Co-Captains Jon Stanton and Gene Butcher
Rode in the 2011 Tour de Cure on Saturday. Great day for riding and hanging out with friends. The Team I was Co-Captain of (T2CT) raised over $5000.00 and I, with the help of a lot of my readers, raised $1075.00. Unfortunately I lost the “Sexy Calves Competition” to Jon. Check out this article that Jodi Davis wrote about Jon and I on ahealthiermichigan.org
(From left to right) Gene Butcher, Jon Stanton and Jodi Davis
I sincerely apologize to you my faithful and incredibly supportive readers. You see, Winter Semester is in full swing and I have been buried under projects with tight deadlines so I have not had the extra time to update this site. I will leave you with this one thing though.
Have you ever been blown away by one of your kids? I mean, they do something (good) and it leaves you absolutely speechless and you are left wondering “where the heck did that come from?” You would like to think that its your stellar parenting skills but you secretly hope that perhaps they are just that rad, their heart is really that big. What am I rambling about? Check this out and then ask yourself as I have…”Just where in the world does an 11-year-old get this kind of moxy and courage?”
This is my daughters site read it and check out what she is doing: Ripples
I know you are caught in a dilemma, “Do I purchase this pic or do I wait for the next exclusive offering?” There is one “Melancholy” pic left and I have started work on the next picture. ALL proceeds go to the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure…..not 10%, not 50%….100% goes to the ADA.
ONLY 1 LEFT!
Are we friends? I mean are we friends in the modern odd way that people are friends now? I am of course speaking of the parallel universe that exists just outside the parameters of our very own physical existence….Facebook. If we aren’t we should be and you should also do a wee search on the ol’ Facebook machine for a little page called 100poundsago and you should most definitely click “Like” on that rascal. I threw out a dare right before New Years saying it “Would be rad if 100poundsago could get 100 fans by 2011.” Some folks were added but not even close to 100 so get on it people!
I have a few e-mails in my inbox asking “How was the Polar Rhino Ride?” My immediate rebuttal has been “I guess it was fine, didn’t make it this year. I started out the New Year puking my shoes off.” This of course is not even in close proximity to how I actually wanted to spend News Years Day or several days following. I wanted to go on that dang ride dangit! I wanted to go bad too. For crying out loud it was 45 degrees that day, which alone is a welcome respite from the winter doldrums. Nay! In bed I laid shivering and miserable secretly cursing everyone on the ride because I was bitter that I could not be. So if you got a flat or some other form of cycling atrocity on the ride I apologize it was my fault. If you have been a reader for a while you will remember on the 2010 ride I beat myself up pretty bad I opined about stagnation in weight loss among many other complaints about myself. I was going to use the ride this year as a time to reflect over the 2010 cycling year, oh well I’m flexible reflection can be done anywhere I suppose.
I have also more than a few E-mails asking what my “Resolutions” are or where? Honestly I don’t make them, haven’t in years. I use to make them, for example, “I am going to stop smoking in 1994…the same one was made in 95, and 96, 97 98, 99, 2000, 01, 02…you get the point right? Each year it was an abysmal failure, each resolution lasted until about noon on January 1 when I would run out and buy a carton of cigarettes and chain smoke the New Years in. It’s a societal joke really, they are expected to fail there is really no pressure to actually succeed at them. They are in reality forgotten about and breezed by no guilt attached. I make goals for myself and have done so for the past few years I break them down to small manageable and realistic benchmarks. Will I be challenged to reach them, yes most definitely but therein lays the fun. Let me give you an example: I got it into my head not too long ago that I wanted to run a 5k. Now if you know me you know I despise running with every thread of my being. So what did I have to do? I had to build up to it, I know I would have failed if I laced up some running shoes and tried to run a 5k. I did the “Couch to 5k” program. Each day building on the last until bingo bongo you just busted out 5k’s worth of pavement pounding which I did and I am pretty sure it was the furthest I have ever run in my life. 5k….check! Now on to the next one. Not resolutions….goals.
What are your goals today, or this week, or this month? Leave some comments, lets discuss.
Honestly the whole idea of a Santa Clause frightens me, I mean take a few minutes and think about it. A guy who lives in the barren tundra of the North Pole, really out of shape, works one day a year and the rest of the time hangs out with elves? That’s creepy right? Then add the fact he can get into everyone’s house, keeps tabs on everyone formulating a list of who is naughty and nice all from atop the world. It’s a bit…oh….I don’t know….1984 for me. There are too many overtones of “Thought Police” for my taste. Children writing letters to him asking for toys, begging to be placed on the nice list despite the fact they may or may not have pulled Suzie’s pigtails at lunch or issued that “noogy” to that pre-school brother of theirs. Furthermore, while I am ranting and raving with no clear purpose, just what constitutes good and bad, naughty and nice? Is there a rule book, is there a website, and is there a Facebook page dedicated to naughty and nicety? If there rules aren’t clearly printed in black and white somewhere and freely available I don’t think we should be held to a constantly sliding scale of what is naughty and nice, tell me you agree?
I say all of that to say this; I must have been really really good this year cause Santa delivered to my house (even though it creeps me out thinking this dude was in my living room) a bounty of cycling goodness. I hereby declare that despite the fact my Kit is already better than yours (a subject I have touched on here) I am now three times better looking than probably 93.862% of all cyclists because I found two new cycling jerseys under the tree this year. Thus bringing my total count of jersey awesomeness to 5. Now I have other jerseys, however 5 of them are of such radness they strike fear and trepidation into the deep recesses of a person’s soul when they are looked upon. Of course it being winter in Michigan you will not be able to see these two new additions for another 8 months…which brings me to my second point of why I must have been so dang good this year. Under the tree I also found the Sugoi Neo jacket I have been drooling after since last winter. So while the awesomeness of my daily jersey selection shall remain hidden in the winter months have no fear the top layer of my kit is a completely rad-tastic jacket.
Hope everyone had a good Christmas!
Did you happen to see the art I am selling to raise money for the Tour de Cure this year? There are 3 left of the first offering and I have started work on the second run of cycling art. Here is a hint of what it will look like.
Just a little hint
Anybody know what I am jazzed about? Anyone have a clue? I will tell you, Tour de Cure 2011 that’s what. I seriously cannot wait for this year’s event. I am already plotting and scheming, already wringing together my hands trying to come up with new and interesting ways to raise money. This year I would like to double my total from last year, remember what we raised last year?
*Sidebar: I say we because in large part it was people that frequent this site that donated a large chunk of the money so while I was on the team it was your support that helped and got me there. End of sidebar*
It was $1500.00 yep…remember that amount? I do! I also feel the need, given the fact I am the 2011 Adult Tour de Cure Ambassador, to really pull out the stops this year. I was shameless last year, if you followed the madness on Facebook you will remember how shameless the campaign was, I dare say it was downright shameless. I mean I threatened to streak a birthday party for crying out loud if people did not give. This year you can count on “Double Shameless-ness” you can also count on some interesting fundraising ideas I have….STARTING NOW!
