Damian Gonzalez, Michael David Winery Cycling Team

2012 MDW Cycling Training Camp

2012-02-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

Jan. 26-29

Had a great 4 day training camp in Santa Cruz with my Michael David Winery cycling team. Lots of steep climbing, intensity and gorgeous routes. The strong Cat 1 teammates I train with made for a good workouts. If your curious what type of training I did during camp here's a broad outline.

Thurs 2.5hr ride/1hr swim
Fri 4hr ride/30min run
Sat 5.5hr ride
Sun 1.5hr ride/45min run

Paradise Point

2012-01-15T13:53:00.001-08:00

I'm in the middle of a base run from Stockton to Paradise Point on the Delta. It's easy to get to, very scenic and there is a general store there. To get there, take the walking path across the street from Trinity Parkway (across the AGS building) and head east. It eventually turns to dirt once you cross a gate. Its about 4 miles long. I ran from the walking trail from Thornton rd so its 5 miles from there and a mile or so to there from my house. Ok time to run back home.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

XTERRA USA Championship

2011-10-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I was still sidelined but I still went to this race to support my teammates, Nick Diaz and David Miller. Also was there to promote my title sponsor, Michael David Winery. We had plenty of prize bottles of 7 Deadly Zins for all the podium finishers and winners. Even Lance Armstrong raced and finished 5th for a podium finish. Nico Lebrun won the overall and Im sure he's smoked a whole pack of cigarrettes to celebrate....he's French you know. As for me I will be back next year to mix it up in the pro field. Great day to be a spectator though : )

PS I was going nuts on my twitter page: http://twitter.com/damianxp

Pro Womens Podium

Lance got a bottle of Zin to go with his prize money.

Pro Mens Podium

Nick Diaz Starting the Run

XTERRA East Championship

2011-09-04T23:39:00.000-07:00

XTERRA East Championship
June 12, 2011
Richmond, Va

Picture says 1000 words. I also injured the left hip so I was laid out for a couple months. The hardest part was mental. Your body gets used to doing nothing. Scary. I am now training again and getting regular bodywork and ultrasound after a couple of months of downtime. Been riding and running for a few weeks now but just started swimming for the last week. What a relief! So greatful to be able to train again!

XTERRA South Central Championship Preview

2011-04-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Waco, TX

Here is a sneek peek of the awesome course Cameron Park has to offer. This is a great place to mountain bike and is a great destination for riders. A former host for NORBA National Race Series this venue rivals many of the epic trails in the US. It is a dense forest with technical trails constantly twisting and turning forcing you to focus during every pedal stroke.

"Colorado Trail"

"Jacobs Ladder"-Start of Run

"Jacobs Ladder"-Start of Run

"Brazos River"-Swim

XTERRA REAL-Granite Bay, CA

2011-03-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

Muddy conditions made the race feel like a summer game of slip and slide. Damian was the 3rd pro to finish despite a broken chain. In the 25-29 age group, David miller finished 2nd and Nick Diaz in 5th.

Film and fitness

2010-08-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

My sister and I have been on the road filming a documentary called "What the Health". It is a film about health, the current food and medical system and natural healing and diet. We are traveling across the US from California interviewing some amazing people and experts on these subjects.

At the same time I brought my bike, swim and run gear to keep up with my training and preparing for Xterra Nationals in September. We are incorporating this into the film as well as my sisters family, the main reason she was compelled to produce this film.

Some of the material may be controversial but I believe we are doing the right thing by sharing this information. Truth will be it's own proof and that is why I encourage all of those working on exposing it.

Though the topics are serious we are having fun along the way. Maybe even goofing off a little too much when the cameras rolling.

If you are interested in following us around the country and to see the folks we have met along the way, visit www.documenthealth.com

What the Health?

2010-08-10T23:30:00.000-07:00

Recently my sister and I set out to film a health documentary. We are traveling the country and so far it is nothing what I had imagined. Check out our pics and follow our progress on our films blog.

XTERRA Del Valle

2010-06-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

I had such a great time last year, there was no way I would miss it this year. I would even race in a purple speedo if I had to. Glad Todd Jackson found such a great venue to hold this XTERRA. Unfortunately the race course arrows were vandalized by random people the day before. They moved arrows and they were pointing all over the place so the results were also...all over the place. Never the less, I had a great time. My friend Nick Diaz also raced and also followed a faulty arrow. It was a bummer but we had a great day of hard racing regardless.

