Cycling Through Grit: Reflections on ‘Return of the King’

I just watched, while cycling on the trainer in the gym, Return of the King, the full 2024 season, a documentary series about Ted King.

Ted King used to be a professional cyclist, who last rode for the Cannondale-Garmin ProTeam in 2006. Fast forward a few years, a family with two kids, and other responsibilities. The series documents his journey as a gravel racer.

It’s a simple yet powerful story about the toughness of cycling and the determination it takes. Watching it was a great reminder that success isn’t just about winning, but about the journey and the grit. If you’re into cycling, this one’s worth a watch.

March 5, 2025 cycling

Fafo

Today, I learned a new term: FAFO, Fuck Around, Find Out. Actions have consequences.

The term recently came up in US politics. Interestingly, it was used on both sides of the isle. Seems lots of fucking around going there in Washington.

March 5, 2025

Safari, Not for Work

TL;DR - If you are using Google Workplace applications, then Safari isn’t for you. Duh!

My experiment to switch to Safari as my default browser at work failed.

The impetus for my experiment was two-fold:

1. I couldn’t figure out a problem¹ with Google Docs font size in a specific Google Chrome Profile.
2. Google Chrome reader mode is crap. I love Safari’s Reader mode.

I switched to Safari, set up two profiles (Personal, Work), and imported my bookmarks.

The first issue I ran into is that you cannot separate bookmarks per profile. That’s not a big deal as you can organize the bookmarks into two folders: Personal and Work. Yet, your favorites aren’t by profile.

There are a number of other nits such as a list-view of the open tabs. However there will always be differences in look and feel. It is just a matter of getting used to it.

I missed search-keywords. I use them frequently to search directly in Jira or in Google Drive.

The bigger issues why I cannot use Safari at work relate to Google Workplace. This is not a surprise, though I expected better from Google. There are a number of issues:

• I frequently needed to reload Google Docs as it got stuck.
• Some features are not supported in Safari, e.g., paste from Markdown.
• Google Meet backgrounds aren’t supported in Safari.
• Some Google Cloud features don’t work in Safari.

I kept running into one after another. If you are using Google Workplace, then Safari is not for you. Duh.

March 3, 2025

My AI-Trained Training Coach

Finding a sports medicine specialist is not easy. Similarly, matching a highly-rated and knowledgeable endurance coach is a lot of effort and not cheap. As my recent experience with a nutritionist validated, most often you get basic recommendations, that you can find with a little bit of reading.

Is There an Expert in the House?

I have been training for several years now. Mostly cycling, but also running, swimming, and lifting weights. I eat a pescatarian diet and stopped drinking alcohol more than 450 days ago. I focus on my sleep quality. I track several health and performance stats. My doctor confirms all bloodwork looks stellar. Scans and tests by cardiologist confirmed great heart health.

My results have been improving. I am getting stronger on my bicycle and I regularly break cycling PRs. In the pool, I am able to swim longer distances. I lift heavier weights.

Except, there is one nagging and stubborn health stat: my weight hasn’t budged a whole lot, at most 10 pounds.

My first idea was a lack of protein. Sure, it is always a bit of struggle to eat enough protein. Yet, there have been a number of studies that show my protein intake is within the range. The rule of thumb, 1g protein per pound of body weight, may be overkill.

My current thesis has been that I may be training wrong. I find it curious how my average heart rate on a long ride, 150bpm, is rather high, especially when compared to other riders. I have no problem riding in the 150-160bpm range for a long period. My cardiologist sees no issues with it either. I suspect my body is accustomed to training in zone 3 and above. Yet, this type of training, isn’t leverage my fat reserves and therefore not impacting my weight.

I find it difficult to “just pedal”. There is no mountain I am not attacking with a vengeance. On the long stretches, let’s put the hammer down. To be clear, all this effort is relative. I am far from anything resembling a fast amateur.