Any body have any interest in owning a one of a kind, disgustingly awesome, limited edition, handmade by yours truly piece of bicycle type art (see below)? I am thinking a very limited run of 5 available after the first of the year. Just so we are clear if you buy one you are getting a handmade (by me) piece of art. It is handmade, (by me). Did I mention I made it? How is it made you ask? Well I painstakingly cut out the bike and letters and attach them to the red paper, it’s framed as well. Each one will be $50.00! I know, I know it sounds crazy that I am selling these for a mere $50.00 I know I could fetch billions for one of these. Contact me at Genebutcher@comcast.net if you are interested in purchasing, it’s for a good cause! There will be future art offerings as well so if you miss this one stay tuned for more.
12x20 Framed
I don’t know where you live….ok I actually do know where some of you live but I digress. Where I live winter is here, has been here, is going to be here for many a month to come. It’s an undeniable fact, the mercury has fallen sometimes to the negative side of zero, the winds will blow, and there will be snow. You of the cycling variety in the frozen tundra areas have done one of three things.
1. You have put your bike on the hooks and tucked it in for a long winter slumber.
2. Trainers and rollers have been dug out of basements, closets, attics and garages for a full winter of mindless …um…train-er-ing, or roller-er-ing
3. You embrace the nonsense that is negative temps, layer it up and ride on anyway.
I think I may have thrown out this challenge before but I am not sure and I certainly do not feel like searching through this site and the posts to see if I have or not. If I did forgive me for warming up last winters leftovers, if I have not I take full credit for the genius. Who cares how or where you ride, just ride!
I prefer to ride despite the temps; trainer and rollers bore me to the brink of homicidal madness. I have found that I am not the only one either, there are other maniacs out there on a daily basis slogging through the slop to either get to where they need to go or for health and fitness sake.
While I am on the subject, if indeed I am on a subject, let’s talk Christmas shall we. I just saw a commercial for McDonalds extolling the virtues of giving your trash guy or mailman a McDonalds gift certificate….I guess you could if you really hate your trash guy or mailman that much. I mean noting says I hate you like a gift certificate for a free meal of fat, cholesterol, high blood pressure and so pumped with chemicals they had to add to the periodic table to accommodate the nastiness. Whilst giving them a gift is all fine and good I am adding a few people this year to the “Nice” list and I think you should to, especially if you rely on them as much as I do. Your local bike shop! I know I love mine, this is the place they know my name, ask how I have been, and have kept a bike underneath my buttocks without hesitation. Repairs are done with the speed and skill unlike any I have ever seen.
So my LBS is getting a gift this year. What you ask? You see soon enough. How about you add them to your list of people that at minimum get a card?
In what ways does a positive attitude affect you? I am of the firm opinion that it can, does and will affect you in a myriad of different ways. I am pretty much guilty of always pointing out the negative, what started as a small annoying habit has turned into years of negativity. I read through some of the posts here and I think to myself…”sheesh, what a pessimist!” Some of those posts I have never published some where and serve as a constant reminder of “look at the good Gene!” Although its not strictly pessimism, rather a list of demands placed on myself in which I can never achieve…leading to yet more negative feelings and finding the flaws in everything. A vicious circle it is, and if you have ever been caught in it you know of which circle I speak. The slowly building vortex of negativity that quickly clouds even the clearest of visions and drags you further into the tunnel vision of negativity. I was reading in a church newspaper recently about a challenge a pastor threw down about thanks, wherein he challenged the congregation to write down each day 3 things they where thankful for and to repeat daily for 30 days. There was one caveat; you had to come up with 3 new things a day. Since we are approaching that time of year where we all should focus on what we are thankful for I find this a good segue into changing negativity into positivity (not a word) and reverse my normal thought process to that which I am thankful.
It would be easy to take all of the credit and accolades that are thrown upon me for losing weight, I mean after all I am the one that tortured myself on the road sitting atop that wee little seat, pedal stroke after endless pedal stroke. Sweat, tears, vomit, Gestapo like dietary self demands, blood and in a case or two injury…they are all my doing right? NO! While I am the face of what I did the body is a laundry list of others who should take their turn in the limelight for they have never once been listed here.
From time to time I come up with near insane ideas, they span from odd vacation plans to the most absurd tattoo anyone has ever seen….I say insane because to me they are crazy after some thought, to one particular person they are not really that crazy. Who is this facilitator of the insane you inquire? My wife, she who never batted an eye at the mention of me converting my diet to strict vegetarian. She who offered to plan out, shop and prepare all of the meals I would need. She who for nearly two years has never complained about anything I needed or wanted….patched my gear, had hot coffee ready when I finished riding in the dead of winter and has supported me every step of the way. Thanks Babe!
8x10 glossy's are $19.99 without an autograph....with an autograph the price jumps to $99.00 (thanks Erwin for takin the pic)
Today I am going to wander just ever so slightly off of the usual topics found here at 100poundsago…well not really that far….ok fine I am going to write about something totally in line with what you usually find here but in a different kind of way.
Let’s talk about responsibility shall we? We all know the word; it was probably introduced to you by your parents in the form of taking out the garbage or picking up dog poop in the yard. You have to have it in your life right? I mean responsibility essentially forces us to go to work, pick up the kids from school and pay the bills. Its an inescapable fact of life for even the most foot loose and fancy free type of characters in the world have some form of responsibility, as much as it pains we “grindstone” folks, in the end its there. Where am I going with this you ask? Actually I don’t know I am hoping it will come to me sometime before I finish typing this sentence. Yup! There it is! A little while ago I alluded ever so cleverly about something big that was going on around 100poundsago HQ. Well here it is kids. I have agreed to serve as the 2011 American Diabetes Michigan Tour de Cure Adult Advocate. This was not without reservation and some serious soul type searching. Right there the whole time the “R” word was whispering in my ear. It whispered things like “You can make a difference to someone” and “you could be the spark one person needs to reverse the effects” So I acquiesce and agree with only two conditions….everyone has to salute me and refer to me by my official self appointed and self invented title of “The Most High Exalted Majestic Ambassadorship Gene” I didn’t think that was too much to ask do you? As much as I hate being serious I feel I need to be serious about this all kidding aside. Diabetes sucks I was able through some really hard work to stymie the effects of Type II in my own body and I am willing to do or say whatever I can to help others do the same.
Want to help me? Find the 2011 Tour de Cure in your area, join a team, get on your bike…and ride.
