david.carbonsouls.com

hello all!

Today, we got up early to go and ride with one of my most favorite San Diego friends. Ed. This guy is awesome. His form is outrageously fast. He can climb, time trial and rip the legs off most people half his age. On top of that, he’s the most genuine guy you’ll ever meet – with a heart so big, it’s a wonder how his chest cavity can contain it.

He really is awesome.

I wish he lived closer, he is a good friend.

It was froooooosty when we left today. I didn’t use any of the cold weather gear I had with me last March – so I packed light this trip. FAIL. 9 degrees is all we saw on the mercury when rolling out at 7am. Here is a creepy shot of the haze peeking through some cool trees while we waited for Ed:

So the ride plan was to head back to Mount Soledad, then back into the downtown area for coffee before Ed had to run off to an appointment.

We rolled up Soledad….. m-u-c-h faster then we did yesterday. I was waiting to see at what point any one of us was going to pop…. it didn’t happen.

ouch.

At the top, we snapped a quick pic -

Then, we headed back downtown SD to a coffee shop that Ed frequents regularly. This place was in Little Italy and let me tell you….. it was THEE best mocha I’ve ever had in my life. So thick and creamy…. AND made with Skim Milk! Impossible to articulate how flavorful it was… it was like a chocsplosion of caffeine.

omg.

mmmmmmmm…. I wish I had thought to take a picture of it.

Ed had to go, so Matteo and I rolled back to Verona (our place at the beach) for some snacks and rest. About 2k from home, I got a flat.  *crap* but thankfully, I had some pitstop sealant that allowed me to limp back home so I could attend to the tire. When we got back home, it was a blessing in disguise for me to discover that the faulty carbonsports branded conti’s I was using, actually separated from the tubular backing tape. FAIL. Had I raced with these tires, in a corner they would have surely come apart and resulted in me somewhere in a pile of asphalt. I am fortunate enough to have Justin at Pista Palace help me out with some Conti 4000’s, and in the mean time while the new tires are being glued up – Scott allowed me to borrow his Fulcrum Racing Zero clincher wheels to keep me on the road.

Thanks for the help guys. I am very appreciative of all the kind things you guys do for me/us.

By now, it’s finally 20 degrees out. Time for Surfing! We suited up and got ready to hit the beach:

I showed Matteo a few youtube videos about beginner surfing lessons. And we were off! The big thing for me to convey to Matteo, was for him to try and time the big waves. After the last one in the set crashed, we hit the water and paddle out to past the break point so we can rest. I had him right behind me until just a few strokes before that sweet spot… but then a few big waves crashed into us pretty good, and he was gone. Hi tailing it back into shore. It was pretty tiring. I had some decent success, compared to last year. Popped up one good wave, and then ate it. After surfacing, a second wave smashed me pretty good and messed up my ribs again. *gah*

It was a riot regardless. The water was a balmy 61 degrees F – thankfully we had good wetsuits. I had as much fun jumping in the surf as I did with the board. Matteo and I went back in, had some lunch and then headed back out on the bikes to pickup my Conti’s from Pista Palace.

Mexican for dinner – oh man.

Used skype for the first time tonight, I liked it. Kind of geeky/awkward, but so happy to see and hear a familiar face/voice.

We’re prepping now for a 200k ride/hellfest tomorrow. The Swami’s Saturday big ride, where Chris Horner and Axel Merckx have been showing their faces…..

It starts early, so we roll out of Verona at 6:50am. Likely no pictures of that as we’ll be stocked with food and extra clothing.

There will be some discomfort to swallow tomorrow…. without a doubt. Matteo and I will be gunning to stick with the lead pack.

Until next time…..

rock out with your socks out!

d. & Teo

The day started slower than most. Kind of groggy…. we actually stayed up past 9pm PST last night for the first time since our arrival. So Matteo redeemed himself with this mornings offerings of Blueberry Pancakes! V2.0, the non-charcoal variety was mostly flavorful.

I will warn you now… this entry will be FILLED with mucho pictures. It was an amazing day of photography as I hope you will enjoy what I’ve tried to capture here:

The ride plan today – Out to Fiesta, roll along the bay up to and over Mount Soledad, back down into La Jolla, up Torrey Pines and back down to the Ocean before Encinitas and back. A very scenic ride filled with some amazing foliage.

on the way to Soledad…

on the top of Soledad -

some cool shots I took at the summit:

these next pics were taken at Torrey Pines Park:

We stopped at our local Starbucks for a pick-me-up. Some cool little birds were looking for a snack too, so we helped them out

and then……………….

yep – SMASHBALL!!!!!

