Base Camp International

PedalMag

Fast and furious, the Base Camp International bike race in Basking Ridge, NJ is always the last fitness marker before the historic Philadelphia International Championship. With full squads from UHC, Smartstop, Predator, Optum, Jamis, Champion System Pro and Jelly Belly, is was full gas right from the get go.

I had terrible sensations for most of the race today after waking up this morning healthy for the first time in 2.5 weeks, so it was up to the other guys to fire the cylinders early. That they did and numerous times the race shattered in large, dangerous groups of 15 riders. Each time, our guys stacked those moves and it is very unfortunate that they didn't stick as it would have nicely put UHC on the backfoot.

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Another World

The Spokesman from dean saffron on Vimeo.

Tour of Somerville: Race Recap

A short recap of the 2013 Tour of Somerville. With fulls teams from Champion System, United Healthcare, Team Smartstop and smaller teams from Jamis Hagens Berman, Predator and Garneau, plus the entire state of New Jersey, it was sure to be a fast event. The weather was perfect, 70 degrees with a slight wind and the legendary crowds in Somerville, complete with a backstraight lined by front yard cookouts, created a great racing atmosphere.

In the finale, the team came together to challenge alongside Champion System and United Healthcare with 600 metres remaining but the win once again went to the blue train with our Shane Kline powering to a 5th place finish.

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Enjoy a picnic this weekend w/ Mangos!

"Where woman go, man go." The guy at the fruit market

A fresh prespective

Music: Chill

Yup..so I haven't been blogging as much as I have in the past but honestly, I need a little encouragement from time to time! So if you like the stuff I'm posting or have questions about anything, please comment below the posts or connect with me on facebook. I'm here to share my experiences as an athlete with all but sometimes I need to know what you all are interested in. 

Recently I've taken on more coaching clients and am busy racing each weekend but I've still recently come across some great information sources for you all. If you are interested in living a healthier lifestyle, or pedaling your bike with greater ease, don't forget about the wonderful sensations that proper fueling can provide.

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BIKES Episode #8: Follow your Intuition

Shane Kline @ Dana Point 2013

This week, after a long hiatus, BIKES is back with an exciting episode as my Team SmartStop Mountain Khakis teammates and I won the race in Dana Point, California this past weekend. The video enclosed below includes a great view of the long 200 metre final sprint.

It was a great weekend as I also had a chance to meet a few of the SmartStop employees who make this team a reality. Winning is good!


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Chineasy

A high school throwback!

In high school I took 3 years of Mandarin and 1 additional year in college. I thought it would be fun to challenge myself with such a complex language, besides....I got to draw stuff!

I started with simplified characters those first years, focusing more upon grammar. In college I learned how the more complex traditional characters were created by combining basic characters into more complex words. I wish I watched this Ted talk back in those days...


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Gran Fondo: In Search of Endless Switchbacks

"It is the unknown around the corner that turns my wheels" Heinz Stucke (Bicycle touring since 1950). Music

Spring is in the air here in North Carolina finally and from what I here, that seems to be the case in other parts of the continent as well. So when you get out for those spring journeys, keep in mind all of the fun cycling events going in your community this year. It seems that there are gran fondos popping up all over Canada which is very exciting as these events serve as perfect opportunities to travel, ride new roads, meet new cycling friends and of course train with a purpose.

Gran Fondo Canada has three events happening this year: Banff (August 24th), Whistler (Sept 7th) and Niagara Falls (Sept 14th) and thanks to the help of some passionate cycling friends, I've come on board as an ambassador for the RBC Gran Fondo Whistler event. Look for me at races across North America and I'll hand you a "rider card" with all the hotel and travel information, including good opportunities to save on your travel and lodging.

I'll be publishig a short intro video soon but in the meantime take a look at some of the beautiful views from the Banff event. Its course includes an awesome array of scenary and challenging roads that I've also had the opportunity to race on during the 2009 Banff Cycling Festival, a 4 day stage race. Look out for those mountain goats near the lake!

GranFondo - BANFF 2012 from Glen Crawford on Vimeo.

Coyle Insight: Group Chemistry

Phat Beats: 90 minutes downloadable

I've always been a fan of Dan Coyle's insight on coaching, group dynamics and goal-oriented team work. This article struck me recently as my Team SmartStop teammates and I have been trying hard to come up with a winning formula.


Coyle isolates 3 important metrics. What do you think?

1) positive comments vs. negative comments
2) asking questions vs. advocating for their own position
3) talking about others vs. talking about themselves

Have you had an interesting team experience recently, either at work or play? How did you go about resolving the issue? Be sure to take a full look at Mr. Coyle's team development article. Link.