I get asked on occasion “Just how is it you come up with the stuff to put on the 100poundsago site?” My answer….”life” Which I think is one of the founding principals of what a “blog” truly is or should be right? It’s that simple. If something happens while I am cycling or I come across something unusual I will write it down here. There is no real secret formula really. A lot of the deeper personal stuff comes from my journal…yes I keep a journal. Here is a brief peek into the birth of the post A YEAR
It started as a journal entry. Then I mulled it over for a while trying to decide whether or not I was comfortable allowing the world a small glimpse into my mind. Being about 51% sure I was comfortable with it I type it out and publish it. Then I spend the next few days regretting such a thing but leave it up anyway hoping and praying that no one I know will mention that they read it. That is where the body of that particular post came from. The saying at the bottom was actually a different journal entry from a different day. I combine the two and the result was A YEAR.
Has it really been a week since I have updated this site? Apparently yes it has. I know how you all hang on my every post, follow me like disciples and feverishly read and digest every word I write like it was a great prognostication telling of future fortunes and greatness. I have let you down making you wait a week for any of my wise tidings. My most humble apologies and may the fleas from a thousand camels infest my armpits!
After months of waiting we Michiganders are in that time of year that delicately balances upon “I wore too much riding” or “Sheesh I didn’t wear enough” it’s a tough time of year for we noble people that call the “Mitten” home we are seemingly always in a state of weather related flux. I mean seriously how many people out there have to wear 3 distinct outfits for riding…at the same time? There is a saying here in the Great Lakes State….if you don’t like the weather wait 5 minutes it will change. It is not uncommon for you to start out in winter riding gear and by the end of your ride you are in summer gear. You think I am lying…ask around. People from Michigan will regale you with stories of sunburn and frost bite that occurred on the same day. I have to relearn my dressing tactics from last year and have not quite got it down “just so” yet having spent Saturday sweating profusely and Sunday a shivering frozen mess. I am in the process of writing a “How to Survive Michigan Cycling” guide that I will be posting on the site very soon. As usual it will be chock full of sarcasm and hilarity.
In other news I was asked to do something truly AWESOME last week! What you ask? I will tell you once it goes public and official but it has to do with the American Diabetes Association. Needless to say 2011 is going to be an awesome year around these parts.
Stay tuned and stay away from the Halloween candy!!!!!!
P.S. The word “Michiganders” is not corrected in spellcheck….which gives us from Michigan some Street Cred.
Dear Santa,
I know it’s a little early to write to you and give you my Christmas list this year but I figure you would be cool with it because Target already has Christmas decorations out in their store. I don’t always subscribe to the Target stores method of seasonal changes but I have quite list this year and some really expensive stuff so I thought I would give you as much advance notice as possible so you can reward my awesome “good behavior” over the last year. I know you are going to check that list twice and each time you will see my name on the very tippy top of the “good” and nary a mark will be found on the “bad” side….ok ok fine I know there was a time or two I misbehaved…your not going to begrudge me that are you? Ok here is my list and this year just like last year you can expect some gluten free, egg free vegan cookies and some almond milk at the bottom of my chimney. I am also going to leave you the E-2 book and an American Diabetes Association cookbook, to be frank and honest with you I have some deep concerns about your health.
You will notice that everything on this list is cycling related which should not come as a surprise to anyone really.
1. I ride to work everyday now and when I leave in the morning it is quite dark still. I could use some new lights for my bike just like the Mininewt.700
2. Speaking of darkness I could really use a new monster bright jacket. Mine has seen better days and is in need of retirement. I would like the Sugoi Helium jacket….yellow please!
3. While your elves are stitching the Sugoi Helium jacket together why not have them also thow the Sugoi Neo in your sleigh as well? It looks nice and warm and since Michigan winters rival North Pole winters I am sure you can appreciate a nice warm jacket?
4. I could really use some nice socks for those long winter commutes by bike. My old smartwool socks are done…finished….kaput. I like the socks this dude has. The crazier the style the better I say…why be normal?
5. I was starting to think that all jersey makers pretty much sucked until I got my ADA Tour de Cure jersey….love that thing. So I will pretty much take anything thing from here.
6. I am pretty sure the Giro Prolight would look really good on me while protecting my melon.
7. You can pick which one of these you want to give me: this one -or- this one
8. The Chris King “Dreadset”…..this requires no explanation.
Thanks a bunch,
Gene
Saturdays ride started like any other autumn ride, check the tires, throw a little lube on the chain, fill the bottle and toss the snack in the jersey pocket. I say it started the same but about 2 miles in something truly odd happened…a wave….by another cyclist. He was fully kitted out in all matchy swag. I nearly fell over; I reluctantly threw my hand in the air to return the wave. Then a little further down the road yet another, this time from a jogger? I was dumbfounded until I realized the reason they where probably waving was the kit I was wearing which is by far quite possibly the raddest kit this side of the Pyrenees. A kit that demands respect and admiration from all who lay eyes upon it a kit that simply yet sternly says “the wearer of this kit rules the planet on a whole different level” just what is this mysterious yet magical set of cycling awesomeness you ask? Well it was hand delivered to me on Thursday and you can see it below.
This jersey is reserved for rad people who raise a silly amount of money for the ADA Tour De Cure
The matching shorts....notice how my legs look instantly more superior and my butt looks absolutely breathtaking.
I was reading some things Jody was saying this morning at it set me off on a thinking tangent. You can recognize one of my thinking tangents by the following symptoms: deep blank stares, babbling, drooling, and possibly smoke emanating from my ears and or nose. I tell you that so you will know I gave this somber thought.
Anyway…..What if we just pretend for a minute….just one minute…What if ALL doctors across the country treated and talked to their patients like mine did? What if instead of sugar coating everything and throwing pills at symptoms they actually investigated and found the root problem of the ailment? I had a laundry list of physical problems Diabetes, Hypertension, sky high Cholesterol, Cardiac Arrhythmias….sadly I was perfectly at ease living with these problems, actually I was perfectly at ease DYING from these because it never really dawned on me that I was in fact dying. I had been placated by doctors for years as they threw more and more pills at me. They pacified me by pretending to be looking for a cure to my problems all the while because of a sense of not wanting to offend they let me live the life I was accustomed to. No one ever said to me “You know Fattikins if you lost a bunch of weight most, if not all, of your problems will go away!” There is a complacent attitude in not only the general populous but seems to be running rampant in the medical community as well. A mind-set of absolute and total denial about just how much weight can impact and influence your overall well being. Take me for example, I lost weight and I no longer have Diabetes, Hypertension, sky high Cholesterol, Cardiac Arrhythmias. It was that simple lose weight, lose the problems.
I know exactly where I would be if he would have calmly and dismissively said to me “Cuts some pounds, try to quit smoking and eat more white meat blah blah blah” I would still be over 300 pounds, still ramming Big Macs down my gullet, chain smoking and slowly waddling my way to an oversized casket at a very young age. It took a bit of foul language, some evil eyes, and a grotesquely painted picture of how the rest of my pathetic fat life was going to play out, or what was left of it. Now from a monetary standpoint this doctor had an honest to cash cow (both literally and figuratively) with me as a patient. I was looking at a lot of office visits, lots of tests, lots of misc expenditures all that where sure to pad his pockets. Instead he set me off on the right path from the word jump. So why is that so hard? Why is he the only doctor I saw in nearly 2 decades of visiting physicians that took the time to bust my chops? Denial, complacency, afraid to hurt feelings and offend? I wish I knew but I am eternally thankful that he took the time to cuss me out.
