out here in the middle
christianity, music, cycling
out here in the middle...
Diagnosis: Cardiac Arrhythmia
On Thursday, I was diagnosed with a cardiac arrhythmia.
Sounds pretty impressive, doesn't it? After all, it is what killed Elvis (who died when he was one year younger than I am now). But don't panic, I am apparently going to pull through. As it turns out, about 850,000 people a year are hospitalized in the U.S. with this affliction, so I am one of many. As Davey would say, "It'll buff out."
I first noticed it several years ago—I can't even say for sure when (making it more challenging for the doctor to make a firm diagnosis). The best way to describe it is the feeling you get when your heart races—when you get excited over a football game or some good news. You can't catch your breath, and your heart is pounding.
About six weeks ago, I had a pretty tough bike ride. It was the Wednesday night ride, and I decided to hit it a little harder than usual. Over about two hours, my average heart rate was 152 (higher than normal for me), and my max heart rate was 175, only two beats per minute less than my maximum. Even though my average speed doesn't reflect it (17.5mph), my exertion rate was pretty high.
When I got home and went to bed, I noticed that racing feeling in my heart much more, and it concerned me. I was going over in my mind what the cause could be, when I remembered once reading a book on training, and learned that over-training can cause heart palpitations. Relieved, I took a rest day on Thursday, and hoped things would get back to normal. They didn't. I can't say the symptoms got worse, but they didn't get any better either. It got to the point where if I was awake, I was feeling it, in the morning when I woke up, throughout the day at work, and at night when I got in bed.
On one particular night this week, I couldn't sleep. My heart was racing. It was 1:30 in the morning. I checked my pulse, and counted each heart beat. That's when I noticed that every so often, my heart would just stop beating. It might be every third beat, or every seventh or eighth. It only stopped for one beat, then it started up again. But it was creepy, and I was scared.
It seems that we've been hearing a lot about cardiac arrest lately. Of course, the most famous recent victim is Michael Jackson. But apparently it is what killed Billy Mayes too. I learned this week that cardiac arrest is not the same thing as a heart attack. You can have cardiac arrest without having a diseased heart with blocked arteries. That's why healthy guys like Jim Fixx drop dead every once in a while. Last year, my friend Tom Woodson was mowing his lawn. Tom was in his forties. His heart quit. He appeared to be extremely fit (he always reminded me of Tom Selleck), but his heart just decided to stop beating one day. This week, I learned that a friend that I graduated with suffered a massive heart attack. He is the same age as me. He survived the attack, but doctors are unsure of how much damage there is to his heart, or what the ultimate outcome will be.
So with all these people dropping out from heart problems, you can see why it scared me that my heart was only beating when it wanted to. I decided that I would go see my doctor, but he was busy, so I went to the walk in clinic at Saint Francis. As soon as we sat down with the admissions lady, she said, "I need to tell you right now that there is a two and a half hour wait to see a doctor." I almost left, but then I thought, "Dude, you're having a freaking heart attack. You're not waiting two hours for anything!" And you know what? I was right. If you ever want to get to head of the line, use the phrase, "chest pains," or "heart attack." I think we waited five minutes.
They asked me a bunch of questions, took my pulse and blood pressure, and asked if I was a smoker or a drinker. Then they took me to a room, and hooked me up to an EKG. Less than five minutes later, I was with a doctor. He asked me a ton of questions—do you have blackouts, do you have pain in your arms or legs, do you this, do you that, on and on this went.
Then he asked me the million dollar question. And I do mean that it was a million dollar question.
Do you ever exercise?
I said, "no, I don't exercise. But I do ride my bicycle. A lot." He wanted to know what I meant by "a lot." I said, "I ride to work three to five days a week. I ride 35 to 45 miles a day, 175 to 200 miles a week, maybe 5000 miles a year." He asked if I had these heart issues while on the bike, and I told him that I didn't know. If I did, I hadn't ever noticed.
But then I told him that I never get on a bicycle without my heart rate monitor. I'm just kind of a freak that way, I like to know what my heart rate is, how many calories I'm burning, etc. He asked about the data I collect from that. Resting heart rate? Mid-forties. Maximum heart rate? 177. Average heart rate over a sustained ride of two or more hours? 135-155. He was furiously taking copious notes the whole time.
Then he clicked his pen, closed the folder, and said, "you're going to be just fine. You have a benign cardiac arrhythmia. It is fairly common. We could treat it, but you wouldn't like the side effects."
I asked him how he knew it wasn't something more serious. He told me that if I had a diseased heart, or if the arrhythmia was not benign, I would not be able to sustain a heart rate of anything over 90 beats per minute for longer than 10 to 12 minutes. He said, "If you had heart disease, or a more serious problem, you would already be dead by now, from all that bike riding."
They did some blood work, to determine if my electrolyte levels, magnesium and potassium were normal (they were perfect, he said). Then they sent me home. Later, I scheduled a complete physical with my regular doctor.
Now I am not saying that cycling and weight loss are the reasons why this is not a more serious problem. I don't know, but I'm pretty sure that if I still weighed 285 and spent most of my down time sitting on this couch, I would still have a benign cardiac arrhythmia. I could be wrong about that—if I hadn't lost weight and spent so much time riding, I might have a bad heart rather than a healthy one, but I don't know. The reason I called it a "million dollar" question is that if not for the cycling, and the weight loss, and the compulsive attention to heart rate, it would have cost a lot more money to find out that there is nothing seriously wrong with me. If the answer to that question had been, "I never get any physical exercise," I suspect I would have been asked to make an appointment with a specialist, and had all kinds of invasive tests done to determine that I wasn't going to have a heart attack. I would have gotten a lecture on health, fitness, weight loss, and diet. It would have cost me a lot of money personally, and it would have cost my insurance plan a lot more than that. A full battery of tests, a heart cath, a dye test, etc., might cost $20-40,000. Heart surgery? $150,000. So the money I've spent on bicycling seems like a bargain in comparison.
Once again, cycling pays off.
Sounds pretty impressive, doesn't it? After all, it is what killed Elvis (who died when he was one year younger than I am now). But don't panic, I am apparently going to pull through. As it turns out, about 850,000 people a year are hospitalized in the U.S. with this affliction, so I am one of many. As Davey would say, "It'll buff out."
