During the past 6 months I've been in 2 emergency rooms, 2 hospitals, undergone 2 surgeries, and am now facing time in a rehabilitation center which I think is a politically correct term for a nursing home. You learn a lot from inside this prism; here are some observations which are purely my opinions.
I have Medicare A&B, and AARP Plan F supplement through United Health Care along with a prescription drug card. The total cost is $340/month. My out of pocket expenses with this coverage have been minimal; except for co-pays on some drugs they have been zero. While I may not have access to every health care provider in my world there are plenty readily available. Having affordable health insurance, minimal co-pays and facility access eliminate lots of concern. My premiums do increase each year but they have been reasonable. Someday this system will totally implode, but probably not in my lifetime.
Health care providers have to follow many procedures, aka government regulations. It sometimes means waiting time, cant do that until we do this, etc. I also think since providers know they won't get the dollars they bill, they look for ways to increase volume with approved Medicare procedures. I've said it before, no individual really ever knows the true cost of their health care. Ever since doctors lost control no one really has control anymore. However, if the US ever completely turns it over to government control, costs will soar and quality will no doubt suffer. Ever wonder why the 3 branches of federal government completely remove themselves from traditional medical health care systems? I don't.
When you're in ER and/or move to the hospital more than one doctor may be managing your situation. That can quickly complicate matters. It is important to remain calm, ask plenty of questions as politely as possible. Usually you'll notice when they come talk to you there are 2 of them present so stuff doesn't fall through the cracks; it still can happen. Do your best to comprehend, and even when you think they are full of shit, your best response is "I'm not sure I understand the part about xxx, could you go over that again, please." I'm not the most patient person, but I am one the most stubborn so this lesson has been difficult for me. Learning to blend those characteristics into "determination" is one of my life goals.
Ever since I accidently overdosed on Vicodin to complete a century ride with broken ribs in 2007 I pay a lot of attention to pain medication management. Having overcome an alcohol problem a few years ago I don't want to develop another addiction. During the last few months I've learned that when you are in acute pain, medication is good. When needed make sure the providers know your complete health history and all medications you have been taking. Most problems arise when multiple meds, alcohol and other stuff get taken in unsupervised combinations. If possible use one pharmacy for medications and remember a good pharmacist is a valuable consultative resource, in spite of the internet. Of course being the son of a third generation druggist has somewhat prejudiced me.
Go to an ER when you wind up laying in the road after an accident or other similar potential life threatening situation. On the way, hope you will not be their top priority. Once you arrive and it's confirmed you are not, your goal is to get out of there ASAP. If you wind up in a hospital, your goal is to get treatment and get out of there ASAP. I'm sure it will be the same in the rehabilitation facility. The important goal is to move forward even if progress sometimes seems negligible.
I am anxious to get back to normal and on my bike again. It's been said this kind of stuff happens in threes; I hope my Paris-Brest-Paris incident and these 2 accidents mean I'm done with these encounters for a while.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Wednesday, February 04, 2015
Bike Accidents--Update
On September 9, 2013 I wrote about the bike accidents I had in over 50 years of cycling. Unfortunately that now needs updating. I've had 2 crashes that landed me in an ER; both involved fractures. One occurred on September 28th on a Randoneur ride which started in Rome. Despite a fractured femur I did a 200 km ride 4 weeks later. Details of that are in a post dated October 26.
On Saturday while doing a 115 km Rando event I crossed railroad tracks and managed to drop my front wheel into a wide gap. The tracks were at an angle and I lined up on the right side of the road to cross them perpendicular as I've done thousands of times. A car passed me going in the same direction and I was paying more attention to that than the tracks. A wide gap grabbed my front wheel and I went down on my left side. That earned me an ambulance ride to Atlanta Medical Center where after 5 hours of x-rays and CAT scan I was diagnosed with a displaced left clavicle fracture, concussion and a hip pointer.
They elected not to do surgery on my clavicle then, but a follow up discussion with the ortho doctor who has done work on me before led me to conclude surgery is the best option for me. Trying to wear a clavicle brace that I could not take off or put on myself turned out to be too uncomfortable; and this opinion from someone who knows how to manage pain. I hope to be back riding on the road soon, but will have to figure out that timetable after surgery which is scheduled for February 12.
My observations haven't changed from that earlier post, but I would add one. Emergency rooms are the place to go for true emergencies. However, your care is prioritized by the level of trauma, not only yours but in comparison to every other patient. That's not a complaint; that's how it should be. For me that translated into first class quick treatment in Rome on a relatively calm day in their ER, compared to a 5 hour wait at Atlanta Medical Center on an evening they were also dealing with 2 fatalities. I was grateful not to be a level 1 trauma.
On Saturday while doing a 115 km Rando event I crossed railroad tracks and managed to drop my front wheel into a wide gap. The tracks were at an angle and I lined up on the right side of the road to cross them perpendicular as I've done thousands of times. A car passed me going in the same direction and I was paying more attention to that than the tracks. A wide gap grabbed my front wheel and I went down on my left side. That earned me an ambulance ride to Atlanta Medical Center where after 5 hours of x-rays and CAT scan I was diagnosed with a displaced left clavicle fracture, concussion and a hip pointer.
They elected not to do surgery on my clavicle then, but a follow up discussion with the ortho doctor who has done work on me before led me to conclude surgery is the best option for me. Trying to wear a clavicle brace that I could not take off or put on myself turned out to be too uncomfortable; and this opinion from someone who knows how to manage pain. I hope to be back riding on the road soon, but will have to figure out that timetable after surgery which is scheduled for February 12.
My observations haven't changed from that earlier post, but I would add one. Emergency rooms are the place to go for true emergencies. However, your care is prioritized by the level of trauma, not only yours but in comparison to every other patient. That's not a complaint; that's how it should be. For me that translated into first class quick treatment in Rome on a relatively calm day in their ER, compared to a 5 hour wait at Atlanta Medical Center on an evening they were also dealing with 2 fatalities. I was grateful not to be a level 1 trauma.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Back to the Future--Happy Anniversary
Today would have been my parent’s 70th wedding anniversary. They got married within days after my father returned from World War II having served in the Army Medical Core in Africa. They originally met in Washington DC several years before after my father went on active duty and my mother worked as a nurse at St Elizabeth’s Hospital. My mother kept a journal from 1938—until 1948, and many of the posts express her love for him and hoping he would return and marry her. I know very little about how he felt about her though. However, from my mother's journal it's obvious they both wrote lots of letters during that time. She also mentioned many times the frustration of not hearing anything for months, then getting 6 letters. Sometimes letters did not arrive in any particular order in that she would get one and later receive another written weeks earlier. She often referred to "snail mail" which given it was the 1940's may have made her the inventor of that phrase.
They spent their first year together at Fort Meade Maryland where exactly 367 days later I arrived. From there they went to Fort Pickett in Virginia and later on after my father's discharge from active duty they moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where my brother was born. Since the Fleming family drugstore had been sold while he was in the army my father went to work for Peoples Drug Stores and we wound up in Bristol for a while. Then he was promoted and we moved to Danville, Virginia. The rest of my parent's married life was spent there. Unfortunately it only lasted 17 years until my father died from lung cancer. My mother never really recovered from that loss and our family life was never the same.
These days most of my friends who are around my age have also lost there parents. Except for our next door neighbors the Browns whose patriarch died 5 years before my father, I was one of the first of my friends to lose a parent at such an early age. One of my regrets is that I didn't get to spend time with my father as an adult. My mother died 17 years later when I was 33 but in some ways she disappeared many years before as I've mentioned in some previous posts. As I reflect on this anniversary though my biggest regret is that my parents did not have many more years together.
They spent their first year together at Fort Meade Maryland where exactly 367 days later I arrived. From there they went to Fort Pickett in Virginia and later on after my father's discharge from active duty they moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where my brother was born. Since the Fleming family drugstore had been sold while he was in the army my father went to work for Peoples Drug Stores and we wound up in Bristol for a while. Then he was promoted and we moved to Danville, Virginia. The rest of my parent's married life was spent there. Unfortunately it only lasted 17 years until my father died from lung cancer. My mother never really recovered from that loss and our family life was never the same.
These days most of my friends who are around my age have also lost there parents. Except for our next door neighbors the Browns whose patriarch died 5 years before my father, I was one of the first of my friends to lose a parent at such an early age. One of my regrets is that I didn't get to spend time with my father as an adult. My mother died 17 years later when I was 33 but in some ways she disappeared many years before as I've mentioned in some previous posts. As I reflect on this anniversary though my biggest regret is that my parents did not have many more years together.
Saturday, January 03, 2015
Augusta 200 K Brevet
On New Years day I did what I've done for the past 5 New Years: rode the Augusta 200 K brevet. This year the official ride was moved to January 3rd, but several folks were pre-riding it on the first so I joined them. It was chilly but no rain which was predicted for today. Since I fractured my femur I've done just over 1000 Km in RUSA rides. Except for those efforts I've only ridden about 200 miles in the last 3 months. For 2015 I managed just over 5,000 miles of cycling which is slightly below average for me.
What I have noticed is that I've gotten slower over the last 2 years. Also when I complete a 100 or 200 km ride it takes longer to recover. I think those distance rides are pretty doable but I'm beginning to wonder how many longer rides I can manage in the future. I think the biggest issue is the arthritis that plagues my lower back and right hip. Yesterday I visited the doctor who surgically repaired my femur and x-rays show that while the fracture has completely healed my right hip joint is bone-on-bone. It certainly is no where near as painful as my left hip became before I had it replaced 14 years ago, but it has aggravated me from time to time. The doctor was amazed I could ride 200 Km, and there's no question that cycling is the best aerobic activity for me if I wanted to postpone replacement.
I always set goals each year usually around keeping fit. In 2015 I want to cycle at least 7,000 miles. Breaking that down means just under 20 miles a day, 135 miles a week, around 580 miles a month. It seems easy when you start with 125 on New Years but over time it's all about consistency. I have done just over 10,000 miles in a year, but that year I wasn't working and going to school. 7,000 seems like a worthy goal for 2015. I also want to reach at least 5,000 kilometers on RUSA events. I've reached over 4,000 the past 2 years so it's also attainable but I'll have to figure out a plan for that especially if I don't do many 300 and 400 Km events. My main RUSA goal is to continue my streak of 61 straight months of at least one 200 Km event and also do at least a 100 Km event each month as well. If I can achieve all these goals I can push any thought of hip replacement further into the future.
