Sorry for the long delay between posts but it was a big move to the new DOFB office location out here in Seattle. The office finally has wireless internet and this post is being written on the patio in Capitol Hill looking out over Seattle. I took some pictures last night so you can see the view from the new location and what I look out to every day.
Be back soon with some reports on first few runs around Seattle.
The 2008 Shelter Island 10k is only a few weeks away - official start at 5:30PM on June 21st. If you have never been to Shelter Island, it’s located on the East End of Long Island, accessible by short ferry rides from Greenport (North Fork) or North Haven (South Fork). I highly recommend this run if you haven’t done it before. It’s an idyllic course past horse farms, coastline, golf courses, churches and the course is lined with locals holding cocktail parties on their lawns. A real hometown feel. We had 9 Dukes last year in the race, trying to get 15 this year. So come one, come all!
The Dukes at the 2007 Finish Line
I am a sucker for motorcycle stunts, thought this was interesting:
“Working in conjunction with BMX legend Mat Hoffman and some of the best stunt riders in the world, Johnny Knoxville hosts a super stunt spectacular in homage to the late, great Evel Knievel. A few of the guys that step up and risk life and limb in the spirit of the world famous daredevil include Travis Pastrana, Scott Palmer, Allan Cooke, Davin “Psycho” Halford, Trigger Gumm and “Harley” Jeff Schneider, all of whom attempt a number of ridiculous stunts worthy of making television history. This DVD also includes over an hour of bonus features like an extended look at Johnny Knoxville’s painful hospital visit, thoughts on Evel Knievel’s legacy, a hilarious behind-the-scenes featurette, as well as a thorough look back at Mat Hoffman’s trailblazing career.”
Has anyone seen this? Any good?
23 May
Posted by Birch as BBQ, Baja 1000, Cars, Electronics, Food, Gadgets, Misc, Motorcycle, Music, NYC, Run, Sailing, Sports, Surfing, Training, Travel, Uncategorized
Sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do and, I guess, this is one of those times for our beloved admin, erstwhile coach, training partner extraordinaire and certified master of the grill Jeff. He’s packed up the shop, loaded what’s important and is redeploying to the left coast in search of fortune, adventure and cracked crab. As we all navigate the fog caused by last night’s sayonara wumpus, I’d just like to pause for the cause and give a hearty HUZZAH to our partner in crime.
Fare thee well sir. You’ll be sorely missed but we’ve every confidence you’ll quickly get to holdin’ it down out there and swelling the ranks of the Dukes West Coast Chapter. Write when you get work and we’ll come inspect your beachhead.
Vaya con dios y un gato en tu pantalones Amigo.
-mismanagement
22 May
Posted by Graham as Baja 1000, Motorcycle, Surfing, Travel
I just got back from a 1,230 mile off-road motorcycle trip from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas. It was a training run to prepare for the Baja 1000. Here’s part five of the story…
DAY 5
I’d wake up in Baja every morning and think about the day ahead, having peppered our guides with questions about the course the night before. I’d think to myself, “I’ve made it through some pretty hairy stuff, I doubt I’ll see anything today that isn’t at least familiar”. This was important because different terrain requires different riding styles. My biggest fear wasn’t getting hurt, it was that I’d encounter something that I couldn’t get through. By this time, I had three solid days of riding behind me and was feeling more comfortable, but I was really starting to feel the miles. I was taking 800mg of Ibuprofren every morning and every night, and had to use pliers to get my boots off because my fingers lacked the strength. I am halfway through the trip.
Day 5 started out like any other day, 5:30 wake-up call and on the road by 7. It was pretty standard fare at first, gravel roads that would tolerate high speeds.
This gave way to incredibly long stretches of straight road that seemingly went to the end of the earth. I was on a rare section of blacktop in top gear, really hammering the throttle. I couldn’t tell what was going on ahead, but it seemed like something was obstructing the road. As it turned out, the road was out and there was a short detour. It was no big deal, but I couldn’t help think about that same situation at night. Running at 90 or 100mph, that type of hazard could really ruin your day.
The terrain became a lot more sandy which was usually an indication we’re getting close to water. That was true, but what we encountered was a dried lake bed. I can’t remember the name off the top of my head, but it’s a famous part of Baja - reminds me of the Bonneville Salt Flats. Perfectly smooth, hard packed sand. We were all kids in a candy shop. You could drive balls out with no fear. A few guys were expert at riding wheelies and I have some amazing video of them going around 60mph. Will post. Incredibly fun stuff. A lot of these flat sections would be connected by deep sandy areas so you were constantly switching your riding position, but it was easy enough and satisfying. The day was really flying by and lunch was just ahead.
