Blogging......................

So I spent some time today catching up on a few of the blogs I normally read, and some that I don't.Most are cycling related but not all. Some are commentary. Anyway I was reading Steevos blog and it appears he , as well as others, have fallen into the same predicament many of us fall into this time of year. Plenty of time and nothing to write about. Now of course there is always cometary and you could spend a good amount of your time researching and writing about upcoming or ongoing cycling events in other countries. Or you could get your political self on and comment on the idiots in DC. I however would rather stick to writing about personal events and the occasional rant on something that may or may not be controversial. So rather than bore you you with snow shoveling I will leave it at that.

This ought to be a good read............

So a good friend of mine has decided to enter teh blogosphere (I know he looks like Ferb). Mike and I have been friends and riding bikes together for quite some time now adn I am pretty sure that he is one of those people that will be a part of my life until life ends. I have been witness to many of his exploits which ar humerous in themselves, but for the ones that I dont, his anecdotal take on them are quite entertaining.
One of my earliest memories of Mike was at a local mountain bike race. I really cant remember if I raced that day but I remember hanging around at the finish line waiting for people to come in. i was talking to Tom when I heard a scream. As I turn around I pay witness to a guy on a green mountain bike flying over his handlebars and landing square on his back in the middle of a road.  Come to find out, this is standard operating proceedure for him. Anyway I am sure that he will have much to entertain you with so enjoy.

Two great early season races today.........

And I missed both of them. Steve and Brian both headed to "Why Not Cross" in Carlisle and Jason,Martin and Arin headed to Snot-Cycle in Virginia. My choice would have been to do "Why Not Cross" as it is close to Brian's house and would have given the opportunity to spend some time just hanging out before and after. But it wasn't in the cards this weekend, so I traveled 10 minutes to spin class. Brian and Steve had respectable finishes and I have not heard about the others yet.

Finally somebody is starting to pay attention...........

It appears that the folks in L.A. are going to conduct a study on ways to protect cyclists. This is another great step toward cyclist rights, and will hopefully help to set presidents for bicycle advocacy. There has been heightened awareness to the problems cyclist on the road face lately due to some real unfortunate injuries and fatalities  caused by  drivers. It only takes a quick search on the internet to make you realize how many times this happens each year. It by no means with make me think twice about heading out, but it would be nice if it wre safer. Fortunately what happened to me on my last ride is far from the norm in our are, but I have ridden in other parts of the state that weren't so cycling friendly. Unless  of course your enjoy mountain bikling then this is the place to go.

Your approach to solving the problem looks great...............

But could you please just duplicate the half assed way we did it. This is the response we got at work the other day for the improved solution to a problem presented by one of our customers. They don't seam to want to spend the extra time or money it will take to do the job the right way. What the heck, the consumer is only paying $3000.00 for the item and they will never see in side of it anyway so who cares....right? Who cares if it looks about as professional as repairing a crack in $3000.00 bike frame with a piece of 1/4 inch steel.

Maybe this is a bit preemptive as they may not realize yet why we chose to do it the way we did. Why should you even consider that the heat source might totaly negate your solution. Let alone the rest of the cluster you left hanging there.

How about this weather????????????????

Well there is not much good to say about it for sure. Too cold to ride outside and not enough snow around here to Cross Country ski. So I am confined to indoor cycling amusement, which really is not that bad. Spin class is fun and weight lifting is what I did before cycling so it is all good. There is a cross race this weekend that a couple of team mates are doing but I am unable to attend. This hopefully wont be the norm for this season as my family has been encouraging me to get back to it. So long as work schedules don't get in the way or at least having somebody to keep an eye on my youngest fan while I participate, it should work out.

Finally some news to support..............

What I have been doing my entire life. Doctors have found that "Untidy beds may keep us healthy". I agree that there is nothing like crawling into a made bed but I just don't have the time or whatever it takes to do it on a daily basis. Now I have an excuse not to.

Ended up riding alone today...........