The only other goal I set is to do something every day to take care of my body. Yesterday it was as simple as getting a massage and doing some transverse Abdominal exercises. Today it will be a weight workout. Many days it could be simply 10-20 minutes of stretching or flexibility work. The hardest part of this goal is again consistency. It all looks good on paper the third day of 2015.
What I have noticed is that I've gotten slower over the last 2 years. Also when I complete a 100 or 200 km ride it takes longer to recover. I think those distance rides are pretty doable but I'm beginning to wonder how many longer rides I can manage in the future. I think the biggest issue is the arthritis that plagues my lower back and right hip. Yesterday I visited the doctor who surgically repaired my femur and x-rays show that while the fracture has completely healed my right hip joint is bone-on-bone. It certainly is no where near as painful as my left hip became before I had it replaced 14 years ago, but it has aggravated me from time to time. The doctor was amazed I could ride 200 Km, and there's no question that cycling is the best aerobic activity for me if I wanted to postpone replacement.
I always set goals each year usually around keeping fit. In 2015 I want to cycle at least 7,000 miles. Breaking that down means just under 20 miles a day, 135 miles a week, around 580 miles a month. It seems easy when you start with 125 on New Years but over time it's all about consistency. I have done just over 10,000 miles in a year, but that year I wasn't working and going to school. 7,000 seems like a worthy goal for 2015. I also want to reach at least 5,000 kilometers on RUSA events. I've reached over 4,000 the past 2 years so it's also attainable but I'll have to figure out a plan for that especially if I don't do many 300 and 400 Km events. My main RUSA goal is to continue my streak of 61 straight months of at least one 200 Km event and also do at least a 100 Km event each month as well. If I can achieve all these goals I can push any thought of hip replacement further into the future.
The only other goal I set is to do something every day to take care of my body. Yesterday it was as simple as getting a massage and doing some transverse Abdominal exercises. Today it will be a weight workout. Many days it could be simply 10-20 minutes of stretching or flexibility work. The hardest part of this goal is again consistency. It all looks good on paper the third day of 2015.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Athens 200 km Ride
Yesterday I rode a 200 km Randonneur event which meant I've now completed at least one 200 k or longer RUSA ride for 58 consecutive months. This one was special because it happened exactly 4 weeks after I crashed on my bike and had surgery to repair a fractured femur. It was also special because I had tremendous support from other riders. Kevin Kaiser volunteered to ride a tandem with me even though he had never been on one before. Jeff Dilcher, John Drummond, and Wayne King hung with Kevin and I all day and helped us get through intersections with a minimum of unclipping or stopping. They also helped us with starts since we sometimes had concerns about getting going without falling. Four other riders ahead of us must have tired out all the dogs that can chase cyclists because all the dogs we encountered seemed too tired to care.
Many of my friends think trying to ride a bike 4 weeks after a fractured femur is crazy. Maybe it is, but after many orthopedic surgeries including 3 total joint replacements I believe that movement and rehabilitation along with staying in good physical condition are vital to recovery. The biggest concern is the risk of falling, but my rationale is an individual is at risk of falling at any time. The biggest part of managing that risk is to be aware of it all the time and take appropriate precautions.
The scariest thing about my injury is during the recovery process realizing how hard performing simple tasks can be. I have to negotiate 3 flights of stairs to my condo and that can be very challenging lugging groceries, walking my energetic new dog, etc. I am fortunate to have many friends who offered and provided support. However, I found myself on many occasions not asking for help and just figuring out how to get things done on my own. Maybe that comes from being 68 years old and taking several gerontology course. It make me think about what life could be like years down the road if I gave up being active and somewhat stubborn. Nevertheless, I worked hard at restoring flexibility and function to my leg, and it paid dividends.
Anyway back to the ride. It was a chilly beautiful morning as we gathered in Watkinsville for the 7:30 start. After making final adjustments to the tandem we headed out. The first few miles were nervous ones mainly for Kevin who was brand new to tandem riding. It wasn't as unnerving for me as I had ridden tandems many times both as a captain and stoker, but it had been a while. My hardest task was mounting and dismounting the bike. I was glad to be on the back where the top tube was slanted down because I could not have gotten on or off the front. As the miles rolled by we both settled in and by the end of the ride we both were much more comfortable. One issue was neither one of us were able to pedal while standing which we both do quite a lot on our regular bikes. Staying in the saddle over 128 miles left both of us with pretty sore butts. During the day it was far easier for me to ride and peddle than to walk around during our stops. Even though both Kevin and I are experienced cyclist we are constantly learning from these rides. One mistake we made was using over sized water bottles. They were almost impossible to take out of and put back into the cages on the tandem because of space.
Looking back on the ride, I am grateful to have the ability to ride a bike long distances. There is so much wonderful scenery, along with a lot of great roads without much traffic. I think the vast majority of vehicles I encounter are very accommodating. Personally I'd rather take my chances on roads than ride on multi-use paths where traffic principles are not always followed. So what's next? Another 200 k ride next month on the Silver Comet Trail.
Many of my friends think trying to ride a bike 4 weeks after a fractured femur is crazy. Maybe it is, but after many orthopedic surgeries including 3 total joint replacements I believe that movement and rehabilitation along with staying in good physical condition are vital to recovery. The biggest concern is the risk of falling, but my rationale is an individual is at risk of falling at any time. The biggest part of managing that risk is to be aware of it all the time and take appropriate precautions.
The scariest thing about my injury is during the recovery process realizing how hard performing simple tasks can be. I have to negotiate 3 flights of stairs to my condo and that can be very challenging lugging groceries, walking my energetic new dog, etc. I am fortunate to have many friends who offered and provided support. However, I found myself on many occasions not asking for help and just figuring out how to get things done on my own. Maybe that comes from being 68 years old and taking several gerontology course. It make me think about what life could be like years down the road if I gave up being active and somewhat stubborn. Nevertheless, I worked hard at restoring flexibility and function to my leg, and it paid dividends.
Anyway back to the ride. It was a chilly beautiful morning as we gathered in Watkinsville for the 7:30 start. After making final adjustments to the tandem we headed out. The first few miles were nervous ones mainly for Kevin who was brand new to tandem riding. It wasn't as unnerving for me as I had ridden tandems many times both as a captain and stoker, but it had been a while. My hardest task was mounting and dismounting the bike. I was glad to be on the back where the top tube was slanted down because I could not have gotten on or off the front. As the miles rolled by we both settled in and by the end of the ride we both were much more comfortable. One issue was neither one of us were able to pedal while standing which we both do quite a lot on our regular bikes. Staying in the saddle over 128 miles left both of us with pretty sore butts. During the day it was far easier for me to ride and peddle than to walk around during our stops. Even though both Kevin and I are experienced cyclist we are constantly learning from these rides. One mistake we made was using over sized water bottles. They were almost impossible to take out of and put back into the cages on the tandem because of space.
Looking back on the ride, I am grateful to have the ability to ride a bike long distances. There is so much wonderful scenery, along with a lot of great roads without much traffic. I think the vast majority of vehicles I encounter are very accommodating. Personally I'd rather take my chances on roads than ride on multi-use paths where traffic principles are not always followed. So what's next? Another 200 k ride next month on the Silver Comet Trail.
Friday, July 11, 2014
4 Years Sober
As of July 8th I have abstained from alcohol 4 years. That's quite an accomplishment for someone like me who drank pretty consistently for well over 45 years. i certainly tried to control my drinking over the years, even stopped completely for a few months at times, but always went back to drinking. I'm grateful for the friends I have met in AA meetings, along with the insight I get from going to an average of 5-10 meetings each month. When I initially quit I worried that friends who knew me as a drinker would give me grief over not drinking, but that just did not happen. At social functions it's clear to me that no one really cares what I drink (or don't drink). Family reunions, post ride parties, and my recent high school reunion are just a few experiences that I've weathered without any real temptation.
I have over 20 cousins and as I've spent time with many of them it's clear that alcohol was an issue on my mother's side of the family. Several cousins like me no longer drink, and there are at least a few who still do but probably should not. In retrospect genetics plus building up a huge tolerance were the main reasons behind my addiction. The comments I originally posted after 15 months still ring true today. Whenever, I think about whether i could drink normally it's easy to remind myself that I can't and the urge passes fairly easily. However, I have learned that it is very dangerous to get too cocky or complacent about this since I've seen individuals with much more sobriety than me slip off the slope.
I have over 20 cousins and as I've spent time with many of them it's clear that alcohol was an issue on my mother's side of the family. Several cousins like me no longer drink, and there are at least a few who still do but probably should not. In retrospect genetics plus building up a huge tolerance were the main reasons behind my addiction. The comments I originally posted after 15 months still ring true today. Whenever, I think about whether i could drink normally it's easy to remind myself that I can't and the urge passes fairly easily. However, I have learned that it is very dangerous to get too cocky or complacent about this since I've seen individuals with much more sobriety than me slip off the slope.
Thursday, July 03, 2014
Back to the Future--High School Reunion
Last weekend I drove to my hometown of Danville, Virginia for my 50th high school reunion. This was the fifth reunion for the class of 1964 and I have attended all but one. I enjoyed reconnecting with classmates, and there were a few at this reunion that i had not seen since high school graduation. There are several though that seem to have disappeared and about 50 have died. My brother mark also came back and we had a chance to ride bikes all over town on the roads we road on so many years ago. Whenever i visit Danville I'm reminded that it's a better place to be from than at. The Dan River runs right through the town and it has always amazed me that the town has never really taken advantage of that. on the north side of the river there is now a paved bike path/trail that is pleasant but otherwise the river is wasted. Now that Dan River Mills is gone there is a lot of river space that could be developed especially near the old downtown area. Danville just doesn't seem to be able to take advantage of it, but that's always been one of the problems with Danville.
I enjoyed cycling with my brother and another classmate (Dick Smith)and was reminded that since there's a river in the middle of town there are plenty of hills on either side. it also seemed like I could ride from one end of town to the other in a matter of minutes. I saw virtually no other cyclists the entire weekend except on the river trail. It reminds me of how many folks in Atlanta favor cycling on the Silver Comet Trail which like the trail in Danville is fairly narrow. The difference is that there are a lot fewer folks on Danville's trail which makes it somewhat more tolerable.
So it was an overall good weekend ecept for the actual drive up and back. It was my first road trip without Greta and it was pretty lonely. Even now i'm still adjusting to life without her.
