Just thought I’d mention that my friend and webmaster Jack Hattaway is currently — as in right now, even as I type this! — riding in the Lotoja Classic, a bicycling marathon that runs from Logan, Utah, the northernmost community of any size in this state, through southern Idaho and onward to Jackson Hole, Wyoming (LOgan TO JAckson, get it?). That’s a distance of 206 miles over three mountain passes in a single day; according to this Wikipedia entry, the cyclists will climb some 10,000 total feet and finish 1,800 feet higher than where they began.

Jack told me yesterday that his goal is merely to finish, not to place, and he’s hoping to do it in roughly 13 hours. His lovely wife has been sending me regular text-message updates on his progress; the latest was about an hour ago, and it indicated he’d just left Montpelier, Idaho, with 136 miles to go.

I hope it doesn’t sound too lame and unmanly to say that I’m very, very proud of him for even attempting this. Only a couple of years ago, he was just another overweight, out-of-shape, fast-approaching-middle-age schlump like myself. Then a series of converging issues convinced him it was time to make some changes in his lifestyle, and now he’s riding in a fracking cycling marathon. It’s been an amazing and inspiring transformation.

I’m rooting for you, buddy, and looking forward to posting the news of your success!

(Official Lotoja Classic website here, if anyone is interested…)

[Update: The last message from Mrs. Jack arrived at 8:21 this evening. It read, “Jack finished in 13:39:58.” Incredible… way to go, man!]