A visit with the Legendary Kildow

Patrick Kildow, the Tour de France guide who is strong beyond all comprehension, came by for a visit. We had a dinner and a spin the next day. Patrick is teaching skiing in Park City, Utah in the winter and being a bicycle guide in the summer. Patrick was in good form and got along with my dog just fine.

When I tell salary men on the commuter boat about Patrick, they get sea sick. He's a true free spirit who lives his life on his terms. Senior has suggested that we refer to him as St. Patrick, the patron saint of men. Father believes that there are a great many saints for other causes, but precious few for men.

St. Patrick was a successful business man. For twenty years, he worked night and day building his meineke businessesl. Then he sold them, and pursued a new career as a ski instructor.

He's had the same kids in his class for three years now, and the kids have a great time. They all race, they all have technical skills, and on occasion, they get returned to their parents with a black eye, bump or bruise.

In the summer, Patrick works for a company that takes people on bicycle tours. For the past two summers, the biggest trip has been purchased by two billionaires who bring all of their friends along for the ride. This makes it easy to figure out who to please.

But the job of bicycle guide isn't as easy as you would think. When the wind is on the noise, Patrick is sent to the front where he takes 90-minute pulls so the clients can ride in his slip stream. When the road faces up, Patrick rides at the pace of the clients, which is often slower than his natural pace. This can create knee problems.

My brother's wife took one look at Patrick and exlcaimed that attempting to change him would be a waste of time. "He is what he is," she said.

Yes, he is the patron saint of men. Someday, we may offer medallions for sale with Patrick on a bicycle.

We went for a spin together and it was all good. St. Patrick has a calm demeanor on the bike and he spins effortlessly. Like Pete, he embraces simplicity. St. Patrick believes that he can always make more money, and he can always buy more toys, but he can never make more time. His freedom, his choice to do what he wants, when he wants is his greatest asset.

The sale of his businesses allowed him to buy a condo in Park City and put some money away. He lives off his salary as a ski instructor and only spends money on essential goods like food, bikes, skis, kite boards. As a pro, he gets pro deals, which means a lot off retail prices.

Yet even the life of St. Patrick is not totally devoid of bullshit. His new Trek bike, which is super high end, has never run properly. It makes unpleasant sounds, and mechanics in the United States and Europe have not been able to make the sounds go away. To listen to a noisy bike on a 1000-mile ride is not pleasant.

A day after Patrick left, his spirit was still with me, so I set out for a decent ride. Down to Plymouth Rock I went, averaging 211 watts, which isn't bad for a fat bastard office worker. We can never reach the ideal of St. Patrick, but by studying his life, we may learn valuable lessons and apply them to our own.