I enjoyed cycling with my brother and another classmate (Dick Smith)and was reminded that since there's a river in the middle of town there are plenty of hills on either side. it also seemed like I could ride from one end of town to the other in a matter of minutes. I saw virtually no other cyclists the entire weekend except on the river trail. It reminds me of how many folks in Atlanta favor cycling on the Silver Comet Trail which like the trail in Danville is fairly narrow. The difference is that there are a lot fewer folks on Danville's trail which makes it somewhat more tolerable.
So it was an overall good weekend ecept for the actual drive up and back. It was my first road trip without Greta and it was pretty lonely. Even now i'm still adjusting to life without her.
Monday, June 23, 2014
My Girl Greta
Greta showed up in my life on March 01, 2002. I had recently lost a great dog named Shadow to liver cancer (see Papa's Little Girl post from 02/13/2005) I was torn over losing her but missed the companionship of a good dog. A friend who volunteered at Atlanta Pet Rescue asked if I would foster a puppy named Greta they had just picked up from the Spalding County Shelter, but couldn't offer for adoption until she was spayed. I picked up Greta on a Friday after work, and within minutes knew I would keep her.
Greta was exactly 4 months old that day, weighed 19 pounds, and was full of energy. At first she loved to chase squirrels and once she treed them she would stay at the base and bark at them as if to say "why wont't you come back down and play?" Of course I worried she would chase one into the street but in parks trees were the preferred escape. One day I noticed a dead squirrel that must have just died. It looked like it was taking a nap. I called her attention to it and she charged over expecting it to flee. When it didn't move Greta kept circling it and barking at it. When the squirrel still didn't move she began nudging it with her nose and barking incessantly.
Fortunately we discovered a more enjoyable activity. I started tossing a tennis ball and of course Greta would fetch it, actually bring it back and drop it at my feet. If I didn't pick it up she would pick it up,toss it at my feet again, and bark at me to toss it until I did. One day it bounced over a neighbor's fence out of sight. Just like with the squirrel she sat there and barked, but when I tossed her a different ball she caught it and immediately spit it out. Not until I climbed over the fence and retrieved the one we started with would she be happy. Whatever ball we started with was the only one Greta would retrieve. If we were walking in woods I could threw the ball into the deepest brush or even in a direction when she was looking elsewhere not seeing the actual throw and Greta would starting working her way around until she located it. Sometimes that could take 15-20 minutes, but she almost always located that ball. Of course tennis ball retrieval became her favorite activity for her entire life. She especially loved retrieving it from ponds, lakes, and rivers and became a very strong swimmer.
Since Greta loved riding in a car road trips were memorable times together. The longest one was to Oklahoma for a family reunion in 2009. It was 870 miles each way and of course Greta had a great time chasing tennis balls and swimming in the lakes on my cousin's property. She also could recognize many places we frequented and as we got close she would stand up, wag her tail and bark excitedly. She was extremely friendly with every person she met, but there were some dogs she just did not like. Most of the time they were dogs big or small that wanted to jump at or on her, and she would let them know that was totally unacceptable. I never saw her back down from an aggressive dog either but she would ignore them if they weren't close.
Greta followed my orthopedic journey with two canine cruciate ligament surgeries on her rear legs. The procedure is called Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy. When she injured her left rear leg in 2010 she was referred to an orthopedic vet surgeon. He told me she would not be able to walk up or down stairs for several weeks after the operation. Since Greta weighed 45 pounds, hated being picked up and lived in a 3 story condo this looked like a challenge. I ordered a special leash for dogs with hip issues; when it arrived I brought the package into the living room where Greta was resting. I opened the package,she took one look at it, hopped up on the couch and gave me a look that said "don't even think about using that thing on me." As it turned out she was able to negotiate stairs with just a normal leash. After 12 weeks Greta gradually resumed all her normal activity including ball retrieval. I was jealous; her surgeries and rehab were more successful than the many I've undergone. Two years later she injured the other rear leg but again still chased the ball, but wanted time outs more frequently. I think her age also began to slow her down. Nevertheless, trips to the forest trail and river were meet with excitement, tail wagging and ball retrieval.
Last November Greta developed a sinus infection which was turned out to be cancerous. I consulted with 2 vets; because the treatment was invasive, and the prognosis was not great, I decided to just keep her comfortable. She remained comfortable and normal until the very end. I went to participate in the Race Across America and left her with a friend who always kept her whenever I was gone and could not take her with me. Two days later I got a call that she was at the vet and seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. While driving to California I consulted with the vet and made the painful decision. In a way it was a blessing since I have always had a difficult time being present. My friend Jeannette was there and it was a peaceful passing. I also had 2 weeks of being involved with the Race Across America (RAAM) to help divert the pain.
Now I am home and about to embark on a road trip that Greta made with me several times. Reality has set in. I miss Greta's companionship, but she will live the rest of my life in fond memories. To again reflect on the quote in the book My Dog Skip, "she's not really gone; a part of Greta lies buried in my heart."
Monday, September 30, 2013
400 km Brevet--Mind Game
As a member of Randonneurs USA (RUSA) I've completed a RUSA event of at least 200 km or more for 44 consecutive months through August. Probably not a big deal compared to some other RUSA members but it is the longest current streak among Georgia members. More importantly to me I had never accomplished cycling a 100 mile ride in 12 straight months before joining RUSA, and that had been a life goal for at least 10 years.
For September I targeted a 400 km event riding from Dublin GA to Clarks Hill SC and back. Again not too big a deal since others were doing either a 600 or 1000 km ride during this event, but 400 km would be my longest ride so far in 2013. I drove to Dublin very early Friday morning arriving in time to eat breakfast and prepare for a 5:00 am start. Why not drive down the day before and get a decent night sleep at some motel? Mainly because I never sleep very well the first night on the road. I figured 5 hours of sleep in my own bed would be better than a restless night on the road.
8 cyclists started promptly; I wasn't sure who was doing 400 or who was doing 1000. Those doing 600 would join the 1000 k riders Saturday morning. It didn't matter though because pretty soon I was all by myself. Except for a few sightings on the portion of the course that was out and back I never saw another cyclist. For several reasons the 400 km distance can be hard, especially from a mental perspective. First it's too short a distance for a drop bag or motel room on the course so I ride with no sleep. On longer rides there's a chance to stop somewhere, shower, sleep a little, put on fresh clothes and continue riding. Second since I am use to riding lots of 200 km events, that moment when you reach 125 miles (or so) you realize you have to do the same distance again, most likely a lot of it at night.
I was comfortable in the clothes I had on at the start, and once daylight and warmth arrived I could easily adjust my wordrobe. The first 50 miles were flat and easy but later the wind picked up (headwind) and the rolling hills showed up. Nothing steep, but they were enough along with the wind to take some energy, not so much physically but mentally. My mind starting wandering as it usually does on rides like this where I am alone. I thought about two birthday cards I'd just mailed, one to my ex-fiancee, the other to my stepson. I reflected on the ups and downs about both relationships--won't bore anyone with the specifics except to say those reflections filled up a lot of miles.
As I reached the 100 mile mark I saw 2 cyclists already heading back from the turn around in South Carolina. A few miles later I came across 2 more riders and saw Kevin Kaiser who is the RUSA brevet administrator and organized the event. I asked him if there was any place to get a decent meal further out on the course and he told me the only places were 2 restaurants across the street. I decided to catch one of them on the way back. That happened to be at mile 125 and a sit down vegetable plate with time to take off my shoes was most welcome. I have gotten use to eating very little on 200 km rides, but I knew this ride would require more solid fuel. I'm grateful for Kevins' advice because there wasn't another place to get a decent meal until mile 225.
Refreshed and slightly rested I pushed on for a while until sunset around 7:15. I put warm clothes back on, turned on lights and kept pedaling reflecting on passing the half way point. Darkness brought a chill and it seemed colder than it had been when we started that morning in the dark. Unfortunately I didn't bring anything warmer so I resigned myself to being cold at times. Those times mainly happened on down hills where I could make up time by going fast. I began wondering whether I'd rather have up hills which became slower as the night progressed, downhills where I felt cold and sometimes could not see much of the road in front of me, or the flats where I felt like falling asleep on the bike.
Although it was incredibly dark I had plenty of lights on my bike and helmet to guide and keep me visible. The nice thing about night riding on rural roads is the absence of any vehicle traffic; the disadvantage is that sometimes there are rural dogs you can't always see until they appear out of nowhere. I got several chances to practice how fast I could sprint after a long time in the saddle. The other unnerving thing can be where you hear dogs barking ahead of you and don't know if they're loose or restricted. At one point riding through a small community the dogs started barking in what became a chorus line as I cycled. At least this time none were loose, but you never know.
As the night wore on I became less meditative and more focused on my aches and pains. Earlier in the day I had thought about doing the 400, taking a nap and then heading out with the 600 so I could claim a full super randonneur series (200, 300, 400, 600 during 2013). Now I just wanted to be off the bike and asleep. I was really tired, but potential road hazards, dogs, and fear of going off course kept me alert. At 4:00 am I stopped at the last control (Waffle House) for a grilled cheese sandwich and coke. I hardly remember the last 40 miles, except that upon turning onto the road back to the start/finish I encountered the worst road conditions of the entire ride. That coupled with Saturday morning Dublin traffic and my own weariness made the final 3 miles pretty dicey.
I reached the hotel at 7:00 am, loaded my bike in the car, and headed for Kevin's hotel room for a shower and nap. When I first laid down the aches and pains made it hard to sleep, but fatigue prevailed and I got 3 hours of sleep. Over breakfast with Kevin I discovered that 3 of the 8 starters did not finish the 400. One of the major skills in rando riding is being able to follow a cue sheet and they had gotten lost and couldn't find their way back on course. Kevin ended up picking them up. So of the 5 cyclists who finished, one like me had only planned on doing 400, and the other 3 had left just before I arrived to do another 600 km ride along with a few more who started the 600 on Saturday. All 3 of the 1000 k riders finished along with the 3 who did the 600.
There is a RUSA mantra that says "it's not about the destination, it's about the journey." On this journey I made it 45 consecutive months completing a RUSA event of 200 km (or more). I learned that completing a lot of 200 km rides without more 300 km rides did not prepare me for a 400 km effort--at least not without some pain and suffering. But I also learned that mental fortitude and stubbornness can overcome potential physical limitations.
For September I targeted a 400 km event riding from Dublin GA to Clarks Hill SC and back. Again not too big a deal since others were doing either a 600 or 1000 km ride during this event, but 400 km would be my longest ride so far in 2013. I drove to Dublin very early Friday morning arriving in time to eat breakfast and prepare for a 5:00 am start. Why not drive down the day before and get a decent night sleep at some motel? Mainly because I never sleep very well the first night on the road. I figured 5 hours of sleep in my own bed would be better than a restless night on the road.