How can I get an expert to weigh in on this? After a few unsuccessful Google sessions to find a sports doctor or coach, the light bulb went off. Let’s try ChatGPT or Gemini.

Consulting a Different Kind of Expert

My best results have been discussing my challenge with ChatGPT. Here’s the prompt I used:

I am a 51 year old male. I am 5 feet 9 inches and weigh 188 lbs. I work out 5 times a week. On Saturday I do a 50+ mile cycle trip. During the week, I work out 1 hour per day and alternate: I swim 1000 yards per sessions, I lift weights for an hour, I do yoga, or indoor cycling. I may also cycle to work and back which is 11 miles one way. I eat a pescatarian diet and don’t drink alcohol. 75% of my meals are home made. As a sport medicine specialist and endurance coach, ask me questions to figure out why I am not loosing weight. Ask me other workout or health stats. Ask me one question at a time. Feel free to follow up on previous answers.

The result was a long conversation about my habits, my health and performance stats, my food, and even a grocery shopping list.

ChatGPT asked me several questions throughout:

• Let’s start with your daily caloric intake. On average, how many calories do you consume per day, and do you track macros (protein, carbs, fats)?
• Have you measured your RMR/BMR before, or noticed signs of slowed metabolism?
• How intense are your workouts, particularly cycling and weightlifting?
• Does this match how you feel after your rides? Do you feel depleted, strong, or unusually hungry afterward?
• What do you eat after your ride, and when do you have your first meal after a long ride?

It identified two issues: my workouts are too intense and poor post-ride energy compensation.

My post-ride nutrition is primarily fast-digesting carbs with little protein. This is great for quick glycogen replenishment, but it doesn’t support muscle recovery and may lead to hunger spikes later.

What’s Likely Happening?

1. Blood Sugar Spikes & Crashes
   • Gummy bears + alcohol-free beer = quick energy spike, but no protein or fat to slow digestion → crash + hunger later
   • This can lead to higher calorie intake later in the day, even if it’s not tracked.
2. Muscle Recovery Isn’t Optimized
   • Post-workout protein is critical to preserve lean mass and promote fat loss.
   • Without enough protein (20-30g post-ride), your body may break down muscle instead of fat for fuel.
3. Subconscious Overcompensation
   • Even if you eat a “small” meal, your body will crave more calories later due to the intense ride and lack of balanced refueling.
   • This can lead to eating back your deficit over the next 24-48 hours.

It is very plausible.

Until now, my conversations with my doctor or a nutritionist never even got to this level of analysis.

My Action Plan for the Coming Weeks

ChatGPT suggestion the following action plan:

🔥 Your Action Plan for Fat Loss & Endurance Optimization

1️⃣ Post-Ride Nutrition Fix

• ✅ Eat 20-30g protein within 30-60 min after long rides
• ✅ Replace gummy bears & alcohol-free beer with a balanced meal:
  • Greek yogurt + fruit + nuts
  • Protein smoothie (whey/plant-based) + banana
  • Cottage cheese + honey + seeds
  • Scrambled eggs on whole-grain toast

2️⃣ Increase Daily Protein to 120-150g

• ✅ Eat protein-rich meals every day
• ✅ Include lean fish (cod, salmon, sardines, shrimp) and plant-based sources (chickpeas, lentils, eggs, Greek yogurt)

3️⃣ Adjust Cycling Training for Fat Loss

• ✅ Increase Zone 2 training (aim for 50-60% of ride time in Z2)
• ✅ Keep higher-intensity (Z4-Z5) in controlled intervals

