Tour de Rock

Up at 4 a.m. on Saturday morning, I met up with other Bell mountain bike team members, and my good friend Joe to start the Tour de Rock 100 mile trek , from Burns Park to Keo, and back. Joe and I had discussed whether we would ride the 62 miler or the 100 miler, so about 2 hours into the ride, we hit a crossroads, and the challenge was issued to Joe to come on and lets keep up with the freight train of 5 riders who we were tailing on our way to the 50 mile marker, thus at 2.5 hours we were half way thru, alas, the train pulled out , before we were ready, and we found ourselves , by ourselves and a train of 2 riders, for the next 50 miles, needless to say that the next 50 miles would take twice as long or 5 hours to do the final 50 miles, which from mile 75 in to Burns Park Joe set the pace, and I followed, finishing the ride in 7.5 hours, which is my third century. As an aside Joe's wife , Marianne came by us at the 25 mile marker, and was the engine with a string of 10 plus riders, we learned later, that Marianne had completed the course in 5.5 hours as a tuneup for her iron man race later in the summer. I want to congratulate a member of the Bell Mountain Bike team and his dad, Hunter Mourer, and Lee, his dad, Hunter is age 13 ( I think) and he completed the century ride, the last 2 miles , Hunter finished on a rim, due to multiple flats, quite impressive. Also thanks Joe, for teaching me about pickle juice, as a solution for cramps, and how to draft. This was my second ride on my road bike since the Big Dam Bridge Century last fall, the other ride was a 68 mile ride called the Tour de Toad. , from Conway to Wye Mountain and back. Five years ago, I had not ridden a bike since grade school, but due to my son Clayton's encouragement and guidance, and the Bell Mountain Team group, I have now completed some personal milestones, I would not have thought possible, my goals now are to complete the Ouachita Challenge and the Syllamo Challenge in 2010, for 2009 I finished 45 miles of the Ouachita 60 miles on the Tour side, and 25 miles of the Syallamo 45 miler, big goals but the Big Dam Bridge Century and the Berryman 57 miler will be good tuneups for these races.
Known as the slowest sport rider in the Mountain Bike series, I continue to be amazed how the biking has tranformed my physical well being, which for a CPA , is major, due to the sedimentary life style of my profession. I hope I can ride my bike and practice my profession into my 80's , understanding that is God's will , and not mine will, that will so determine, I hope everyone has a great 4th of July, I look forward to Womble, my favorite race venue.

Syllamo's Revenge

I rarely write or comment , but feel compelled to share my thoughts on Syllamo, I completed 25 miles and reached Highway 5 at 2:30 , I was dirty, tired, out of gas, and yet refreshed from the nice dip in the swollen creek waters, which I had preceded to totally immerse myself and my yeti in just minutes before. My observation of the race is this:  if I had physically conditioned myself to race  Syllamo,  I would have  finished and  I would have gotten in the top 3 for the over 50 category this year. I did not reach my goal, because either I did  not have the time, or did not take the time to train, to reach my goal. I did not balance my  time spent at work,  or with my family, or with  God,  my own down time, and then my time  mountain biking, in the right time proportions.    My take or  philosophy on mountain biking is that you cannot lie  or cheat the mountain, the trail, or the stream, , if you are not physically conditioned you will not finish, thus I was not conditioned , I did not finish.  If I want to finish, then I must put in the time to train and condition, there is no way to reach my goal other than to put in the time to reach my goal. I must also correctly balance this with all other time responsibilities  I have as a dad, husband, businessman, citizen, and Christian.

 

In this I see  a  life lesson.  We can go thru life, and cheat on how we spend our time,  or  impersonate  who we want to be , we can  talk a big game on who or what we are,  and can side step or  weave our way  thru our daily job routine,  or do an end around,  with our family relationships,  but not so with  mountain biking, it  will true you up , and will tell you where you stand with the man!  If you do not put in your time to train, then you will not finish or reach your goal, you cannot talk your way to the finish line.  Wouldn’t it be great, if everyone would ride a mountain bike, and do this true up, every day. We would have a clear picture of where we stand in balancing our time spent each day, and the world would be a much better place to live and work.  We would be truthful, passionate, and healthy!

 

 

I would like to congratulate all team members, especially  the top 7 guys  who finished in the top 45 ,  for the race at Syllamo. It was dynamic, and gut wrenching, I continue to be amazed at our team’s togetherness, and capabilities, keep up the good work.

 

 Yes, the rock is in the board room, A trophy encasement is being  built  to display the rock, and all race participant names on the trophy. Thanks again.