I am going to “shift gears” here for a moment( no pun intended) and talk about a true American sports icon. The picture you see here is of yours truly in the foreground and a gentleman you might not instantly recognize if you are not a cyclist. This man is currently the only American to officially win the Tour De France. In fact he won it 3 times. His run was interrupted by an unfortunate hunting accident with his brother in law where he was accidently shot. He recovered and went on to win the Tour again. An astounding feat considering the scope of his injuries. I am speaking of none other than Greg LeMond. I have had the good fortune to be invited to a charity bicycle ride in Maryland for the last three years where Greg was the featured guest. JR Ellis, Ken…
This is a picture of my friend Eric Durfee and me back in the day at Tuckerman Ravine. We used to ski and camp there a lot in the spring and although there was enough adventure for the both of us up there with changing conditions and falling ice chunks the size of Volkswagens, we never had an injury while skiing there. Back home after one of those epic trips, I was walking by the tennis courts in our county park, stepped on a tennis ball and broke my foot. People asked me,” Pat – did you do that on your ski trip?” I responded in the negative and told the rather boring tale of the tennis ball. You see, most injuries I have ever had in my life have been mundane, boring circumstances which is how most people get hurt anyhow. Not paying attention…
I think we all try to assess our fitness in the beginning of the season with a series of ” benchmarks” which are tests to see where we are. Personally, I have several hills on many of my mountain bike rides that I use as tests, and if I can ride them with no issue and not get off my bike, I know that I am still in the game. It takes some effort but they loom ahead as a reminder and they are there so that I can see how well I am doing at different points of the season. Usually in the spring these benchmarks are harder because I am just getting over my winter maintenance mode. This year I am backing off a bit. I don’t need to race anymore and I can ride at my own pace. But I still like to see where I am and if these benchmarks become easier as the spring and summer evolve.
Wet Rocks Define the Benchmark
Sometimes the conditions of the tests make them particularly difficult. Like now in the springtime with all the rain in the east, the slimy rocks and roots make for a particular challenge and you have the choice to either back off and ride around the challenge, or get off and walk, or ……..get it in gear and take the test. See how you do with a weather affected benchmark. Can you still ride it no matter what? It takes effort to do the latter but that is the criteria for assessing fitness and a sense of self satisfaction that you can still do this!
In today’s world, you have Garmin devices or apps on your phone that can also give you information on where you are. Time of a ride, distance, vertical feet of climbing, speed, etc are all measured and visible to you after and during each ride. There are also the competitive apps like Strava that can measure your effort against someone else or a group of riders on the same trail. I would have jumped on this years ago but now, I ride to ride another day.
Rainstorms Adding to the Difficulty of Benchmarks.
Some days, you just don’t feel like challenging yourself. The weather is bad, your motivation is lax or you just plain don’t feel like it. No one is watching and really the personal challenge is always up to you. There are always roadblocks to getting in shape or maintaining fitness but you have the choice. Either accept the challenge or not. Maybe not today but tomorrow? Your call. Kind of like the benchmarks we set for ourselves in life too? The challenge is always there to do the right thing. Help out a neighbor in need. Thinking of other people and what they are going through. My mother always said ” to have a friend is to be a friend.” It is so true and some days, we are not really motivated but we ” put it in gear” and do the right thing even if we don’t feel like it. Kind of like hitting that benchmark hill in full gear even though your motivation is not there at the moment.
My dad always had a saying for doing things that you may not like to do at the moment. He said it was like ” hitting yourself in the head with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop.” I laugh when I think of that but really, there are times when you have to reach for that higher gear and go for it. Help that neighbor battling a life threatening disease. Or the friend who is going through a personal struggle. I keep a legal pad on my counter in the kitchen that reminds me to pray for people whose names are on that list. But also, to remind me to do something for them. No matter what the weather is, no matter how tired I am, no matter how inconvenient. When you hit that higher gear and challenge that benchmark of kindness and civility, you feel so good. It is not the food that you brought them, or the flowers, candy, treats or whatever. I am sure they are appreciated. But the real appreciation lies in the fact that you thought of them and no matter what- you are there for them.
