My Last Day in San Francisco

The time has finally come where I say goodbyes to my life here in San Francisco, and hello to my new adventures in Boulder. I will admit, I felt sad packing my car tonight. I have met so many great people here which makes its sad to leave. But with everything, one must press on and pursue new adventures and the unknown. For its those moments of the uknown and unfamilier where we grow the most. This is my time to explore and expand and to learn. Even though I will be leaving, friends are forever so its just a matter of seperation.

I would like to give a shoutout to the coolest people in the world: Sarah, Whitney and Marco at 520 Noriega. Its easy to have roommates, you just search for them on Craigslist. But becoming friends with roommates is quite different. These three saw me every day and can confess to my manuerisms, wild cooking adventures, crazy training sessions, and fun laughs. I could never ask for better friends to live with. To you all, thank you for all the times especially Arrested Development with Sarah, kitchen talk with Whitney, and lady talk with Marco. I will surely miss you all and remember all the great moments we had. So now, you will just have to come out to CO for some skiing, hiking and everything else Colorado! 520 Noriega Forever!

For those of you keeping tabs on me. I will be leaving SF ~0700 en route to Grand Junction. Hit me up on the mobile and we can chat. I'm going to be taking pics for a sweet photo album along the way. Already bought my fruit from West Portal Market, so I am set to go.

Chow,
Matthew

Things I will Miss and Not Miss about SF

What I will miss: The best produce in the city! West Portal Produced Market. They hook me up all the time. Like this morning, I bought two Fuji apples and a naval orange. He charged me for the apples, $1.00 and wouldn't take my money for the orange. I am going to drop a thank you card off to them before I leave and maybe get a photo with the guy.

What I won't miss: Battling peds everytime I want to cross the bridge into Marin in my bike. Why don't those people at the Golden Gate Transportation Authority open the west side all the time for cyclists and not just on afternoons and weekends?! But I will miss the shear beauty of the bridge and water and the opportunity to ride across it all the time =)

New blog address!!!

On Feb 1, I am moving to a new blog address, please update:

http://bombthishill.blogspot.com

I think its appropriate to have the blog name in the address.
chow,
matthew

Non-Thinking People Moment

So i have been watching the news this morning as I blog and drink some koffe. They are talking about a new intersection light system to prevent drivers from making a right on red into pedestrians and cyclists.

I'm all in favor of protecting the walker, runner and cyclist but when you are interviewed on television don't be a hack.

This hack was riding his road bike and talking to the camera with ipod earbuds in both ears. Unbelievable! Does this guy have absolutely no brain activity?! If you are trying to improve cyclist safety on the roads don't do an interview with your earbuds in and a helmet on. That doesn't help the case, ever! Also, why are they showing this hack riding in the crosswalk!? Cycling on sidewalks is unsafe b/c drivers can't see you and you are more likely to have a run-in with a ped. I also blame the news hacks for this one.

Freakinnnn idiootttttt....(nd)

CMove-5

Thats Colorado Move minus 5 days, which means I am leaving for CO on Friday. I'm on my 3rd cup of koffe right now as I blog away. Still drinking my New Mexico Pinon roast. Super delicious.

Today is the 28th which means, that 6months and 2 days ago I was carelessly run over by a truck while out riding. Everyday is a blessing in my eyes even though there are those days of frustration. For the most part, the majority of my healing is complete. The only residual pains I continue to experience are pain in my pelvis after long periods of standing, and continued weakness in the left shoulder. The shoulder is the biggest issue. I've definitely had to reconsider tasks or actions that prior, I would have not even thought about. Two weeks ago, I started doing my endurance strengthening program to help build endurance strength to last throughout the long season. I think it was probably the high-rep cable pulls and a few shoulder presses(light weight) that aggrevated the shoulder. It pretty much sucks. Yeah, its not constant pain but its a nagging discomfort. It poses the greatest discomfort when I take deep breaths. Basically, I feel a strain on my left side when I take a deep breath which makes me think that the muscle/ligaments/bone/etc are still damaged goods and are not operating properly when breathing. so doing high intensity training which was on task last week really bothered me. I admit that I lost some mental edge b/c i was getting frustrated with my power numbers and the feeling i got when i was breathing hard. But I have to remain vigilant and positive b/c hell, I'm alive and I could be in a much worse situation.