So Teo’s learning curve keeps advancing… but I keep sweating my ass off chasing the ball. So we decided to hit the ocean for some cool down. This next set of pics came out so well. I’m trying to captivate how excited Teo was to mess around in the water. It was so fun to watch. Some attempt at surfing is in order for sure!

One cool pic of how they maintain the beautiful beaches! Heavy Machinery!!!!

no lumps, no bumps! just clean sand as far as they eye can see!

Now, back on Verona… chilling out – thinking about getting dinner going…

That’s a record for pics in one post! I’m beat. Heart Attack Chicken, here we come!!!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, heart attack chicken!!!

I hope you all enjoyed these pics. Today was a lot of fun for us.

d. & Teo

Today started late. I guess we were tired from yesterday’s longer ride.

We walked to the US Postal outlet to mail a little somethin somethin’ out. Back to Trader Joe’s to get some berries and cheap cliff bars. They have white chocolate macadamia nut here! They are to die for.

Back along the boardwalk to Verona. Tons of surfers out in the water this morning. Waves were good. Big sets and very rideable. I’m still working my nerve to get back on a board, but the last time I did that with Marco I ended up breaking a rib. We’ll see… if we get a hot day, I might cave and drag Teo’s rookie ass in with me.

Had some lunch and then hit the bikes for a little spin to flush the legs out from the bigger ride yesterday. We rolled out to Sea World, along the paths to Fiesta Island. Rolled a few loops of that. Fairly chilly respectively speaking, the wind was cool off the water and it only hit 17 degrees here today. We’ve concluded that arm and leg warmers would have made the ride more comfortable today. Lesson learned. This weekend it’s to be cloudy and a few degrees cooler – we’ll dress properly.

We took a roll around some more bike paths, then to Midway Drive to see if we could find the Performance Bicycle Shop that Marco and I were unable to find last time we were out here. It was tucked away for sure. Lots of awesome deals on LED Lights… oh man, …must… show…. restraint….. need cycgolite dual LED bar light…. on…sale….. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!

I did end up getting this awesome paper thin 8pc multitool for $6

it’s pretty awesome, and comes with a sleek poly sleeve so it won’t get all nasty in your jersey or seat bag. If anyone wants one, let me know and we’ll make a run before coming home.

Then, back to Verona for some Smashball, mostly. Well, Failball…. and a few other “ball” type names were thrown in

Teo’s reaction time is getting better, yet I seem to be the only one sweating my ass off during this game?!?! He’s at least 100% better than the first time we got the rackets out.

Now we chill. No clue what’s in store for us tonight. Chill at starschmucks or sumpthin.

Peace Outsideeeeeeeeeeeee!

d. & Teo

ah yes….

Breakfast. The best way to start the day…….

unless you are Matteo.

then you need one of these:

lol. MMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Pancakes! ((((((not))))))

end result:

and here is the proud creator of such a charcoal briquette!!!…..

ah yes, he means well…. but could use a few more lessons *cough* ((((((BERNARDDDDDDDDDD))))) *cough*

not bad tho, considering he modified his ingredients all on the fly, AND didn’t even have measuring cups/spoons to calculate with

So, after all the smoke cleared, and we stuffed our faces… we got the bikes together and rolled out. Today, a little cooler than yesterday’s 23 degrees…. alas, we only hit 19 degrees today. *sigh*  life is rough.

Today’s ride, for those googling… started in Mission beach, rolled out through La Jolla, up through Torrey Pines and then to the US101 PCH (pacific coast highway) to Carlsbad. It’s basically 100ish km’s of ocean view perfection. Wide bike lanes, rolling hills and the sea air tickling your nose the entire way.  Here is a shot I stopped to take at the top of the Torrey Pines decent:

The view looking inland is spectacular. Marco will likely get the most out of these next pics, as he’s ridden here with me oodles of times.

Pic of us at a traffic light, lookin fine as always

We got to Starbucks, up in Carlsbad… had thee best baby coffee evar. MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! And, the Westboro Starbucks peeps will be happy to know that they screwed up my coffee here too! (lol) They re-steamed a thingy of milk that went cold. FAAAAAAAAAAAAIL.

anywhoo, we sat in the sun shootin the poop. People would stop as they walked by to chat with us. It’s awesome. A guy stopped in traffic, rolled down his window and asked us “how long you guys out riding for today” with no regard to the lineup of people behind him.

