HD Release Party

Well... 14 pounds of spandex arrived at casa de la hot dog tonight. Fast hot dog (Shaun) and Coach hot dog (Steve) came over to sample the goods and take them home... along with others for the Rads and for Myroo.

(Before you get too excited, the jerseys might have to go back... across the board, they are tighter than the samples we tried on last month. I'm going to take this up with them on Monday. The shorts were fine.)

Here is a picture of the box before I opened it

Here is the box opening aftermath

Coach Steve modeling the goods. (Coors Light optional)

Even had time for a small taste test. (Nathan's vs. Koegel's)

Here is Hot Dog's hot dog with a chrome garbage can! (Those that this make sense to will understand)

HD Weekly Update

Well, it's been one heck of a week. After spending time celebrating the NFL Draft last week with suds and Suhs, I was one tired weiner and looked pretty much like what you see above... Today was the first time I put on some mileage all week. It was a glorious ride at that!

Who doesn't like coming home from a ride to open his inbox and find out that the first ever Team Hot Dog racing kits will be in our possession this Friday!! Yes, this Friday! Check your e-mail for more details.

Love,
Hot Dog

Sharing our Weiners with you...

tHD is "officially" signed up as a sponsor for the Spartacus 100 Blood and Gravel Grinder...For more information, browse to http://mysinglespeed.com/spartacus-100-blood-and-gravel .



-tHD

Wednesday Night Roll

Had a nice little 20 mile roll down the PCT tonight with Coach Steve and Mango Man from MySS fame. Wonderful night for a ride. Too bad Jrad couldn't make it. I miss you Jrad.

(A Shot of HotDog heading into the Eye of the Storm)

Happy Wednesday, Hot Doggers!

Betty White loves tHD! Wheeee!

My Dogs Are Frozen...

While scarfing down my french toast this morning and getting ready for our ride out to Holdridge, my phone buzzed. I knew who it was. "We Still On?" It was Hot Dog. I replied "As far as I know! I'm still going! Dress Warm!" 30 Minutes or so later, the driveway was filled with Spandex and bikes. The look on all of our faces was priceless when it started to snow but we had come this far and nobody wanted to be the one to back down now!

So off we rolled, headed towards PLRA on our way to the Biggest Hill in Michigan. The wind was brutal in the usual areas around Pontiac Lake, but not a huge factor once we were on the dirt roads. Once we turned on to Pontiac Lake Road, the Biggest Hill in Michigan immediately gobbled up Myroo's PC1 chain. After some superior mechanics by JRAD, we were back on our way.

As the miles ticked by, we went through periods of sleet, hail, snow and rain. There was no question that we were all cold, just a matter of who would be the smartest one out of us all to recognize our insanity and turn back. While waiting up for JRAD and Julie, my phone rang and they were heading back home. I immediately thought "Not without me!" and after a unanimous decision by John and Myroo, we were in Hot Pursuit!

In our quest to find the quickest route home, we snuck through the back of Indian Springs Metropark (AKA Native American Springs Metropark). Rolled down White Lake Rd., Teggerdine and then to Gale Rd. before heading back to the house for a little over 42 miles. Despite us all being totally frozen, it was an "Awesome Training Ride!"

- Steve

What’s America’s best Major League ballpark hot dog?

Interesting article I found while surfing the web regarding tasty weiners at pro baseball stadiums:

http://www.clubhousecancer.com/2010/04/whats-americas-best-major-league-ballpark-hot-dog.html

After taking a gander at this, I would have to opt for the dog at the home of the Cincinnati Reds as seen below:



Go ahead and click on the link. They had a decent list of some pretty good looking dogs. Making me hungry again, and I'm still full from dinner. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

The Dangers of Sausage Racing

This just goes to prove that when a sausage does go down, it is not left behind... Not on tHD anyways:

http://vimeo.com/10831973

Milwaukee Sausage Injury from JoeSportsFan.com on Vimeo.

