Thursday, July 31, 2008

look sharp


obama's camp is calling out mccain for wearing $520+ italian made dress loafers (ferragamo).

really? i mean fucking really?

he SHOULD have an expensive shoe. he's a goddamn politician. he represents our whole country. i don't want him looking like an average american slob. i hope he looks to GQ and the runways of milan for his fashion queues.

all this talk of politicians and elitism is complete bullshit. of course they are elitists, and they should be. they represent the most elite country in the world. so dress like it.

olympic limitations

i can't believe the bullshit that china is pulling with restricting coverage of the olympics. it's one thing to rule your country in such an anal, backward, fashion, but when playing host to the world, i'm not sure how they can justify enforcing their ridiculous limitations on our foreign media.

the olympics represent world unity. a competition that has no borders, and should have no restrictions to how it is viewed. it's supposed to be left up to each government covering the games to decide what they will, and will not, show in their countries. yet some how the olympic committee is not pressing china to hold to its original promise of 'free access and free media' when it was awarded the games.

i hope china has a change of heart and allows reporters to do their jobs. a country that is so afraid of negativity toward their image is causing it by trying to govern and restrict how the world sees them. dumb.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

cruel and unusual

going from fresh-brewed italian espresso to a london hotel's 'nestlé freeze-dried instant coffee' - it's just not right.

Monday, July 28, 2008

last of it

it's an odd feeling packing a duffle that has been shoved under a still unfamiliar bed as my weekend roommates sun themselves to american pop songs from 10+ years ago. even though living in a place where i understand about 1/50 of what is going on in conversation, i still find a lump in my throat knowing the odds of ever seeing these great people again.

i guess this is what memories and emails are for, and even though i can't really understand them the majority of the time, i know i will still miss them. though italy will never be able to substitute all that i left behind in the states. the perfection of food and culture here still can't compensate for the opportunity and drive america offers.

italy is a fucking fantastic place. don't just visit the tourist traps and the remnants of history that you learned about as an adolescent. get lost. wander. come to parma. really experience italy in a city in which it is a rarity when a person speaks english, not an everyday occasion like in rome or florence.

best meal of the summer

living in italy for three months has allowed me to eat some fantastic food. the best meal i ate here, well actually in my whole life (no exaggeration here), was this past friday.

for apertivo (aka warm-up):
margarita pizza, to which i added boscorelli (cured beef)

primi:
eggplant parmesan - though the eggplant was grilled, and it was served out of a deep pan in which there were 4+ layers of deliciousness.

secondi:
porco cotto - but this was nothing like an cooked pork i have ever ever ever had. it was baked in oil/ butter, rosemary, sage, and garlic. i swear this was the best meat i have ever tasted. this cooked pork laughs at bacon, and cries for the way my grandmother cooks her disgusting holiday ham. americans have fucked up pork. seriously.

dolci:
panne cotto topped with carmel and another with mixed berries. blew my mind.

add in the fact we were drinking some incredible brew, and that i was in great company... unbeatable.

Friday, July 25, 2008

mad men

am i really the only one who hated this show? the only person who wasn't impressed by the lack wit? did no one else find the plot of the series so predictable that one could accurately guess the end of the episode ten minutes in?

how is it possibly up for an emmy? come on. for fucks sake, draper's secretary was pregnant and didn't even know until literally in labor. she progressively gained weight, yet felt no kicks from the little person inside or questioned her morning sickness? REALLY?

is it because i watched the show back to back or something? does it become a gem when commercials break up the bad content?

seriously. the best part of this show is the intro, which is sadly misleading because donald draper is yet to jump from his corner office.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

grow some wings

we should go full steam ahead with stem cell research. not for disease or solving current medical problems. fuck that shit. we need to figure out how to grow wings... or fuse them on. if people could fly it would snap our economy right back into an upward trend. no more high fuel prices! petro would only be used for transportation of goods... and by those who didn't want to become 'freaks of nature.'