Ended up riding alone today. Was supposed to ride with Steve but he had made a trip to Pro Bikes in Pittsburgh and was not going to be back in time. So after changing the oil and washing the truck I headed out.

One thing I have noticed since my surgery is that I don't seem to get as cold as in the past. I assume it is due to the more efficient beating of my heart and makes me wonder how many times I may have been in  atrial flutter while riding.

I was unaware that I had this condition in addition to the Affib but I became more prominent during the weeks leading up to my surgery an I felt pretty normal except for the fact that my heart rate was around 150bmp for over a week straight.

Ended up doing a little over 30 miles today which took me around the Tanoma loop.

While I am on the subject..................

Of Tanoma, I had an interesting experience there to day. Now we spend allot of time riding this particular road over the years without much indecent. Considering the amount of time cyclists spend on this and other roads around here the couple of incidents that have been makes you feel pretty comfortable about riding there. A couple of dog vs bike accidents and the on evening Scooter had some guy chase him off the road with his pickup cornering him between the grill and a concrete building. I will never forget that night and fortunately there were about 8 of us there to witness the incident and quickly convinced the guy in the truck that he had made a huge mistake and that instead of getting out of the truck that he should probably stay put and the police were on their way.

I don't have a clue as to what sets people off in cars but it does happen. Most of the time is is a simple gesture indicating their IQ, other times it is a can or some projectile directed your way. And of course there is the occasional close shave or cut off.

So what happened today you might ask..........

It all started at the single lane bridge on the way from Tanoma, not nearly wide enough for 2 cars but just enough room for a car and bike to pass each other. So as I approach the middle of the bridge an  approaching car enters from the other end. Which I would have thought nothing of as she was moving slowly, except for the fact that she was edging her way towards my side of the road. Actually she left as little room as she could for me to get by and probably would have left less if the distance between us closed quickly. So as I slowed to a creep past her I glanced her way and she calls me a j@c%@$$. Now she is so close top me and the road is covered with anti skid material I actually placed my had on eh corner of the rear of her car as I exited the bridge.

So I continued on my way and never gave it another thought. That is until about 1/2 mile down the road I hear a car racing up behind me, but I did not bother to look as cars always do that. Next thing I know this crazy old woman comes up along side me and towards me cutting me off then slowing down to a crawl. As a moving target is harder to hit than a sitting one I continued to ride. So she moves over to the other side of the road into the berm and comes to a stop. As I ride by she comes right at me. I hit the brakes and she overshoots me then got back in front of me.

So I continued to ride behind her wondering what her malfunction was. Now according to a friend of mine Estrogen would be the cause and the fact that I am a man would be the effect but I don't really think that is what  was going on here.So she pulls off of the road again on the opposite side and I foolishly go past her. So she comes at me again and forces me off of the road again. At this point I think she had had enough as she went up the road and pulled off on my side, turned around and headed back in my direction at this point she either figured that she had better lay off as she must have figured I had taken her picture. Unfortunately this is the only photo that came out as I was trying not to die.

Unfortunately I did not get her license number, due to the wanting to live thing, and this photo isn't clear enough to read it. So if you know anyone that is a CSI maybe they could clean it up for me so I can complete the police report.

The Tour De France....

Is still a couple of mouths out and I am already tired of this guy. Hopefull Paul and Phil will get over him long before the race begins.

Had a great ride.................

This past Saturday. It was my maiden voyage on the road since before my ablation. So I have not been out for a real ride since July. What a blast.!!!! I knew that I was missing it but did not realize how much. I took the fixed gear as it has fenders, and heavier tires as to prevent getting a flat tire.
The roads around here this time of year are horrible and a heavy tire is highly recommended. A cyclocross bike would have been a good choice as well, but as I don’t have one of those in my arsenal at this point the fixie did fine.


I  love riding the fixed gear. It is by far one of the best ways to get into shape. There are no gears so you can’t fake it. When the going gets tough you have to work or walk, and we all know walking is not an option. This will however probably be the only time I rid this particular bike for a while. It ahs only been 5 months since my ablation and I really don’t want to red line myself yet. I will get back to it though as the season progresses. Oh and I only forgot I was on a fixed gear once as I drifted off eh road but I managed not to hi the eject button.