Nearly every day I say the following quote “If I can do it anyone can” and I am being dead serious about it. If a slovenly, morbidly obese, chain smoking, un-motivated person such as me can decide to put down the cigarettes, jump on a bike and take the reins of my own health over anyone can.
This is just too good not to post today. Here are two videos one is of my friend Jon Stanton and another featuring Jodi Davis…They pretty much ROCK!
Watch…… and go ahead, be inspired!
You will of course remember that my first alternate ad for Xtracycle was “Because you just never know when you may run across a treasure you feel you can’t live without”
Here is the second one:
“Xtracycle…for when you find the next item your wife wont let you keep in the house”
Found this beauty last week
Ever get one of those ideas…Lets say for instance you have a picture in your head of what something should look like but come time to execute….disappointment? I am just gonna throw out a hypothetical scenario for you faithful readers. I have this “friend” who has this quasi popular (not really) website bloggy thing. He got it in his brain that he wanted to change the look of it to something more edgy, rad, tubular, etc. The only issue is while he can hang ten on the internet machine like none other and can move files around and the like he has absolutely no clue how to build a website. The poor fellow does not even know he doesn’t know how to build websites? It seems as if he lives in some form of alternate universe wherein he is the master of all domain names and people bow to worship him blah blah blah. Imagine his surprise when it came time for him to change the site and imagine his frustration when he could not get it the way he wanted it. He even had a cool logo for the site and much to his chagrin it was simply not possible to incorporate it into the site. Anyhow, that’s the story of my friend…poor soul.
After reviewing the 100poundsago site last night I have decided it needs a facelift. You all have been looking at the same header of bikes lined up outside of a department store for far too long. Stand by for face-lifting it may take a few days.
My attempt at a cool new logo?
…..When you may run across a treasure you feel you cant live without.
Step 1: Find treasue at yard sale, pay $1.00 for treasure
Step 2: Load treasure onto Xtracycle
Step 3: Fill with Candy Corn
Yup, found this bad boy whilst passing a yard sale the other day. Actual candy machine glass and metal stands about 20 inches tall.
Do you remember where you where on October 3, 2009? I do…. I’ll never forget. It is one of those dates that will forever be an indelible mark on my heart and mind. I stood in my living room on the phone with a Battalion Chief who was trying to tell me there was a Rescue unit at my parent’s house….”It does not look good……”
A year is approaching….a year since he died. A year that has, at times, passed like a blink and other times has felt as if one particular day would never end so I could have a new one to start with. That sick feeling that bored through my stomach when I was on the phone that cool autumn afternoon has yet to disappear. It’s still there every single day reminding me I have to press on, there are places to go and things I simply must accomplish. Just because I want the world to stop spinning for a while so I can adjust my bearings, does not mean that it will. Life pushes you forward creating moments that you can either waste or use. I have learned a lot about myself this year, some good things and some bad things. I have felt the depths of despair the likes of which I had never experienced or even knew existed like it or not they are there. I found strength in myself which I had hoped and prayed I would never need, I could have gone my whole life not coming close to having to summon that strength. I have seen true courage in the eyes of my family members and I am proud of each and every one of them.
This year has also showed me who my true friends are, sadly some of who I thought where friends slipped away into the periphery of my life and some others have stepped in and went to the mat for me and my family. Such is life I suppose, some can hack it others cannot. It has been a year of trials and tribulations which I found this quote and leave it with you.
“Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying I will try again tomorrow”
-Mary Ann Radamacher
See right over there on the right? No not there….RIGHT THERE! Where my Twitter feed displays on this site? If you follow me on Twitter and I don’t know why you wouldn’t you would have figured out that I got my Xtracycle on Friday. Even though I acted all coy and slick about it on 100poundsago, even made reference to a Frankenstein movie moment, if you would have read just to the right of the posts you would have known what in the world I was talking about. If you have been wondering why I had erected lightning rods on the roof of my garage let this be a lesson to you that when someone suggests you follow them on Twitter you should. My followers where “In the Know” but I digress.
Yeah, so the Xtracycle arrived on Friday and by Sunday I had everything attached, bolted, zip-tied, and Velcro-ed down. I had to take it to James and the crew at Cycletherapy yesterday for some fine tweaking with the rear brake and as usual it was same day service from the fellas in the back. Have you ever tried to mount an Xtracycle on a car rack? Its not easy folks, as you can see from the picture.
No matter what you do....something is going to hang over
This is my new commuter and errand running bike, my first thoughts on this thing? AWESOME! I ran it for the first time to work this morning and I was pretty loaded down. The only thing I noticed was by back and shoulders didn’t hurt from the backpack and no loss of circulation in my hands from the backpack straps digging into my flesh. Oddly the bike does not really even feel heavy? I don’t get it but somehow Xtracycle has found a way to circumvent the natural laws of the universe and make heavy loads on the back of a bike seem non existent? There must be some kind of space age polymer that they have pumped into the tubing that creates some kind of wormhole in the space time continuum or perhaps they have found a way to control and manipulate the laws of physics? Or it could be as simple as the longer wheel base? I am going to assume that the people at Xtracycle are pretty smart so I am sticking with they have some kind of control over string theory. Another thing I found slightly odd is I was at the capacity of the bags and one side was obviously heavier than the other however I did not notice the weight distribution discrepancy….read the above statement about breaking the established laws of physics. I have some things I would like to add to this bike in general like some fenders because much to my chagrin the entire bike is already covered in mud…as was I this morning. I am thinking of changing out the stem and bars but as of right now I am undecided.
Nothing better than indoor parking
So what did I do this weekend? Well I took to my second garage aka “The Hooligan Workshop” and began a project on El Chuchacabra …you remember El Chuchacabra right? It’s my Specialized Rockhopper. What is this project that is so secretive that it had to be undertaken veiled in the cover of night with the windows of the garage covered in heavy burlap? I will let you all in on it soon enough but lets just say that the police where called because of the lighting rods I erected on the roof of my garage with heavy copper lines running into the garage. When they arrived at my door according to the police report they quote “He was screaming at the top of his lungs ‘It’s ALIVE!!!! It’s ALIVE” as electricity coursed it way down the lines and onto the workbench to the secret project.
