Holly’s Blog

Went to my first baseball game, ever, last night! I know, shocking, right?! (we were in 122, row 4) So, it was fun… ate some hot dogs… dodged a few brief showers… had some good laughs at the warm up “moves” of one of Old Miss’s catchers, got over my fear of being hit by a ball…  apparently people need to chill out on the “dangers” of mountain biking. My life was in jeopary several times during the warm ups, before the game even began! Seriously. So, what was the most profound thing I took away from the game? Hecklers and “Pedestrian Rage” For one, I had no idea people really heckled the players (BTW, they DO) and forget “road rage” my friends and I have hit upon a whole new concept… “pedestrian rage”. Now that is a whole blog in itself, but I won’t bore you with the details… lets just say you had to be there.

Just imaging the above picture on a dark and stormy night…  with a fraction of the people in attendance

Ok, Bekah, so they look about the same from a distance… imagine this one then…

Feel free to skim the following… you may find it very useful…

Getting started

So, you’ve decided that Mountain Biking is for you? Allow me to help you rethink your decision. Think back to a time when you broke a bone or ripped a ligament or tendon. I’ll bet it hurt. A lot. Would you repeat that activity knowing that you might very well injure yourself? Now think about hiking, an activity you probably tried prior to coming up with this idea of mountain biking. Did you EVER get partway up a trail and decide, “Eh, I don’t need to get to the top. I think I’ll take a little rest and head back to the SUV.” If you answered ‘no’ to the first question OR ‘yes’ to the second, give up all hopes and dreams of becoming a hardcore mountain biker. The closest you will ever get is riding an old railroad bed that has been covered in nice fine gravel. In fact, you should not bother to buy a bike with a suspension, as you will likely never hit a bump big enough to compress it (well maybe the occasional curb). Don’t take this the wrong way. This doesn’t mean you can’t go out and ride that railroad grade till your heart’s content, it’s just that it is not even close to the same as going up (all the way up) a mountain. There is a reason this is called Mountain Biking and not Gravel Road Biking.

If you are still reading, then you must realize that mountain biking is, “All about Pain.” It’s not my quote, but it is so apt. To clarify, as my good friend “el jéfé” puts it, mountain biking is, “all about searing lungs, sharp pain, and open wounds.” I think he still has trouble remembering his concussion, which has obviously persisted long after the sharp pain and open wounds.

To further clarify, uphill is pain; downhill is the threat of pain. Consider this scenario. You are going riding on a trail that has the option of starting from the top or the bottom. Do you:

a) Start at the bottom and begin your day with pain.

b) Start at the top and end your day with pain.

c) Put one car at the bottom and drive to the top thus avoiding the climb.

If you answered a, you are correct, continue reading. If you answered b, you’re naive, you forgot to consider how much easier it is to go downhill after you break your collarbone. If you answered c, you should have stopped reading two and half paragraphs ago.

Still here? Now it is time to ride. Many people will tell you many things about how to ride in various conditions. It really is quite simple and boils down to a few general concepts:

(see previous post)

Ahhh… just had to share a bit I found very entertaining:

1) If at first you don’t succeed, you are a wimp, but try again after you heal. You might be able to redeem yourself, but only if you try a more difficult line than the last time. NOTE: if your failures continue and you keep attempting to redeem yourself you will eventually find yourself at the top of El Capitan strapping on your helmet as if that will save you (for further information see #7 below).

2) The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. If this line doesn’t work, try a different line next time (see #1).

3) a) If you are not in pain, you aren’t doing it right (this is uphill)

b) If there is little chance of serious injury on the decent, you aren’t doing it right. Either you need more speed, or more challenging terrain.

4) The faster you go, the sooner you get past the tough spots (or at least parts of you will).

5) a) The cougars go after the weakest in the group, so always bring along a rider that is slower than you.

b) If you are the slowest rider in your group, carry a stick. At the first sign of trouble, a single stick through someone else’s spokes and Poof! You are no longer the slowest.