We stopped at San Juanico (a/k/a Scorpion Bay) to get gas at a makeshift station. This was typical of these remote areas.
And then I saw Scorpion Bay. The “town” if you can call it that, sits atop a bluff looking down at amazing surf break. One was literally the best place to learn to surf in the world. 3 foot tall waves, perfectly spaced that you could ride for 5 minutes straight. You could even walk to the break! Are you kidding me?
Just down the beach was a bigger break so it literally had something for everyone. Truly a magical place. We grabbed Shrimp burritos at the local restaurant and had an hour to relax, catch some rays. If I hadn’t been wearing so much gear, I would have stripped down and jumped in the water, but was content to find a patch of terra firma and let my mind wander.
The best day ever, but Baja has a way of flipping the script. We were crossing the Continental Divide later that day so I expected some pretty rocky technical riding and Baja delivered. It started off on nasty, rocky roads with sharp turns and steep drop offs. It was really brutal stuff. It was here that we encountered our most serious bike issue. George, one of the guides, looked down to see oil pouring out of the side of his bike. One of the gas tank mounts that was welded to the frame had broken off. It left a hole in the frame that also served as the oil reservoir. Big problem.
We took the whole bike apart and left with few options, patched it up with some JB weld and duct tape. We had a quart of oil on us so that and the duct tape had to hold for 70 miles, and hold it did. Amazing.
We then hit the most technical section of the course. I don’t have any pictures because when you’re in this stuff, you’re just trying to get through it. You’re not dicking around, snapping pics. The worst sections were little more than a field of boulders. I was having trouble imaging how a car could ever get through it and then encountered a truck doing just that. Wow. I’d guess it took me about 2 hours to get through 15 or 20 miles of it. Towards the end, I felt pretty comfortable, but was completely exhausted. Just another lesson courtesy of Baja.
With the hard part behind us, we blazed into Loreto which is an amzing border town.
After a quick dip in the pool and a few beers, I could start worrying about Day 6 which was the longest and most difficult day of the whole trip.
That’s right folks, this coming WEEKEND..weekend…weekend…a kitchen Shilo will decide, once and for all (or at least until the rematch..)…whoooooooo’s cooler:
Glorious Fish Taco or Transcendent Fish Sandwich!!
Conditions are looking perfect for this epic bout. Fresh from his stint south of the border in Baja, Team Taco leader Graham “The Ram” Johnson looks poised to make a serious injection of Mexican awesomocity into the Shelter Island season opener. Consider Graham’s indefatigable kitchen gumption, natural southern-bred frying prowess and a rumor that the Mahi have been running 20 miles off Montauk point, and it’s easy to understand why Team Taco is the heavy odds-on favorite.
Don’t count The Fish Sammie gang out though. An underdog title suits us gritty kitchen pirates just fine & a lifetime spent researching the best New England has to offer ought to see us in the running every bite of the way.
Secrecy and intrigue are running thick as accusations of monger-bribing, recipe tampering and even buggery fly. Friendships may be scarred, clothing burnt and purity ransacked but, sammie or taco, taste-buds should emerge the contest’s the big winner. Stay tuned for updates, results and recipes. May our esteemed panel of Judges mind the framer’s intent and may the most delicious fishes win!
This weekend saw the happy addition of another trusty steed to the Dukes stable. While floating in nature, this entry definitely satisfies all of the character requirements we’ve come to expect from the land-based fleet. Ladies & gents - I’m pleased to introduce the Sea Senor(ita).
The Sea Senor(ita) is a classic 17′ O’Day DaySailer. DaySailers are fantastic fun and this one should provide endless summer good-times plying the waters around Shelter Island. The craft was gifted to the these Dukes by a most-excellent family member who was tired of it gracing her lawn; a sort of God-Duke if you will.
She’s been sitting the better part of the last 10 years, so we have some work to do before launch. But working on a little sailboat in the sun is a damn fine way to pass the time. Plus this boat will be a floating classroom for a whole host of folks, little ones included, who are eagerly awaiting sailing lessons. With that to look forward to, we started out this past weekend with a solid first cleaning. I’m sure you’ll agree the results are impressive.