Was supposed to get out and ride............

With Steve yesterday but as luck would have it I could not make it. I was not so disappointed at first as the weather and roads did not look so good around noon but a little later in the day the sun came out and the roads started to dry out. We are going to keep an eye on eh weather though and get out as soon and as much as we can. I will be spinning this week though and start teaching a class this Friday.
Heck, I even put a new tire on to replace this one for the outing. that's right folks there are plenty of threads showing here.

This just in………….

Pretty women anger more easily.” Researchers found women who rated themselves as pretty displayed a war-like streak when fighting battles to get their own way.” Now why can’t I think for this kind of stuff? I can only imagine that Researcher = $$$$$$$$$$$. “In the study, the women who believed they were good looking were more likely to respond angrily in disputes than those who rated themselves as less attractive. Now this isn’t rocket science and I am pretty sure that any red-blooded American man, or woman for that matter could have told you this. Just put a couple of pretty women in a room for a while and see what happens. Not necessarily what happens over at doucheblogcyling, sorry Burt, but I think you get the picture.

Cleaning house...........

In a sense anyway. Just finished copying all of my personal blog posts from AG3r to this one. Check them out if you like they are all older (2005-2006) but so what.

Like everybody else in the world.....

I have been doing the facebook thing. It amazes me how some people have so many friends. Some people have more friends than I think I personally know. Although I think when you get right down to it most are probably just acquaintances.  Friend is a word that people tend to just throw out there, but the meaning of the word has no real significance to them. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard somebody say “yah, they are a friend of mine”. Really?

Lets face it; we have many people come in and out of our lives over the years.  And just because you know somebody does not make them your friend. Now that may seam a little harsh but I believe it to be true. Friendship is something to be valued not used. Friendships can last a lifetime so you should choose your friends wisely, quality not quantity. And don’t confuse quality with stature or what that person may be able to do for you, because you will be left short when you really need a friend.

A friend will impact your life in a positive way. Now you may not realize this when you are young but as you grow you realize how the people you chose as friends when you were young probably had the greatest impact on your life. I came to this realization a few years ago when a childhood friend’s parent passed away. It was not only the friendship I had with this individual that impacted my life, but her entire family. They are all a part of who I am. And of course as we grow older we have the ability to be more dicerning about the friends we choose.

• A friend won’t judge you. They will listen without prejudice and be honest in their response if needed or say nothing but be there to hear.
• A friend will come to your aid, often times without you asking.
• A friend will impact on your life, it is up to what type of impact that is. I could go on but I think you get the point.

So be the best friend you can be, somebody might be counting on it. 

Thinking about starting a second blog........

Just what I need. One more thing to do. Something else to cut into my day. But I am still considering it. I have come up with a couple of ideas as to what I will focus on but still not sure if I will follow through. It will be of a less personal nature for sure. Nor am I sure if I will link it to any of my other Internet stuff.

Call Me Crazy....

But I really do like the snow, even though it keeps me from doing much cycling. It makes everything look so nice and in the evening makes it seam much quieter. Of course you need to find some way to keep your sanity so some wort of outdoor activity is necessary. If it weren't for cross country skiing, sledding and spin classes I would probably go crazy. I know, its cold out, but you would be surprised how little clothing you actually need if you actually get your heart rate above your resting heart rate.

Moved To The............

Head of the class the other evening as spinning. The class was overbooked so the other instructor stepped down and I took his place. What a great workout you get teaching, of course as the instructor you push yourself a little harder, plus I tend to watch and see how badly the people are suffering. And if it does not appear that they are suffering like I am, I ramp it up a notch until I see them suffering as well. I really do enjoy teaching as it allows me to run the class in a way the benefits my particular, off season, training regiment.

Are You..........