"Hey is that Kid Rock?"

Attention tHD Chodes and Weekend Warriors, we're hittin' the back roads of Oakland County and some of the "Biggest Hills in Michigan" on our way to Holdridge this Saturday. The hammer-fest starts promptly at 9am at Casa de Bassett and ends moments later.....Or, if you prefer the easy way, we'll meet you @ 9:30 in the PLRA parking lot. Plan a casual pace out and back, a possible lap on the West Loop at Holdridge and "Snacks on Snacks" at the Famous Gas Station Oasis on Grange Hall Road (see photo). Since I heard Hot Dog himself is showing up, there's a good chance that we might have another Kid Rock sighting, so bring your cameras!

If you behave yourselves, I'll let you stop at Diehls Cider Mill on the way back, but I can't guarantee they'll be open. Gears, SS, Unicycle, lawnmower, bring whatever you want, Just show up and ride!

- Steve

Hot Dog's Gravel Grinder 30

Well... what was supposed to be at least a 50 mile ride, turned into 30 for ol HD. The Jake the Snake was a great choice, however, attempting to ride in the first ever Gravel Grinder 100 with a tad over 120 miles under my belt for the year was not. My 15 mile ride alone back to the parking lot wasn't too bad. It turned out to be a nice day. I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves... you're probably around mile 60 as I type this. I'm still glad I went, and gave it a shot. Just gave me the motivation I need to up my game for Pisgah... which is only 5 weeks away! I am really going to miss the fun at the Mexican restaraunt, but hey, maybe another time right? Here are some pics from this morning:


Riders meeting before the event starts


3/4 of the founding fathers of tHD


Heading on out

Grinding gravel...

Most Interesting Man in the Room?

Who will be the Most Interesting Man in the Room tomorrow after the Gravel Grinder 100? Will it be that lush Hot Dog after to many brews? Will it be Shaun talking about Yeungling and crawfish? Will Coach Steve really bring mustard along to cure his cramping issue? Tune in to find out

I am here to share my secret to being so fast. When I mix my recovery drink before a ride I don't use regular water. I use HOT DOG water, you know the delectable, delicious fluid that runs all over the counter when you slice open that wonderful package of processed animal innards!

My attempt at the. "team meal" Two ball park angus beef doggs, red onions, sizzled in a black skillet with ample butter, a few mild pepper rings, generic mustard & ketchup, bakeded beens, tater chips and a red neck beer, burp!

The Team Hot Dog Urban Dictionary

The following are terms, phrases, or other tid-bits of information used by Team Hot Dog. In order to successfully become a member of this highly specialized unit, you must display fluency in the use of all of these on a regular basis. Study up. At the end of your hazing, there shall be a quiz. Thou must score greater than 90% on said quiz, or… be able to beat Shaun from the parking lot to the top of 2 mile hill at PLRA. If successful, hookers, blow, and Vegas may or may not be used in the same sentence.

Hot Dog (HD) – He is pretty much considered the Godfather around these parts. When you see him, salute him. At the Ore to Shore 2007, HD disappointedly arrived at the finish of the race last amongst his merry band of pals (Steve and Jrad) all the while they were enjoying hot dogs and Pepsi. (He still blames it on the 5 Coors Lights he consumed the night before, and lack of EATING A BREAKFAST before racing 48 miles!) Fast forward to Ore to Shore 2008. Poor little HD trained his tail off, dreaming of finishing that race before everyone else so he could enjoy those tasty weiners first. That, along with a brand spanking new Stumpjumper 29er allowed him to finish first amongst his pals! He tried to remain humble, and subdue all his pride. His buddies wouldn’t allow him to do so…. And hence, the name HOT DOG was born!

tHD – Team Hot Dog. Duh!