I first noticed it several years ago—I can't even say for sure when (making it more challenging for the doctor to make a firm diagnosis). The best way to describe it is the feeling you get when your heart races—when you get excited over a football game or some good news. You can't catch your breath, and your heart is pounding.
About six weeks ago, I had a pretty tough bike ride. It was the Wednesday night ride, and I decided to hit it a little harder than usual. Over about two hours, my average heart rate was 152 (higher than normal for me), and my max heart rate was 175, only two beats per minute less than my maximum. Even though my average speed doesn't reflect it (17.5mph), my exertion rate was pretty high.
When I got home and went to bed, I noticed that racing feeling in my heart much more, and it concerned me. I was going over in my mind what the cause could be, when I remembered once reading a book on training, and learned that over-training can cause heart palpitations. Relieved, I took a rest day on Thursday, and hoped things would get back to normal. They didn't. I can't say the symptoms got worse, but they didn't get any better either. It got to the point where if I was awake, I was feeling it, in the morning when I woke up, throughout the day at work, and at night when I got in bed.
On one particular night this week, I couldn't sleep. My heart was racing. It was 1:30 in the morning. I checked my pulse, and counted each heart beat. That's when I noticed that every so often, my heart would just stop beating. It might be every third beat, or every seventh or eighth. It only stopped for one beat, then it started up again. But it was creepy, and I was scared.
It seems that we've been hearing a lot about cardiac arrest lately. Of course, the most famous recent victim is Michael Jackson. But apparently it is what killed Billy Mayes too. I learned this week that cardiac arrest is not the same thing as a heart attack. You can have cardiac arrest without having a diseased heart with blocked arteries. That's why healthy guys like Jim Fixx drop dead every once in a while. Last year, my friend Tom Woodson was mowing his lawn. Tom was in his forties. His heart quit. He appeared to be extremely fit (he always reminded me of Tom Selleck), but his heart just decided to stop beating one day. This week, I learned that a friend that I graduated with suffered a massive heart attack. He is the same age as me. He survived the attack, but doctors are unsure of how much damage there is to his heart, or what the ultimate outcome will be.
So with all these people dropping out from heart problems, you can see why it scared me that my heart was only beating when it wanted to. I decided that I would go see my doctor, but he was busy, so I went to the walk in clinic at Saint Francis. As soon as we sat down with the admissions lady, she said, "I need to tell you right now that there is a two and a half hour wait to see a doctor." I almost left, but then I thought, "Dude, you're having a freaking heart attack. You're not waiting two hours for anything!" And you know what? I was right. If you ever want to get to head of the line, use the phrase, "chest pains," or "heart attack." I think we waited five minutes.
They asked me a bunch of questions, took my pulse and blood pressure, and asked if I was a smoker or a drinker. Then they took me to a room, and hooked me up to an EKG. Less than five minutes later, I was with a doctor. He asked me a ton of questions—do you have blackouts, do you have pain in your arms or legs, do you this, do you that, on and on this went.
Then he asked me the million dollar question. And I do mean that it was a million dollar question.
Do you ever exercise?
I said, "no, I don't exercise. But I do ride my bicycle. A lot." He wanted to know what I meant by "a lot." I said, "I ride to work three to five days a week. I ride 35 to 45 miles a day, 175 to 200 miles a week, maybe 5000 miles a year." He asked if I had these heart issues while on the bike, and I told him that I didn't know. If I did, I hadn't ever noticed.
But then I told him that I never get on a bicycle without my heart rate monitor. I'm just kind of a freak that way, I like to know what my heart rate is, how many calories I'm burning, etc. He asked about the data I collect from that. Resting heart rate? Mid-forties. Maximum heart rate? 177. Average heart rate over a sustained ride of two or more hours? 135-155. He was furiously taking copious notes the whole time.
Then he clicked his pen, closed the folder, and said, "you're going to be just fine. You have a benign cardiac arrhythmia. It is fairly common. We could treat it, but you wouldn't like the side effects."
I asked him how he knew it wasn't something more serious. He told me that if I had a diseased heart, or if the arrhythmia was not benign, I would not be able to sustain a heart rate of anything over 90 beats per minute for longer than 10 to 12 minutes. He said, "If you had heart disease, or a more serious problem, you would already be dead by now, from all that bike riding."
They did some blood work, to determine if my electrolyte levels, magnesium and potassium were normal (they were perfect, he said). Then they sent me home. Later, I scheduled a complete physical with my regular doctor.
Now I am not saying that cycling and weight loss are the reasons why this is not a more serious problem. I don't know, but I'm pretty sure that if I still weighed 285 and spent most of my down time sitting on this couch, I would still have a benign cardiac arrhythmia. I could be wrong about that—if I hadn't lost weight and spent so much time riding, I might have a bad heart rather than a healthy one, but I don't know. The reason I called it a "million dollar" question is that if not for the cycling, and the weight loss, and the compulsive attention to heart rate, it would have cost a lot more money to find out that there is nothing seriously wrong with me. If the answer to that question had been, "I never get any physical exercise," I suspect I would have been asked to make an appointment with a specialist, and had all kinds of invasive tests done to determine that I wasn't going to have a heart attack. I would have gotten a lecture on health, fitness, weight loss, and diet. It would have cost me a lot of money personally, and it would have cost my insurance plan a lot more than that. A full battery of tests, a heart cath, a dye test, etc., might cost $20-40,000. Heart surgery? $150,000. So the money I've spent on bicycling seems like a bargain in comparison.
Once again, cycling pays off.
Creative Ways To Take God's Name In Vain
I was raised to believe that you don't take the Lord's name in vain. It IS a commandment, after all. It is the third commandment, in fact (unless you're Catholic or Lutheran, then it's the second). But still, it is right up there.
I never really understood what that meant, taking the Lord's name in vain, except where it comes to using the expression, "god!" Like, "GOD! I can't believe the Orioles can't BUY a win this season." I always understood it to mean when you throw His name around like it was nothing. Like when Everett said, "JESUS CHRIST! Can't I count on you people?!"
Lisa will not allow the use of the Lord's name in vain when she is around. She gets flat mad about it. Now, when she gets really upset, she will let the expletives fly, but never the Lord's name. No sir, not ever.