Living in a bubble? It always amazes me how many people that I encounter are.This actually came to me last evening while playing video games with my son. We have discovered that when a part of the game becomes to hard, usually for me, or you are about to reach your demise you can simply put yourself in a bubble and just float around until the other player lets you out. this works out fine but there are challenges in the game that you don't get a chance to participate in or defeat. I see the same thing every day in life. Some probably don't even realize it even though it is so obvious to those they come in contact with every day.

The trouble with bubbles is that they kind of sneak up on you . Enveloping you little by little, day after day, week after week, year after year. The process can be so slow that you don't even know it is happening. And you may never know unless somebody points it out to you. Bubbles have no discretion either. They consume all types of people, both young and old rich or poor, robbing them of some of the greatest things in life.

I am quite sure ......

That there are those out there that have never been consumed by the bubble and kudos to them but I think it is highly unlikely. I  have found myself enveloped many times throughout the years but have always been able to realize my situation and break free. Either by my own will or with the help of others. Living the bubble free life can be quit exhilarating and to surround yourself with bubble free friends makes this all the better. I have had the good fortune to have an abundance of these types of people in my life forever and am continuously seeking them out. Lets face it you cant have enough of those type of people around keeping bubbles at bay.

So get out there......

And take some risks, measured ones if your skeptical, but take them. Burst that bubble and enjoy life!

So I Promised.......

To do more blogging but quite frankly there isn't much going on folks. Eight of so straight days of snow and sub zero temperatures aren't that inviting for cycling. That coupled with conflicting schedules with my cycling time and other commitments it just aint happening. I  have been spinning and shoveling snow so I am not without exerciser or focus for that matter. True there are some that have been braving the outdoor elements on 2 wheels but not I. And to be perfectly honest I am ashamed of that, but again scheduling conflicts have been playing a big part in that as well. Spinning 2 or 3 days a week after work requires me to drive a car there on those days and getting my son on teh bus pretty much squashes any opportunity of the other days. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!!!!!

I would Argue.......

That it is harder to get back into shape than it is to get into shape originally unless, of course, round is your preferred shape. The only advantage you have in getting back into shape is that you already have muscle memory and the the mental fortitude it takes to do it. Unfortunately you have the memories of how easy it was to do certain things when your fitness was good, which really stinks. So all you can do is push on, which I will. Actually will start teaching spinning again in 2 weeks.

WTF...............

Is wrong with these people. How hard is it to get a plumber out to fix something. According to the warranty company I was supposed to here from a plumber this afternoon to schedule an appointment for tomorrow A.M. I am pretty sure at this point that is not happening.

I did however receive the parts I needed from whirlpool today. Unfortunately though it was broken so yet another day without hot water.

Some Light At The End Of The Tunnel......

I think anyway. I talked to Lowes this evening and told them how useless the warranty they sold me was. They are sending out their installer tomorrow and if he cant fix it they will install a brand new tank so I should have hot water by tomorrow evening. It is a good thing it is winter or my entire family would smell worse than the family dog.

Big Talk Is Coming From..............

Over at Poser Central these days. I shouldn't get on him though the rest of the team does enough of that. Anyway I hope he survives Hockey camp and then gets back out on the bike this year. Speaking of bikes...Brian over at Cartwheels just installed his new Quark power meter today. He spends more money on bike parts like one of my buddies wife spends on purses.

So Its Christmas Eve........

And I am into the usual Pre Holiday rush. No the shopping is done ,and we have no where to be just another Christmas catastrophe. Well not really catastrophic but still a problem and kept me from spinning this morning.
There has been a ongoing battle between me and appliances ever since I became a home owner. I can't remember how many times an appliance has gone on the fritz during a holiday so why should this year be any different. Seriously I should have expected it. I have had everything break from the stove to the garbage disposal on or near a holiday more times than I can remember. This year the water heater has left us in the cold.
This all reminded me of the year I came home around Christmas and my wife was holding the tree up that had started to fall down. As I rescued her from this folly she informed me that the washing machine was broken and the garbage disposal was jammed.