Dear Fat and Gasoline,
I know I have been distant lately and for good reason, I want you both to know that its not you…its me. As much as that sounds like a cliché it’s totally true. Ok, well not 100% true since I really cant stand either of you but I wanted this to be a letter to let you both down gently. While I know we have had our good times and we have had our bad it was only when the bad started to far outnumber the good that I realized I need to grow as a person (or shrink as the case may be) and move on from the grasp that both of you had on me. We will always share the memories (as painful as they may be) of sitting in a car at the drive thru window waiting to be served pound after pound of Fat. My grossly overweight butt sitting in the car just waiting to get fatter while burning gallon after gallon of Gasoline. We are done, for I have found two different loves, loves that build me up and make me happy. I know this has to be hard for you both but you want me to be happy right? You want me to live a long healthy life free of medication and illness right? You have to let me go, I am moving on to Vegetables and Bikes. The hurt you both are feeling will heal with time and unfortunately you will move on to someone else and you will burden them as you have burdened me for so many years. This is my final good bye, I would prefer if we made a clean break and just left it at that. No further communication between us is wanted or needed.
Gene
I have started a “100poundsago”Facebook Page. You can find it HERE….all the cool kids are doing it!
Good news everyone, in case you missed my barrage of Facebook posts and Twitters (is that the correct plural usage?) Anyway, My Specalized Tricross underwent a serious operation at the hands of James and the crew at Cycletherapy. James called me and said that the Tricross would be ready Saturday morning. Now the repairs where expensive, at least they are to me I live on a meager public servant salary. Two forces joined together to absorb a good majority of those costs. I told you about the Brothers-N-Blue crew giving me a large chunk of the money which you can read HERE. As promised here is the other part of what happened that got my bike back in my hands so quickly. I am perhaps a little too attached to my bike, and for good reason. I have spent countless hours and countless miles on that bike in the name of health and fitness. It was, and is, my tool for losing weight, continued gains in fitness, a future of healthy living and a major factor in dealing with life’s stressors. You could see why I would take expensive damage to this bike as a personal attack yes? You can see why having to face repairs I simply cannot afford I would simply feel sick to my stomach at the thought of my bike resting on the hooks in the garage battered and un-repaired while I saved the money to have the repairs done right? I thought so.
Now I walked into Cycletherapy with no illusions that this was going to cost me, I just didn’t know how much. I handed the bike off to James the day after the “accident” when I was still limping, when I couldn’t raise my right hand above my waist, when the road rash was still burning like flaming hot pokers in my flesh. He said he would get back to me after the crew went over the bike with a fine tooth comb and listed out what needed to be fixed and replaced. I got the call and it was as bad, if not worse than I thought. I was going to have to pick up the bike and hang it on the hooks. James said “Let me see what I can do.” A call back later I found out that a huge chunk of the labor was going to be absorbed by the shop. Did they have to do that? No they didn’t. Did James have to go that extra mile for me? No he didn’t but he did, the shop did and for that I can’t thank them enough. Another thing that struck me is how they showed genuine concern for my well being asking repeatedly if I was ok etc etc. Stand up guys every single one of them. If you are in the area and in need of one seriously RAD shop go to Cycletherapy…tell em 100poundsago sent you.
On a different note not entirely unrelated I asked James if he would save all of the pieces parts that had to be replaced so I could make a modern art masterpiece of the wreckage. Work has begun on that masterpiece I have decided to name “Un-Attentive Driver”. This is going to be the background of the piece. In case you can’t tell what it is it is the back of the jersey I was wearing when I was hit. Now before you go jumping all up in my grill about destroying a jersey I will tell you the hospital did that for me when they cut it off of me in the ER. I have stenciled cars in black and red all over the back. I know I know your face nearly melted off at such an awesome displayof artistic genius right?
Complete with the three back pockets and reflective trim.
Remember these guys? 
Of course you do! Thats the Brothers-N-Blue Cycling Club that I belong to. This was taken in Brighton, Michigan at the 2010 Tour de Cure. Do you remember what happened at the Tour de Cure? Let me remind you…we DOMINATED…we raised a ton of money. coincidentally a large chunk of that money came from 100poundsago readers so in essence you to can take credit for being a beacon of awesomness. Remember when I said that the cops in my city are some of the finest around, well to further prove my point I received a surprise gift yesterday from “The Team” …our esteemed Captain stopped by my house yesterday and presented me with a gift card from the shop my bike is currently convalescing that is going to cover a huge portion of the cost to repair my bike! I was more or less speechless I could barely forms the words “Thank You” …It seems that Brothers-N-Blue where in cahoots with the bike shop to figure out how much the bike was going to cost and they decided to pay for a large portion of it. How can you not love riding and being friends with people like this. THANKS GUYS!
I am going to write a full post in the next couple of days on what the shop Cycletherapy did for me as well. I thought that they deserve a post of their own so that the awesomness they have shown to me can be fully appreciated.
Me giving the "Thumbs Up" while still in my rad C-Collar
POST EDIT: Later in the post you will read that I have a sore shoulder. After a week of dealing with an arm that I couldnt really lift over my head I had an MRI done to find out I have a torn Rotator Cuff. Updates will be coming soon.
Have you ever had one of those moments in life where you think to yourself “Man, this is going to be hysterical in a few years.” I have and I think that moment was captured in the picture above. I asked my wife to take it, she reluctantly agreed because….well, only a few minutes earlier she was getting the scare of her life. I have absolutely no recollection of being hit, none, nada, I have tried, I have strained but it’s simply not there. Perhaps its better that way because I am sure if I would have remained conscious and alert I would not have wanted to hear the sounds that my body was making when it got flung into the air and landed somewhere near a gutter. I am sure I would not have wanted to hear my head hitting something to the point I have a destroyed helmet, and I am sure I would not wanted to remember or hear my skin being sanded away by the roadway asphalt. Ill just take my hour or so of complete amnesia and back away from the table thank you kindly.
I wanted to try a new route on Friday so I loaded up my jersey with an extra water bottle, my cell phone, a snack, and my Ipod. The plan was to head a little north then jump on a Rails-to-Trails path and continue north for a very long ride. I had nothing to do that day, the kids where in school; the wife was at work…It was going to be an awesome ride. I turned onto Maybee road in Clarkston and that is the last thing I remember. My next memory is a friend of mine from a neighboring Fire Department leaning over me and telling me I am at Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital. I was strapped down to the backboard so tight I couldn’t move a muscle. I managed to get out a “What the hell happened?” That’s when he said “Dude, you have asked me that like 25 times on the way here.” I have seen this before; however, it’s different when you are living it yourself. I know that repeating questions over and over is a bad thing; it means you took a significant shot to the head. Now I am getting worried, I take a rapid inventory and know I can feel everything and I have no significant neck or back pain. I am wheeled into the Trauma room and all I can see is bright lights above me.
