I got into BERKELEY!!!!!

I got a call tonight, the day before the decision release date! Berkeley class sizes are only 240 kids, so I am absolutely beside myself that I got in! Still in a little shock....

What a process. I am still waiting to hear from Darden, Wharton (waitlisted), and Columbia, but cant really think of any reason to pass up this awesome WEST Coast opportunity!

Say Anything

Motivation is an interesting topic. Yesterday, for some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to take a route next to the bay out to the Contes ride (shore drive). Wick, T-karnes, and myself left my house with a posting of 29 degrees on the temp indicator. I am 100% certain that I lost time of my life for putting in those 40 miles. It was a cold that is difficult to comprehend. You would sweat, and then a wind would crush my desire to ride further as a chill spread through my body. So the rest of yesterday and all of today have been a state of unhappiness and just feeling sick. I was supposed to ride with K-dogg and am sorry that I missed it. Turns out, he was sick all week. Maybe I was lucky by only having two days of un-greatness.

A year long project is coming to completion. The below TT rig is finally disc complete. Only a couple more bits and I'll have a dream bike. I am excited to learn this discipline. In so many ways, Time Trialing is the purest form of riding--that and getting your 6-inch trail bike on at San Diego's Noble Canyon. The absolute best moments of my riding life have been at Noble Canyon.

Lastly, this Tuesday is a huge day for me. This is the first time since 1994 that I have had to make a decision about my career (that was senior year in HS by the way). So I am praying that I score acceptance and get a very nice offer of admission to Berkeley. Tuesday is going to be really good or really bad.

The couple pics below are just some fun rides from the past. First is a moab pic with a white rimmed wheel before white was rage.

This pic is Noble canyon runout after a symphonic section of flow.

Sometimes, technical clothing is whats in the back of a friends car. Who keeps a sweater like this in their car?

PROPS

Just to be on this team is an accomplishment. My friend Tyler (front left) is looking good in the team photo. Keep ridin kid and who knows what'll happen. Just remember us little guys!

Read more about tyler: http://www.hincapieracing.com/

Or check out his blog at http://www.tkarnesblog.blogspot.com/

Tuesday is the Decision day for Berkeley and then Friday the 1st is Darden (UVA's) decision day. I have been unable to sleep I am so anxious.

Berkeley MBA

I am at mcarren and hate to admit that I already checked on southwest
how much it would cost to push my flight back one day. Las vegas
layovers aside, my trip was very productive.

I was able to stay at a friends house while she and her boyfriend
enjoyed their weekend pass at Heavenly. That in itself should give
you an idea about some I'd the differences Haas offers- no class on
Fridays! Anyway, I enjoyed dinner in downtown Berkeley on Friday
niight and then a viewing of Cloverfield.

A friend borrowed my truck and managed to lock the keys in the truck
as it was running. So I lost a good 16 mins of the movie but enjoyed
it otherwise. Nothing more than movie entertainment.

I woke up Saturday and spent a couple hours preparing for my
interview. I walked to the Berkeley school and found 100 other
applicants ampere for super saturday. I ran into another Annapolis
kid and enjoyed sharing stories with him.

After a brief intro to the day, we had lunch with a student. Then,
two hours of informational sessions. Finally, I had my interview. My
interviewer was a cal under Grad who went to work for the haas school
right after graduation. She was at least 4 years younger than me so
that was a little awkward. But it was an enjoyable experience because
I love telling sea stories. Most of them incredible and she was
easily amused. I believe that worked in my favor.

After the interview, we toured the school and then went to a mixer at
a local hotel. Cool.

I really like the feel of haas and am excited about jan 29--decision
day.

Most of you know that the west coast suits me and my mentality. It
would be an awesome place to go to school. One of their slogans is
confidence without arrogance. That makes a lot of sense to me.

Also cool to note is that this entire blog posting was completed via
my cell phone. Communications are improving on the world daily.

Decisions release dates: Berkeley-jan 29, UVA (darden)--feb 1.

No full throttle or coke this year!

What a beautiful clock tower on the Berkeley campus!

Cal clock tower at sunset

CAL BOUND!

I am off to Berkeley tomorrow to interview on Sat. Wish me luck!

Final Flyer Taken!

As I am a rider at the core, I feel the above accurately represents how I perceive options. For those so adept in all the lingo I maintain (military, pilot, bike racing, and gangster rap), a Flyer is a racer who just puts it all out there in an effort to win a race. That racer commits to his effort knowing that even if he doesnt win that particular race, he'll garner respect from the other racers --if he is able to hold off the peleton or initiate the move that selects the race winner.