4️⃣ Grocery Shopping List 🛒

• 🐟 Protein Sources (Low Mercury, High Protein)
  • ✅ Cod fillets (at least 2-4 servings)
  • ✅ Salmon (wild-caught) (fresh or frozen)
  • ✅ Sardines (canned in water or olive oil)
  • ✅ Shrimp (high-protein, low-fat)
  • ✅ Eggs (for variety & muscle repair)
  • ✅ Greek yogurt (plain, high-protein)
  • ✅ Cottage cheese
  • ✅ Tofu/Tempeh (if you want plant-based variety)
• 🥦 High-Fiber Carbs & Veggies
  • ✅ Quinoa or brown rice (to pair with protein)
  • ✅ Chickpeas & lentils (extra protein & fiber)
  • ✅ Leafy greens (spinach, arugula, bok choy)
  • ✅ Broccoli & bell peppers (high in nutrients)
• 🥑 Healthy Fats (For Balance & Satiety)
  • ✅ Avocados
  • ✅ Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios)
  • ✅ Olive oil
  • ✅ Chia & flaxseeds (great in yogurt/smoothies)
• 🍓 Post-Workout & Snack Fixes
  • ✅ Bananas & berries (quick energy + vitamins)
  • ✅ Protein powder (whey or plant-based) (for quick post-workout recovery)
  • ✅ Whole-grain wraps or bread (for easy post-ride meals)
• 💡 Next Steps: 👉 Try this plan for 2-4 weeks and track:
  • ✅ Energy levels
  • ✅ Hunger & cravings
  • ✅ Weight & body composition changes

Let’s go!

March 1, 2025 alc2025

I Still Remember the Day of the Verdict

The Netflix four-part documentary series revisiting the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman and the trial of O.J. Simpson is riveting.

When I moved to California in the mid-nineties, I landed smack in the middle of the trial.

O.J. Simpson was a big deal here, yet, he was largely unknown in Europe. Juice who? What’s a Heisman trophy? A Bronco is a car? Oh, the black guy in the Naked Gun movie. That was the extent of what I knew about O.J. Simpson.

I arrived in the summer of 1995 in California. The shock of the murders and the excitement of the white Bronco chase from 1994 was well behind us. Also, the novelty of being able to watch a trial from your couch had worn off. Among my friends, the trial had become background noise.

I barely watched anything about it. While I knew who Judge Ito and Johnnie Cochran were, the Kardashian last name didn’t mean anything to me until a decade later..

The trial and public attention shifted when LAPD’s Mark Fuhrman took the stand. For many, Fuhrman’s racist comments evoked memories of 1992 when LAPD officers beat Rodney King, which eventually resulted in the LA riots. Johnny Cochran knew Fuhrman had dealt him a winning hand.

That brings me to the day of the verdict. The jury reached a decision in record time, in less than a day. Not guilty!

I can still remember that October Tuesday in San Jose. The weather was warm. In the evening, my friends picked me up in a 70s Ford LTD convertible to go to downtown. Would there be celebrations? Would there be riots? They were prepared for everything: they were packing! It was one of the first time America’s gun culture hit me in the face. Young men and women don’t walk around with guns where I grew up.

I will always equate the verdict of OJ’s trail with my innocence shattered.

February 27, 2025

Execution Is a Dash, Planning and Project Management Is a Triathlon

Move fast and break things. Unless you break things, you aren’t moving fast enough.

Mark Zuckerberg’s adage gets thrown around all too quickly. There’s some truth to it—if you’re never breaking things, maybe you’re not taking enough risks. And without risk, there’s no innovation, and no profits.

But aspiring to break things can make us bad engineers. It leads to half-baked products, brittle code, and software that falls apart with the next update. Execution requires speed, but speed alone isn’t enough.

The Sprint Versus the Triathlon

Execution is a sprint—a dash to the next release, milestone, or customer. Speed matters.

But product development is an endurance sport. It is not about version 1. Version 1 is often the easiest product you will create. No customer-reported bugs. No requests for enhancements yet.

Like a triathlon, product development requires balance. A triathlon is about balancing your energy between three disciplines: swimming, cycling, and running.

Planning and managing a project works the same way. You balance between various aspects of the product: adding new features, maintaining the product and supporting existing customers, and evolving the development and deployment infrastructure. Optimizing one area while neglecting another will eventually hurt your product’s overall performance. Planning is finding that balance.

