I must break you...

The ultimate story of the small time underdog who gets his chance to make it big.

If you spent any time watching movies in the 70's, 80's, and even into the early 90's you most likely watched one of the 5 Rocky movies (all of them if you were lucky enough).  I was one of the lucky ones and Rocky was always one of my favorites.  Anytime it would come on cable I would stop what I was doing and tune in.  Blue collar, underdog, hometown favorite, patriot, legend, there were many reasons for a movie goer to root for the diminutive pugilist.

From tenderizing sides of beef by hand, to taking verbal abuse from his crotchety old bag of a trainer, there are so many parts that define these movies, they stick in your mind.

Rocky, Adrian, Mick, Paulie, Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang (one of my favorites), and the late Tommy "Machine" Gunn.  So many colorful characters made this series of movies one of my favorites.

Tonight's run caused me to think about the movies about the "Italian Stallion".

In Rocky IV, at the height of the cold war, Rocky's nemesis is a Russian super-boxer named Ivan Drago.  First of all, how freaking cool of a Russian name is that!?  Then you get the revenge factor against the evil Iron Curtain after one time opponent turned friend Apollo Creed is killed in the ring by the scientifically "enhanced" Russian during an exhibition match.

Of course Rocky has to avenge his friend's death by taking on the Russian...on his home turf!!  So the red-blooded American boxer travels to Mother Russia to train for the fight of his life.

This brings me to tonights run...

During the movie Rocky trains more old school than he ever has before.  He's running out in the Siberian countryside, up mountains, jumping rope in a 200 year old barn, lifting Paulie and Duke (Apollo's old trainer) in a flatbed horse trailer.  True old school training.

In stark contrast, the uber-athlete Drago trains like a lab rat.  Running on a track in dramatically low lighting.  Lifting hundreds of pounds of weights.  Punching a machine that registers the power of his strike.  And of course getting his daily injections.  All the while his 7 foot Russian model girlfriend goes over his training regimen with the corrupt Russian doctor.  I mean really, how else was Russia going to have a world champion in boxing if they didnt "create" one?

At one point in the movie, Drago is running on a treadmill.  He's hooked up to all sorts of monitors that his trainers and doctors are watching constantly.  Then they start increasing the incline of the treadmill.  Drago is pushed to his limits as they have him running at what appears to be a 45 degree angle!

Most of my nights are like the training that Rocky does prior to his showdown with Drago.  Out in the elements, braving the cold in recent weeks.  Climbing mountains and celebrating when I've reached the peak.

Although, there are times when I have to go Drago...

A few months ago, My Woman (the Enabler) asked me to move the treadmill out into the garage because someone was interested in buying it.  (You know how treadmill ownership goes, you buy it, use it for a while, then it becomes a clothes hanger.  Next thing you know, you're trying to sell it!)  Well lucky for me, this person has not shown anymore interest.  Because on those nights when I dont have Paulie or Duke yelling at me to go run in the arctic temps (like tonight) I go wheezing in the comfort of my luke warm garage.  No 'roids, no Russian doctors, just Pandora.

4.0 miles, 43.27

Later