We Need To See Your Papers................

So when I purchased our current water heater I bought one with a 6 year warranty and an extended warranty just in case. This will be the second time I will have used it in the past 2 years.
So of course the paperwork has disappeared since the last time but I was able to find out the name of the warranty company and contacted them. S0 I give them a call and the nice lady on the other end tried her best but could not find my information on her computer. So i did a little more digging around here and called back getting another Customer disservice representative on the phone. Of course she was even less help than the first. So I call back a 3rd time and still no luck but at least they were more helpful.
I finally end up calling the place I bought it and they went he extra yard to help but still could not give me all the info I needed but told me that they would help me research the issue. they call me back a while later with a number but nobody would be able to help me until next week.

I Have Learned Over The Years.................

That sometimes to get the results you want you need to be persistent so I call the warranty place back a 5th time and gave them my information. The exact information I had given the previous 2 times and low and behold she found my information and called a local plumber. the plumber called me within the next half hour only to tell me that he no longer works for the company as he has trouble getting paid. He was however kind enough to tell me what he thought was wrong and the place I bought it gave me the part so it all ended up not being too bad in the end.

The Visit WIth My E.P.

Went very well yesterday. Its been 4 months since my ablation at UPMC. Living in NSR without the fear of going into Affib is such a blessing. My EKG was flawless and my Resting heart-rate was 45 bpm. He decided to keep me on the Flec for another 3 months but took me of Cumadin. This was fine with me as the blood thinners have had the greatest impact on my lifestyle.They will send me an event recorder 1 week prior to my next visit in March and if everything is still good at that point he will discontinue the Flec as well.

Getting Back Into The Grind.......

So I guess it is time to start getting back on track (Biking and Blogging.) I have been back to spin class for the past 4 weeks and will be teaching my first class of the year tomorrow. I will be teaching a Friday class after the first of the year and am looking forward to it. "Monkeyboy" is going to be back in town today and wants to do some mountain biking this afternoon. I think I will have to pass though as I still have the blood thinners in my system. I am looking forward to seeing him though. He transferred to Kent State this pas semester so we don't see very much of him these days.

Its About Time..................

They start doing more to promote cycling to the youth of our fine state. And what better way than through mountain biking. We are blessed here with some of the best mountain biking you could ever want around here. Unfortunately this program probably does not stand a chance in this area, but wouldn't it be great if it did. Seriously what would it take? You could probably outfit a whole team for under $5000.00. You wouldn't need to build a stadium or install astro turf. Just cut take them to the trails and cut them loose. Even if you had to supply bikes or subsidise bikes for the team it would be under $10000.00. Thats a dropp in teh bucket for what our local school just layed down for their football field.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today Is The Day.........................

That I meet with my E.P. It has been nearly 4 months since my ablation and as far as I can tell all systems are a go. I am not sure of what the next step is but I believe that I will wear a monitoring device for a few days and if nothing shows up he will discontinue the anti-arrhythmic drugs and hopefully the blood thinners.

After living with Atrial Fibrillation for the better part of the past 18 or so years I have had to adjust to not having it. You don't realize how much control something really has over your life until it is gone. Expecting it to crop up at any moment and the initial disappointment when you think that it is. Then the overwhelming relief and thankfulness when it doesn't. I am sure that this will all pass with time but I will never forget all that I have had to deal with over the years as I am sure those that I spend time with will as well.

It has been almost 5 months since I have really ridden a bike other than short little jaunts around town. I am so looking forward to getting back to racing, riding and suffering with my friends.

Keystone Cops

I have written and commented may times on the diligence with which the local police force and parking authority have for running business and people out of Indiana. I personally avoid driving through the Borough at all cost. My wife however does not and has been stopped no less that 30 times over the past few years. Never receiving a ticket as in reality there has never been good reason. Her problem is she often goes to work around 4:00 am and of course if you are out at that time that is suspicion enough to get pulled over. She actually got stopped one time, after stopping to tell an officer of a person she saw lying along side the road. She pulled into the local Sheetz, it has the same magnetism as a donut shop, and reported what she saw. So as she left the parking lot, instead of going to investigate what she saw they pulled her over.