I still wince when people use God's name in a flippant manner. But eventually I came to understand that there is more than one way to violate the third commandment. I think when people attribute things to God that He has no part of, that is taking His name in vain. That happens a lot among well-meaning believers. But I'll save that one for another time.
Yesterday we saw a prime example of creativity when violating the third commandment. And it came from none other than Tausha Borland, the drunk, pill-popping murdering bitch who killed two cyclists on June 9.
When they first arrested her, this is what she looked like:
This week, Borland was called back to court to face a bail hearing. See, the judge in the case did not feel like there was any compelling reason to keep her in jail, so bail was set at $50,000 per victim. All her family had to do was put up $10,000, and she was free to go, free to drive, shop, enjoy life, or whatever else she wanted to do. But a motion was filed to increase her bail amount to $500,000. When she showed up for court this week, this is what she looked like:
Looks like Ms. Borland found time to get down to the salon for a cut and color. And look at her neck. SHE IS WEARING A CROSS NECKLACE.
She callously takes the life of two exceptional people (and make no mistake about it, she would have taken your life too if you'd gotten in her way), but when she has to appear before the judge, she puts a cross necklace on, as though that would evoke sympathy. It makes me sick.
I'm no Bible scholar, but it seems to me that this is one way a person can take the name of the Lord in vain. Just pull Him out of your hip pocket, when you need Him. It's all good.
Some might say it worked, because the judge did not grant the DA's request for $500k bail. The court did raise her bail, to $300,000. The court ordered that if she makes bail (which she did, on Tuesday morning), she has to wear an ankle bracelet monitor, be subject to house arrest, she has to surrender her drivers license, and is not allowed to come with spitting distance of an establishment that sells alcoholic beverages. We'll see if she complies. I wouldn't bet the rent on it though.
I never really understood what that meant, taking the Lord's name in vain, except where it comes to using the expression, "god!" Like, "GOD! I can't believe the Orioles can't BUY a win this season." I always understood it to mean when you throw His name around like it was nothing. Like when Everett said, "JESUS CHRIST! Can't I count on you people?!"
Lisa will not allow the use of the Lord's name in vain when she is around. She gets flat mad about it. Now, when she gets really upset, she will let the expletives fly, but never the Lord's name. No sir, not ever.
I still wince when people use God's name in a flippant manner. But eventually I came to understand that there is more than one way to violate the third commandment. I think when people attribute things to God that He has no part of, that is taking His name in vain. That happens a lot among well-meaning believers. But I'll save that one for another time.
Yesterday we saw a prime example of creativity when violating the third commandment. And it came from none other than Tausha Borland, the drunk, pill-popping murdering bitch who killed two cyclists on June 9.
When they first arrested her, this is what she looked like:
This week, Borland was called back to court to face a bail hearing. See, the judge in the case did not feel like there was any compelling reason to keep her in jail, so bail was set at $50,000 per victim. All her family had to do was put up $10,000, and she was free to go, free to drive, shop, enjoy life, or whatever else she wanted to do. But a motion was filed to increase her bail amount to $500,000. When she showed up for court this week, this is what she looked like:
Looks like Ms. Borland found time to get down to the salon for a cut and color. And look at her neck. SHE IS WEARING A CROSS NECKLACE.
She callously takes the life of two exceptional people (and make no mistake about it, she would have taken your life too if you'd gotten in her way), but when she has to appear before the judge, she puts a cross necklace on, as though that would evoke sympathy. It makes me sick.
I'm no Bible scholar, but it seems to me that this is one way a person can take the name of the Lord in vain. Just pull Him out of your hip pocket, when you need Him. It's all good.
Some might say it worked, because the judge did not grant the DA's request for $500k bail. The court did raise her bail, to $300,000. The court ordered that if she makes bail (which she did, on Tuesday morning), she has to wear an ankle bracelet monitor, be subject to house arrest, she has to surrender her drivers license, and is not allowed to come with spitting distance of an establishment that sells alcoholic beverages. We'll see if she complies. I wouldn't bet the rent on it though.
"Cyclists Should Stay On The Trails, Where They're Safe"
Last week, two members of Tulsa's cycling community were killed while riding their bicycles. Another was injured.
They were riding along highway 51 near Sand Springs, when a drunk driver plowed into them at a high rate of speed. She never even saw them. They never had a chance. In case you missed it, here is the story. And here is a link to the list of follow up stories regarding the incident.
As you might expect, this incident has re-ignited the debate over cyclists and roads. My experience has been that most drivers are cordial and patient when they encounter a cyclist as part of traffic. Cordial, but often ignorant. I hear people say that cyclists should not be on the road with cars (even though the law allows for it). I hear them say we should be riding on the shoulder (even though there is no requirement for us to do so). And I hear them say that we should ride single file (the law says we should ride no more than two abreast).
Of course, I often run into people who are both ignorant and rude. A few weeks ago I encountered a driver who told me, in a very angry manner, that he had called police, and they were on their way, because we should not be riding in the road. Police never showed up.
The epicenter of the debate for the past week has been the online version of the Tulsa World. One advantage to the online version of the paper is that readers can immediately comment on a story. Of course, that also means any idiot with a computer and online access can say just about whatever pops into their pea-sized brain.
Among the logic that has come from these online forums regarding the recent deaths of Christa Voss and Matt Redmonds:
Tausha Borland, aka, worthless piece of crap
One of the more asinine comments I read came from a reader who said that because Tulsa has miles and miles of trails designed just for bikes and pedestrians, cyclists should be limited to riding them, "because they're safe."
But then a news report came on that I almost missed. It was on Channel 6. Curiously, none of the other news outlets carried the story of a driver, allegedly drunk, who flipped his car up and embankment, through a fence, and onto the Creek Trail. Here is a link to the story (thanks, KOTV). Below are some pictures from the scene. If you want to get an idea of how fortunate it is that no one was killed, check out this video, from the KOTV helicopter. Notice the joggers running past. How is it, if not for the grace of God, that no one was killed?
This photo is from KOTV's website
This is where the car came through the fence. It took a lot of velocity to move that
car off the road, up a steep embankment, through the fence, and onto the opposite lane
of the trail. How fast must this idiot have been going??
