Winter in the land of oaks.

October

4th place flying 2, 8th place kilo and 17th in the ISO. Not bad for a sprinter!
I race my first Elite National Match Sprints today. Starts at 4, live stream at ustream.tv/channel/la-velodrome
I race my first Elite National Keirin today. Starts at 4, live stream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/la-velodrome
My first Elite nats is done. My performance was my best ever yet my results were stricly in the middle. Here's to mediocrity!
Now that the track racing season is over I can finally start loosing weight?
Body fat down 1.2 %, even after a strict, week long road trip diet of six dollar guacamole bacon burgers and double doubles animal style.
Finally made a Facebook fan page. Yes, it has gotten that bad. http://bit.ly/1Opekp
I should really stop watching old man time trials on the interweb

November

Moving to Oakland tomorrow!
goodbye los angeles. hello oakland.
hella oakland
snoopy doggy dogg, yah needs to get a jobby job!
Crossfit Torrance 3pm today! Can't wait to get back to my roots!
5x5 245 # back squat, plus hanging out at the women's national track training camp. not a bad day.
so glad that I am done with LA. so happy to be living in the bay, finally, again.
the job hunt begins.
Santa Rosa
Back squat 255# 3x5, overhead press 145# 3x5, pull-ups 3xF (12,10,13)
If sleep is the cousin of death, what is a red-eye to JFK? If I am in New York State but my mind is in California is that death's long lost uncle? I am nauseated this Friday black.
I have swum with nine masters of dutch magicks.

December

w-burg post office line is moving surprisingly fast
salvation, have I met you! and your name is foam roller!
working at Pushbike, 24th and Treat St. today. Come say hi!
rain
If you want egg nog, burritos, in & out or gears of war 2, call TCB I am your man!
easy rider, pepperoni stick, diet coke.
Check me out: I am webTV! www.missiong.com/show/Quest-for-G-the-Series
fuck you crossfit for making me too tired to get through my squats today. I didn't think a 20 min amrap of muscle ups and 135# power cleans would do me like that.
front squat 220# 3x5, dumbell bench press 100# 3x5, deadlift 345# 2x5
back squat 285# 3x5, overhead press 150# 3x5, weighted pull-ups 45# 3x6

Summer. Not my cup of tea.

July

palm pre doth suck. screen cracked for no good reason. took it back and got another centro
Skeletonwitch makes me hate myself for cutting my hair... in a good way.
would be the state champion of California if not for an unfortunate series of events, including not changing his district on his racing license. I might just have to fly back to NYC and race the states!
become a fan of james moontasri
I suggest everyone to buy stock in Second Skin.
become a fan of JAMES MOONTASRI
3 more months!!!!

August

Killing the team sprint with two separate teams on two separate weekends!
I needs me to gets offs this damns interwebs and rides me some bikes.
2nd place Keirin at the LA Velodrome Championships!
was riding in his pimp ship flying high
I met this pretty little missle, that shot me out the sky
at the hotay in co springs. gonna kill the sprints motherlovers!
2nd place seed at 11.040!
I won the semi final. Onward to the gold medal round. I am a killer!
silver.....
silver..... I will just pretend it platinum.
2nd place baby old man short fast bike racer in the nation needs to spin his legs
3rd place team sprint 30+, 2nd fastest start lap at 25 second for a 333.
cannot get a cat 2 upgrade to save his life
Changing my focus to Kilo and Standing 250's
is doing his best to work through a very intense and complicated situation involving sports, bureaucracy, major corporate sponsorship and love
I am better than everyone else, I am a fucking Sex Pistol!
In LAX bound for JFK.
NYC rules over LA. Its nice to be back in Brooklyn.
hardon
I am putting my bike together. Fuck the rain.
Racing cancelled tonight. Damn.
We are going to race today?
I'm on the train, fuck the rain.
3rd place kilo, 2 second faster than last year!
correction: 2nd place kilo. 2 second improvement over last year with zero kilo training.
where others poison, you dismember
NY States! Gold Keirin, Silver Kilo & Match Sprints, Bronze Omnium!

