At 60-years-old, Franz Kelsch has been called a glutton for
punishment. In 2007 alone, he bicycled more than 10,000 miles and
climbed more than 600,000 feet
– which is more than 100 vertical miles. This week, the Gilroy
resident is gearing up for a 122-mile weekend romp through Henry
Coe State Park.
At 60-years-old, Franz Kelsch has been called a glutton for punishment. In 2007 alone, he bicycled more than 10,000 miles and climbed more than 600,000 feet – which is more than 100 vertical miles. This week, the Gilroy resident is gearing up for a 122-mile weekend romp through Henry Coe State Park.
The Tierra Bella, an annual event put on by the Almaden Cycle Touring Club, will lead more than 2,000 bicyclists in a spectacular loop beginning and ending at Gavilan College. Although the course offers various routes ranging in distance from 37 to 122 miles, Kelsch and his wife Anne, 59, have chosen the most difficult one to conquer.
Having recently completed a 200 mile race – also known as a double century – in Solvang, the Tierra Bella should be like a walk in the park, Kelsch said. Active members of the ACTC, he and Anne plan to complete the course as a team, riding their tandem bicycle and snapping photos along the way for the club’s Web site, one of Kelsch’s many technological creations. As the club’s designated Web master, Kelsch has designed a Web site that is considered one of the best in the country, said Karl Laucher, a media representative for the Tierra Bella. “This man gives the club peak performance in many departments,” Laucher said.
The Kelsches have been running together for 30 years and turned to cycling to add a bit of cross training to their routine. When Kelsch’s job with General Electric took him and his family to Japan for 13 years, he and Anne started their hectic daily routine of living in Tokyo with a pre-dawn run through the quiet city streets and parks.
“A family that runs together stays together,” Anne said with a smile. She and her husband have been married for 38 years.
Now retired and with their four grown children out of the house, the couple soaks in the California scenery from behind their handlebars. They have covered miles and miles of the local terrain together and cite their unusual lifestyle as support for their marriage.
The couple recently biked along Monterey’s 17 Mile Drive and often find themselves marveling at the beauty of local plant and animal species as they wind through Henry Coe.
“California has some of the best biking roads around,” Anne said. “Especially this time of year. You can’t ask for a more beautiful place.” When cycling through the park, the views often remind her of Europe, she said. Because of their hobby, they have discovered many of the state’s environmental wonders, Kelsch said.
In addition to spending quality time together, better balance and coordination, fewer back pains and a positive outlook are byproducts of their daily rides. With their regimented exercise routine, the Kelsches notice fewer ailments than most people their age.
“As you age, cycling is a good thing for older people because it’s low impact,” Kelsch said. “I like to do difficult things where I can test my ability. I mostly ride with people much younger than I am.” He and his wife still push themselves to hit higher goals although Anne has only completed a century, she admitted.
“I’m just a hundred-mile girl,” she said.
Kelsch, on the other hand, competed in a 44-hour ultra marathon through Death Valley last October. As a member of a two man relay team, Kelsch rode 260 miles through the desert to complete the course 10 hours ahead of time.
“I usually zoom across the finish line,” Kelsch said. “I was pretty ecstatic. I’m really hyper when I cross the finish.”
With thousands of miles of cycling and running under their belts, the couple is addicted, they said.
“It’s hard not to exercise,” Anne said. “After a certain level, our bodies want to do it.”
Tierra Bella 2008
When: Saturday starting at Gavilan College
Times: 60K and 100K, 8 to 9 a.m.; 100 mile and 200K, 7 to 8 a.m.
