AWESOME thread! It's nice to see something positive instead of all the bickering that can go on in here. Here is my contribution....it's not athletic but something VERY important to me - my first born at 6 mos old this past Easter. Hope you all don't mind.....

I never thought I could be apart of something so perfect!

I live on a dirty, crowded island with horrible cycling conditions, as anyone can see from the following pictures my wife took while joining a buddy and I on our ride with her motor scooter:



Starting out along the coast.



Climbing a hill that marks the key strategic point in a big local race.



Bridge over a gorge (we rode on the left to check out the view).



View of the gorge from the bridge.



More of the coastal road, right around the Tropic of Cancer.



Deserted beach with "wooden tents" for overnighting.



And my favorite view: my riding partner dropped on a tough climb.

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Magna est veritas et praevalebit

"I'm not going to have reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president."
-Hillary Clinton

The answer to "1984" is 1776.

....good one.....great cycling area eh....looks tropical indeed!!!!!! must be very humid???

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Stephen Perera
Gibraltar, Europe
graphics@gibraltar.gi

Technically it's sub-tropical. I guess that means we get to soak in the cold rain all winter instead of warm tropical rain.

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Magna est veritas et praevalebit

"I'm not going to have reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president."
-Hillary Clinton

The answer to "1984" is 1776.

Gibraltar is sub-tropical too.....gets very humid with easterly winds in August....sticky....

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Stephen Perera
Gibraltar, Europe
graphics@gibraltar.gi

These pics are Tri related only because they represent what the lifestyle allows me to enjoy.

Here are some of my favorites.

My favorite swimming hole and training partner (Lake Michigan on the 4th of July and Oberon):



My favorite place to unwind:



My (other) favorite vacation spot:





The view immediately following my proposal to my wife. -She said yes and it looks like the Big Guy approved...

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This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time. - Fight Club
Industry Brat.

some more images....



view of the Straits of Gibraltar on a run route I do.....that's the continent of Africa over the water....where Europe ends and Africa starts.....



.....top of the Rock of Gibraltar....end of the most difficult climbing you can imagine anywhere around the area....its a great run from the bottom, sea level, up to the top....20% plus gradients are there to greet you....never done it on the road bike.....on the mountain bike yes....



...view of the Rock from Spanish beaches I run in for example on saturday mornings sometimes...I start from Alcaidesa (where we live) beach and run towards Gibraltar then back....

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Stephen Perera
Gibraltar, Europe
graphics@gibraltar.gi

This is a great picture. Thanks for sharing.



Are you taking this pictures in B&W or are you converting them later? Just curious..

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Searching for the bliss of ultimate exertion.

....digital in colour then converting in Photoshop....it's what I do....I'm a designer....

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Stephen Perera
Gibraltar, Europe
graphics@gibraltar.gi

Thought so. Digital cameras usually take poor B&W photos.

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Searching for the bliss of ultimate exertion.

Good morning America....show me something...

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Stephen Perera
Gibraltar, Europe
graphics@gibraltar.gi

I hope no-one thinks this is a show-off - there's just something about the fact my mate caught me in exactly the same pose as the statue that makes this the cycling photo I've got framed. (and no-knocking the bootees they were a joke gift from the photographer and I promised I'd wear them!)

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"Are you sure we're going fast enough?" - Emil Zatopek

Sorry, the Appalcians are not nearly as cool.....but it's what I call "home."

This is in northern PA. I back packed it by myself in 10" of snow the first time. Then I came back to ride it in the summer. Very peaceful.





This next one in in VA. I hiked this one as well. I haven't riden it yet, but hope to some day.



Ahhhh....and I sit here and lament at the fact that my office has no windows. Just as well, I wouldn't be seeing this.

(Actualy, I work at a university and it's Spring.....so you can guess what I'd see out of my window ; )

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-----------------------------Baron Von Speedypants
-----------------------------RunTraining articles here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...runtraining;#1612485