Who's ready for the FINAL(S) push?

Not sure if any of the world's top bull riders are nervous on the eve of their last weekend of work in 2009, but i sure as $%#@ am anxious to see how it all sorts itself out! Bring it on, buckaroos!

Yes, it's already been said, but let's be repetitive. THIS IS THE MOST COMPETITIVE RACE THE PBR HAS EVER SEEN. And if you are fan, and don't watch these next 3 days on Versus, and then the final day on NBC, i'm going to personally see that the PBR revokes your Fan Club membership, removes you from their 'Team PBR' Twitter account, and bans you from any future events.

Just kidding. I don't have that kind of POWER, you all know that! But you should be glued to the tube for the next 4 days. It's been good, but it's going to get down-right dramatic in 24 hours.

JB's looked cool and confident every time i have seen him, and so has Kody. JB's always got that 'Cheshire' grin too, which makes it seem like he's got a secret he's dying to tell you, but just can't. Kody may not smile as much, but his happiness was clear after every Round the first weekend. I think he's saving the biggest 'emotional release' the PBR has ever seen for Sunday, if in fact he wins the World Title he's been dreaming of his whole life.

"Word Up" awards to Ryan McConnell and Robson Palermo for their first weekend exploits. Many of you know in a previous life i did a 'little bit' of competing, and to see these guys step up and deliver in their respective ways has been a reminder that EVERYONE wants to be the best, but only a select few can channel and execute the emotions and actions necessary to come out on top.

Four more days. Four more chances to grasp greatness. A buckle and a title await one man.

Where for Art Thou, Sea Level?

"Rest Day" #2 here at the PBR World Finals turned into a 'killer' day on the road. And there was very little 'rest'. Took a buddy's advice and drove north on I-95 for roughly 30 miles, then made a left onto SR156. That was the only easy part of the morning.

Good thing i really like climbing. This 'hill' was not for the faint of heart. 17.4 miles UP. Literally. 28.0 KM for those of you more metrically inclined. If you are lucky enough to own the book "The Complete Guide to Climbing (on a bike!)" then you have read about this hill in the "Nevada" section. And it was well worth the effort to get there. The climb starts at over 3000 ft. of elevation, and finishes at over 8300ft.

Now, for a sea-lubber like myself, this poses some unique mental and physical hurdles. One, that crushing feeling in my chest that started to occur after about 30 minutes of exercise had to be monitored rather extensively. Two, most climbs i do last, at most, 20-25 minutes (this took me 2hrs to complete), so the never-ending visual of a 'tilted' horizon took some getting used to. Three, the temperature variance was off the charts- even leaving as early as 7:30AM, it was still almost 70 degrees in the valley, but by the time i reached the 'summit' (which was actually the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort), it was in the low 40's.

Nature vs. Man tally on the day: 10 cars passed me, but over 50 different birds flew above and around my slow-moving form. Of the 10 cars, 4 were actually trucks- either Forest Service or delivery. I'd take those odds any day on a bike ride.

After somehow not giving up, and taking pictures at the top for a few minutes (note SNOW-covered 'run'), it was a speedy descent. I decided to make things interesting by alternating 30 seconds 'HARD' with 30 seconds recovery...that really started to take its toll...i figured my heart would be acclimated on the way down, but no such luck. It still reverberated throughout my chest, neck, and head all the way to the bottom. May not have been the smartest thing to keep 'pushing' after feeling this way, but it was overwhelmingly motivating to be zipping along between 30-40 mph for half an hour.

If you are a climber, i would put this on your 'to do' list. Especially if you find yourself in Sin City, in shape, with a bike, a car, and a few hours to 'kill'.

And by the way, no cell service starting at about 7 miles up, so make sure you have that ROAD ID on...

Red Rock Extravaganza-Fantabulous!

Early AM 'call time' again today, but for a different reason...had to get on the bike fairly early due to the TEMPERATURES we are having in Las Vegas. After three days of watching the PBR riders heat up the Thomas & Mack Center, i felt i needed to catch fire on the road.

I revisited the Red Rock Visitor's Center Loop that i did on Saturday, but this time there was a notable difference...i brought along my buddy "Double D" (aka Dave Degelia), and instead of staying inside the 'park', we extended our ride all the way down Rt.159, and even west on Rt.160 (towards Pahrump, NV).

If you are out in this area, you HAVE TO ride these roads. They are that picturesque and magnificent. As i like to say, "Fantabulous"! (a joke amongst my close friends). I did my best to represent the 'Versus' colors, and even though today's few fellow riders were in stark contrast to Saturday's hordes, there were still enough 'rabbits' and 'targets' to keep things interesting.

