Happy Holidays

Every year on Christmas night our family reads a story after dinner. Usually it is the same story, the "Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, so I thought I would share it with you. Click Here to read it.

Happy Holidays to everyone.

Waffle Wednesday

Working for a food company has really brought out the "International Waffler" in me. So much so that it has worn off on my co-workers. I work in the Sports Retail sales group. Our group has taken it upon themselves to really represent the heart an soul of the company. In the past, we have done such things as "liberate" the company Foosball table from the finance department. Well, this week we started a new tradition, Waffle Wednesday. Our goals were rather simple. Eat some waffles. Oh, and how could I forget...the main topping was Nutella. We had a brief planning meeting on Monday where we decided on who was bringing what and then we just did it. Normally in similar events one would send out an all office e-mail. One of our (SR's) pet peeves is the all office e-mail banter. We were going to rely solely on word of mouth advertising as a sort of social experiment. Our theory was the people that would be up for waffles would somehow find out about it anyway. In the end, we ended up serving over 75 waffles..."great success." For the last two days, all anybody asked me was when was the next Waffle Wednesday. We did not want to set ourselves up for failure, so we gave ourselves plenty of time. It is going to be a regular occurrence, "Every third Wednesday in December, every four years. Rain cancels." I am sure that we will come up with some sneak attack sooner than that, but the bar has been set high, so we must ensure we outdo ourselves next time, hopefully sooner than the next planned "Waffle Wednesday."

More on the Waffle Wednesday can be found at the Clif Bar Blah Blah Blog

Enjoy the Waffle...

Friday Meeting

So I was in our year end meetings for two days last week at Clif Bar. In the building we have an intimate little auditorium that we use for a variety of events aside from our usual Thursday morning employee meeting. I have seen bands play there, film premieres and the launch of a group that is very dear to me The Tyler Hamilton Foundation. But Friday I never expected to see one particular individual whom I will reveal momentarily.

So keep in mind, it is the second day of highly entertaining meetings. We have an extremely brilliant and talented group of employees. So the presentations with seemingly boring topics are not only entertaining, but captivating. The previous day, the entire company watched "An Inconvenient Truth" while munching on popcorn. To an outsider, this may sound strange. A company actually urging it's employees to watch a film on company time. But we're different. Our company measures its success on five bottom lines. One of which is our impact on the environment and our progress towards not only becoming a "Carbon Neutral" company, but a "Restorative" company whereby our footprint on the earth is actually negative (we take away more emissions than we put in).

So on Friday, while watching another short DVD presentation, the DVD player skipped. All 180 of us sat waiting to resume the presentation, feeling a bit awkward for the people working the soundboard. They start playing some music (Queen none the less), pretty loud, and all of a sudden, BOOM, the stage lights come on and Al Gore is standing ten feet in front of me.

Needless to say, we were all in SHOCK and AWE (the good kind). He went on to speak for almost two and a half hours on all sorts of issues including a hefty Q & A session. Here is the press release from Clif Bar...


"Al Gore Delivers Surprise Speech at Clif Bar & Co.
Former VP’s Global Warming Message Coincides With Unveiling of
Nation’s First Employee Commute Incentive Program
to Reward Biodiesel Car Buyers

BERKELEY, Calif., Dec. 8, 2006 — Clif Bar & Co. received a surprise visit today from former Vice President Al Gore, whose inspiring talk about global warming coincided with the launch of the eco-focused food company’s groundbreaking Cool Commute program. Cool Commute is the nation’s first incentive program to pay cash to employees who purchase clean-burning biodiesel cars. It also helps them buy high-mileage hybrids and offers a variety of rewards to those who leave their cars at home altogether.

Gore drew resounding applause from the 180 people at Clif Bar’s annual meeting as he challenged the company to continue its efforts to reduce its impact on global warming. “There is a hunger in the business community for practical solutions on how to put environmental goals into action,” said Gore, whose film documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth, presents a powerful case for addressing global warming. “Companies are searching for pioneers that are examples of positive change.”

Clif Bar is a nationally-recognized leader in the fight against global warming—Gore’s top priority as an environmental advocate. Clif Bar’s new Cool Commute program helps tackle global warming at a personal level by paying $5,000 to employees who switch to biodiesel (B100) cars for their commutes. In addition to a cash incentive for biodiesel, Clif Bar also will pay $5,000 to its people who buy a fuel-friendly hybrid vehicle.

Along with incentives for driving more fuel-efficient cars, the Cool Commute program awards points to Clif Bar people who carpool or leave their cars at home and opt instead to walk, bike or take public transportation to work. Points can be redeemed for tax-free public transit vouchers or gift cards from Whole Foods Market, Peet’s Coffee and other local green businesses. Points can also be used to support environmental groups such as American Forests, Clean Air-Cool Planet and NativeEnergy.

“We found that collectively the folks at our company consumed about 29,500 gallons of gasoline commuting more than 700,000 miles to and from work in 2005,” said Elysa Hammond, Clif Bar’s staff ecologist and co-developer of the Cool Commute effort. “By encouraging our people to rely less on fossil fuels in their commutes, we can make a difference as a business when it comes to arguably the single biggest issue facing us all—global warming.”