True to the last time Marco was with me…. the token leg shots:

Teo-

me-

lol… give him a few years…..

look at this handsome fella:

on the way back to our place, we shot a few pics along the ocean and then as we climbed up Torrey Pines:

cool cactus patches everywhere!

climb climb climb!

We ran into a guy who worked for Capo today on the way home in Solana Beach. He invited Teo along to a U23 camp that starts on the 17th. Unfortunately, we will be home – or heading home that day

A bummer, but considering this was day 1 of real riding… not so bad, to get offers already! Speaking of riding… one thing for sure, is that it’s very difficult to show restraint while riding here. It is December. It’s a long winter, and throwing down the power now will surely result in a first class ticket on the Failboat come spring time

So…. we chill. Bottle it up. Build build build…. and use SMASHBALL as an outlet of adrenaline

Today, too tired and hungry to hit the beach for a round. Tomorrow will be a short ride, then hit the beach and chill out.

For no reason whatsoever, I had to take this pic on the way home today:

Teo plowed down some chicken enchiladas this evening. I suspect that tonight will be pretty low key. It’s early here, but we can’t stay up late just yet. Slow to adjust to the time difference…. so we walk, but that makes us more tired.

ya ya ya…. nobody feels sorry for us.

it’s ok.

we’ll live….

d. & Teo

ok.

We’re still just as stoked as we were at 7am this morning. omg… it’s SO SUNNY AND WARM HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We rolled out to grab some starschmucks and run an errand or 2 for me before bringing back the rental car.
Packed up the bikes and rolled back from la Jolla… headed to Pista Palace, THEE Best Bike Shop in the Universe!!!

Saw Tiff and Justin. Hung out at the shop a little… shoot the pewp. Drool over the hottest frames money can buy hanging on every wall.

POW!

Showed Teo some of the sights… the bay, old towne… blah blah.

He’s already hooked on the best mexican taco stand ever…. La Playa. OMG, it’s so good. AND… CHEAP! I crave the stuff when I leave. I was commenting to Teo tonight as we walked past a Taco Bell….. Who on earth in their right mind would eat Taco Bell when there’s 100 fresh, non-preservative Taco Stands within a few miles of here?!?!? Seriously. Sheesh!

Some quick pics from the day…

Whaddya think Lynn…. does your kid look happy enough? I could try and somehow deter his happiness, but then again… the 80000 smokin hot college girls just get him amped up again.

Life is good.

California, it’s nice to be back.

Tomorrow, a ride up the PCH to Carlsbad and back. Wednesday, a potential 200km ride with the big guys… we’ll see, gotta feel out the forecast and legs to see if we might hold off until next week for that one.

More big rides planned for this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

That’s all for now.

CG – my phonecall made me miss you even more. GAH!

d. & Teo

but it’s AMAZING in San Diego!!!

This is what we woke up to this morning! I was wreeeeee-ecked by the time we got settled in last night. Hit the sheets at 8pm PST and didn’t wake up until 6:30am. NICE!

And so the journey begins….

I rolled to Matteo’s place to pick him up. His mom was a little nervous… considering Matteo didn’t give her our phone number here, or the address.  No big whoop. I gave her the deets, and we were off!

Get to the airport… Check-in. Bing.

Rock to the gate and sit around waiting for a seat assignment. Everyone’s on board, and we get called up. “only 1 seat up front available… do you want to sit together in the back or does one want to go up front and the other in cattle?”

uh….. SEND Teo UP FRONT!

PiMp.

YOW to YYC – smooth quiet flight. Arrive and it’s covered in snow. All I can think is “at least we are only here for 2hrs”. So we get our bags, hit customs and get to the gate just as they are doing pre-boarding. Perfect timing! We were pre-seated in Ottawa for the Calgary leg, but when we checked in, they had seats up front for us already set aside!!! Both of us this time.

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM.

Huge accolades to my fellow AC employee’s for the hookup!

…. and now for this morning.

the waves are SICK this morning. hard to capture how big they are with my point and shoot. magicseaweed says it’s only 2 foot swells, but it’s more like 8′ from the end of our court. only a few surfers out there because it’s rough.

Teo learned what kelp beds are today.

lol. “WHAT IS ALL THIS SHIT!?!?!”

ThePointe will appreciate that last pic…. .the palace at the end of Verona has finally had it’s renovations completed. The place is now for sale, but we can’t see how much it’s going for. You know the cliche….. if you have to ask….. 