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The accumulated funk from years of sitting unprotected outside
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Dirty Deck; Liken Gone Wild.
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Much better - she’s actually kinda good lookin’ under all that grime!
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A much cleaner cockpit; neigh ready to bear Dukes upon the sea towards unknown adventures, spoil and plunder….
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There are some minor repairs still to be done, rigging to be replaced, and another round or two of cleaning, but what a keen reminder of the restorative powers of elbow grease. Will certainly update again as the Sea Senorita nears launch.
Stable report 1
Stable report 2
Stable report 3
Stable report 4
Stable report 5
Stable report 6
Stable report 7
Stable report 8
With last week’s miserable Brooklyn 1/2, Eve, Fayth & Jeff’s inspiring progress and the looming Shelter island 10k….my mind is on training. Those of you who’ve been around here a while are aware of our intense fondness for the SI 10k. For newcomers - this is really one of the best races out there and is easily my favorite of the year.
Thanks to the kindness, fortitude and enduring patience of founding Duke and all around menace Graham, the club’s membership is regularly treated to all the awesome that Shelter Island has to offer. As if the island’s beauty, copious ocean action and serenity weren’t adequate; once a year they’re kind enough to host a world class 10k complete with speedy Kenyans, top notch race support and cheering crowds. It seems like the entire island comes out (appropriate summer cocktails in hand, of course) to cheer the racers & the result is a singular racing experience.
That in mind, it’s easy to understand how central the SI 10K is for the Dukes of Flatbush. For some reason the organizers had last year’s race early in the season (about this time) and we still fielded a strong 10 person squad. This year the race has shifted back to a summertime event and is, in fact, going to be on the official first day of summer: June 21.
This race can inspire feats of strength and many Dukes, myself included, are aiming to turn in PRs this year. With 5 weeks between now and then, training is full on. I ran a 40:30 (6:31 mile pace)last year, so I’ve definitely got some hard workouts to get in if I want to have a shot at cracking 40:00. Encouragingly, I actually mustered a pretty quick 12 miler out in Shelter yesterday and feel none-the-worse today.
Best wishes to everyone training for the SI 10K; especially to all the dangerous Dukes out there. Hopefully we can field a 15 person squad in this year’s race and get our team picture in the Shelter Island Reporter!
Today on Mothers Day we get a race report from one of our team members, Eve F, who was out there representing and much stronger than the rest of us. While we were at home liking our wounds from last weekends half marathon, she went out there and ripped a 10 mile race. Back to Back 10 mile races. Respect!
From Eve:
I just wanted to let you know I ran another for the team today. The
Mothers Day 10 Mile. It was a rough one for me, central park and those
damn freaking hills on top of just being damn tired it wasn’t the
greatest for me but it was fun. Just wanted to give you a DOFB heads
up.
F EVE DOFB NEW YORK NY 1:28:11 8:49
I took a spill while riding offroad in Utah and landed squarely on my right shoulder. I was wearing a typical set-up, roost deflector and elbow guards, which offered no protection. I separated my shoulder and bruised my collarbone in that spill. I’m not sure if body armor would have prevented that injury, but I immediately purchased a Thor Impact suit which offers a great deal more protection in one reasonably priced, convenient package.
I wore this rig while riding 1,230 miles from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas and wanted to share my thoughts. First of all, $140 is not a lot of money for shoulder, elbow, forearm and back protection, not to mention an integrated kidney belt. The price is definitely right. The various components are connected by a fine mesh undersuit so it’s easy to keep track of everything and put on. I was concerned that the suit would be hot, but I never felt uncomfortable riding with it on, even in 100 degree desert heat. I took quite a few spills during that trip and the suit did a fantastic job of protecting my upper body. During one particularly hectic moment, I came off the course and blew through a cactus going 30mph. I don’t know if you have ever driven through a cactus on a motorcycle, but they explode. No shit. This one sent spines that completely covered my right arm. If I had just been wearing a jersey and elbow guards, I would have been in a lot of pain - the Thor Impact suit bore the brunt and really saved the day.
Now for the cons. I wear a Leatt Neck Brace which wants to be underneath any chest protection.That’s not really possible using the Thor Impact Suit - it needs to be on the inside. I’m not sure if this negates the utility of a Leatt neck brace, but definitely made me wonder. As well, it comes with an integrated, removable kidney belt. The problem is that the belt zips in on both sides. When you tighten the belt, it puts pressure on those zippers which slowly come undone. After 20 miles, one or both sides of the belt will come unattached and ball up in your jersey. It’s incredibly annoying and renders the belt completely useless. If you do pick one of these up, zip the belt out and throw it away. Buy yourself a regular kidney belt that wraps all the way around your body, affixes with velcro.
