Assault on Mount Mitchell?

Talk a lot and then never follow up on stuff like this, bail or just move on.  The story of my life.  A great idea that never happens, I come up with some cool stuff  that never get done. If I treated my job like I did my personal life last year I would have much more to worry about.  Just ask my wife. I really screwed up last year, and the 2 before that were not really awesome, actually I've not really been on top of my game since at least 2007.  I was super stressed, gave so much of myself away there was nothing left for my family, my wife, my self....my health, my mind.....Just come home and go to bed tired, upset or depressed....

I hate blogging it's been a long time, I have not had a site hit in years, but something just compelled me to do this that it may help the cluttered mind relax or be fun.....I give my self 6 weeks before this thing is growing mold again.( I am the problem apparently)

Stumbled across a few folks blogs like this guy and this guy  and it got me thinking, maybe if I blog a bit, it will help the turmoil that is an ADD brain and extra motivation/documentation of the year of 37.(I need to come up with a cool name)

I decided about 6 months ago that 37 would be my most physically in shape year ever.  NO I am not starting cross fit or a gym membership, but doing what I love. Riding my bike. It fixes my ADD, my stress, my worry and gets me into better shape.

I work much better when there is fear involved. Not bad fear but good fear....Fear of unknown, not finishing, hard work....So I have decided to give myself 2 goals that started as one.  The first is to Complete a ride in honor of a cousin who I think sparked my interest in Road biking as a kid.  He died shortly after finishing the Assault on Mt Mitchell in 1988. he was 17 years old. I don't remember every discussing riding with him as I was 8 years younger, but the few times I saw him I sure thought that freedom was cool.  This being the 40th year of the ride and I need some motivation to start my year off right I decided this is the year.  My wife's cousin who I was a crew chief for the RAAM in 2007 has also done the ride in 2005.  He is a machine and is a terrible comparison for me but at least has first hand knowledge for me to learn from.

My AOMM times for comparison: Troy age 17 1988-9hrs 3min 52sec 843rd of 1292 11.2 avg speed
                                                         Jason age 32 2007-7hrs 46min 44sec 960 of 1001 13.1 avg speed


What this has done is make me realize I actually need to ride my bike hard during the winter to peak in June like normal Fred types and not September like I would normally do by riding as little as I can or when a friend asks me to ride,

Then I got to thinking.... IF I actually do this, and IF I actually put the training in it would be really cool to do both Assaults the on road and off road "ORAMM"  So that's Where I am at right now.  My 2015 Cycling Goals, the year of the Assaults.  Which will also be my first ride of 100 miles on the road (unless my training gets that high) and certainly the longest MTB I will have done ever. (ORAMM is 60 miles)

So I am motivated, have someone/thing to ride for, all the parts to making this one step closer to actually happening.  Only issues are I have been spending very little time on any sort of bike, its cold, Christmas time and I have just sold my road bike wheel-set, Oh boy.

151 Days until AOMM
221 Days until ORAMM