September

Just like that, I'm gone!
at your fingertips
2nd place scratch at ADT FNR. 40.5 mph top speed. 8th place Cali States CBR crit. 36 mph top speed. 1st crit in 2 years!
Tokyo today!
Japan RULES, man. All that other CMWC punk fuck shit it doesn't belong in this world, it belongs on Mars, man! What the the hell is CMWC punk shit? And Madonna? She can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. She's a dick.
Guess who's the CMWC 2009 Goldsprint Champion? This guy right here....
Cycle Messenger World Sprint Champion 2009! Cycle Messenger World Goldsprint Champion 2009! 3rd place skids! Didn't Qualify for Main Race! Tokyo Ichiban!
Cleaned up at the Keiokaku Keirin Track. I won the Match Sprints (1st seed), the Keirin and the Scratch Race!
I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death Beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined I think of crime when I'm in a New York state of mind
What I am doing this week Monday: Recovery Ride Tuesday: Team Sprint practice Wednesday: International Omnium Thursday: Volunteering at the track Friday: Sprints Saturday: Keirin Sunday Team Sprints
My first Elite Nationals starts tomorrow at 4pm. Come through 'cause its free!
ISO so far: 4th place in the 200

Spring is sprung?

April

today I finished moving and bought a new computer. talk about eustress.
3 rounds, timed: 21 L pull ups, 4 12' rope ascents, 18:40
overdressed at prospect park
spin class, deadlifts 5x5 295#, superset weighted pullups/dips 45#, 55#, 60#. now its nappy time.
you see us comin and you all together run for cover
spin, squat, work, the wire, press, push, jerk
I just bought a food scale. when does this sports dorkiness end?
I just pet KAWS' dog. it was a beagle.
TraderJoesApalooza
Going to Kissena today. Gonna soak up some sunshine.
spin class, deadlifts 5 rep ladder: 275#, 295#, 300#, 305#, 310#!!
I have come to the realization that resting is harder than working out. I think I am addicted to endorphins....
love my job. nothin' to do but chill in the park!
Sunburnt.
100 pullups, 100 pushups, 100 situps, 100 squats in 32 minutes 14 seconds.
deadlift 355# once
3rd in the Opening Day Omnium. Now I move. Again.
overhead press, 1 rep: 145#, 155#, 160# 160#, 165#, 165#, 170# fail!

May

1 week till LA fools!
In three and a half hours, I will never have to deliver food again! yeah!
front squat: 185, 215, 215, 225, 225
front squat 3 reps: 185, 215, 215, 225, 225
30 135# clean & jerks in 4:17. 20 G.I. Janes 1:22. 46" seated max jump.
my friend's dog totally did a 2 girls 1 cup on my dirty laundry today. it was gross.
it is margarita time
Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, you're cool, and fuck you, I'm out!
Dirving. So LA.
One week of TV Land down, 10 more to go. Soft tissue work today. OUCH!
Lookin' for love in LA, Craigslist style. Wow. I have just gotten some amazing gems of loneliness in my email box.
1st day on the 'drome, 1st day with my coach, gonna get coffee after training. Everything's commin up roses!
I love the LA velodrome! My coach is dope. I am living the dream, YO!
Professional
I genuinely love that Black Eyed Pees song Boom Boom Pow.
P.R'd on the track today. 11.9 on the flying 2! More of that to come.
2nd Place Match Sprints at the #farwest Championships @Encinovelodrome.
500m repeats behind the motor made me want to puke. Shared the track with Giddeon Massie. Very nice guy.
Heading out to the 'drome. I gots sprints with Jimmy Watkins today!
In the last day I have seen three DeLoreans and a Lamborghini with a bike rack. LA, I have arrived!

June

Today I trained with Sarah Hammer and Jimmy Watkins. I am so lucky.
The 'Fro had to go. I am now the proud owner of a mullet.
Let the roundups begin.
Mullet + Mustache
Traded the mustache for a palm pre

Oh my what a busy Winter! Thanks for the memories Facebook...

I just figured out how to look at all my status updates from the last year on the ol Facebook. I guess a lot has happened to me this year....

Here's the first quarter:

January

is 30
is high from a hang power clean personal record 190#!
is the shape of punk to come.
is taking care of bisness. everyday.
is simply is.
is flying v bass
is a big beyatch!
is all loosey goosey.....
is a degenerate magnate.
is a one rep max
's fly is open to his soul
is KYLESA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
's workout today is named after both his girlfriend and mother.
can't buy crust.
needs to borrow a 3 chip camcorder tonight. HELP ME!
wants to get a tattoo.

