Beginning Mountain Biking, TNT Update, and where is my mint julep?

I have been having a great time learning to use my new mountain bike. Although there are a lot of similarities between road and mountain biking, there are some serious differences.

Here are some that I have found:
1) Both road and mountain require a good three-point position (two hands on handlebars, and your seat), but on a road bike you can get away with leaning back a bit on your rear when you get tired. On a mountain bike, you've got to keep that balance, because you have to be able to stand on the bike with your feet at 3 and 9 position as well, which is quite a bit more difficult than it sounds.
2) The bike is heavier, so going up hills requires smart gear shifting.
3) Getting on and off the bike, at least for me, is a bit more exciting. I'm debating on wearing shin guards because I am having a hard time learning to get on and off the bike (you have to stomp on the pedals a bit harder to get moving from a stop). My shins are black and blue from screwing this up.
4) Although I've only been able to ride the hard trails (dirt trails don't dry up until June 1), I can already tell that maneuvering the new bike will require good bike skills as well as additional upper body strength that road biking does not require.

For more information on moving from road to mountain biking, here's a good
article to read.

In the Tuesday night torture session, I continued my "Captain Consistency" streak of running the same time throughout the night at 1:56 for a 400. That's pretty darn good for a slowpoke like me, so I am happy!

Did you know that the Kentucky Derby is happening in a few hours? It's the most exciting five minutes you will ever spend watching TV. Do you have your hat and mint julep (for Steve, of course, some bourbon) ready? If so, who are you rooting for? I'm rooting for A.P. Warrior because the jockey's jersey looks like a superhero. This means that A.P. Warrior will not win, because I always pick wrong. Keep that in mind when placing your bets :)