I'm hooked on this area- i may head north to ride another route suggested by a bike guru friend, but it seems every-which-way i turn out here, there's a hill to climb, which means a smile to be had.

And don't forget, no matter where you go, don't forget those Road ID's...seriously.

PS- i thought my power output was getting better lately, but man, today was total confirmation of the 'wattage wonderland' i'm living in...to go from Las Vegas to the Pyrenees as quickly as i did? RESPECT!

:-)

There's always a sale on "Stupid"

And today, i was 'BUYING', Big Time.

As many of you know, i'm here in Las Vegas for the next 10 days for the PBR World Finals. It's a crazy schedule, but one that is very rewarding, not to mention fun to be a part of. This morning, however, i felt i could steal some time for myself, and head off to the "Red Rock" area for a fast-paced bike ride. I have spent the past couple of weeks planning for this ride- i drove out here specifically to bring my Specialized; i consulted friends for the most challenging and scenic routes; i packed a myriad of clothing selections to make sure i was 'covered' no matter what the weather conditions, well, you get the picture.

AM comes knockin' on the window, and i'm ready. I've laid everything out- water bottles, gels, arm warmers, vest, wind jacket, Powertap, Oakley's...i'm good to go.

I drive to the 'put in' point my buddy had suggested- about a 20-25 minute drive off the Strip, or more specifically, my LUXURIOUS Embassy Suites 'suite'. I no sooner have stopped the car when i realize, 'oh $%#@, i forgot SOCKS!'. Seriously. Of all the freakin' things, come on!

Are you kidding me?? Man, i am not the sharpest tool in the shed. At least not today.

There was no going back, there was definitely no way i was giving up, but it was 49 degrees out, and i wasn't about to sacrifice my toes in the name of 'cycling adventure', no matter how good i thought the route would be.

I thought of riding with my arm warmers wrapped around my feet- a modern-day version of Greco-Roman sandals, or like the soldiers you read of in the World Wars that wrapped their feet before hiking through snow. OK, i know, a tad dramatic. It wasn't life or death, but it was a fish-or-cut-bait moment. And then, off to the left, it was the "A" that caught my eye.

An "Albertson's"...seemed like a long shot, but i had nothing to lose.

I perused the aisles for a good 5 minutes, finally succumbing to the dreaded 'male phobia' of asking for help, and i was immediately instructed to find Aisle 5, and to keep my fingers crossed (as i was told that they stocked WOMEN's socks, but not MEN's).

A veritable cornucopia of lady's leggings and foot coverings greeted my frenetic mind, but alas, nothing of the men's variety. So, faced with the tough decision of REALLY not wearing any socks, or making 'due', i stared at my last resort...

white and pink SLIPPER SOCKS. Seriously.

I pulled the trigger, albeit reluctantly, on the purchase, and dang-nabbit, if they didn't turn out to be the most comfortable freakin' things i've ever worn inside my cycling shoes!! i'm going to start a new trend...i may even do an infomercial! BAM!

"Super Secret Cycling Socks to the Stars"...brought to you by Craig Hummer, by ACCIDENT!

All's well that ends well, as they say. I had a fantastic 2hr, 40 mile ride. My feet were warm enough, and besides the frustration, pain, and anguish PRE-PURCHASE, i only ended up spending 3 bucks on these babies! Bargain to BOOT! YES!

Buckeye-Bound

I spent my childhood surrounded by Buckeyes. Literally. We had a Buckeye tree in the backyard of our house, we made 'Buckeye' candies at Christmas (peanut butter 'balls' with chocolate covering), i was sworn in to 'Buckeye Nation' earlier than i can remember, and of course, more often than not, i was subjected to Buckeye Humiliation at the hands of...(fill in the blank with your favorite NON-BIG TEN team)...most Januarys come the Rose Bowl, or less-prestigious post-season game.

All in all, it was a great childhood. I can remember Woody Hayes walking the sidelines. I can remember my parents (yes, BOTH of them) screaming at the TV on countless Saturdays as the leaves fell from the trees outside, and our spirits sank as well if the Bucks lost. That was what i figured 'normal' was. And that's what 'normal' still is here in the Heartland.

In no small way, my love of sports was born on those days- or at least my connection to what makes sports great. I loved watching everyone around me BE excited. FEEL the emotion. EXPRESS their passion. I used to dream of catching TD passes and celebrating in 'The Shoe', and every time i got to sit in the stands, even though that dream faded a bit with the progressing reality of passing youth, it was no less fun to DREAM.