In all, I heartily recommend the Thor Impact suit. It’s a great value and works well. Just be careful if you use a Leatt neck brace and make sure you buy a kidney belt if you’re going to ride long, or ride whoops.
07 May
Posted by Graham as Baja 1000, Motorcycle, Travel
I just got back from a 1,230 mile off-road motorcycle trip from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas. It was a training run to prepare for the Baja 1000. Here’s part four of the story…
DAY 4
We left Bahia De Los Angeles before 7:00AM, standard operating procedure most days.
There were a lot of riders (~80) staying in the same town, taking part in a Malcom Smith Charity Ride. We tried to get the jump on them, but ended up riding with them most of the day. At one of our first stops, I saw a bike with a 1x number on it. I was naturally curious and as it turned out, it was Malcom Smith himself. Our paths crossed many times over the course of the trip - a real pleasure.
The roads for the first half of the day were pretty rough, but you could travel at a fast clip - I’d guess around 60mph.
The drill was finding a clean line around any particularly large obstacles (rocks) in your path. This was a road where a steering dampner would have been exceedingly useful. It’s fast, but it wears you down and you get a lot of flats. We got 2 of them about 50 miles into the day. The second one was particularly nasty as a portion of the tire had been torn off, exposing the ruptured tube underneath. You don’t carry spare tires, just tubes, so this presented a bit of a challenge. The first step is getting the bike up on a ’stand’ and removing the rear tire. We made a stand out of rocks, something Baja has plenty of…
My esteemed colleague, training partner and fleet ne’er-do-well Jeff Eckhaus has already turned in a beaut of a report on this past weekend’s Brooklyn Half, so I’ll not dwell on what he covered. Suffice it to say, I did not have nearly so fine a day as he. Cruel irony indeed that this half, on my own home turf, on the very streets where I train day in and out, would wind up being my most painful to date.
First 6 miles were largely without incident. I was running a pretty strong 7:05-7:10 pace though I felt a little fluttery. My left foot started to get pins and needles numb, which is rarely a good sign. It’s previously only happened in full marathons, but for some reason my left foot starts to go numb whenever I’m creeping on my limits. Never the right, only the left….go figure.
Anyway, about the time old lefty was checking out I pulled up on Jeff. I drafted behind him for about a quarter of a mile watching his stride. As has been noted many times, Jeff and I train together regularly and I was noticing how his mechanics seemed to have improved of late. You know a runner is coming into form when you can see the energy tensed in their muscles release seemingly without effort. Sort of like a large cat when it looks like it takes more exertion for them not to pounce and un-spring the stored energy than it does for them to bound along. Anyway, Jeff had that stride going where he was sort of floating effortlessly above the pavement and I was deep in considering how very different I was beginning to feel when he finally caught on to my lurking.
We cruised along for a bit together, but I was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain pace and sent him ahead just before we reached Prospect Park. Not more than a quarter mile into the park I had to pull my ship over on account of grinding stomach cramps. Somewhat mystified, I walked along for 20 or 30 yards and was every bit as surprised as the poor woman next to me when I projectile yakked. Mind you, I run this very loop 2-3 times a week, so it was an odd sort of thing to be feeling so utterly lousy on ground that I normally sail over. Another boot about 50 yards later I managed to pull my shit together and get a shuffling head of steam before heading up the last looming hill before Grand Army Plaza. I don’t normally mind this one, as I’m a hill lover, but I can assure you this was one of the hardest climbs I’ve ever stuck with. Had to resort to all sorts of mental cheats…..the older lady in front of me will never know it, but she actually towed me up that thing and I owe her a psychic debt of thanks.
Anyway - managed to gut it out and finish with a 1:37:15. Not the worst, not the best, but definitely the toughest half marathon I’ve run. I really don’t know what the issue was. The indicators could be read to point to dehydration, but I was well hydrated. And I was equally well rested etc. Certainly all the pints of Guinness in Ireland a month back didn’t help; I was under-trained, but that’s hardly a first. Guess I’ll just chock it up to the borough of Brooklyn reminding me who’s boss.