Apparently I demanded that my riding gear not be cut off of me. Its standard practice in an ER to cut the victims clothing off leaving it a pile of tattered and cut up rags on the floor. They managed to save my shorts by but my jersey was not so lucky…to the floor with it, tattered and shredded, my favorite one, it fit me just right. I know there was a flurry of activity around me; I felt needles going in my arms, and EKG pads being stuck to my chest and abdomen. A face would pop into focus in front of mine and he or she would ask a question, simple ones like my birthday, “Um…..I don’t know I think its in February” What day is it “Uh…..I think it’s Monday?” I hear frenzied voices ordering up a STAT CT scan along with C-Spine, Back, Pelvis, and shoulder x-rays. I feel cold all over my stomach and I know they are using an ultra sound to look at my intestines the rest of my internal organs. I am in pain, my head hurts, my face hurts and my shoulder hurts. My knee feel like it’s on fire and for some reason the only stitch of clothing I am still wearing is my left sock? It is then that I utter the crazy question “Where is my bike?” I am told that my father in law showed up on scene and took it to his house. I ask “How bad is it?” and I am told not to worry about it right now. I head off to the CT scan and the most x-rays I have ever had at one sitting and am wheeled back into the trauma room where my wife meets me. We exchange some hellos and I say I am fine, wherein she calls me a bold faced liar. I can see the worry on her face and I don’t like it, not one bit. I want to take off the c-collar and the backboard and stand up to prove that I am fine but I am told to stop my fidgeting. Doctors are talking to me, nurses are talking to me, a police officer is talking to me. It’s too much to take in when I am still trying to figure out what happened. Finally I am told the driver said he didn’t know what happened he just saw a body flying through the air. He did stop though and called 911 from his cell phone. He was also nice enough to collect up all of my belongings and put them into my helmet and gave it to the fire fighters when showed up on scene. My phone, my I-pod, my watch, my spare bottle, and my snack all made it to the hospital with me thanks to him. I was told that about 8 people stopped and helped me out prior to the Rescue arriving on scene. One of them was even kind enough to contact my wife. I was told that I was unconscious for over 5 minutes and regained consciousness before I was loaded into the ambulance. I honestly do not remember. I asked one of the bystanders to call my wife and then pointed at my Road ID; again I have no memory of this. My mind slowly begins to clear a bit and I am starting to recall everything from the point of arriving at the hospital forward. I ask again about my bike and I am told again to not worry about it right now. My head CT came back clear as did all of my x-rays, nothing broken, no serious damage to my brain (although some will tell you I have had brain damage for years). About two hours after arriving I am taken off of the backboard and the c-collar is removed and I am allowed to sit up in bed. I ask to inspect my helmet which my wife hands me. A giant dent in the right side of the helmet followed by cracks that penetrate all the way through the helmet. My only real injury is a concussion, some severe bruising, a lot of scrapes and road rash and some seriously sore shoulder, hip, abdomen, and knee. Given the fact I could be dead right now I think I got off light. I got the choice of staying in the hospital for a day or going home, I chose “Let me the hell out of this place” so I was released around dinner time, the accident happened at 10am. I immediately wanted to inspect my bike so I could know if it was a total loss or not. It’s damaged, how severe? I don’t know, it’s in the shop right now and I am expecting a call on Tuesday to see what the final outcome will be. Either way it may come down to shelving the bike for a while until I can afford to repair it, if in fact it can be repaired.
A giant thank you for the calls, the texts, and the well wishes.
Gene
If you are on my Facebook friends list you may have seen I was in a nasty Gene vs Car wreck Friday. Wherein I was knocked out and flung into the road as a blody and unconscious mess. I had to be taken by ambulance to a trauma center for a gaggle of CT scans x rays blah blah blah none of which I remeber. I do know that my helmet was destroyed and there is a gap of my life 2 hours long that I have no clue what went on. I will fill everyone in real soon about the particulars. Right now I am bruised from head to toe and a bunch of my skin has road rash uponst it. That’s the bad news, the really really bad news is the bike is in the shop and the list of things broken, bent, mangled and devistated seems to be growing to the point that it may not be fixable or salvagable. I will keep everyone in the loop about that as well. Talk to everyone in a few days.
Gene
“…..But being healthy is soooo expensive.” In order to fully appreciate the previous sentence you have to imagine it vocalized using the whiney voice of a 4 year old. Why a whiney voice of a 4 year old you wonder to yourself? Because that’s how I picture people when they say such things! I have to call shenanigans on the whole argument, in fact I not only call shenanigans I also say poppycock and rubbish! I have found that it is not in fact a monetary issue but an issue of change or an argument for “Non-Change” and I am not talking about political catchphrases either. I am talking about honest-to-Pete lifestyle changes. Let’s break my own situation down to see if the Chicken Little “It’s too expensive” argument holds any water. Here is what I would spend eating and consuming CRAP (I am actually going to underestimate since I am wholly confident that my side will de-bunk the other side’s argument):
Old Way
Name: Frequency: Cost: Weekly Total:
McDonalds 4 times a week $9.00 per $36.00
Jimmy Johns 2 times a week $12.00 per $24.00
Misc Fast Food 2 times a week $7.00 per $14.00
Prescriptions 5 times a month $5.00 ea $6.25
Cigarettes 2 packs a day $5.00 per $70.00
Misc Cola 4 per day $1.00 each $28.00
Misc Cady 1 per day $0.75 each $5.25
Total: $183. 50
New Way
Name: Frequency: Cost: Weekly Total:
McDonalds 0 times a week $0.00 per $0.00
Jimmy Johns 0 times a week $0.00 per $0.00
Misc Fast Food 0 times a week $0.00 per $0.00
Prescriptions 0 times a month $0.00 per $0.00
Cigarettes 0 packs a day $0.00 per $0.00
Misc Cola 0 per day $0.00 per $0.00
Misc Candy 0 per day $0.00 per $0.00
Total: $00.00
Interesting don’t you think? I have not factored in the money saved on gas to get to such places like McDonalds etc. Given the fact that our family grocery bill is a fraction of what I use to spend on junk food, cigarettes and medication I am considering any money not spent at fast food restaurants pure profit. Furthermore if we total up the “Old Way” yearly expenditures I get a savings of $9542.00 have you any idea what kind of new bike you can buy for $9542.00???? Here is another interesting factoid about my own journey into healthiness. What did it cost me to start exercising? $34.00…..that’s right I said 34 bucks that was the cost of two new tubes for my bike and a new rear brake cable, pretty cheap I say, one of the cheapest loss of 100 pounds going!
Quick show of hands, who thinks they know the real story behind the start of the 100poundsago website? I see a few in the back there, a few more…there is a couple. Ok well I am betting (if I actually was a betting man) that you think you know but in reality most don’t, in fact there are just 2 people that actually know the story and the gaggle of e-mails that shot back and forth that led to the birth of this site.