When i was in the hospital, I had a very difficult time accepting help. For those that were near me(mom, michael, grandparents), they can remember my words, "I've got to learn to do this." At first it was raising out of bed and sitting up, believe me, a fractured spine, shoulder, and pelvis and lots of poison ivy make this difficult. Then it was getting out of bed and walking across the room. Then walking across the hall then walking out of the hospital on my own w/o a chair! When I flying after being discharged I refused to take a special ride to the plane. always responding to my mom's request, "mom, I've got to learn how to do this." I did take a trolley ride in Cincinatti but that was after walking around for awhile and I was completely fatigued.

What i'm saying here is that we all have our misfortunes. Not to put a degree on your misfortunte or mine, but we all have misfortunes. So what should you take away from this? Before you complain, think about what you are complaining about. Then take a few minutes and look around at people around you. I'd bet that your problem seems less and less after just a few minutes of people watching. I'm not on a high horse here, I'm just exposing my secrets on how I have learned to deal with my accident and what has motivated me to recover and get back on the bike and give everything to it. This is what Colorado is about for me. Giving everything to see what I'm capable of b/c in the paraphrased words of Twain,"its not the things you did,its the things you didn't do" that you will regret in 20 years.

::::Stepping down from soapbox::::

Have a good monday,
Matthew

Bloggin' Like Sunday Morning...

A little Commodores reference for you =) Well, my departure from the hollowed lands of San Francisco are fastly approaching. Its quite weird to think that this is my last Sunday in the city for awhile at least. Next Sunday if all travel plans go smoothly, I will be in my new digs in Niwot, CO just outside the People' Republic. Exciting and sad all at once. Last night I had a get together of friends to celebrate my new adventure. We had 12 people here at the crib. I had promised culinary nirvana on my evite, and I don't think I let anyone down. "Culinary Nirvana" is kind of my phrase for all of my cooking for people experiences. Maybe it a little over the top but we all need a some sort of marketing play on words that people will say and remember. I first started it with my sister's wedding post-reception bash. The crowds were quite delighted by the flavors I brought to their pallets after what I think was an average, vanilla food display at the reception. Sorry to offend anyone but the flavors and creativity didn't wow me. I will address this more shortly. Then came Christmas Eve dinner with the fam. You know all about this because I wrote extensively about it. The flavors were more refined and more attentive largely due to being able to cook up till serving time and the number was far less 8 v 60? people. But enough with excuses, the vast majority was due to my own heightened appreciation and skillset over the 3 months. Now, here we are 4 months later, and I have set the bar higher for myself. In the evite, I told everyone to just bring wine, preferably a Rhone style red or Pinot Noir. Now they are the best matching for the dishes but I love both of these varietals and I am secretly infiltrating all persons to adopt the French Rhones. So delicious and so afforadable. I didn't have a menu until maybe 3days prior. Just lots of tinkering and wheel rolling in my head. I wanted to concentrate on two flavors that have dominated my cooking for the last year: Northern Indian and Southern Thai. Both packed with bomb flavors and just on the edge of being super complicated but also highly appreciated in technique and flavor. I basically worked all day yesterday preparing the food b/c like all of my other exposes, everthing has to be done from scratch. I was telling someone the other day, for me cooking is about artistry. Dropping coin on overly priced prepared foods for your party is vanilla and the food doesn't expose the personality of the artist(chef). Plus its incredibly satisfying for me to just see people taste and enjoy the food i make. Now I can certainly improve upon my display skills but at the end flavor is king.

