Silver Age

Had my best ski day of the season yesterday at Caberfae Peaks. Really great snow all day, no lift lines, perfect temps and was really on my game. Pretty early I ended up chatting with a couple on the chairlift, and then skiing with them for most of the morning. A bit later, we were joined by Batman (there's a whole other blog post on this coming...). The four of us were just hot lapping the hill skiing fast and smooth. It was really a blast.

Mid-way through the morning talk on the chair turned to what year we all graduated from High School. My three companions all graduated in '97. After hearing this, I remark that I'm a bit older then as I graduated in '84. Marcy turns to me and says, "Damn, I'd have never guessed that. Then you're really on it - especially with how you ski...". This was a bit of an introspective moment for me. And skiing is an introspective place where I can pause and reflect on life, it's milestones, and other big thoughts.

I turned 50 in February. Oddly, I wasn't dreading the birthday, in fact, I was looking forward to it. One of my favorite musicians, Bob Mould, has a song called "Silver Age" (listen here, if you like) that really kind of sums up how it feels to be 50 for me. Bob's a few years older than I am and the last time I saw him live he put on the most energetic, powerful, raw performance I've seen in a long time. Not bad for 55.

I realized that in my 49th year, I rode my bicycle more miles than I've ever ridden, completed my first Century, skied hard in Michigan and Colorado, and caught a 36" muskie on the fly. Since my birthday, I've dropped a few pounds, being skiing and riding the trainer pretty intensely, and am setting up to really get in the best shape in decades. I'm heading to Northern Wisconsin in October to chase really big Muskies. And, in two weeks I'll be skiing in Colorado.

All of this really gave me some positive mental energy. I'm not slowing down. If anything, I'm speeding up (one could argue that you gain momentum when you're going downhill, but I'll take a more positive interpretation). And, that feels pretty fucking good. Or, as Bob so eloquently says:

"Stupid little kid wanna hate my game
I don't need a spot in your hall of fame, no
What a fucking game, yo
I'm wiping my face of the shit you say
In the silver age I walk away singing
The silver age is calling out a melody"

Rock on, Bob. Thanks for inspiring old guys like me to be better. The Silver Age is indeed calling out a melody...

-Sean-

First Century!

On Saturday, 1 August, I achieved a personal goal I set three years ago - my first Century ride! When I re-committed to road riding seriously three years ago I got this idea in my head to complete a Century before I turned 50. Well, I'm 49 this year, so the pressure was on...

For the past three years, I've ridden and fundraised for the Susan G. Komen "Ride for the Cure". I do this to honor a good friend who lost her battle with this disease in 2011. You can read more on my effort here. The ride is the first Saturday in August, so it's been good timing for goal-setting and training. My first year, I rode a Metric Century (100km/62.5 miles) and was a top-five fundraiser. Last year some health issues sidelined my training, so I did a shorter 30 mile ride (but still raised more money than the previous year). This year was the big one - I increased my target to the full Century ride, and bumped my fundraising goal up a pretty good notch.

Training went well -- I had broken the 40 mile mark multiple times by the end of April and even had a Metric Century in by the end of May. Prior to ride day, my longest ride was 74 miles and the weekend previous I'd done 55-, and 65-miles on concurrent days. So, I had the miles under my legs.

Ride day start - feeling good!

Ride day weather was looking perfect, if a bit windy. That morning was a touch cool, but the wind was down for our 7 a.m. start. Definitely had some pre-ride jitters, but generally felt pretty confident. With about 25 riders for the Century we had a manageable group to tour the farmlands south of Lansing.

This crew included a wide range of cyclists - including a fit looking guy a few years older than me who planned to ride the Century on a FAT BIKE! Rock on! We stayed largely together until the first rest stop, though I'd started to ride and chat with a guy who turned out to live in the neighborhood across the street from mine! I was surprised by how quickly we got to that first stop at 25 miles. Everybody was laughing and having fun - some of us even got our photos taken in grass skirts and coconut bras (no, I don't have a photo yet...).

By the lunchtime stop at around 60 miles our group had split up a bit, with me riding with neighbor John, and gravel-grinder Nat (on a Specialized Crux 'cross bike much like mine!). For the most part we cruised comfortably at a 15-17 mph pace. When the ride turned west into the mounting wind, we formed a pace line and took turns pulling on the front without losing too much speed. I was really fortunate -- found two really good guys to ride with who were comfortable at about exactly the pace I wanted to ride.

