Please Advise

As previously posted, I was happy to have the opportunity to participate in the Attack on Swayback mountain bike race and thrilled to finish without crashing. While I was not disappointed with my time considering my beginner status, I hope to participate again and do much better. With that in mind, I am constantly looking for information and tips that will help me improve. I was thrilled that one of the race officials captured a photo of me on the race course and just e-mailed it to me. Would you do me the favor of studying this photo and giving me honest feedback about how I may improve my form, equipment, or anything else you notice that might prevent me from becoming one of the better mtb racers? Thanks!
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Wild at Heart

If you have a son and are raising him in 21st century America, you probably should read "Wild at Heart". One theme from the book that resonates with me is how often we tell each other "be careful". Most of us lead careful, calculated, and fearful lives. We live days and years driven more by a desire to avoid painful things that might happen than by the desire to experience the fullness of abundant living. It boggles my mind that people who have been given a functioning body and mind will waste both either in the pursuit of money or simply watching others live life. Life is not a spectator sport. For me, watching sports (live or on television) is only useful if it motivates me to be more involved in some way. Why in the world would watching others play be my goal? How does cheering for a team that wins make me a winner? In many ways, I think I have done a lousy job of living what I believe. Sometimes I watch a college football game and become upset that the kids are not giving more effort. I should be out getting in shape so I can give more effort. So all that leads to my attempt to answer the question "Roxy, why would a man your age want to ride and race mountain bikes?" I could write pages in an attempt to answer, but take a look at this picture;

No, I admit this doesn't look like much fun......at first. But take a look at the expression on this kid's face just before this picture was taken;

Yes, mud is flying. Bruises and scrapes are likely. A face full of mud is a certainty. But look at his face. This kid is having fun! And the dangers of bruises added to the work of cleaning up all that messy mud is exactly what separates this from a video game where he could PRETEND to jump a motorcycle over a helicopter or some such nonsense. He is learning that you don't just hit "reset" and play again. You FEEL the victories and the losses. "Feeling" and "experiencing" is living. Not "reading about" or "watching". Don't get me wrong, I do not hunger for the pain of crashing and will try to avoid it. But I am willing to accept some sore muscles and minor injuries in pursuit of LIVING life rather than just being aware of it going on around me.

If at first you don't succeed, tri, tri again!

You are probably tired of checking my blog only to find those canned pictures of other folks competing in a triathlon. Sure, they all look like real athletes and seem very serious about competing. But if you want to see serious determination, check this out;

You see, someone as naturally fast as I am has to really concentrate to stay under the posted speed limit of 15 mph. One of the competitors said after the race that those signs did not apply to us, but with the recent "taking back the streets" campaign, I wasn't taking any chances! And just in case anybody thought I was kidding about riding my mountain bike in a triathlon, here is the proof;

This shot was taken about 5 minutes later and, as you can see, I have moved 20 or 30 yards closer to the cameraman. There is no telling how fast I was going. The official timer did say they were timing me with a calender. One guy said he had to line me up with a telephone pole to see if I were moving.



And for all of you who think I may not have finished before dark, here is a picture of the TRI-umphant crossing of the finish line.

The reason the finish line looks like a doormat is that sensors are underneath that pad that read the computer chip in the strap on my right ankle. This enables them to track each time you enter and leave the transition area. And they had computer print-outs posted at the end of the race showing names and times by age group. Actually, it was posted while some were still on the course. Later, I will post a more serious, philosophical perspective on competing in such an event. But, for now, have a good laugh. Yes, I know I look funny. No, I don't have any pictures of me drowning--I mean swimming. Yes, there were a few people still behind me at the finish--very few.

Growing Old is not for Sissies!

I am determined to push my body to exercise and, as Dr. George Sheehan said, "be the animal I was meant to be". My philosophy is that doing that for a lifetime requires finding ways to make it enjoyable. In keeping with that philosophy, I recently purchased a mountian bicycle. To be precise, the insurance company representing the crazy woman who turned left across three lanes and bashed my truck bought me a bike. That is another post. This one is about stretching my wings and soaring to new heights on my sturdy mountain bike. I will try to share pictures occasionally. Here are the first two;
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Man, that was a cool day on the Coosa! Thanks to LaWanna for climbing that other mountain to take the pictures.