A Hell of A Sunday

So last week I wrote about a particularly good ride I had with my friends Mike Foresto and Glen Corso.  Although I got spanked a bit (or at least mussed up) it was good to get out and push the hills with others as opposed to the solo flogging I usually give myself.  In this regard I sometimes feel like the little monk from this historic clip from Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail (I've included subtitles for the Latin impaired);

But it was Palmarés Sunday and as such I owed it to myself to performance a penance of some sort as I tried to haul my Drahtesel  around trying to keep up with their speedsters.  As I also relayed, it was also a Holy Sunday of sorts for cycling fans as it was the Sunday of the Ronde van Vlaanderen one of the great spring cycling classics.  As anticipated by many "in the know" it was one by a certain "Tom Terrific";

Oops, sorry, not THAT one (although I'm not sure if what he's riding would be considered a Dachsundtesel or not) even though he is holding up one hand in the obligatory winner salute.  No it was won in an exciting sprint by this particular "Tom Terrific" of Belgian descent;



And with the similar (yet mirrored) one hand salute you can see why I got my Tom's confused.

This week brought us another Sunday that is holy to many faiths, most notably the followers of Christianity and Cyclinganity - Easter Sunday and what the French refer to as l'enfer du Nord - "The Hell of the North".  Now as far back as the Dachsund's back (that's "Old School" to you and me)

this race has often been held on Easter Sunday, a fact which at one point angered the Catholic Church and set them at odds with the French populace - particularly those followers of Cyclinganity.  Since this conflictfirst occured in 1897 we don't have any actual footage of the protestations but I imagine it probably went something like this (I've combined the reenactement of the first two conflicts but many more have occured on our way up the Dachsund's front haunches and up to his chin);

As you can see, despite the insistence that the followers of Cyclinganity conform and attend mass, the Cycling-crazed French would rather fling the contents of their mussette bags (thereby depriving themselves of mid-ride sustenance) and risk excommunication rather than give up their love of this torturous race.

This holy Sunday was almost a repeat of the last blessed Sunday in that one individual rode his Drahtesel to the adulation of the adoring faithful - yes, that blessed one - Tom Boonen;

he performed the miracle of entering the velodrome at well over a minute ahead of his nearest competitors.  And here he is kissing the holy relic of his miraculous endeavor;

As you can see, he is reverent and humble in partaking of the dirt and the soil of France - even if he is a Belgian.

And for those among us who are faithful to the calling of gears changing at 30+ mph, to whom the whirr of the peleton is like an angelic chorus, yet were not able to witness it ourselves because the evil of cable has deprived us of our sports channel, here are highlights from this most special of Sundays;

Of course, considering the miraculousness of his not only winning today's race (arguably one of the toughest races ever) he also won the Tour of Flanders last week.  I'm sure the UCI will start an investigation into whether or not he used performance enhancing substances or some other device that gave him an edge (similar to the allegations made about Fabian Cancellara when he one the race in 2010).  Well, I think I've found the answer - a plastic Jesus;

(I Don't Care if it Rains or Freezes)

But to be honest, it was indeed a most blessed and holy Sunday in other aspects as well and for those of us who are practicers of two faiths and who feel our souls pulled between two callings, it was a day to attend church and be reminded of the meaning of Easter.  We had the opportunity to travel to Swedesboro, NJ and be with my sister and her husband Per and my niece Anika.  Although we attended the 9:00 mass it was standing room only and as we arrived at 8:50 we were standing.  Yet it was a joyous occasion in which it was touching to see so many people there together to celebrate a common miraculous event - the resurrection.   We reaffirmed what we believe and shared in communion of something we hold as holy and we did so without guise and in humility.  If only ever day could be that simple and we could always come together in such simplicity and harmony.  It would certainly cut down on a lot of the political drivel that seems to get spouted/slung/flung/sicked-up-upon the general population of our country.  Ahh, but that's a posting for another day.

We spent the rest of the day celebrating in our family traditional way which is is to say searching for eggs (we had to find 49 of them this year), eating the eggs, lounging around, playing with the kids in Angela and Per's massive back yard, tiring out their three-year-old retriever Viking, lounging, reading, taking walks and having a fantastically prepared Easter dinner.  It is truly a joy spending this day with my sister and brother-in-law (and niece) every year.  We missed it last year but were able to come back to what's important.  It gave us this kind of joy to be able to play and laugh forget our cares for a while;



I didn't get to ride this Sunday.  Although every year I keep making plans in the back of my head to bring my bicycle and explore the roads of South Jersey, once again I failed to do so and instead got my excercise from chasing around the children and trying to retrieve chewed up balls from Viking.

But I'm acutely aware of the fact that we are only 76 DAYS away from our grand departure in San Diego.  At last count we had raised a bit more than $6,000 in the combined efforts of Connor's Army, Sarah's Giving Tree, and the various student groups at Syosset High School that have been working to help us raise the $50,000 to send eight campers to Sunrise Day Camp.  I don't know if we're going to be able to make it.  I do know that I will keep training and when I get back to Northport I will get back to training, hitting the hills and mortifying my flesh to get myself in shape and ready for the first day of cycling from San Diego to Boulevard, CA.

BUT WE STILL NEED SO MUCH HELP!  I know I haven't been harping on this (I leave that to Sarah) but if you are reading this, please consider donating to our Ride Across America.  Even $5 is a big help to us - yes, the price of a Venti speciality coffee at Starbucks is a big help to us.  The caffeine is nice but think of the buzz you'll get from knowing that you've contributed to helping a child fighting cancer have a life-changing summer!

So this Sunday of so many different miracles we celebrate life, family, giving and cycling!  Please help us combing both by giving to our cause and we promise to give you a shout out from the road!

And because we all need a little help on the road your musical dessert - the ORIGINAL "Plastic Jesus" as recorded by the King Earl Boogie Band;

Stay well my friends and I will see you on the road!