This tree was the only apparent victim, thankfully.
There are still oil stains in the grass.
And debris from the crash, like this headlight
This accident hits home for me. I ride this section of the trail just about every day. It is a part of my regular commute to and from work. The incident occurred a few minutes after 5pm, the exact time I ride this section of trail, on my way home from the bank. Any cyclist, jogger, walker, kid, or whomever, would have surely been killed if they had been on the trail. A co-worker told me that her friend had jogged past that very spot, only twenty seconds before. If she had stopped even to tie her shoe, she would be dead right now. The husband of one of Lisa's friends was killed a few years ago, as he jogged along the Riverparks Trail. A driver lost control of his vehicle, left the road, and plowed into him as he was running.
So please, somebody tell me how limiting cyclists to the Tulsa trails system is safer.
So the issue here is not about cycling, traffic laws, or whether cars should have to share the road with bicycles. The issue is common sense. Drink whatever you want, but don't get into a car. If you're sober and driving, be patient with slower moving and more vulnerable traffic, such as bicycles. If animosity between drivers and cyclists continues, the next step will not be to ban cyclists from the roads. The next step will be to lower speed limits for cars on surface streets (which I am in favor of). It is all about common sense, using your brain, and putting into practice what we learned in Kindergarten. Share. Be nice to each other. Wait your turn.
It really is that simple.
They were riding along highway 51 near Sand Springs, when a drunk driver plowed into them at a high rate of speed. She never even saw them. They never had a chance. In case you missed it, here is the story. And here is a link to the list of follow up stories regarding the incident.
As you might expect, this incident has re-ignited the debate over cyclists and roads. My experience has been that most drivers are cordial and patient when they encounter a cyclist as part of traffic. Cordial, but often ignorant. I hear people say that cyclists should not be on the road with cars (even though the law allows for it). I hear them say we should be riding on the shoulder (even though there is no requirement for us to do so). And I hear them say that we should ride single file (the law says we should ride no more than two abreast).
Of course, I often run into people who are both ignorant and rude. A few weeks ago I encountered a driver who told me, in a very angry manner, that he had called police, and they were on their way, because we should not be riding in the road. Police never showed up.
The epicenter of the debate for the past week has been the online version of the Tulsa World. One advantage to the online version of the paper is that readers can immediately comment on a story. Of course, that also means any idiot with a computer and online access can say just about whatever pops into their pea-sized brain.
Among the logic that has come from these online forums regarding the recent deaths of Christa Voss and Matt Redmonds:
- Cyclists should not be allowed to ride on the roads, period.
- Cyclists should only be allowed to ride on certain roads.
- Cyclists should be allowed to use the roads, but it is not smart to do so (one man told me that the only law I should be concerned about is the law of physics).
- Widen the sidewalks.
Tausha Borland, aka, worthless piece of crap
One of the more asinine comments I read came from a reader who said that because Tulsa has miles and miles of trails designed just for bikes and pedestrians, cyclists should be limited to riding them, "because they're safe."
But then a news report came on that I almost missed. It was on Channel 6. Curiously, none of the other news outlets carried the story of a driver, allegedly drunk, who flipped his car up and embankment, through a fence, and onto the Creek Trail. Here is a link to the story (thanks, KOTV). Below are some pictures from the scene. If you want to get an idea of how fortunate it is that no one was killed, check out this video, from the KOTV helicopter. Notice the joggers running past. How is it, if not for the grace of God, that no one was killed?
This photo is from KOTV's website
This is where the car came through the fence. It took a lot of velocity to move that
car off the road, up a steep embankment, through the fence, and onto the opposite lane
of the trail. How fast must this idiot have been going??
This tree was the only apparent victim, thankfully.
There are still oil stains in the grass.
And debris from the crash, like this headlight
This accident hits home for me. I ride this section of the trail just about every day. It is a part of my regular commute to and from work. The incident occurred a few minutes after 5pm, the exact time I ride this section of trail, on my way home from the bank. Any cyclist, jogger, walker, kid, or whomever, would have surely been killed if they had been on the trail. A co-worker told me that her friend had jogged past that very spot, only twenty seconds before. If she had stopped even to tie her shoe, she would be dead right now. The husband of one of Lisa's friends was killed a few years ago, as he jogged along the Riverparks Trail. A driver lost control of his vehicle, left the road, and plowed into him as he was running.
So please, somebody tell me how limiting cyclists to the Tulsa trails system is safer.
So the issue here is not about cycling, traffic laws, or whether cars should have to share the road with bicycles. The issue is common sense. Drink whatever you want, but don't get into a car. If you're sober and driving, be patient with slower moving and more vulnerable traffic, such as bicycles. If animosity between drivers and cyclists continues, the next step will not be to ban cyclists from the roads. The next step will be to lower speed limits for cars on surface streets (which I am in favor of). It is all about common sense, using your brain, and putting into practice what we learned in Kindergarten. Share. Be nice to each other. Wait your turn.
It really is that simple.
FreeWheel 2009 Day 7: Alva to Kiowa, Kansas
We have pedaled all we can, eaten all the ice cream we could find, and climbed about every hill western Oklahoma can boast. And we survived.
Day Seven of FreeWheel 2009 was no easy spin. Normally it is—the last day is typically short, and not very hilly. Not so this year. The ride was just over 40 miles, and it was plenty hilly. Adding to the misery was a 15mph headwind that slapped us in the face the entire way, except for about a quarter of a mile, right at the end.
Spencer, Paul, and I rolled out at about 6:30 on Saturday morning, hoping to beat that wind. Didn't work. We knew we would have to work together, and that is exactly what we did. We formed a small paceline, which grew over the next couple of miles. Eventually we had about ten riders on board, and we were really racing, reaching speeds over 20mph. A turn to the west, and a steep climb, and most of the paceline fell off the back. At the top, we waited to regroup, then started in again. After about 15 miles, we hit a really steep climb, and that's when the group completely blew up. It was down to me, Spencer, and a young guy named Ben, who lives in Norman, and is getting ready to move to Houston to take his first job out of college.