Training for the Long Game

It is important to include rest days and tapering periods in your endurance training schedule. The same is true in product development. Take time to reflect, conduct a retrospective, or allow the team to recharge between releases or sprints. Technical debt is like muscle fatigue - ignore it too long and you’ll face bigger problems.

Long endurance races demand preparation for changing conditions. Triathletes train in various weather scenarios—from choppy waters to sudden downpours while on the bike. They adapt.

The same is true for product development. The team needs to be ready and flexible to adapt to changing market conditions or competitor moves.

The product lifecycle shares many parallels with triathlon competition: equipment maintenance (infrastructure upkeep), understanding different terrain (market segments), nutrition plans (resource allocation), and mental training (team resilience).

While developers often feel they’re sprinting, product and project managers should approach building products like triathlon coaches—with an eye on both immediate performance and long-term endurance.

February 19, 2025

Gathering Steam

January is a challenging month to train. It rains in Northern California. There are birthdays and wedding anniversaries. There is an all company weeklong gathering.

And yet, I was able to get a few Saturday rides in, in between the rain and spun indoors with Mary. I spent plenty of time in the pool. And, I got my new (used) road bike fitted.

ALC 2025 is becoming more real. I went to the NorCal Expo and saw so many excited faces. This is no longer a next year endeavor. This is in a few months! Argh. I need to get more out on the bike. May the weather gods be benevolent.

Fundraising Update

I’ve raised $2,993, thanks to donations from friends and some compassionate anonymous angels. Thank you!

In terms of putting that on the ALC course: I made it out of Santa Maria and meet up again with the Pacific Ocean in Ventura. With a little push, I’ll make it around Point Dume to the Santa Monica finish line.

February 13, 2025 alc2025

Defending Tradition: The Cultural Battleground in Sheridan’s America

The past presidential election results hardly surprised anyone paying attention to Taylor Sheridan’s hit shows on Paramount+. Through Yellowstone and Landman, Sheridan portrays a traditional America under siege — one where rugged Montana ranchers and hardworking Texas oil workers fight to preserve their way of life.

These shows resonate because they capture the mounting pressures facing rural and working-class communities:

California’s new rich descend on cattle country, eager to replace working ranches with golf courses and ski resorts. Down in Texas, oil workers face a pincer movement of climate activists and criminal cartels making their work nearly impossible.

Meanwhile, Wall Street poses its own threats. Banks and financiers reduce generations of tradition to spreadsheet calculations. Corporations and foreign investors circle family operations like vultures, viewing American resources as mere commodities to be traded. Bureaucrats who’ve never worked a day on the land pile on regulations that strangle honest labor.

With law enforcement stretched thin across vast territories and borders left vulnerable, these communities find themselves alone in their struggle. The government offers no help. In Sheridan’s America, taking the law into one’s own hands — through legal means or otherwise — becomes not just justified but necessary.

Enter John Dutton and Tommy Norris, reluctant warriors who step up to fight the good fight. These men stand as the last defense of traditional America, protecting multi-generational ranchers and oilmen who truly understand the land against foreigners, immigrants, cartels, and coastal elites. Bring in the marines, the wrestlers and the clowns.

Sheridan has done more than create entertaining television — he’s tapped directly into the zeitgeist of rural and blue-collar America. His shows don’t just reflect the cultural divide; they may have helped shape the 2024 election results.

February 13, 2025

Not an Unauthorized Guest Post by Ron Howard

The following letter goes around on Facebook as written by Ron Howard. It is not written by Ron, nor is it recent.

As usual these days, little that is freely posted on the internet or that is amplified on social media is what it seems. It might as well have started with “The untold truth about”, “What mainstream media doesn’t want you to know” or have been written by a retiree-now-turned-sleuth.

Nevertheless, labels aside, there is a lot in the letter below I subscribe to.