It's probably been 30 years since i watched a game inside The Ohio State University's famous stadium, but every time i travel back here to Columbus, i'm transported back to those days, and those aspirations. Anything was possible, all you had to do was imagine it.

Here's the fun part. That glorious mindset was born here in Ohio, but i've carried it with me into adulthood. And as a parent, if i'm worth anything at all, i will teach my children to dream bigger than i ever would or could.

Go Bucks.

California Dreamin'

The Sizzle of Summer has far from faded here in Southern California. We 'locals' know that when the calendar turns to September and October, the true heat waves roll in. Look no further than this past weekend in Ontario. You could 'feel the burn' as my daughter and i drove (oh yes, glorious to DRIVE to work) inland roughly 60 miles to the '909' and felt first hand what it's like to stand right next to an oven! The mercury measured 110 degrees on the ride out, and forget that whole 'Yeah, but it's a DRY HEAT' mentality, it was stinkin' HOT!

As for the PBR's finest who descended on Ontario as well, they showed few ill-effects of the rising temps. In particular, Kody Lostroh caught fire and cranked up the heat on the competition, winning his 5th event of the year, and once again distancing himself from his closest challengers.

Our job on TV is to present the 'possibilities' of what could happen in the closing weeks of the season...Kody adeptly, and somewhat exasperatedly, emphatically declared this weekend that he could give a 'rat's behind' about what the commentators say, that his JOB is to ride bulls, and that's what he enjoys doing. Here, here.

If every rider cared as LITTLE about what was SAID, and more about what they did, it would be a much tighter Title Race. You have to hand it to Kody- he doesn't like the limelight, he disdains the distractions that come with his success, and yet, at every instance he has come close to relinquishing his lead in the standings, he finds a way to answer his rivals and his critics. I admire that.

California's real estate is some of the most expensive around, but Lostroh might want to make a down payment on some property- he's won THREE times this year in the Golden State. His wins in Fresno, Anaheim, and now Ontario have provided the backbone for his season's success. Kody admitted after his win last night that he is finally riding up to the potential that he, and his fans, have felt he has possessed all along. It's far from over, but his 'potential' could blossom into a BUCKLE in a few weeks time.

Reno-Bulls, Balloons, and Beef

Very strange to be fully immersed back in the PBR side-of-life. We've got a 6 week run to wind down the regular season, and then it's time to head to VEGAS, BABY! A lot on the horizon as we start this final push to declaring a World Champ, including a tight points race, and a contract dispute between Comcast and DirecTV that has affected a lot of our followers. I have had so many people ask me 'why have they dropped Versus?' and all i can say is these decisions are made way 'above my pay grade'. Bottom line, i have no idea. But, yes, i wish it would get resolved. The more people that see our shows, the better! Duh!

So, back to the basics- a weekend of bullriding, balloons and burgers. The bullriding- JB Mauney won, and cut into Kody Lostroh's lead. Exciting. Balloons- The Great Reno Balloon Festival greeted the dawn each of the two days we were there- close to 100 balloons in the air each morning- another exciting aside to the 48 hours+ in Nevada. BUT, the highlight had to be my culinary decadence! Burgers! I gorged myself not once, not twice, but three consecutive evening meals on beef...ah, it does a body good!

Sometimes you just have to say, WT'BLEEP'.

Can't wait for the coming weeks- plenty to write/tweet/comment on, but not before it's time. Until then, all the best.

Escape from New York

I love visiting the Big Apple. 99% of the time, I am there for work, so when I got the chance to mix ‘business with pleasure’ this trip, I jumped at the opportunity.

It may be referred to as a ‘Concrete Jungle’, but last week, I was finally made aware of what awaits just outside New York City’s urban interior. For two days, two of my friends played the roles of Lewis and Clark, as they led me on bike trips across the George Washington Bridge and into a veritable cornucopia of cycling options. I fell in love with the terrain instantly, and while it did not possess the vertical of some of my normal SoCal coordinates, it was more than enough of an interesting trek to make my spirits soar (and if I lived in the area, to keep me in stellar shape for any athletic goals).

Much like the city itself, with its cultural labyrinth and myriad of options, so too were the pathways we chose to glide upon. River Road, Palisades, 9W, and Nyack- all names I did not know before my two-day baptism by fire, but I know them now! To top if off, the café we stopped at in Nyack had one of the best paninis I have ever tasted. I tried to do my new “Versus” kit proud by hammering home each day as best I could, not sure I turned any heads, but at least the ‘colors’ were flying!

I can’t wait for the next chance I have to throw down and put myself through a suffer-fest of East Coast proportions! Here’s hoping it’s soon.