Welcome to my web gallery where you can see my latest back-lit glass paintings, art pieces, oil paintings and photographs. My artwork sells in Galleries in Southern California, but you can also contact me directly if you are interested in commissioning me for a custom piece of art. My Blog will inform you as to where and when my next art exhibit will be.
Hello Everyone,
I have some art pieces that I’m trying to get off my hands. I’m trying to make some new pieces for some upcoming shows and I need the extra space to paint. These prices are all reduced from the gallery prices. Enlarged images are available upon request.
Thank you,
Abram Santa Cruz
Summer Art Sale
Come check out some art and listen to good music at Club Monte Cristo
I have a couple of new pieces that I’ll be showing off.
I also have two more shows in the next two weeks that you can make it to.
RSVP for this Event @ MySpace | @ Facebook
MySpace Profile | Facebook Page | Map & Directions
Join our Elist to get better discounts!
LADEAD: LOS ANGELES
DARKSIDE
www.LADEAD.com
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I mean why not, if I can sell my artwork on facebook.com, why not my plot of land?
This is my last resort in trying to sell the land that I have in Las Vegas without the use of an agent. I’ve posted my ad on Craigslist.org and several other free classified listing services, so now it’s come to reaching out to my friends and contacts on Facebook.
Here it goes – if you or anyone you know is looking for land in Las Vegas, please have them call Abram at 310.612.7926
This Lot is located steps from Fitzgerald Elementary School. GREAT SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD in an expensive area!!! Great for building a second vacation home. Click Here for the Address and Location of the Area
This land is Zoned for “R-1” (Single-Family Residential) / Two Story House.
Lots 32 & 33 in Block 22 of Vegas view tracks, as shown by map thereof on file in book 1 of plats, page 56, in the office of the county recorder of Clark County, NV.
Please Contact Abram at: 310.612.7926 in you are interested in purchasing this lot.
Click Here for the Address and Location of the Area
January 18 – January 24, 2009
Height: 6’0″ Weight: 187 Run: 18 miles Bike: 0 miles Swim: 1 miles Total Hours: 6
I let me body rest a little this week because of the triathlon I did last Saturday. I concentrated on strengthening and lots of rest as I am heading into some heavy training for the 2 next weeks. My goal is to do a Half-Ironman distance triathlon by the end of this week or next week.
Sunday: Rest
Monday: 12 Mile Run. I did this with my roommate Ben. He rode alongside me on his bike while I ran. It always helps to have someone help motivate you to that extra mile. Without him, I could have easily turned around at mile 3 and been fine with a six mile run, especially after doing a triathlon on Saturday. After I got over the initial exhaustion and committed to a 12 mile run, I got a second wind and kept a steady pace. My goal was to finish, and I finished just short of 2 hours. The pace was pathetic by my own standards, but it was a great moral boost to have done nearly a half marathon with little training at all.
Tuesday: 1 Mile Swim.
Wednesday: Weight Training – Back and Biceps
Thursday: 6 Mile run at a 7:30 mile pace. This was a little quicker than usual. I think I could have done this run a little quicker, but again, I don’t want to push myself too hard and create any premature injuries this early in the training.
Friday: Weight Training – Chest and triceps
Saturday: Rest
January 11 – January 17, 2009
Height: 6’0″ Weight: 189 Run: 29 miles Bike: 30 miles Swim: 2.25 miles Total Hours: 10.5
My goals for this last week were to challenge myself physically and mentally to get back in to a serious workout routine.
Sunday: 11 mile run with a total of 1,200 feet of climbing.
I went for a heavy 11 mile run with one of my running partners. It is generally a good idea to run with someone who’s stronger and faster. Not only do they set a higher pace, but you usually end up pushing each other to run farther. We did this run in Palos Verdes along some rolling hills with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean with a brutal 850 ft. climb at mile 5.
Monday: Weight Training – Back, shoulders and biceps
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 1 Mile Swim and 9 Mile Run – Medium Pace
Thursday: Weight Training – Chest and Triceps
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Triathlon – 1.25 mile swim – 30 Mile Bike – 9 Mile Run – This day rocked. I swam at the pool in the 24 Hour Fitness near my home, ran home and changed into my bike attire, went for a bike ride in Palos Verdes which included about 1800 of total climbing, came back home and changed into my running clothes and finished off with a fairly flat and painful 9 mile run. Mentally this was one of the best things I’ve done in a long time. I started out with the idea of doing a Sprint or an Olympic distance triathlon, but ended up accomplishing much more.
I figure I’m going to do a traithlon about every other week. I feel this will help me speed up my transition times, along with acclimating to the sport again. I’m also going to add a combo of a swim-run, bike-run at least twice a week.
December 14 – January 10, 2008 -2009
Height: 6’0″ Weight: 191.5 Run: 40 miles Bike: 75 miles Swim: 2 miles
Wow, what a holiday season. I can’t really say too much about the training, but I sure had fun.