Below is the letter as I saw it on Facebook.

“I’m a liberal, but that doesn’t mean what a lot of you apparently think it does. Let’s break it down, shall we? Because quite frankly, I’m getting a little tired of being told what I believe and what I stand for. Spoiler alert: not every liberal is the same, though the majority of liberals I know think along roughly these same lines:

1. I believe a country should take care of its weakest members. A country cannot call itself civilized when its children, disabled, sick, and elderly are neglected. PERIOD.
2. I believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Somehow that’s interpreted as “I believe Obamacare is the end-all, be-all.” This is not the case. I’m fully aware that the ACA has problems, that a national healthcare system would require everyone to chip in, and that it’s impossible to create one that is devoid of flaws, but I have yet to hear an argument against it that makes “let people die because they can’t afford healthcare” a better alternative. I believe healthcare should be far cheaper than it is, and that everyone should have access to it. And no, I’m not opposed to paying higher taxes in the name of making that happen.
3. I believe education should be affordable. It doesn’t necessarily have to be free (though it works in other countries so I’m mystified as to why it can’t work in the US), but at the end of the day, there is no excuse for students graduating college saddled with five- or six-figure debt.
4. I don’t believe your money should be taken from you and given to people who don’t want to work. I have literally never encountered anyone who believes this. Ever. I just have a massive moral problem with a society where a handful of people can possess the majority of the wealth while there are people literally starving to death, freezing to death, or dying because they can’t afford to go to the doctor. Fair wages, lower housing costs, universal healthcare, affordable education, and the wealthy actually paying their share would go a long way toward alleviating this. Somehow believing that makes me a communist.
5. I don’t throw around “I’m willing to pay higher taxes” lightly. If I’m suggesting something that involves paying more, well, it’s because I’m fine with paying my share as long as it’s actually going to something besides lining corporate pockets or bombing other countries while Americans die without healthcare.
6. I believe companies should be required to pay their employees a decent, livable wage. Somehow this is always interpreted as me wanting burger flippers to be able to afford a penthouse apartment and a Mercedes. What it actually means is that no one should have to work three full-time jobs just to keep their head above water. Restaurant servers should not have to rely on tips, multibillion-dollar companies should not have employees on food stamps, workers shouldn’t have to work themselves into the ground just to barely make ends meet, and minimum wage should be enough for someone to work 40 hours and live.
7. I am not anti-Christian. I have no desire to stop Christians from being Christians, to close churches, to ban the Bible, to forbid prayer in school, etc. (BTW, prayer in school is NOT illegal; compulsory prayer in school is - and should be - illegal). All I ask is that Christians recognize my right to live according to my beliefs. When I get pissed off that a politician is trying to legislate Scripture into law, I’m not “offended by Christianity” — I’m offended that you’re trying to force me to live by your religion’s rules. You know how you get really upset at the thought of Muslims imposing Sharia law on you? That’s how I feel about Christians trying to impose biblical law on me. Be a Christian. Do your thing. Just don’t force it on me or mine.
8. I don’t believe LGBT people should have more rights than you. I just believe they should have the same rights as you.
9. I don’t believe illegal immigrants should come to America and have the world at their feet, especially since THIS ISN’T WHAT THEY DO (spoiler: undocumented immigrants are ineligible for all those programs they’re supposed to be abusing, and if they’re “stealing” your job it’s because your employer is hiring illegally). I believe there are far more humane ways to handle undocumented immigration than our current practices (i.e., detaining children, splitting up families, ending DACA, etc).
10. I don’t believe the government should regulate everything, but since greed is such a driving force in our country, we NEED regulations to prevent cut corners, environmental destruction, tainted food/water, unsafe materials in consumable goods or medical equipment, etc. It’s not that I want the government’s hands in everything — I just don’t trust people trying to make money to ensure that their products/practices/etc. are actually SAFE. Is the government devoid of shadiness? Of course not. But with those regulations in place, consumers have recourse if they’re harmed and companies are liable for medical bills, environmental cleanup, etc. Just kind of seems like common sense when the alternative to government regulation is letting companies bring their bottom line into the equation.
11. I believe our current administration is fascist. Not because I dislike them or because I can’t get over an election, but because I’ve spent too many years reading and learning about the Third Reich to miss the similarities. Not because any administration I dislike must be Nazis, but because things are actually mirroring authoritarian and fascist regimes of the past.
12. I believe the systemic racism and misogyny in our society is much worse than many people think, and desperately needs to be addressed. Which means those with privilege — white, straight, male, economic, etc. — need to start listening, even if you don’t like what you’re hearing, so we can start dismantling everything that’s causing people to be marginalized.
13. I am not interested in coming after your blessed guns, nor is anyone serving in government. What I am interested in is the enforcement of present laws and enacting new, common sense gun regulations. Got another opinion? Put it on your page, not mine.
14. I believe in so-called political correctness. I prefer to think it’s social politeness. If I call you Chuck and you say you prefer to be called Charles I’ll call you Charles. It’s the polite thing to do. Not because everyone is a delicate snowflake, but because as Maya Angelou put it, when we know better, we do better. When someone tells you that a term or phrase is more accurate/less hurtful than the one you’re using, you now know better. So why not do better? How does it hurt you to NOT hurt another person?
15. I believe in funding sustainable energy, including offering education to people currently working in coal or oil so they can change jobs. There are too many sustainable options available for us to continue with coal and oil. Sorry, billionaires. Maybe try investing in something else.
16. I believe that women should not be treated as a separate class of human. They should be paid the same as men who do the same work, should have the same rights as men and should be free from abuse. Why on earth shouldn’t they be?

