Before and After...

My first bloomed Ranunculos!

Hi All,
Well, it happened again. A whole month passes without posting. Chalk it up to being busy…again. There is a funny phrase in our house; which is, we’ll get around to something when life settles down. And you blink, and life never settles down!

Gerbera Daisies...
But, today’s post is kind of special. No, it’s not a post about a gripping 50-mile bike race, or a 300 Km Brevet, it’s about how we have been spending our weekends, and the joy of accomplishing something.

The second set of Ranunculos' Will they last in the summer heat?
We have been landscaping on the weekends; propping up the local economy, and keeping Home Depot and Lowe’s in business. The last few weekends we have been very diligent in planting flowers, laying drip line irrigation, raking gravel, and making our back yard pleasant and homey. Here in this post are some pictures of the yard to show you “before”, and “after”. I tell you, it sure made us smile looking at the “before” photos, to see how far we have come. There is a certain sense of joy after 4 weekends of getting filthy, dusty, and sore from working with all the drip lines. Now, there are still jobs to do, creating the walkway, and building the covered patio. So, there are more weekends of work to come.

Before...

After...

Before...

After...

Before...

After...

So, please excuse the lack of posts about riding. I am commuting a few days a week, and trying different bikes in hopes of deciding which bike to ride in the Santa Barbara Triathlon this August. This month, at Kathy’s suggestion, I am commuting on the Redline, with the bike configured as a Fixed-Gear bike.

Sabaka supervises the work...

Riding to work has been a blast. The bike is light, fast, and configured as a fixed-gear, a completely different riding experience. The ride home into the 25 mph westerly winds is the total quad workout. A great ride, but then I walk funny for two days!

Meet our next-door neighbors, Leena and Shaffy...
More news later this week. (No, really!) We are having family visit for Easter, and I hope to have some photographs to share of celebrating Easter with neighbors and family.
Jim

Riding to Work in The Desert

Looking east, Technology Drive... 5:45 AM
Hi all,
Now that spring is here, and now that the weather is a bit more palatable, I am able to ride to work a few times a week. We have had some consistent rain the last month or two, and although I will ride in heat, wind, and cold, I am pretty much against intentionally riding in the rain. Now, in the past I have gotten caught out on the bike in unexpected rain (or snow), but if it is rainy, I usually park the bike. But for now, as you enjoy this post, at least photographically, come along for the ride! Enjoy a few pictures from Tuesday’s bike commute in lovely Palmdale.

Gloves and a hat for the chilly morning, and a jersey for the afternoon...

Other 'sundry items that ride in the handlebar bag...
Why do I ride to work? Well, to be honest it’s purely for selfish reasons. Riding twice a week to work gets me 35 consistent miles a week; I get a bit of stress relief from muttering at UNIX at the office; some fresh air (those desert winds, actually); I save a few dollar in gasoline; and most importantly, I get some training miles for the Santa Barbara Triathlon.

At 15th East, I can look across the desert, and see the ARTCC (microwave towers in front of the large hangars...
Wait, did he just say Triathlon? Yes, I did. On August 28th, I hope to enter my first sprint triathlon. My sister, Sue has completed 3 sprint triathlons, and in her own gentle way left the gauntlet at my feet. Of course, I picked it up. It is a great motivator, signing up for an event. Once you put some bucks down, and circle the date, everything changes. And in my case, by purchasing a Synergy Wetsuit, I have committed myself to the event. Also, by purchasing a wetsuit that’s a tad small, I am even more motivated!

North on 25th East, a mile to go, I always sprint hard on this straightaway. The water sitting atop the hardpan after a recent rain...
The Sprint Triathlon will consist of a 500 meter ocean swim, a 6-mile sprint on the bike, and a 2-mile run. With my background in distance freestyle swimming, and 8000 miles in the last 6 years of riding, I feel like I can be successful in at least two of the three disciplines. Oh, but, that running portion…

And I am here! Always a relief when I don't "flat" on the way...

Learning how to run again has been an adventure. And I think I’ll save that horror story for another post. For now, I am learning to do two disciplines as I train. When I ride home from work, I park the bike, change shoes, and either hit the road, or hit the treadmill for two miles of “running”. And as the year progresses, I alternate my workouts by riding two miles to the pool, swim my yardage, and ride home.

Private parking, too!
It’s part of my training plan. You have to have a plan! How to train, when to train, and what goals do I set for the event. I’ll keep you posted as the year progresses, the miles ridden, the yards swam, and hopefully, the pounds shed!

My fancy bike-commuter digs in a portable trailer...
See you next week,
Jim