As we continued on, we eventually picked up some new riders, young guys, very fit. I wasn't crazy about them jumping on, since one of the guys was wearing headphones. Besides being illegal, and stupid, I don't think people who wear headphones can hear, and there is a lot of communicating that goes on in a paceline. So we picked up the pace a little, to see if we could break them, and on one particular hill, we did it. We got to the top of one hill, and I heard the headphones guy say to his friend, "I can't keep this up." Sweet. Old guys rule.
Kiowa, Kansas was remarkable. It looked like most of the town turned out. The police were on loudspeakers directing us to the city park. There were churches and civic groups selling all kinds of food. There was music playing (Marty Robbins rocks), and homemade ice cream! Kiowa won my vote for town of the week. I hope they win. They deserve it.
FreeWheel 2009 was good. For the first time since I started riding this event in 2001, the wind did not cooperate, not even for one day. The big secret of FreeWheel is the wind. Most summers, Oklahoma winds blow strong out of the south, or the southwest. Perfect for this ride. This year, when the wind was out of the south, we were riding west, so we had a wicked crosswind. On the days when a south wind would be helpful, we had a north wind. There were parts of the route, on a couple of days, when the wind was favorable, but that is it. But it is the weather, and there isn't anything we can do about it, but lower our heads and spin.
Here is how the week breaks down:
Ready to rock Day 7
Rolling out
Ben and Spencer set up a killer paceline
Spencer and Ben
My buddy Meghan, and her dad David behind her
Lisa left us an encouraging message with about four miles left.
It was good to see that state line
Spencer, Me, Paul at the finish line in Kiowa
Those Kansans really know how to throw a party. Food was everywhere.
Day Seven of FreeWheel 2009 was no easy spin. Normally it is—the last day is typically short, and not very hilly. Not so this year. The ride was just over 40 miles, and it was plenty hilly. Adding to the misery was a 15mph headwind that slapped us in the face the entire way, except for about a quarter of a mile, right at the end.
Spencer, Paul, and I rolled out at about 6:30 on Saturday morning, hoping to beat that wind. Didn't work. We knew we would have to work together, and that is exactly what we did. We formed a small paceline, which grew over the next couple of miles. Eventually we had about ten riders on board, and we were really racing, reaching speeds over 20mph. A turn to the west, and a steep climb, and most of the paceline fell off the back. At the top, we waited to regroup, then started in again. After about 15 miles, we hit a really steep climb, and that's when the group completely blew up. It was down to me, Spencer, and a young guy named Ben, who lives in Norman, and is getting ready to move to Houston to take his first job out of college.
As we continued on, we eventually picked up some new riders, young guys, very fit. I wasn't crazy about them jumping on, since one of the guys was wearing headphones. Besides being illegal, and stupid, I don't think people who wear headphones can hear, and there is a lot of communicating that goes on in a paceline. So we picked up the pace a little, to see if we could break them, and on one particular hill, we did it. We got to the top of one hill, and I heard the headphones guy say to his friend, "I can't keep this up." Sweet. Old guys rule.
Kiowa, Kansas was remarkable. It looked like most of the town turned out. The police were on loudspeakers directing us to the city park. There were churches and civic groups selling all kinds of food. There was music playing (Marty Robbins rocks), and homemade ice cream! Kiowa won my vote for town of the week. I hope they win. They deserve it.
FreeWheel 2009 was good. For the first time since I started riding this event in 2001, the wind did not cooperate, not even for one day. The big secret of FreeWheel is the wind. Most summers, Oklahoma winds blow strong out of the south, or the southwest. Perfect for this ride. This year, when the wind was out of the south, we were riding west, so we had a wicked crosswind. On the days when a south wind would be helpful, we had a north wind. There were parts of the route, on a couple of days, when the wind was favorable, but that is it. But it is the weather, and there isn't anything we can do about it, but lower our heads and spin.
Here is how the week breaks down:
- Miles: 402.12
- Time in the saddle: 23 hours, 40 minutes
- Feet of elevation gain: 12,413
- Average speed: 16.8mph
- Calories burned: 35,812
Ready to rock Day 7
Rolling out
Ben and Spencer set up a killer paceline
Spencer and Ben
My buddy Meghan, and her dad David behind her
Lisa left us an encouraging message with about four miles left.
It was good to see that state line
Spencer, Me, Paul at the finish line in Kiowa
Those Kansans really know how to throw a party. Food was everywhere.
FreeWheel 2009 Day 6: Fairview to Alva
One lesson I've learned about Freewheel since Lisa started driving the camper each day—driving to the next town is a lot easier than riding a bicycle.
Who would have thought?
Lisa does a great job as our "team manager." She drives the car from town to town, and most of the time will find a choice camping spot, and have the camper all set up, the air conditioner on, chairs set up. Pretty impressive.
There is one thing Mrs. Kearney does not do well—storms. Day Six of FreeWheel started with storms on the horizon, and I knew that there is no way Lisa was going to want to drive in the bad weather. Even though I was all dressed and ready to go, I loaded my bike up, put some shorts on, and sent Spencer and Paul on their way. It was difficult to do, but I was glad I did. Lisa and I drove from camp to downtown Fairview, where there is a remarkable little coffee shop called the Tin Lion. We sat with an Americano and a cinnamon roll, chatted, and watched the rain fall. It was really good.
Once we determined that the storm had passed, we got into the car and drove toward Alva. It was fun to see the ride from another perspective. We got to Alva, and rather than set up the camper, we pulled our bikes down, and Lisa and I did a twenty mile spin. It wasn't the 70 miles that was on the docket for me on Friday, but it was good to ride with my favorite cycling buddy.
Spencer and Paul made excellent time—once the storms passed, the wind and the hills were non-factors, and they built a paceline, allowing them to average a smoking 19mph. They couldn't stop talking about it. I'm glad they had such a good day.
We had one close call on Friday—a man was struck by a semi. Well, not so much struck, as he was side swiped. He had tire marks on his body. He was very fortunate to have survived. The semi trucks were not doing much to yield to our presence on the road. I had one close call of my own this week.
No Garmin stats for the day. But we took some shots from the drive, and from our ride. Here you go.
Once the sun started to break through, the riding was good.
Snoop Dog doesn't like storms either.
Who would have thought?