I think that about covers it. Bottom line is that I’m a liberal because I think we should take care of each other. That doesn’t mean you should work 80 hours a week so your lazy neighbor can get all your money. It just means I don’t believe there is any scenario in which preventable suffering is an acceptable outcome as long as money is saved.”

Ron Howard

February 12, 2025

A Strong Start of 2025

New goals, new bike, additional motivation. The year 2025 started strong with a sunny ride to Morgan Hill, along the Coyote Creek trail. This is becoming one of my favorite rides, with no cars, a relatively flat path, and beautiful scenery. With a refueling stop at The Running Shop and Hops brewery, and a climb to the Leroy Anderson dam, this is a great 30 miles workout.

Tridot

Tridot is a triathlon training platform, “The official Training Platform of Ironman”. They also run a great marketing campaign: Join our research program for free. This is basically a week trial + 2 free months for those who show interest. Brilliant.

I am impressed by their guidance and training videos. They offer swim, cycle, and run workouts straight to my Garmin devices. The swim workouts are perfect to kill the monotony of lap swimming. The run sessions keep you focussed on zone 2 training and going slow. The cycling workout was confusing. I couldn’t read the instructions on my Garmin Edge bicycle computer. Also, slow was just too slow to be fun.

My 2 month “research program” session starts on Tuesday. I do plan to give it a shot. To be clear, I am not aiming for an Ironman. My ambitious 2025 goal is finish an Olympic triathlon.

First Flat of the Year

I have been riding tubeless on my gravel bike for 2 years. The tubeless setup has served me excellently. The goo automatically plugged several punctures, only with one time, in the streaming rain. There is still a learning curve with the tape and refilling the goo. Yet, I’ve been a fan.

My new road bike has inner tubes. It is tubeless ready. But I didn’t go for that yet.

Today, on the third ride of the year, I got my first small puncture. I did struggle a bit with removing the tires. Yet, it all worked out eventually.

Fundraising Update

Before the end of 2024, I reach the $1500 ALC fundraising milestone. That brings me at 42% of meeting the participation minimum. With a little bit of help, and I will be half-way to Los Angeles.

January 5, 2025 alc2025