Concentrating on these two culinary regions, i decided to go with Thai red curry and Pad Sie Eiw; and Chicken Tikka Masala and Palak Paneer with fresh garlic-coriander Naan. With all of my culinary nirvana's that I have created, I always give history on each dish and talk about the ingredients before everyone dives in. Its kind of my thing. Last night everyone was quite surprised at what they had learned. Its important for me to understand the history of the food so i can understand the technique and flavoring that go into the food. Now you will say, Chicken Tikka Masala is not an authentic indian dish. Well you are right, its a british dish with indian influence. What is funny is that its the most popular indian dish worldwide and the #1 dish in the UK across the board. Basically, a former UK ruler wanted gravy to go with his tikka chicken. so his indian chefs made a tomato-cream sauce(masala) for it. And there is born Chicken Tikka Masala. 99% of people don't know that but you do so count yourself as one of the enlightened ones. I completed the tour of India with Palak Paneer(spinach with cheese) and homemade naan. Yes, you just read that, HOMEMADE NAAN. I was quite anal asking everyone last night about the naan and pimping it out like it was the crown jewel achievement. It was pretty much the bomb though. For the palak paneer, I had never done this so I swapped a recipe from an indian cook and added my own touches to it. And yes, I made my own paneer too. It wasn't enough so I had to buy some queso blanco but i guess you can say that you have reached a new level when you are making your own cheese at home for a dinner party =) Of everything, I was most impressed with my Naan skills. No tandori but not too worry(rhyme) I Martha Stewarted my way to naan goodness. and of course I had basmati rice for the indian and jasmine for the thai which i explicited made aware to everyone. I can't hack it and serve just one style, that would not be culinary nirvana. Creating a delicious meal takes a lot of work but the extra steps you go for everyone will remember forever ::::hopefully:::: That takes me back to what I said earlier. When you are going to entertain people or cook up a meal for someone, putting artistry into the food leaves impressions with people that you would not otherwsie seize. My biggest complaint about going too restaurants is the lack of artistry in the food. If I am going to sell something to you, I want you to know that its unique, delicious, and personal, not some out-of-the-box dish that everyone has. Yeah, I am kind of a uber foodie now. I basically have become a uber critic(accent on the last i) since I have have gained my new found confidence in the kitchen over the last year. I eat stuff out and I think it tastes good but then I say to myself, " well it was tasty but I could make that better and cheaper." Its a sick disease I guess. But regarless of my Simon Cowell'ng of food, anytime anyone puts work into creating a meal from fresh ingredients is fine by me.

Now, I have plugged your hear with too much detail into the thoughts that dominate my head everyday, just be happy you don't have to experience these conflicts I go through everyday =)

chow,
Matthew

Poached Eggs with Black Bean Curry

I guess this would a mix between mexican and indian flavors. Black beans, spinach, peas, carrots, tomatoes, curry, and eggs. I got the idea of poaching the eggs in the beans after watching America's Test Kitchen when they made huevos rancheros, a typical mexican breakfast. I think its a cool way to get extra protein post-training and adds a little twist to the norm

Ingredients
1 Can of Black Beans, drained
1/2 yellow onion diced
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tbs of tumeric
1 tbs of curry powder
1/2 tbs of cumin seeds
1 cup of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup of minced cilantro
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1 cup of fresh baby spinach
1 med carrot diced
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
*chili pepper optional
Heat cumin, curry, and tumeric in a pan until fragrant, 2-3min. Add 1 tbs of evoo, onion, garlic, and carrots. Stir together and heat till fragrant. Add tomatoes, beans and stir together. Add some salt(1tsp) and black pepper. Heat until tomatoes begin to break down. Add peas, spinach. Cover. Stir occassionaly. Might need to add a litle water if it gets too dry. After about 6-8min or spinach has wilted, stir all together. Add cilantro and stir. Now make a spot in the middle of the mixture and crack an egg. Make another spot and crack another egg. Essentially, you should have bean mixture surrounding eggs. Cover and turn heat to med high. Make sure mixture doesn't dry out. You are essentially poaching the eggs in the beans. Eggs are done with the yolks cover is a hazing white, see top picture. Add some extra cilantro when serving. Enjoy!
Very high in fiber, protein. Low in fat, sugar and bad stuff. Ie it fills you up, helps muscles and keeps you regular =)

The Countdown

So this weekend, I had a revelation of the oracle type. I am only going to be in San Francisco for one more weekend before I jettison off to the People's Republic. Its quiet surreal but exciting and sad all at the same time. There will be many new surprises for me in the coming weeks as I move out of my norm and into the un-norm. I decided I need to make a list of things to do so my departure will go off without much disaster. I hope the weather doesn't turn sour and I am trekking east through snow storm after snow storm. After my 12 hour trip to Long Beach earlier this month, I'm kind of exhausted with roadway malaise.