This afternoon, amidst the 10 minute Norfolk snow flurries, I took my last flyer and submitted my last application to Columbia in New York, NY. Lucky application #6 was definitely easier than previous submissions but still a two week process and pain in my tail. I answered essay questions with the intention of showing who I am and my goals. I hope that someone on the admissions board sees me as unique--Navy pilot, Alaska grown, bike racer, gentleman, tsunami relief humanitarian. The more I dive into this particular world, the more I realize it is important to know someone, or have an amazing story. Since I only know about 10 people in general, I hope my story holds up.

Now two nights to prepare for a Berkeley interview in CA this Saturday!

Again, if you visit, please visit my comment page. Always curious!

And Hans, what is talking rain? Is that a vegas magic potion?

Blogging Instead of Writing

Just to be 100% clear, the "No Throttle for 2008" is still in full effect with no re-lapses. Great ride this morning everyone. After the 65 that Wick and I logged, I logged four hours in my bed, which was fantastic.

Now editing and then scrounging for food.

What Should I write for this Essay? HELP!!!

I am currently in my pain cave as I like to call it. I force myself into the computer room to write. Tonight, I am working on my Columbia application essays. I can tell you that after writing 20+ essays in the past couple of months--all about myself and how wonderful I am and how I am going to change the world with my business degree, I am about to vomit. But, I found out today that Columbia accepts applications from military people for $free.99 (I would have to pay $250 otherwise), so I figured I may as well submit an application. The worst Columbia can do is tell me No.

So I am contemplating one essay concerning the entrepreneurial mindset. "Explain how you have captured an opportunity." What a horrible essay. I initially penned a quip about buying and selling a home in socal, taking advantage of the hot market. I sent this email to a friend and he quickly reminded me that every soul in the past 5 years has done this and it probably lessens my chance for admission--yawn! So I am contemplating what else to write. ANy ideas?

On a completely separate topic, I called HBS and Stanford today. No interview invites yet but I was told both schools invite to interview up until the last day (right). So the twine is unravelling and I still choose to hang onto the last bit of hope. Then, after finding a blog from another MBA hunter, I find that HBS actually waitlists without interviewing. Ouch. Or yeah! depending on your perspective. So all is not lost with respect to #s 1 & 2.

Wick and I rolled a quick 25 today. It was a welcome change from the office. It was funny because I remind Wick that riding his million dollar white sidis in the winter is a bad idea. Today was day 3 for him riding them and it started to rain. I have never seen him climb the Berkley bridge so fast. He really wants to keep his shoes white--good man.

There are so many places in my life where I think snobs and pretentious people suck. But everyone who knows me well understands that I love being a bike snob. The amazing thing is, there are people who are more of a bike snob that me (fowler comes to mind, maybe the S in SR racing too).

White shoes for 2008!!!! (only on sunny days)

I'm off to enjoy an episode of my recent addiction:

Bathroom Cleaning Day

I am so unmotivated to finish my last application for Business School--Columbia. So unmotivated in fact, that I cleaned each toilet in my house before I started writing these last four essays. Rough. I just need a pick-me-up. I have been laying off the Full Throttle and today marks day 9 without one. I figure thats pretty good.

I was stoked to get in 60 miles with Wick yesterday. He's going to be a good racer this year. But I am working on his fashion sense. View rough socks below.

I am the worlds biggest idiot and somehow managed to strip out my derailleur hanger dropout on my Scott. I have Roberio working his south American magic on the bike, keep your fingers crossed that I'll get the bike back without having to give up my 1st born son. I find out more on Friday. Hippster, you wont find a better bike so be careful when assembling your bike in the dark at the airport!

For those that know and love me, I am flying out to Berkeley next friday to interview. Its a very selective school but I would love to be out there. Probably known for mostly for its liberal and leftist view on EVERYTHING, I think I would bring some diversity to that B school class.

Finally, I am finding out that some people are reading my blog--beyond what I thought was a four person contingent. That being said, please leave some kind of comment if you see, feel, hear, know anything interesting or thought provoking.

Resolutions Smesolutions

I am pretty sure that every rider who knows me likes riding with me. Presumptuous you say? The truth of the matter is that there are few people on a bike who are 200+ pounds. Its not that I am slow or have a complex or any of that mess. I am just a huge rider. At least once every ride I catch a "look at those tree trunk legs" or someone conviently lets me slip in front of them during the paceline shuffle. So my new years resolution is to stop drinking sugary soda. The main culprit is touted as an energy drink and can too often be found in my hand. At $2.50 a can (from 7-11) I figure I'll be ahead at least $100 a month. My friends actually ask myself if I have throttled myself yet (today) considering I always drink this crap. Good job with marketing Coke Co, but you will no longer see me enjoying your super energy mainstay:

On a very good note, I managed to pull myself out of bed at 645 this morning and met the hilltop contes peeps for a quick 75. Beatiful day, beautiful ride. I seriously can think of no better way to ring in the new year than to get in a ride on a beautiful day. Wick broke his cleat so we missed the last of the ride. Still epic.

Doping in cycling? Not in 757! or eh, what?