Yet Another Reason To Avoid Downtown Indiana

So I was working on a friend’s bike a week ago and needed a part. So I sent him to town and wished him luck. After retrieving the part from a LBS he discovered that the return street was blocked so he performed a 3 point turn. As he was performing the move he approached a one way street the wrong way. Now he did not actually enter but was pointed that way during his maneuver. Unfortunately for him there was a borough officer coming down the street. Long story short he received a ticket for going the wrong way on a one way street even though he was not.

He soon returned to my place with a ticket that clearly read $107 & and some change and the wrong part. Bummer.

Bureaucracy At Its Finest

So my friend calls me the other day saying that he received a letter form the borough that there was a warrant for his arrest for failing to pay his ticket. Now this really surprised me as he had stopped by my house on his way to pay it only a few days before, which he actually had. It seems though that there was a mistake. As I said, the ticket clearly read $107.??. At least that is what you could make out from the 3^rd grade scribble. Unfortunately it actually read $109.??. So, instead of a letter requesting the two dollars, they issue a warrant for his arrest. I am guessing they went this route as they stand to make additional funds, over and above the two dollars.

The Hunt Is Over.........

Another Archery season has passed us by and I must say it was on of the best in a while.This has nothing to do with actually killing a deer but the whole outdoor experience.The weather was near perfect and I got to take my son with me on his first hunt.I saw allot of game and got to enjoy an abundance of much needed solitude.

The First Hunt With My Son......

So it wasn't the perfect hunt.It started with him getting home late from school then deciding that he really did not want to go. So after about 20 minutes of whining and discussion he decided that he would go after all which put us in the stand about 30 minutes later than I had planned.So we got into the woods and up into the stand and I discovered that there was something wrong with the way the stand I would be sitting in was attached to the tree so I had to spend another 20 minutes fixing that.I was really getting disappointed at this point as I new that the hunt was probably going to be a wash,and this was time I had planned on just sitting and talking with him.
Regardless of all that we had a really nice time, and I am looking forward to many more days spent in the field

"GONE HUNTING"

So not much happening cycling wise these days. I keep threatening to get on the trainer but that has yer to happen. I have been commuting back and forth to work though and try to get as much out of that ride every day that I can. I have been doing some lifting though and plan to bring the spin bike into the living room in the next couple of day so maybe I will see a HR of over 100 soon.

I also plan to get back to spin class within the next couple of weeks and hopefully get back to teaching some classes next month.

Cash For Kittens......
So now our government is trying to pass some legislation that will allow you to take a $3500.00 deduction per person, for pet care off your tax bill.Now I love my pets as much as the next guy but they are a luxury not a necessity people. Of course I'm sure that the "PETA" People are all over this one praising its existence.Give me a break.

Government Stimulus Money Going To The Middle East...
So a fellow cyclist of mine is praising the government stimulus for al the nice new paved roads that the now has to ride on. He says that they are even busy paving roads in his area. Even roads that were just done last year. He is however wise enough to realize that all that pavement leads to more oil consumption, thus fleecing the pockets of our middle eastern friends.

Roaring Run

Just time for a quicky today. I had promised to place a link to the Roaring Run Race photos. If you cant view them email me and I will put them somewhere else.

Thanks to all that came out to participate dn suport this race even though the Stongland folks leave allot to be desired but just be glad you weren't at the Road Race.That is even worse as far as organization and Support goes.Thanks to all the RRWA volunteers that did show up to hep out. The chamber does nothing to help out as far as setting up and getting things at the course ready.I am actually trying to get RRWA to put on their own races including a triathelon.

Interesting research on Atrial Fibrillation......

As it relates to exercise.......

