Free Web

The world wide web internet system is a wonderful tool for everything from academics to procrastination. Recently I have discovered some incredible free tools for various applications that can be found on the internet.
First off, why would anyone in their right mind ever spend over $100 on Microsoft Office when Open Office does everything Microsoft does (and possibly even a bit better) and is available for free via a legal download.
Do you want an advanced photo editing application, but don't have the cash to purchase one or conscience to scam a torrent? Check out GIMP. I learned how to use this in one of my university classes and never even came close to realizing its capabilities.
If you want to enjoy entertainment at your leisure and have enough sense to save your money and not get expressview etc. the world of streaming video is virtually boundless. The best place to start it at alluc.org where you can link up to movies and television shows. If you are keen on international content check out this site which uses p2p technology to bring you live broadcast television from all the corners of the globe.
My current personal favourite is NRK which is the Norwegian national broadcaster. Their online content is incredible with all shows accessible in full plus live television. I don't watch much tv, but lately it has been more Norwegian than anything else. Additionally there are the old standbys of www.cycling.tv for cycling events, but I find some of their content sparse. I recently stumbled upon versus which offers live coverage from some of the bigger classics that cycling.tv doesn't seem to get access to such as the recent Milan-San Remo.
Stay free.

Norwegian Culinary Delights: Farekal

Farekal is a dish that is always met with great enthusiasm in the Strom household. The name farekal is quite simply a combination of the Norwegian words "far" meaning lamb and "kal" meaning cabbage, lamb cabbage. It is worth noting that the "a"s in farekal are actually "a"s with small circles over them meaning that the "a" is pronounced with a long sound similar to saying "ohhh", only you vertically extend the lips more to alter the sound.
This is a relatively simple dish comprised of simmering cabbage, lamb meat, flour and whole pepper together to create a magnificently aromatic concoction. Served with new potatoes this dish is unparalleled especially in the fall with fresh meat and cabbage. A rich and satisfying meal is always the result with farekal.

St. Germain - So Flute

J Sparls introduced me to St. Germain in January and as regular readers will recognize this same track was used in the "Chef Toasty Toes" cooking short. The song is phenomenal and reflects my musical mood as of late. I have been soaking in the live Bonobo sets from themixingbowl.org, but I am having a hard time coming up with footage to back it up. While I try to round up a solid selection from the French DJ wonder I hope you will enjoy a similar French sound in St Germain.



St. Germain
So Flute

Wrap Up

It has been a bit of long week with many school commitments, thus the lack of posting. I finished off a presentation today on Canadian cycling legend Steve Bauer. The Bauer story is an incredible one and I would encourage you to read up on it if you don't know much about this phenomenal athlete. His dominance on the international stage has never been matched by any other Canadian cyclists after him and I have a feeling may never be. In Belgium he is best know for his 1988 World Championship sprint. Check out this footage, about one minute in you can see why second place quickly became a disqualification and why the Belgians will never forget it...
This weekend I managed to get in on a couple of solid group rides. The weekend rides are getting faster and faster, which makes for good training and helps with my craving for competition. I have been following the team site and it looks like they are racing in some good weather in Belge. Speaking of weather, Sunday's ride went south of the city and within 30 minutes huge snowflakes began to fall along with the temperature. At 1 degree and snowing all the poor fools in their knee warmers, bare shoes and brand new road machines had to call it quits, or at least opt for a shorter route. After two hours in the driving snow, our remaining trio emerged in Bragg Creek to sunshine and bare roads. We had managed to stay in a very local system for far too long, but it was epic and frankly enjoyable. This just goes to show that my persistence in staying on the winter bike with fenders and always dressing on the warm side is the model to follow in these parts. If the temperature is below 20 degrees Celsius, cover those legs, entirely.
I have also been experiencing some knee pain and swelling. I hope it isn't going to be an issue. I will stay off the bike for a couple of days and do some stretching to hopefully ditch it.
At the moment I am somewhat burnt out from the everyday grind, but in only a few short weeks life can begin again as a free man doing what I love most. Actually, I only have a week and a half until my brother and family arrive from Norway and I take off for training in the sunny Okanogan. Much to look forward to, just have to keep my head on straight.

Cheap Thrills

4GB training partner

Back in December I decided that enough was enough and that it was time to retire the trusty Mini Disc player. I weighed my options heavily and eventually settled for the 4GB iPod Nano, but before I joined the mainstream iPod revolution I made my purchase in a distinctly Per fashion. I have been known to take advantage of the incredible world of refurbished electronics and found that Apple's option is indeed worth the risk. You get about $70.00 off the retail price of the player as well as a one year guarantee. The product arrives in brand new condition with all critical components replaced such as batteries, outward casing etc. Many of the products that end up in the refurbished department are simply products that have been unpacked and then return for whatever reason, or even products that have packaging that was damaged during shipping. Apple offers a vast array of their products in their Apple Store refurbished section via their website including both laptop and desktop computers, although a friend of mine had some issues with a desktop last year.
"Svarte Per" as I have named my Nano is a faithful companion on every training ride I do. No matter who is ringing clear through the ear buds I never ride alone.
Following my purchase I found out that Apple is the worst in the electronics industry for environmental impact in terms of materials used, practices and production facilities. Give them a hand, go refurbished, it's almost like recycling! Apple is working to improve their rating and I will strive to keep you updated on their progress.