Carlos is moving out of his place kiddie corner to us, and moving in where the girls used to live at the end of Verona. Dunno where they went. New girl living next door in Rusty’s old place (The new painted Yellow place). Lou is still here, lol… lookin a little rougher every time.

and now we are hitting up a local shop before we head back to return the rental. Toyota Rav4 is poo. Be thankful you didn’t buy one Mark. It blows.

peace out!

moar laterz….

enjoy your snow.

d. & Teo

I miss Lexus.
A lot.

I think of her dozens of times every day. How much fun we had. I sure hope she’s doing well wherever she may be in the afterlife…..

d.

Today, was the biggest race in Ottawa. The Preston Street Criterium.

every year, this race gets bigger and bigger… and the road conditions get more and more terrible. construction has consumed most of what once used to be a 100k crit some 5-6 years ago.

with some hope… next year will be pristine, as it appears the construction will be done…. fingers crossed.

which brings me to today.

I woke up late.

it took forever to ‘wake’ up… and after sharing a morning coffee with a great friend, I just didn’t feel like racing today. so I did the next best thing…. I watched the race I would have been in. It’s kind of exciting standing on the sidelines seeing the pained expressions in the riders’ faces. I can only imagine what I look like while on the rivet for an hour in the humidity.

DSJ (Derek St John) won it. He single handedly rode away from the field of some very talented riders with what I think was 10-12 minutes to go + 5 laps. Crossing the line, he flexed his arms and punched the air. A local rock star, of sorts. He’s got so much mental strength over most of the field… it’s no wonder the guy wins most everything he enters.

here’s a shot of the start line of the S1/2 field:

Stacked Pack.

all this is to say… I’m glad I sat on the sidelines today. my legs are feeling good… but they weren’t good enough to blow the $50 in entry fee to be pack fodder in a race I just wasn’t into.

instead, I got to enjoy the day… hung out with friends and watched a sport I love to be in, or admire from the sidelines. too bad Lexus wasn’t around to chill out with me…. she would have wanted to chase the peleton

d.

not a day goes by without me missing my best friend ever.

d.

yup.

it’s a wonderful creation. let us all share a moment and thank the gods for producing such a wonderful mood altering substance….

mmmmmmmm.

so,

another SD trip for the log books. lots of riding in. lots of very expensive bikes through my hands. lots of times with good friends.

I’ve concluded that living at the beach is spectacular….. when the sun comes out! the “may gray” and “june gloom” are bang on. it’s strange, but the marine layer doesn’t burn off right on the water’s edge very quickly…. sometimes not at all! ….. however, bike inland 10 minutes and you are exposed to sun sun sun!

I didn’t get nearly as much sunshine riding as I did on the last trip with marco. tan lines are dismal. however I did get some racing in, and some great commuting. thanks to Jason… I learned a bunch of different ways to commute from verona, to the shop.

some cool things you should check out: (copy and paste the links pls… can’t figure out how to make them clickable…. sorry )

http://www.vagabondkitchen.com/serving/up/flash/

http://pistapalace.com/

http://www.velocult.com/

Vagabond is this amazing resto I mentioned in a previous post. Jerome is the owner…. such a passionate guy! I hope he gets to take his vacation soon….

Pista Palace – the greatest bike shop in the universe… is indeed that.  all things great and euro bless the walls with their presence.

Velo Cult bike shop… the hipster’s mecca. Thanks go out to Tom, their mechanic for lending me a tool that I needed, but couldn’t get in a timely manor. David Bilenkey would love this place….. the stuff they have in there, along with the price tag they are asking… and GETTING!…. wabbit’s basement would be worth $8 million bux.

DKL’s and xiaohui’s blog… their cute adventures in France are inspiring. I’m so happy for them!

um, what else…

oh yes…. working with Jay at the shop (pista) was a riot. this guy has the most positive attitude I’ve ever encountered. he’s awesome.

I have no idea how Justin will get along when he leaves for AZ. Jay… you rock!

I’ll also miss the group rides here….. some harder than at home… some easier… all are so mcuh fun…. yes, even with the sketchy guys too. I’ve met some wonderful people… .my circle of friends here expands with every trip!

that’s a wrap for now. time to head home… make some money, so I can come back again.

kinda excited to get home and rock out in the 911 a little….

stoked for my middle bro’s adventure in fatherhood next month too….

hopefully the whole fam damily will get to chill in edmonton this summa.

peace owt!

d.