Wow, I've made it to day two on my own blog. I'm really cranking now. The little dude to the left in the goggles and helmet is my boy Jackson. He obviously loves skiing and also likes to ride his bike, go figure. When I'm not out riding, I'm playing "thrash daddy" with the little guy and his sister Maile. Keeps me young, keeps me happy.

Today I'm going to do some sprints at lunchtime. I've identified this as a weakness of mine, so I'm going to work on that a bit. I'm also working out the lyrics to a song I'm writing. Can't decide if it is going to be a thrash metal piece for my mountain bike rides, or a country tune for my road bike rides. Maybe you can log in and tell me what I should have riffling through my head when I'm out in a break on the road or jamming along on the mountain bike. I like a country tune when I'm working in a break or solo as country songs typically are about loner asskickers, and that's sort of the situation you are in when you are riding aggressively off the front. Redneck Mother by Jerry Jeff Walker is probably my favorite to sing in my head..."He was born, in Oklahoma, his wife's name is Betty Lou Thelma Liz, he's not responsible for what he's doin', cause his momma made him what he is. And it is up against the wall redneck mother, mother who has raised her sons so well, he's 34 and drinkin' in a honky tonk, just kickin' hippees asses and raisin' hell." Anyway, that or Burning Ring of Fire by the Man or My Hero's Have Always Been Cowboys by Willie or you get the idea. Don't be thinkin' that I'm a cross burnin' hood wearing freak from the south, because I'm not. I just identify with the hard scrabble life of middle america and the hard work it takes to exist when you aren't given all the talent in the world. On the mountain bike I'm usually listening in my head to Metallica's For Whom the Bell Tolls or Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengence or Black Sabbaths Sabbath Bloody Sabbath or similar. Mountain bike racing calls for the uptempo and frantic pedaling more conducive to the metal. Of course descending on the road or dirt calls for a little Chopin, but admitting that I hear classical music in my head here is probably a little out of whack. Griff, you may want to try some classical music for your descending and then maybe you will be able to keep up. All these years I've held out my number one tip. So now you know. Anyway, my song is below. Help me out if you are so inclined.


I'm out here ridin',
On my own again.
Turnin' these pedals,
My legs in pain.

Those 1,2,3's,
What do they think,
Do they suffer,
Are they on the brink?

Cat 4 hero,
Racin' out of sight,
You can't brag,
You got no right.

Mike Jones is so pro,
and Travis Browns a legend,
Abalson's golden,
and you are fledglin'.

Cat 4 hero,
Racin' out of sight,
You can't brag,
You ain't got the right.

Either blistering guitar solo here or something accoustic if it's country

Cat 4 hero,
Racin' out of sight,
You can't brag,
You ain't got the right.


Johnny GoFast