Wildflower Triathlon Olympic Dist.

2010-05-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

Did the Olypic distance on Sunday and finished 3rd. Forgot how big this event is. Its like Sea Otter for tri. In the overall I was 16th place out of a ridiculous 2300+.

I went down with friend Nick Diaz and overall the trip was good except for the food. Nick and I eat pretty natural and organic and in that region, King City/Paso Robles, there isnt much in the way of healthy eating. Hardly even a starbucks or some sort of decent coffee. But they sure love their chain restaurants. Even had a bad experience at a local restaurant.

Anyways, before I start ranting about nutrition, I ended up using my road bike with some compact aero clip-ons Keith Williams gave me. I worked out pretty well even though a TT bike would have been the way to go. It is pretty windy. Still felt great and looking forward to a great season.

Racing XTERRA West Championship

2010-04-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

Finished 14th but hey, I'll take the pionts Thank You.
Four days earlier...
Headed to Las Vegas for the start of the XTERRA Circuit with my friend Nick Diaz. We flew from Stockton on Wednesday.

Thursday we jumped into lake Las Vegas and ran a bit.

Friday decided to ride a lap of the bike and I crashed. Not too bad, but enough to get some scrapes and bruises. Saturday we rode again and ran a little.

In beetween we talked to other athletes visited local friends and relaxed. On race day everything prerace went smoothly but during the race I did not push the limits and felt I may have been a bit timid. Wasnt aggressive this time around. Maybe because of the crash? Maybe. Nick did a personal best and finished 8th in his age group.

I will definately make up for this race in Texas at the next stop of the circuit. Conrad Stoltz marginally (so I heard) won the mens race. While Shonny kicked in to high gear to take the womens pro division.

Another notable mention, Stephanie Miller also from the Williams Team won her division in the XTERRA Sport race.

Race Videos- Ice Breaker Triathlon 2010

2010-04-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

Race Videos- Sea Otter Classic Circuit Race

2010-04-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

Sea Otter Classic 2010 Men's Circuit Race

Sea Otter Classic 2010 Women's Circuit Race and Winner Alison Powers

Paul Mach, Bissell Pro Cycling
Sea Otter Classic 2010 Men's Circuit Race Winner

Sea Otter and Ice Breaker Tri Race Videos Coming Soon

2010-04-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

Sea Otter and Ice Breaker Tri Race Videos Coming Soon.
Heres a little distraction in the meantime:

Hanging out with Stephanie in between races

Got to catch up with Conrad as he was hanging out at Avia booth and I was in Crank Brothers booth which happened to be next to each other.

Put Carolyn in the hot seat after her finish at TBF racings Ice Breaker Triathlon.

Racing- XTERRA REAL 2010 Video

2010-04-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

This event has a great course for beginners and roadies who are curious about off-road triathlon. For those who are more advanced, the course is super fast, fun and has a ton of twisty single track. It's a great race to kick off the XTERRA season.

After being sick most of Jan. and Feb, I was finally recovering just in time for this event. This winter ended my 2 year streak of not getting sick. Shortly after, I got food poisoning the week of this race from some sushi place. Talk about bad luck. Overall I felt good and my fitness is starting to come around. I felt great during the race...better than I had felt in months. Also this is my first year with a coach and it's making a huge improvement in my overall performance as an athlete.

Matt Lieto and Shayna Powless were the overall winners. For complete results and photos check out the TBF Racing website. http://www.tbfracing.com/results/results/2010/realmtb/overall.html

Training in Mexico City

2010-04-09T23:45:00.000-07:00

I took a trip to Mexico and caught up with Mexico's top triathlete and Olympian, Francisco Serrano. The national triathlon team happened to be holding their training camp in Mexico City that week so Francisco (Paco) invited me to train with them. Had a great time and really good workouts. They were staying in la ciudad deportiva (sports city) district. Theres an auto race track, a couple of velodromes, pools and many public sports complexes.

I covered alot of ground on foot, taxis and the underground metro. Some districts had cool restaurants and night life. Hope to go back for XTERRA Mexico in Valle Del Bravo. http://www.xterramexico.com.mx/

Racing- Avenue of the Vines Preview

2010-04-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Check out this half marathon & 5k in Lodi's wine country, Avenue of The Vines. This is a great event organized by Fleet Feet Sports of Stockton. It's been a while since I've done a half marathon but I will be there trying my best. I'll see you guys there.

