Going against the flow

The lemming has been wanting me to write this one for awhile and I've been resisting since everyone is so hyped about it, I don't want to be the only Debbie-downer in the bunch.



Ok here goes... The lemming thinks the Race Across the Sky movie previewed above is WAY over-hyped. Sure, it seems like a cool race, but come on, a movie about it? In the end it's a race, like all other races. Obviously cyclists are going to flock to the movie because what else do we have, Breaking Away and American Flyers?

As we were watching the trailer I made sure to capture screenshots where the lemming seemed most agitated.

In an epic bike race, anything can happen! Dah dah dah!

Like getting a flat!

And then having to change it yourself!

You won't believe what happens next! Really? I mean seriously, is it that dramatic? I've got a little spoiler for you, Lance beats the 40-something retired family man and 6-time champion... I know, I know, you can still pay $12.50 to go see more.

EVENT DETAILS
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But the Leadville Trail 100 "Race Across the Sky" Mountain Bike Race is not just a race of man against man: it’s man vs. man, man vs. self, man vs. elements, man vs. time. A clock set for 12 grueling hour’s slugs through 100 miles, over 14,000 vertical feet of climbing, some two miles above sea level, through extreme climate changes ranging from heat to hail, from rain to snow. To the racers, the risks of injury, fatigue and mechanical failure pale next to the chance that they will fall behind the 12 hour cut off mark and be eliminated.

This sounds pretty extreme, it's not only you against others, it's you against yourself, against the elements, against time! Not only that but you'll start where it's balmy in the land of coconuts and ride through blizzards to finish the race, you may have to eat other competitors who have succumbed to the perils of the race to sustain your energy levels, that is if you don't get mowed down by the clock. Injury, fatigue, and mechanical failure be damned!

This one night event will feature a panel discussion with Lance Armstrong, Chris Carmichael (owner of Carmichael Training Systems and Lance Armstrong’s coach), Dave Wiens (6x Leadville 100 winner), Ken Chlouber (Leadville Trail 100 Founder), Travis Brown (Olympian and professional mountain biker), and others before and after the debut of the documentary “Race Across the Sky”.

Wow, the lemming says this will totally do it for him. Not only does he get to see a cool movie about a race, but he gets to hear a secret panel talk about how magical the race is, which sounds about as fun as listening to coaches talk to local clinics about how training with power can really bring out your "A" game.

Which leads me to this, the lemming has made a prediction already for 2010. That prediction was that gran fondo will become the new buzzword amongst charity rides. His new prediction is that everyone who ever has hoped to be extreme will sign up the Leadville 100. Many people who have never even tried to race their local 6 mile mountain bike race will sign up for the Race Across the Sky.

I'll still go watch the movie, what else do we have... Maybe I'll look for a theme ride to it...