I remember an old Bill Cosby routine where he was "just walkin' down the street and they yanked me into the room."

A lot of my life has played out that way.

"How'd you get your job?" (I was ...)

How'd you meet your wife?" (...just walkin'...)

"How'd you sell your books?" (...down the street...)

"How come you're doing live shots from a snowbank?" (...and they...)

"How'd you wind up replacing Larry Green on Ride the Rockies?" (...yankedme into the room.")

That last one is the one that surprises me most of all. I've been tryingto tie myself to Ridethe Rockies, the annual bicycle trek through the Colorado mountains,for nearly 18 years. Now that I've finally got it and have been in talkswith my boss and Paul Balaguer from The Denver Post about what itentails, I'm suddenly wondering what I was thinking.

That's 400-some-odd miles around Colorado we're talking about - andthe way I ride, they'll certainly be odd.

Don't get me wrong. I'm excited about the prospect of Ride and I lovethe glory that is this state in June. What a better way to do your jobthan ride your bike?

On the other hand, I know myself well enough to realize that three-quartersof the way up the first pass, I'm either going to be having past life experiences,enjoying returning memories of being a food taster for Henry VIII, or,kneeling by the side of the road, enjoying returning memories of breakfast.

I realized after I nodded my head frantically that, yes, indeed, Ido want to do this ... that even though I'm in fairly good shape - I'vehaven't been pedaling any sort of real mileage lately -- on road or trainer.

I haven't pushed my cardio.

I haven't worked my legs.

I haven't done the saddle time necessary to toughen up my ... well... the parts that touch the saddle.

I've got a new bike, but I'm unsure of the fit. How far do I go tomake sure the fit is right? Static fit? Dynamic? Computer with the littlemotion detector buttons?

I've been looking for new road shoes that actually fit comfortablyfor nearly a year now. How do you set the cleats to preserve your kneesand drive the most power through the pedal? When should you use a shim?

I'm trying desperately to lose enough weight that I dont' look likea toothpaste tube squeezed in the middle by my bike jersey. (And despitethe fact that a woman recently declared "Greg will NEVER be Hot!"I am determined to look stylin' enough that I'm, if not hot, then, at thevery least, uncomfortably warm.)

I also have no desire to carry thirty pounds I don't have to up theside of a mountain.

I've got to boost my climbing. Increase my VO2-Max. Smooth out outmy pedaling in the hopes of changing from herky-jerky to perfect circles.Learn and practice dynamic pedaling. Stay off the brakes in a pace line.Learn how to descend.

In other words, after a lifetime of riding a bike - I've got to learnhow to really ride a bike.

Ride the Rockies is a new journey. It's a new challenge.

And it couldn't come at a better time.

All the workouts and all the time I've spent at Matrix Fitness andSpa over the past year have been great, but - with any fitness program,there eventually has to be a goal, a challenge, a point to work toward.

Ride the Rockies is mine.

So. Tonight. Unfold the rollers in the basement and learn how to ridein a straight line.

Tomorrow - hit the gym for cardio and lay out a new program for meetingthe challenge of Ride the Rockies.

This weekend - get busy or get out of it.

Finally - somehow turn back the hands of time and convince my 54-year-oldback that it is, in fact, 25 again and able to do magnificent things forhours at a time.

Yeah, I know. Dream on.

Ride the Rockies carries the spectre of physical challenge. More thanI've ever tried. You can make it happen or your can let it fall by theside of the road.

In one sense, it is frightening the hell out of me.

At the same time, it's also incredibly exciting.

It's time to pedal.

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Who the @#$% is Greg Moody and why should I care?

Television super-star Greg Moody is a long-time friend of those ofus at VeloNews. In his day job, Moody holds the admittedly vague title of "Critic-at-Large"for Denver's CBS4, buthe launched his spectacularly successful career as an internationally renownedmystery writer right here with us. Moody penned (hunt-and-pecked?) fivenovels "TwoWheels," "PerfectCircles," "Derailleur,""Deadroll,"and "DeadAir," all published by VeloPress in the United States and Germany.As one critic noted "He's as big in Germany as David Hasselhoff and thatguy Screech from 'Saved by the Bell.'" (Okay, okay, so Moody was the criticwho noted that, but it's still a good line. - Editor)As for Moody's roots, those remain a mystery. His employer notes that"Critic at Large Greg Moody was born in a Washington D.C. cloakroom in1897. He is the second son of United States Senator Benjamin Hapnik Moody(Whig-Michigan) and the Contessa de Mal de Mer, late of the small Balticcountry of Castoria. His parents are lovely people who have spent theirlives building impressive careers and solid reputations in the communityand thus hope that you forget the previous paragraph, or, at the very least,not blame them for foisting their son upon you."We, however, are quite pleased to foist Moody upon our readers and look forward to documenting the meteoric progress of the Ancient Cyclist.

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