Baja y Familia!

Baja is a looooong way away! That is, if you're driving the entire way, with two 29er mountain bikes, wetsuits and snorkel gear, backpacks and hiking boots, plus a small Chihuahua, all in our Suzuki station wagon. Clearly comfort was not our goal!
But we made it to San Felipe, where Hal's dad (also named Hal/Baja Paco) and his lovely wife Robin live.
It took us about two 12 hour days in the car, no problems going through the border or driving down through Mexicali.
Hal Sr. and Robin have a lovely house with a picture-perfect ocean view, and we had our own separate apartment-great way to start a vacation!
The first full day that we were there Hal and I left Delta in the good hands of family, see photo below, and took off on a seven hour exploration hike, as is our norm.



Hal Sr. (Pops) with Delta and their own dogs!
 

We hiked about 12 miles, up and down the beach, where we found dead sharks and sting rays (sad) and then up to a rocky point jutting out into the sea.

 

Windy view from the top of the rocky point
 

Turns out the best way to see a new place is to walk/hike around and explore! We saw so much more than we ever could have through a car window.
San Felipe is a friendly, quiet fishing town. All the locals waved to us and said hello, forcing us to engage our rusty Spanish!
The time passed quickly, with wonderful family dinners and stories, time playing with dogs, hiking and biking.
One of the best days was when Hal and I mountain biked out to the Valley of the Giants, where Pops and Robin met us in the car. See below just why these cactus are called Giants, or Gigantes!

We headed from the Valley to a secluded beach where we had lunch and flew kites. But the best part was that we got to motor pace, on our mtn bikes, off Pop's Suburban! Nothing like the rush of doing 26+ mph behind a big car, on pot-holed, bumpy Mexican roads! Oh, and did I mention it was windy?! So windy that I could fly my kite about three feet in front of me! Hence the need to motor pace...

With our obsession with 14ers, mountains, and anything outdoors, we decided to have Pops drop us off in the desert so that we could attempt to summit the highest point in the near foothills to the west of San Felipe. Here's what the terrain looked like...

  

 



Needless to say, we didn't make the summit. The whole way to the base of the mountains was one big, dry riverbed full of crazy boulders, scree, and spiky things out to get you. This was one of the most rugged hikes we have ever done! Not to mention, no trail to follow. But, we had fun by jumping from boulder to boulder (this is why we need health insurance!)...

 



 

Another fun thing to do in remote desert beach towns is to chase seagulls. See how this looks in practice below...Ah, the small joys in life!

 

 

Amidst all this crazy fun, we had plenty of down-time in the evenings to visit with Pops and Robin and listen to never-before-told family tales, play with dogs, and ride in the sand rail.

 





 

And what better way to commemorate your trip to Baja than by getting permanent tattoos?! Of course nobody believes that we (mostly me) would get inked in Mexico, so here's the visual proof...

 

 

Muchas muchas gracias to Pops and Robin for being the best hosts and sharing their home with us!

Thanks for reading, and let us know if you want to drive down there, we can give you route tips and cheap hotel info.

Adios!

 

To Live Within Our Means

I touched on some financial matters in the previous post. To expand on the subject of the "mortgage nightmare" or what should be a nightmare I will encourage you NOT to have one. This is the best way. However some of us need one to fit into "normal society" to feel good. If the latter is you, listen up.

Let me start by saying that KC and I have a mortgage, albeit a very reasonable and comfortable payment. We had to adopt a lifestyle that at first can be intimidating to grasp. I can assure you that if you're reading and wondering then perhaps you can use at least a portion of this information to build a sweet pile of money or even better-use the time off to do cool shit. 

The solution is... to spend as little money as possible while saving as much as you can. 

1. Live as simple as possible. You will find fun and challenging times that increase daily happiness. 

Usually, the biggest expense incurred is a home. By downsizing your piles of crap around the house to the few things you use the most would be a great starting point. Take your time, read some articles and rise to the challenge. I have never heard anyone on their deathbed complain of not having enough stuff. But I have heard people mention a few things they wish they would have done. Like traveling places, visiting friends and relatives more often, spending time with children, working on hobbies. Insert your wish list here.

When you pile all the stuff you have not used in the last year in the middle of a big room you barely go in the answer becomes clear. Small house, less stuff, way less. Keep the items you use frequently, everything else is sold or donated. Now we have space in our heads and home to focus on the stuff we use the most. In our house these things are mostly kept in the garage. Bikes, running shoes, backpacks, yep, they are consumer items but they bring us happiness and most importantly we use them, lots. 

Now that you are on your way and your house is mostly empty you can get rid of it and get something small. A small home will cost less to buy, operate, maintain, repair, clean, and not suck up your two days off on the weekends vacuuming, buying groceries, and mowing a big ass yard that you rarely enjoy. If you choose a condo that may be even better because now you can leave it for weeks at a time with little concern. You will appreciate that in the near future when you start working less. Shoot maybe even an RV to live in. Maybe??? These moves take time and thought, but probably not as much as you'd think. It can be difficult to wrap your head around a huge move like this. We have done it and it has been wonderful beyond expectation from every standpoint. That is why we spend time sharing information. 

I could write endless ideas to help. There are not very many situations that we couldn't figure out an answer to. Let's keep in mind that we do this because we like to travel, we enjoy adventure in the outdoors, we like to sit and read without feeling guilty about not doing chores or earning more money to pay bills for stuff that doesn't bring us happiness. The further along we get, the more freedom we have. Every year this grows exponentially. For example: we save about 50% of our income. In a couple of years that number will increase to 75%. Our income is not high by any means. The numbers are relative, debt vs. income. The more money you make the better. Just make good choices! 

I would like to help and answer any questions as well as hear your thoughts. I will continue to elaborate on a simple lifestyle in regular posts. Thanks for reading. 

The Benefits of Yoga, and more specifically, the greatness of Louisville's Yoga Junction!!

There are many articles in circulation now about the benefits of yoga for athletes and non-athletes alike. I'd just like to share my personal yoga experience, made possible by the generous sponsorship of Yoga Junction...

When I first started racing professionally three years ago, yoga was not part of my training. It was something I did when I worked out in the gym during winter, when it fit into my schedule. Which meant that I did about 3-5 classes a year. Not enough for someone training in a static position on the bike for 15 hours a week.
I then discovered a fantastic yoga studio, right in downtown Louisville. Now yoga was more convenient and had a more natural feel than the gym classes.

As I started attending more classes, I became aware of just how badly I needed yoga! Forget reaching your fingertips to the floor, I was lucky if I could touch my knees!
I approached the owners, Carey and Melissa,  and asked if they'd be willing to sponsor me with yoga classes while I was racing. They were so fantastic, agreeing right away and giving me more classes per week than I could ever hope to attend!

Through their generosity, I came to incorporate a weekly yoga class into my training schedule. I began noticing how it not only helped my flexibility and core, but it helped calm and clear my mind as well. Of course I received the oft-touted benefits of balance, core strength, and increased flexibility, but I also started craving the mental peace my practice afforded me.
Athletes are constantly training and striving toward the next goal, competing against themselves and others. Yoga is the one safe place where we can let go and be present. This focus and body awareness helped me become a more balanced cyclist and competitor.

Now that I am taking a break from bike racing and moving onto endurance events of great lengths, I'm going to rely ever more on the mental strength and clarity I gained during yoga.
I believe that yoga is still an under-valued element of most athlete's training regimens. I highly recommend trying a class, if you never have, and to make it routine, if you currently practice.

Yoga Junction is a safe, welcoming, community-based studio that I'm proud to call home! I am so thankful to Carey and Melissa for taking a chance on me and my overworked body :)