On 2017-11-15 11:20, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/14/2017 11:08 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, November 14, 2017 at 4:41:22 PM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-11-14 16:15, jbeattie wrote:
[...]
I can't hang with the eBikes through the hills -- not without giving
myself a heart attack, and although death is part of my long-term
financial plan, I'm saving it for later.
Some guys are pushing it too far. I passed a rider last week on a hill,
probably about 65, somewhat obese but lots of leg muscles. That didn't
sit well with him so he passed me and really stepped on it, telling me
"It's on, mate!". I decided not to give chase because he was really fast
and I carried some load. Up the hill where it leveled off I closed up
quickly and he looked totally exhausted. That can't be good.
"It's on mate"(?) What a dope. I would have gone out and bought an
old Silca frame pump just so I could stick it in his front wheel.
"Hey, wait here; I'll be right back." I pass people all the time and
couldn't imagine saying "It's on mate." I'd sign up for Death with
Dignity if I did that sort of thing.
I don't see what's so bad about that. It was a good-natured enticement
to a little race except I didn't want to race up the hill. I don't like
hills.
Totally OT, but I was riding up on Skyline a few months back and ran
into a group of guys I raced with 30 years ago -- including a guy who
was a junior prodigy back in the '70s and was in USCF development
camps with Andy Hampsten and Greg LeMond. He's now CEO of a national
company. We just rode along, nobody trying to prove anything, talking
about the good old days. My regular cohort is like that too, except we
do race each other at very predictable points in the ride. I'm
slowing, so my place is no longer assured. I've learned to be more
strategic, and my friends have learned to wait.
Too much competitiveness is why I didn't like riding with Dutch groups
back in my younger days. The Belgian groups were much more casual. They
let me join in when I came upon them even though I didn't wear cycling
clothes. When one of them spotted a good pub he hollered and everyone
followed him there. Occasionally the guys with two bottle holders had a
demi-bouteille of red wine in the 2nd one and let that circle around.
FWIW, a local mountain biker was found dead on some very tame single
track a few days ago. I didn't know him, but have friends who did. They
described him as middle aged (much younger than me), in tremendous
physical shape, built like a muscular swimmer, very low body fat, a
regular user of the YMCA etc.
Given the location, he probably wasn't pushing anywhere close to cardio
extremes. Indications are he was JRA and died instantly.
Apparently there is a correlation between long history as an endurance
athlete and atrial fibrillation and other electrical problems. Grant
Peterson has written about what he calls good exercise and bad exercise.
My views have certainly changed.
Redlining anything a lot isn't healthy, whether it is a combustion
engine or a heart. However, sometimes it's just bad luck or genes. I
knew a guy in Norway who walked almost everywhere instead of driving,
without pushing himself. He had a very healthy lifestyle, good food, no
booze, no smoking. One day in his mid 40's he didn't arrive after hiking
across a forest path, cardiac arrest.
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com/