Life Lessons from MTB

I was thinking the other day that there is much to be learned about life from mountain biking. If you stop and think about  the skills needed for mountain biking some of them fit very well into life lessons. Follow along with me on this;

• Keep focused on the task (trail) ahead. So, here you are riding along and you begin to daydream, or your thoughts wander a little, I guarantee you the next turn or jump will catch you by surprise and your newest friend will be a tree. Is that so different from life? Let's keep focused here on our work lives. You are in the middle of a project and you lose your train of thought. Seems to me a tree, figuratively, may appear in your path.
• Have a plan. In MTB a plan can be, and usually is, a little different from a life plan. But to keep this rather simple let's focus on a project for work plan, not our lives in general. In biking our ficus is very short in the future. If I focus more that about 5 feet - consistently - my friend the tree or a large rock will get me. So...work plans are similar. Sometimes you must look up to scan the horizon but most of the time focus on the immediate.
• Don't be afraid to fall. No matter how good you are in biking you will fall. The better you get the more challenges you find. If you didn't want challenges you would be a street biker (no offense). Trying a new whatever in the working world will occasionally end with you tires up. When that does happen you dust yourself off, put a band aid on it, and begin again.
• Take time to enjoy. OK, it's the smell the roses kinda thing. Have you ever been riding and just stop to look at the river, forest, or prairie simply because its' pretty? If not, think about doing that sometime. Some times at work the same thing needs to happen - set back, put up your feet, and smile. It will do wonders for the day.
• Be flexible. Some times plans do need to be changed. In MTB suddenly what you thought you saw becomes something else - a jump, a crossing - you get the idea. It is time to change your original approach to the challenge. Hey, same thing in work/life. Be prepared to change as the situation dictates. Blindly following may end you up with another band aid.
• Keep you equipment in good working order. This really means you. Eat well, get enough sleep, and smile occasionally.

OK, there are probably scores of other examples I could use but I think you get the picture. Have fun and maybe I will see you on one of the trails or some project somewhere.

Later

Northshore

Over by Lake Grapevine is one of the best, if not the best, off road trail in the metroplex - Northshore. The full meal deal runs about 20 miles, long for a MTB trail and full of many surprises. Before I go into the merits of this trail; I began the day, upon arrival at Northshore, by breaking the stem off my rear tire. All I wanted to do was put some air in the tire. Have I mentioned that I am not a fan of presta valves? After this morning I am seriously considering drilling out the valve hole in my rims to accept schraders (car style valves). I could expound for awhile about why in the world there are presta valves but what is the point - they are here.

Anyway, after changing my back tube I was on my way. One more "hold it there cowboy". I always wear a small backpack, when I ride off road, full of tools and goodies for just these kind of occasions. Admittedly, I don't break off many valve stems but I do have my share of flats. I do carry an extra inner tube and a pump for just these kinds of problems. I also have a patch kit but I usually wait until I get home before I patch.

Northshore is constructed so that you will run into almost every kind of situation. Sand - yes; Rocks - yes, climbs - yes, roots - yes, the slick kind, other people -
bikers - yes, lots, hikers -  yes, lots, this is one busy place. I arrived at the trailhead around 8:00 AM and I bet there were at least 30 cars already there, and this was just one trailhead. I talked with a guy who seemed to know and he said it is not uncommon for 600 people to be on the trail in one 24 hour period.

To get a sense of some of the trail follow the link to some pics of Northshore.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28201157@N08/sets/72157625128532282/
This is one trail you need not worry about getting lost. It is probably the best marked trail I have ever seen. Even if you did manage to get lost, and it was on a weekend, you could wait a while and someone will come by who can help. I stopped to take a drink after one strenuous climb and before long there were three of us talking. MTBers are certainly friendly.

There are plenty of places to turn around and head back to the barn if you don't want to do the entire 20 miles. The trail is a singletrack and so well marked (as I said before) that you will always know where you are. I started at the trailhead in Murrell Park but there are many other places. At the bottom of this entry you will see the GPS coordinates for the area I parked in.

I will admit here and now there are a few places I walk my bike through on this trail. Nothing to be ashamed of, some things are just beyond my skill set. I say this so that if you attempt Northshore you will know it is OK to walk. I also know I am not the only one. I did go tires up once today. Got my pedal caught on something. My big toe is also a little bruised but that too will pass.

Final word; great trail, nice and long. A little of everything. Give it a try you won't be disappointed.

Later

GPS Coordinates:
33° 00.301
97° 05.864

What's Up With Another Blog?

Well, what is up with another blog? First of all, it's mine. My goal is to provide information about (1) jogging and mountain bike (MTB) trails in Dallas/Fort worth, (2) descriptions of other trails I have been or will go on as I travel, (3) just general stuff. What you won't find here is the ranting and raving that seems to have taken over many posts. I will evaluate the trails and greenways I bike or jog on so the reader can make an evaluation regarding the available areas in the DFW metroplex and parts of Texas.

When I began to get into jogging anf biking I found it was kinda difficult to obtain realistic reviews on trails around me. I hope this will make it easier for others to find parks, trails, greenways, rails to trails etc to j or b on.

A bit about me and my stuff. I have a mountain bike - a Trek 6000. I started with a Trek 4300 but found I needed a heavier bike for some of the stuff I do. For complete description of my bike click here;
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mountain_hardtail/6_series/6000/
I like this bike very much and can recommend it if you are looking. My jogging shoes are Mizuno's and if you are new to jogging I highly recommend going to a running store to be fitted. There really is a difference.

To track distances, speed, and heart rate I use a Garmin Forerunner 305. Won't win any beauty contests but works well. See it at: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=349&ra=true. It uses a chest strap to monitor heart rates and the unti itself straps on your wrist.

For software I use a web based program to track all my workouts - http://www.mapmyrun.com/ I know it says run in the title but it does track biking as well as other forms of exercise. It is not waterproof so swimmimg must be entered manually. Iphone has an ap for mapmyrun.com and it does work pretty well but I have had problems with my iPhone battery running out before I'm finished.

More and more I find myself enjoying biking over jogging. I haven't given up jogging, especially before work in the mornings, but whenever I can I do bike. I am not a purist or a weight nazi. I enjoy off road biking (we really don't have mountains in North Texas), crusing on county roads with little traffic, and state parks. The one area I stay away from is street biking in the city. Too dangerous for me. I would rather hit a tree that a 2000 Ford F-150.

Finally, a great source for trail conditions in North Texas is http://www.dorba.org/ The Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association does a wonderful job of keeping posted conditions up to date for many tails in and around the metroplex. Check'em out and if you are from the DFW area please join. When I discovered them I joined and I think it's important that we support our sport.

My next posts will start the process of evaluating the trails etc I ride or run on. I may occasionally throw in some other stuff so stay tuned. I appreciate hearing from anyone out there. I do travel some and I would love to hear about other trails and where to rent bikes in your area.

Later