Training this past weekend went pretty well. Saturday was a big day with threshold intervals, 3x20min. I basically felt like collapsing after each one but thats good b/c I know that I am pushing myself. Shawn has been pushing me to try to keep my form together for the entire workout and now kill the first one but keep a steady upward trend through the workout. I think the message got to me on Saturday. I did the first one at 335w, 2nd at 332w and 3rd at 326w. So I had a power decay of only 9w from the first to the last. Thats a super narrow range compared to the Tuesday's workout of 343 and 327, 18w range. I guess the key was starting a little more conservative and not killing myself as I rode out of Mill Valley up to Tam. On the 2nd one, I had this guy jump on my wheel which kind of threw off my rhythm. I don't like when I have people riding my wheel who I don't know. This guy was pretty strong but its just not cool to ride another dude's wheel when he is working out especially on a road as narrow as the one up Tam. Finally got my rhythm back and let the jag ride away from me. The last one was a killer. I started on a flat section which required me to spin pretty high before going vertical. The change in cadence is pretty hard on the system. Fortunately I had my rabbit ahead of me. A fit, ValueAct Capital rider. She was a pretty good climber. But I couldn't identify her on a mug shot which is typical of cyclists. Its funny b/c cyclists get all geared up and go riding and ride with people for year's but never see them w/o their gear on. The guy or gal you race with every weekend could be the one sipping a latte next to you in a cafe but you would probably never know it b/c cyclists like to james bondish. People think I'm just some tall straight-edge bloke but what they don't know is that I have a wild side, yep I do. Now back after my little digression. VAC rider was pretty strong which gave me the motivation I needed to keep the wattage high. Pretty hammered after the last interval but thats good.

Sunday was a flat recovery ride. I was thinking about doing some climbing but legs were just not feeling too snappy so I renegotiated the ride route and chose to go on a high-cadence, flat ride. Ending up doing almost 5 hours. The secret to getting the most from you body is realizing that some days are not going to be good so its okay and definitely recommended to get those recovery rides in. The results of good, hard training can only be fully realized if you take a proper approach to nutrition, recovery and rest. I'm definitely going to heed more to that advice this year. Last year I just rode myself to the ground but it was good, I wouldn't go back and change. But I learned some things which should make me a more powerful rider.

Monday it started raining here and got gnarly cold by NorCal standards. Boy am I in for a rude awakening. It was only in the 40s and I was pretty damn cold. Decided to play a little touristy on Monday. Had a really nice breakfast at Crepes on Cole then N-Judah'd it to Emarcardero. Walked around a little bit before making my way to Chinatown. I will definitely miss the variety of spots and cultures when I leave here. Chinatown is an adventure all in itself. You basically leave the US by all observable purposes and walk into a street carnival of dried seafood, massive amounts of people, stores full of priceless shit, and weird looking foods. Its basically sensory overload. Its more difficult than a game of frogger to navigate the streets as you have people pushing and pulling all kinds of goods. If you want weird dried game, here it is. Need 20lbs of ginseng? If you have the cash, you can get it here and set up a little herbal medicinal.

As always keep it real, and keep on trucking...

Matthew

Going Tempo

Yesterday training was all about that ohh so sweet tempo riding. A many a pros will talk about tempo riding. If you have ever read any article which a pro is interviewed or listened to them talk you probably heard "tempo." What is it exactly? There are probably several definitions but if you follow Friel's ranges from CyclingPeaks, then is 76-90% of threshold. My definition is: "go as fast as retardly possible for 3 hours without blowing up and without significant power decay." So yesterday I did just that. Riding tempo alone is like racing for 3 hours by yourself without any moto escorts and having to ramp it up after each stop light, nature break, or idiot driver that causes you to stop. Because you can't let your power avg go below your tempo goal. You see, tempo riding is not about just pushing it for 10min or 30min but for 180min or more! At the end, you feel exhausted, hungry and hopefully satisfied with the solid work of the day. Wed was tempo day for me. I did 3 hours and it was everything its cracked up to be: fast, hard, exhausting, calorie crunching, and satisfying. I was happy with the way I responded following the 20min threshold intervals on Tam late Tuesday afternoon(which I consequently set a new 20min avg power number).

For those who are struggling to figure out what to do with your training. Go for some tempo. I think its probably one of the best all-around workouts. Especially if you are crunched for time or if you need something a little spicy. It satisfies a gamet of training needs and can keep you in great shape over the winter periods when your training hours are limited. So go tempo young man!

