Into the Mountains

Hard on the heels of yesterday's plea for cold hard cash by Floyd Landis comes word from his camp that he is not in a panic mode, that he will not be quitting cycling, and that he is merely building a war chest for the hard battle in the courts that is soon to come. "We're just heading into the mountains," is how his manager, Will Geoghan said yesterday. I liked that.

Onward. Shaunie Davis beat Chad Hendricks at the U.S. Speed Skating Nationals yesterday. Nice blood feud there. Liked the outcome.

I try to keep these missives from becoming self-referential, but there comes a time when I must ...

Too weird. I'm sitting in my favorite coffee shop as I write this, the little Diedrich's-soon-to-become-Stabucks across the street from the San Juan Capistrano mission, and Floyd just walked in and smacked me on the back. He and Will just popped in before heading over the hill to Murietta. For a guy who's supposed to be so embattled, Floyd's looking amazingly relaxed.

OK. I'll wrap up while those guys are getting their coffee.

As I was saying... I try to keep these missives from becoming too self-referential, but I must make mention of Hooter's Camille and her recent references to Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth. It's just gone out of print, but I think it's out there if you look hard enough. It was the first real book I ever wrote, and I still think it's one of my favorites. Heck, what am I saying... I love them all. There's an emotional attachment to a book that runs deep. Can't explain it any other way. Any time you pour that much of yourself into a project it defines a portion of your life.

Floyd says to tell you all that he's definitely racing Leadville next year... and that he's gonna win... and that Lance can't pull out now, or he'll look like he's scared.

Keep pushing... always.

 

Comments

[Laurie]

Gotta love SoCal! You never know whose going to show up at the local coffee bar, or unclip next to you at a stoplight. I was happy to read that Floyd is going to do Leadville and ecstatic that Landaluze's acquittal was upheld on the basis of procedural errors by the SAME lab which produced Floyd's result. The French are going DOWN!!!

[Camille]

There is No Way that I will miss watching that Leadville race!!!

Marty, just finished your book... made me cry. So great, thank you. Next, Into Africa... will probably start it today!

[susie b]

OMG! FLOYD & LANCE! Together again (sort of). Racing Leadville. To paraphrase my boss : "please excuse any INCONTINENCE..." but I'm about to "pee my pants"!!

[Camille]

Susie, Matt and Theresa... was this bit of Floyd news perfect timing or what?!! It feels so good to hear he's got that fighting spirit still going. Into the mountains -- that's very poetic, and perfect.

[Paul]

It was in the Denver paper this morning that Floyd is doing Leadville. That is going to be fun! That will draw a crowd. I suspect Lance will be a bit more serious in his training for this than the NYC Marathon.

[Matt]

O-KAY!, I'm BACK! Optimism RESTORED! RIDE FLOYD, RIDE! (my doggie is ok btw...had a corn-cob of all things stuck 'somewhere in there' ..took surgery to get it out!)
I think it would be amazing to be sitting in a coffee shop and see Floyd waltzing around, how very cool is that! Good to hear his spirits are UP! (and I love the analogy 'just now getting to the Mountains'. Cuz EVERYBODY KNOWS that's where the race is WON! I think WHEN he wins his case and TAKES DOWN the lab that it's PARTY TIME! (I'd LOVE to see Dick Pounds face at that moment when he hears the news...a PRICELESS comercial in the making? I mean, talk about sour grapes! Look at what he said after Marion Jones 'B' sample came back NEGATIVE! Something to the manner of "they must have screwed up the 'B' sample"...rather than something classy and professional, like 'WHEW'! Glad we didn't make a mistake and ruin an athletes life/career over a bad test'! He must have blown a gasket over that one!)

Anyway, I'm pretty stoked that Floyd's that upbeat, considering how hard this must be on him (and his family). Ya-know, listening to "12 days of Christmas" by the Muppets (and John Denver) has DONE IT AGAIN! Happy Holidays everyone!

[Theresa]

OMG, how cool!! Marty, you just gave us the lift we needed!! Floyd at Leadville, awesome! I thought maybe that was an "if", but it's a "for sure" which is even better!!!
I'm glad Floyd knows about us, I hope you tell him how much we love him.
Floyd and Lance at Leadville, ought to big out the big media guns, CBS,Versus, and ESPN!!
And the great Floyd, saying, yes he's gonna win, and Lance better be ready!!