Training- WOW! Garmin 310xt is cool!

2010-03-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

So I am really liking this device. I programmed a custom workout with 14 different intervals at different lengths and intensities (HR) based on my coaches workout. Not only did I successfully program the workout into the device, but while doing the workout, the beeps, alerts and text were very comprehensible, espesially since I am training in the dark. The display light control is easy to. I found it by accident but its really simple. If you activate the light, it turns on every time theres an alert so you can see the alert. Duh, I know but I have been training into the night alot lately so it's just nice and thought I'd mention it. The thing that impresses me the most is that I havent even read the manual yet.

Training- Garmin 310xt

2010-03-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

Just started using the Garmin 310XT as a training tool. What a cool device. Was wondering if anyone out there uses this model. Never really have used devices consistently in the past and its my first time having a coach, Jamie Whitmore, XTERRA legend and former world champion. Check out her site for her contact info: http://gutzytricoaching.com/

I think I'm getting the hang of it. Jamie's work out for today was a 1.5 hr run: 20min warm up, 15min in zone2, 20min in zone3, 15min in zone4 and cool down for the remainder of the run. I set time, distance and HR zone fields on my display so I can look at what zone I was in every once in a while. I also set a time alert every 5:00 min to keep track of my time in each zone(three beeps in zone 2, 4 beeps in zone 3 etc). Auto lap was on at every mile. Finally I set min HR zone 2 and max HR zone 5. The Garmin alerted me if I went below zone 2 and above zone 4. This was helpful. So I successfully completed the workout but it seems like I could have programmed the Garmin differently to make it easier. I had 3 different ring tones alerting me. Crazy. I have used the interval feature and maybe that would have worked better. Here's the workout file on: http://connect.garmin.com
What do you think, any tips?

Nutrition-Fluffy Organic Pancakes

2010-02-13T00:33:00.000-08:00

NOTICE: RECIPE EDIT 3/21/2010

NOTICE: RECIPE EDIT 3/21/2010 (I do not usually measure my recipies so I measured out MY typical pancake breakfast)

Makes 1-2 servings

This is my favorite breakfast. Here is my recipe with a gluten free option. I use bee honey or agave nectar or both as pancake syrup. Do not use conventional pancake syrup. It is made with HFCS. Maple syrup is a good substitute. I do not add sugar in the recipe as we pour syrup on top of them.

Beat 2 eggs in a bowl...

with a pinch of salt and dash of milk or almond milk if you do not do lactose. You will use some of this egg wash for the pancake mix and pan cook the remainder.

Organic strawberries....

Slice 4-6 strawberries. Strawberries are one of the few fruits that are highly recommended to consume organically. They have the highest levels of pesticides and I eat them almost everyday, so organic is the way to go.

I do not measure ingredients when I bake so I had to try and measure out my recipe.

1/4 cup organic brown rice flour (gluten free)

1/4 cup organic whole wheat, white, Gluten Free all purpose, or oat flour

1 tbs of oats (optional)

1 tbs organic flax meal

1 heaping tsp of aluminum free baking powder

pinch of salt

*mix dry ingredients in bowl, then add:

2 tbs of egg wash

1 tbs of mild flavor olive oil

1/4 cup of organic milk or almond mik

1/2 cup of water

mix in bowl. Batter should be thick but pour smoothly into your pan. Add a touch of flour or water to achieve the right consistency.

Heat and grease pan with organic coconut oil (no butter) to cook pancakes.

Coconut oil has many beneficial properties including raising good cholesterol and reducing bad. (yes i will post the sci study docs)

Fry remaining egg wash in coconut oil and enjoy!

Videos-Cherry Pie Criterium

2010-02-12T23:33:00.000-08:00

More videos posted on http://www.deltavelo.com

Racing-Cherry Pie Criterium 2010

2010-02-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

Went to Cherry Pie today. Didn't race but I filmed a couple of the races. I will post the video on deltavelo.com by Wednesday.

It was cool to hangout with our sponsor Keith Williams of Williams Cycling. Watched teammates race but Yahoo Cycling team got themselves in a good break and won the race.

The womens race was won by Brooke Miller with help from her Tibco team. Not their usual aggressive tactics but victorious none the less.