there would be no need to pay ridiculous amounts for airline tickets (maybe to jet overseas on occasion). we would all be doing our part to make the world 'greener.' though i'm not sure how the increase of food consumption (obviously burning an excessive amount of calories flying around all the time) would effect the functionality of the economy. i am confident it would correct itself.

no more traffic. no more cars for personal use. just public transportation to get you somewhere, if for some reason (i can't think of one) that you wouldn't want to fly. with global warming on the rise, flight will soon be possible year-round.

what better way to create more jobs in america then wing fabrication? no one would trust wings built in china. people don't go to china or india for surgery - why would they have those cheap labor countries build something as valuable as an extension of self? boom. another boost in our economy. turn the car manufacturing plants into wing centers. this would also breath some new life into the travel sector, making american an even stronger global competitor.

retail would increase. you obviously wouldn't be able to wear that gap shirt you bought last season... no wing room. just like that, a whole new market begging for designers to lend their creativity and sensibilities.

new technology would be created to make the gps location of others flying known.

health care costs would rise. stupid people would require more care, but with all that money freed up from no longer having to pay for a car (gas, insurance, maintenance, etc.) better facilities would be built and more care available.

though i guess we wouldn't need to do any of this if we had just learned from our past fuel shortages and economic downturns. maybe have looked into a sustainable fuel source or two, instead of modeling our approach to solving our problems of over consumption after a college student cramming for an exam that starts in three minutes.

have fun paying upwards of $4.50 a gallon for gas. i'm looking into wings.

bad beats

not bad in the good way. bad in the bad way. in fact awful, repulsive, and painfully annoying - all justifiable ways to describe the 'music' i have heard produced by italians.

no. not classical music. i'm talking current music. fucking horrible pop. the vast majority of it is a refusal to let the annoying dance tunes of the 80's die... the other small percentage: a sad attempt at creating something reminiscent of amy winehouse.

i may not understand italian, but even with english laid a top these monstrosities it would still be nothing short of fucking bad.

with a population of 58,147,733 (est. july 2007) one would think they might be able to produce two or three songs that didn't suck.

dear english,

i miss you. i look forward to meeting you in the airport.

sincerely,

matt

four languages for apertivo

last night, (arriving home from an hour and a half run - pouring sweat) i came upon a table of eight sitting outside my house. one of my roommates invited his old colleges from a restaurant that he used to work at. i was half naked and out of breath.

after some awkwardly sweaty handshakes and 'ciao's, with a quick shower to follow, the further confusion continued. not until about halfway through the night did i comprehend the entire group dynamic: my roommate is from italy. his friend who is a drummer, is from italy, but this guy speaks decent english. there was a couple from italy, but they also spoke french. then a french guy, who also spoke italian. an italian woman, who also spoke spanish, and knew the basics of english. an argentinean, who's first language is spanish, knows a little french, and just started learning italian a month ago (when she got here). finally, a peruvian girl who's first language is spanish, knows english, and can speak italian.

to summarize: i felt a bit inadequate, and was more confused then normal when trying to process the dinner conversation.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

sunset panorama


(click image to view larger)
shot yesterday from my backyard in tordenaso.

portfolio photo update



- under 'PHOTOS' in the 'italia' section, new sunset panoramic view from my house in Tordenaso (click the second button down).

running beard

i was looking less zeus and more cast away. having a tan with a homeless beard is no look for me. i shaped that shit up - lookin fresh.

i'll figure out some other way to harness the power of the gods into my running. facial hair is no longer on the list.

