Bullriding: My Favorite Sport

There is always some hullabaloo going on about a sport. In the fall and winter, football is America’s obsession. In the spring and summer, everyone catches baseball fever. The only reason I care how many days until pitchers and catchers is that it means winter is almost over.

Of course, right now the big obsession is Lin-sanity. Longterm business stand-offs like the fight between Time Warner Cable and Madison Square Garden are being resolved by a tall, dark horse, Harvard graduate who has vaulted to the top of everyone’s consciousness. It is hard not to find Jeremy Lin exciting. Who doesn’t love an underdog showing just what they can do and astounding everyone? But just because I admire Jeremy Lin, I am not actually going to sit down to watch basketball.

My sport is one with all the blood and guts of football, the athleticism of basketball and the studied skill of baseball. My sport finds just as many teeth knocked loose as hockey and requires the stamina of a soccer star. My sport involves one on one competition along with competition against other athletes, but it is not a team sport. My favorite sport requires the questionable sanity of a rugby player and is as international as cricket.

I love bullriding. There is nothing better than spinning the dial on a Saturday night, knitting in hand, and coming up with a broadcast of Professional Bull Riding. Well, actually being there is better. The dirt, the crowd, the cowboys, the wrecks, it is all good.

Now, I have to be honest. Bullriding is not Jim’s favorite sport. In fact, no one else in my family really enjoys a nice evening of watching the bulls and boys. But every once in a while, they let me indulge.

Busman’s Holiday

Four weeks to go before the big walk! I have been training very regularly. Now that school has started, many of my walks are solo walks once again. My team mate is back in school and running cross country so her days are long. I think she is probably getting in shape with cross country. At any rate, I hope so. We still walk together on the weekends. She doesn’t have the stamina I have, but I expect when push comes to shove her innate fortitude will kick in. Ellie has always been tough. She has played basketball with a broken finger and displayed physical fortitude in many other ways.

A few weeks ago, I started listening to audiobooks when I walk. Now, many poeple who know me know that I have had something to do with audiobooks in my career. Quite a long history with audio, although I wasn’t always an avid listener. I didn’t have a commute by car, tended to be on public transportation and was never a big ipod user. In any case, it occured to me that long hours spend walking through the countryside or on city streets could be tons more entertaining if I could listen to a good book.

Fitness Test :/

So in order to qualify to become exempt from gym class during my senior year of hs (almost there,finally) I need to pass a “fitness test” that begins in gym class tomorrow and lasts for a couple days. Eeek! I need to do sit ups, push ups, a mile run, etc. I’m hoping that my walks and basketball practices will help me tomorrow, but then again I guess this just counts as more training for my walk…Wish me luck!

-Ellie