After doing the wheel video earlier this week; I have been pondering the idea of doing a video blog on here rather than just typing my thoughts out.
I would love some feedback on this idea.
One idea for the vblog that I had was having people send me questions (about BMX, sports, whatever) and then I answer them in my vblog.
Send me your thoughts: me@travishealey.com
Or comment on this post.
Been awhile since I last posted on here. Thought I’d might fill in first…
Since that Thursday night that I jumped the pro-section on the OPTS track at Rad Canyon, many things have happened. Just a few days after that night of big air, I ended up crashing (on the OPTS track on the amateur section) and broke my wrist and had a concussion. The toughest part was trying to catch back up after missing a week of school due to the concussion. About 8 weeks later, the cast was removed. I missed the GSL National due to the broken wrist. The time after the race was spent in books and homework. I successfully completed my summer semester passing Calc II, Physics for Engineers II (plus lab), and Gen Chem II (plus lab). After school ended I had about 2 weeks to prepare for the Mile High National in Grand Junction. I went to Grand Junction with Heather and Ian. We had a fabulous time. We stayed at the local KOA which was literally a couple hundred feet from the track. Ian grilled up some mean pork chops on Friday and hamburgers on Saturday. It felt great to race again, it had been since Reno last January that I had raced. On Saturday, I ended up winning A Pro (total points) and concluded an awesome weekend with a 4th. School started just 3 days after the race.
This semester I am taking CHE 2300 (Thermodynamics), CEEN 2010 (Statics), MATH 2250 (Diff Eq/Lin Alg), and CHEM 2310/2315 (Organic Chemistry). Books cost $700 this semester (ouch), but so far I am very excited about the classes I am taking. Now I am finally applying many of the concepts that I learned during HS and early college in these classes. Much more exciting than just taking the generic base building classes.
My birthday was yesterday. I am now 21 (yaye!) , but to be honest, I still feel the same. My parents got me a bottle of White Zinfandel (taste is good) and a benjamin.
I would love to go to Reno, but the funds are getting low and I’m not where I want to be as far as speed on my bike out of the gate to warrant spending the money for Reno. I think my plan now is to begin preparing for next year and beyond in my physical training for my sport. I really need to hit the weights and get stronger if I am to be able to compete at higher levels. Where I am unable to race due to school, this would be a perfect time to work on this as many of you know how difficult it is to get stronger and faster DURING the race season. I promise you, I will be fast.
For the next few months, stay tuned for more insight on my schooling, Jazz season (I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO START), and other things I find intriguing. Hope to see you at the track when I make it out!
Fortunately tonight the weather graced us with hardly any wind and great temps; perfect for catching some BIG AIR. Once I got some rocks cleared off of the track along with some loose dirt I kept putting off, it was time to bust it out. After a few warm up attempts, I finally got the ponies up for boosting the 3rd jump. Which, just in case you haven’t seen it yet, is a 30ft berm jump. My first attempt, I really did not know what to expect so I didn’t really pull up to much when I first hit it, and hit my front tire on the top of the berm. My other ankle (the one I didn’t hurt when I accidentally hit the second one) got jammed so I had to rest it a bit before my next attempt. After that I hit it fairly smoothly, just tagging my rear on top of landing. Then I finally got over it perfectly. It’s a huge jump! As your going over it in the air it doesn’t feel like your going to make it; but you end up making it over.
Next time I get out, I’ll be sure to take some pics and throw them up on here.
Took some photos today after Mont and I finished workng on finishing up the first two straights. Pretty much ready to go, just needs some bikes on it. The thorns should be mostly taken care of now.
Now I just have to jump them.
That’s right! After attempting the first pro jump on the OPTS track at Rad, we began to realize that the take offs needed a makeover. So last Thursday, I dug out the first jump. The funny thing was on my first attempt, because I had made the lip so steep (it didn’t look too bad to me when I shaped it) it launched me really high into the air and I came down very hard on the top of the landing. After a minor adjustment, I made it easily over the first jump (with a headwind) on Tuesday.
Tonight, I worked on the next jump and finished it. Unforunately, the race finished right when I finished so I didn’t get a chance to try it yet. As soon as I get a chance I’ll fire up some photos on here so everyone who can’t make it out to the track, can see it. If you are at the track, be sure to make a stop by the other track and check it out. I’ll be jumping the section pretty soon!