As we get older, complacency can settle in. But just like the hill challenge on a mountain bike ride, there are daunting challenges out there for you to tackle. Be up for the challenge and help your friends and even people who you may not know. Volunteer, donate, give your time and resources, and hit that higher gear. You will feel a sense of purpose and a calling that is highly rewarding. Thanks for reading.
I was watching the Derby this weekend and it brought me back to my youth at the track. You see, I never owned a horse, never rode a horse, and the closest I ever got to a horse was at the paddocks at Waterford Park over in West Virginia now known as Mountaineer Raceway. My grandparents were horse racing fans and every Friday night during the summers, they took me to the track. We would have a nice early dinner, drive down to Waterford, and take in a few races. My grandmother always placed ” show” bets because she always said she had a better chance at getting something than using my grandfather’s tactics of only betting on the win. She would get her money back with a third place, for instance, a “show” and laugh at my grandfather for not getting anything for his ” win ” bet. Always a competition between those two. I learned to read a handicap sheet and when I took them both in later years to a horserace handicap class at the University of Pittsburgh, my grandmother would tell me at the end of every outing that she could teach that class. The professor didn’t know anything in her book. But she enjoyed the night out.
My grandparents took me to all the good tracks as a kid. All over Florida and the south, and also we went to see the Preakness one year in Baltimore. But there is nothing like the Derby at Churchill Downs and in later years, I had the opportunity to see it from two vantage points- the infield- and the more genteel grandstands at the Kentucky Oaks and the Derby the following day.
The Infield at the Derby
My first experience was watching the races from the infield. A pretty crazy scene which was, shall we say, a little less “refined ” than watching in the grandstands with all the suits and beautiful hats. The infield was a conglomeration of big time party people who rarely took time to watch the races. The general admission crowd. I was along the rail with some veterans who had a mild interest in what was happening on the track. But for the most part, the Derby from the vantage point of the infield was pretty nuts. I was amazed at the guys who walked around with bushel baskets full of donated cash. They had a sign imploring any female to disrobe for cash and when they did( basically from the waist up) the guys dumped the money on their heads and started the process all over again. People are amazing when you infuse a huge crowd, heat, booze, all together in one place. You see some things you never see and you are happy that you made it out of the joint in one piece and with your wallet and watch in tact.
Pretty crazy scene – cheap mint juleps abounding.
Fast forward, I had the opportunity to see the Kentucky Oaks and the Derby from the grandstands. Wearing a sport coat and tie with my wife Janet in tow – wearing a beautiful dress and hat, we enjoyed the races from another point of view. Janet wondered where I got my acumen for placing bets and I explained my youth and what my grandparents taught me about para mutual betting. I explained the trifecta and when we placed a bet for Jan, it turned out that she won $350.00 on the Derby and was thrilled. She thought I was a genius when only dumb luck prevailed and the knowledge of getting to the window right before the closing bell. Sure I looked at the odds but really it was more luck than anything. But the smile on my bride’s face when she won was – priceless.
I remember asking Janet if she wanted to take a walk down to see the crazies in the infield. She reluctantly said yes and we took a stroll all dressed in our finest. When we got close the infield, all we heard was a chorus of ” DWEEBS”. I laughed because it was true. In the world of the infield, we were dweebs in spite of the fact that we had a really nice time in the more genteel atmosphere of the grandstands. I was happy my wife did not see the usual suspects with their bushel baskets.
It has been years since I have been to the track but I keep threatening to go. Maybe this summer Janet and I will venture over to Mountaineer Raceway? In the meantime, we will wait for the Preakness and the Belmont and see if the elusive triple crown winner will emerge in 2021? Thanks for reading and go to the track. You will enjoy your outing. Think of Mary Reynolds- place a show bet.
I am going to “shift gears” here for a moment( no pun intended) and talk about a true American sports icon. The picture you see here is of yours truly in the foreground and a gentleman you might not instantly recognize if you are not a cyclist. This man is currently the only American to officially win the Tour De France. In fact he won it 3 times. His run was interrupted by an unfortunate hunting accident with his brother in law where he was accidently shot. He recovered and went on to win the Tour again. An astounding feat considering the scope of his injuries. I am speaking of none other than Greg LeMond.
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