there's not much new to report here. Gigi (short for Luigi) at Dreambike fixed my rig and i was able to go out on the Wednesday Worlds ride. however, 1) i have ridden 3 times inthe last two weeks and 2) i have a mild sinus infection, so i have bad form and it felt like i was breathing thru a straw. also, Il Capo (Frederico) wasnt there so, and there was only four of us, Roberto Guido (maybe the new mayor of Ascoli) and Niccola and me. we did a different route, one with more climbing. i had one good attack then went (i think) completely anaerobic for about two minutes, and fucking blew up all over the place, and got dropped by each successive rider; Roberto went with me when i attacked, then i could nt hold the pace, then Niccola (previously griping about the new course selection) caught me, told me "Andiamo Phil [pronounced FEEL]", then he dropped me, at least Guido (shagged out by spinning class the night before) didnt catch me.
when i caught up to Roberto at the top, i said that we werent friends anymore, and he quickly reminded me, "Inizia tu le guerra!" you started the war!
the rest of the ride was cool, and by cool i mean down hill.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Links to facebook photo albums
face book album; ROMA.
face book album; Mercolidi Mondiale!
face book abum; Broken spoke at 5200 feet.
face book album; CentoItaliano.
face book album; Mercolidi Mondiale!
face book abum; Broken spoke at 5200 feet.
face book album; CentoItaliano.
i will always remember Roma...
Top, left: this theater was in the same block as our hotel.
top, center: the art is very lifelike here.
Top, right: outside Campadoglio.
middle, right: skeleton in cage, aka ignominous death.
bottom: diaramma that got some fourth grader in trouble, however, once again, very lifelike.
i will always remember Roma for alot of reasons.
i went to Cinecatta two weeks ago with a class trip. interestingly enough, i am not in that class and everyone else -except for one other student- decided not to go, therefore i successfully poached that trip.
i stayed in my first hostel in Roma. and the absolute vapidity of American youths was clearly arrayed to me and two Mexican globetrotting young ladies, Dianna and Brenda. the story goes like this;
- me: So Brenda and Dianna, from what you've seen in your travels, what do you think of American kids?
- Dianna: well, dont take this the wrong way, but we think that you all dont take things very seriously and dont have alot of responsiblity. we also have the image of the blonde party girl in our minds because of movies. and you probably think we all wear giant hats.
- me: no, we dont. well, not all of us. the uneducated few probably do...
- Brenda: but we have met alot of very nice people.
- me: yes, im sure your have. everybody is different though.
- both the girls: yes, certainly...
then about ten minutes later, two young american girls/students that were korean or something burst into the room; one heads to the bathroom and the other remains to ask us (me dianna and brenda). i will describe this younglady as she introduced herself: a grad student that is "screwed" b-c she decided to take off to Italy for a week vacation.
- Do you guys know if there's a dive bar around here?
- us: excuse us?
- you know, a place where you can just pound beers? you know, a dive bar?
- Dianna: no, im sorry we dont.
then dianna and brenda began speaking spanish between themselves, laughing uncontrolably and shot me a look. We were on the same page; i was ashamed that this dumb broad represented ME!
after they left, Dianna and Brenda and i chatted. i had to say that, truely, they did NOT respresent me. that we happened to both be american but other than that we were not cut from the same cloth.
i will also remember Roma for its timeless beauty, utterly choking traffic, throngs of tourists and humidity.
i walked from the Criminology Museum -which i was convinced was going to suck, but proved to be sufficiently grisly for the tastes of a desensitized american boy raised by action movies- to Piazza San Pietro. I followed Il Fiume Tevere, took pictures of ducks and their butts sticking up as they picked at the river grass. I arrived in Piazza San Pietro and saw it's splendor.
i saw more tourists than i ever thought possible. the piazza is choked with chairs and barriers, and flanked onthe sides, where the columns run around it, were tourists - speaking all different languages, wallwoing in sweat soaked clothes, looking generally shagged out.
i realized that bad taste knows no borders; at the entrance gates/barriers for the Basillica there are signs that pictiorially demonstrate what each sex may and maynot wear when insided the Vatican; skirts (ladies) and short (men) below the knee, sleeves to mid upper arm for both sexes.
as i walked away from the line - too long for my tastes- i saw a couple wallking toward me, both were young, good looking, probably on vacation and heading for the line. however, she was wearing a white sundress that was transparent. therefore clearly displaying the fact that she was wearing a white bra and thong underpants. AND YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING INTO THE VATICAN LIKE THAT?!!! for the love of all that is good and holy in Oden's beard, i hoped that they were not americans....