Lisa does a great job as our "team manager." She drives the car from town to town, and most of the time will find a choice camping spot, and have the camper all set up, the air conditioner on, chairs set up. Pretty impressive.
There is one thing Mrs. Kearney does not do well—storms. Day Six of FreeWheel started with storms on the horizon, and I knew that there is no way Lisa was going to want to drive in the bad weather. Even though I was all dressed and ready to go, I loaded my bike up, put some shorts on, and sent Spencer and Paul on their way. It was difficult to do, but I was glad I did. Lisa and I drove from camp to downtown Fairview, where there is a remarkable little coffee shop called the Tin Lion. We sat with an Americano and a cinnamon roll, chatted, and watched the rain fall. It was really good.
Once we determined that the storm had passed, we got into the car and drove toward Alva. It was fun to see the ride from another perspective. We got to Alva, and rather than set up the camper, we pulled our bikes down, and Lisa and I did a twenty mile spin. It wasn't the 70 miles that was on the docket for me on Friday, but it was good to ride with my favorite cycling buddy.
Spencer and Paul made excellent time—once the storms passed, the wind and the hills were non-factors, and they built a paceline, allowing them to average a smoking 19mph. They couldn't stop talking about it. I'm glad they had such a good day.
We had one close call on Friday—a man was struck by a semi. Well, not so much struck, as he was side swiped. He had tire marks on his body. He was very fortunate to have survived. The semi trucks were not doing much to yield to our presence on the road. I had one close call of my own this week.
No Garmin stats for the day. But we took some shots from the drive, and from our ride. Here you go.
Once the sun started to break through, the riding was good.
Snoop Dog doesn't like storms either.
FreeWheel 2009 Day 5: Thomas to Fairview
Thursday started out a little lazy, and we all had the same idea to ignore our alarm clock and sleep in a little. Perhaps it was a subconscious rebellion against our neighbors, whom we overhead the night before, planning their day ahead. I heard them say they were waking up at 3:15 in the morning, and when their conversations and tent zippers woke me up in the middle of the night, I knew they were not kidding around. I don't care how other people work out their FreeWheel trip, that's their biz. But I just can't understand how it benefits anyone to wake up at three in the morning, and start riding. I understand the cool of the day. I understand that the winds don't generally pick up until closer to noon. Still, why ride in the dark? You miss all the scenery. And you might miss some turns. You certainly miss the conversations with other riders. I don't understand it, but God bless them anyway. We left at 8:00am.
It was a short day, only 54 miles. So Paul and I decided to take it easy, and ride a slow, steady pace. We only made one rest stop, and managed to keep an average of about 16.5mph. Considering the wind was out of the north all day, that's not too bad. Spencer pressed on ahead, and got in with an average speed of 17.5. After yesterday's hammerfest, I needed a break.
Fairview is a great town. Very hip. We ate lunch at a little coffee shop down on Main Street. I complimented the owner on what a nice establishment she had, and she said, "Not bad for a hick town, huh?" Later, we drove six miles south of town, to the Plymouth Valley winery. Dennis is the owner—he spent his career doing custom wheat harvesting, and when he retired, he went to chef's school. Not wanting to run a restaurant, he returned to his old stomping grounds, and started a winery. It is a really nice little place, and worth a trip out from Tulsa or OKC.
Tonight is Speed Wheel, the race event that always accompanies FreeWheel. There will be some pretty top notch amatuer racers from Tulsa, OKC, and Dallas who will come and compete for prize money. It's no Tulsa Tough, but there is always some good racing. I'll post some photos from that on tomorrow's update.
Tomorrow is a long day, the longest so far, at 70+ miles. The forecast is calling for warm temps, and a northeast wind—that's right, it will be right in our faces all day. Not cool. We're kicking around the idea of getting up a little extra early tomorrow (but not 3:00am), and trying to get most of the ride in before the winds really pick up. Look for us out on the road by 6:00am.
Here is the link to today's ride on my Garmin site. And here are some pics.
Doing the work of a "cyclevangelist," the store clerk asked us about bicycling. I tried to convert her.
This is Patrick, from Dallas. I told him that anyone who was studly enough to ride a fixie on FW needed
to be featured someplace. Why not here?
My kind of cycling team.
Dogs love cycling too.
My Facebook friend Heidi, AKA "Supermom"
My trusty steed, "The Mad One."
It was a short day, only 54 miles. So Paul and I decided to take it easy, and ride a slow, steady pace. We only made one rest stop, and managed to keep an average of about 16.5mph. Considering the wind was out of the north all day, that's not too bad. Spencer pressed on ahead, and got in with an average speed of 17.5. After yesterday's hammerfest, I needed a break.
Fairview is a great town. Very hip. We ate lunch at a little coffee shop down on Main Street. I complimented the owner on what a nice establishment she had, and she said, "Not bad for a hick town, huh?" Later, we drove six miles south of town, to the Plymouth Valley winery. Dennis is the owner—he spent his career doing custom wheat harvesting, and when he retired, he went to chef's school. Not wanting to run a restaurant, he returned to his old stomping grounds, and started a winery. It is a really nice little place, and worth a trip out from Tulsa or OKC.
Tonight is Speed Wheel, the race event that always accompanies FreeWheel. There will be some pretty top notch amatuer racers from Tulsa, OKC, and Dallas who will come and compete for prize money. It's no Tulsa Tough, but there is always some good racing. I'll post some photos from that on tomorrow's update.
Tomorrow is a long day, the longest so far, at 70+ miles. The forecast is calling for warm temps, and a northeast wind—that's right, it will be right in our faces all day. Not cool. We're kicking around the idea of getting up a little extra early tomorrow (but not 3:00am), and trying to get most of the ride in before the winds really pick up. Look for us out on the road by 6:00am.
Here is the link to today's ride on my Garmin site. And here are some pics.
Doing the work of a "cyclevangelist," the store clerk asked us about bicycling. I tried to convert her.
This is Patrick, from Dallas. I told him that anyone who was studly enough to ride a fixie on FW needed
to be featured someplace. Why not here?
My kind of cycling team.
Dogs love cycling too.
My Facebook friend Heidi, AKA "Supermom"
My trusty steed, "The Mad One."