Racing-TBF's Chanoko Mtb. Duathlon Series (race 1 of 3)

2010-02-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

Woke up and it was pouring rain. Not good. I'm Sick. Not good. It's early. Etc. Etc. Looked at the doppler radar and it looked like it would clear by race start so I got my butt out of bed and did my first race of the season. It was short (2mi run-13mi mtn bike-2mi run) but man it was hard. I was still a little sick but decided to do it because it wasn't too cold or wet out. I finished 4th overall but it feels good to get that first race under the belt. Kyle Stock, who is a former Delta Velo member, won and was very fast today. He has been doing some XTERRA events the last couple of years and said he will be doing alot more this year.

Its always fun to see everyone. Glad to see fellow Stocktonian Paul and friends racing in their first multisport event.

Training-LT Testing

2010-02-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

Went to UC Davis Sports medicine for two lactate acid profile tests, (no not that kind of lactate..geez people) one on the bike and one on the treadmill. They offer other tests as well like general fitness evaluations, consultation, bike fitting, physical therapy and much more.

They determined my heart rate and power threshold which my coach will use to design my workouts. Two separate tests are better than one because your max heart rate differs from running then from riding. They gradually increase the resistance/intensity and took a lactate reading from your blood. This requires a prick in your ear. (get your minds out of the gutter people...or not. what do I care.)

My coach Jamie Whitmore is also expanding her coaching company and will be launching a new website. If you are interested in any of UC Davis' sports programs visit their website for more info and to schedule an appointment: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/sportsmedicine/

Health- Plastic Containers are Shady

2010-01-13T21:37:00.000-08:00

I have heard that drinking or eating out of plastic containers may be harmful and maybe even deadly to our health. We are hearing more about chemicals like Bisphenol A (BPA) contained in common store bought water and juice bottles and the growth stimulation it has on cancer cells among other health risks. Once I dug deeper I found that this was only one of many harmful chemicals that can leach into your food or drinks from these types of plastic containers.

So I found some cool resources to help you decide if your health is worth changing a few habits. I called a friend who is a chemist and bio major and she agreed with and confirmed these resources. Check out the links if you would like to read more about the different grades of plastic, which ones to avoid and which ones are safe. I myself quickly check the grade of plastic for a 2, 4 or 5 on the bottom before consuming or using a plastic bottle or bowl.
www.lifewithoutplastic.com

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Shima Tract Run

2010-01-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Shima Tract Run

Perak Eco Adventure Race: Day 4 & 5 Race Report

2009-12-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

Perak Amanjaya International Eco Adventure 2009
Stage 3 - Gua Tempurung
Saturday, 5 November 2009

- Cycle 28km. 2km of technical route and then go down hill (on-road)
- One raft for each team with a river guide. Raft 8.3km to Camp Murni.
- Remove life jacket and run 10.5km on dirt road passing villages to the caving section.
- Cave 2km with head lamp or torch light in small river to finishing line in front of the cave.

After Stage 3 we had a rest day the next day and traveled to the elegant Impiana Casuarina Hotel in Ipoh. The next day we had a short drive to the race start in Gua Tempurung, location of the wonderous cave which is the main attraction here.

The bike was on the road for the first 12k. Then we hit technical fire roads and Ryan and I got to the raft in third position. Somewhat due to my rafting inexperience, we got hung up a couple of times on some rocks.

The 10.5k run started off good and we moved up the field. About 2k from the cave I totally bonked. It was hot and we had one final hill to pass. We were passed by a couple teams but once in the river rock scrambling to the cave I got a second wind. I learned how to scramble much better after day 2. In the cave Ryan led and I followed. It was dark for the first 1.5 k and we just had to follow the water flow. the cave was really wide and really low at some points, crawling at times with lots of line options. The second half of the cave section lit up with a warm glow. Such an amazing view.

Ryan and I moved pretty quick through it and moved up a position but still finished in 5th. All the top five finished within a few minutes of each other. From here we traveled to Pasir Salak where we received a very special welcome from the village with traditional music, food and games. The locals then challenged the athletes to a game of tug o war and surprised we won. See the video below.

Perak Amanjaya International Eco Adventure 2009
Stage 4 - Pasir Salak to Pangkor Island
Sunday, 6 November

- Cycle 61km all the way to Teluk Batek where the kayak put-in. (5k in paddy fields)
- Kayak 3.9km open sea to Pangkor island.- Abseil 60m down a hillside at Teluk Segadas.
- Run 6.2k to the killing hill section.
- Run/hike 4.5km up the killing hill to the main road and transition area.
- Team biathlon takes place with a local bike (free size) for 4.5km to race finish line.

