Let's Go For a Ride

On Friday afternoon, Casey & I met my friends David & Patrick for lunch at the Cycler’s Café (http://www.cyclerscafe.com/). If you haven’t been, it’s a very cool café housed inside a very cool bike shop – and I highly recommend the Seneca sandwich. Being around all those bikes and equipment made me very nostalgic for my triathlon days and for going on long rides with these guys. Anyway, I hadn’t seen either of them in awhile so it was really good to catch up with them. David has had a bit of a rough summer, to put it mildly. Earlier in the summer, he went into sudden cardiac arrest while in the hospital undergoing treatment for melanoma cancer, and as a result was fitted with his very own Pacemaker (anyone who knows Dave knows he likes new toys, but this took things to a new level). Most recently, on the way to receive treatment at UVA, his wife Cathy had to pull the car over and Dave ended up being life-flighted to UVA where one of his kidneys was removed, his adrenal gland was repaired, and a blood clot was fished out of his system. Whew. For a guy who has cheated death multiple times this summer, he looked great. Maybe a little thin, but that’s easily fixed. I always feel good after spending any amount of time with David. Even while being so sick, he is incredibly full of life and humor while being completely self-depreciating (he joked that we should hop in the car and go do the Chicago Tri this weekend, but that perhaps flinging himself into Lake Michigan at this point could be a potential loss of one of his 27 lives).

Patrick continues to keep himself busier that just about everyone I know. While busting his butt as a partner in his law firm, he’s up everyday at the crack of dawn to train for Ironman Wisconsin. I believe the race is in two weeks, and this is Patrick’s second brush with chosen insanity (he did Ironman Coeur d’Alene last year). I don’t know what is crazier – Patrick training for and running these races, or me feeling a little jealous while sitting there listening to him talk about them! I’d like to triathlons again someday, although I doubt I’ll ever achieve Patrick’s level of devotion and do an Ironman. However, I think half the fun of running the races was training with these guys, so unless they’re up for it in the future, then maybe I won’t be either. Anyway, I can’t wait for Patrick to get back with a new crop of photos and stories (the story of his luggage being “delayed” last year is priceless).

Best of luck to both of these guys as they round out their busy summers – Patrick with Ironman, David back to UVA for continued treatment. I think about them more than I see them, and hopefully someday soon things will slow down enough for all of us so that we can get together more often. Hell, maybe we’ll even get on our bikes and go for a ride.