February

has one foot out the door.
is Beneath the Remains
spin class 6:30-7:30am, 245# deadlift (5 reps X 5 sets), delivery 9am-5pm, spin class 7-9pm
yay! rest day!
has to make another (!) audition tape
is http://missiong.com/video/intro
is http://missiong.com/video/intro fingers crossed
is http://missiong.com/video/intro pray for me
http://missiong.com/video/intro
http://missiong.com/video/intro ride amrap ride
http://missiong.com/video/intro squats 245# 5x5
http://missiong.com/video/intro squats 245# 5x5.
http://missiong.com/video/intro shed a tear for King Lake. Arson. So angry.
has his fingers crossed.
is seriously being considered for boot camp!
spent too much at Wiggles and didn't even get a lapdance.
left the strip club as his friends were about to smoke a joint backstage with the dancers.
failed at 300# too luke
threw a dart to pick his 13 tattooo (and get to the front of the line). Black Flag bars!
is hungover.
is new weightlifting shoes!
is a busy boy
rest days. so fricken boring. somebody, please, help me do something non-physical. please?
is bikesnobbed. I feel so cool!
I been bikesnobbed! I must be doing something right!
going to matchless to hang with the swiss
Boos don't cry
my roomate is wasted. she's keeping me & my swiss guest up. so she gets twittered
even better is the convo I just had with aden out my window.
awake of my own volition
200# clean, that's a p.r.!
class tonight at affinity 7-9
should i get ice cream? it's not paleo.
rob dyrdek is the andy warhol of skating
watching chris hoy crash is painful.
droppin' deuces like British Cycling in a Keirin
want to take a nappy but watching serpico instead
faucet ass
my lifeforce has been reduced to bacon, eggs and salad. bacon eggs salad. bacon eggs salad.
swiss guest: gone to boston. reading: 4 hr workweek. thinking: new dreamlines. listening: black sabbath. wondering: sober existential quandr
too much coffeeeeeeeeeee
wake up. eat jelly. teach spin class. do 5x5 255# deadlifts.
deadlifts were better than I expected: 255# 5 reps, 260# 5 reps 2 sets, 265# 5 reps 2 sets! Plus 70# weighted pullups, 2 reps 3 sets.
I keep being a dick at band practice. eating paleo makes your tolerence level drop. so much energy, but at what cost to the people around me
No
There I go being a dick again
I am going to boot camp! I just got the call. http://www.missiong.com/video/intro
boot camp beers at le barricou. then chicken hut mother hubbards!
put a shirt on baldie, you're violating health codes.
ヒバゴン/HIBAGON is our name. our 1st show is tonight at a loft party. 470 flushing. X Bones Brigade, Atakke, Cuddle Machines, Same-Sex DictatorThis status contains special characters. It won't display properly in the collage.
hibagon rocked no fault of mine so hungover
Hibagon's first show http://tinyurl.com/d6k3vj
the wire. b'more is f-ed
255# sqts 5x3 + wod: row 500m 95# push press rounds down ladder 21, 18, 15, 9
I just showed Suroosh from Vice mag the Quest for G. His response: "Are they paying you?"
175# push jerks
I love the new Real World.
sick, bored, resting up
there is a froot-booting gorilla attacking messengers in london http://tinyurl.com/ct8gj8
going to Peel Sessions to see who is in town. Then to bed. I gots to wakes up early to teach duh spin class early. The ladies love me!
spin class, deadlifts 275# 5x5, 70# weighted pullups 2x3, now on to breakfast.