Jogging increases risk of atrial fibrillation

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Although there isample evidence that habitual exercise is healthy

and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease,hypertension and diabetes, and can help normalize

lipid (cholesterol) levels, there is growing evidencethat too vigorous exercise performed for extended periods of time can increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), especially lone AF.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital now report that regular jogging may be particularly detrimental afs ar as the development of AF is concerned.Their study included 16,921 male physicians who were enrolled in the Physicians’ Health Study in1982 when they were between the ages of 40 and 84 years. Three and nine years after enrollment, the participants were asked if they regularly engaged in an exercise program vigorous enough to work up a sweat. The majority (62.6%) answered yes and 12.6% reported that they engaged in vigorous exercise 5-7 days a week. The frequency of vigorous exercise was directly associated with alcohol intake, fish consumption, and the use of multivitamin, vitamin C and vitamin E supplements.

It is interesting that more than 90% of exercisers reported consuming fish at least once a week, 35% regularly took multivitamins, and 25% supplemented with vitamin C. Non-exercisers, on the other hand, tended to be older, overweight, and smokers. They also had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes and hypertension.

The physicians participating in the study were asked at 15, 17, 18 and 19 years after enrollment if they had ever been diagnosed with AF – about 10% answered yes. Based on the exercise data
obtained 3 years following enrollment, the researchers concluded that men under the age of 50 years who exercised vigorously 5-7 days a week had a substantially higher risk than non-exercisers of developing AF when corrected for all confounding variables. Further analysis of the data showed that regular jogging was associated with a 53% increased risk of AF in all age groups with those jogging in excess of 4 miles a day having the greater risk. No overall association was found between regular cycling, swimming or racket sports and the development of AF.

The researchers speculate that frequent, vigorous exercise may cause AF through several possible mechanisms including enlargement of the left atrium, development of left ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular dilation, and an increase in parasympathetic (vagal) tone. They point out that jogging results in greater enhancement of the parasympathetic nervous system than does other types of exercise. They also suggest that the fact that aging tends to decrease parasympathetic activity may account for the finding that older men are less likely to develop AF as a result of vigorous exercise. They conclude that frequent, vigorous exercise is associated with an increased risk of developing AF in young men (under the age of 50 years) and joggers.

Aizer, A, et al. Relation of vigorous exercise to risk of atrial fibrillation. American Journal of Cardiology, Vol. 103, 2009, pp. 1572-77

Editor’s comment: This report adds to an already impressive body of literature concluding that, while regular, moderate exercise is healthy and materially helps in preventing many serious disease conditions, overdoing the exercise, especially by engaging in frequent, long-distance jogging sessions significantly increases the risk of developing afib, particularly in men below the age of 50 years.

Cash For Clunkers.......

So I took a bite from the apple. I tried to resist but could not pass up getting $4500.00 for my rust bucket of a truck to get my wife a new car. As to be expected though, the car buying experience was far less than stellar. Never have I dealt with an industry that is so obviously hurting, and so unwilling to give an inch. Not a single one was willing to budge on the sticker on their vehicle and I had pretty much decided to forgo the purchase and wait it out. I had settled on a car and had a salesperson that treated me pretty good but i seriously could not get her to budge even $400.00 on the price. Finally I called a local dealership, and much to my surprise they were willing to deal a little so that's what I did.

I hope its at least another 10 years before I have to go through that again.... Although I will be purchasing another truck in a month or to but I will just pay cash for that an deal with an individual.

While We Are On The Subject.........

As we were talking at the dealership I brought up the CFC and my real feelings on the situation. Of course my wife, who is smart as a whip has little knowledge of politics and the real cost of programs such as this and who will actually be paying for it. So to drive the point home I looked at my 6 year old son, who was very excited about his new chariot and I said, " Thanks for the $4500.00 loan son", which brought some uncomfortable laughter form the group staff standing around.

I'm So Tired...........

