Jumpin'

M13 found a new bike jump in the open space near our house so we went out last night to check it out. He cruised over the jump right away since he'd been working it all afternoon. I didn't check out the backside landing beforehand so on my first approach, i did it "motorcycle stunt man style" - i roared up to the jump and hit the brakes just in time to stop before i actually took the jump. i was a bit scared and needed to work up the nerve. second approach....same thing...scared. at that point i got worried that i wasn't going to get over it and take the dang thing. that would've been painful for me even thought M13 wouldn't have thought less.

i watched M13 take the jump one or two more times and then gave it a go. i must say that i didn't really jump on that first time over; it was kind of a whoop-dee-doo. i'm not sure i was aggressive enough to actually catch some air but i did go over. okay, i know i didn't get air 'cause the big chain ring hit the top of the jump as i went over....

At this point, assured that i could make it work, and, after seeing M13 do it 8 times in the mean time, i went for it. i pushed it hard enough to get some air and to make the two boys watching say, "ooo" and "sweet" or "awesome." i forget which; probably all three.

i ripped it a few more times and felt like that was enough. I came, I saw, I jumped. I showed M13 my fear, conquered the fear and rode off into the sunset.

Rider's Log 7.31.07 - Big Dry Creek Trail

Up at 5:39. Dozen blueberries. Rolling at 5:58. Out open space trail to 128th Ave. Back to city park. 4 loops/intervals up lower hill then west 15 minutes to Wadsworth; 15 back to house at 7:30. Mileage: didn't check. probably 20. Felt good. good energy. no trolls
this morning i saw Scraggly Bellyman. Old Friendly Guy with foofie dog. Cougar with retriever.

if you are interested, on the aerial photo view of the map, look for the green squiggly line (creek) that runs immediately north of the city park. zoom in and you can see the path that runs along this creek. follow that north east to 128th ave and west to Wadsworth. my house is nearby but i won't be pointing that out....

Breaking News!

John rides 37 (updated) today. 2 hours up the mountain - 1 hour back. More details to follow.
Depart: 6:30 a.m. Westminster, CO. Turn around point: Coal Creek Fire Station @ 8:30 a.m. Finish @ home: 9:40 a.m.
I thought that i rode to Wondervu. I didn't. Wondervu is actually 5 more miles UP the road but i didn't know this until i took a drive with my family up this same canyon on Saturday. I'll make that my goal next week.
Some highlights of the ride: the majorly long train that was coming up the mountain out of Denver on it's way west. it came around the southern hill at Plainview Road (in the aerial, you can see the train tracks winding from bottom to top.) and was so long that, at one point, the front end was out of sight to the north and the back end was out of sight to the south but the whole thing was stretched out in front of me across the opening to the canyon. it seemed like it was a mile long and the whole scene was like a small scale train set in someone's basement that had come to life. i'll have to take a picture of that point because it is very mountain scenic.
Also, the weather was humid, the clouds were low and the road still had standing water on the shoulder. it was cool and nice.
I almost broke at the same point where i turned around the week before but i pressed on. i was giggling, groaning and grunting for the rest of the way but i sure was having a blast!

Quote this!

Do all the good you can. By all means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as you ever can. - John Wesley

Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege. - John D. Rockefeller

One pardons to the degree that one loves. - Francois De La Rochefoucauld

You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction. - George Horace Latimer

Even if you are on the right track you'll get run over if you just sit there. - Arthur Godfrey

Try not to be a person of success but rather a person of value. - Albert Einstein

Rider's Log 7.15.07- Troll!

I rode my mountain bike about 13 miles Monday morning along the open space trail that runs through the city. It was the usual on this trail - feeling great on the way out, cruising along, passing joggers, exchanging "good mornings" with people out early, wondering how i got in such good shape so fast.
Then, somehow, it happens. Whenever i reach my turn around point on this trail, someone, something, sneaks out and attaches a 31.6 pound invisible sled to my bike. I never see it happen although i always keep a look out for this person, this troll; but, i know it has happened because i feel myself dragging it all the way home. i can't see it. i can't hear it. it doesn't even leave marks in the trail, but it is obviously there.
This morning - same ride, same experience. I hope to out run that troll someday. Kick it in the teeth. leave it behind.
I looked in the mirror a while back and realizee that the same troll had attached a 20 pound giant bagel around my waist. damn troll. (and all along i thought i was eating ice cream..not bagels. i hardly ever eat bagels anymore. how'd i get a bagel around me. looks like a damn floatie. a water melon even.)

the good news in it all is that i've got 25 miles done so far this week. my long ride this week will be Friday morning early. my goal is 75 for the week.

Wisdom of Ralph 2

I really love the Simpson's. Ralph is one of my favs. He's the kid no one wants to hang around with. The one that's always saying stupid things. The ultimate marginalized child. In my business, that makes him my hero.


If rice is wiggling, it's not rice.
If you put something far enough back in your nose, it will come out your mouth.
A puppy can grow up to be president of America, but a kitten cannot.

I ate a smelly toadstool,
like a happy little elf.
I danced around the meadow,
and then i soiled myself.

I ate an orange crayon.
I drank from a big cup.
I ate a bunch of cat food,
then i puked it up.

Made it! First Goal Achieved

my Triumphal Entrance into the Rocky Mountains!
i set out from home yesterday and rode 1.5 hours due west and i made it well into the mountains- a mile or two at least. it was so excellent to reach that goal, be in the mountains and feel that sense of accomplishment. it's also amazing to me how fast the scenery changes - plants, landscape, air, roads - all of it. a ride due west here is a steady climb so it's quite a workout for me right now. felt great. next time i go that route, i'll take a some pics to post.
the ride yesterday was 3 hours. 1.5 out and then took a big loop back - north on hwy 93 to 72, Simms south, 108th back towards home. i figure that it was about 40 miles. (42 - i drove it at lunch 7.23)
hey, main reason i'm posting this is so i can have a log of what i've done. not really doing it to impress any readers. mostly so i can keep track of where i've been.
i fully expect that in a month or two i'll make it to the same point west in far less time and it'll be good to read this and consider the progess i've made.