Do the Rules of Bike Club Apply?

OK, so Bike Club has rules. Of course, one of them was to not tell anyone about Bike Club (please note that this was knowingly and willingly lifted from Fight Club). But, I think I am going to break that rule and hope the consequences are not too extreme.

I thought about Bike Club today as I trotted on my feet around the Bunny Loop of Fantasy Island. It's about a five mile loop -- easy-peasy on a bike, pretty easy running. So, since I thought about Bike Club -- I am now going to blog about it.

Alta and Sedona joined me on this little jaunt and I started to think about whether trail running was beginning to even remotely feel as fun as mountain biking. Strangely, the answer is kind of sorta, can see how it would be someday. If I compare the run today with some of the common rules of Bike Club -- this was a pretty good day. There was mud -- and I hit it. There was water -- and I hit it. I bled and I did have to retie my shoes, so that is sort of kind of like a mechanical failure (ok, that's a stretch).

I was with friends (Alta and Sedona) who did fun things like randomly race off the trail at full speed after phantom bunnies even if it meant a little pain along the way (cactus). This kind of reminded me of riding with my friend Doug (Chris, Doogie, Grant, Jim, Nancy, etc.) who occasionally dart off the beaten path on their bike to jump over something -- often leaving them bloody, hurt and, nearly always, happy at the end of the ride.

Of course, there is the rule -- or at least saying -- in Bike Club that we ride for stories (and beer) instead of exercise. And, that makes it fun and not work. I can tell you some stories about bike club .... There was the time @$*&#$ did a jump in the parking lot and bounced higher than any human I have ever seen; the time #$&*@(&$ was urged to "pull-up" on a rock drop that no one else even tried -- and he made it; when @#*!&(237 landed upside down in a tree during a sprint down Sunrise; and, of course, when #$(@U)(348 had to ride out of the trail in his whitie tighties after a cactus attacked :). There was also the time I had a three inch cactus spine in my hiney and my friend @#&@!*$&@( had to help pull it out. Fun times, right? RIGHT!

And, today's run reminded me of many biking stories -- which means I should have hope and confidence that one day I will be as joyful at the prospect of a run as I am at the prospect of a bike ride. I will readily admit that I have never grumbled (well, maybe once) at the end of a ride like I very commonly grumble at the beginning, middle and end of a run. That is something I need to change ... no grumbling on a run.

It's weird. The Ragnar Relay (a 200+mile relay foot race through Arizona) is just two and a half weeks away. I know that physically I could be better prepared. I am still slow and still a little (well, a lot according to my Wii coach) heavier than a I should be. But, I kind of sort of feel like I have made progress that goes beyond the physical. I am starting to actually think this will be fun -- not a slow and hellish death march. I will be hanging out for 24+ hours with a bunch of crazy people doing ridiculous things, supporting and cheering each other on, laughing when it's appropriate and sometimes when it's not. We will end up tired, possibly bandaged, sweaty, stinky, sore and looking for a beer. And, of course, there will be tons of stories.

Funny, this is starting to sound like Bike Club....... And that can only be good.