Axwell-Feel The Vibe

This week's musical experience comes from Scandinavia and DJ Axel Hedfors or Axwell as he is commonly known. Although Axwell is Swedish I am coming closer to finding Norwegian content. Unfortunatly I am not too up on what is happening in the music scene in the motherland, but when I find some quality content I will be sure to share it. Axwell has remixed countless club hits and is regularily featured on such compilation albums as those released annually by The Ministry of Sound in the UK. I first heard this track on one of those compilations and recently saw the video, which as you will see features some quality human performance. I have been in a good mood as of late and with spring in the air, school coming to a close and another summer in Europe looming it is time to "feel the vibe". Enjoy.

Axwell
Feel The Vibe
Ministry of Sound

Ice Man

This past weekend saw some great training oppotunities. On Saturday I met up with the local hammer heads and did a solid 5 hours on my favorite rolling roads south of the city. The weather was phenomenal at around 15 degrees and no wind. These kind of rides are perfect this time of year with tempo riding when on the front and hard tempo up the climbs. Towards the end of the ride the sprints start coming out adding to the spring fever feel. After chasing some cars down Elbow Dr plans were made for the following day. However, there had been a misunderstanding and I arrived at the wrong meeting place. The weather on Sunday was in stark contrast to the day prior with temperatures hovering around zero and a steady drizzle filling the air. I started out on a four hour adventure that would eventually leave me literally frozen wondering if I had done myself any good on the training front. If anything comes of rides like this it is the mental capacity to deal with any race situation. If you train in the worst weather possible, racing weather can never be worse. So far this year training has taken place in snow at -20, days and days of pounding rain and high winds and now riding completely frozen stiff. My clothing was completely frozen solid and from the photos you can see the state of my bike. I had the PowerTap on thinking that the weather was mild for it and by the end it was still sending out a strong signal. Hopefully it stays that way...

Norwegian Culinary Delights: Ertesuppe

Wholesome

Nothing warms the soul like a hearty bowl of ertesuppe or pea soup on a crisp day in March. Made from whole yellow peas this soup also includes carrots, cured pork meat, onion and potato. Thyme is used to complete the flavour. Note that the yellow peas are in their whole form, not the commonly found split pea form. The whole pea is necessary to avoid a mushy soup as the cooking time required is quite long. Whole yellow peas are not commonly found in Canadian grocery stores, but can be found in shops specializing in Indian ethnic foods and spices.
From the picture above you will notice that the soup is served with flat bread. Traditional this soup dish is followed by pancakes in a form similar to Dutch pannekoeke, but not as sweet or rich. Normally these pancakes are topped with sugar or jam, the favourite amount purists being blueberry.

Bart to be a Dad and the New Kit!

The new look

I just learned that my teammate Bart is soon to be a father. Last year he was one of the core riders on the team racing with the Elite squad. Congratulations Bart and Yasmina!
You will also note that Bart is the first to sport the new duds for this year. As you might gather Sportzone Fitness & Wellness are the major backing for the team this year. Looking sharp! Counting the days...

Another To The Top

Alexandr Kolobnev (CSC)

Today CSC continued it's legacy of bringing out the best in their riders. This team has had a knack for taking promising talent whom never really reached their potential and turning them into winners at the highest international level. Names like Cancellara, Jullich and Basso come to mind, along with a host of others. Now you can add Kolobnev to that list. I caught the action free on cycling.tv this morning and witnessed the feat first hand. On the longest stage of Paris-Nice, after over 200 km on the attack he soloed in to victory in Maurs. One of the top stories of this year's Pro Tour so far.

White Vandals

This past weekend temperatures reached 18 degrees. All of the snow Calgary had received in the past month had dissapeared and it looked as if spring was about to break through. I put the slicks back on the Cuda and enjoyed espresso on a patio basking in the sun yesterday afternoon. It was incredible, and I never thought to check the forecast. Only 2 hours later I was riding to the university for my evening shift at the Oval when I noticed the temperature had dropped significantly and some dark clouds were rolling in from the north. Within one hour snow began to fall ever so lightly. By the time I hit the road to get home about one cm had accumulated on the ground. Now, only 18hrs since sampling summer warmth we have several cm of snow and are back to square one with winter. Now the cycle of snow, ice, slush, wet and finally dry begins again. If we can get to dry by the weekend I will be very satisfied. White vandals...

