Win a MattChrabot.com "Go Back to Baby School" fan t-shirt at the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championships - Washington DC this Sunday, June 21

For many people, ITU triathlon is somewhat of a foreign sport. It is the only triathlon event featured in the Olympics where racers complete a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike race, and 10 km run. The race allows drafting just like in bike racing and all three events are completed one after the other.

This Sunday, June 21st, the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series will be making a sweep into Washington, D.C. as part of its world tour.

Here is the calendar for the global series:
Tongyeong, South Korea - May 3
Madrid, Spain - May 31
Washington, D.C.
Kitzbuhel, Austria - July 12
Hamburg,Germany - July 26
London, England - August 16
Yokohama, Japan - August 23
Gold Coast, Australia - September 13

But I thought you were a cyclist and this is a blog about cycling!?
Well, my brother Matt will be lining up in the Men's Pro Race at 9:10am (starting on the Potomac River). He will the the favored local boy, so in preparation, I made a batch of one of a kind t-shirts for his cheering fan section.

How in the world did you create this brilliant t-shirt?
For the design, I collaborated with his former GMU swimming teammates and came up with something Matt used to say quite a lot: Go Back to Baby School. The front image of the shirt has Matt's face cropped into the body of Skeletor, the antagonist from the Master's of the Universe Series, which was taken from his myspace page that a friend had made for him as a gag a few years ago. The back is finished off with a creative triathlon themed design and his branded website.

Why Did I Choose a Jellyfish?
When we lived in the Philippines almost 20 years ago, Matt was stung by a box jellyfish that caused him to stop breathing and put him into the hospital for 3 days. Fortunately, all that he took away from the incident was a very bad scar on his stomach.

So what...
In order to bring as many people as possible to cheer on Matt, everyone reading this blog has the chance to WIN A FREE T-SHIRT (sizes S, M, L) AUTOGRAPHED by the man himself. Simply find me on race day (I'll be wearing one) before the finish of the race and tell me why I used a jellyfish to represent the swim on the shirt. Your name will be put into a hat and after the race the winning name will be drawn. If you don't win, you still can purchase them for the production price.

Good Luck and see you Sunday! (also, when you find me, ask me about the running gerbil)

Finish Location: Pennsylvania Ave NW & 11th St NW Washington, DC 20004 at 11am, June 21.

Facebook Group: Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series - Washington D.C.

PS, keep this a secret from Matt. It's supposed to be a surprise!

And based on the already popular demand, and the already huge response I've already gotten, FULL PRODUCTION will begin shortly and sold on http://www.mattchrabot.com/.

In the mean time, if you will be unable to attend the race but would still like a shirt, comment on this blog post and include your email address or send me a message on the Facebook Group.

How to 360 a golf cart

This manuever can be done on both dry and wet surfaces but it is easier after a fresh rain storm. The fairway requires less speed than the rough does and wet conditions allow greater flexibility with surface choices.

1. Start by putting the pedal into the floor. Use a hill to get even more speed, but don't get too crazy (20 degrees was frighteningly fast enough.)

2. Once you reach top speed, slam on the brakes and let it skid for about 1/2 second.

3. Throw the wheel to the right as hard as you can and keep the brake on.

4. At 90 degrees you are going to feel like the golf cart will tip over and smash you. Don't worry, most gas carts weigh approximately 800lbs and tend to be very bottom heavy.

5. When you are at 180 degrees throw the wheel in the opposite direction. The important part during the whole trick is to keep the break buried deep in the floor, otherwise you are going to flat out and revert.

6. Hold the wheel in the opposite direction and the brake until you are back facing the same direction you started in.

7. In one fluid motion, ease back into the gas and roll away.

Top Sporters do DC

Last weekend Owen and I ventured into DC! We were really nailing it on the Custis Trail getting into town. The trail is only about 5 feet wide so danger was constantly around the corner. Roots making uneven pavement, bends, bridges, pedestrians, and of course, the inevitable cyclists travelling in the opposite direction proved to be challenging targets that we had to dodge.

