Field of Dreams

In the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ the actor Kevin Costner plays the part of Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer who hears a voice encouraging him by saying ‘If you build it, they will come’. ‘It’, is a baseball field and ‘they’ are a group of elite baseball players who had all died in their prime. Kinsella ploughed up part of his farm and built a state of the art baseball field, and they did come. Among those who came to play baseball was his very own father as a much younger man. One evening, as the players finished off a day of enjoying playing baseball to their hearts content Kinsella and the young man who was his father are walking off the field and strike up a conversation:

Kinsella Senior ‘It’s so beautiful here, for me it’s like a dream come true….. can I ask you something?

Kinsella Junior  looking stunned nods his head

KS ‘Is, is this heaven?’

KJ smiles and replies ‘It’s Iowa’

KS ‘I could have sworn it was heaven’

They both continue to walk off the field and then Kinsella Junior turns to face his father and asks ‘Is there a Heaven?’

Senior smiles and replies ‘Oh yea, it’s the place dreams come true’

Junior smiles, looks around him and says ‘maybe this is heaven’

I was reminded of this movie scene one day last week whilst climbing the Stelvio in Italy and said as much to Robbie the jeweller who was riding beside me at the time.

Dreams often come true on a bike and the closest to heaven you can get here on earth is at the top of a high mountain.

The day before we had left Bellagio by ferry across lake Como after climbing the Madonna De Ghisallo the previous evening. This for many would have been the highlight of any cycling holiday and if we did nothing else it would have been a good trip organised by La Fuga. But for us this was just the appetiser.

The beauty of cycling is that you get to watch epic battles of the elite, the best of the best as they fight it out on the mythical mountains, and then you get to ride up and down those very mountains as a normal everyday cyclist. Scenery so spectacular that it literally takes your breath away is best viewed from the saddle behind a set of handlebars. You can feel the pain of the savage gradients of the mountains throughout your body. You can taste the salty sweat that drips down along your face. You can hear the marmottes calling to each other along with the deep breathing of those other cyclists fighting the mountain beside you.

The mythical climbs like the Stelvio are so long and so steep all around, that you spend hours immersed within its’ belly and feel like it has swallowed you whole, only to emerge into life once again as you crest the top. At the summit the feeling can actually be quite emotional. Having fought the battle and conquered the mountain there is a rush of elation. Right at the top I felt myself suddenly choking and struggling for breath for a moment. Not quite sure what was happening I soon realised that combined with the feeling of reaching the summit I was also thinking of the last time I was there and my good friend Andrew who has since passed away. His biggest goal in cycling had been to climb the Stelvio and he had a constant smile on his face for 24 hours after. I was rooming with him and he was even smiling in his sleep that night.

Bormio is a beautiful town at the base of the Stelvio where we dined on great food and wine before facing the mighty Passo de Gavia the next day. Straight into a 25km beast of a climb followed by a 115km ride down to our next destination on the shore of Lake Iseo. The Gavia is much quieter and greener on the lower slopes than the Stelvio. Top Gear forgot to mention it to the drivers so we only encountered 2 Porsche 911’s per hour as opposed to 102 911’s per hour on the Stelvio. Some of the ramps are steeper but overall it is a very nice climb with yet more spectacular scenery. At the summit there is a Refuge where you stop in to change your kit for the cold descent and have a bowl of the most delicious minestrone soup you will ever taste to heat you up. The descent itself is treacherous, especially when combined with a thunderstorm but enjoyable nonetheless.

The lap of Lake Iseo is incredibly scenic and beautiful. Taking in some of the rolling countryside vineyards along with the lake shore twisting roads and bike paths was another really enjoyable part of the trip. Parts of it were pretty fast too, even if we did tow a sprinter to the finish 😉

Our trip finished in Riva del Garda on the shores of Lake Garda itself. One of the most spectacularly beautiful towns on this planet.

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Ian and Simon Holt of La Fuga were exceptional guides, support crew and organisers. Very accommodating and professional in a relaxed way. A cycling tour company that I can highly recommend.

Our cycling team of Richard, Robbie, Rory, Tadg, Mark and Ian were the very best of company and comradeship during the day and night stages. Excellent food, excellent wine, excellent company and excellent cycling (almost forgot the last part). This was literally the trip of a lifetime.

On a personal note it was pretty significant too. Back in January I was 12 months into long covid. I was at a point where I believed I would never be able to cycle more than 50km again. I was getting dropped going up Kilmacomma by the Carrick group. A big ring drag just outside Clonmel that I was never dropped on before, even when I joined them first and was only 14. I was having to stop for minutes at the top of the stairs to catch my breath and a 50km spin was like a Marmotte. Then a few things came together. I went to the Pendulum Summit with a friend where I heard Michael Johnson speak about how he recovered from a stroke by training in some form or other every day for months. Sean Kelly told me to start with 30 minute easy spins, be patient and build back up slowly. I cycled, often for just 30 minutes, 32 days in a row, read a book called ‘Breath’ by James Nestor and started really focusing on my breathing techniques and exercises. Starting with walking for 10 minutes breathing only through my nose I built up to 3 hour easy bike spins all breathing through my nose. I also climbed Tickincor and Powers the Pot 3 times one week whilst only nose breathing and then turned the corner on Long Covid. A fully cold shower every morning along with a 30 minutes sauna 3 times per week also helped. I took Vibracell everyday and also ashwagandha for 2 months. Before Long Covid I was 88 Kg. I went up last year to 108kg around the same time I was brought to A&E in a wheelchair, but am now back down to 86kg. Long covid is now in the rear view mirror and this trip to Italy was both motivation on the road to recovery and a very significant milestone for me.

JJ Kavanagh brought me home from the airport on Saturday night and I found myself rebuilding my bike at 11pm in preparation for a trip to Cork the next morning.

The ‘Field of Dreams’ cycle in aid of Down syndrome Cork was a late one on my radar, but one that I was very glad that I chose to make the effort to attend. There is always a great atmosphere at charity cycles but any Down syndrome fundraising cycle seems to take it to another level. Partly due to the people involved like Paul Sheridan and partly down to the families and kids with Down Syndrome themselves who are so welcoming and appreciative. It has me really looking forward now to taking part in the Tour de Munster in August.

A busy week overall, but one that will live on for a very long time in my memory.

None of us are here for ever, so life is all about living your dreams and making every day as memorable as possible.

Barry