Monday, July 21, 2008

with eyes closed

yes. this weekend i dominated the tordenaso poker play. i won 125 euros ($200) through two games (15 in one 110 in another).

i have become a minor tourist attraction over the summer through my american style and speech. our games of 9 or 10 people are watched by another 9 or 10 - all waiting for me to say, "i'm going all in." they find this fucking hilarious, though like the hyenas in the lion king, normally shut up once beaten.

if you want to gain respect from italians, hand them their asses in a game of hold 'em.

culinary breakthrough

this past weekend, after presenting my roommates with the wine jeff and i got while down in the chianti region, they finally started telling me the secrets to parmesanese cooking. though i did have to deal with some scolding for trying to serve a secondi (meat) wine with aperitivo (appetizers).

everything you read in books talking about italians and their unwillingness to divolge even the most simple ingredient is true. a huge level of trust has to be built for them to tell you more then 'add some of this, this, and this (leaving out the essential ingredient, and not including amounts)'.

anyway - i now know things so simple, yet brilliant, they will melt your pallet when savored.

give me a month to perfect what i've learned and i will bet you large amounts of cash that my 'yellow lotus' grilling technique is far superior to your 'i watched bobby flay once, and cook on a gas grill' nonsense.

Friday, July 18, 2008

training alteration

pending my return to the states, my training will go from 'three running and three weight training' to 'four running and two weights'.

new schedule (starting august 1):

sun - off

mon - (90 - 100 min) med pace run

tues - (50 - 60 min) strength training, leg work

wed - (50 min) tempo/interval training

thurs - (30 - 45 min) cycling and (60 min) pushup regiment, 12 - 15 at the top of every min

fri - (30 - 40 min) strength training, core training

sat - (120 - 160 min) med-slow run

peachoholic

while jeff and i were down in rome we grabbed some fresh peaches from a fruit market near our hotel. fucking delicious. since i have been a peach fiend devouring every ripe fruit in my path. the produce here is off the hook.

beyond the noise

is a badass album from 'the warriors'

check it.

running beard

yeah. i'm growing one.

soon the power of zeus will be mine and i will crush my opponents in endurance competitions.

portfolio update



- new photos from 'roma' are up, and at a higher quality then facebook (don't have to convert to .jpg - nice right?)
- also my new sexy resume.

ps - you may have to empty your cache or cookies this time to view the new version of the site. my time code didn't work this upload on my browser.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

color schemes

in my travels, and the resulting albums created, i have realized there lies a beauty in the ultimate reduction of these images. color schemes.

from now on, when i post a facebook album, the aftermath will include the inspired pallet. use them for design, inspiration, or don't at all - just trying to give any of my competitors a helping hand. best of luck.



'roma'


'may in parma'


'hog head'


'no trash for naples'

chianti

jeff and i hit up the chianti wine region on a tour this past tuesday. amazing. the countryside of tuscany and florence is incredible. the wine - even better.

just be sure to check what time the tour gets back. jeff and i arrived literally a minute too late to catch the 10:30 pm train back to parma. 2 am was the next departure, at a different station... with an hour layover in bologna.

summary: do the wine tour and ONLY ride EuroStar when in italy.

saldi

all retail stores over here are going nutz with putting the vast majority of their summer collections on sale. i miiiight have bought eight dress shirts and a new jacket. gotta rock that fuckin italian style right?

Friday, July 11, 2008

post-run eats

it is recommended that after a workout you eat within 30 minutes of finishing. generally a protein or fruit shake will work, but sometimes i want food that is either sweet or tangy to fulfill my hunger.

some things that i crave after a long run (that have nutritional benefit):

- granny smith apple

- canned sweet corn (yeah... room-temp. just figured that one out yesterday)

- carrots

- fresh berries with cream

- black olives... better yet, kalamata olives (reppin my greeks)

"Studies have shown that eating carbs within 30 minutes of exercise helps speed the making of muscle glycogen. Protein eaten right away can help heal muscles."
- Secrets of Endurance, NYT

It also allows for 40% higher replenishment of spent protein and carbohydrates then if food is not consumed within 30 minutes after a workout. Read up.

refocusing

over the past three years i have become addicted to multi-sport cross training and competition. it has gotten increasingly harder to train for swimming and cycling, but running has remained my constant.

