my new old bike!

2 weeks have gone by since my last post.
I bought a 2nd hand Cannondale on Monday, which I've taken out once ... beautiful ride.

I did the Zürich triathlon on Saturday (still only had my old bike), and had loads of fun.
600m swim
20km cycle
5km run

... I completed the swim quite easily [albeit slowly], and the cycle was quite easy ... but a few hundred metres into the run, I had to start walking - the impact of running has never been kind to my knees, and this was no exception. The pounding of my sensitive right knee joint resulted in excrutiating sharp shooting pains when I attempted to run, so I landed up walking/limping most of the 5km. Still, no regrets, and I thoroughly enjoyed the event. There was amazing camaraderie - everytime someone passed me on the run they'd say "Come on Gary" (our names were printed on our race numbers).

Our garden is looking wonderful and green and lush. We'll need to buy a hosepipe, sprinkler, and lawnmower soon ... and a box/shed of sorts in which to house it.

It's summ...er, wint...er summer.

Weather here is ridiculously changeable at the moment - last week we had numerous contiguous days where the mercury hit 30 degrees+ [86F]. Yesterday we had flash downpours and lightning. Today started off with promise, but it's turned overcast and looks like rain again...

Last week I did some final shopping around, and ordered our mountain bikes...
A Trek 6500 for me, and a Trek 4500 for Dvora. They arrived on Friday.
I was supposed to go cycling with Adel (Canadian guy, originally from Croatia) on Saturday, but he SMSed me on Friday to say he had to work ... so I went out alone, and veered off my normal round-the-lake route to head out towards Wetzikon where there's a bike shop... It took me a while [I'm super unfit], but I got there .. walked around, bought a cheapie [12 francs] cycling computer, and headed home. Nice thing about living on the top of a 7% gradient 3km hill, is that it makes the return home all that more enjoyable :-)

Saturday afternoon we went to see our bikes, and I paid for 'em ... Yesterday I collected mine and also got a pair of cycling shoes [I got click pedals] for almost half price, and tomorrow evening I'll collect Dvoras bike.
This evening I'm going cycling [road bike] with an American chap who answered my call for a cycling partner ... tomorrow I'm going with the friends with whom we bought the MTBs - so I'll ride my MTB for the first time. YAY.

On another note - our grass has sprouted, and there is a green fluff where the lawn will be ... not unlike the fuzz on an adolescent's face... only ... greener.