March

bad lieutenant
in the woodshed practing my fiddle
HIBAGON Tonite at the Charleston! with Haunted Castle / Jail / cargo cult revival / Biclops!
going to band practice, then I am packing for bootcamp
so excited! all packed and ready. I am gonna kill it at boot camp!
LA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MISSION G!!!!!!!!!!!! SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
at LAX waiting for the PA to pick me up. Those darn PA's are never on time
olympics?
Lookin for coffee at 6 o clock in the goddamn in Torrance CA.
G'd out. Hurry up and wait.
I made it! I am on the Quest for G!
Goin back to Cali, stylin, profilin Growlin and smilin, while in the sun. I'm goin back to Cali, Cali, Cali.
momma I'm commin home
's phone don't work in da mountains
at the smallest airport in the world on my way home to NYC.
Kicking myself for not eating at SFO. Food and shopping at the United terminal in LAX: S-U-X!
in just a week away from NYC, I missed SO much drama!
deadlifts, 5 reps: 255#, 265#, 275#, 285#, 290#!
slow at work.....
8am crossfit, eggs, nap. now I am ready to face the day.
making love to a foam roller.
text messaging is cool
fuck work
my butt don't lie
1 rm clean and split jerks, 5 sets: 188 #
lies!
wine drunk!?
the reward goes to alex teaching spin class at 6 am sponsored by red wine...
I had the best evening with my best friends. I love you all. I love NYC. I am surely goong to miss you.
paleo hangover spin class cure
so bored, npr isn't cutting it, going for a walk in the rain
teach spin, 5 rep deadlift pyramid: 275#, 280#, 285#, 290#, 275#. Now some sauna and eggs! TGIF!
choosing coaches: do I pick the olympic sprint coach or Kevin Bacon's stunt double from Quicksilver?
bored at work. need to not have a camera phone directly connected to facebook.
thirteen hours of bike messengering down, two to go!
Tough Love is my new favorite reality show.
Eastbound and Down
"You're just a vagina with a mullet... Peace pussy!" -Eastbound and Down
I race bikes.
I love I Love Money
front squats 5 sets 3 reps 205#
Front squats just went up to 225#
Front Squats are now 235# thanks to Luke. Way to drop the weight.
there is something very satisfying about dropping 235# on the floor.
stealing Araby's bike back just ruined my workout. Such a nice day too.
I love my friends. I come home to find my roommate jammin' with the guitarist in my band. Enjoy it while I can.
"good, good, let him die. what is he gonna do raise a family? heavy fucking metal!" Blake about Paul Ballof
my hangover cure: 2 spin classes, 100 pullups, 100 ring dips, 5x5 deadlifts (275/285/285/295/295#) 3x3 weighted pullups (45/50/55#)
everyone I know is a total party animal
I won fight gone bad. 273!
moving before moving. so zen.
I am a houseboy now.
i just saw some art and drank a beers

Hero Pack

Quest for G Ep14

Quest for G Ep13

Quest for G Ep12

Quest for G Ep11

Quest for G Ep10

Quest for G Ep9

Quest for G Ep8

Quest for G Ep7

Quest for G Ep6

Quest for G Ep5

Quest for G Ep4

Quest for G Ep3

Quest for G Ep2

Quest for G Ep1

My brain hurts.

I am off to LA today. I have a very bad hangover from too many margaritas at Elote. I want to sleep more but I can't, that's how bad I feel.

Grace, G.I. Jane's, max hight Jump

grace 4:17 (30 reps clean & jerk 135 lbs)
20 GI Jane 1:22 (burpee into pullup)
max height seated box jump 46" (just like in the video below)

I'm your private dancer, dancing for money. Do what you want me to do....

I am back to this blog. I can't maintain a public website about my Quest for G as per my contract. That made the Affinity blog a problem. Solution: make DraftingNYC private since no one reads it anyway.

First Wednesday, Last Wednesday

My last race day at Kissena before I move was a good one. I did three races: unknown distance scratch, point-a-lap and two heats of chariots. I used an 88" gear for all three to work on leg speed.
The unknown distance scratch was the usual cat and mouse antics. I was planning on tail gunning, but you know how plans go. I was hiding out in back just letting everyone fight it out up front for five laps or so when I decided to better my position because I knew the sprint was coming eventually. I made some moves towards the front, not really pulling, going up when others pulled through. I was down in the sprinter's lane when one by one every other racer backed off leaving me at the front. I was ok with that, taking my turn, putting in my dues, just kinda putting along at a rather slow pace. But wouldn't you know it they rang bell after half a lap of me at the front, with a lap and a half to go before the finish. I didn't really react to the bell until turn four when I heard my teammate, Andrew Lacorte, behind me yelling "GO! Go! Go Alex, go!" I didn't even look back, just turned it up as hot as I could hoping to give Andrew a good leadout, which I did. Coming out turn four, again, he came up and blocked trying to give me the 2nd place but I was cooked, pedaling squares for the last 100 meters. I finished third, Gary Steinburg got second. I was happy with the contribution to my teammate's win.