Now on a sad note for the day, Scottish time-trial champ, Jason MacIntyre, was tragically hit and killed by a van while returning from a training ride. He was only a 34 and considered one of the great Scottish cyclists and an Olympic hopeful. My deepest sympathy goes out to his wife, kids and family. These stories all make me count my blessings as I could have and by all records should have met the same conclusions as this one and many others. Road cycling is inherently dangerous when automobiles come into the scene. People ask me if I am scared to go riding. Because I lost consciousness when I was blindsided by the truck, I don't have memory of the actual pain at impact. I only got to experience the pain when I awoke. I'm definitely more aware of autos around me but actually get more worried when i see other riders near cars. Especially those without helmets and those that are riding sketchy. One thing that you have to realize is that no matter how correct you, as a cyclist, are, the auto will ALWAYS win. Sure you might get roll into a sweet gravy train years down the road but the costs are no where near the potential for a gravy train. I lost 2 months of my "normal" life and not to mention the ongoing physical pain I have experienced in my pelvis and shoulder. Be careful out there, and watch out for cyclists. The tragedies need to end.

~Matthew

Dopers...they're bad...they're bad

Dopers/cheaters have long been a problem for all sports and society for that matter. Whether its shaving points in a game or swindling persons out of money on scams. They are all equally destructive. Over the last few years, sports have taken a huge hit with athletes who choose to cheat and use drugs to get ahead. One story that just blows my mind and continues to make headlines is that of Patrick Sinkewitz. This guy is a total jag. The former rider for T-Mobile was kicked out of Le Tour this year for artificial testosterone in his system. He didn't even bother to deny it or try to have his B-sample tested. Now normally I will hold a little bit in my heart for those riders who are born on or around my birthday, Tom Boonen(Oct16), Patrick Sinkewitz(Oct 20) and we were all born in the same year 1980! But Sinkewitz is not deserving of any such praise because of his cheating lifestyle.

Now, here is a guy who is at the top of cycling, the ProTour and riding with a pretty sweet contract, many a young pros would give everything to be in his shoes. Unfortunately, they aren't allowed or don't get the chance to prove their worth because of jags like this guy. After being fired immediately from T-Mobile, he went in front of German cycling officials months later to discuss his lifetime of doping practices and the doping that was going on at the 2006 Tour at Camp T-Mobile. This was also the year that Der Kaiser was prohibited along with Ivan the Terrible and some other riders as part of El Puerto, a huge blood doping scheme. Well, Jag Sinkewitz later admits in testimony that he has doped his entire career. Do these guys actually think that no harm can be done to their body? It seems they lost the feeling, the feeling that so many of us get from just riding and racing our bike. Remember its suppose to be for fun right???

Well, now the latest development is Mr. Jag is appealing his lenient one-year ban from racing. So this guy screws over his team, his sponsors, his fans, the cycling public and thousands of aspiring pros. He admits to all of his doping and how he did it his entire career and now he wants no punishment. Ridiculous! This guy should be banned forever from cycling.

I just had an incredible week of training and I used hard work and nutritious food to fuel me....Training for me is so much about trying to see how far I can push my body. I don't have the greatest palmares but for me training and racing are all about the rush and the ride. Records will continued to be set but they will also be broken and there will be new winners each year. But what will withstand it all are the feelings and memories you take away from the experiences. So get out and ride!

Chow,
Matthew

A Tale of Three Flats...

After 8 days off the bike during holiday(totally euro slang), legs have come around. Last week I got in two workouts then got some hotel trainer time in while I was in Long Beach. After taking Monday off as usual, I hit it hard on Tuesday with some low-cadence, high wattage intervals. These are great strength building workouts which should pay dividends later on in the season. The first one I thought I was absolutely flying then I looked at the final number and it was on par with what I did right before holiday. A little bummed but somedays the legs just aren't there. I did the next two intervals and saw substantial power decay. Some was attributed being sketched out by a van whose *ssh*** driver blew his horn at me and nearly ran me off the road when I was on the edge of the road not wanting to go in the ditch. There was no oncoming traffic either. Every cyclist knows that every ride presents danger and the threat of getting annihalated by a vehicle, case in point, me =) Just this week, 2007 UCI ProTour winner and TDF Runner-Up, Cadel Evans, talked about the dangers of training on his home roads in Australia. He said Australian and US drivers just feel that anything aside from their own vehicle on the road is a nuisance which makes training here and in Australia increasingly more dangerous than Europe. In 2006, the Australian Women's national team was struck and Amy Gillett was killed. I could have been handed the same card but fortunately I was given a second chance. I encourage all of you to check out the site that was put up to tribute her and also helps raise awareness for cyclists. When I was struck and laid up in the hospital, I had a similar idea of starting a site/non-profit that helps raise awareness and provide legal and hopefully financial support to victims of such tragedies. I know I can lend quite a bit of experience to others so they don't have to deal with the issues I have dealt with so far. I am sure I can get some pros on board to help support it.