8 cyclists started promptly; I wasn't sure who was doing 400 or who was doing 1000. Those doing 600 would join the 1000 k riders Saturday morning. It didn't matter though because pretty soon I was all by myself. Except for a few sightings on the portion of the course that was out and back I never saw another cyclist. For several reasons the 400 km distance can be hard, especially from a mental perspective. First it's too short a distance for a drop bag or motel room on the course so I ride with no sleep. On longer rides there's a chance to stop somewhere, shower, sleep a little, put on fresh clothes and continue riding. Second since I am use to riding lots of 200 km events, that moment when you reach 125 miles (or so) you realize you have to do the same distance again, most likely a lot of it at night.
I was comfortable in the clothes I had on at the start, and once daylight and warmth arrived I could easily adjust my wordrobe. The first 50 miles were flat and easy but later the wind picked up (headwind) and the rolling hills showed up. Nothing steep, but they were enough along with the wind to take some energy, not so much physically but mentally. My mind starting wandering as it usually does on rides like this where I am alone. I thought about two birthday cards I'd just mailed, one to my ex-fiancee, the other to my stepson. I reflected on the ups and downs about both relationships--won't bore anyone with the specifics except to say those reflections filled up a lot of miles.
As I reached the 100 mile mark I saw 2 cyclists already heading back from the turn around in South Carolina. A few miles later I came across 2 more riders and saw Kevin Kaiser who is the RUSA brevet administrator and organized the event. I asked him if there was any place to get a decent meal further out on the course and he told me the only places were 2 restaurants across the street. I decided to catch one of them on the way back. That happened to be at mile 125 and a sit down vegetable plate with time to take off my shoes was most welcome. I have gotten use to eating very little on 200 km rides, but I knew this ride would require more solid fuel. I'm grateful for Kevins' advice because there wasn't another place to get a decent meal until mile 225.
Refreshed and slightly rested I pushed on for a while until sunset around 7:15. I put warm clothes back on, turned on lights and kept pedaling reflecting on passing the half way point. Darkness brought a chill and it seemed colder than it had been when we started that morning in the dark. Unfortunately I didn't bring anything warmer so I resigned myself to being cold at times. Those times mainly happened on down hills where I could make up time by going fast. I began wondering whether I'd rather have up hills which became slower as the night progressed, downhills where I felt cold and sometimes could not see much of the road in front of me, or the flats where I felt like falling asleep on the bike.
Although it was incredibly dark I had plenty of lights on my bike and helmet to guide and keep me visible. The nice thing about night riding on rural roads is the absence of any vehicle traffic; the disadvantage is that sometimes there are rural dogs you can't always see until they appear out of nowhere. I got several chances to practice how fast I could sprint after a long time in the saddle. The other unnerving thing can be where you hear dogs barking ahead of you and don't know if they're loose or restricted. At one point riding through a small community the dogs started barking in what became a chorus line as I cycled. At least this time none were loose, but you never know.
As the night wore on I became less meditative and more focused on my aches and pains. Earlier in the day I had thought about doing the 400, taking a nap and then heading out with the 600 so I could claim a full super randonneur series (200, 300, 400, 600 during 2013). Now I just wanted to be off the bike and asleep. I was really tired, but potential road hazards, dogs, and fear of going off course kept me alert. At 4:00 am I stopped at the last control (Waffle House) for a grilled cheese sandwich and coke. I hardly remember the last 40 miles, except that upon turning onto the road back to the start/finish I encountered the worst road conditions of the entire ride. That coupled with Saturday morning Dublin traffic and my own weariness made the final 3 miles pretty dicey.
I reached the hotel at 7:00 am, loaded my bike in the car, and headed for Kevin's hotel room for a shower and nap. When I first laid down the aches and pains made it hard to sleep, but fatigue prevailed and I got 3 hours of sleep. Over breakfast with Kevin I discovered that 3 of the 8 starters did not finish the 400. One of the major skills in rando riding is being able to follow a cue sheet and they had gotten lost and couldn't find their way back on course. Kevin ended up picking them up. So of the 5 cyclists who finished, one like me had only planned on doing 400, and the other 3 had left just before I arrived to do another 600 km ride along with a few more who started the 600 on Saturday. All 3 of the 1000 k riders finished along with the 3 who did the 600.
There is a RUSA mantra that says "it's not about the destination, it's about the journey." On this journey I made it 45 consecutive months completing a RUSA event of 200 km (or more). I learned that completing a lot of 200 km rides without more 300 km rides did not prepare me for a 400 km effort--at least not without some pain and suffering. But I also learned that mental fortitude and stubbornness can overcome potential physical limitations.
Monday, September 09, 2013
Bike Accidents--50 + Years
Last Saturday August 30th, I was involved in a minor mishap on my bike. Another cyclist drifted into me, our handlebars and front wheels collided, he bounced off and hit the road, another rider hit his bike, and in the meantime I was forced off-road onto a grassy down hill. Despite best efforts my wheels slide out and I hit the ground. Stunned but fully conscious I laid there several minutes trying to determine if I was injured. The other two cyclists were taken to the closet ER. They both road rash, and one of them ended up with fractured scapula and rib although not confirmed until he followed up with ortho doc. I wound up somewhat sore and my helmet was toast which put on end to my ride that day. Spent the rest of the morning and afternoon helping the cyclists who went to ER and drove one of them home.
I found out that two days before a cycling buddy had been water skiing and sustained a very serious head injury. He's currently in an intensive care unit and even though early signs are good, he's probably facing a long physical therapy road. These events got me thinking about how lucky I've been over my long cycling career. I've had a few accidents--it's said that if you cycle enough it's not a question of whether you'll crash, it's simply a question of when. Besides last Saturday I've had a few whens. Including last week I've had a total of 11 bike accidents going all the way back to 1960. Four of them required trips to an ER, the other seven I manged to finish my ride. I won't bore anyone with details as a few of them are already mentioned in previous posts. The very first one though in 1960 deserves a mention since that event is closest I have ever come to facing death--and escaping. It was September 1960, I was in 8th grade and riding my bike home from school. I was trying to catch my brother who was ahead of me. I was going as fast as I could down Grove Street when I approached a car going in the same direction at an incredibly slow speed. I decided to pass on the right at the same time the driver decided to pull over in order to park. I glanced off the car, hit a curb, and tried to grab a tree near the sidewalk in order to stop my momentum. My bike went out from under me, I was spun around the tree, and thrown completely underneath the car. The only thing I remember was seeing the right rear wheel resting just off my right shoulder. Fortunately the most serious injury was severe road rash--actually tree rash--from my wrist all the way up my arm to my sleeve. Obviously I've been fortunate to have cycled as long as I have with only 11 mishaps.
Here are some observations I've learned over the years from my own crashes and having helped some other cyclists. These are not in any priority:
Don't be in a hurry to move. When you hit the pavement or road hard some level of shock sets in. While the tendency is to immediately move to a "safe place" you may have an injury where movement is not a good idea. Even in urban areas when a cyclist goes down and stays there others spring into action quickly. They should be able to keep you safe from other vehicles. Let the shock settle down before you try moving potentially injured limbs or body. If you suspect a serious injury or fracture let others assess the situation. During my crash last week, even though I was fully conscious I experienced some shock. I remained still until I was sure I could move and even then I was very careful to assess things beforehand.
Experience is huge. I've ridden a lot of miles, in cities, traffic, on rural roads, at night, and in all kinds of weather. I've avoided countless crashes because I ride defensively, assume I'm virtually invisible, and anticipate actions of others on the road--dogs include. I don't keep great records of my annual mileage--no one really cares except me and then only when I'm trying to make a point. Probably over 250,000 during my life so far. So for me cycling on a street is no more dangerous than crossing it on foot, driving a car (no matter what car you're in there is always something bigger). We all do some things with confidence because we have gained experience, but we also know deep down inside that something serious can go wrong in any of life's activities.
Wear a helmet. This is an obvious no brainer now but I never wore one until 1984 when I did an organized ride. Back then the only people wearing helmet were football players--and no, they weren't leather. On some accidents my head never hit anything, but whenever it has the helmet saved me from potentially serious injury. Not only should a cyclist always wear a helmet they need to make sure it's the right size and fits properly.
Enough writing about riding--time to ride.
I found out that two days before a cycling buddy had been water skiing and sustained a very serious head injury. He's currently in an intensive care unit and even though early signs are good, he's probably facing a long physical therapy road. These events got me thinking about how lucky I've been over my long cycling career. I've had a few accidents--it's said that if you cycle enough it's not a question of whether you'll crash, it's simply a question of when. Besides last Saturday I've had a few whens. Including last week I've had a total of 11 bike accidents going all the way back to 1960. Four of them required trips to an ER, the other seven I manged to finish my ride. I won't bore anyone with details as a few of them are already mentioned in previous posts. The very first one though in 1960 deserves a mention since that event is closest I have ever come to facing death--and escaping. It was September 1960, I was in 8th grade and riding my bike home from school. I was trying to catch my brother who was ahead of me. I was going as fast as I could down Grove Street when I approached a car going in the same direction at an incredibly slow speed. I decided to pass on the right at the same time the driver decided to pull over in order to park. I glanced off the car, hit a curb, and tried to grab a tree near the sidewalk in order to stop my momentum. My bike went out from under me, I was spun around the tree, and thrown completely underneath the car. The only thing I remember was seeing the right rear wheel resting just off my right shoulder. Fortunately the most serious injury was severe road rash--actually tree rash--from my wrist all the way up my arm to my sleeve. Obviously I've been fortunate to have cycled as long as I have with only 11 mishaps.
Here are some observations I've learned over the years from my own crashes and having helped some other cyclists. These are not in any priority:
Don't be in a hurry to move. When you hit the pavement or road hard some level of shock sets in. While the tendency is to immediately move to a "safe place" you may have an injury where movement is not a good idea. Even in urban areas when a cyclist goes down and stays there others spring into action quickly. They should be able to keep you safe from other vehicles. Let the shock settle down before you try moving potentially injured limbs or body. If you suspect a serious injury or fracture let others assess the situation. During my crash last week, even though I was fully conscious I experienced some shock. I remained still until I was sure I could move and even then I was very careful to assess things beforehand.