when i began doing triathlons four years ago it was mostly because i swam for a season in high school and had been a mediocre cross country runner. i figured i already had two of three sports down, so why not compete? using a borrowed woman's road bike, i awkwardly tackled the challenge of the 'great ohioan triathlon.'

during the winter/ spring that followed i decided to start training seriously for sprint distance triathlons. i even stopped drinking alcohol for eight months - of course it payed off. it was easy to train though while still living in columbus due to the easy accessibility of pools, gyms, and endless country roads to ride. i had a very successful season running around eight sprint triathlons (with a 5th place overall finish, and almost always either winning or placing top three in my age group). cycling became my strength. i finished the season with an olympic distance.

the following year i trained, and completed, the little smokies half distance. this was not the smartest of moves as i had not trained hills, then ran the hardest rated half ironman in ohio. it was the only option that fit my timeline of moving back to nyc for the summer - just the way it had to be.

the next goal was to run a marathon. it was a pretty seamless transition going from half distance cross training to full on marathon training. i then completed the hampton's marathon.

my training was further hindered once i moved to brooklyn to attend pratt. the school's lap pool has been shut down indefinitely.... why? dunno. rumors of some accident resulting in a death - no life guards or something (yet they hire an excessive amount of students to work at print labs, but can't find even ONE life guard. sweet pratt. awesome job.). there was also (and still is) no where to continuously cycle. yes. the west side has a trail, but i suggest it for running NOT cycling. you will constantly be dodging rollerbladers, oblivious walkers, and children.... never mind the breaking for cross traffic.

i do have to say nyc does have some sick runs. brooklyn has prospect park, which even offers a decent hill. manhattan - the eastside, west side highway, and central park. if you get a chance, run any of the mentioned.

here in italy... cycling is as common as basketball in the states. only problem is that i don't have my road bike here. the running has been great though. beautiful countryside and tones of hills. finding water mid-run, or getting power gels (impossible), have both proved to be challenges. i have not seen a pool, public or private, since my arrival 2+ months ago.

when looking through some of my older triathlon photos though i came to the realization that i have been forced into slowly drifting from a sport, well two of the three, that i enjoy more then any others (and happen to be pretty good at). so once i conquer a couple more marathons, i believe it will be time to refocus to the days of my triathlon training - take down an ironman or two.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

key to a good life

is excellent olive oil (extra virgin).

the first thing i am putting on the list for stocking my next kitchen is some pricey, well refined, oil.

no joke - pure. simple. clean. olive oil can take a dish to another level. i have replaced butter in almost all aspects of my cooking (some things you can't obviously.... baking, making some pancakes, spreading on an ear of corn...).

olive oil. drink it up.

single

singular... not in a relationship.... its weird.

... to be be dating someone for a good chunk of time, even long distance, then not. a mental dependance grows into a functioning part of everyday life - yet when no longer there the brain scrambles to find something else to fill it.

it's odd.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

mourning the 902


902s

903s

new balance has replaced the 902 with the 903. this cuts me deep.

the 902s (the bright orange, light weight shoes i run in) were the best fitting shoes i have ever used. no new shoe blisters or strained arches.... just perfect, light, airy comfort.

after reading reviews on the upgrade to the 903 i am unsure whether to buy into them. many people have said mixed things from the transition being seamless to there being a taller toe (i thought the 902s had plenty of toe room though) to the 903s sucking hard when compared to the old version.

so now the decision comes (once i get back to the states) whether to buy the new or franticly search for the old.

Monday, July 7, 2008

power gels

why does italy not have any?

with the number of cyclists that ride in these parts i am very surprised that the large super markets don't carry any kind of, sports related, nutritional supplements. one can barely find gatorade in the supermarkets (not joking - less then one shelf is given). my gym has an assortment of protein drinks and bars, but nothing that comes close to any kind of goo packet or anything that would be digestible mid-run.

other then the heat, this is one factor that definitely makes those runs over an hour and half harder (yes, even with my stupid fucking fuel belt filled to the brim with gatorade). this will be one of the welcome changes coming with my return to the us.

yes. power gels really are that important.