http://www.amygillet.org.au

Now back to wheels of training...My Wednesday high cadence workout was really good. Legs felt supple and were spinning like a mcdonnell-douglas turbine. If you are in need of some good drills, I highly recommend high cadence intervals. The form and technique you gain from these workouts translates nicely into pro smoothness on the pedals and better sprinting. It also devastates the competition when you are spinning high and looking smooth and they are questioning why they do this. Thursday was strength and plyo day. If people in the neighborhood saw me through the window they had to be wondering what the hell I was doing. "But officer, I was just doing some power jumps and box jumps =) " This is also the day where I work on my sprints. After my first set I was totally blown away by my numbers. I was over 100watts better! This is huge. I'm talking taking it to the mattresses huge. I was getting 12-16% more out of my legs. Shawn has been working me hard on the strength and explosive stuff. With continued work, I should see increased improvement and more arrows in my quiver come race time.

After just a one hour easy spin on Friday to push the lactic out, I was ready for the low-cadence, high wattage workout on Saturday. After thoroughly amping myself on New Mexico Piñon Coffee, I was ready to go. I first had this delectable treat while I was in Silver City, NM for the Tour of the Gila. I highly recommend it. On the way down through Golden Gate Park, I punctured. No worries, I will fix it and be on my way. Fixed on and the way I went. On the first interval, I just felt like I was flying and the SRM said I was too. Over 40 watts higher than on Tuesday! A 14% jump! I was so stoked about it. I did a 10min recovery and puntured again as I was heading to the starting area and this time i busted the valve. No worries, I have an extra tube. Now I am fixed and a little more rested. It would have been very easy to get frustrated and just bag the whole day, but thats not pro right? So I banged out the 2nd interval and was again 15% higher on the my 2nd one as compared to on Tuesday. What was it? I have a few ideas...So after pumping my fists in the air after finishing my 2nd one, I headed back for my 3rd and final one. I pushed with everything I had and tried to leave all the cards on the table. SRM check: 19% higher than Tuesday and over 15% higher than before holiday! So I am getting faster and I have more endurance...boom shackalacka! On the descent down Mt. Tamalpais, I punctured again. After finally getting home after spending way too much time working on flat tyres I had the appetite of a great white(because they can eat an enormous amount of kilos per day and they are my favorite animal in the world) =)

Today was the big endurance day, 100mi. There is something that has always appealed to me about long efforts. I guess its the feeling of accomplishment at the end as well as the intense hunger and fatigue. Feeling fatigued after a big workout is quite satisfying. I google map'd out my course which took me out to Nicasio in Marin County then up to the Cheese Factory and then onto Marshall along Tomales Bay. In all the 2.5 years I have been here, at the junction in Nicasio I had never gone to the Cheese Factory. I must say that the roads back there are quite nice and quiet. Some steep climbs too. I started out before the ride with ample coffee, a huge bowl of rolled oats with wheat germ, flax seed and pecans and a little maple syrup. Then hunter's eggs and a piece of whole grain toast with soybean butter(kind of like peanut butter but not). A long day in the saddle needs a proper breakfast. Then I packed the jersey pocket with ample ammunition, a banana and 3 nature valley bars. This is a lot for me but I always seem to bring less than I need and arrive back at home only by a miracle. Not today, i felt pretty good the entire time and put in some nice efforts on the flats and on the climbs. SRM stats: 6hr 25min, 161km, 4100kj. This is definitely the longest day I have had since La Vaujany in France. 4100kj is a big day by yourself. When I got home I was quite famished so I made a grilled cheese sandwich, a piece of toast with honey and soybean butter and a cooked a can of black beans and a cup of jasmine rice. Beans and rice are great after workout foods b/c they pack on serious carbs and the beans are non fat and contain a good source of protein and fiber. They also fill you up so you can still eat and be a weight weenie =)

So a big week is behind me, and I am pretty jazzed about my form. Everything that I have been working on is finally coming together and translating into some good power numbers. Now I just have to put it all together for the Valley of the Sun Stage Race in mid-Feb in Tempe, AZ. Should be a fun weekend and great way to bang out the beginning of the season.