Hot Chip: Boy From School & Over and Over

It's Monday and time for another glimpse into what is topping my charts. This week we head back to Europa Land and pay a visit to Great Britain. Hot Chip originate from London and are best known for their two UK chart toppers "Over and Over" and "Boy from School". Both of these tracks are included on their latest disk "The Warning" which was released in 2006. This week I will show you both videos as I find them to both be quite interesting and clever. The video for "Over and Over" has attracted a great deal of critic attention and was named best single of 2006 by NME.
Two great bits of sound, enjoy.




Hot Chip
Boy From School
EMI/DFA Records



Hot Chip
Over and Over
EMI/DFA Records

Group Ride

I finally managed to get in a solid group ride this Saturday. Last week everyone told me the wrong meeting location and I rode alone, so I decided to set an example and host my own ride. Despite people demanding too many coffee stops it was a great ride. The weather this week has been incredible and reached a climax today of 18 degrees. The snow that blanketed the Calgary area only days ago is completely gone revealing the drab and very characteristic Calgary brown and grey.
Today I was supposed to go for another group ride, but ended up getting a flat and showing up ten minutes late. The group had already left. Another day another solo 4 hours in the wind. Bowing, very, very bowing. I just want to get out of here and do some racing.

On My Way

Just finished booking my flight to Europe! I am leaving on the 23rd of April and returning on the 31st of August. I was lucky to get one of my final exams moved for the occasion and will be writing it the morning of the 23rd, hopefully I can pull myself together enough to concentrate.
I could have left at an earlier date, however my brother and his family will be here visiting from Norway until the 19th so I need to ensure I spend some quality time with them as visits with them are far between.
The most unbelievable part of this booking is a new record low price for my entire trip. I have done this trip a few times now, but never before for $895.00 return to Amsterdam!! I by chance decided to check expedia.ca after I had settled on a flight through aircanada.com and ended up saving $200! Usually I can sniff out the best options and get the same price as expedia elsewhere and save their fee plus get better layovers, but this time they got me.
I get in at around 14:30 so I have plenty of time to hop on the train and get into town in time for an evening meal. This arrangement allows for a couple of extra days to acclimatize compared to last year so the Grote Prijs Affligem should be slightly more bearable.
Another perk with the extra savings is that I should now have funds to jet up to Norway for a bit to visit my sister Gro and perhaps scope out details for 2008...
Things are really coming together in a hurry. Only about 4 more weeks of classes, 2 papers, 2 presentations, 160hrs of training, a week long training camp in Penticton to top up the race form, and a week of hanging out with visiting family until I can ride the same roads I just saw on cycling.tv's coverage of Het Volk! Its going to be a hectic next couple of months, just the way I like it.
On another exciting note the weather in Calgary is phenomenal at the moment and looks to stay that way. I have a feeling spring has arrived. It was incredibly refreshing to do my intervals out on Sringbank airport road between classes today and not battle icy winds and frozen limbs to do it.

Sportzone Cycling Team 2007

The look for 07.

Tune of the Week: World Hold On

The week's audio experience is a tribute to Belgium and comes from French dj Bob Sinclar. Sinclar has produced a number of club hits in his time and this track is no exception. This was the theme track to my stay in Belgium last year as it was the top track in the country at the time. Despite its mainstream appeal it has a catchy sound and the video is fairly creative. Although the lyrics only include only a couple of sentences one can uncover a deeper sentiment within them...maybe. I recommend also checking out the Axwell remix.

World Hold On
Bob Sinclar
Yellow Productions

07 In The Works

Spoke with team manager Tino recently and finalized the beginning of what should be an incredible 2007 season. The first official race with the team will be on April 29th in the UCI 1.12 Grote Prijs Affligem. I did this race last year and it is a true Flanderian delight. Lots of cobbles narrow roads and potential for wind.
I have also learned that the team has become substantially stronger since last year with a couple of rider acquisitions, the most notable being the addition of a rider from a French Continental squad.
I finally finalized the specs of my team bike so that is all good to go. Our team kits have been delayed, although that doesn't concern me at this time I will post pics as soon as I find out what I will be sporting this season. As well it looks like I should be able to move my only final exam to an earlier date, meaning I could be in Flanders as early as April 20th. I am shaking as I write this I am so excited. Stay tuned for the best season yet!

Het Volk

2006 winner Philippe Gilbert (Francaise des Jeux)

Don't start those weekend group rides too early! Although many of us may be stuck in Canada without coverage of the spring classics there is now a solution and a free one at that. Cycling.tv is planning to cover the classics and semi classics live on their free service! Previously, live coverage has only been available to paying premium package customers. Although the quality will be on the low side, it is better than text updates. Tomorrows coverage of Het Volk will begin at 7:00GMT and on Sunday Kuurnne-Brussel-Kuurnne same time same place.
Go to www.cycling.tv for details.

Just checked the start list for Het Volk and my training partner Frederik Penne is starting for Palmans Collstrop, very nice to see! Other group ride partners Koen Barbe (Chocolade Jacques, 5th in this race last year) and Bert Roesems (Predictor-Lotto) should be contenders. Very exciting indeed, only about 7 weeks until I will see them all again!