After our race ending mistake on day 2, Ryan and I were looking for a stage win. Today was a good day for us to do it. In the final results we ended up moving from 10th to 7th place in the overall. Read Ryans report of our resultson sleep monsters race coverage section, www.sleepmonsters.com
Cant wait to see the TV show. This month ESPN is airing three, 1hr shows of the entire event.

Perak Eco Adventure Race: Day 2 & 3 Race Report

2009-12-15T01:50:00.000-08:00

Perak Amanjaya International Eco Adventure 2009
Stage 2- Taiping to Kuala Sepetang
Wednesday Nov. 3
-8k skate around Taiping lake garden.
-1.3k river rock scrambling to 4.3k jungle uphill to waterfall abseil
-Abseil down 25 meters to bike transition
-Bike 24k on and off road to kayak
-Kayak 7.5 k through fishermen village to Kalua Sepetang
-Run 1 k on boardwalk over mangrove to finish

After stage 1 we checked out from the Belum resort and the athlete bus was escorted by several police vehicles and motos providing a rolling road closure all the way to our hotel in Taiping. We were greeted by locals dressed in traditional Malay outfits all lined up offering flowers. The Flemington hotel was elegant and the race organizers pretty much arranged VIP treatment for the entire trip. We were welcomed and had dinner with Taiping District officials and enjoyed music and Malay dance.

After the first leg of the race, Ryan and I were in third position going into the trek. The Swedes were the fastest but we had a good skate and the real race was about to begin. I struggled on the river rock scramble, slipping, falling and bashing my knees and shins on the slick rocks. Following the river section was a grueling 4.3k uphill trek which had to be about 30% average grade of technical and dense rain forest. By the time we hit the top we took over the lead. This is where things got bad and we pretty much gave the entire race away. We were told once at the top it would be a short hike down to the waterfall abseil. This ended up being about an hour of steep downhill on the road, then more scrambling through the river sliding down natural water slides and then steep technical downhill jungle running (and literally swinging on vines). No one accounted for such an extended trek so we were all on the verge of dehydration.

On the rock scrambling, Ryan was leading with the Swedish team between us. I was much slower on that section and was gapped. Then I was caught by the the Yoga Team who caught up to Ryan and the Swedish team. Then the New Zealand team, team Chiru and the Malaysian team caught me. I let them by and followed their lines. I was able to keep up with them so I figured I would regroup with Ryan at the Abseil.

The three teams I was following soon realized they went off course and were lost. The Malaysian team pressed on and had an intuition about where to go. We eventually were pinned next to a waterfall between a fork in the river on a nearly vertical portion of the mountain. We then scaled upward along the edge of the waterfall utilizing plants from the dense forest as ropes and cracks in the waterfall for footing. I remember praying the plants would not deroot. At one point I found a good hold on a big boulder and proceeded to hoist myself upward. The boulder came loose and was about to come down on top of me. I held it up with all my strength to stall it's inevitable plunge in order to warn Mark from team Chiru who was right below me. I could hold on no longer and down went the boulder, my shoulder catching the edge as it fell and I looked down and saw Mark swing like Tarzan into the brush narrowly avoiding the boulder. I stared at the boulder free falling down the waterfall, clacking as it occasionaly smacked the granite face of the waterfall. I stood frozen for a second thinking and in shock. We continued upward until the mountain leveled out a bit and continued to traverse. After some more descending we miraculously reached the top of the abseil. According to the rope guides, Ryan had not been there yet. Unfortunately I did not know that the Swedish and Yoga teams already went down. I thought maybe we beat him and the 2 other teams there somehow and the guide said to go down and he would tell Ryan I went down. I later found out Ryan was back on the course somewhere waiting for me. The other 2 teams had already went by. I went back up to get him and we just cruised the rest of the stage after losing more than an hour. The final km of running was such an unexpected and somewhat enchanting surprise. We ran on a beautiful man made boardwalk that hovered above the forest floor finishing 10th and also bumped down to 10th place in the overall. Read Ryans account and other race coverage on sleepmonsters.com.

Afterwards found a few leeches around the ankles but had 10 bites. A first for me. You don't feel them. They just get their fill and eventually let go back into the jungle. We returned back to the Flemington and the next day would be a very welcomed rest day.