Experience is huge. I've ridden a lot of miles, in cities, traffic, on rural roads, at night, and in all kinds of weather. I've avoided countless crashes because I ride defensively, assume I'm virtually invisible, and anticipate actions of others on the road--dogs include. I don't keep great records of my annual mileage--no one really cares except me and then only when I'm trying to make a point. Probably over 250,000 during my life so far. So for me cycling on a street is no more dangerous than crossing it on foot, driving a car (no matter what car you're in there is always something bigger). We all do some things with confidence because we have gained experience, but we also know deep down inside that something serious can go wrong in any of life's activities.
Wear a helmet. This is an obvious no brainer now but I never wore one until 1984 when I did an organized ride. Back then the only people wearing helmet were football players--and no, they weren't leather. On some accidents my head never hit anything, but whenever it has the helmet saved me from potentially serious injury. Not only should a cyclist always wear a helmet they need to make sure it's the right size and fits properly.
Enough writing about riding--time to ride.
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Athens 300 Km Brevet Analyzed
I began randonneuring cycling just over 3 years ago to qualify, train and complete an event called Paris-Brest-Paris in 2011. In this blog there's a ride report on that, and it reflects on how I did not complete that 1200 km event because of a crash resulting in a fractured clavicle along with torn rotator cuff and biceps tendon. That was one of only 3 events out of 44 that I did not successfully complete--until last Saturday. Technically I did finish 2 of those 4 just not within the time limit. The Athens 300 km brevet was a finish outside the time limit; here's how it unfolded for me.
At 6:00 I set off from Watkinsville GA with 13fellow rando riders in 35 degree darkness. It didn't take long before I fell behind the group, but I felt pretty comfortable despite the light freezing rain that soon began to welcome the day. I passed a rider at the first control about an hour into the ride who was changing a flat. I asked if everything was OK and he said it was, but I found out later he DNFed since he could not successfully mount a tubular tire. Another rider just ahead of me cruised out of sight, but about 10 miles later passed me because he had missed a turn. This is one of the aspects about randonneuring that makes it special: basically you are cycling on roads you haven't ridden with only a cue sheet to guide you. Also there isn't any support, you pretty much have to be self sufficient. Sometimes cue sheets have a way of being confusing, more often a rural road is either not marked--or the sign is missing. No big deal if you live out there but it can add miles and time to a ride if one isn't careful.
I got to the control in Carlton GA at 10:00. I saw one of our riders sitting in an open SUV changing clothes. It looked like a friend was simply meeting him at a control to bring out dry clothes. It turned out he had simply had enough riding and was also DNFing. Another aspect of this type event is you carry a card with designated control points along the course. Usually they are stores where you can replenish fluids and food. You get your card initialed with the time you came through. There are designated times for the control to be open: Carlton opened at 8:14 and closed at 11:04. I was there an hour before the close time so while not setting any speed records I was ahead of schedule. Note: to get there at 8:14 one would have to average about 25 mph not including having to stop at 2 prior controls.
The weather got better, in other words it quit snowing, and I rode on the the next control. This control was an information control. Information controls are inserted where there aren't any stores and to make sure riders don't take a short cut. This particular control was the Georgia Guide stones which are 5 massive granite structures containing 10 principles written in 8 different languages. We had to write down the translation--just kidding--all we had to note was the number of granite monuments. From there I road towards Richard Russel State Park where there actually would be a live person with refreshments. As I headed that way I began to see the faster riders since this portion of the course was an out-and-back portion. The event host Jim Shanni was at the park entrance with refreshments and since he was at the entrance it cut off about 4 miles of the official route (which was OK since it was actually 196 miles which is more than 300 km. Most riders were not complaining although 2 cyclists followed the official route through the park probably to keep their GPS devices from going crazy.
At this point I was at mile 83 and nearly 2 hours ahead of the control closing. Leaving the park I encountered a new challenge--strong headwinds which manged to remain directly in front of me regardless of the route direction. I got to Royston GA at 4:00 still almost 2 hours ahead of cutoff but had to get something more substantial than fruit and frozen power bars. I stopped at McDonald's and tried to eat 2 hamburgers, fries and a coke, but could quite eat every bite. Although I felt hungry food just would not go down easy and that turned out to be critical. That was the last solid food I could stomach for the rest of the ride and I paid the price down the road.
Leaving Royston the wind abated and was replaced by a more climbing than on the first half of the route. Once darkness settled in, temperatures started to drop, and I began making some mistakes. I drank some fluids but not near enough. I could not stomach any solid food even though I had a long way to ride. Then I missed a turn because I misread mileage on the cue sheet. When that happens and it's dark you tend to get skittish about every next turn. I began stopping to check road signs, and when I realized my helmet light was OK for reading a cue sheet but not very effective when I looked at road signs I had to stop and replace batteries. Seems like a simple task but try it at night when your fingers don't have much feeling. I was losing time big time now and began to wonder if I would finish by the 2:00 am time limit.
I rolled into the last control before the finish 25 minutes ahead of closing which left me with 80 minutes to cycle 16 miles. Then I realized I had accidentally cut off about 4 miles of the cue sheet directions. I was smart enough to carry a spare, but by the time I dug it out, studied it avoid getting lost, I had wasted too damn much time. Jim drove out to check on me and I was 12 miles out with 35 minutes left. Although I knew I couldn't ride 25 mph for 12 minutes much less 12 miles. But having ridden that far I wasn't about to quit. I rolled into the hotel at 2:30, a half hour too late to receive official credit for completing the brevet. My consolation was riding over 200 miles, and getting good training for circumstances I'll probably encounter during my 1200 event in June.
The most painful moment though happened during the shower at the hotel when I ran warm water over frost bitten toes and fingers. Over breakfast one of my fellow riders said his mother recently asked him "when are you going to start riding just for fun again?' Many of my friends wonder the same thing about me. There are a few reasons why I do these type rides. I have always been passionate about cycling from the days when I was a kid and enjoyed the freedom a bike offerred. Now as a 67 year old with 11 orthopedic surgeries and 3 artificial joints it's one of the few athletic aerobic things I can still do. It's also immensely satisfying to take on a challenge and stubbornly see it through in the face of pretty tough circumstances. To me it represents what life is all about.
See you on the road.
At 6:00 I set off from Watkinsville GA with 13fellow rando riders in 35 degree darkness. It didn't take long before I fell behind the group, but I felt pretty comfortable despite the light freezing rain that soon began to welcome the day. I passed a rider at the first control about an hour into the ride who was changing a flat. I asked if everything was OK and he said it was, but I found out later he DNFed since he could not successfully mount a tubular tire. Another rider just ahead of me cruised out of sight, but about 10 miles later passed me because he had missed a turn. This is one of the aspects about randonneuring that makes it special: basically you are cycling on roads you haven't ridden with only a cue sheet to guide you. Also there isn't any support, you pretty much have to be self sufficient. Sometimes cue sheets have a way of being confusing, more often a rural road is either not marked--or the sign is missing. No big deal if you live out there but it can add miles and time to a ride if one isn't careful.
I got to the control in Carlton GA at 10:00. I saw one of our riders sitting in an open SUV changing clothes. It looked like a friend was simply meeting him at a control to bring out dry clothes. It turned out he had simply had enough riding and was also DNFing. Another aspect of this type event is you carry a card with designated control points along the course. Usually they are stores where you can replenish fluids and food. You get your card initialed with the time you came through. There are designated times for the control to be open: Carlton opened at 8:14 and closed at 11:04. I was there an hour before the close time so while not setting any speed records I was ahead of schedule. Note: to get there at 8:14 one would have to average about 25 mph not including having to stop at 2 prior controls.
The weather got better, in other words it quit snowing, and I rode on the the next control. This control was an information control. Information controls are inserted where there aren't any stores and to make sure riders don't take a short cut. This particular control was the Georgia Guide stones which are 5 massive granite structures containing 10 principles written in 8 different languages. We had to write down the translation--just kidding--all we had to note was the number of granite monuments. From there I road towards Richard Russel State Park where there actually would be a live person with refreshments. As I headed that way I began to see the faster riders since this portion of the course was an out-and-back portion. The event host Jim Shanni was at the park entrance with refreshments and since he was at the entrance it cut off about 4 miles of the official route (which was OK since it was actually 196 miles which is more than 300 km. Most riders were not complaining although 2 cyclists followed the official route through the park probably to keep their GPS devices from going crazy.
At this point I was at mile 83 and nearly 2 hours ahead of the control closing. Leaving the park I encountered a new challenge--strong headwinds which manged to remain directly in front of me regardless of the route direction. I got to Royston GA at 4:00 still almost 2 hours ahead of cutoff but had to get something more substantial than fruit and frozen power bars. I stopped at McDonald's and tried to eat 2 hamburgers, fries and a coke, but could quite eat every bite. Although I felt hungry food just would not go down easy and that turned out to be critical. That was the last solid food I could stomach for the rest of the ride and I paid the price down the road.
Leaving Royston the wind abated and was replaced by a more climbing than on the first half of the route. Once darkness settled in, temperatures started to drop, and I began making some mistakes. I drank some fluids but not near enough. I could not stomach any solid food even though I had a long way to ride. Then I missed a turn because I misread mileage on the cue sheet. When that happens and it's dark you tend to get skittish about every next turn. I began stopping to check road signs, and when I realized my helmet light was OK for reading a cue sheet but not very effective when I looked at road signs I had to stop and replace batteries. Seems like a simple task but try it at night when your fingers don't have much feeling. I was losing time big time now and began to wonder if I would finish by the 2:00 am time limit.
I rolled into the last control before the finish 25 minutes ahead of closing which left me with 80 minutes to cycle 16 miles. Then I realized I had accidentally cut off about 4 miles of the cue sheet directions. I was smart enough to carry a spare, but by the time I dug it out, studied it avoid getting lost, I had wasted too damn much time. Jim drove out to check on me and I was 12 miles out with 35 minutes left. Although I knew I couldn't ride 25 mph for 12 minutes much less 12 miles. But having ridden that far I wasn't about to quit. I rolled into the hotel at 2:30, a half hour too late to receive official credit for completing the brevet. My consolation was riding over 200 miles, and getting good training for circumstances I'll probably encounter during my 1200 event in June.
The most painful moment though happened during the shower at the hotel when I ran warm water over frost bitten toes and fingers. Over breakfast one of my fellow riders said his mother recently asked him "when are you going to start riding just for fun again?' Many of my friends wonder the same thing about me. There are a few reasons why I do these type rides. I have always been passionate about cycling from the days when I was a kid and enjoyed the freedom a bike offerred. Now as a 67 year old with 11 orthopedic surgeries and 3 artificial joints it's one of the few athletic aerobic things I can still do. It's also immensely satisfying to take on a challenge and stubbornly see it through in the face of pretty tough circumstances. To me it represents what life is all about.