I started my summer semester a few weeks ago. Taking 14 credit hours. Good thing is though, even though I really don’t want to be there, neither do the professors. I think I will only end up having to take one or two finals out of five classes. Which will be very nice come the first week of August.
Last Sunday my family and I went and watched Paul Blart: Mall Cop at the dollar theater. It was pretty funny; it had it’s parts. I’m not sure that it would have been worth seeing in the big theather when it came out, but like I said it had it’s parts. If you are a fan of Kevin James (the guy in King of Queens –> my fav show) you will appreciate some of the humor.
Well, that all I’ve got for this update. Stay tuned for more and be sure to stop by the other track at Rad.
I was bummed when I found out the time between the Spring and Summer semester was only 1 week, but I won’t have to go to school as many days during the week leaving me some time to be on my bike over the summer months.
One thing I really can’t wait for is to be able to ride the OPTS track at Rad. Ya know, the “other” track at Rad? We measured the real pro-section (in Utah) out. The first jump is about 25ft followed by 26ft and the berm jump is about 28ft. I don’t know how close these are to the 2008 Olympic track jumps, but they are pretty big. As far as I know, only a handful of riders have ever made it through the section (Bubba, DR, Mitch Ropelato… is all I know of). A few years ago, they tried to hold the pro race on the track, but since the dirt was so dry when the put it together, the dirt wouldn’t pack making it very difficult to ride. However, now that it has had a few winters worth of snow packed on it, the insides of the jumps are wet making it possible to pack the dirt.
The first straight and pro-section are pretty much done. And last time I was there, we had about 3/4 of the pro-section berm packed. The rest of the track is ride able (packed) but has weeds and many thorns on it. I put tire liners in my wheels, but found out that you should pull the thorns out as soon as you get them instead of riding on asphalt which pushes them through the liner and into the tube.
As soon as we get everything in shipshape, and when we can get a night when the wind isn’t blowing super hard, I’ll definitely be out making my way over the REAL pro-section in Utah.
See everyone out at the track for practice tonight!
Last night was the last game of the season for my Utah Jazz. What a end to a wild and crazy season. Unlike most Jazz fanz who fear what might be coming up for this team, I feel that after this year, the team will finally be ready to start making their Championship run. In the next couple of years, I would expect either their current players to begin to evolve their game in such a way that allows the team to be better or other players will be added. By finishing 8th, the Jazz not only got the Lakers in the first round (which sucks if you were looking for them to make a deep playoff run this year) but they also get to use their draft pick that they traded to Philly (who then traded it to Minnesota) instead of forfeiting it if they finished 7th or higher. While the salary situation could prevent them from really keeping this player and NOT going over the salary cap (which they would be very close to doing with just about six of their players) what it does allow them to do is make trades. With so many teams looking for expiring contracts next year (so they can play the free agency in 2010 for players like Lebron and Wade), this player could be used to make trade numbers (salary) work. If the Jazz are going to make any sort of trades, this is what I would expect them to do. Bundle this player with guys like Harpring, Memo (if he does not opt out), Boozer, Kyrylo Fesenko (if Jazz take his team option), and any players they sign to one year deals like Knight, maybe Price, Almond, or Collins. So keep your head up Jazz fanz! Stock and Malone were not Championship contenders early in their careers, in fact they had a few years where they got swept in the first round!
Now on to BMX! A week or so ago, during the track work day, I was working on getting the first pro jump on the OPTs track ready so I could hit them up this year. Mont has been working very hard on getting that track rideable for this year. The biggest issue is getting all of the thorns out so we don’t get a flat every time we ride the track. He has been dragging it over and over. I think it is working, the first straight is nearly thorn free! I can’t wait to get out and ride! I’ve lost quite a bit over this past semester and am completely out of (BMX Pro) shape right now. But hopefully as we get out there, I can start working to get back to where I need to be. I can’t believe that the season is just a week away! Should be a really good year for all of the racers in Utah and the tracks that they ride.
Here is a photo of the picture I got in the latest edition of BMX PLUS.
Thanks to Heather and Ian for hooking me up with a copy when I couldn’t find one at the store.
I forgot to mention in my post today that at the beginning of this month, I found out that I made it into the May edition of BMX-PLUS! The photo is of me from Reno (Silver Dollar Nationals). When I get it scanned, I’ll post it up on here so you all can see. Or you could just go get your own copy.
