Tonight I boxed up my Trek 520 and prepared it for its journey to Northern California. After much contemplation, I decided to sell the bike. There are a number of reasons for parting with it, but the prevailing one was that it is getting harder to distribute my time across 4 bikes. And the 520 sat somewhere between a mountain bike and a road bike. It is a touring bike, designed for carrying heavy loads and crossing continents. Something I thought I would do someday.

I remember the day I bought the 520. It was March 2003 and I was looking for something more street friendly than my mountain bike. The bike seemed like a good idea. It was road ready but tougher than a road bike. I started reading up on bike tours and planned on doing one at some point.

I remember the first time I rode 15 miles on it. Then 20. And finally 30. Each ride was a great accomplishment. After the 30-mile ride I set my sights on 50 or even 100 miles. But then I discovered triathlon, and with that, a triathlon bike. Suddenly, I was riding 50 and 60 mile rides on a lighter, faster, more aerodynamic bike. I even crossed the 100-mile mark on a triathlon bike.

I later picked up a road bike to do longer rides on. Even the mountain bike did a 45-mile off-road ride a few times.

The 520 became the commuter bike. It was a reliable, indestructible machine that covered the 25-mile round trip commute to work. Later, the bike would climb up Hoover and Rampart to Sunset Blvd to see Karen. It never needed a tune up or adjustment. It just kept going.

And so after 1000-plus miles, I bike a good friend farewell. On Friday, the 520 will make its way up to Northern California to its new owner, who has been looking for a 520 to call his own. It is the kind of bike that one has to be looking for because not everyone knows about it.

It is a great bike and has served me well. Now it is off to do the same for someone else.

Has it been a month already? November seems so far away, but it really only has been 40 days or so since the Ironman. I haven't done a real work out since then. Actually, I did a short 2-mile run and one mountain bike ride since then. But nothing in the past several weeks. I keep telling myself that I am getting out of shape. But just as I say that, I run up four flights of stairs and declare victory at the top.

The strength is gone, some of the endurance, but there is still enough to get up the stairs.

I have no races planned for this year, and it will probably remain so. I entertained thoughts of doing XTerra West in Temecula in May, but it seems that the folks at xterraplanet.com have decided not to do a Temecula race. At least it is not on the schedule yet. Barring that, there are a couple of local, homegrown tris near San Dimas. They are the kind of races you drive 30 minutes to, race for 2 hours, and get home before lunch time.

I'll be honest. I'm itching to do something. Not an Ironman. Not a half-Ironman. Maybe an Olympic. Definitely a Sprint. Just to go out there and finish something and finish it fast.

But for the moment, it is time to clean up, catch up, and rest up. I hope to get on the bike this weekend. Which one? Probably the mountain bike.

Here's hoping the weather starts to warm up.