Get your Gear On! 3rd Annual Hypercat Racing Garage & Gear Sale

Date: Sat, May 29, 2010

Time: 10am-5pm

Location:1346 Merced Street, Richmond, CA 94804






Every year we do a bit of spring cleaning at Hypercat and offer up new and used cycling, triathlon, run and other sports gear along with traditional garage sale items. For 2010 we have a local cycling distributor joining us. He will bring cycling components and other equipment at great prices.

After you get your workout in, come on out, stop by visit with us and shop!
See you then! Philip & Rachel Casanta

A sample of sales items:
• Wheels and tires
• Complete bikes (both new and used)
• Cranks and chain rings
• Handle bars, aero bars, stems
• Saddles
• Clothing and accessories
• Derailleurs, brakes, shifters and other components
• Run, Tri, and Swim gear
• Bags, indoor trainers and rollers
• Computers, watches and heart rate monitors
• Car racks
• Pyranha Speedster racing kayak
• And of course classic garage sale items.

Special deals on 2010 product, this sale weekend only:
• Profile Design – 15% off
• Hawk Racing Bottom Brackets (8 colors) – free installation
• Hawk Racing Wheels – 10% off
• ISM Saddles – 10% off
• Hudz – 10% off

*all "special deals" orders will be placed 6/1.

Other non-sport items:
various ‘cat’ things, beanie baby collectibles, books galore

Motivation - Where does yours come from?

"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need competition, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life."
- Greg Anderson



Photo taken along the shore in Santa Cruz, CA on Mother's Day.

Queen of Inspiration

This morning's inspiration. Set your audio dial to "11" and CRANK IT!

Getting ready for a big race weekend. Thinking good thoughts. Heading out to spin on my old trusty Blue R6. (No TT bike for the Escape from Alcatraz course.) Just making sure the gears are shifting some as silk, the brakes are adjusted & a few practice runs getting in and out of my Northwave Tributes shoes. Easy to do when warmed up, but a bit of a challenge after swimming in 55 degree water. I'll miss the festivities at the Wildflower triathlons today, but couldn't pass up sleeping in my own bed, supporting a dozen Hypercats tackling the Escape and racking up the 10th Escape from Alcatraz of my career. I'm going to have a great time! Thank you Northwave, Jagwire, Cane Creek, Profile, Pro Gold, Powerbar, TISO, Hawk Racing and AVIA.

I Bleed Orange

I'm not one for pro basketball, but boy do I love college basketball! As a high school track runner, I spent a lot of time doing lung burning intervals on the indoor track at Manley Field House on the Syracuse University campus. Coach Love had season tickets for SU men's basketball games would often treat me to a Syracuse basketball game after an evening's track workout. Back in those days it was Sherman "the General" Douglas, Dwayne "the Pearl" Washington and Rony Seikely. The sparks of a love affair with Syracuse basketball were in full flame.

A few years later I would end up enrolling at Syracuse University and matriculating as a student. Growing up in Central New York I already had an affinity for all things orange (including the mascot Otto), but my orange affliction grew with each passing academic year.
There are so many emotions linked to that glorious big bubble perched atop the Syracuse hill. I love watching basketball games contested in the Carrier Dome. The rituals, the sounds and the roar of the crowd. Aside from SU ball, I have many layers of personal history tied to the Dome. I ran the 1000 meters in the National Indoor Scholastic Track and Field Championships in the Dome. Underneath the turf is a 200m track! I was a member of the Central Square High School Marching Redmen and played my sax in the band at the NY State Field Band Championships. (yup, I tooted my horn in marching band!). I've watched (and worked) countless entertainment and sporting events in the Dome, too. As part of the work study program, I worked in catering. One year there was a stars on ice production and I had the opportunity to serve potatoes to figure skating greats like Oksana Bauil. In 1996 I earned my bachelors degree and graduated in the Dome while it snowed outside. (By the way it was mothers day - May!). The list goes on.

Like legions of Syracuse Orange fans, I am over the moon with the men's basketball team's current #1 national ranking. (and the women's team is rockin' it, too) As I get ready to travel to Syracuse this week, you better believe I will be rooting for the Orange during Saturday's game vs Louisville. Alas, it will be from a local watering hole as the Orange aren't playing at home this week. At least I will be able to see the Dome from the hotel.
Go Orange!

The Oakland Running Festival | Oakland, California 94612 | Saturday, March 27, 2010

Bay area runners and endurance athletes are so lucky. We have an endless calendar of races. Yay for Oakland bringing this first time event to town.
I'm happy to support it and will give the half marathon a whirl.
The Oakland Running Festival Oakland, California 94612 Saturday, March 27, 2010

Top of the Class!

My dad has always said 'do your best.' As I wrap up my 2-year journey as a graduate student in the Sport Management program at the University of San Francisco, I can say I did just that.

In the past two years I got married, coached high school track and cross country, began working for USA Triathlon, have run my company Hypercat Racing and have continued training and competing as a professional triathlete. It was not easy, but I am very proud of earning my Masters degree! I am equally humbled and grateful for being awarded the "Academic Achievement" award for earning the top GPA (3.98) for the graduating Sport Management cohort. Thank you to my talented Cohort 28 classmates for pushing me to my limits and to the USF Sport Management's Stan Fasci and Dan Rasher for the honor and recognition.

The Wise are Who They Are

I wrapped up reading The Tao of Pooh in early September, but it is still sitting on my desk. I am just delighted how many 'gems' are woven into its pages. Frankly, I poo-poo'd (no pun intended) the book when my husband suggest I should read it. I'm not sure what I thought it was about, but I had the visual of Winnie the Pooh in my head and I didn't patience for what I thought was a book for juveniles. Boy, I was I mistaken!

Currently, The Tao of Pooh, shares space on my desk with my USA Triathlon Southwest projects, Hypercat Racing business, coaching files, bills, pace charts, training plans and goofy Chococat pencils and pens. I've kept it there so that I can quickly leaf through the pages to occasionally revisit a favorite passage or two.

One of the pages I have bookmarked contains the passage below...

"In the story of the Ugly Duckling, when did the Ugly Duckling stop feeling Ugly? When he realized that he was a Swan. Each of us has something Special, s Swan of some sort, hidden inside somewhere. But until we recognize that it's there, what can we do but splash around, treading water? The Wise are Who They Are. The work with what they've got and do what they can do."

To fully comprehend what the author is trying to say, it helps to read further in the chapter, but I think the last two sentences of the quoted passage are gems and worthy of pondering!