On Sunday June 6th we celebrated Ryan’s baptism with the entire Fortunati side of the family. We all got dressed up in our Sunday best and headed to church to meet the rest of the family.  Ryan enjoyed the ceremony more than anyone. He kept that smile (above) the entire time and thoroughly enjoyed being walked around the church to meet everyone after the baptism.

After the ceremony, Kevin learned how to play the church organ and we got the entire family together for a few photos. By this time Ryan was getting tired and hungry but he rallied long enough for one last family photo when we got home (below).

After church, everyone came over to our house for an afternoon of food and fun. It was a hot weekend so we broke out the sprinklers and the kids had a blast running through them.

Later in the afternoon we broke out the chocolate fountain. Unfortunately the guest of honor napped through that entire event, but Kevin certainly ate Ryan’s share and his share of chocolate covered marshmallows.

In the midst of the chaos, we managed to “pile” all the grandkids on the couch for a picture.  From left to right:  Ryan LeRoy on Taryn Fortunati’s lap, Mae Steenhausen on Sarah Fortunati’s lap, Kevin LeRoy on Paige Fortunati’s lap, Ryan Chadda on Nathan Chadda’s lap, Lily Steenhausen laying across Jacob Steenhausen’s lap, Alec Fortunati, Ben Chadda. 

A few things to note:

- the Gestures game in the foreground.  We actually played with all these kids – each kid got to pick out their own cards and take a turn. 

- Ben Chadda has one of his Grandma’s shirts on (with a big paperclip holding it together in the back) because he soaked his own shirt with blood from a head-butting accident

- This is the only picture in which Alec Fortunati wasn’t holding his hands over his ears because Lily Steenhausen was screaming so loud

- Ryan LeRoy was mid-diaper change, which explains the nakedness

- Maureen Clark’s house will never be the same!

We have several “outtakes” of this photo.  Funny enough, these are the best ones.    Ryan Chadda (left) never cried through the whole progression, but he did wonder what the heck was wrong with everyone else!  Lily Steenhausen (center) did not enjoy herself; and in the 3 minutes we spent taking pictures she went from screaming (top picture) to asleep (bottom picture).  Ryan ranged from neutral to unhappy.

This very talented and fast bike rider, Janine, organizes this group ride every year from San Jose to Santa Barbara. It is four days of bike riding, approximately 360 miles in total. I say ‘approximately’ because there are variations on mileage each day and you can always get in a sag van to rest.

The logistics for this ride are quite incredible and after 19 years of having it, Janine has it worked out to a science. This year was an all-time record of 54 riders in total. There are three vehicles – one for luggage, two for rest stop food/fuel. There are rest stops every 25 miles or so. About half the riders volunteer to “sag” a vehicle (drive) for one leg. This way, people that want to rest get to rest and the riders all get supported along the way.

Day 1: San Jose to King City, 114 miles

This year, we did the “inland route” – which means we didn’t hit the ocean until day 3. It took me about 6 hours and 20 minutes, but the cool weather, super tail wind, and some very fast drafting in a pace line made for a quicker than usual ride. My upcoming Ironman includes a 112 mile bike and I expect it will take me between 7 and 7.5 hours for that portion.

We landed in King City at Motel 6 (always lovely…not). We had great Mexican food in downtown King City (turns out, the options for dinner in King City are Mexican, Mexican, Mexican, or Taco Bell). Everyone went to bed early to get started by 8am the next morning.

Day 2: King City to San Simeon, 100 miles

This day had less miles, less tail wind, lots of climbing, and I rode solo most of the day. The kicker for this day is the headwind you get on the coast the last several miles. To avoid that, most riders take a detour on the infamous Santa Rosa Creek Rd. It is at least 17% grade, up to 20% in portions. Rather than kill my knees, I walked my bike up much of it. I’m not proud! Going down the other side was just as bad – very rough road, very curvy, and very steep. I’m pretty sure my brakes were on fire, but I’m glad they didn’t fail me. It took me 6 hours for 100 miles and I was pooped. Coach Dave planned an hour long run after. My brother and I ran along the coast. Amazingly, the wind had died down and it was a very pleasant and calm run.

Day 3: San Simeon to San Luis Obispo, 40 miles

Day 3 is always the best. It is a short day for a much needed break. And ending up on SLO is always fun for my brother and I, since we went to college there. I felt a twinge of sore throat in the morning. Concerned about getting sick (aside from having a really sore rear end), I decided to sag the second leg of the day. The first leg of today was a 25 mph speed race down the coast. Some amazingly fast bikers decided they were in a hurry and I did everything I could just to hang on to their wheels. When we got to SLO, we roamed around downtown SLO, reminiscing about all the shops that were the same and raising our eyebrows at all those that have turned over.

By evening, I was sicker than a dog. I felt terrible – coughing and sniffling and just worn out. I took a big dose of Nyquil and was asleep by 8:30. I even missed the group dinner and Indian Jones movie.

