he wants to show you his reed knife, which is razor sharp, you should keep an eye on the exit. Reed making and the pressure on the brain that comes from blowing into an oboe can do unpredictable things to a person.

Just for the record, bassoon reeds are just as bad as oboe reeds.
I am in Athens GA training for a week and it RULES here. Did 5 hours in the mtns today and it was 75 and sunny...sweet.

Here is the Official Race Report from the official website....

2008-04-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by HerbalifeDominate the Gainesville Georgia Cup.

The sky’s above Georgia turned gray and began to spit rain as the Gainesville Georgia Cup drew near only to open up with torrential rain the morning of the first of three stages in what would be a race dominated by the TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by Herbalife.
Saturday morning found seven TOSHIBA riders layering up with warm clothes, rain jackets, and skin suits! The first stage was a 14km time trial that tested the riders’ ability to stay focused in adverse weather conditions, as well as their ability to stay upright on slippery roads. All the TOSHIBA riders did well with Frank Travieso coming in second place to HealthNet presented by Maxxis rider John Murphy.. Bobby Sweeting, Mark Hekman, Tommy Nankervis, Dan Vaillancourt, Keith Norris and Alex Hagman all put in top ten times making the General Classification wide open for the road race later in the afternoon.
Time Trial, 14 k
1. John Murphy, HealthNet presented by Maxxis, 18:48.7
2. Frank Travieso, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife, 19:07.4
3. Chris Butler, Hincapie-Barkley Devo, 19:25.2
4. Bobby Sweeting, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife, 19:25.5
6. Dan Vaillancourt, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife, 19:50.4
7. Alex Hagman, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife, 19:54.3
10. Mark Hekman, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife, 19:57.8

As the 82 mile, three lap road race began, the rain subsided briefly, though it looked as if the sky’s could open up in a deluge at any moment. Attacks came early and hard from the region’s top teams including MyogenesisNutrition.com, Clinica Union, and Pacesetters Steel. Vaillancourt in his usual style got into the first early move, and it seemed his form was good, building a one minute gap almost instantly with another rider from Pacesetters Steel. For a lap they were together, but Vaillancourt’s form cracked his escapee partner. He was riding solo only to be chased down by Michael Olheiser (Marx and Bensdorf), a former world Time Trial Champion. As soon as Vaillancourt came back to the group, Hagman attacked on the course’s 1.5km hill and was joined at the top by Travieso and Myogenesis rider Chris Klem. They drove hard, but the field was not ready to let another break go up the road, so the third lap began with vicious attacks coming from every angle. Eventually it was Travieso who broke away with five other riders, and the winning move was established. However the course took its toll on all but Travieso and Klem. With 20k to go, Hekman went on the attack and was joined by Hagman. The duo laid down the power and was clear of the field and stayed away while Travieso was going for better GC time driving his duo and finishing second. Hagman and Hekman finished third and fourth respectively, and in the field sprint, Nankervis finished 5th for the day. The day of racing could not have been more dominated by the TOSHIBA riders who are coming into fine form individually and as a team.
Road Race, 82 miles
1. Chris Klem, MyogenesisNutrition.com
2. Frank Travieso, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife
3. Alex Hagman, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife
4. Mark Hekman, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife
5. Tommy Nankervis, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife

The final day hosted a 60 lap criterium around the square in Downtown Gainesville. The course was a fast, 4 corner crit with 2 long straights and 2 very short ones, and there were many time bonuses up for grabs. The TOSHIBA-Santo Pro Cycling Team presented by Herbalife was leading the race after 2 stages and wanted to protect Travieso’s lead. The other teams and racers were going to make it tough on the TOSHIBA team, and the race was going to be very exciting.
The goal of the team for the criterium was to not lose any time to any of the competitors, covering all MAR (most aggressive rider) points, and after that the team would be very happy with the stage win.

The race got off to a very fast start, with the second lap contesting a MAR sprint, and the other teams immediately attacked the TOSHIBA team. The race settled in a bit and Vallincourt put in a huge attack which helped the boys in red get a bit of rest. After Vaillacourt was reeled in, Hekman countered Vaillancourt's move. Hekman stayed off the front for a while and was soon bridged up to by Travieso, Sweeting, and Clinica Union's Oscar Henao, who was the 2007 Overall Georgia Cup Champion. Back in the field, the remaining TOSHIBA boys man-handled the pack, making sure no one was going anywhere. The breakaway ended up lapping the field, and TOSHIBA lined up in the red train, covered Murphy's late race attack,and took the stage win, as they already had the overall locked up when the breakaway lapped. The team did an amazing lead-out, dropping Travieso and Hekman off a couple hundred meters from the finish. It was an amazing weekend of wonderful teamwork, which bodes well for the team as they head into criterium season and the USA CRITS Speed Week and National Series.

Criterium, 60 laps
1. Mark Hekman, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife
2. Oscar Henao, Clinica Union
3. Frank Travieso, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife
4. Bobby Sweeting, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife

Overall
1. Frank Travieso, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife
2. Mark Hekman, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife
3. Bobby Sweeting, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife
6. Alex Hagman, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife
8. Dan Vaillancourt, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife

Next up for the team is the Chattanooga Georgia Cup this weekend, the USA CRITS Speed Week (www.usacrits.com), The Athens Twilight (www.athenstwilight.com), and the Tri-Peaks and Joe Martin Stage Races.

A Bunch of Random Stuff

2008-04-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

My eyes are bulging out of my head and my legs are tapping annoying up and down as I type this, I feel like my eyeballs are literally going pop out of my skull and smack the computer screen and slowly ooze down. Do you think that my breakfast coupled with a pot of coffee has anything to do with that? Yes that is chocolate milk...I am taking of lesson out of Calvin and Hobbes but I couldn't find any Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs...

Things in North Carolina have been good, it has been quite wet these last couple days and I have been spending extra time at the bicycle shop. My co worker Landon had a run in with a chainring while trying to remove some pedals... ouch. Nothing like greasy chainrings cutting your arm so deep that you can see the bone. YUM...
Jim Baldesare is in town for a couple days and he hooked up my bike fit for me. I am so lucky to have friends that use the Wobblenaught fit system and that are willing to come hang out and set me up. It is always good to have Jimbo down. Here he is showing me how to properly say "oh my goodness" with a lisp. Thanks Jim!!!!
My sugar buzz is amazing right now, I feel so productive but I can't seem to concentrate on anything at all. I have a ton of stuff to do to. I am packing up today and heading to Athens GA for some biking. There is a GA cup there this weekend and then I am hanging out for a week with my Toshiba teammates and then doing another GA cup. I am excited to do some racing with the team here in the states. The guys are cool so it will be a fun little block of training and racing.
Since I don't have a laptop, I can't guarantee any postings, but i will try my best. I just came down off my high and now I need to take a nap....

APRIL FOOLS!!!!

2008-04-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

Yes it was a joke...

BIG NEWS

2008-04-01T03:43:00.000-07:00

So here is my big announcement: Aliza and I went to Gatlinburg yesterday and got MARRIED!!!! It was awesome, it was just us in essentially a drive thru wedding chapel. I am so excited I can't even begin to contain myself. I know that this is probably no suprise to people who know us, but we just felt like being spontaneous. HA!! CRAZY EH?
Anyway we are both really happy and want everyone to know we are going to have the mother of all parties soon. So stay tuned...