See you on the road.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Lance Armstrong--My Reaction
Lance's confession was to me like The Godfather confirming the olive oil business was not his true line of work. Similar to Santa Claus and the Easter bunny, Lance denying use of PEDs was something most avid cyclists began to doubt as the evidence piled up even though we really wanted to believe him. For me the doubt really began during a Tour de France short time trail when Lance caught and blew by Jan Ulrich. It was hard for me to believe that anyone could do that to Ulrich over such a short distance without doping. Anyway the confession's public. Lance seemed contrite but at times he still put his own controlling spin on things. Even though he apologized for being a "bully" sometimes he sounded defiant and fighting back. Tyler Hamilton's reflection that when a person initially confesses it's still hard to be completely open about the past deception is very accurate in my opinion.
Many people still doubt aspects of Lance's confession, and only time will tell whether there are other secrets to be revealed. I may be one of the minority that believe he did not dope during his comeback. Any intelligent person--and Lance is very smart--would surely not take a chance on losing it all over a failed test post comeback. I hope I'm right because his life story over 40+ years is pretty amazing to me. Last week's interview is only a first step and redemption will take a long time and may not be possible. There are many who will despise him forever. I think Lance's confession demonstrates to elite athletes that unlimited money and resources do not guarantee immunity. If Lance can get caught anyone can so perhaps this will help clean up cheating in all elite competition not just cycling.
So what's to become of Lance Armstrong? While his confessions perhaps are the initial step of a long redemption process, he stands to suffer financially. Of course collaborating with someone like a David Walsh in a "tell all" memoir would put serious funds back in his bank account. However, I wouldn't surprised if some years down the road you may see Lance running for governor of Texas. After all look what 12 years redemption has done for the likes of Ray Lewis and Bill Clinton. And if that happens--your read it here first!
Many people still doubt aspects of Lance's confession, and only time will tell whether there are other secrets to be revealed. I may be one of the minority that believe he did not dope during his comeback. Any intelligent person--and Lance is very smart--would surely not take a chance on losing it all over a failed test post comeback. I hope I'm right because his life story over 40+ years is pretty amazing to me. Last week's interview is only a first step and redemption will take a long time and may not be possible. There are many who will despise him forever. I think Lance's confession demonstrates to elite athletes that unlimited money and resources do not guarantee immunity. If Lance can get caught anyone can so perhaps this will help clean up cheating in all elite competition not just cycling.
So what's to become of Lance Armstrong? While his confessions perhaps are the initial step of a long redemption process, he stands to suffer financially. Of course collaborating with someone like a David Walsh in a "tell all" memoir would put serious funds back in his bank account. However, I wouldn't surprised if some years down the road you may see Lance running for governor of Texas. After all look what 12 years redemption has done for the likes of Ray Lewis and Bill Clinton. And if that happens--your read it here first!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
America the Violent--Post Script
In today's Wall Street Journal I noticed a brief article about a shooting yesterday at a community college in Hazard, Kentucky. Two people killed, one teenager wounded. Found other articles on line which identified it as a domestic dispute which happened when very few students were on campus. Apparently just another typical "debate"--the kind that happen almost every day somewhere in America--not worthy of the attention given to a mass shooting.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
2012 Cycling Review
After spending 2010 and most of 2011 ramping up to attempt Paris-Brest-Paris, 2012 seems like a down year for my cycling. Shoulder surgery, some lower back degeneration, and iron deficiency anemia slowed me down compared to prior years. Nevertheless I managed to continue my streak of completing at least one 200 km ride every month for the third year in a row. As a result I earned another RUSA R-12 award. It's special to me because for many years I had a goal of cycling at least one century ride/month for 12 consecutive months and was never able to pull it off. Once I began doing Randonneuring rides I have not missed a month. Now it's kinda like my not drinking except it's one month at a time instead of one day at a time.
I didn't really keep track of my mileage but estimate I rode about 6,000 miles in 2012. Most folks would consider that a lot but compared to prior years it's not nearly as many miles. 2010 was just over 10,000 and 2011 was about 8,000.
The fact that I crashed out of PBP after about 1050 km still bothers me. I want to complete a 1200 km ride and 2013 looks like a good opportunity. I won't be coaching TNT cyclists until the fall so I am setting my sights on the Shenandoah 1200 in June. This is a ride that starts in northern Virginia, heads up to Gettysburg, then heads down the Blue Ridge mountains to Mt Airy, NC. Then it turns around and head back up to northern Virginia. It's no doubt a hard ride but if I train smart from January through May I should be able to complete it. At any rate that's my main goal for 2013.
I didn't really keep track of my mileage but estimate I rode about 6,000 miles in 2012. Most folks would consider that a lot but compared to prior years it's not nearly as many miles. 2010 was just over 10,000 and 2011 was about 8,000.
The fact that I crashed out of PBP after about 1050 km still bothers me. I want to complete a 1200 km ride and 2013 looks like a good opportunity. I won't be coaching TNT cyclists until the fall so I am setting my sights on the Shenandoah 1200 in June. This is a ride that starts in northern Virginia, heads up to Gettysburg, then heads down the Blue Ridge mountains to Mt Airy, NC. Then it turns around and head back up to northern Virginia. It's no doubt a hard ride but if I train smart from January through May I should be able to complete it. At any rate that's my main goal for 2013.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
America the Violent
For me the Newtown mass shooting is a familiar refrain. I have no idea what sets off an individual to take random lives like that, but it happens much too frequently in our society. The first one of these I specifically remember was in August, 1966 when Charles Whitman went to the top of the University of Texas tower and began shooting. He killed 14 and wounded 32 others--none of whom he knew after having just murdered his mother and wife. The siege ended with Whitman being killed by policeman who entered the tower. I've also had two friends killed in multiple shootings. In 1993 Frank Ditullio and 2 others were killed by Paul Calden while eating lunch. Calden was a disgruntled former employee who held a grudge over being let go by the company Frank and the other two worked for. Calden subsequently killed himself after leaving the scene. In 1999 Joe Dessert happened to be at All-Tech Investment when Mark Barton entered the office and killed him and 3 others. He then killed 5 more individuals at Momentum Securities across the street. Barton killed himself later that day as police approached his car.
These three occurrences are only the tip of the iceberg. There have been so many of these over the years that some of them do not even get national attention unless they involve many many victims, or other unusual circumstance. We are left to wonder if things like gun control, improved mental health treatment, police in every school, or any number of other things could have prevented these past events or reduce the chance of them happening in the future. Maybe they can be reduced over time but it's not likely to ever end. After all America is the country that overturned the Colonial British Empire, tamed the wild west, drove the Indians onto reservations and maintained segregation for a century after the abolishment of slavery. Many innocent lives were lost due to the violent nature of these events. They remind me that random violence existed in America long before we had 300 million guns, video games, and closed state mental institutions. I understand there is risk inherent in every day--I just hope to avoid becoming a random target. Maybe someday these random mass shooters will start testing their weapon on themselves--FIRST--not last.
These three occurrences are only the tip of the iceberg. There have been so many of these over the years that some of them do not even get national attention unless they involve many many victims, or other unusual circumstance. We are left to wonder if things like gun control, improved mental health treatment, police in every school, or any number of other things could have prevented these past events or reduce the chance of them happening in the future. Maybe they can be reduced over time but it's not likely to ever end. After all America is the country that overturned the Colonial British Empire, tamed the wild west, drove the Indians onto reservations and maintained segregation for a century after the abolishment of slavery. Many innocent lives were lost due to the violent nature of these events. They remind me that random violence existed in America long before we had 300 million guns, video games, and closed state mental institutions. I understand there is risk inherent in every day--I just hope to avoid becoming a random target. Maybe someday these random mass shooters will start testing their weapon on themselves--FIRST--not last.
Sunday, July 01, 2012
Race Across America (RAAM)
My participation in the Georgia Chain Gang's 2012 edition of RAAM began several months ago when I agreed to support the team as a crew member. On June 8 my participation began to ramp up as Lynn Teague and I drove 2 of the support vans from Atlanta to Oceanside California. We covered almost 800 miles Saturday and spent the night at my cousin Pat's house in Oklahoma. Very good to see her and Rusty. On Sunday we drove another 800 miles to Flagstaff. Had breakfast with my friend Jennifer Youngberg and then had a comparatively short 500 drive into Oceanside.
Tuesday through Friday were spent helping prepare the vans, picking up the transport vehicle (Dodge Sprinter Van), shuttling arriving team mates from airport, any many other minor tasks. I also had to find time to keep up and get ahead in a summer school class in Human Growth & Development. I took it because it is completely on line and the instructor was kind enough to work with my schedule during RAAM.
Saturday finally arrived which was the day all the teams started the race. The Georgia Chain Gang was the last team to start which gave us plenty of rabbits to chase across the country. We were an 8 person team with 8 crew members and one other person who primarily drove the Sprinter Van. My role was that of navigator in one of the follow vehicles which meant I was responsible for keeping the rider we were following on course by communicating with the driver. We were either following one of the 2 riders assigned to our van or jumping ahead of the other follow vehicle to set up the next rider. We were part of the night shift which meant we worked from 5:00 pm to rough 5:00 am the next morning. Then we piled into the sprinter van hauled ass to a hotel, slept, ate and then caught up with the day shift and started all over again.
I can't remember the towns we slept in but we crossed 12 states from Oceanside CA to Annapolis MD in 6 and 1/2 days. I wrote notes about what worked and perhaps didn't work for us during RAAM:
Crewing for the Georgia Chain Gang in 2012 was an incredible experience for me. I had 4 overall goals going into this and achieved them all. Everyone finished safely without injury (although egos & feelings sometimes suffered), we raised a lot of money for LLS and funds are still coming in, our team had a respectable finishing time, and I learned a great deal about RAAM and the aspects of organizing and moving a team 3000 miles in 6 ½ days. While still fresh here are my observations and reflections on what went well along with suggestions on things we could have done better. While I have had conversations with many crew and riders during and immediately after RAAM these are my own personal opinions. I hope no one takes anything I express here the wrong way; my goal is to help make future RAAM attempts even safer and more successful.
We were fortunate to have 5 individuals on the overall team who had ridden and crewed in 2 previous Georgia Chain Gang RAAM events. Every one of them brought a lot of beneficial experience to our 2012 effort. However, as the event unfolded it seemed like we did not have one individual truly in charge. I believe that once the race starts riders should concentrate on riding and others should be given responsibility for logistics like hotel rooms, food, van organization and who should be riding and for how long.