FreeWheel 2009 Day 4: Cheyenne to Thomas
I've officially reached that point where one passes from normalcy and reality, into the place where one doesn't know what day it is, what town they're in, or what town they started the day in.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, it is just part of the FreeWheel experience. Fortunately, I have Lisa, Spencer, and Paul here to help me out.
It is Wednesday, Day Four of FreeWheel, and we are in Thomas. We had an excellent ride today, even though the winds were not as great a factor as we had hoped. Don't get me wrong, the winds helped, but we had looked for strong southwest winds to carry us along. Instead, it was more of an east-northeast wind. Still, I had my best ride of the week, finishing 65 miles in three hours, twenty-four minutes. That's an average of 19mph, and I only made one stop, fill my water bottles and get a candy bar.
As we arrived in town, we noticed ominous storm clouds off to the west. By the time we were out of the showers and ready for lunch, the rain started. I heard that most of the field was still out on the road. Spencer said he saw scores of riders being shuttled in. It is no fun riding in a thunderstorm. I'm just glad we made it in before the nasty stuff.
I was fortunate to find a new friend to ride with. Joy is a staff member at First Methodist Church in Tulsa. We played cat and mouse on the road for a while—she would pass me on the flats, but I would pass her on the climbs. We eventually just gave that up, and started riding together. She's a great lady, a triathlete who recently qualified for an ironman. Her husband has finished the Ironman in Hawaii, and they do many of these events together. She has a passion for people, believing that before you can find spiritual fulfillment, you have to have some element of physical fulfillment too. All I know is that she is a great cyclist, and together we set a blistering pace. Thanks Joy!
I didn't take very many pictures today, mainly because western Oklahoma pretty much looks exactly the same. How many pictures can you take of wheat fields and blue skies? So I tried to take a few shots of some good people, and press on with my ride.
Tomorrow we will head north, to the great city of Fairview. There is a winery there, so our afternoon plans are already set.
Here is a link to my Garmin stats and a map for the day. And here are a few pics. Enjoy!
Butler was the designated lunch stop for the day—these two riders found a perfect spot.
My buddy Montie Scott, a regular reader of this blog, and a committed bike commuter from OKC.
This is my friend Jennifer. I first met her on FreeWheel in 2001, when she was just a kid. Now she is grown,
and traveling the world. She came back from the UK just to ride across Oklahoma.
My riding buddy for the day, Joy. Remarkable cyclist.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, it is just part of the FreeWheel experience. Fortunately, I have Lisa, Spencer, and Paul here to help me out.
It is Wednesday, Day Four of FreeWheel, and we are in Thomas. We had an excellent ride today, even though the winds were not as great a factor as we had hoped. Don't get me wrong, the winds helped, but we had looked for strong southwest winds to carry us along. Instead, it was more of an east-northeast wind. Still, I had my best ride of the week, finishing 65 miles in three hours, twenty-four minutes. That's an average of 19mph, and I only made one stop, fill my water bottles and get a candy bar.
As we arrived in town, we noticed ominous storm clouds off to the west. By the time we were out of the showers and ready for lunch, the rain started. I heard that most of the field was still out on the road. Spencer said he saw scores of riders being shuttled in. It is no fun riding in a thunderstorm. I'm just glad we made it in before the nasty stuff.
I was fortunate to find a new friend to ride with. Joy is a staff member at First Methodist Church in Tulsa. We played cat and mouse on the road for a while—she would pass me on the flats, but I would pass her on the climbs. We eventually just gave that up, and started riding together. She's a great lady, a triathlete who recently qualified for an ironman. Her husband has finished the Ironman in Hawaii, and they do many of these events together. She has a passion for people, believing that before you can find spiritual fulfillment, you have to have some element of physical fulfillment too. All I know is that she is a great cyclist, and together we set a blistering pace. Thanks Joy!
I didn't take very many pictures today, mainly because western Oklahoma pretty much looks exactly the same. How many pictures can you take of wheat fields and blue skies? So I tried to take a few shots of some good people, and press on with my ride.
Tomorrow we will head north, to the great city of Fairview. There is a winery there, so our afternoon plans are already set.
Here is a link to my Garmin stats and a map for the day. And here are a few pics. Enjoy!
Butler was the designated lunch stop for the day—these two riders found a perfect spot.
My buddy Montie Scott, a regular reader of this blog, and a committed bike commuter from OKC.
This is my friend Jennifer. I first met her on FreeWheel in 2001, when she was just a kid. Now she is grown,
and traveling the world. She came back from the UK just to ride across Oklahoma.
My riding buddy for the day, Joy. Remarkable cyclist.
FreeWheel 2009 Day 3: Cordell to Cheyenne
We said goodbye to the good people of Cordell this morning. They made a hard charge for winning the favorite town award—the people were great. The mayor was in a band, which played cover tunes for the crowd gathered at the city park—they were really good.
The road to Cheyenne is anything but flat. There were some flat sections, especially the road leading into Burns Flat (hence the name). The state was repaving the road, and parts of it were smooth and fast. In total, however, it was a hilly day. By the time we arrived in town, we had climbed over 2,200 feet. The wind was favorable part of the day, and when we were riding north, it felt great. Better than half the trip was headed west, so we had a cross wind, or maybe a quarter head wind, and that made it tough. Tomorrow should be better.
We knocked out 64 miles, which, in terms of mileage, puts us at about half way for the week (225). We were on the bike for 3:53, and averaged about 16.5mph. Top speed today was the best all week—43.5mph. The steak sandwich I ate for lunch was gone before I even ate it—I burned almost 4,100 calories today.
Tomorrow we will make tracks for Thomas. The weather should be much like today, and if it is, the southwest wind will carry us all the way. Let's hope so.
Here is a link to the ride on my Garmin site. And here are today's pictures:
Lisa took this shot of me and the boys as we made our way out of Cordell
I met a lot of really nice people on the road today:
Those Phillips Petroleum jerseys are a dead giveaway—these cyclists are from Bartlesville
This is Peter and his brand new Cervelo. Sweet bike. Peter runs the Brady Theater, downtown Tulsa
Spencer, doing a little climbing.
Paul, following close behind.
Spencer takes some cool shots. Notice the wind farm in the background. This could be an 80s album cover.
