THE MAIDEN VOYAGE

Donna and her Giant Anthem hit the dirt for the first time today. Mostly I only saw Donna's back side for the bulk of the day. What a difference an efficient full-suspension bike can make. The thing is light as a feather, which is evident as soon as she hits any climbs. She absolutely loved the bike! We spent about three hours on the trail and had a wonderful day, as we always do while sharing each other's company.

PART OF THIS COMPLETE BREAKFAST

Donna made a wonderful breakfast to energize us for our Sunday ride. Veggie sausages, whole wheat waffles, fresh strawberries and egg whites!

DONNA'S NEW BIKE!

We finally picked up Donna's new bike Saturday morning. It was a shame she had to work Saturday afternoon and evening, leaving her shiny new Giant Anthem at home. Sunday will be the maiden voyage. I'm jealous like you wouldn't believe. Donna is the first in the family to have Fox forks and hydraulic disc brakes that'll stop you on a dime. I'm so thrilled for her - she totally deserves this treat! Sea Otter Classic... watch out!

SATURDAY SOLO RIDE

After picking up Donna's new Giant Anthem at the bike shop Saturday morning, she was unfortunately left with no ride time and shot off to work with the enthusiasm you would expect from someone who would much rather be out riding their brand new bike. While she pulled out of the driveway heading to work, I was pulling out heading to the Hummingbird Trail in Simi Valley. Despite the double black diamond rating of the trail, it was while climbing another trail that I wrecked - nothing major but the peroxide stung like crazy once I finally got home. The ride was great, though I was a little jittery after the wreck, which happened within the first 30 minutes of the three hour ride. Parts of the trail really reminded me of Moab, Utah.

SUNDAY, WITHOUT BIKES

Despite the forecast for stormy weather, Sunday was nothing but blue skies. Given that we fried our legs Saturday morning, in anticipation of not being able to ride Sunday, we decided to take a rest day despite the beautiful weather. We started with lunch at Panera then hit Gardens of the World, an outdoor mall where Donna met a fellow newspaper lover, Rocket Fizz candy shop and last but not least, Tony's Pizza. We also caught a matinée of Knowing, with Nicholas Cage, but the movie folks are kind'a funny about grabbing stills from their movies.

SATURDAY MOUNTAIN FUN

Believe it or not there's actually rain in the forecast for Sunday, so we got up earlier than usual Saturday before Donna went to work to get out for a mtn bike ride. Two hours later we were both fried, but Donna had the energy to strike a pose for the camera. How anyone can be that good-looking and also be such a rock star on the bike is beyond me. Following the ride I finally got some grease for the cleat threads on Donna's new shoes and got them all ready to go. There's nothing better than a layer of carbon-fiber between your feet and the pedals!

FRIDAY NIGHT WITH THE COLONEL

After scouring the weight-watchers points for local restaurants and fast food, I've learned that KFC has the best belly-filling, low-point options. I can snag 6 original recipe strips with corn and mashed potato (skip the biscuit) and stay well withing my dinner points. It's becoming a bit of a Friday night tradition, all thanks to Colonel Sanders.

LUNCHTIME IS CHILLTIME

What better way to relax during a lunch-break in the car than with Hancock. I'm finding that just 20 minutes of something brainless really takes my mind off work and makes for a great mid-day escape.

A GOLDEN RIDE

Thursday I got out for a ride with a co-worker after a joyous day of work. The golden sun provided beautiful light for some fun, technical climbing and singletrack! Of all days to forget my camera, it was today... fortunately I had my trusty iPhone with me and managed to snap these shots as Bruce was rounding a switchback.

SPRING IS HERE

Well, it never really went away... afterall, this is Southern California. The roses are already in bloom and I love coming home from work and seeing them in the front yard.

SUNDAY MTN RIDE

Donna and I got out for a fantastic ride Sunday in Cheesebro Canyon. It's a great mix of rocky singletrack for fun and fire road climbs for conditioning. This area usually burns to a crisp in the summer so this was a great time of year to ride it.

SMASH & GRAB IDIOTS

I went for a Saturday afternoon hike with a co-worker only to return to the parking area and find my back window smashed out. The idiots were in such a hurry, they stole two older coats and a good Pearl Izumi rain coat, but overlooked the $120 Oakley sunglasses, $140 Jawbone Bluetooth earpiece and CD case with about 40 CD's. Thank goodness criminals are stupid!

HAMMER TIME

We got in two great days of mountain biking Sunday and Monday. By time we got home Monday afternoon, I was exhausted, while Donna was still bouncing around with spare energy! I'm discovering my legs just aren't what they used to be, when we lived in Oregon.

A MUCH DESERVED TREAT

Donna has been hammering away on the bike lately while preparing for her race in April's Sea Otter Classic. She's suffered the agony of a steel hardtail for years, so when we walked into Newbury Park Cycles and found a 2008 leftover in her size, with a huge discount, we decided to put it on layaway. The plan is to get it a week or two before the race to let her get used to it. I'm soooo excited for her!!

STYLIN AT 40% OFF

Donna and I hit a few bike shops yesterday and discovered a life-saving (literally) 40% off sale. I'd never drop bank like this on a helmet, but given the importance of my noggin and the 40% discount, I couldn't resist. Plus, the thing fits like a glove.

SATURDAY TRAINING RIDE

Donna's race at the Sea Otter Classic is less than two months away and she's really starting to hammer down. Saturday we went to a park in Thousand Oaks where she cleared at least 6 sections of trail that she's never even attempted before. You go girl!!!