“Our company measures its success not only on how well we sustain the business, but on how well we help sustain the planet,” said Clif Bar CEO Sheryl O’Loughlin, who sought out Gore for the company’s annual meeting. “We truly believe you can operate a thriving business that treads lightly on our environment.”

“Clif Bar is constantly looking for ways to reduce our ecological footprint,” said founder and owner Gary Erickson. “We’re using as many organic ingredients as possible, reducing waste in our packaging, ‘greening’ our office space and offsetting our climate impact by helping build wind farms and planting trees. There’s a lot more we can do—and we’re committed to that journey over the long haul.”

Gore encouraged other businesses to also think beyond quarterly earnings and consider the long term value of environmental stewardship. He said most businesses now “treat the environment as an externality,” which results in decisions that “ignore or are actively harmful to the planet.”

Cool Commute is the first phase of a larger Clif Bar initiative that will eventually help employees address their environmental impact at home as well as at work, according to Jennifer Freitas, the company’s wellness advocate and co-developer with Hammond of the Cool Commute program.

Clif Bar & Co. is a leading maker of all-natural and organic energy and nutrition foods and drinks, including the organic certified CLIF® BAR energy bar delivering nutrition for sustained energy; LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women®; Clif NectarÔ, the organic fruit and nut bar; and CLiF® ZBaRÔ, the energy bar that nourishes kids in motion. Committed to sustainability, Clif Bar & Co. works continuously to reduce its footprint on the planet from the field to the final product. " Thanks to Paul McKenzie for the great Photos.

So, if you are wondering how I am "settling" into my new life as a former pro cyclist...I'd say it's going pretty well so far. I do miss some of the epic rain rides this time of year...just a bit, but I don't miss HAVING to do it day in and day out.

Ride a bike. It's good for you, and it's good for us.
Enjoy the ride.

Fresh Tracks

Tahoe Rim Trail 10.28

For most of my comrades, this is the silly season. The time where the off season has come to a close, and it is time to get back to work. Last year, I already had a full month of base training under my belt. That meant a full month of riding 3-6 hours a day, six days a week. It is quite a treat to ride for that period of time and never have to ride hard...in fact it was discouraged. This is where the races are truly won...in the off season. The hard work starts now. Aspirations meet opportunity, and the only possibly way for the two to co-exist is through honest to goodness W-O-R-K.

I am missing the excitement of it all to some degree. To be out on the bike for ENDLESS hours, racking up some serious miles gives one a sense of satisfaction and achievement. Not to mention the clarity of mind. With the weather being as nice as it usually is in November in Northern California...it becomes almost infectious. Just when you start to get some confidence under your belt, SMACK in the face, the weather hits you. And from there on out, only the committed continue and hence, the cream will rise to the top.

Yesterday was one of those first "Test" days where the temperature drops below freezing in the pre-dawn hours. As I walked out my door to head to work , scraping the frost off my windshield, I couldn't help but offer up a moment of silence for those of you that were out doing what I used to do every morning, rain or shine...ride it out. While I was perfectly happy and comfortable in my down puffy coat and beanie, I couldn't help buy feel just a little jealous that I wasn't out suffering, building something for the summer.

Pinecrest Peak 11.04

For my comrades, yesterday was the first in a series of tests that will determine the results of some race in the middle of some unknown cattle ranch, on some pothole riddled road, in the middle of the summer, worlds away from today. Were you ridin'...or were you hidin'? Only "you" will truly know, and you only have you to blame one way or the other when the results will be revealed this summer.

I, on the other hand, don't feel the pressure to be out there. I did it, I enjoyed it, and now, I am on to something else. I don't feel the need to be out there and "train", I have found solace in simply riding, regardless of the weather. In fact, I would say I have probably logged more miles on my mountain bike in the past month than I have all last season. The more interesting thing is, I have done predominantly all of those miles in the Sierras, primarily in Tahoe. I have been up there virtually every weekend for the past two months. I can't seem to get enough of that place. I am fortunate enough to have a great group of friends that live there, and are always open to having me come up for the weekend.

Pinecrest Peak 11.04

Back in the day, I was on the road so much in the fall, I never really got to experience the changing of the season in Tahoe. My friends from back East would contest that the change out here pales in comparison, as I would agree, but it is stunning, none the less. This year, I have been really fortunate to watch Tahoe morph from a summer sanctuary into the winter wonderland that it is known for. I have been there to experience the cold nights and warm days of Octoberfest change to sub-freezing nights and cold days of Thanksgiving.

Tahoe 11.11

On my last trip over Thanksgiving, I was feeling like the ride I was on was almost like cheating Mother Nature in a way as there was a significant bit of snow on the ground and I was still riding my bike. The trail was almost unrecognizable at times, yet never unrideable. The downhills were like powder skiing as the snow flew from the sidewall of the tires as I carved the turns that the trail dictated. Freedom never felt so good.

Tahoe 11.25

The shadows told the story of a bike ride mimicking a ski run. A giant grin was plastered on my face as I started to remember why I loved skiing so much. I can't wait to get back to the other things I love...like skiing. I felt bad for everyone that was at home, waiting for the "Big Dump" to happen so that they could finally make their fresh tracks. I was already getting mine.

Tahoe 11.25

Next weekend, it's the real thing. No horsing around on bikes...just skiing. No joke, I'm back.

Squaw 11.26

See you up there...

Enjoy...