One area I think could have been organized better were hotels and shift changes. We should have figured out we would normally cover about 500 miles every 24 hours. Given that, hotel rooms and shift changes could have been tentatively set up in towns where the next crew shift could drive to in advance, rest and set up for incoming riders and crew. Incoming folks could then go to same hotel rooms, rest and drive to next location. Coming off a shift and having to drive another 2—4 hours before resting eventually took a toll on crew and riders. Probably unavoidable on the first shift change but could have been more organized in subsequent change overs. It seemed like Jane had to primarily manage this while riding or trying to rest.
I also had the opportunity to arrive 5 days early and help with pre-race preparations. Tony and Jerome did a great job of driving that effort and I was happy to help. Nevertheless my observation was we had to do a lot of running around getting supplies that could have easily been brought out in the 2 vans. Foot stool, extension cords, drill, more coolers, storage containers, blankets, bungee cords are examples of things we should have placed in vans before they left. We also seemed to be short on things like tubes, floor pumps and basic tools that should have been readily available in all 3 vehicles. Steve did a lot of work setting up navigation, filming, and communication efforts. I can’t comment on filming, but as a navigator all I needed was route book and GPS. The invertor/computer generated route mainly got in the way and the walkie talkies were not used in our van after the first 30 miles. A mega phone would have been useful when we had to pull up alongside rider to communicate.
The mini vans along with the Saris bike racks worked very well. One suggestion would be for each shift to have their own cooler and dry food storage containers. That would make shift exchanges more efficient. It would also cut down on some of the food waste and the fact that sometimes crews/riders did not have the supplies they anticipated having on board. If we use this set up again, we should improvise a better way to mount the reflective triangle. The sprinter van also worked fairly well. If we use a van like this again we should consider building out the back to make bike and luggage storage more efficient. This van isn’t a very comfortable vehicle for longer crew/rider transports in my opinion. I could only sleep if in the very back seat in the middle. Maybe I’m the exception but usually I don’t have a problem taking a nap in most vehicles.
I was in van with Lynn, Dave and Lisa. We benefited from Lynn and I caravanning vans across country, along with fact that Dave, Lynn and I knew each other from prior events. Although Lisa was new to us she got lots of technical advice from Dave when neither one of them was actually riding. Dave and I also each had previous crewing experience. The net result was we had an incredible amount of team work and tranquility in our van all week. I’m not sure that was the case in other vans especially once fatigue and sleep deprivation set in later on. In the future I recommend setting up rider/crew assignments early and providing an opportunity for them to actually practice together before RAAM. While this may not be as important for experienced riders/crew, I think it would be very helpful for new riders/crew.
I thought our strategy for making up time in WVA, PA, and MD by staging riders along the route was very sound. However, we should not have attempted this using all riders and crew starting mid-day Friday. While it did make up time on other teams, I think it destroyed crew and rider concentration at a critical time. Some crew and riders got too fatigued to effectively help as we got close to the finish. In my opinion rider safety became seriously compromised AND no one person took charge of maintaining safety over performance during the final portion of the race.
As I mentioned I hope these suggestions are not interpreted as criticisms of anyone. Overall I think everyone had a positive experience. I know I did and look forward to helping organize additional RAAM teams in the future.
Tuesday through Friday were spent helping prepare the vans, picking up the transport vehicle (Dodge Sprinter Van), shuttling arriving team mates from airport, any many other minor tasks. I also had to find time to keep up and get ahead in a summer school class in Human Growth & Development. I took it because it is completely on line and the instructor was kind enough to work with my schedule during RAAM.
Saturday finally arrived which was the day all the teams started the race. The Georgia Chain Gang was the last team to start which gave us plenty of rabbits to chase across the country. We were an 8 person team with 8 crew members and one other person who primarily drove the Sprinter Van. My role was that of navigator in one of the follow vehicles which meant I was responsible for keeping the rider we were following on course by communicating with the driver. We were either following one of the 2 riders assigned to our van or jumping ahead of the other follow vehicle to set up the next rider. We were part of the night shift which meant we worked from 5:00 pm to rough 5:00 am the next morning. Then we piled into the sprinter van hauled ass to a hotel, slept, ate and then caught up with the day shift and started all over again.
I can't remember the towns we slept in but we crossed 12 states from Oceanside CA to Annapolis MD in 6 and 1/2 days. I wrote notes about what worked and perhaps didn't work for us during RAAM:
Crewing for the Georgia Chain Gang in 2012 was an incredible experience for me. I had 4 overall goals going into this and achieved them all. Everyone finished safely without injury (although egos & feelings sometimes suffered), we raised a lot of money for LLS and funds are still coming in, our team had a respectable finishing time, and I learned a great deal about RAAM and the aspects of organizing and moving a team 3000 miles in 6 ½ days. While still fresh here are my observations and reflections on what went well along with suggestions on things we could have done better. While I have had conversations with many crew and riders during and immediately after RAAM these are my own personal opinions. I hope no one takes anything I express here the wrong way; my goal is to help make future RAAM attempts even safer and more successful.
We were fortunate to have 5 individuals on the overall team who had ridden and crewed in 2 previous Georgia Chain Gang RAAM events. Every one of them brought a lot of beneficial experience to our 2012 effort. However, as the event unfolded it seemed like we did not have one individual truly in charge. I believe that once the race starts riders should concentrate on riding and others should be given responsibility for logistics like hotel rooms, food, van organization and who should be riding and for how long.
One area I think could have been organized better were hotels and shift changes. We should have figured out we would normally cover about 500 miles every 24 hours. Given that, hotel rooms and shift changes could have been tentatively set up in towns where the next crew shift could drive to in advance, rest and set up for incoming riders and crew. Incoming folks could then go to same hotel rooms, rest and drive to next location. Coming off a shift and having to drive another 2—4 hours before resting eventually took a toll on crew and riders. Probably unavoidable on the first shift change but could have been more organized in subsequent change overs. It seemed like Jane had to primarily manage this while riding or trying to rest.
I also had the opportunity to arrive 5 days early and help with pre-race preparations. Tony and Jerome did a great job of driving that effort and I was happy to help. Nevertheless my observation was we had to do a lot of running around getting supplies that could have easily been brought out in the 2 vans. Foot stool, extension cords, drill, more coolers, storage containers, blankets, bungee cords are examples of things we should have placed in vans before they left. We also seemed to be short on things like tubes, floor pumps and basic tools that should have been readily available in all 3 vehicles. Steve did a lot of work setting up navigation, filming, and communication efforts. I can’t comment on filming, but as a navigator all I needed was route book and GPS. The invertor/computer generated route mainly got in the way and the walkie talkies were not used in our van after the first 30 miles. A mega phone would have been useful when we had to pull up alongside rider to communicate.
The mini vans along with the Saris bike racks worked very well. One suggestion would be for each shift to have their own cooler and dry food storage containers. That would make shift exchanges more efficient. It would also cut down on some of the food waste and the fact that sometimes crews/riders did not have the supplies they anticipated having on board. If we use this set up again, we should improvise a better way to mount the reflective triangle. The sprinter van also worked fairly well. If we use a van like this again we should consider building out the back to make bike and luggage storage more efficient. This van isn’t a very comfortable vehicle for longer crew/rider transports in my opinion. I could only sleep if in the very back seat in the middle. Maybe I’m the exception but usually I don’t have a problem taking a nap in most vehicles.
I was in van with Lynn, Dave and Lisa. We benefited from Lynn and I caravanning vans across country, along with fact that Dave, Lynn and I knew each other from prior events. Although Lisa was new to us she got lots of technical advice from Dave when neither one of them was actually riding. Dave and I also each had previous crewing experience. The net result was we had an incredible amount of team work and tranquility in our van all week. I’m not sure that was the case in other vans especially once fatigue and sleep deprivation set in later on. In the future I recommend setting up rider/crew assignments early and providing an opportunity for them to actually practice together before RAAM. While this may not be as important for experienced riders/crew, I think it would be very helpful for new riders/crew.
I thought our strategy for making up time in WVA, PA, and MD by staging riders along the route was very sound. However, we should not have attempted this using all riders and crew starting mid-day Friday. While it did make up time on other teams, I think it destroyed crew and rider concentration at a critical time. Some crew and riders got too fatigued to effectively help as we got close to the finish. In my opinion rider safety became seriously compromised AND no one person took charge of maintaining safety over performance during the final portion of the race.
As I mentioned I hope these suggestions are not interpreted as criticisms of anyone. Overall I think everyone had a positive experience. I know I did and look forward to helping organize additional RAAM teams in the future.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Warren Bruno
My friend Warren Bruno lost his 8 year battle against lymphoma. I met Warren in the early 1990's while working as a volunteer for the Tour de Town bike ride. Back then Warren owned Aunt Charlie's restaurant/bar and we worked together organizing an annual Labor Day ride with races in Buckhead. Ironically proceeds from that event benefited the American Cancer Society. The ride was terminated by ACS because it was not generating more than $100,000 as they became interested only in major fund raisers. The Buckhead Entertainment District also dissolved and Aunt Charlie's closed. I lost track of Warren.
Fast forward to 2005. I'd been coaching the TeamInTraining cycling program several years and training a group cyclists to ride a century in Claxton. One of the team mates was Warren. I learned that he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin"Lymphoma, but was doing well enough to train. Early on I asked him if he would share his story and he was somewhat reluctant saying "I really don't enjoy talking about it". Before letting the matter rest I mentioned how whenever we had a survivor who was also training it provided a tremendous lift to the team. A short time later Warren told me he would be willing to tell his story. If you knew Warren during the past 7 years you probably know the rest of this story. Warren became an honored hero for that cycling team and several others over the years. He was the inspiration behind the Georgia Chain Gang a cycling team that did RAAM in 2009 and 2010 raising almost $200,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In 2009 he was the crew chief and had planned to crew again in 2010 before his cancer returned. He is the honored hero for the 2011 edition of the Georgia Chain Gang and riders and crew will no doubt ride and work even harder in honor of his memory. I am a crew member of this year's team and we have already raised over $125,000 for LLS--and still counting.
I have so many memories of Warren, but the one that sticks out the most is the message he sent to our cycling team last year doing Tahoe and Fletcher. Warren had actually trained to do Tahoe but had to bow out just days before the event. He created the "Top 10 Reasons Cancer Is a Blessing". I pasted it here because it is a true measure of the inspiration Warren created in everybody he came in contact with:
10. Your having Cancer gives neighbors and relatives something to talk about at gatherings.
9. Cancer wakes you up to the fact that you are not in charge.
8. Cancer is a daily reminder that life is finite.
7. Having cancer makes your world stand still, enabling you to take the time to see how wonderful life is.
6. Cancer teaches you not to waste time or spirit on trivial matters
5. Cancer drives you to remember people you have shared life with and recall the many trials and joys that make your life so rich.