i will remember Roma for it's old stuff: i walked past the Forum, The Colloseum, and alot of other ruined stuff that looked like piles of rocks to me, but i am certainly not a historian. everywhere, piles of rocks, ruins, the past...
i will remember Roma for the Picasso exhibit i stumbled upon at the museum near Campadoglio. i poached a tour in the gallery - it was in italian however i undestood 70% of what the lady said.
i will remember Roma b-c i did not, repeat DID NOT, pay 8 dollars for a Coke. anyone that tells you that Roma and other cities are all expensive and built to bleed you dry, those are consumate, inveterate tourists. my suggestion to these people is this: get a map and take your own tour. i paid 3euro for a large Gelato, 4euro for a piece of pizza and a bottle of water, and Alex and i paid 10euro each for dinner (chinese food, yes that's right).
there were no 5euro .5liter Cokes, 15euro Gelati, or 12euro cocktails. maybe it was b-c i ordered (and made small take in italian with those people that served me) or maybe it was b-c i didnt buy things the were within spitting distance from the biggest tourist attractions in the western world. maybe, maybe not, you decide.
however, the foremost image of Roma will always be the homeless man's genitals that were not haphazardly hanging out of his pants but were on display for everyone to see.
Benvenuti a Roma.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Phil's guide to to cycling in Italy.
rule number one:
break as many spokes as possible to ensure that you endanger not only yourself but all the members of the pack you are riding in. this will also ensure that you go slow, all the time, with wobbly wheels.
i tried to make this funny, but it probably didnt work.
anyways, i broke a rear spoke, on my ksyrium rear wheel (the only ksyrium i own) yesterday.
i thought those things were supposed to be bomb proof. My ASS! i bought that thing in MARCH and it blew a spoke already. thats bullshit!
so, if anything, this is a message to the boys at exeter cycles: i need to start thinking about a REAL set of bombproof training wheels.
maybe, DT Swiss hubs (340's or Industry 9's) DT Competition spokes and Open Pro rims.
suggestions are welcome because of the fact that i cant really make a decision on a product that can stand up to my EXTREME wattage output!
break as many spokes as possible to ensure that you endanger not only yourself but all the members of the pack you are riding in. this will also ensure that you go slow, all the time, with wobbly wheels.
i tried to make this funny, but it probably didnt work.
anyways, i broke a rear spoke, on my ksyrium rear wheel (the only ksyrium i own) yesterday.
i thought those things were supposed to be bomb proof. My ASS! i bought that thing in MARCH and it blew a spoke already. thats bullshit!
so, if anything, this is a message to the boys at exeter cycles: i need to start thinking about a REAL set of bombproof training wheels.
maybe, DT Swiss hubs (340's or Industry 9's) DT Competition spokes and Open Pro rims.
suggestions are welcome because of the fact that i cant really make a decision on a product that can stand up to my EXTREME wattage output!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
phil flavored thoughts
- people pick their noses while they drive, in italia, b-c they think nobody can see.
- people picke their wedgies here too.
- this is the land of panty lines, rampant panty lines.
-- it doesnt seem to be the land of athletic calves, speaking of the general population but indeed there are a few outliers.
- smoking seems to carry less social stigma here.
- i flicked a booger on to a Fellini poster last night. Take that you artsy hack!
- if i lived here i would have to live in the Centro.
- Alex must have a deviated septum or inhaled a very small kazoo at some point in his life.
- the wink is here and can be used freely , regardless of gender-to-gender-winkage. either that or i am queer bait here too.
these are the things i have observed and not previously written down. these are only a small fraction of the things i have observed and remembered.... remembered is the key word there.
and if yous really know me, you'll see how these reflect my generally warped train of thought.
thank you for your time,
- people picke their wedgies here too.
- this is the land of panty lines, rampant panty lines.
-- it doesnt seem to be the land of athletic calves, speaking of the general population but indeed there are a few outliers.
- smoking seems to carry less social stigma here.
- i flicked a booger on to a Fellini poster last night. Take that you artsy hack!
- if i lived here i would have to live in the Centro.
- Alex must have a deviated septum or inhaled a very small kazoo at some point in his life.
- the wink is here and can be used freely , regardless of gender-to-gender-winkage. either that or i am queer bait here too.
these are the things i have observed and not previously written down. these are only a small fraction of the things i have observed and remembered.... remembered is the key word there.
and if yous really know me, you'll see how these reflect my generally warped train of thought.
thank you for your time,
Monday, October 20, 2008
1100km tour of Marche in a rental car
this one is going to be quick. (Google all these towns to see pics before i put them up)
[afterthought... barb took 3.21GB of photos! so far...]