Riding companion John - with me on the chase!

At the 77 mile rest stop, all three of us were eager to get off the bikes for a stretch, re-hydrate, fuel up, and have a little break. But it wasn't long before we set off again. The ride was set through some pretty gently rolling country. An area I would definitely return to for riding. By this time, the wind was definitely coming up, but we had some pretty good cover on the tree-lined stretches. Though heading east and south were definitely preferable. Each turn north (groan) or west (GROAN!!!) was a little less cheerful.

The last ten miles were - predictably - the Sufferfest. Not as brutal as I'd expected, but not easy. The three of us definitely took turns pulling each other along. Though the last 3 miles were BRUTAL as the wind peaked and we headed into a strong headwind for much of it. We all finished feeling happy and pretty strong - though not ready to knock off another 20!

A new favorite jersey!

So, I did it - rode my first Century at age 49! I was proud, tired, and happy. I also raised over $2,600 making me the #3 fundraiser - a nice bonus! Funny thing though, on the drive home I was thinking, "Now what?" and sure enough several friends have asked me the same thing. My guess is more Centuries are in my future, and hopefully at a faster pace (we did 103 miles in 6:40) but, stay tuned!

FYI, I'll also be following this up with a lessons learned entry for other first-timers!

-Sean-

Goal Setting

I love the idea of a New Year. An opportunity to capitalize on opportunities missed in the old year, to try new things, and to set goals that remind you that you're alive. I don't think outdoor pursuits require "resolutions" (though some of my personal resolutions overlap with these goals). Here are a solid dozen I'm shooting for in 2014:

1. Land a musky on the fly. I had three on last Fall, but nothing in the net.
2. Swing more for steelhead. I learned a lot more on the December trip to NY on how to actually fish a swing rig. My tying skills are solid, so now I just need to put in the hours.
3. Complete a full Century ride. I met last year's Metric Century goal quite easily (in fact, I did 3 of them). I'm pretty certain that with an earlier start this season, I can do hit this one. Overcoming my dislike of riding while cold has certainly helped me in this regard.
4. Shoot more sporting clays. Last year, I'd made exactly zero outings prior to duck season. And my results showed it on my first hunt. I've already made two outings since that hunt (including yesterday) and my performance is already up. So much of shotgunning is muscle memory.
5. Learn to shoot a shotgun with both eyes open. Crack shots that I know swear by this. In my mind it makes sense. And yesterday when I did it, the results were solid. Now just to work this into #4 above.
6. Ride my bike over 2,500 miles. Last year, even with a weak start, I hit 1,738.5. With an earlier, stronger start, I know I can crack 2,500 and maybe even get over 3,000.
7. Ski more days in Michigan. Last year's total? One. Yup, you read that right. And that's only due to getting some lucky late season snow. My love of Winter steelheading, my day job, and having a household to maintain don't help. Having my first day on snow be in Colorado last year was NOT a solid plan. By day three, I was pretty solid again, but getting there was painful. Hoping to hit Utah, or head back to Colorado this season. This time I'll be ready.
8. Touch my toes. Yeah, OK, this one sounds stupid. But I've always lacked flexibility. One nice surprise from last year was that cycling actually improved this considerably. I think with some more miles, I can do this. I literally halved the distance last year.
9. Build my rowing skills. I learned to row a drift boat last year at age 47. And I friggin' love it. It's forced me to learn about currents and their effects. I got very comfortable on bigger water, especially when it was slow. Now I want to learn to be comfortable in tighter spaces and faster water.
10. Use my gear more. I have a gear addiction. I've always loved gear-intensive outdoor pursuits. In recent years, I've been fortunate enough to acquire PLENTY of gear to cover nearly anything. Now I need to stop buying it and start USING it more.
11. Improve my fly casting skills. My overhand cast, especially with a floating line, SUUUUUCCCCKKKKSSS. But I took a lesson last year and learned some good base skills. Now I'm committed to doing the one and only thing that will improve my skills - practice.
12. Try something completely new. I've added a lot of activities in recent years. I've tried some things that really weren't for me, and others I loved. The key to finding things you love is trying new ones. Last year it was turkey hunting (pretty fun - but not sure it will become a core passion). Who knows what it might be? Is this finally the year of deer hunting? Or, maybe it's golf. No, it's probably not golf...

Hope the Holiday Season found you playing outside a little bit and that you're looking forward to the coming year as much as I am!

-Sean-