Bittersweet

Father’s Day is one of those Hallmark holidays that can throw people into a tailspin.

Valentine’s Day might get all the press for its negative impact on the self-esteem of the unattached, but Mother’s Day and Father’s Day arrive with heavy baggage for many.

I’m not one of them.

My dad, Wally, was one of the good guys. Oh, he could tear it up at the Elk’s or Vet’s Club from time to time, but on the whole, it would be hard to ask for much more in a father.

He held a steady job and supported his 6 children. Maybe we didn’t live in luxury, but if we needed something (which, you know, is actually different from wanting something – a distinction that seems to be lost on many these days), we had it. The financial support was just the beginning, of course. The emotional support is what was priceless and irreplaceable.

My dad died in September 2000. He was 80 years old and lived a full life. But on the anniversary of his birthday (May 27) and on Father’s Day, as well as all the other holidays throughout the year, I miss him.

That’s all. No drama, no trauma, no unresolved issues that keep me from living my life. Just a little blue feeling and melancholy “missing.” So, if your dad is still with you, give him a call. Both of you will appreciate it.

Ride report for June 20 & 21:

We rode the Blue River Century on Saturday. It is only the second year the ride has been held, so it is still really small – probably not more than 400 (and likely closer to 300) riders. It is a fund raiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and since one of our dear friends just had a double mastectomy last week, raising money for cancer research and outreach/support programs for those with cancer is a cause I can get behind.

Fatty gave a review of these iPod headphones the other day. It seemed like a great Father's Day present for Phil; since I'm a great believer in the "one for you, one for me" school of thought, I got a set, too. This was the maiden voyage - they worked great!

The ride began in Keystone, then headed toward Steamboat Springs. We had a sweet 20 mile flat/slight downhill, before making the turn to Ute Pass. Ute Pass is a gradual, but steady 5 mile climb. Beautiful views – even with the rapidly forming clouds which obscured the higher peaks.

Then it was back to Dillon, around the reservoir, over to Frisco, then on to Copper Mountain, before beginning the climb up Fremont Pass (on the way to Leadville).

The threatening clouds began to drop their moisture about 3 miles from the summit of Fremont. We got damp, but not soaked – had a snack at the aid station, put on ALL of our clothes, and headed back downhill. We rode back to Keystone, where we had 3 options for the finish – ride to Montezuma, ride to Arapahoe Basin, or ride to the top of Loveland Pass.

At the Fremont Pass aid station - brrr!

Actually, there was a 4th option, and that was the one we chose – head back to the car, load up our gear, and avoid the imminent downpour. We rode 92 miles in just under 6 hours – we decided we didn’t need to be heroes and go for the “big wow” finish in Loveland.

And, man, are we ever glad we bailed out. The skies opened up and it rained – hard and steady – the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening.

This morning when we got up (we stayed over night in Copper Mountain), it looked miserable: the clouds were thick, dark, and low hanging.

We checked the weather report for Golden and saw it was supposed to be sunny and in the high 70s. We quickly packed up and headed home.

Today was the nicest day we have had to ride all season – honestly. The first day of summer was the first day it seemed like summer. We did a 3 hour ride with plenty of climbing, then came home, ate like linebackers, and started catching up on chores. All in all, a good weekend on the bikes.

Rex, enjoying Phil's flower pots.

The proud gardener. The flowers look great!

Movies - Some Hits, Some Misses

Now that we are able to do our long rides outdoors, our volume of movie watching has decreased. We still have 2 or 3 indoor seesions each week, though, so while we are still making our way through 24: Season 2 [yes, Kim still annoys me] & The Sopranos (Season 2), here are some of the other movies we've seen in the past month:

Workout May 18, 2009:
Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School [2005]
This film compiles an all-star cast to tell an emotional story about life, love, and destiny. Frank Keane is a man who has been in a deep depression ever since his wife passed away. One day while driving, Frank sees an accident.

He investigates the scene to see if he can help and meets a dying stranger, who tells Frank that he was headed to a dance school in order to reunite with a woman he loved many years before. Frank decides to attend the dance school, and becomes involved with a variety of people.

