A Grubby Kind of Lifestyle

For the last couple of days, I have been stuck in my house due to this dumb tropical storm.  And, my legs have been really sore, so the timing was right to rest up and get a few things done around the house.  One of the projects I've had on my plate was to fix my Ubuntu running Netbook.  The last update broke the WiFi connection and I couldn't get it up and running.  So, this post is more or less about the process I went through during the last couple of days to get this thing going.  I will warn you, though, that I do not have a great knowledge of what everything means and luckily my research ability was able to help get me through.  I would NOT try this type of thing at home unless you know what you are doing or you will end up with a brick for a computer.

The first job to do was to go searching for the right Distro...

Polk County Time Trials Finally

This event was the last of a series.  Once again it was time for me to pack up the bike and go to a time trial.  The week had been a long one as far as exercise was concerned and I was sore enough not to be able to walk that well from the idiotic amount of running I had done.  Still, the thought of missing the final time trial was more painful to my brain than the soreness my legs provided.  So, off I went...packing Jared along for the ride to take some pictures.  I asked him he he wanted to go watch his dad race and he shrugged his shoulders.  I then asked if he wanted to use my camera to take pictures and he very willingly changed his mind.  All pictures on this post are taken by him! Enjoy!

The starting time was changed in order to be able to warm up in the light and I wish we had gotten there a little sooner as it started at 7:30 and we arrived with only 10 minutes of warm up time remaining before the start. 

The Good Life?

What is the definition of a good life?  In my own personal view this definition changes depending on who you talk to during the course of a day.  During the course of my day, yesterday, I had a vision of what it was like to have a good life.  Work was, by all intent and purpose, decent and I was able to get home at a good enough hour to jump on the bike for about a 50 mile ride.  During the ride, something clicked.  I was rolling along and didn't notice anything.  It wasn't a chore.  I wasn't thinking about how many miles I'd done or how many were left.  Or, thinking about how I am going to pay my bills with the lousy job I have. Water was in the bottles and I was along for the ride.  It was really enjoyable.  And, I was comfortable in my own skin for the first time in months.  Bicycling has saved my butt during a divorce and a devastating end to a beautiful relationship.  And, it has helped me overcome a debilitating injury.

I am still having neck issues and will never be able to just openly not worry about how much I lift, but I am strengthening it and the rest of my body every day and have gotten to the point where I can go about the day without most worries. 

Beat the Heat!!

There was a day not so long ago when my dad would, not so much refuse, as just kind of go along with the thought of riding a recumbent.  He was good enough on his Trek to do rides like The Death Ride in Markleyville, CA and America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride.  He loved to ride.  He came down to Florida about 4 years ago to do an MS 150 with me and we had a great time!  At the end of the ride, I let him ride my Newly purchased Corsa and he smiled, but wouldn't quite give in.
Fast forward to 3 months ago and he comes out for another visit.  He didn't want to bring his bike, but wanted to ride with me.  I still had the same Corsa, but had since moved into a larger framed one to better fit my body.  I set him up and we did a short ride from the house.  He would swerve a little, but not bad.  Then we went and did a bicycle safety awareness ride around the local lake.  He was hooked, I think, after that ride.  He was still wobbly, but enjoyed the view and the stress free ride it gave him.  No more pain in his wrists, shoulders, neck, back, butt...well, you get the picture.  Anyway, he purchased the bike and had it shipped out to his house.
He has steadily been riding and improving and going so far as to ride and pick up coffee and then ride to work while drinking it...LOL!
This weekend he did his first sprint triathlon on it.  He did a fantastic job!  He even made it into the local paper as the oldest competitor.  Here is the pic.  Thank you Keith Trout for taking it.  Good photo.  Also, of note in the photo, is my old high school football and track coach, Scott Lommori (no helmet..grrr).  Incidentally, my dad was Scott's track coach in high school.  Dad is pulling him around pretty good and smiling!  Great job, Dad!  Love you and keep up the great work!!  Just make sure you keep your eyes on the road and not on the airplanes:-)

Great job, Dad!!  Picture taken by Keith Trout of RGJ

Caterpillar Invasion:-(

 

Swallowtail Caterpillar eating Parsley

Ok, first let me preface this post with the fact that I love butterflies!  Now on to the other stuff...as many of you know, I have a garden that has been doing well for a while.  And while the heat has taken it's toll on some plants, others are still doing quite well.  Enter the Swallowtail Butterfly.  I first noticed them on one of my roses.