We saw the Lincoln Memorial. This is the second time I've seen DC like this in person. I'd like to make more trips and see more things inside without wearing a chamois. I've seen the Air and Space Museum and Natural History Museum, but would like to check out the American History Museum and possibly some of the art museums. Does anyone know some cool coffee shops in the area?


The Washington Monument. The temperatures warranted sleeves and legwarmers as rain was scheduled for the day. Despite the weather, the area was packed with people. We were scoping the babes and playing hot or not.


The White House. If you really squint, you can see the security officer on the top near the flag holding an M4 assault rifle. Best keep your distance, sporters.


The Supreme Court. This was the least crowded of the landmarks and it was kind of out of the way.


The new bike was confiscated by the Police for questioning and weighing. The cop was on a segway and ended up loosing battery juice in the chase to issue an inspection. Owen got close lined by a tree but claims he saw his 2nd highest power number for a sprint (near 1300 W) on the Power meter. Speaking of power, who digs the front mounting system set up for the Power Tap? It is being produced by NOVA Cycling Products (NCP) and will be available to the market soon, perhaps even being featured on bikes like Cadel Evans in this years Tour. If you'd like to get a pre-order prototype, comment on this blog post and we can set you up.


The back of the Capitol. Check out the Euro classic bend bars and the switch to SRAAM. Yes I made the leap, will you?


The front of the Capitol. Again, another security officer at the top of the stairs (TOTS anyone?) holding an M4. Owen and I were wondering what this guy would say what he does for a living, "I guard the Capitol building and my best friend guards the White House. It's a friendly rivalry and we frequently debate on who guards the more important building of the two. We wouldn't call it a turf war and we respect each other's landmark...but we wouldn't switch for the world."


The DC Segway Tours were everywhere. Owen was really getting a kick out of these guys. Apparently they're doing pretty well with foreigners and their stronger currencies (leveraging the Purchasing Power Parity; a little applied economics for Stevo.)Phenomenal business idea.

Athens Twilight Criterium

Founded in 1980 by Gene Dixon, the Athens Twilight Criterium was the first nighttime race in the United States in over 60 years. What began as one race with 40 competitors has since grown to offer eight separate race classes and 150 cyclists competing in the main event, the men's criterium, a 60-km race around downtown Athens.

Heralded by VeloNews as the "Criterium Not To Miss" and voted first by their poll of professional and amateur racers, Twilight is a highlight of the pro cycling season. For the past 18 years, the Twilight has been part of the National Cycling Calendar, and it hosts the largest and oldest handcycle race in the United States. The Twilight has always stood apart from other criteriums and is popular not just with racers, but with its huge crowd of spectators, consistently drawing over 30,000 spectators and some of cyling's hottest stars to the streets of the Classic City annually.

Twilight's location in the thriving entertainment district of downtown Athens and its consistently large, passionate crowd ensure the Twilight's special status. Athens' uniqueness and charm is supported by the thousands of UGA graduates who view the Twilight as a homecoming occasion. Second only to football games, it is the largest event in Athens and is the highest income-producing weekend of the year for downtown retailers. Over one million people have viewed the Athens Twilight over its 29-year history.

The Twilight weekend has become an annual springtime tradition in Athens, as well as attracting spectators and participants from around the world. Professional athletes and spectators comment that there is no other event anywhere in the world as diverse and all encompassing as the Athens Twilight.









www.athenstwilight.com

How a Top Sporter must prepare for race day

Vince Roberge, 2007.

I met Vince in 2007 during my three month stay at the Cycling Center (now JBCA/CC) in Hertsberge, Belgium. Don't let his boy-bandish looks fool you; Vince is a bandit in Monopoly and will own the whole board in five rolls of the die while conquering with the thimble. He is also a solid bike racer and one of the few guys who made it through four straight seasons (2005-08) in the land of chocolate, diamonds, and beer.

Paris-Roubaix venue change?

Major race organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) has stumbled upon a major hurdle for this month's Paris-Roubaix, with the famed Roubaix velodrome unavailable for the historic Spring Classic. ASO, which also organises the Tour de France, is currently trying to negotiate an alternative with the velodrome's owners who have double booked the venue with a local Easter carnival, the Roubaix Poisson d'Avril, on April 12.

