My Fall Training Program

I started my fall training program this week. Shawn has me working on strengthening my core and improving my balance After 8 weeks off the bike, I can tell there is a little more soft tissue than before but I'm getting it back. Last year I worked really hard on this and saw some great improvements in my riding. Too many riders and other athletes leave core strength conditioning at the bird. They are unfortunately wrong because the core, ie abs, chest, back, all provide the necessary foundation for balance and strength. I have spoken at length to the Cal Maritime Sailing Team which I coach about this. Unfortunately, they don't find it too impressive until they are exhausted after 2 days of sailing at St. Francis or at Univ of Hawaii. For those of you are interested, I suggest a great book, "Core Performance" by Mark Verstegen. If you want a little advice on it, I will be happy to offer my advice. Just email me. Core training takes a lot of persistence and commitment. Commitment being the operative word. The gains you make in the fall can set you up for a great spring and continued success in the summer.

Made a nice chickpea curry the other evening. Still a little tomatoey but I think I have found a solution. I will attempt it again this evening and hopefully be able to post a respectable recipe for you in the coming days. Indian food is quite delicious and gives you many non-meat options.

Sat through another meeting last night. If you know me, meetings are just not my thing. What can be conveyed in email or a letter do much better than holding a meeting that typically involves no-value add information. Since working for Lasalle Investment Management and under Jacques Gordon, the notorious clock watcher at meetings, I took on one of his few sayings to me, "no value add." For those of you who don't know, I use to work for the man in investment banking, specifically real estate investment research. I think its kind of a shocker for many because that lifestyle just doesn't jive to well with my active lifestyle which is why I left it 2.5 years ago. I was in charge of covering the US Economy. Having an economics degree I knew a little bit but I was not PhD like Dr. Gordon. New economic data would be released and I would scour the news for opinions then write a briefing on it. Surprisingly many had converging views not to be surprised because the data can only be interpreted "publicly" in so many ways. So i formed my opinion and offered some feedback and some supporting opinions. Well JG would say, "thanks matt for the report, but its no value-add. I could read this tomorrow in the Journal." How do I respond to such criticism. I don't have the experience or time to offer some crazy insightful interpretation. If he wasn't impressed with my "work" or the "no value-add" work of the economic news services, why were they dropping such coin on them? Ohh well, JG, was one of those persons that is extremely hard to please. But I do want to thank him for the super, great notion of "no value-add."

Now back to some cycling...tried to go swimming yesterday morning but my new OnGuard bicycle lock wouldn't unlock. I used it Monday night without a problem. they only thing I can think was that someone secretly snuck into my room and switched my lock. You might think thats a little bit of paranoia but how else would you explain the lock problem. I'm no lock idiot so that disproves your first thought! Any insight would be appreciated. So I instead decided to make a long urban training ride 2hrs and stopped for coffee at my old spot, Angelina's Cafe on CA/22nd Ave. Coffee was delicious and they now have recycling bins set up.

Well, i head out shortly to beautiful Lake Merced to educate some students in one life's finer activities, yachting.

Chow,
Matthew