Of this health Care issue. How can anybody think that the Government, with its track record of overspending and miss-management of everything they do can possibly run health care. I actually started reading the bill the other day, which is pretty much impossible to understand with all the double speak and references to this part and that part. It did not talk long to see that this is more a bout job creation of Washington insiders and their political friends than health insurance. All decisions on changes to the program fall on the shoulders of one person who will be advised by a panel, all of which will be appointed witch means little more than my way or the highway. The other real problem I see with it is that the plan can be totally be revamped within a year, so even if they were to pass something that we as a country can swallow they can turn around and completely change what we all agreed on to whatever they want. within one year, by people that are appointed to their positions (like minded thinking instead of diversity).

Lets be honest here folks...the real problem with health care costs is the skyrocketing costs of "MALPRACTICE INSURANCE". I have several friends that are both doctors and surgeons and they pay between $300,000.00 and $600,000 dollars a year before they can even practice. No payment plan folks that is a lump sum payment and that was a few years ago an I am sure that those prices have not gone up. The other 2 leading causes of expensive health care are illegals and those on government health plans that run to the emergency room for every sniffle they get. This is not a biased opinion this is a fact that I have personally seen first hand.

And as far as those without health care not getting help I would refute that as well. As of right now my wife has no insurance...but has never been turned down for care and has also been given assistance with her obligations. Our local Hospital actually has a plan to help those without health insurance as does her regular doctor. These plans have covered a major portion of her costs, which to this point has been far less $$ than we would have paid for her to have coverage. They are also income based plans so they are more than fair on what your part to pay will be as well as having gracious payment plans.

"Doctors are a lot of times forced to make decisions based on demand fee schedules"..........

I will let this statement speak for itself. I also wont mention whose mouth this was uttered from except to say that "They Acted Stupidly".

Two Weeks To The Day........

After my Ablation. Everything is going great so far except that I am about to go crazy with the fact that I cant do the things I really enjoy right now. Its just temporary I know but it still stinks. I have started walking to work every day (3 miles) and will start running in about 2 weeks then back to spinning 2 weeks after that.

The Procedure....
Ended up taking about 10 hours since they did both Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter Ablations but that is fine with me. I had actually been in Atrial Flutter for about 7 days leading up the the Ablation with a heart rate of between 160 and 170. It was like I had drank 100 espressos or something like that. I only slept a couple of hours a night and was totally amped up. They quickly took care of that when I got to the hospital with some drugs but I never converted back to NSR until they zapped me. Thank god I was out of it when they did that. I almost forgot I had one of these done as well. Ended up staying a week in the Hospital

I was wondering what that big horseshoe shaped, wired patch they placed on my sternum and the big one on my back was for.

The Countdown Is Underway..........

So my ablation was scheduled for late October originally but they called me the other day, saying they had a cancellation so I am on deck for next week. Of course I have pretty much been in Affib ever since. I don't feel like I am stressing about the procedure but I know that I am deep inside. Also the constant talking about it to people about it when they ask what going on does not help Everyone I ride with know...don't ask how I am feeling until the ride is through.

Speaking of Stress......
Actually had a stress test today which was pretty involved. The staff there were really nice and the nurse was excited as I was the only walking stress test they had scheduled for the day. I asked her what other kind of stress test there was and she said non-walking. "Non walikng...I asked? So I asked her "What do you do, just keep insulting them until they reach their boiling point. Then I told her "If you want me to do a non walking stress test to just go out and bring that red head the came along with me today in here, I'm sure she can get me riled up."

They started off by injecting me with some kind of radioactive material the took about 40 pics of my heart...then the stress test.....then more radioactive stuff and more photos. The whole process took about 5 hours from the time I arrived until the time they cut me loose.

Its Just Like Exercise IN A Bottle......
Only worse...Like I said I had a stress test today but by the time I got around to the walking part I was in Affib so non walking it was...."Bring on the readhead." I only wish it was that easy. They actually injected me with something to mimic the stress created by exercise. Now I have exercised allot in my life. Done some races and endured quite a bit of pain, but I can count on one hand the number of times I felt like this during it. I cant put the experience into words but I told them if they were ever planning on marketing this as an alternative to exercise that they were going to be poor for the rest of their natural lives.