We raced a mangy old coyote for almost a mile, before he ducked headlong into his den. Pretty cool.
These are national park rangers from Cheyenne. They put signs along the road for 10 miles leading into town.
It is amazing how those signs motivate you to keep pushing. Great job, folks!
This is Jessie from OKC.
Only a couple of miles to go before Cheyenne, but if you look off into the distance, there is several hundred
feet of climbing to go before we get there. That hill just didn't want to end.
The road to Cheyenne is anything but flat. There were some flat sections, especially the road leading into Burns Flat (hence the name). The state was repaving the road, and parts of it were smooth and fast. In total, however, it was a hilly day. By the time we arrived in town, we had climbed over 2,200 feet. The wind was favorable part of the day, and when we were riding north, it felt great. Better than half the trip was headed west, so we had a cross wind, or maybe a quarter head wind, and that made it tough. Tomorrow should be better.
We knocked out 64 miles, which, in terms of mileage, puts us at about half way for the week (225). We were on the bike for 3:53, and averaged about 16.5mph. Top speed today was the best all week—43.5mph. The steak sandwich I ate for lunch was gone before I even ate it—I burned almost 4,100 calories today.
Tomorrow we will make tracks for Thomas. The weather should be much like today, and if it is, the southwest wind will carry us all the way. Let's hope so.
Here is a link to the ride on my Garmin site. And here are today's pictures:
Lisa took this shot of me and the boys as we made our way out of Cordell
I met a lot of really nice people on the road today:
Those Phillips Petroleum jerseys are a dead giveaway—these cyclists are from Bartlesville
This is Peter and his brand new Cervelo. Sweet bike. Peter runs the Brady Theater, downtown Tulsa
Spencer, doing a little climbing.
Paul, following close behind.
Spencer takes some cool shots. Notice the wind farm in the background. This could be an 80s album cover.
We raced a mangy old coyote for almost a mile, before he ducked headlong into his den. Pretty cool.
These are national park rangers from Cheyenne. They put signs along the road for 10 miles leading into town.
It is amazing how those signs motivate you to keep pushing. Great job, folks!
This is Jessie from OKC.
Only a couple of miles to go before Cheyenne, but if you look off into the distance, there is several hundred
feet of climbing to go before we get there. That hill just didn't want to end.
FreeWheel 2009 Day 2: Apache to Cordell
It was another great day on the bike. Right at 70 miles, in less than four and a half hours. Lots of climbing, and a nasty north wind (isn't it summer?).
It is getting late, and I don't feel much like writing, so I'll skip straight to the Garmin site (here), and the pics. Enjoy.
Freewheel organizers did a great job finding some nice country lanes.
...along with some nice downhills to make up for the climbs.
They didn't make us climb Mt. Scott (in the distance)
And they found us some spectacular scenery.
I ran into my buddy Jim Lake. Jim and I graduated from high school together, and have been friends since
7th grade. Jim is a bike commuting giant, riding 16,000 miles since 2004. He doesn't even own a car!
Your excuses for not riding a bike are now officially lame. Meet my friend Bob, awesome rider, and a good guy.
Adam was out on the ride today, tearing it up as usual.
Chris is out working on bikes this week. Great mechanic, great friend. Chris works at Lee's Bikes.
Dennis' rest stops are always a welcome sight. I refer to him as "Saint Dennis."
FreeWheel 2009 Day 1: Duncan to Apache
It was an uneventful day on FreeWheel today. The mass start was kicked off at 6:30am by Lt. Governor Jerri Askins. She is a Duncan native, and a FreeWheel alum. She is running for governor, and there is nothing like a big event with lots of voters to drag out the politicians. I said hello to her and shook her hand. She was very cordial, and looks great, like she has lost a lot of weight. Good for her.
Most of the route today was flat and with a considerable tailwind. As we made our way north, however, we ran into some challenging climbs, even though they were mostly very short. With only ten miles to go, we turned to the west, and met a pretty brutal cross/headwind. It slowed us down, but it was only ten miles, and we made it to town really early.
Lisa gets a gold star for not only finding a camping spot in the shade, but one with electrical hookups as well. By the time I arrived in camp, the RV was up and running, air conditioner on, and chairs set up. We took a nap, grabbed a shower and some lunch, then took ANOTHER nap, before coming to town to find a little wifi.
Tomorrow we make our way to Cordell. There seems to be some confusion as to the length of the ride. The maps say 69 miles, but I've heard 76 thrown around. We are going to the meeting tonight to find out exactly how far. Either way, it will be a long day, and we hope to get an early start.
Here is a link to today's ride. And here are some pics from the road today.
Paul negotiating a little climb north of Duncan.
The youth group of Denton Baptist Church handed out cold drinks and snacks. Thanks guys!
More Denton youth. The youth group mom on the right got me some ice for my water bottles.
Poor little fella didn't know what to make of all the cyclists buzzing past. He got off the road fast.
Meet my friend Barbara Parker. Great rider. We worked together at BOK. She is retired now.
Most of the route today was flat and with a considerable tailwind. As we made our way north, however, we ran into some challenging climbs, even though they were mostly very short. With only ten miles to go, we turned to the west, and met a pretty brutal cross/headwind. It slowed us down, but it was only ten miles, and we made it to town really early.
Lisa gets a gold star for not only finding a camping spot in the shade, but one with electrical hookups as well. By the time I arrived in camp, the RV was up and running, air conditioner on, and chairs set up. We took a nap, grabbed a shower and some lunch, then took ANOTHER nap, before coming to town to find a little wifi.
Tomorrow we make our way to Cordell. There seems to be some confusion as to the length of the ride. The maps say 69 miles, but I've heard 76 thrown around. We are going to the meeting tonight to find out exactly how far. Either way, it will be a long day, and we hope to get an early start.
Here is a link to today's ride. And here are some pics from the road today.
Paul negotiating a little climb north of Duncan.
The youth group of Denton Baptist Church handed out cold drinks and snacks. Thanks guys!
More Denton youth. The youth group mom on the right got me some ice for my water bottles.
Poor little fella didn't know what to make of all the cyclists buzzing past. He got off the road fast.
Meet my friend Barbara Parker. Great rider. We worked together at BOK. She is retired now.