6) Fear is your enemy. Avoid it by thinking as little as possible about the consequences of your actions beforehand. There will be plenty of time for reflection from the hospital bed.

7) Peer pressure is your friend. So is the camera. You are much more likely to take the more challenging line in the presence of either. Remember, your friends will appreciate the entertainment you provide them, and your doctor will appreciate the business.

As you can see the principles are all highly related and complementary. By following them and the links between them, you will be embarking on a life-long (not necessarily long-life) adventure filled with memorable moment(s).

I read an ad in a running magazine a while back that brought life back to focus. It was a Pearl Izumi ad:

“If you ran without sacrifice, congratulations. You just jogged. Running hurts.” 

Congrats to the writers, because it is something amazing how those few words of the English language strung together grabbed my soul. Yes, it hit the heart of “running” dead on… not just the futile beating of the dirt under your feet, but the running of the Christian race set before us. No, it’s not easy… that’s not the point, what is it? True running calls for more than a casual commitment, more than occassional dedication, more than good intentions.

While my physical goals may be… to run a marathon… beat a certain time… complete a certain distance.. run/bike x times a week… I pray my true goal remains steadfast throughout my course of life: the passionate pursuit of perfection(aka christian maturity), the goal of Christ alone, ready and able to rise to the challenge of the call. This is where I find my true fulfillment, my true identity, in Christ alone… and I wish I would never get distracted and forget it!

“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming WOO HOO - what a ride!”

Some guys used this word on the mountain biking forum… in my confusion I did a little urban dictionary research to discover that, indeed, this is a real “word”

The meaning is thus:

1. Describes the complicated love and affection shared by two straight males.

2. A non-sexual relationship between two men that are unusually close.

3. A close relationship between two bros to such a point where they start to seem like a couple. 

4.  A totally heterosexual loving relationship between two or more men, based on respect for the other’s manliness.

Ok, with this startling discovery I couldn’t help but proceed to mock the guys on the forum for even KNOWING the meaning of the word… much less using it, even in jest! Ha

Went to the Rok Haus yesterday… had a blast!!! Vertical walls, fine. Negative inclines… not so much! It was so funny/frustrating sometimes because your brain knew what to do, but your muscles just couldn’t do it! I was telling a friend the other day that I have come to the recent realization that I don’t have a “fear” of heights… but I definitely have a healthy respect for them. Those first few times up the wall yesterday rather confirmed my tenacity for life Your brain realizes when you pass the “safe” zone… about 20 feet up… and it takes a few times until you learn to trust that rope when you are up there. After that it’s just pure fun! Signed up for the Climbing 101 class, then later realized I had double booked myself.. already had a prior (laser tag/dinner) commitment for the same time next week… going to have to see if they can put me in their next class now!

Yeah, all the spots in the pics? Not sure… chalk dust?

I have some people telling me about the riding near Tunica Hills… yes there is beautiful landscape, low traffic, gnarly gravel downhills, and yes, insanely grueling uphills… indeed… this is part of the course of the annual 101 mile race that winds through West Feliciana and Mississippi, the Rouge Roubaix! The race just happened this Sunday. See if this video doesn’t make you hurt just watching….

http://www.rokhaus.com

Who’s ready for some climbing? A friend told me about the place recently… it’s in Lafayette. I’ve always wanted to rock climb… never have in my 25 years… I think it’s about time! Hope to go sometime in the near future… gonna need a fellow climber/belaying buddy… any takers?

I’m trying to decide on a new phone… down to the Motorola Z9 or the LG CF 360… the Z9 will be free and is just a cool looking phone… the 360 has rubber buttons though and may be more durable… something we all know I need! You can check them out on att.com or phonescoop.com… tell me what you think. (neither of them have very good batteries, but then I don’t do hours of talking/texting either)

28 lbs of full suspension in anodized blue :D, sweet… watch out Oak Mountain, here I come!