It was a night just like this one….er….ok so it was over a year ago and I was trying to lose weight. I would frequent a website and post comments about my progress or lack thereof I would complain, I would boast, but mostly I just wrote insane posts trying (mostly in vain) to be funny and poke fun at myself. A few people who where also trying the same suggested that we exchange e-mails and “motivate” one another. It was a lot of fun, one of the guys was a runner another was a tri-athlete. Did I happen to mention that they both where way out of shape and their athletic prowess was years behind them, caught in a cloud of beer, Big-Macs, and cigarettes? I had posted something about a woman doing lunges across the gym I was working out at and everyone found it hysterical. Suggestions came in that I should perhaps think about starting a Blog of sorts and write the stuff there that I was posting. I did and for a really long time the site had 3 or 4 visitors and then something happened, I don’t really know what but it did. People began to visit the site and I had no clue where they where coming from? Oddly for a very long time I would post my ranting under a fake name even in cyber space I was embarrassed about how I looked, what I was feeling and what I needed to do to get the job done.
An inspiration? I have been called that quite a few times over the life of the 100poundsago site existence. I am going to go on record that I am highly uncomfortable with this. I appreciate it yes, comfortable with it, no. I would prefer to serve as a horrible warning to people. Gather your kids around the computer screen and show them what I use to look like regale them with the stories of what I would eat and how much I smoked, tell them about my blood pressure and my cholesterol. Make me out to be a nasty smelly ogre of a human…and then challenge them to never turn into me! Tell them they simply do not want to go through what I have gone through to get to the point I am right now. Let them be warned that a sedentary life full of lavish excess in the end is a shortened life, a miserable life a life that is void of the pleasures that a healthy body can bring you. I will however tell you of a person that I think is a treasure trove of inspiration. I have mentioned him before and I am going to mention him again and again because I have mad respect for him. His name is Jon and you can find his story HERE. Jon just completed a Century ride last weekend. Big deal you say? Read his story and see just what a big deal it was. I double dog…nay…..I triple dog dare you to go to his site, read his story and NOT be inspired! Its simply not possible!
Nice day for a ride today folks, get out and ride, or walk, or jog. I guarantee you will find something in your neighborhood or park or city that you had no idea existed. Its amazing what you discover when you slow down. I will say it again, you dont need a fancy bike, or lycra, or fancy shoes, or a fancy helmet….just get out and do something!
I was straightening up the garage yesterday and I placed my bikes against the wall so I could do a little sweep up near where they usually rest. Seeing my older bike right next to my newer bike it became oddly clear to me that you don’t have to be fancy, you don’t have to have the full matching kit which in turn matches your bike which matches your socks which matches your brake pads…on and on ad nausea. When I started riding I would ride on the sidewalk, wearing tennis shoes, on a 10 year old mountain bike, with monster bar ends, wearing cotton shorts, cotton t-shirt and a baseball hat turned backwards. I will tell you the Gods honest truth, it worked. I lost the majority of my weight riding late at night or early in the morning in that exact outfit with that bike that I affectionately called “El Chupacabra”. No fancy shoes, no breathable fabrics, no wicking socks, no lycra, no helmet it was just me a fat guy, a bike and a whole lot of sweat and cursing. I hear you now “Gene, will you ever so kindly get to the point please Judge Judy is about to start and I am bored with your ramblings.” Dear readers, if you think you need a fancy bike, carbon soled shoes, lycra head to toe, and the biggest ticket bike you cant really afford but purchase anyway, well you are sorely mistaken. Sure you can have all of the nice components, the carbon fiber water (yup I just said carbon fiber water) the sleekest machine to roll off the line this month, it might even help you eek out a few seconds on your club ride…but in reality who really cares. I started riding not with the foolish ambition of being a racer I rode to simply lose weight and I found through experience that pretty much anyone can do it regardless of what brand name graces your down tube. Get a bike, any bike that works, AND GO RIDE!
“El Chupacabra”
One of my absolute favorite cycling/ commuter websites is Bikecommuters.com a site that I read daily like it’s a religious obligation. I have gleaned a ton of useful information from them about everything from tires to lights. Currently on Bikecommuters.com they are running a Commuter Profile about me! Go check them out and put them on your favorites list.
Profile can be found HERE
This “Rocket Surgeon” was published in the Opinion section of a local newspaper yesterday:
When Bike Paths are Present Bike Riders Should Use Them
To answer the writer of “Motorists must allow bicyclists leeway” driving in Bloomfield and West Bloomfield on weekends is no fun. The “wannabe Lance Armstrong’s” are taking over the narrow roads. There is often no leeway other then crossing over to the wrong side of the road following a bicycle at its speed! There are miles and miles of bicycle paths built for motorless vehicles. These weekend bike enthusiasts completely ignore what was built for their safety. If there are bicycle paths, the bike riders should have to use them or be ticketed.
Susanne (last name omitted by Gene)
Waterford Township
Please, allow me to retort:
West Bloomfield has exactly 4.25 miles of these so called “bike paths” in a city that is over 30 square miles I would dare call this “inadequate” wouldn’t you agree?
It is possible to be in love with a city? I can answer unequivocally, Yes. At best I “like” the city I live in, I say at best because on a good day that’s as deep as my feelings run for my fair town but to go somewhere like I did last week and completely fall in love to the point I felt nauseous that I had to leave…well that’s love. What made me love it so you ask? What didn’t make me fall in love will be my response. For consideration of time and effort I will stick to the topics that relate best to this site, namely cycling and healthy eating. Never, I say again, NEVER have I ever even heard or seen a city or a region that is so bike friendly. Bike lanes, bike paths, bike racks, on and on it goes the whole region seems to have acquiesced to the fact that people are going to ride their bikes places, to be forward thinking in that respect is amazing to go one step further and accommodate people in that venture is something legendary. I could not have swung a dead skunk in any street I was on last week without hitting a cyclist. Serious riders, commuters, families, old, young, ugly, attractive you name it there is someone from their demographic on a bike somewhere. The regions corporate world seems to even be on board with it as well. My brother in law ran down all of the benefits he receives if he commutes by bike to work…my jaw dropped. Legendary I say!
Now with this new found love comes a bit of resentment, I resent the fact that I am forced to have a long distance relationship with this new found paradise. I am resentful of the fact that one of the small suburbs boasted 31 miles of cycling paths, comparatively speaking the county I live in brags about 30 miles. My suggestion to Oakland County…stop bragging, we suck.
Should I even start talking about the food situation out there? Yes I shall. I feel on most days that I have to almost apologize for following a Vegan diet. Like it is such an inconvenience to any place I go that most days I question whether or not it’s even worth it. Not this place, I was accepted, embraced, snuggled and coddled like a new born babe. I found a cornucopia of places to eat, people to chat with, dishes to be had and thoroughly enjoyed. On several occasions the Vegan side of the menu was larger that the non Vegan side and it was not just a salad either. I was and still am amazed.
Seattle how I love thee, let me count the ways.
I am a jet lagged mess. Let me just get that out right up front. Here are some pics I took around town while I was there. Full Seattle Report will be coming soon.
Pic taken from the boat tour
Pike Place fish throwing!