[Theresa]

Hey, Matt, glad you are back!! And your dog is okay(why eat a corn cob???)! You couldn't have posted a better response!!

I WAS THRILLED to hear Landaluze's appeal was upheld! What a Christmas gift this is!!

[Theresa]

Oh, one more thing (?), I'm sorry, I'm so glad Shaunie Davis beat Chad in the Speed Skating Nationals!!! Shaunie took to much crap at the Olympics!

[Yvette]

Yeah, Shauni took that crap because he's a bit of a rogue...kind of like that other dude NBC kept hounding on--Bode. Payback is best on the track, court, trail, road...

Which makes the Leadville announcement all the more exciting! Wow, I'm really stoked that Floyd is throwing his hat into the ring. Too cool.

And yes, I'm also glad to see the Grinch leave Matt's house.

I've read Into Africa; that continent fascinates me, and I've also been pleased at the slew of recent films depicting so much of what is going on there. Truth is surely stranger, and more violent, than fiction.

So Camille, any way someone can "borrow" the other book? ;)

[GregC]

Awesome news about Ledvillle, Floyd and Lance- be interesting to see if the TV ratings bounce up if it becomes widely known. I just finished reading The Last Voyage of Columbus- incredible what torture explorers had to deal with. Highly recommend the book, look forward to reading Martys other books soon.

[Camille]

Yvette, what, and deprive you the thrill of the chase? C'mon, anticipation is half the fun of something like this. Just look up and to your left, and click on the bottom book --- 38 copies available there last time I looked -- several are 48 cents, one is $50 ... your choice. Get after it, girlie! Merry Christmas!

[Camille]

Yvette and Susie, did you see that Bode is in first place in the World Cup? That's our boy! I was thinking about him as I was driving along today and just then saw an eagle (okay, or some big lone bird) floating along solo up in the sky, and I thought... that's Bode, a free bird. Then of course Free Bird started playing in my head... Then I thought of Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and I thought, don't cage Bode... he's a free bird...
Then I just saw he was 1st place in the World Cup! cool. Hey, I don't have Versus yet so if this is already old news, sorry folks.
Byyyye bye baby it's been a sweeeet love, yeah....

[LindaLoo]

Been following this blog and the comments since the TDF and I smile and chuckle as I read but had to chime in today cause susie b made me laugh out loud! I live in Colorado wasn't too excited to hear Lance doing the Leadville 100 but when I heard Floyd would do it - well I'm all over that!

[catherine]

Thank you Camille! For some dumb reason, it never occured to me to click on the books on the left. I did as you recommended to Yvette and have just ordered two! I seriously considered ordering an autographed copy of one of the books, but felt sorta silly doing that. The words will be the same either way...

It feels surreal to read about Marty sitting in a local coffee shop and having Floyd walk in to sit with him. I know everyone lives a "regular" life, like I do, but somehow it always feels like I don't live where they live (well, actually I don't, but you know what I mean).

Dang, Marty.

[catherine]

PS Thanks for the link Theresa. Thoughtful of you.

[Yvette]

OK, I found the book, easy as pie. Merry Christmas to me! Maybe I'll even wrap it.

I love Free Bird and the connection to Bode. It's awesome that he's in the lead.

Yeah, I'm jealous that Marty can just "run" into Floyd; where I live, there's always the possibility I could run into Greg LeMond. Woo-hoo. Of course I'd have to be a member of the "Yellowstone Club."

[Theresa]

I wondered if the $50 copy wasn't autographed. It would be cool to have an autographed copy, but I'd like to be the one getting it signed by the author!!

Yeah, Catherine, I know what you mean about running into people that live "regular" lives where I do. You know, Brad Pitt is from Springfield, and when he was with Jennifer and before he'd come back to town and go out to eat, etc. But I never got real excited about that, coulda cared less. But, let 1st year pro cyclist, the winner of the US Elite Crit. Championship 2005 (and now USPRO Crit Championship 2006) and member of the TIAA-CREF team show up in MY bike shop, and I'm like all gushy, and blushing and demanding autographs!!! God only knows what I'd do if I ran into Floyd or one of the big pros I love so much!! Like Frisky Zabriskie, as Cathy called Dave Z!

[Theresa]

Yvette, I just got a good laugh from the comment about LeMond, you made...lol

[Kenny]

Yvette, you must live in Western burbs of MSP if you can bump into LeMond. I used to pedal by his house. And for those of you expecting to see the Leadville race on TV, I don't think VS is carrying it!