Perak Eco Adventure Race-Malaysia: Day 1 Race Report

2009-12-05T03:58:00.000-08:00

"not even close to what I had expected"

At the end of the race season, its time to take it easy and recover from training and racing. I've only been doing easy, medium distance workouts for the last month when suddenly I got an email from a friend in SF who got an email from his friend in Hong Kong, Ryan Blair (NorthFace/Asia Pacific Adventure), who was looking for a teammate for this Malaysian International Eco Adventure race. His teammate for this race was injured the weekend before and needed a sub. The event is a 5 day, 2 person race with a rest day on day 3 consisting of cycling, trail running, trekking, kayaking white water rafting, rappelling, caving and some inline skate.

It was such short notice that within 2 days I was in in Hong Kong. I met Ryan and went for a paddle and run. The next day we went to a 5 hr MTB race where he was doing feed for his teammate. Victory for Piers (NorthFace/Asia Pacific Adventure) who had finished second the year before.

The following day was mostlty travel to Kuala Laumpur in Malaysia. From the airport we went to the host resort in Royal Belum to settle in and attend a race briefing. We were told about the ESPN TV production, course and equipment. We were also told that the next day for dinner the Chief Minister of the state would join us and to be present for the entire dinner and ceremonies. Also the Royal Prince of Malysia would be the one to kick off the the race.

The next morning we strategized and previewed a bit of the course. when we got back, there was a army of police. Apparently state officials and royalty are well protected. But it also turned out that the police were there to escort the athletes, tv crew and staff through the 5 days of this event. Dinner that night was amazing with traditional dance performances and a big welcome from the chief minister. Many speeches and tons of media.

Perak Amanjaya International Eco Adventure 2009
Stage 1-Royal Belum, Banding Island
Tuesday Nov. 2
Run 2k to abseil into lake.
Swim 100m to kayak and paddle 7k to a 1k jungle trek.
Paddle 5 k to bike transition and ride 16k to transition
Run 5k to finish

We lost some time to the leaders (7-10min) on and a few other teams on the kayak. We moved up on the bike and run and finished 3rd 3min from the leaders.
This stage was fast and pretty straight forward. We were super confident going into day 2....but things didnt turn out at all the way we planned.

Off Season

2009-11-17T00:17:00.000-08:00

Well its my off season for racing. Not doing much training, just short workouts everyday to maintain my skills and muscle memory. Not doing any intensity at all either. Just want to enjoy my workouts and rest up for next season.

So with more time on my hands, I have been focusing on some side projects in order to pay off a friend and some bills. Projects include websites for De Vincis Delicatessen and The Dancing Fox Winery in Lodi CA. Heres the Devinci's site, just finished it: http://devincisdeli.com/
I also have a few wine labels I am working on for a couple of local wineries.

In addition to web and graphic design, I am currently painting some signs for some shops on the Miracle Mile in Stockton, CA. I painted this sign for Flashbacks Photography last week and I now have 2 more shops to paint. Both neighbors on either side of Flashbacks were so impressed, they commissioned me to paint their signs.

I'm really enjoying these projects and to top it all off, I am working on my racing teams uniform design and sponsorships. I hope to set myself up for a successful racing season in 2010.

Make sure you subscribe to this blog to view my future posts on fitness, training, nutrition and racing.
I'm looking forward to 2010!

Giro D' Vino

2009-11-16T23:37:00.000-08:00

Well another successful Giro D' Vino in the bag. My team and I organize this event every year which is a bicycle wine tour of the Lodi wine country. We had the usual 800 riders although we try to keep it at about 600. Riders register online and receive a free wine glass, free wine tasting at our participating wineries, a raffle ticket, lunch, dinner, live music and a raffle.
Here is more info on the event: Giro D' Vino on Facebook

This year we invited XTERRA World Champion Jamie Whitmore to hang out with us at the Giro. She had a bit of a battle with cancer and has recently been told she is now cancer free. Her battle did not go without a toll. She underwent multiple surgeries, where some nerves and muscles were removed. She lost feeling in her leg, and cannot move her foot but fortunately she is able to walk. She and husband Courtney had a great time and people really enjoyed talking to her.

Every year I create a Giro D' Vino art print and produce a limited run which I sign and number. They have been such a success that this year I also designed a Giro D' Vino wine label and had the Dancing Fox Winery bottle a custom Merlot blend. They made 4 cases for me and 1 case for them. I sold out of mine but they may still have a case left.

Such a joy to put this on. Cant wait till next year.