After a long hiatus, or more appropriately, complete abandonment of this blog, I've decided to give it another go around. Hopefully I'll be better about posting, not just with frequency, but content you enjoy. After a major shift in life, new job, Editor of tri-magazine and assoc. editor of ROAD Magazine, and new location, Valencia, CA, but soon to be Ventura, there is a lot of new ground for me to explore.
I don't want this to become another "look at me doing cool things in my cool life with my cool friends" jealousy-inducing blog. Rather, I am out to show what you can do if you just take one simple step out your door. You may not be anywhere near water or great trails, but I'll bet there's some cool stuff near you that you simply have to find. In my six months in CA. I've explored areas and found spots that life-long residents haven't seen. I am amazed at the endless opportunities that this state has. From the beaches to the mountains and desert, CA has the terrain, weather and recreation for any outdoor athlete. I'm out to explore it all. Well, maybe not moto-riding in the desert, that looks lame.
With the new job comes a lot of new gear. I am constantly trying out new products, from 10,000 bikes to sunscreen and nutrition. I thought I had a lot of gear before, but now it is borderline out of control. Not helping the situation has been the addition of two (one for me and one for Courtney) 11'1" SUP boards, paddles and leashes. Being just 10' from the beach, some form of watersport recreation was inevitable. As you can imagine the clutter in our garage is amazing. The amount of gear we have accrued is astounding.
What amazes me is how many items are doubled up. Wetsuits, one for triathlon, one for SUP, tires, some for road, some for mountain, some for cross, some tubeless; shoes, running shoes, hiking shoes, road bike shoes, mtn bike shoes, trail shoes. Jackets: soft shells, wind-proof shells, winter jackets, cycling jackets. Bags, bags for tri, for SUP, for work, for travel, for the camera. At first it's cool, you have all this gear, then you realize you have to put is somewhere, and that's when the cool factors fades away in the clutter of your garage.
Speaking of garages, finding a condo for rent with a garage in Ventura, CA was nearly impossible. We found the only complex with garages and took the last 2 bedroom floorplan available. We don't plan on putting the cars in, its all about gear storage. I am seriously considering renting another garage in the complex to store stuff.
I often look at the gear and think I have way too much, but when I look at all, I see that there isn't a single piece of equipment I don't use. Sure, not on a daily basis, (though I think it would be cool to one day ride all my bikes, go ski and SUP) but I do use it all. Nothing sits idle, and much of the gear is at the ready for repairs, modifications, etc. Plus, much of it I have not paid for, and it really is part of my job, so what am I to do? The simple answer is to use it and enjoy it, that's what its for, right?
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