The next race was a Point-A-Lap. Not really my kinda race. I rolled around for a bit, got caught behind the break. I made a few halfhearted attempts to bridge, but no one else was really willing to work with me so eventually I dropped out of the race.

I had two heats Chariots. Andrew was in both, and he won both. I didn't really have any plan or strategy, it's only 400 meters from a standing start. I started both high on the bank and planned using it accelerate those last few mph's. The first on Andrew razored me to the line and there was a significant gap between us and third place. The second heat had a Junior Nationals racer with us, Dan Sullivan, and he was my main concern; if I got Andrew that would be good, if not then what-evs. I went from the gun for the win. I got to the front going into turn 3 but Andrew drafted me and swung around with a big kick through turn 4, just blowing me away. I was pretty cooked but managed to hold on to a close second against Gary who managed to hold on to Andrews wheel across the line.

3rd place Omnium, 2nd in two Chariot heats and 3rd in an Scratch. Not bad!

Monster Track Gold Sprints Qualifiers

John Prolly captured this video of the Affinity talent, Andrew "Cupcake" LaCorte and I. Andrew posted a 14.92 250m sprint and I came in 2nd at 15:82 250m sprint. Check out the bike flex when Andrew is about to start...

Monster Track X Goldspints from John Prolly on Vimeo.

MTXa

That's Monster Track Ten not Mr. T Experience. I didn't get to participate in too much MTXing because I had to work so everyone else at Snap could race. I did get to the welcome party and got 2nd in the Gold Sprint qualifier by a hundredth of a second (15.82 to a guy from Boston's 15.83). To my defense I taught two spin classes and did 5 reps, 5 sets of 275# deadlifts and was cramping at my house before heading over there. My esteemed teammate Andrew "Cupcake, the National Champ and Third in the World" LaCorte did an amazing 14.93. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

I was lucky enough to be there at the Affinity Cycles checkpoint and force feed the top five Red Bull before they could go on. Crihs was in the zone and so was Copetown's Jimi "Jumbo" Vargas. First and Second, respectively. Props to Heather Muller for winning too. She regularly attends my Tuesday night "High Intensity Interval Training Tuesday" (H.I.I.T.T. for short) and I can't help but feel a little pride in her excellent performance.

Oh yeah, Hibagon is playing tonight at the Charleston with Haunted Castle, among others.

Awesome Party

The party last night was the perfect venue for Hibagon's debut. Haunted Castle killed and we all got awesome/wasted. Here are some pics I stole from the fixed.gr forums.

And today I forced my self to go to Crossfit and it was like an A. A. meeting with all the hung-over crosfitters. It was 5 sets of 3 reps front squats. I did a pyramid 205#, 215#, 225#, 235#, 225#.

ヒバゴン

HIBAGON is the band's name. Our 1st show is tonight at a loft party. 470 flushing. X Bones Brigade, Atakke, Cuddle Machines, Same-Sex Dictator. We play "late." Get Awesome.

Blog Move

I am going to start blogging at the Affinitycycles.com site. So no more draftingnyc.blogspot.com. I am on the Twitter now too. TTFN!

Ride AMRAP Ride

This morning I took a little recovery ride through Prospect Park with Rick. It was such a nice day, the park was packed at 9:00 AM when we got there. It was such a pleasant experience. Spring in winter. I went to my girlfriend's house and we talked about the possibility of my being gone to LA for 4-8 months. It's going to be hard but I feel it will temper our relationship, really test to see if it was meant to be.

I did the AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) I missed from yesterday. It was:
row 250 m
21 95# sumo deadlift high pull
15 pullups

It was tough. I got four rounds in. The row was good, I set the baffle at 10 and kept my pace around 1:40/500m, my first round of sdhp's I broke down into 7 rep setlets and the pullups into 5 rep setlets. By the third round I was doing 3 rep setlets on both. On my 4th round I was doing singles by the end of the pullups. As I started the pullups I had 45 seconds left. I literally got my last pull up in the last second of 20 min. It was dope!

