“Wooo Pig Sooie” “Wooo Pig Sooie” "Sooie, Sooie, Sooie!!!!"

 



Go to any Arkansas Razorback game and you will hear the chant “Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Razorbacks!”  I myself have never been to a Razorback game and never heard it myself, but I grew up in a house that supported ISU basketball and during the magical Sycamore season that led to the NCAA finals with Larry Bird my Mom did.  So my whole life I heard about the “Hog Call”  “Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Razorbacks!”



After signing up for my next endurance event though it is firmly logged into my mind.  “Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Razorbacks!”  That is because on September 3, 2022 I signed up for the Tour de Fuzz in Santa Rosa.  Fuzz is slang for police.  Police is what the ride supports and while the police even make fun of themselves and have adopted a really cool Hog as the mascot for the race.  Look at him up there with his tusks gleaming and his cool cycle kit.  How does that not make you want to chant “Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie!”  I know it does me.  Also, I sort of feel like that is how I look on the bike.  Not quite as stylish as my pig riding friend, but sort of like a little porker on a bike.  



I am really excited for this ride.  However, I am really scared too.  



The excitement comes from the fact that this is going to be the second endurance event I do in 2022.  It is the first cycling event I have done in over 10 years.  Also, the 2nd endurance event that I have done since I went on Triatus back in 2013 after the botched Lavaman attempt. The 5K I did on Memorial day was unexpected and last minute.  What a wonderful way to spend time with my family though.  It was such a great turnout of the Burkle clan.  I am also excited to continue to challenge myself since I started riding my bike again back in late April or early May.  I have felt fantastic on the bike so far and have been able to overcome every challenge I have set out for myself.  



The fear comes from signing up for a 62 mile bike ride.  A 62 mile bike ride that has total climbs of 2,800 feet.  Two of the climbs are 7% grades with one of them getting even steeper than that for a little bit.  The book I am currently reading says a 7 to 8% grade is less playful climbs.  On these you find yourself bowing over your handlebars as if in a spell of prayer to find new muscles to make it to the top.  I paraphrased that but you get the jest of it, they aren’t easy.  Me, being well me, I find the smallest climb a live altering experience so going up and down for 62 miles well that has me a little anxious.



It is cool.  I have a plan.  Well, I am in the process of developing a plan to properly train for the ride.  I have enlisted some help from some real cyclists I know.  Have some friends that are going to come along on some training rides.  That is where fear turns into excitement because I really am enjoying riding my bike right now.  Everything just feels really good and I feel pretty strong out there.  



I do get nervous riding in traffic.  I am not the best at starting and stopping because of clipping in and out of the bike.  I also get nervous about my place in traffic.  Only been honked at once.  So, I think I am doing pretty good.  



62 Miles!  Damn.  2,800 feet of rolling hills, Gods be Damned.  However, with a good plan, training, and good people around me, well, I know I will get there.  It might be kicking and screaming.  However, I hope it is screaming “Wooo Pig Sooie”  “Wooo Pig Sooie” "Sooie, Sooie, Sooie!!!!"



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Escapement

Image
Billy b at the book store…. Not the best selfie    The Escapement The Escapement is a Sci-fi novel by Lavie Tidhar.  It was the first book I read for a Sci-if book club I joined here in Bloomington.  However, I am not here to talk about the novel or review it.  I think it was worth a read, but that is something for you to decide for yourself.  No I am here to talk about the fact that I left the house and went out to a book club.   The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome or something like that.   Truth, I can’t continue to sit on my couch every night and expect for my life to be anything other than ordinary.  Unless, I am really lucky and guessing from the Mega Millions drawing last night I am not.  As someone one almost a billion dollars and I won four, so a beautiful bride and a bunch of friends aren’t just going to come knocking on my door as I watch another Superman TV show or reruns of Archer.  Also, the more I sit on
Read more

Back Home Again....

Image
  I am back home again in Indiana.  When I say I am back home again, I mean it!  I am currently living in my Mom's basement.  48 and living in Mom's basement, isn't that the dream?  Maybe if you are a serial killer.  Actually, I tease.  I always have a nice time with my Mom.  Here place is super nice and Kona and have been very welcomed guests. The Trip back across the country wasn't awful.  It had some moments that weren't so great like when we got hit by a giant cone that semi crushed.  However, overall it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Things really happened at warp speed at the end.  I am not sure where the time went.  The move was moved up by a day because of weather issues.  So, when I picked my good buddy Chip up at the airport in Oakland on the 19th we just started the journey back across the country.   Leg 1 of the journey we went from Livermore to Reno.  So, we loaded up the Dodge Durango (which was a rental) with Kona and headed out.  It was
Read more

Settling in….

Image
I can’t believe how long it has been since I sat down to write.  I have thought about it, but then I think what I have to say is foolish and I step away from it.  Like anyone wants to read a blog about my new nice rack.  Living back in Indiana is going great.  I think I am really close to hitting my stride.  Kona as you can see above is doing really well.  That was a picture from her last walk with her new Dog walker Basil.  Yes, her name is Basil.  Not sure if her parents were hippies, yuppies, or chefs, but I am sure it has to be one of the three.  She is no Ross, or at least not yet.  Kona seems to go back and forth between parking at her and seeing her as a new playmate.  I like Basil because she is an accounting major at IU, and being a former accounting major myself I know we are good people.  Kona has loved the season changes.  She loves snow.  That crazy dog will just go outside in it and shove her face straight in it.  She spends most of her days in the backyard.  I go out the
Read more