All that said - congrats Jeff on running an excellent race and establishing a new PR. Tremendous shouts out to the other three Dukes who turned in awesome performances as well. Eve with her first half completed and she, Jen & Fayth all turned in sub 2:00–righteous!!
This is the first time we’ve had 5 Dukes for one of the NYRR half’s and it’s sweet to be officially in the hunt for club standing this year. Nice work all and remember, there are few better feelings than looking at a Los Compadre in your rearview!
Waking up this morning and stepping outside, I could feel a great day for running. It was about 50 degrees and overcast with just a little humidity, but nothing to be worried about.
Getting to Coney Island for the start was little bit of the pain due to track work on the F train but made it there with 20 minutes to spare before the start. Tried to find the rest of the Dukes of Flatbush at the start, but no luck, this race was going to be solo.
I have to give a huge hand to the NYRR and the volunteers for a great start using the seeded corral system. My bib color was red and number was 15xx which meant I was in the 2nd corral, right near the start. This was especially useful since the first 2.5 miles of the race are on the Coney Island boardwalk, which is a little old, warped and sandy. Not a place you want to have to jostle for space.
Toeing up on the line, I got my Garmin 405 ready for its maiden race, and then the cannon went off.
Mile 1 & 2 were on the boardwalk and according to the Garmin I average a 7:15/mile pace, a little quicker than planned but I was feeling really good.
Miles 3 - 9 were along Ocean Parkway and were flat and built for speed, except for a little headwind blowing here and there. I was cruising along at a 7:20 pace and feeling strong and then a minor miracle happened. At mile 6, Birch, fellow DOFB member and training partner pulled up alongside me. I think he may have been behind me for awhile, checking me out from that perspective , but he said nothing. Seems suspicious.
Birch and i cranked along at a little faster clip, about 7:10/mile until the end of Ocean Parkway, where Birch started feeling some pains and needed to slow down and told me to go on without him. This is a first as Birch is normally running sub 7 minute miles and I am ready to die trying to keep up.
Mile 9 - 13 saw me entering Prospect Park, fan support started to build and so did the hills. There is a small downhill in the beginning but then we came up the big hill that leads to Grand Army Plaza. The thing I hate most about this hill are the false peaks. Each time you think you are done there is another climb. Damn those park architects.
The last few miles were a race for me as I tried to break 1:35 for the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I pushed and tried but the final small hills at the end drained me of the precious few seconds and finished the race in 1:35:55, a new PR for me. I am not going to say the Garmin 405, made the difference, it was probably training, but running a race with a GPS watch changes the whole race. I strongly encourage anyone serious about running to purchase one.
Overall another great Brooklyn Half Marathon and look forward to race reports from other members. More important, I believe the Dukes of Flatbush finally had 5 racers finish which means we earned club points. Look out Los Compadres, here we come in the Club Competition
It is only now, with a week’s distance, that I can begin to encapsulate this year’s Boil. The Fifth (mostly) Annual SpecialAI Crawfish Boil was, in a word, epic. The bugs were god-damned delicious, the music was off the hook and the revelers gave everything they had in the pursuit of good times. Tally of relevance:
Lbs of Crawfish shipped up from Louisiana: 275
Lbs of Crawfish Consumed: 275
Barrels of Beer Consumed: 5 (!!)
Number of kick-ass Bands: 4-5
List of notable instruments demonstrated: Stand up base, drums, keys, mandolin, banjo, tuba (!), trombone (x2), trumpet, guitar (x5), maracas, tambourines, cowbell, neck-tie washboard!?!), accordion, larynx (yodeling), rubber chicken
Number of DJs intending to play: 5
Number of DJs who actually played: 3
Approximate number of attendees: 150 (+/- 25)
Number of unknowns who crashed: 25
Number of hours the party lasted: 11
All in all, an amazing time was had and a serious thanks out to them tasty lil bugs, the incredible bands, our excellent friends and everyone else who contributed of their time, energy and buzz to make this the best boil yet!
And now a few pics for da taste:
Special Cajun delivery…one of three mongo boxes of bugs straight from LA
Craw enforcement is serious work…one needs a placard for the vehicle
Said Craw Enforcement Vehicle and the attached compliance officer
The calm before the boil. Please note appropriately prominent placement of the NH state flag. Boil Free or Die baby!
Looks may deceive …this pint sized shellfish lover can eat her weight in Crawfish
$2 Goat gettin’ things roarin’ as the bugs start coming out. These guys wail!
Early round as folks start jockey for long-haul positioning.
DOFB