4. Cancer brought me to TNT, and a wonderful community of caring people working together in support and love working for a cure.(and a great new group to share my tired old jokes with...)
3. Cancer opens your eyes to the good works you have done and the people that you impacted.
2. Cancer is a constant reminder that we are all connected and we are loved.
1. Cancer brings you much, much closer to your family, people you love, and people you care about.
"To try is to live"
Warren Bruno
Godspeed, Warren, I miss you.
Fast forward to 2005. I'd been coaching the TeamInTraining cycling program several years and training a group cyclists to ride a century in Claxton. One of the team mates was Warren. I learned that he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin"Lymphoma, but was doing well enough to train. Early on I asked him if he would share his story and he was somewhat reluctant saying "I really don't enjoy talking about it". Before letting the matter rest I mentioned how whenever we had a survivor who was also training it provided a tremendous lift to the team. A short time later Warren told me he would be willing to tell his story. If you knew Warren during the past 7 years you probably know the rest of this story. Warren became an honored hero for that cycling team and several others over the years. He was the inspiration behind the Georgia Chain Gang a cycling team that did RAAM in 2009 and 2010 raising almost $200,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In 2009 he was the crew chief and had planned to crew again in 2010 before his cancer returned. He is the honored hero for the 2011 edition of the Georgia Chain Gang and riders and crew will no doubt ride and work even harder in honor of his memory. I am a crew member of this year's team and we have already raised over $125,000 for LLS--and still counting.
I have so many memories of Warren, but the one that sticks out the most is the message he sent to our cycling team last year doing Tahoe and Fletcher. Warren had actually trained to do Tahoe but had to bow out just days before the event. He created the "Top 10 Reasons Cancer Is a Blessing". I pasted it here because it is a true measure of the inspiration Warren created in everybody he came in contact with:
10. Your having Cancer gives neighbors and relatives something to talk about at gatherings.
9. Cancer wakes you up to the fact that you are not in charge.
8. Cancer is a daily reminder that life is finite.
7. Having cancer makes your world stand still, enabling you to take the time to see how wonderful life is.
6. Cancer teaches you not to waste time or spirit on trivial matters
5. Cancer drives you to remember people you have shared life with and recall the many trials and joys that make your life so rich.
4. Cancer brought me to TNT, and a wonderful community of caring people working together in support and love working for a cure.(and a great new group to share my tired old jokes with...)
3. Cancer opens your eyes to the good works you have done and the people that you impacted.
2. Cancer is a constant reminder that we are all connected and we are loved.
1. Cancer brings you much, much closer to your family, people you love, and people you care about.
"To try is to live"
Warren Bruno
Godspeed, Warren, I miss you.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Health Care--Updated
Back in 2009 my post on health care indicated that US health care costs averaged about $7,000 a person. Now when you divide our total health care cost by the population it's around $11,000. I am certain that Obama Care--if left to stand--will dramatically increase these costs
AND there will still be individuals outside this system.
I've been fortunate to have health insurance and now Medicare plus a supplement that for a reasonable price has covered most of the stuff I've been through the past few years. Last year I suffered nerve damage in both hands from a very long bike ride, crashed in Paris-Brest-Paris suffering a fractured right clavicle and then discovering that my rotator cuff in the same shoulder was torn. That led to my second shoulder surgery a few months ago. Besides my health insurance premiums my only out of pocket expenses were the continuous passive movement (CPM) machine post shoulder surgery which Medicare would not cover since I didn't have total shoulder replacement surgery.
So I'm pretty lucky in that over the past few years I've averaged more than $11,000 in medical costs per year without having had to pay anywhere near that amount. But there's no doubt that the American health care system is deeply flawed. I think the biggest single reason is most of us have no real idea just what our own true health care actually costs. Oh yeah, I see huge bills that doctors and hospitals send to my insurance companies, and sometimes I find out how much is actually paid to providers which is sometimes pennies on the dollars. But I have no real skin in the game any more especially now that I'm on Medicare with a supplement.
I do not believe our government can truly reform this system with all the proposals for a national health care system. All the government will do is transfer money among the haves and have nots, and create even more bureaucracy. Until we change the fundamental way medical insurance is administered--plans largely bought through employers that disappear for an individual when changing employment--things are not going to improve the efficiency of the system. Notice I also just referred to the issue as medical insurance. It's not really health care because most folks have to encounter a potential medical problem before they claim a benefit.
For many individuals there's no health care dollar incentive to follow a reasonably healthy life style. Look at how many Americans are obese, smoke, or make other unhealthy choices. Many Americans are ready to crucify insurance companies for the premiums being charged but how many of these same folks don't take charge of controllable health habits? And if we're going to eliminate the ability to charge for any pre-existing conditions then perhaps we should simply do away with insurance companies and have the government bill everyone $11,000 a year. That would be a nice extra with holding from our pay checks wouldn't it?
Bottom line: when individuals have more skin in the game and tax free incentives to take better care of themselves health care will get much healthier.
AND there will still be individuals outside this system.
I've been fortunate to have health insurance and now Medicare plus a supplement that for a reasonable price has covered most of the stuff I've been through the past few years. Last year I suffered nerve damage in both hands from a very long bike ride, crashed in Paris-Brest-Paris suffering a fractured right clavicle and then discovering that my rotator cuff in the same shoulder was torn. That led to my second shoulder surgery a few months ago. Besides my health insurance premiums my only out of pocket expenses were the continuous passive movement (CPM) machine post shoulder surgery which Medicare would not cover since I didn't have total shoulder replacement surgery.
So I'm pretty lucky in that over the past few years I've averaged more than $11,000 in medical costs per year without having had to pay anywhere near that amount. But there's no doubt that the American health care system is deeply flawed. I think the biggest single reason is most of us have no real idea just what our own true health care actually costs. Oh yeah, I see huge bills that doctors and hospitals send to my insurance companies, and sometimes I find out how much is actually paid to providers which is sometimes pennies on the dollars. But I have no real skin in the game any more especially now that I'm on Medicare with a supplement.
I do not believe our government can truly reform this system with all the proposals for a national health care system. All the government will do is transfer money among the haves and have nots, and create even more bureaucracy. Until we change the fundamental way medical insurance is administered--plans largely bought through employers that disappear for an individual when changing employment--things are not going to improve the efficiency of the system. Notice I also just referred to the issue as medical insurance. It's not really health care because most folks have to encounter a potential medical problem before they claim a benefit.
For many individuals there's no health care dollar incentive to follow a reasonably healthy life style. Look at how many Americans are obese, smoke, or make other unhealthy choices. Many Americans are ready to crucify insurance companies for the premiums being charged but how many of these same folks don't take charge of controllable health habits? And if we're going to eliminate the ability to charge for any pre-existing conditions then perhaps we should simply do away with insurance companies and have the government bill everyone $11,000 a year. That would be a nice extra with holding from our pay checks wouldn't it?
Bottom line: when individuals have more skin in the game and tax free incentives to take better care of themselves health care will get much healthier.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Shoulder Surgery Update
The shoulder surgery I had on December 27th turned out to be one step above shoulder replacement. My supraspinatis (one of the rotator cuff tendons) was reattached using a cadaver tendon and my biceps tendon was also reattached. Physical therapy has been hard and painful but after 2 months the PT guy said I was where most people having this specific procedure would be after 6 months.
I was able to get back on the road cycling after 4 weeks although could not ride more than about 25 miles before it fatigued. I was able to keep my streak of consecutive months doing at least one ride of 200 kilometers by completing a brevet on February 18. My January brevet was actualy a pre-ride done a few days before surgery but I got credit for it on the actual brevet date of January 1. According to the Randonuearing rules that's legal.
Last Wednesday my physical therapist sugested I just continue doing the exercises on my own at home. He estimates it will still take another 4-6 months of hard work to get back to normal and I may never get complete range of motion raising my arm straight up but should get close. Right now I'd be happy with a pain free joint.
I was able to get back on the road cycling after 4 weeks although could not ride more than about 25 miles before it fatigued. I was able to keep my streak of consecutive months doing at least one ride of 200 kilometers by completing a brevet on February 18. My January brevet was actualy a pre-ride done a few days before surgery but I got credit for it on the actual brevet date of January 1. According to the Randonuearing rules that's legal.
Last Wednesday my physical therapist sugested I just continue doing the exercises on my own at home. He estimates it will still take another 4-6 months of hard work to get back to normal and I may never get complete range of motion raising my arm straight up but should get close. Right now I'd be happy with a pain free joint.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Colege Once Again
Last summer a friend who is a retired professor at Georgia State University told me about a program where Georgia residents over 62 years old can attend any public college or university tuition free. I knew that Georgia State offered classes in exercise science that would qualify for the continuing education credit I need to maintain my USA Cycling Coach license. In order to qualify for this program I had to apply as a transfer student to GSU and request my transcript from the University of Richmond be sent to their admission office. As a GSU 62 transfer student I am exempt from tuition but have to buy text books and pay applicable lab fees. The cavet is I cannot register for any classes until the first day of class.
Once accepted I was asked what degree and major I planned to persue. I advised them I would work toward a BS in exercise science and started planning for the spring semester. However, several weeks before the semester every single exercise science class was already closed. I visited with my assigned faculty adviser who looked over my transcript and suggested I start by taking the only two "core classes" I still needed. Once I was in the system and had completed those classes she said it would be possible to get into the exercise science classes.
So here I am taking US History and a Computer Skills Course. As the semester draws to a close I'm on track to get an A in History. As for Computer Skills which is completely on line I received all possible points on graded assignments but only 8/12 points on the quiz. We'll see how the rest of the assignments go but I think I'll do fairly well.
Once accepted I was asked what degree and major I planned to persue. I advised them I would work toward a BS in exercise science and started planning for the spring semester. However, several weeks before the semester every single exercise science class was already closed. I visited with my assigned faculty adviser who looked over my transcript and suggested I start by taking the only two "core classes" I still needed. Once I was in the system and had completed those classes she said it would be possible to get into the exercise science classes.
So here I am taking US History and a Computer Skills Course. As the semester draws to a close I'm on track to get an A in History. As for Computer Skills which is completely on line I received all possible points on graded assignments but only 8/12 points on the quiz. We'll see how the rest of the assignments go but I think I'll do fairly well.
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