Author Archives: Al

Running in Oaxaca – II

Posted on November 1, 2017 by Al

A few days after our walk up into the Cerro del Fontin, Cheryl surprised me by getting up when I did, a little after six. Sunrise was 7:20, and I had been heading out for my morning runs along the … Continue reading →

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Running in Oaxaca

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Al

“You really ought to come with me to my photography course in Oaxaca,” Cheryl announced.

“Uh, I’ll think about it…” My usual delay tactic. New ideas take some time to seep into my head, especially when I’ve got some momentum on another track. Like wanting to do another Ironman in October or November. Continue reading →

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The Sufferfest

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Al

Our Endurance Nation coach posted a link to The Sufferfest, a new cycling app which uses the full spectrum of a rider’s power profile to design personalized workouts. He asked for thoughts, and I provided mine: In recent years, we … Continue reading →

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Bay of Crabs – II

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Al

I pulled out of Giron with Yoany, Tony and John. The narrow two lane road out of town hugged the coastline for 25 km the entire way to Playa Larga at the head of the bay. To our right, a … Continue reading →

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Bay of Crabs – Part I

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Al

After our tour of Cienfuegos, we hopped on our bikes just outside of town,  and began a three hour, 85 kilometer cruise heading towards Playa Giron. Most of the ride was across a desolate swampy plain, along a nearly deserted … Continue reading →

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Cienfuegos

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Al

Tacoma, Washington; Etzatlan, Mexico; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Kingston, Ontario; Bahia Blanca, Argentina; Saint-Nazaire, France; Contagem, Brazil. What could they possibly have in common? All are “Sister Cities” of Cienfuegos, Cuba. Which means our visit there was high on the must-see list, … Continue reading →

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Life’s A Beach

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Al

Cuba is an island. A very big island, sure, but it’s completely surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, on the northwest, the Caribbean, on the south, and the Atlantic, to the northeast. That means literally thousands of miles of beaches, … Continue reading →

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Las Tunas Junior Cycling Team

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Al

We left Bayamo, The City Of Horse Carriages, mid-morning after driving from the carriage factory to the outskirts of town. Juan pulled into the “terminal” – a dusty wedge in a Y intersection – of Las Mangas. We milled around, … Continue reading →

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Where Will Our (Kids’) Food Come From?

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Al

On Sunday, August 20th, the nets surrounding a fish farm in Washington State’s San Juan islands imploded, releasing over 150,000 domesticated Atlantic salmon. Fisherman of all persuasions, at the urging of state regulators and local native tribes, have been scooping … Continue reading →

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Best Bike Split: Algorithms vs The Brain

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Al

Someone at Endurance Nation asked about using Best Bike Split to guide minute-by-minute power during the bike leg of an Ironman. Best Bike Split is a web based calculator which takes a number of key variables, and generates both a … Continue reading →

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