Day 4: San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara, 107 miles

I felt only slightly better on the morning of the 4^th day. But I wanted to get through it to put the mileage on my legs and work on some more “mental toughness” – something I lack. A group of ~20 of us left an hour early and rode to a great breakfast place in Pismo Beach. That took almost an hour and a half, so then we were running pretty late. The 3^rd leg of the day included a 16 mile, very gradual climb. There was a group of 5 of us, working together in a paceline and we stuck together the whole way. We each took turns pulling at the front. Slow going up the hill, but the time went by quickly. Here’s a picture of our group – I’m the 4^th one in line. The reward was fantastic…a nice long downhill. There was too much wind to hit 50 mph (what most riders can hit going down the hill), but I think I was going over 40. (Note: you would never look at your speedometer to check your speed while flying downhill!) As the day wore on, I felt better and better. I rode that cold right out of my system! Okay, maybe not, but I was happy that I made it through the ride.

The group traditions in Santa Barbara are always fun. All new riders have to blow up a swim cap over their heads. Biggest head wins. We always have a group dinner/banquet. The more people drink, the more stories are told and the more people brag. It is quite a sight.

Day 5: Drive home, 294 miles

Our drive home was uneventful, but quick. The rented UHaul with all the gear and bikes showed up just minutes after we arrived. So, I got my stuff and jetted out of there. I was anxious to see Dave and Kevin at home. Then the three of us went to a friend’s house to celebrate my 35^th birthday. I must have eaten 8 plates of food (I think I’m still hungry) and three German chocolate cupcakes. It was all good and fun for such a long day. Kevin got to lick as many beer bottles as he wanted since I was too tired to stop him.

The Ironman is quickly approaching. Just three weeks away from yesterday. The Memorial Day Ride was a perfect bike primer. This past weekend was my last long, tough weekend. I ran 20 miles on Friday, took a rest day on Saturday, and then swam and rode on Sunday. I competed in the .75 and 1.5 mile swim races at Lake Del Valle in Livermore. Then I met up with my brother afterward and rode south toward Mt. Hamilton. We rode up Felter Rd, which is the back side of Sierra Rd (one of the steepest climbs in the bay area). The view from the top was incredible – like we were on the moon! My legs are completely dead tired today, but we start tapering. This weekend will be just a 3 hour ride, an Olympic-distance triathlon on Sunday, and plenty of rest. Rest. Ahhh. Rest.

There were 9 runners that started out at our house at 8am and ran 2 miles to the start. The race started at 9am, in downtown Saratoga. The runners ran north on Big Basin Way, then turned right onto highway 9 and ran the straight shot over to Los Gatos. Then they turned right onto Santa Cruz Ave, with the finish line by the movie theaters. Dave was happy with his time of 23:07. He has gotten slower every year by just a few seconds and he wonders if he’s getting old? Regardless, he got 11th place in the “old men group” and 39th overall with a 5:47min/mile pace. He and Kyle ran with the lead women, so their picture ended up on the online Los Gatos newspaper.

But no, the running didn’t stop there. These guys ran 6 miles back to our house from the finish line for a total of 12 miles. Everyone showered at our house and then we had a huge feast for 23 people.
The Fortunati’s (my parents) helped organize, cook, and clean up. They made dozens of pancakes and kept the lines flowing.
We had egg casseroles, sausage (thanks to Conrad, of course), a delicious fruit salad (thanks Stephanie!), bagels and pastries (thanks Chris and Carol!), and veggies and ham (thanks Amy!). Kyle brought a birthday cake for Dave and we all sang to celebrate Dave’s 44th birthday. (click the picture below to see a video clip of everyone singing to Dave)

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So, ya, I guess he is getting old? Annika enjoyed the cake better than anyone.

The kids enjoyed some mesmerizing television while the adults talked and ate, talked and ate.

Little Torben got a lot of attention (while he was awake). “Swaddling” seems to be the ‘in thing’ now, and we got a swaddling blanket as a gift. So, Sharon showed us the “right” way to do it, and Dave practiced. Not bad!
Everyone had a fantastic time. It seems many are already looking forward to the 2nd annual Great Race brunch!

Midlife crisis?? Maybe, but we are all a little jealous. Our friend Leo has quit his job, sold all his belongings and is heading off on a 1 year trip around the world! We all got together this past weekend and surprised him with a going away party.

What better way to do that, than cook an entire cow on the grill!!

Leo brought his appetite, he had just gotten finished running 32 miles. He sold his car earlier in the week, so he’s been running everywhere. That’s one way to stay in shape!!

We are definitely going to miss him over the next year. We are also anxious to see what a 1 year “break” from training does for his marathon performance. Last time he took a month long break he came back and ran a marathon PR when he was “out of shape”

Have fun Leo, we’ll see you when you get back!