$4 gallon will ruin the republicans

great opinion piece in the nyt:
"Pumped Up" by Ron Klain

Ron Klain was a member of Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign policy and debate preparation staff.

The Republican machinations of the last two weeks in the presidential campaign have a certain déjà vu quality to them: Charlie Black is again warning us of a possible terror attack, commentators are stoking up fears among gun owners and critics are trying to make Barack Obama look like he’s soft on crime and elitist. Serving up this stew of scares, social issues and slander delivered the White House to the G.O.P. in 2000 and 2004: Will it work again?

I don’t think so. While the pundits and analysts spin elaborate campaign scenarios and analyses, this year you can cut through all that stuff and boil the campaign down to a single sentence: If gas is still more than $4 a gallon on Election Day, there is no way a Republican will continue to control the White House. All the lapel-pin, Internet-rumor, orange-alert, character-smear, gays-’n'-guns, ground-game efforts by the G.O.P. cannot possibly overcome the stark reality of $4 a gallon for gas.

I know it seems simplistic, but the reality of high gas prices touches many nerves — some obvious, others less so — that yield the irresistible outcome I’m suggesting.

First, there are the raw economic and financial consequences for most Americans. There is a long tradition in democracies of voters being driven by price increases in key commodities: the French Revolution was fueled by the soaring price of bread, and our colonial forefathers were riled by a tax on tea. For 21st century Americans, nothing is more vital than gasoline. Even more than any particular food item, gasoline is the essential commodity that takes Americans to work, brings their goods to market and powers their recreation. The hit on American’s pocketbooks is huge, and when one adds the many indirect effects (everything from higher prices on goods transported by truck, to job losses in fuel-driven industries, to plummeting resale values on used S.U.V.’s), high gas prices hit more people, more deeply, than almost any other economic phenomenon short of a depression. Pinched and angry voters are change voters, plain and simple.

continued here...

Thursday, July 3, 2008

more heat

the ny times was right on point with helping answer my question about how heat effects running performance (ref. 'run naked'):

Scott Montain and Matthew R. Ely, researchers at the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Mass., analyzed real-world data from seven major marathons, comparing performances over years when temperatures and humidity varied but the race course remained the same. Heat affected slower runners more, probably because they were on the course longer and ran in packs. Warm bodies close together make it harder for one’s body heat to dissipate.

An elite runner capable of finishing in less than two and a half hours on a cool day (41 to 50 degrees) would be 2.5 percent slower in warmer climes (68 to 77 degrees.) A three-hour marathoner on a cool day would be slowed by 12 percent in the heat, the researchers reported.

they also talk about how cooling off by splashing yourself with cold water is actually bad to do because your body only cools when the sweat is evaporating, not from having water droplets on your skin. i'm not sure if i agree with this though - when running the hamptons marathon last year, at every other water station i would douse myself with a cup of cold water. it felt like it was helping shock-cool my core temperature. i'll look into this a bit more.

read the rest of the article.

ridiculously

awesome.

free training plans

the denver marathon site offers a coupon code for activetrainer.com... it's sponsored by newbalance (where i get my 902s). it has multiple distances ranging from 5k to full marathons.

go to this link, select what distance you want to train for, then when it eventually asks you for payment options, enter this in the coupon code: NBTRAINDM

the site is pretty slick. it lets you edit workouts. it also sends you daily email reminders of the activity, duration, and so on. it is a good base if you have never used a training guide before. i normally pick and choose from multiple plans in order to fit my schedule, and throw in more cross training. i don't recommend straying from a schedule if you don't have the experience though.


i currently train:

sun - off

mon - (40-50 min) strength training

tues - (80 - 90 min) med. run OR (60 min) cycling

wed - (30 min) core training
- (60 min) pushup regiment, 10+ top of every min

thurs - (50 min) tempo/interval training

fri - (30 - 40) strength training

sat - (120 - 140 min) med-slow run

obviously, long run times increase incrementally as training continues. by mid-august one strength training day will turn to an additional cross training day.

this is my third year of endurance cross training. i have a very good understanding of what i can handle, and how to mix workouts. i don't advise it though until reading tons of articles and magazines (ex: runner's world, triathlete magazine, etc).