Chow,
Matthew

Another shameless plug...
http://www.nmpinoncoffee.com

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

After a well received meal from my family on Christmas Eve, I have decided to share part of the experience with all my online supporters. I should have a nice photo to accompany in a few days. I will just have to teach my mom on how to attach files to emails. Love you mom! =)

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
this soup is boasting with red pepper goodness and the slight hint of smoke. To get the full effect, you should roast your fresh red bell peppers on a grill or on the indoor range burner. If you want the similar but still tasty version, buy yourself some roasted red peppers in a jar. Available in the italian section or in the can good section.

Serves 8
Ingredients
4 roasted red peppers, sliced up and de-seeded
1 qt of whole tomatoes (prefer San Marzano tomatoes), drain and deseed
3 cups of low-sodium vegetable stock
4 cups of water
Sea salt and black pepper(1-2tbs a piece) to taste
3/4 cup of fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tbs of italian seasoning
2 shallots, minced
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup of lite cream(optional)
2 tbs of sugar
1 lemon, juiced
cup of bread crumbs(thickener)
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

To process

Heat EVOO in a large saute pot. Add shallots and garlic, pinch of salt and black pepper also. Cook until fragrant. Add the tomatos and red peppers. Mix together with shallots/garlic. Cook for a few minutes. Add the stock and water. Stir everything together. Turn heat to low and simmer for 20minutes. Add herbs, sugar, breadcrumbs and lemon juice. Stir together. Use an immersion blender to puree. Taste. If too acidic, add cream. Mix together so milk doesn't curdle.

Let soup cool and taste again. Adjust flavoring for more heat with red chili peppers. Serve with toasted baguette and enjoy this mouth-watering surprise!

Cheers,
Matthew

A New Year and a New Beginning

Well,
My first entry of 2008...hopefully it will be inspirational. I've been getting a lot of flack from my audience for not keeping up to date for this I ask for your forgiveness. The last week has been pretty busy for me with getting things sorted out with my move to CO and wrapping up responsibilities here. Things are never as easy as they appear on the surface.

On Friday, I headed down to LBC for my last college regatta. Trying to get an early start, i left the house at 0830 only to find that the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge would be closed to several overturned semis. Great way to start a miserable drive to LA. The winds and rain were absolutely ridiculous the entire trip. What should have taken me 6 hours took me almost 12 hours. Went through downpours, sick winds, dust storms, and on the way back, snow on the Grapevine. Total craziness...

At the regatta I caught up with some old friends from the east coast schools. They are all headed out to Salt Lake City this week for some epic skiing and college sailing discussions. They were disappointed in me not going. I'm still a little worried about my bones healing to go downhill skiing. When I go skiing with this group, I always seem to push the envelope ie skiing through chutes, trees and hiking up the steeps to the sick drops. Maybe I will go next year but this year its all about getting back on the bike and riding hard and fast.

On Saturday night I went to a really great Thai restaurant with my friend Alyssa. It was quite delicious. The ordering dialogue went as follows(reminds me of Soup Nazi):
Alyssa: "tom khan soup"
Waiter: "coconut soup"
Alyssa: "no, tom khan soup"
Waiter: "coconut soup"
Alyssa: "uhh okay"
Alyssa: "Penang curry with chicken"
Waiter: "red curry"
Alyssa" Penang curry with chicken"
Waiter: "red curry"
Alyssa: "okay"
Alyssa: " pad thai"
Waiter: "pad thai with shrimp"
Alyssa: "okay"
Alyssa: "mango sticky rice"
Waiter: "okay" (it had to be reordered later on)

I am there just sitting and kind of laughing because everything she ordered, the waiter said something different. I don't think there was a language barrier, maybe there was. It felt more like Alyssa wanted one dish and the waiter felt otherwise or felt we were going to have this and not that. Quite funny b/c we had no wiggle room with this guy. Food was great though.

Enjoy the rest of your week and I will be more on top of blogging so I don't get harrassing emails from a select few in my viewing audience =)

BTW, if you are in the Bay Area, be sure to come by the house on Jan 26 for a culinary expose and send off party. Email me for details.

Chow,
Matthew