Roadhouse – This term is in honor of the late Patrick Swayze and that once most fine film he starred in. And, yes, it basically means to go nuts, lose it, clean house. Haymakers all around!! Note: If you actually decide to go "Roadhouse", it's best to have a fellow Hot Dogger near by. Safety first kids.

Wheeeeee – Just like it sounds. It is an expression of glee. If you’re happy and you know it, let it out… “Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

Snacks on snacks – The way we use it, basically means “cool”. Either that, or “bam”… just depends. It’s complicated. This YouTube video will explain it all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBRL7D0wcXM

Fart in a mitten – Can be used whenever you want. Doesn’t really mean anything, it’s just fun to say and visualize. Go ahead and get creative with it.

A whole new way – Our tag line. Pokes fun at all the serious cyclists out there who will never go pro or be as cool as Lance… one ball or two, doesn’t really matter.. Weighing their chicken. Measuring wattage outputs. Shaving their legs. Yeah, well, over here at tHD… we have a whole new way of training. We just ride.

Largest hills in Michigan - An ex-riding colleague pretty much considers every ride he goes on to somehow contain the largest hills in Michigan. In his honor, whether we are riding Indian Springs, or the sidewalk, we make sure that we hit some elevation.

Builds – Our bikes. Build em up. Buy em. Whatever… your ride is your build. Only when its new, or has had some major work done to it though. No need to get carried away. Hot Doggers are modest. We don’t brag.

Little Yogis – Um... If you weren’t at O2S 2009, you wouldn’t understand. Just know this, its awkward and painful at first… but after that, you won’t be able to get enough. Once again, to the YouTube universe we go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU9W7Qo1T6M

Chode – Aka, Steve. A certain 60 year old fast dude, let’s call him “Joe”, referred to Steve as a “chode” because he shouldn’t be racing Lumberjack if he is a lowly sport/expert rider and not a seasoned endurance racer. To quote a fine post on the MMBA board in response to this Tom Foolery:

So, this is what it has come to? Now, if you don't ride 10,000 miles a year, have a glossy team kit and have f-ing Burgess "Mickey" Meredith making you chase chickens and pound turkey bagel sandwiches -- you are apparently a "chode" or a "weekend warrior"?

Beer Silos – Where they store all the beer at the Michigan Brewing Co. in Weberville. It’s best represented with the following digital evidence:

First ever silo picture

Sillyness.  This would be my album cover if I were ever a top notch musician.

wtf – Just IM Jrad. You’ll figure it out real quick.

Pants in a tree - A popular take on the American Idol hit, "Pants on the ground".

Franks & beans!

The Perfect Dog?

There has been much debate amongst the Hot Dog Racing community lately about what constitutes the perfect dog. This subject happens to consume our daily lives and with good reason. John(Hot Dog) seems to think Nathans are the best, Coach Steeve loves a good Chicago Dog from Hippos, Shaun is quite Partial to Koegels and I happen to love many different iterations and brands of quality Hot Dogs.

What is your fave? A coney from Lafayette or a American? A Chicago dog from one of the local vendors outside of Wrigley Field perhaps? A Chicago or coney dog from Hippos? A Koegel, Vienna, Ball Park, Kowalski or Dearborn from a local establishment? A vendor dog after claiming your Hot Dog Award at O2S? A quality supermarket dog purchased from a local market and prepared on your own Grill?

I know people are scared of what ingredients go into hot dogs and there are many myths that they are full of by-products of meat processing activities. This may be true in some parts of the world, but I am here to tell you that Michigan hot dogs are made of pure quality meat.

Please take a look at the following newspaper excerpt from 1972 and you will see that the quality that goes into the hot dogs in Michigan has always been far superior to what is required by national agencies.


We are talking ALL-MEAT kids.. No by-products such as the ones noted in the article above here in Michigan.

