Man vs. Bull

It's always something with Jason Collier. Whether it's breeding rare lizards or riding on his vintage Ural Russian motorcycle with a sidecar, the 30-year-old Woodbridge resident always seems to have a lot on his plate.

His latest "scheme" -- a term his wife coined -- involves a trip this weekend to run with bulls in Pamplona, Spain just before his 31st birthday. Originally, he was going to motorcycle his way all the way up to the Artic Circle, a trip that would have taken a month.

That was a bit too long to be away for a father of two young children, so Collier changed his mind and decided to fly to Spain for a week.

As a child he saw the movie "City Slickers" and recalled fondly the scene in which the actors race through the streets of Pamplona before Billy Crystal's character gets gored in the rear.

"That was the first time I knew anything about it, and I thought it would be cool to do," Collier said.

The annual Fiesta of San Fermin started early last week and runs through Tuesday. Collier planned to acclimate himself to the race on Saturday by reserving a balcony along the running path before taking part Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Collier said his spirit of adventure, in part, came from where he grew up. A native of Woodbridge and 1997 graduate of Woodbridge High School, Collier said too many people he knows are still tied to the same routine, whether it's going to the same bars or eating at the same restaurants.

And the people he works with at his father's business -- many of them significantly older than him -- think his trip is "ridiculous." That doesn't bother the affable Collier, though.

"It just seems like people need to expand their horizons and see things you wouldn't normally see," Collier said.

Collier started his adventures as a young man. A 22-year-old bachelor, Collier took his first of many trips to Amsterdam with his friends, many of them working at the time as bartenders, doormen and strippers.

And despite starting a family four years ago, Collier remains determined to see the world. Recent trips with his wife include a honeymoon visit to Italy and most recently, a vacation in Budapest, Hungary last autumn.

Collier said he's looking forward to his trip to Spain and is prepared for anything to happen -- the key to enjoying a vacation. In fact, he said he was more nervous about speaking with a reporter and getting his picture taken for the story than taking on dozens of half-ton, pissed off cattle running at faster than six seconds per 100 meters.

Fifteen people have died since 1924, including a 27-year-old Spaniard on Friday morning, the day he flew out.

"I went to Austria by myself and the key was getting in the right mindset," Collier said. "You just have to roll with the punches."

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.