New Edition is way better than Bel Biv Devoe

audition tape from Mario Ferrari on Vimeo

So this is the second audition tape I have made for Quest for G. I pretty much made it yesterday, with a little help from Luke. It's definitely better than the first one. I am glad I made it, because I almost didn't. They have yet to tell me if I get to go to boot camp. Fingers crossed!

Fingers Crossed

So I have jumped through the flaming zero, climbed the highest mountains
to finish my audition tape, got it in just under the deadline. All I can do now is sit back and trust that these people can see that I am the shit.

Mission G

So they used me for their commercial for the show. I feel like the cat is out of the bag. I saw this at one in goddamn after finishing my audition tape. Ken Stanek sent me a text: "I am looking at your face on the Gatorade website. Way to go."

This Machine Kills Hipsters

My buddy in Seattle, Matt, came up with these stickers a couple of years ago and has been passing them out at messenger events. He started a blog (thismachinekillshipsters.blogspot.com) to follow the proliferation of them across the world. I got a little blog love in there the other day. So here's some blog love back from the hippest harbinger of the track bike apocolypse (with the tightest pants of anyone I know).

Audition Tape

So this is the video I sent into those casting people. Fingers crossed.

Alex from Luke Stiles on Vimeo.

Phelps is my new hero, backwards hat and all.

Michael Phelps admitted yesterday to smoking weed, FUCK YEAH! He's the most winningest Olympian (in one Olympics) of all time. He's being put through the ringer for hitting a bong at South Carolina frat party. It seems that most of his sponsors are sticking by him, that his appology was sincere enough to keep the millions rolling in.

I have *high* hopes that our own esteemed leader, BarrO, will legalized the sacred sacrement, or at least end the prohibition as a way to curb government spending and boost the economy. I would gladly suffer four year of economic shit if it meant a second term legalization move by the POTUS.

I smoked a lot of weed since I started, oh, about 16 years ago. I recently quit so that I could pee clean for this years racing season. The withdrawls have for the most part subsided, two weeks later. Dramamine an L-Theanine have helped (thanks Mom!) me relax and get good sleep again. I am a little pissed that my only choice for a vice is alcohol. Booze is so bad for you, really makes me feel like shit. Nevermind my extensive family history of alcoholism, and my own expiriences, traials and tribulations with the hard stuff. The wagon is a bumpy ride Mr. Phelps. I'm holding on tight, are you?

Friday Was a Good Day

Taught a spin class in the morning. Felt good. Went to band practice, and our new singer Josh showed up and we got the PA to work and he sang. It was magic. He's got talent and experience, knows what sounds good. He used to sing for Cuddle Machines around here and was in 16, a seminal sludge metal band that did two amazing splits with Grief that I remember loving when I was 19/20. Stoked. I checked my email and Annie from Quest for G casting sent word that I had made it to the second round of casting and I needed to send another audition tape in, this one 10 minutes long, by Monday.

Cue freak out. I rode to Affinity to talk with Jay about this impossible task. I totally had a panic attack. I GChatted w/ Luke and he was slammed with work this weekend and couldn't help. He helped me out so much with the last video I couldn't bitch. He's my life coach. Really.

I gave Danimal a call and he set me straight about how I should approach it. I took the impossible and broke it down into small tasks and got Luke to agree to let me barrow his apartment and computer to edit the footage on Saturday night. I found a camera to barrow. They wanted people in my life to talk in this tape about me as an athlete. I decided to just set up the camera in Affinity on Saturday and shoot who ever would come by, go shoot at Crossfit, talk to the coaches there and just slap it together quick and dirty using leftovers from the first tape. 

I had a plan and it was time to de-stress doing some squats. I left the shop headed home to get ready for the gym and my second spin class of the day. Colin called me to tell me about a new client. I told him that all this management was getting to be too much without enough money coming back in return. He agreed. We decided that it was time for some other people in our collective to start pulling more weight.

I squatted 235# 5 reps, 3 sets. Did 50# weighted pullups 4 reps, 3 sets. Taught a good class too. My attitude was been super positive. I checked my email and the woman casting the show sent me an email saying that the first audition was all they needed from me. I called her up to confirm this and she gave me the dates for the "boot camp." So glad I called. She thought she emailed me the dates but she realized during our conversation she didn't. Questions answered! 