My love of Hot Dogs goes way back in the day when my pops and I would take in a game at Tiger Stadium or Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and the head straight to the Lafayette after. I am here to tell you that I have never been to American even though I am sure their coneys are of quality also. Sometimes I even find myself in Chicago visiting my family and hitting up Flips for a few Chicago Style Dogs. All of the above being said, I tend to eat my hot dogs plain or with just red onions. Below you will see one style of hot dog I make for myself at Home.

The Home Out-O-Buns Dog

I like to start by getting all of the ingredients prepared. Here you will see some diced red onion, two slices of Sarah Lee 100% Whole Wheat bread and a Dearborn natural casing dog (kindly supplied by My In-Laws).



Next I get the Grill uncovered and fired up!



I like to cook my hot dogs on high heat and very fast. The sooner it is cooked the sooner I can eat it. here you will see the Dearborn placed directly on the center grate.



Here is a pic of the dog as it cooks. I like my dogs cooked to different levels of completion. This day it will be well done and crispy in sections.



After the outside is well done, I like to cut this bad boy in half to make two since the Dearborn's are on the large side.



Once these babies come off the grill I start assembling my delicious masterpiece. Here you see the split dog placed on the slices o bread.



The following step isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I happen to love red onions!



The completed dogs with a Cranberry Splash Sierra Mist. I need some Sugar right now.



Half Down!



The remnants of what was once a great hot dog.



Wheeeeee!!!!

Hot dog

This is to confirm that Hot Dog not only likes to collect bikes but also RIDES them too! Notice how the bike seems to float above the Paint Creek Trail much like Elliot's bike floated in the movie E.T.?

How To Control Cramping The Team Hot Dog Way!

While browsing a popular Endurance Racing Forum this afternoon, the topic of leg cramping came up and what people do to alleviate this pesky problem. Since I'm no stranger to this condition, I decided to scroll through the thread. Endurolytes, bananas, water, riding through the pain, etc... Been there, done that!

...But Wait! MUSTARD? WTF?!?!

Yeap, after consulting The Google, I came across several testaments to the benefits of Mustard:

"I also get severe, excruciating leg cramps but they sneak up on me in the middle of the night. I can feel the muscle knotting up in my hamstrings. Very painful. Here is what works for me: MUSTARD! A teaspoon brings relief within 90 seconds and the cramp doesn't return. Not very tasty but effective. I have also read somewhere that pickle juice is effective at relieving leg cramps. Give it a try." - Anonymous Poster

In all seriousness here folks, this just leads to further proof that the Hot Dog, when dressed properly, is one of the healthiest foods ever invented. So the next time you're out on a training ride and your legs start to cramp up, Give it a try!

- Coach Steve

Happy Easter Hot Doggers!

Took this snap as I was heading back to my car on a Easter Sunday morning roll. We'll have to hit it up during a ride sometime this year.

After today's ride, I'm at 120 miles for the week. It was a glorious morning for a roll on the PCT. Not many peeps on the trail at 10am. I did almost run over a snake, seriously, while riding Jake the Snake. I also rolled past luv2mtb... but I don't think he remembers me so I didn't say "hi". I felt pretty quick on Jake. Would have been faster too, but I haven't slept much the last two nights. The girl next store is home from college, and decided to hold bashes on two consecutive nights that went into the wee hours. I called the cops on them last night and shut it down.

Anyways, hope you guys were all successful on your hot dog hunts this morning!

Canibalism!

Just to let our fans know, we're not called Team Hot Dog for nothing....Anybody who knows their Dogs and lives in the Greater Detroit Area has rolled into Hippo's Hot Dogs for a few snacks on snacks...Today we could not resist the temptation and right when the clock hit 11, we were en route to this Haven of the Hot Dog.

At $1.92, the Hippo Dog comes with mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickle, sport peppers and seasoning and it is a Whole New Way to enjoy the HD. But really, I celebrate their entire menu.

Some cultures would consider this to be Canibalism (A HotDog eatting a Hot Dog), but I see this as nothing more than Training for us.



...Cuz that's how we roll!

- Steve