Barb got here on the 11th. i picked her up in Roma after schlepping around Cinecitta (Italian hollywood) on class fieldtrip.
i stayed in a hostel that had beds like hammocks the night of the tenth.
we returned to ascoli, ate and slept. we wandered around the city monday.
rented a car tuesday and went to Aquasanta Terme ,Forca di Presta (sickest climb where i broke that spoke), Castelluccio, Montefalcone Appenino and Force.
day two of tiny car (smart cdi), we saw the beach, Ancona and Grotte De Frassasi. then the longest craziest ride home through Fiastra.
wednesday i did Mercolidi Mondile and attacked so hard that i thought i was going to throw up all over my bike. then barb and i went to Offida, which is not only the home of the 2010 Junior Cycling World Competitions but also a Longobard fortress that was taken over by the Romans, who built a church around it. that's right AROUND IT!
thursday we went to Civitella del Tronto, Parco Nazionale Gransasso e Monte della laga (retraced a ride i did) and then around this huge mountainy-ridge kind of thing.
on the descent from Macchia Del Sole, we came to an intersection and all the signs were pointing to the right. everything was to the right, in varying distances. i said "i guess there is a total abyss to the left." we chuckled about that and made some other comments, then proceeded toward Valle Castellana.
i saw a sign that said Aquasanta Terme, and followed it b-c that town is on the way to Arquata, which was where we wanted to go next... got that?
but the signs led us up up up , always up...
we drove through, and when i say through, i mean they were all around us, THREE (3) herds of various rumen type animals; one herd of goats, one sheep and one mixed sheep-goat.
we drove for another hour, up to the top of the ridge then down, all the time on switchbacks and straights shorter than a quarter mile.
and wouldnt you know it, we wound up coming back to that intersection that had all the signs pointing to the right! we truley had driven to nowhere and back!
ok... so friday.... we both were generally sick of the tiny car and of eachother.
Barb wanted to see the Conero Coast which is south of Ancona and a bitch to get to.
i was very sour and very grumpy at this point. we both were, like i said.
we found the coast, we walked, we took pictures, we left.
we drive some more, took wrong exits off the highways, wrong directions, and finally after 5 hours in the car we arrived at Urbino. the drive to Urbino can take as little as 2 hours. and this was after an average of 8 hours per day in tiny car for the previous 4 days. (!)
Urbino would have been beautiful had i not wanted to fall asleep whenever i sat down.
we saw the Palazzo Ducale, and churches and cripts, and college students....?
yes Urbino is a college town. and it is the wierdest thing to see funkily clad college kids wandering around in an ancient Renesaince art-arcitecture town that used to be and still is the home of giant art collection.... there were kids sitting on the steps of a massive catherdal doing the internet with wi-fi. does that sound odd to you?
then on the ride home Gloria called me! and i explained the situation.
- i called her when i was in Ancona earlier in the week but i didnt leave a message.
- i was driving home from Urbino.
- i was 20 minutes from Ancona as we were talking on the phone.
- she told me to get off the highway at ancona north and wait at the train station and she would find me.
(that was not the order i said it all, nor were my italian gears engaged so it was a struggle).
- then she called back and said that she had forgotten that she had plans with her husband. however i should come to Ancona on sunday for lunch.
later Barb and i got home, ate and slept. mostly b-c we were sicke of eachother. we also decided not to got to Roma the next day b-c we would probably end up killing eachother.
saturday i returned the car! thank GOD! then we wandered around the local, every-third-weekend-Antique market and every-weekend-cheap-stuff-market.
we bought Porchetta. actually we bought a kilogram of porchetta. we bought veggies and fresh cheese.
sunday, we went to Ancona and had a lovely afternoon with Gloria, Franco (husband), Giovanna (daughter) and 2 Francesco's (one boyfriend of Giovanna and one son).
Giovanna spoke english very well and helped barb translate and be translated.
Gloria gave barb a recipe for lentil soup; but since neither spoke the others language very well, it has pictures of veggies and sizes of flames that are to be used.
it was a hell of a week... over 1100 km in a Smart, over ten towns/cities, eating out at local restaraunts each night, having barb meet my italian family...
now back to listening to my classmates whine about stupid bullshit....
[afterthought... barb took 3.21GB of photos! so far...]