I ate some food with Elizabeth and we drank a bottle of wine. We saw Frost Nixon. It was good. The end bothered me. It left you with the impression that Nixon was a broken man after that. In reality he was consulted by every president following him on foreign policy matters, including Clinton. He was a true statesman.

The New Atakke

Yesterday I did "Elizabeth" the workout at Crossfit NYC Black Box. Both my girlfriend and my mother share that name. Anywho it 21-15-9 reps of squat cleans and ring dips. I did it in 16 min with 115# cleans and unassisted ring dips. Last time I did it with 95# cleans and used a rubber band to help with the dips. Plus I learned how to kip my dips. Progress feels good!

That night Elizabeth and I went to see Atakke last night for the first time since they kicked me out. They played with Amebix and Kylesa. A whole bill of gibberish band names. I got there early and Atakke was sound checking, they sounded good.

My old train hopping friend Toby was there. Blast from the past, yo! I spent the bulk of 2001 riding freight trains across the country with her. I was awesome to see her. We chatted a bunch. My old boss, Ian, from Dragonfly Courier was there too. He'd been laid off from the architectural fabrication job he took after selling Dragonfly and was looking for work. He asked me for a job. It was depressing.

Seeing Atakke suck, sucked. They were sloppy sounding and Nick (the guy who replaced me) was stiff, barely moving. By the end of the set they were out of tune. My lady friend gave me a Twinkie for some reason and sheer willpower kept me from throwing at them. They ruined my band. I think would have been happier (jealous but happier) if they were better without me, but they weren't. It was just sad.

Kylesa just killed it. I was rocking out hard until this one drunk kid ruined it. He kept getting on stage and putting his arm around Laura while she was playing. My girlfriend pulled him off stage twice and he hurt himself pretty bad. I was in a shit mood, so once he this happened I went from rocking out to watching this kid to see if he would fuck with Elizabeth so I could justify beating him up. When their set was over I turned to the guy next to me and said "If that kid stage dived one more time I was gonna steal his shoes." He replied with "I tried but they were double knotted."

I left two songs into Amebix. I have to admit I like their artwork way better than their music. Kinda like the Velvet Underground. Out front I watched the bouncers fuck with a drunk punk kid trying to get in to see Amebix while Elizabeth talked to her friend Scott from when she worked at NY Mag. Ian came around the corner, stumbling drunk and tried to get back in and the bouncers wouldn't let him back in either. He shared a cigarette with the young mohican as we hailed a taxi back to Brooklyn.

Thrash Crust

1 rep thrusters 7 times. 170 #. I am buff.

Crossfit Total Strength Gains

DL=275#

SQT=275#

PRS=145#

TOTAL=695#

Just Letting it All Hang Out

1 rep hang power cleans

198# (body weight! personal record!)

Big Day/Blog Love

So check this out. Friday morning I taught my usual spin class, hopped on a train to Northport Long Island to buy a Greco Flying V Bass. Two hour round trip. Came back went to band practice. Went home took a nap.

I spent the week chasing down footage for this audition tape, and now I had to actually get it in my hands. I had to meet Jon Van Tuliken at Columbia at 4:00 p.m. to pick up what we shot of a unfinished short film and then downtown to 115 Broadway by 5:00 p.m. to meet Mike from Kissena Track Racing Blog. I woke up late and I didn't leave my house until 4 o'clock. I got to Columbia at 4:40 met JVT and then had to book it 7 miles across Manhattan to catch Mike as he got out of work. I met him at 5:15. I had another spin class to teach at 6:30, so I couldn't really mince words. He snapped a couple of pics, which he posted on his blog. Thanks Mike.

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Hangin' Tough

1 rep max hang power cleans. 190# a personal record. I remember when, not too long ago, I couldn't deadlift 190, let alone clean it. Crossfit gets the goods.

Fame and Fortune Await Me Across the Sea

So what follows is my response to the email that Victor sent to me yesterday for this documentary/reality show that is casting a NYC messenger to race for reals. I think I am a perfect fit, but I have to convince them.