This year's event is the first time Paris-Roubaix has clashed with Easter weekend since the 2004 edition, when Magnus Bäckstedt claimed victory. Over the past five years a local Easter festival has grown to such a degree, that in 2007 it started using the velodrome site in order to cater for increased attendance.

"It's an embarrassing oversight by the velodrome owners," an ASO insider told Cyclingnews. "They simply didn't realise that our event fell on Easter Sunday this year. It only happens every once in a while, so it's an understandable mistake to make."

ASO hopes to have a resolution to the issue by week's end. Several options are being considered, with negotiations between it and the Easter carnival organisers underway which would see the festival moved to the neighboring football grounds.

Should a deal between the two organisations fail to materialise, ASO will consider asphalting the old running track that surrounds the football field next door and erecting a temporary grand stand for the event. While it's considered an extreme measure, ASO wants to ensure the event stays close to its roots.

"We are working with both organisers and the velodrome owners," said a local council member. "If ASO must resort to its back-up measure, the local government will offer its resources to help lay the asphalt in time. Roubaix is proud of this event and doesn't want to see the finish moved to another province, not even as a one off."

An ASO official admitted that while paving the running track next door wasn't ideal, it was the most attractive alternative. It wishes to stay close to the site where race founders Théodore Vienne and Maurice Perez held the first event in 1886, ruling out a one-off move to a nearby city.

The organisation had also considered postponing the event for one week, but has since decided that's not an option. With a temporary alternative in place, the organiser didn't want to upset fans or teams who have all booked accommodation and travel for the existing date, in addition to athletes timing their condition specifically to that date.

What do big waves, a bond stuntman, and meatloaf have in common?

Laird Hamilton

"Meet a man who is to his sport what Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and Lance Armstrong are to theirs." - Leslesy Stahl, 60 Minutes


Aug 17, 2000 Teahupoo, Tahiti



Die Another Day, 2002 20th Century Fox


"Laird Hamilton is known as the guiding genius of cross over board sports, and he is truly amzaing in the water. His size - 6'3", 215 pounds - makes him seem indestructible. Laird is the elder son of sixties' surfing legend Bill Hamilton and is a throwback to that time when surfers prided themselves on being all-around watermen.

His mother, JoAnn, gave birth to him in a "bathysphere" with reduced gravity as part of an experiment at the UC Medical Center in San Francisco. JoAnn was also a surfer and decided to move the family from California to Hawaii when Laird was just a few months old. They lived on Oahu's North Shore and later in a remote valley on Kauai, not far from one of the world's best surf breaks.

He learned to surf between the ages of 2 and 3 on the front half of a surfboard; and at age 8, his father took him to the 60-foot cliff at Waimea Falls, where Laird looked down, looked back at his dad, and jumped. 'He's been bold since day one,' says Bill, 'and hell-bent on living life to the extreme.' He lives in Hawaii and California with his wife and three daughters." - Forces of Nature
2002 HawaiiWeb.com




Laird's Favorite Meat Loaf


Recipe courtesy of Gabrielle Reece, Forces of Nature

3 lbs 85% lean ground beef
1 lb organic turkey
2 cups canned corned
2 cups grated Cheddar
2 cups rolled oats
4 eggs, beaten
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, diced
Parchment paper (I used aluminum foil)
1 bunch kale
3 TBS barbeque/teriyaki sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine beef, turkey, corn, cheese, oats, eggs, salt, and pepper. Do not overmix.

Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring for 5 min until soft. Add to other ingredients and mix in.

Line 9" x 13" baking pan with parchment paper. Transfer meat mixture to pan and pack densely (mixture won't rise).

Peel kale stems and place over top of meat loaf so it forms a skin. Drizzle barbeque/teriyaki sauce over the top of kale in a grid patter. Bake for 1 hr 15 min, then remove from the oven and let sit in pan for 30 minutes. Serve from pan or transfer to platter.

YIELD: 8 TO 10 SERVINGS