One of the views from the Space Needle
Snoqualmi Falls
One of the rad street bands playing at Pike Place
Some people make a pilgrimage to Mecca....I made mine to the Doc Marten store. Seriously it was on the top of my things to do while in Seattle.
Let’s see how many people know the significance of this address?
What are you when you are staying some place like Redmond, WA and you don’t have a bike? Well I am a loser that’s what I am. What an awesome place to be a cyclist!
See that picture above? See that sign where you get to choose left or right? What a perfect representation of life, this is a sign that sits on a road exactly 8.3 miles away from my house.
To the right is the easy road home, which would be 8.3 miles back to the comfort of a recliner, a hot shower, cold water, and air conditioning.
To the left is 34 miles of leg numbing pain, hot exhaust, tall hills, winding corners, and sweat.
To the right are all the people who doubt me, the ones that said you will never meet that goal of weight loss, you will never get off all of that medication. They are the ones that subscribe to the theory “eat right, live right, die anyway” they are the ones that sleep in every morning and are perfectly at ease living a sedentary lifestyle of glutenous excesses.
To the left are the people who told me to press on, give it hell, and “you do have the guts and fortitude to do this thing.”
To the right is all of those mornings I didn’t want to get out of bed and fought with myself that I could skip that ride “just today” to the right of my bed is an alarm clock with a snooze button that taunts me.
To the left of my bed is the door that leads to the hallway that leads to the garage where my bike is.
To the right is Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, atrial fibrillation and a shortened life.
To the left is a life devoid of all of those physical ailments that use to enslave me.
I’m turning left, which way will you turn?
If you are perusing through the July 2010 issue of Fire/ Rescue Magazine you will find an interesting article starting on page 16….cause I know each and every one of you have a subscription to aforementioned magazine. Back to page 16, the article is titled “Diet-Hard Fans: Vegan Firefighters is not an oxymoron- it’s a small but growing trend.” The person interviewed is none other than Engine 2 diet founder Rip Esselstyn, the very same rad dude that I have mentioned several times on this site and is at least partially responsible for my own transformation. I cannot find this article online anywhere so I will give you the finer points:
Keep it up Rip!
I bet you where not even aware that I had escaped the “Mitten” for a few days where you? Unless you where following my randomly malicious Facebook updates concerning run ins with TSA and the endless delays of Delta airlines you would have no idea…cause I didn’t tell anyone! Anyway, since this is a cycling blog of sorts I suppose I should regale you all with the health and cycling scene in S.C. more specifically Myrtle Beach. First let me make this bold claim…Myrtle Beach just may be the most unhealthy place on the planet when it comes to eating both the restaurant scene and the grocery scene. Since we where staying in a house on the beach we had access to a kitchen and all of the cooking amenities. What good are amenities if you have nothing to prepare? So off to the local grocery we go where apparently “Beer” counts as a vegetable and a “Corn Fed Slab of Beef” counts as a veggie burger and “Pop-Tarts” count as fruit. I even had to invent a meal at a restaurant due to their lack of anything resembling a vegan meal. It consisted of a side of rice, a side of steamed veggies and a baked potato all mixed together into my own concoction of dinner. It was an adventure I had no intention of taking but was forced to.
We flew down there and in case you have not noticed airlines charge an inordinate amount of money to check any luggage, I didn’t even want to know what it was going to cost to get one of my bikes down there since it was $45 to check my suitcase. Luckily we found a bike shop on the beach that rented bikes by the hour, half day or day. The selection was limited, for adults there was a green beach cruiser or a green beach cruiser with a child seat. For kids there was a pink beach cruiser or some hybrid 3 wheeled recumbent type mutation. Helmets and locks where complimentary and the prices where actually very reasonable. If you ever find yourself in North Myrtle beach sans a bike and you think you absolutely cannot survive without one you should check out the The Bike Doctor….oddly the guy who is the “Bike Doctor” actually walks around in surgical scrubs and the two women behind the counter refer to each other as “Nurse” for instance “Please go tell Nurse Susan you need a different lock.” I kid you not folks. The Bike Doctor also has an impressive showroom full of bikes and a ton of parts and accouchement for your cycling pleasure.
About to attack the beach with the bikes
The boy and the "bike" he put at least 4,000 miles on
The girl and the pink beach cruiser (with complimentary helmet)
Under a pier
Me on the green beach cruiser....take note of the serious cycling sock tanline
All of The Bike Doctors "Patients" so to speak?
If it’s as hot where you are as it is where I am with temps creeping up on the 100′s you need to take some precautions especially if you are cycling in this crap….which if you are as demented as I am you are. Stay safe out there folks.
Just a bit of advice from your friendly neighborhood fireman on how to excercise in the heat:
-Increase your fluid intake. By consuming hydrating liquids throughout the day, prior to, during the activity–every twenty minutes–and after exercising, you will prevent dehydration and regulate your body temperature. Dehydration is your worst enemy. If the weather is hotter or more humid than you’re acclimated to, drink more fluids, even if you aren’t thirsty.
-Adjust the schedule of your exercise regimen. The prime schedule for exercise is before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m., especially if the temperature is rising and humidity is high.
-Refuel your muscles with nutritious foods. It’s just as important to monitor what you eat as to increase your fluid intake. Heat often decreases the appetite, but it’s imperative to consume plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains.
-Know when to quit. Pay attention to the warning signs of your body. If you begin to feel the effects of heat exhaustion, immediately cease your exercising and find somewhere to cool down.
-Avoid consumption of caffeinated beverages because they can cause dehydration due to their diuretic factor.
-Stay away from wearing darker colors and tight clothing that soak in the heat while exercising during summer.
Signs and Symptoms of Heat Stroke:
-Heatstroke is a condition that can occur when your body temperature raises above 104 degrees F. Often occurring in the extreme heat or when there is too much physical activity done in the heat, you should know the signs of heatstroke so that you can recognize it in yourself and others. It can be a potentially life threatening disease, and the faster that you treat it, the better your odds are that you’ll recover.
Sweating
Depending on the type of heatstroke that you have, you may notice a change in the way that you sweat. If your heatstroke was brought on by heat alone, then your skin will be hot and dry, with no sweat at all. If your heatstroke was brought on by physical activity, then your skin will be both hot and moist. You should sweat in the heat, but too much or too little sweat can be a sign of heatstroke.
Rapid Heartbeat
If you are afraid you might have heatstroke, take a moment to feel your pulse. A pulse of about 130 beats per minute is much too fast for the regular 60 to 100 beats per minute that an adult’s rate should be at. The elevated rate means your body is working so much harder to cool off.
Weakness
Look for signs of weakness, listlessness or unresponsiveness in someone who you think might have heatstroke. Heatstroke can cause a person to lose strength and feel tired. Their muscles might also be sore and cramped.
Neurological Signs
Those with severe heatstroke might suffer from seizures, fainting, lost consciousness or may become incoherent and unable to understand others when they are speaking. If this is the case, get the patient to a health care facility