Hello Marc. I was referred to you by Victor Ouma regarding your documentary for XXXXXXXXX. My name is Alex Farioletti, and I have been a New York City bike messenger for the last six years. I am also cat 3 track racer and the current New York State Champion in Keirin racing. I will be a good subject for your documentary, as I am both a bike messenger and a track racer who has the potential and discipline to be competitive on a national level, possibly beyond. I also have a very unique back story and lifestyle (there aren't very many tattooed metalheads in the track racing world) that would be good fodder for a documentary.

I grew up in Weed, California and was raised by my mother. I left home for the Bay Area and junior college before finishing high school, and it wasn't long before I felt stifled by school, so I left to ride freight trains for a year. I lived in Portland for a year, working in the tech industry; it was there that I stopped driving completely and started riding my bike everywhere.

I quickly grew sick of cubicle life. An old friend of my mother's needed a roommate and offered me a cheap place to live in New York City. So I moved here in 2003 intent on working as a messenger, the only job I have ever really wanted. I started racing in alleycats and it wasn't long before I started winning. I won Stupor Bowl 8 in 2005, the biggest alleycat in the world. I won the skid event at the Cycle Messenger World Championships in Sydney Australia the next year and the sprint event at the 2007 North American Cycle Courier Championships. The messenger racing scene was my life, it was during this time that I opened Trackstar, a track bike boutique in the East Village.

My success in the underground prompted me to pursue competitive cycling more seriously. I quit the bike shop and I started racing on the track two years ago with the goal of a national title in the match sprint. In 2008, I won the Keirin and took silver in the match sprint at the New York State Track Championships. I couldn't afford a coach and I wasn't racing for any organized team. I did it all by myself, all while founding my own messenger collective and rehearsing, gigging and touring with my metal band Atakke. I am no longer in the band, and I am completely focused on the 2009 racing season. I training to compete at the Elite Track National Championships.

I love the unique people, opportunities for travel, and freedom cycling has given me. I have ridden my bike around the world; competing in races all over the US and in Australia, Japan, Switzerland and Ireland. I am very competitive and a natural athlete. I love how pressure brings out the best in me and my opponents. The lessons that I have learned through racing have helped me overcome some large obstacles in my life. This documentary would be an ideal opportunity for me, and I am excited at the thought of what I can accomplish with the right training and resources.

I look forward to talking to you more.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

I got shit for sleep. Blake threw a party for his friends from Boston, Ramming Speed, Saturday night. I didn't go, but I got both my roommates, Natalia and Jessica, to go. The both came home, with guests at 5:30 and 6:30 respectively. In the goddamn. I had to wake up kinda early so that I could teach my spin class Sunday morning. I need some ear plugs.

I put on some books on tape and I got some sleep, woke up a little late so I had to workout after class. Class was full, and I did a 5x5 squat set at 215# afterwards. I skipped Crossfit because they were doing 5x3 deadlifts and I did a 5x5 on Friday.

I came home and Blake and Kayla had just gotten back from brunch with Natalia. Jessica awoke and Nats brought out a bottle of tequila. This is at 2pm. They were still going at midnight when Elizabeth came over and we disembarked for her house.

This morning when I got home I found Jessica and Natalia in Kris' bed and bloody napkins all over the kitchen. Jessica slipped on the stars and had a 1-2" cut above her brow. If I had stayed I would still be in the E.R.

It's like they made a TV show for me!

Victor passed this email on to me. I got pretty excited.

Hello Victor. This will be a weird one for you... I've been hired by XXXXXXXXX to cast a documentary that will follow eight athletes as they train for up to 8 months out here in Los Angeles. One of our sports is cycling and they specifically said they would love to get a NYC bike messenger to come train and compete to see how far he/she could go in a competitive cycling environment (different from yours). Anyhow, they want this sort of "out of nowhere" story line, so I'm coming to you. Does this sound like something anyone you know might be interested in? They would have to be seriously committed as they would be put up in a place to stay. Be paid a weekly stipend. Train at least five days a week with serious trainers that we provide. They would have some of the worlds top nutritional scientists from the XXXX (XXXXXXXXX sports and science institute) working with them, etc. It's for anywhere form 4-8 months out here in L.A. If this sounds interesting AT ALL please don't hesitate to get in touch. Thanks for your time.