Mammoth Mountain, December 30th 2008
My initial goal was to keep up my training schedule during the Holidays, but in between the 10 Holiday Parties and the 2 days of snowboarding over New Year’s, I ended up just maintaining what I had gained in my first two weeks. I did however manage to do a couple of swims.
To my surprise, I was able to knock out a 1 mile swim on my first time back in the pool. I also managed to complete a 12 mile run on Christmas Eve.
Pathetically, in three weeks, I did two 1 mile swims, a couple of bike rides, a hand full of runs and lifted some weights.
Not so pathetically, I did manage to stop smoking on January 1st (except for one cigarette this weekend). I wouldn’t exactly call it a new year’s resolution, but my goal is to NOT smoke until I’ve completed the Ironman. I only gained a couple of pounds over the last three weeks, which isn’t a big deal.
I’ve definitely stepped up my game this week by going into full force training mode.
My friend Ken and I are starting a Adrenaline Sports Blog, ManIsMachine.com, for tracking our progress during the training. We’ve almost decided on a race to enter into. To my extreme surprise, almost every Ironman race is sold out for 2009, which doesn’t leave Ken and I with many options.
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December 7 – December 13, 2008
Height: 6’0″ Weight: 189.5 Run: 22 miles Bike: 50 miles Swim: 0 miles Total Hours: 6 h 30 min
Looking southward at the pier in Manhattan Beach, California
I really felt that my motivation improved this week. My mind is definitely set to doing it this year and one of my friends Ken Tanaka said that he would join me in doing his first Ironman as well. We’ve started off the last two years saying the same thing, but this year I think we will prevail. I do hold a slight advantage over him in that he lives in Virginia, where the winter training season is much colder than it is in Southern California. But I say WHATEVER DUDE, this is the Ironman and if your going to be b!tchin about a little cold weather when your training for one of The 10 Toughest Tests of Endurance, then maybe you should stay home and drink some tea lad;-) But, just to show some support for my friend back East, I’m going to wake up at 7am tomorrow and go for a run. It’s supposed to be 44 degrees outside and I’m due for a long one. It’ll either toughen me up a little or send me next to my friend drinking some tea.
At this point of my training, I’m stretching everyday and usually twice a day. I’ll include some stretching guides that might help you add some stretching exercises if you’re a little lazy to stretch like I am.
Here’s this week’s training break down:
Sunday – Rest
Monday – 7.5 mile run, 100 sit ups, 60 push ups
Tuesday – 20 mile bike – Quick Pace
Wednesday – Rest
Thursday – 9 mile run – I ran this at a moderately slow pace (9 min miles), just enough that I can complete the distance without injury. I’m still a little stiff on the run despite all the stretching and the last thing I want to do is push myself to the point of injury this early in the training. 120 sit ups, 70 push ups
Friday – 30 mile bike, I’m still getting used to the saddle of my bike, and it’s starting to feel better, but one thing I really need to do is to get my bike adjusted for my arrow bar position. I haven’t done that yet, and I know that my position on the bike is going to be different once all the adjustments are made.
Saturday – 5.5 mile run – very quick pace. I really wanted to get my heart pumping. My legs are getting used to the distance, and now I want to add some days where I give it 110%. I try running as fast as I can for the distance I set out to do. This will not only get my legs stronger for the longer runs, but will also improve my over all pace and conditioning for the bike and swim. 150 sit ups, 75 push ups
I’m still smoking those cigarettes, but it’s coming to an end. Honestly, I am not craving smoking as much now that my body is getting healthier, but sometimes those cravings still make their way in.
I also lost 5.5 pounds this week. It goes fast when you do all the right things. I would like to stay at around 180, so I’m going to start lifting weights in week three. When I did the Half Ironman, I weighed in at 165 lbs and I wasn’t even trying to loose weight. I was eating everything (including red meat) and I ate an avarage of about 5000 calories a day. But my weight stayed flat. I thought that lifting weights this time around would help facilitate keeping on the extra pounds.
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The Triathletes Training Bible, Second Edition by Joe Friel
After a bit of searching and getting some advice from experienced Ironman veterans, I’ve found the following books and guides to be useful in my Half-Ironman training and should continue to be quite helpful in getting me across the finish line during the full Ironman.
EVERY triathlete I know has read or is reading The Triathlete’s Training Bible by Joe Friel. Weather your training for a sprint or for an Ironman, this book is equipped with enough knowledge to train anyone wanting to do a triathlon. Training, psychology, nutrition, strength building, endurance building, training plans, recovery advice; this book has it all. You can buy it on Amazon at a good price. Joe Friel also follows up his advice with his personal blog, which has training tips for marathons and triathlons alike.