Barb got here on the 11th. i picked her up in Roma after schlepping around Cinecitta (Italian hollywood) on class fieldtrip.
i stayed in a hostel that had beds like hammocks the night of the tenth.
we returned to ascoli, ate and slept. we wandered around the city monday.
rented a car tuesday and went to Aquasanta Terme ,Forca di Presta (sickest climb where i broke that spoke), Castelluccio, Montefalcone Appenino and Force.
day two of tiny car (smart cdi), we saw the beach, Ancona and Grotte De Frassasi. then the longest craziest ride home through Fiastra.
wednesday i did Mercolidi Mondile and attacked so hard that i thought i was going to throw up all over my bike. then barb and i went to Offida, which is not only the home of the 2010 Junior Cycling World Competitions but also a Longobard fortress that was taken over by the Romans, who built a church around it. that's right AROUND IT!
thursday we went to Civitella del Tronto, Parco Nazionale Gransasso e Monte della laga (retraced a ride i did) and then around this huge mountainy-ridge kind of thing.
on the descent from Macchia Del Sole, we came to an intersection and all the signs were pointing to the right. everything was to the right, in varying distances. i said "i guess there is a total abyss to the left." we chuckled about that and made some other comments, then proceeded toward Valle Castellana.
i saw a sign that said Aquasanta Terme, and followed it b-c that town is on the way to Arquata, which was where we wanted to go next... got that?
but the signs led us up up up , always up...
we drove through, and when i say through, i mean they were all around us, THREE (3) herds of various rumen type animals; one herd of goats, one sheep and one mixed sheep-goat.
we drove for another hour, up to the top of the ridge then down, all the time on switchbacks and straights shorter than a quarter mile.
and wouldnt you know it, we wound up coming back to that intersection that had all the signs pointing to the right! we truley had driven to nowhere and back!
ok... so friday.... we both were generally sick of the tiny car and of eachother.
Barb wanted to see the Conero Coast which is south of Ancona and a bitch to get to.
i was very sour and very grumpy at this point. we both were, like i said.
we found the coast, we walked, we took pictures, we left.
we drive some more, took wrong exits off the highways, wrong directions, and finally after 5 hours in the car we arrived at Urbino. the drive to Urbino can take as little as 2 hours. and this was after an average of 8 hours per day in tiny car for the previous 4 days. (!)
Urbino would have been beautiful had i not wanted to fall asleep whenever i sat down.
we saw the Palazzo Ducale, and churches and cripts, and college students....?
yes Urbino is a college town. and it is the wierdest thing to see funkily clad college kids wandering around in an ancient Renesaince art-arcitecture town that used to be and still is the home of giant art collection.... there were kids sitting on the steps of a massive catherdal doing the internet with wi-fi. does that sound odd to you?
then on the ride home Gloria called me! and i explained the situation.
- i called her when i was in Ancona earlier in the week but i didnt leave a message.
- i was driving home from Urbino.
- i was 20 minutes from Ancona as we were talking on the phone.
- she told me to get off the highway at ancona north and wait at the train station and she would find me.
(that was not the order i said it all, nor were my italian gears engaged so it was a struggle).
- then she called back and said that she had forgotten that she had plans with her husband. however i should come to Ancona on sunday for lunch.
later Barb and i got home, ate and slept. mostly b-c we were sicke of eachother. we also decided not to got to Roma the next day b-c we would probably end up killing eachother.
saturday i returned the car! thank GOD! then we wandered around the local, every-third-weekend-Antique market and every-weekend-cheap-stuff-market.
we bought Porchetta. actually we bought a kilogram of porchetta. we bought veggies and fresh cheese.
sunday, we went to Ancona and had a lovely afternoon with Gloria, Franco (husband), Giovanna (daughter) and 2 Francesco's (one boyfriend of Giovanna and one son).
Giovanna spoke english very well and helped barb translate and be translated.
Gloria gave barb a recipe for lentil soup; but since neither spoke the others language very well, it has pictures of veggies and sizes of flames that are to be used.
it was a hell of a week... over 1100 km in a Smart, over ten towns/cities, eating out at local restaraunts each night, having barb meet my italian family...
now back to listening to my classmates whine about stupid bullshit....
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Mercolidi Mondiale!
top, left photo: brian is in blue.
middle photo, frederico is in red.
right photo, Guido in pink, Daniello in yellow.
at left, the pack. Pepe is on pink and blue short (that used to be tights, he made custom cut-offs)
today was all business.
funny semi-related story: i asked our lovely secratary, Dianna, if there was an italian equivalent phrase for "All business". she said, no, and offered another phrase. then as i was leaving for my apartment inorder to change for the ride, dianna said, "I hope you have alot of business on your ride."
anyway, roll out was easy.
