Habits to Change Your Life

I am a fan of Joshua Becker and Becoming Minimalist.

I want to pass along the post I read this morning. 

7 Daily Habits to Change Your Life Forever

School's Out!

Today is my last day of full-time work. So, tomorrow will be a very special day. In addition to being my first day of so-called "retirement," tomorrow is also my birthday. 

I am glad it all comes together on one special day. 

Reading the Trail

I had a fun gravel ride earlier this week on Arroyo Trabuco Trail. 

I did an out and back, which has an access point about a mile from my house. It’s actually a fairly technical trail for me. Yet, I felt really confident on this ride. 

I recently changed out the tires on my Franco Grimes Bicycle to Gravelking SS Panaracer.  That's a less knobby tire for dry riding and less rolling resistance when riding tarmac. Riding on this trial tested the gravel-ability of these tires! They did well, but I wondered about switching them out and going back to the Gravelking SK Panaracer, which is definitely a gravel tire.

On the return, I was moving fast and accurately reading the trail well. At one point the trail went down and across a dry creek bed that I didn’t read well – and my skinny slick gravel tires just sank into the gravel. Dead stop - I couldn't peddle out of it. 

I should have gone across the creek bed just a few feet up, but I didn't see that option on the apporach.  I had to push out. Which was fine. But there was a mountain biker on a Santa Cruz who I didn’t know was on my tail. He had to abruptly stop.  We laughed about it and he told me that I was setting such a good pace for him. 

He pulled around and moved on up the trail, which then had a steep ascent. Well – being on my Franco, I had to catch and pass him before he got to the top of the hill.  I did it.  When I checked Strava, I saw that my ascent set a PR for me on that climb. 

It was so fun!

Winter Riding

It's winter. 

Here in California, that means cooler temperatures and possibly rain. We've had it all this week. Temperatures plummeted to the mid 30's earlier this week, and we've had a couple of days of rain. I got in a couple of rides, but I stayed in on the rainy days. 

I purchased a "winter kit" in November. it's gotten use this year. Sun is forecast for tomorrow morning, so I'll take a Saturday morning ride.