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

new salad

this is the first thing i am cooking when i get back to the US and can find edamame beans.

edamame salad

run naked

as the unpredictable weather of june has passed, the sun is out in full force. it is now just hot - temperatures mercilessly shoots past the high 90's, plus terrible humidity. this has effected my running the same way it does every summer. it makes me go slower and hate life. i try to keep up with previous times and distance references, but with the inferno ablaze, i stand little chance to match what i could do at even 80.

i have been researching how to beat, or at least adjust time, to the heat. it hasn't been easy to find much outside the guidelines of 'drink more fluids' and 'avoid strenuous workouts.' in a perfect world that would be fine, but i can't just stop pushing pace on a necessary 2 hour run because it's a bit too hot for my liking. i have a time goal set in stone. three hours, ten minutes. if i miss it, nine months of training go to shit (amount of time i will have trained as of race day).

some solutions i have come across have included a throw back to the original olympics - running naked. obviously that has some legal restraints (though there is naked hiking day up in alaska on the day of the summer solstice... i guess you could do a trail run, right?). the typical suggestions of drinking more and wearing clothing that airs well can be found here.

but neither of those articles holds the answer i am looking for. how do you properly adjust your time to compensate for temperature and humidity? one trainer, jeff galloway, has the answer:

Account for Heat

The hot and sticky days of summer are here. Make sure that you are making some adjustments in your running. Most runners begin to slow down at 55 degrees and start suffering at 65 degrees. Of course, the body can adapt to heat stress and push the threshold up a bit, but you usually can't run as fast on a 75 degee day as on a 45 degree one. High humidity is also a major problem. It's like a wet blanket; it doesn't allow much evaporation or perspiration and your body heat builds up.

If you try to run too hard in hot or humid conditions you'll hit "the wall" sooner than expected. Trying to maintain a goal pace in heat is like going out too fast early in the race. Temperatures generally increase hour by hour; therefore you must adjust your pace for the temperature expected at the end of the race.

Adjusting Race Pace for Heat: Estimated temperature at finish - Slower than goal pace - 8 min mile becomes...

55-60 degrees - 1% - 8:05
60-65 degrees - 3% - 8:15
65-70 degrees - 5% - 8:25
70-75 degrees - 7% - 8:35
75-80 degrees - 12% - 8:58
80-85 degrees - 20% - 9:35
Above 85 degrees - Forget it... run for fun

* Note: This chart is based upon my own experience in the heat and talking to other runners. It has no scientific verification.

Other helpful articles include The Heat is On and Heat Tested - information that I already follow.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

which marathon

i am currently training six days a week to try to qualify for the 2009 boston marathon. the question is, which qualifier should i run?

i am going to do one of two races on october 19th... the columbus marathon OR the denver marathon.

both are flat courses. only difference - denver is a mile high. i am already going to be in boulder this fall... so no expensive flight needed to do that race, which automatically makes it the more logical choice. i guess this all pends whether i want to buy a ticket to run with full lung capacity or stay sucking thin air in the mountains.

southern divisions

much press has been placed on obama's chances of winning the select states in the south.

at first it seems logical - he has increased voter turnout by record numbers, especially with young black voters. in past elections, this demographic had low participation, but with the first, potential, black president on the ballot, this is expected to change in a major way.

what most people haven't yet factored in is white voter turnout will also increase because they don't want obama in office. thus making it a bit of a waste to spend an excessive amount of states that historically lean republican.

to read the numbers and influence, go here.