Frederico threw a couple of his little attacks on the Zona Industriale.
pace picked as we passed the whores. pace lined and sadly, Roberto and were wearing the same kit, i stupidly pulled back my "teammate". oops.
the climb: i was advised to big-ring it b-c it is only a 2.5 km climb.
Dannielo and another guy went out before the climb and hoped they could stay away; they thought wrong.
i got to the front and hung around there for about half a K.
then Roberto said something, maybe related to attacking, maybe not, but i went.
Big-ring HO! i remembered an old saying, you can never trust your heartrate on race day. that's true b-c i felt good but was running at about 195-198 bpm for the whole climb.
funny semi-related story: i asked our lovely secratary, Dianna, if there was an italian equivalent phrase for "All business". she said, no, and offered another phrase. then as i was leaving for my apartment inorder to change for the ride, dianna said, "I hope you have alot of business on your ride."
anyway, roll out was easy.
Frederico threw a couple of his little attacks on the Zona Industriale.
pace picked as we passed the whores. pace lined and sadly, Roberto and were wearing the same kit, i stupidly pulled back my "teammate". oops.
the climb: i was advised to big-ring it b-c it is only a 2.5 km climb.
Dannielo and another guy went out before the climb and hoped they could stay away; they thought wrong.
i got to the front and hung around there for about half a K.
then Roberto said something, maybe related to attacking, maybe not, but i went.
Big-ring HO! i remembered an old saying, you can never trust your heartrate on race day. that's true b-c i felt good but was running at about 195-198 bpm for the whole climb.
i caught the first guy, then caught Dannielo. i hung back from him for a little while, and tried to be quiet. i looked behind me to see if i had enough time to recover but my gap was holding. so i recovered and then went again and (maybe this was alittle rude) but blew past Dannielo. maybe not blew past him, but he was spent, just holding onto what ever gap the pavck would let him have. i caught a glimpse of him and he was not having fun. so, like i said, i went.
as i rounded the last hairpin and could just about see the finish line, i heard chase 1 talking below me but was confident that they wouldnt catch me.
they didnt. KOM BABY! second week there!
the run home:
i stopped at the intersection to put my camera back in it plastic bag, and then had to chase back on. Brian went off the front and the pace really ramped up. i was the last indian in line, we were doing about 30 mph.
Brian got pulled back and we hit the first roundabout; i stayed at the back.
we hit the next thing, the on-ramp connecter road, and i stayed at the back.
we hit the second roundabout and i advanced b-c if not there, then i wouldnt be able to attack up the whole paceline and have anything left to get a gap.
Brian asked where the sprint was, and i tried to tell him. but i figured on something different: "i'm going. when i get pulled back, you go. ok?"
i knew i would never be able to hold on for about 3km with the Giacomo train coming up on me.
i went. hard. 195 bpm the whole 2.5 km before the sprint.
sure as the sun is hot, at the off ramp i saw Giacomo over my shoulder leading the boys in.
i pulled wide to let Brian through who was second behind Giacomo.
Brian went a little too early and could quite hold his lead. Frederico was hot for the win, bridged to Brian and let Brian lead him to the line. Frederico took the sprint. like last week.
but when i saw Frederico go by, i got on his wheel and stayed there for a little while, but nobody was really contesting so i just relaxed and coasted home for a 4th or 5th.
this week was waaayyy better, i will still need to get a win before i leave.
they didnt. KOM BABY! second week there!
the run home:
i stopped at the intersection to put my camera back in it plastic bag, and then had to chase back on. Brian went off the front and the pace really ramped up. i was the last indian in line, we were doing about 30 mph.
Brian got pulled back and we hit the first roundabout; i stayed at the back.
we hit the next thing, the on-ramp connecter road, and i stayed at the back.
we hit the second roundabout and i advanced b-c if not there, then i wouldnt be able to attack up the whole paceline and have anything left to get a gap.
Brian asked where the sprint was, and i tried to tell him. but i figured on something different: "i'm going. when i get pulled back, you go. ok?"
i knew i would never be able to hold on for about 3km with the Giacomo train coming up on me.
i went. hard. 195 bpm the whole 2.5 km before the sprint.
sure as the sun is hot, at the off ramp i saw Giacomo over my shoulder leading the boys in.
i pulled wide to let Brian through who was second behind Giacomo.
Brian went a little too early and could quite hold his lead. Frederico was hot for the win, bridged to Brian and let Brian lead him to the line. Frederico took the sprint. like last week.
but when i saw Frederico go by, i got on his wheel and stayed there for a little while, but nobody was really contesting so i just relaxed and coasted home for a 4th or 5th.
this week was waaayyy better, i will still need to get a win before i leave.
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