I tend to do a walk around of my plants every couple of days and this particular yellow rose was doing well.  2 days later, the whole thing was defoliated minus 4 or 5 leaves.  When my son and I went to inspect, we turned the leaves over only to find them brimming with caterpillars.  We killed them in despair.  I hated it, but hated to see my rose suffer.  Luckily, it is just now starting to come back.

Just now coming back...

Rides and a Race Pace

What a great weekend.  It all started out with a wonderful "medium" speed ride for 60 miles with members of the Faith Runners Club.  These are some of the same people I do my time trials with and they are all nice.  The pace was nice and the people were the same.  We chatted about the Trail to Trail race Sunday (Many of them were doing it, as well) and I made a comment that I would probably just save my energy and not ride a century Saturday before the race.  But, with Kent riding his bike out from Tampa the words didn't last.  I drove home and jumped on the bike again and set out to meet him west of Plant City.  The ride went well and I met up with him as planned. Heading into the city, he asked if I’d had lunch and I said no so we pulled over and we checked the GPS for something close settling on Mexican food as the other wasn't in the place it was listed.  The food was great and it was interesting watching the families watch the soccer match on TV in Spanish. After we ate, it was off again and back to the house where we diagnosed issues with my front wheel and headed back out to drive the race course for the Sunday Trail to Trail race.  After we got back, we cooked venison tacos and I had a couple beers while we watched a movie.  I ended up with 90 miles for the day and Kent ended with 100.

The next day, we were up at 6:30 and checking equipment, packing fuel and bottles and heading out the door for a ride to the race.  It was a nice pace down the road and we stopped for a stretch to counteract the nasty feeling lethargic legs:-)   By the time we rode into the park and did some warm up laps, we were a little over 9 miles.  Then we sat...It was a long setup.  Thanks goes to LeRoy's Bikeworks for the Jerseys and the opportunity to race for you!!

Enjoying the relaxing morning before the winds kicked up.

The race is a multiple bike race.  There is a mountain bike leg of about 8 miles,

July Mileage

I did the mileage add up for the month and came up with 1,159 miles.  That is more than my truck:-) I am somewhat impressed with that considering.  I also ran 73 miles.  Actually, I'm more impressed with that as it seems much harder to run and I always seem to run directly after a ride adding to the difficulty.
Riding has really helped me these past few months with my weight and the complexities of life.  Life is a struggle and the more I ride, the more I am able to enjoy some of it.  My son is a given, but other things seem tough to ride out without riding and reviewing my thought processes.
The fun part of riding is being able to meet new friends and experiencing the thrill of the ride with others to share it with.

Adding some more decking...more to come.

I have been able to do a little work on the house recently as the rains aren't as bad in the afternoon's. Some more of the front deck is being replaced and I was able to hang some of my planes under the ceiling.  One of my friends has begged me for a couple years to put them there and now that they are there, they look good. Good choice!!  Maybe a little too bachelor pad type, but good all the same.

Easier to store up off the ground...

Of course, on my ride this afternoon, the rain would decide to pick back up.  I thought I would be able to hold up under the overpass, but after waiting for a while and checking the radar, it was decided to bolt home as it was a rather unsafe storm.  I cranked out the last 10 miles of my ride in no time and was able to walk my bike down the road and walk in the door just in time for it to start.
So...what kind of mileage will I get this month?  Can I do well at my first big race this weekend? We'll see:-)