TRAINING FOR YOUR FIRST IRONMAN IS GOING TO VARY depending on the race you are doing, what sort of experience you have as a triathlete and the conditions in which you are training. Regardless, your training hours per week should start between 8-10 hours. By the 10th week, you should be training 15-18 hours per week (It’ll basically be your part time job) . Below are some sites you should take a look at that will help you decide what training schedule is best for you. I tried to find some free training guides but with little success. If anyone finds some out there, please email them to me or post them in the comments area. Thanks 
FREE: 20 Week Training Guide – Beginner Ironman Training
Three Ironman training mistakes
A vague Ironman training schedule, but with some useful information
Active.com offers some training plans that you must purchase through their site
Multisports.com also has some online training programs, but a bit expensive.
I will post my own 6 Month Training Guide eventually, but not until I complete my first race (obviously). Until then, I’ll be tracking my weekly training sessions on this blog until I cross that finish line.
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This week is usually a big week for art as many people look to buy presents for others or for themselves.
The Chaos Before X-Mas. Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, December 11th
My artwork will be in two shows this week that you should check out. The first will be held as part of the Los Angeles Downtown Art Walk on Thursday – December 11th, 2008. The name of the show is called The Chaos Before X-Mas and it will be held at Motion L.A. / Gallery X at 129 E. 3rd Street and the corner of Main.
The Reception will officially start at 6pm, but the gallery will be open a bit earlier for the early birds. There will be DJ’s in one of the 2 areas and the music will last as long as there are people around, so this exhibit can very well turn into a nice little latenight party.
A map of the Downtown LA Art Walk is useful for trying to find some of the other galleries and restaurants around the area.
The second Art Show, Through the Looking Glass, is on Saturday, December 13th at The Whole 9 Gallery from 6:30pm – 10pm. Come mingle he the artist, sip on some wine and nibble on sweets.
This year, The Whole 9 partners with Peace4Kids, an organization dedicated to empowering foster and at-risk youth by providing community. Join us to make the holidays special for a child. Bring unwrapped art supplies or a toy with you or drop it off at the gallery before the event. Please RSVP at www.thewhole9.com/rsvp for the event.
Through The Looking Glass at the Whole 9 Gallery
November 30 – December 6 2008
Height: 6’0″ Weight: 195 Run: 17 miles Bike: 40 miles Swim: 0 miles
Picture of Hermosa Beach at Sunset.
Warm-up week: This week is usually considered the hardest and although I’m not using a training schedule yet, I am just trying to get a feel for where I stand in my strength and endurance.
I’ve decided that I wanted to try and make the Ironam Brazil on May 31, 2009 or the Ironman Japan on June 21, 2009. This gives me about 6 months to really get ready for an Ironman race. This isn’t much time, but I already competed in a half Ironman in 2007 so I’m pretty confident that this experience will help me prepare for a full Ironman in 6 months. Although, I am a little worried about my past six months of doing absolutely nothing will hurt my training and motivation.
Not only that but I also have a few other things riding against me: I picked up smoking cigarettes again which will be hard to quit AGAIN (I smoke about a pack every 3-4 days); I gained 30 pounds in the last year (and it’s not muscle); I’m extremely busy with trying to run my company and trying to make a living at the same time (because my company can’t pay me yet); my diet has changed (I used to be pescitarian but lately I’ve been eating everything); and I think that doing an Ironman is absolutely nuts
This week wasn’t too bad: I started off Sunday with a slow, flat and moderately easy 5 mile run on the boardwalk in Hermosa Beach, which I kept a pace of about a 9 minute mile. Did some stretching, 50 sit ups, 30 push ups.
Monday: 70 sit ups
Tuesday: I added a 10 mile bike ride and increase to a 7 mile run. I kept the bike ride short because I just wanted to warm-up for the run and to start acclimating my legs for transitions. Plus, it’s been about 8 months since I’ve done a really good bike ride so I need to get my groin eased into the saddle again. I kept the run to a moderate speed of 9 min/mi again. I don’t want to cause any premature injuries and I just want to test my distance. 80 sit ups, 40 Push ups
Wednesday: Stretching, 100 sit ups, 50 push ups
Thursday: I did a quicker 5 mile run. I kept an average pace of 8min/mi with some instances where I picked up my pace for 5 min up to 7min/mi.
Friday: 30 Mile bike ride, stretching
Saturday: Stretching, 150 Sit ups 75 Push ups.
By the end of the week I started looking forward to my next workout. I’ve cut down on the smoking a little, which is the worst part. I’m trying to keep it to nights when I drink alcohol, which is something else that will eventually (in the next two months) be cut out of my diet. Working out makes it easier to stop smoking as your lungs begin to burn a little when you’re active. This makes taking your next hit harder to appreciate knowing that you are only going to cause yourself more pain the next time you workout.
My diet is also getting better. I’ve always cooked most of my meals at home with plenty of legumes, but now I’m also starting to cut out the red meat again. I don’t eat chicken either, but this Thanksgiving Holiday has been gluttonous on many levels. I like keeping fish in my diet, but I also try to keep this to once or twice a week.
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