This is an unassuming little film that kept us entertained during our workout (run-time is about 1 hour 45 minutes). For such a little movie the cast is remarkable – John Goodman, Mary Steenburgen, Donnie Wahlberg, Marisa Tomei, Sean Astin . . . and more! There really isn’t much dancing, but a nice story and some characters that I actually didn’t mind inviting into the house for 90 minutes.

Pour a nice glass of wine, curl up on the sofa, relax and enjoy. Recommended - 3 stars out of 5.

Workout May 28, 2009:
Transporter 2 [2005]

Driver and muscle for hire Frank Martin returns in this sequel to the 2002 box-office hit.

Jason Statham scores another one for the world of outrageous, high-action cinema. There's a juicy villain and plenty of scenes with "The Transporter" fighting crowds of guys with everything in sight (the best being the fire hose scene). Audiences are in for a wild case of deadly serums, smooth suits, and villains.

Perfect 90 minute run-time for our high cadence workout this morning, but I did not find it as entertaining as the original. Beats watching the Channel 7 weather and recaps of the Nuggets Game 5 playoff loss to the Lakers . . . but don't run out to rent this one.

2 stars out of 5 - mostly because, hey, let's face it - Jason Statham is a hottie!!

Workout June 16, 2009:
Bullrider [2005] [run-time 88 min.]
For anyone who ever wondered about the adrenaline rush that comes while you're sitting atop 2000 pounds of thrashing muscle and fury, this film offers an adrenaline-pumping look at the life of a professional bull rider. The members of the Professional Bull Riders Inc. (PBR) put their lives on the line in the name of entertainment, and every night they work could be their last.

This film follows the top three riders on the planet as they prepare to take part in the world championship and vie for the million dollar prize. Both in the arena and out, these modern day gladiators never allow their determination to waver - even for a second.

This is related to Adrenaline Cowboys: Eight Seconds to Glory, which we watched during Ty Murray's improbable run at the title on Dancing With the Stars.

The film features Adriano Moraes, a Brazilian cowboy looking for his 3rd world title; Mike Lee, the new kid on the block; and Justin McBride. The life of a professional bull rider makes nearly every other professional athlete look pampered. These guys only get a paycheck if they compete (and place). Playing hurt is the only option for most of them - torn biceps, dislocated shoulders, concussions and broken noses/cheekbones/eye sockets/legs . . .

Willy Nelson was speaking the truth when he said "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys."

Falls nicely into the "Inspirational Sports Movie" category we fall back on during many of our workouts.

I don' think I'd rent it to watch if I was lounging in an easy chair, but perfect to keep our minds occupied during a workout. 2.5 stars out of 5.

Less than Eight Weeks . . .

It seems like only weeks ago that we were beginning the “8 months to go” Leadville Trail 100 MTB race countdown.

After seemingly endless hours of cycling in the pain cave - watching enough movies to put us on the NetFlix VIP list as well as causing us to revel in the wonders of Body Glide and A&D ointment (if you don’t understand, be thankful) – we have passed the “8 weeks to go” milestone.

Our training schedule for the next 6 weeks (the last 2 weeks will involve tapering) will typically include :

- core and flexibility workouts twice a week (about 45 minutes each session);

- 1 easy recovery ride during the week (between 45 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on what else is scheduled for the week);

- 1 intense interval session (60 – 90 minutes);

- 1 hill session – either hill repeat intervals or a long sustained climbing effort performed at just under our lactate threshold (60 – 90 minutes);

- 1 long (3 to 4 hour) mountain bike ride on the weekend; and

- 1 long (3 to 6 hour) road bike ride on the weekend.

This weekend we’ll ride the Blue River Century on Saturday (7,680 feet of elevation gain & 3 mountain passes).

Then on Sunday we’ll head over to Leadville and get some time and a few more miles at elevation.

We’ll probably ride the Mineral Belt Trail and a loop around Turquoise Lake on our mountain bikes, with a detour to ride (and hike) the Power Line section of the race course. Yikes!

After all the whining and anticipation, it is almost upon us.
Are we ready? If we aren’t ready now, will we be ready in 8 weeks?

Stay tuned to find out!