The Thread about Nothing....

cheetahmk7 said:

I kept catching upper respiratory track infections. I was getting one a month for the first few months of the year but still making good progress with my cycling and then I had something crazy like six in succession and I had to stop training. Once these passed I still felt that lethargy that you get when you have a cold and moderate exercise made me fall in a heap. This dragged on for many months and I got put in contact with the Avanti team doctor who highly suspected it was all gut related. So off to the local dietician I went and she put me on this diet. The idea is to eliminate amines, salicylates, glutamates, dairy, food colours and preservatives etc. and then reintroduce one at a time to see if I get a reaction. Within a couple of days of commencing the diet my IBS disappeared (didn't really realise I had it prior to the diet) and my nose completely unblocked. Later on my skin started to feel less dry and I began to notice that I had a bit more energy.

I had a really bad year like that in the early '90s, where I had something like 10 colds and 2 or 3 throat infections. I was a mess, getting conjunctivitis a couple of times, too, a more cold sores than usual.

I record my kms on calendars (I've still got them all :P), and mark sick days with an "x", so I could look it up to see just how bad it was. I was dieting really hard and trying to mix 2 lifestyles: aspiring cyclist and 4-night-a-week hacker, slightly boozy muso.

Gig days involved getting back from a ~2-hour ride at 7 or 8pm, barely eat anything, then go straight to a busy pub and drink 4 beers. Not a good recipe if my immune system was compromised. I was also a little anit-meat back then -- the only animal protein was having was mile and canned fish -- so i probably was missing out on something there, too. Also, I was going to a gym, which I reckon are total farkin incubators for germs, especially in the colder months, with all that damp, warm air. Otherwise, I was getting plenty of sleep, and felt fine in between colds.

For memory, I gave up trying to smash myself all the time, and only did about 4000km the following year (I wasn't racing back then), but I still did upper body weights. I reckon took me at least 6 months to get right and stop getting sick so often,.

I reckon if we push ourselves too hard for too long, to the point where we get sick that regularly, we've gotta back off and rest for while (der. Ha 😄).

Since I've been gargling and snorting warm salty water, I get no more than 1 or 2 sniffles a year. When I started doing the "oral rinsing", I was more zealous with it, and didn't get sick for nearly 2 years.

I still take echinacea.

That reminds me of one of boring Grandpa stories about not exercising too hard too soon after being sick. 😄 It was many moons ago....
After 6 days of resting with a cold, I did a hard-ish ride for about an hour, and felt fine during and after. The next day i still felt fine, so I went to the gym to do some weights. When i was half-way through a set, I felt a VERY sudden onset of fatigue, almost like I'd been injected with something. I had to go straight home to bed. I got worse and worse, and it turned out that I had a nasty chest infection which laid me up for nearly 2 weeks. I reckon I could feel the fluid moving in my lungs when I rolled over in bed. The doc never told me if it was anything serious, he just said it was a bad bug. Ceclor got rid of it

cheetahmk7 said:

Weight wise, I have just hit 67 kg @175cm. That is the weight I was as twenty years ago as triathlete and it is 2 to 4 kilograms less than I have been over the last seven years. I'm sure this running that I'm doing encourages weight loss too. Speaking of running I have my first race coming up next weekend being the Young Cherry Run. I'll be interested to see how I fair with two months of running under my belt.

Strewth crikey! Just when I was bragging about being thin, you blow me out of the water. Ha. You must be a stick. 😄

531Aussie said:

[censored]. he was 4th in the melb to Warrn, as you'd probably know

He has a few runs on the board. procyclingstats.comneil Van Der PloegOpen ↗

Crikey! Does anyone know "Andy"?

A BUMP IN THE ROAD OF LIFE.

[FONT=inherit]September, 2007. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]I’d been married a year and was working as bike courier come wedding photographer,[/FONT][FONT=inherit] [/FONT][FONT=inherit]buyer and seller of vintage track frames and parts; an all-round general hustler. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]I'd just had another session in the ‘pain room’ with my cycling coach, Jim Pritchard. As I was leaving, [/FONT]Jim[FONT=inherit] mentioned that [/FONT][FONT=inherit]my[/FONT][FONT=inherit] [/FONT][FONT=inherit]front wheel looked a little loose.[/FONT][FONT=inherit] [/FONT][FONT=inherit]I didn’t pay it much attention, and rode home.[/FONT]
[FONT=inherit]Up a hill on my way home, I was sitting comfortably on 28kph all the way.[/FONT][FONT=inherit] I’d been seated to this point and [/FONT][FONT=inherit]got out of the saddle for a slight rise. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]That was the last pedal stroke I made.[/FONT][FONT=inherit] As [/FONT][FONT=inherit]I stood up and pulled on the bars slightly, the fork tips lifted off the axles. [/FONT]

[FONT=inherit]The front wheel slipped slightly out of the dropouts, and as the fork tips returned [/FONT][FONT=inherit]down they missed the axle. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]The wheel jammed and I was catapulted head first into the road. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]It felt like my brain rattled inside my skull. I lay flat on my back looking up at the blue sky and my [/FONT][FONT=inherit]immediate thought was my toes. 'Can I move my toes'? [/FONT][FONT=inherit]They moved. 'Phew! My neck isn’t broken.' [/FONT]

[FONT=inherit]Still on the ground, I reached into my pocket for my phone, but no service. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]I pondered my predicament for some time. Knowing there is next to no traffic on Humevale Road, [/FONT][FONT=inherit]I knew the only way I was getting home involved walking to the main road, a kilometer or so away. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]That would've been a long hobble. My helmet was cracked in more places that I cared to count, [/FONT][FONT=inherit]and my saddle and the section of seatpost attached to it lay metres away from the bike. [/FONT]

My neck was so stiff I couldn't move it, but to my own savage stupidity, I was trying my best to [FONT=inherit]move it [/FONT][FONT=inherit]with both hands! Nothing.[/FONT][FONT=inherit]It wasn’t long before a foursome of cyclists rolled by. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]They asked if I wanted to an ambulance. [/FONT][FONT=inherit] I declined, but [/FONT][FONT=inherit]asked if they would call my Dad (when they had reception). [/FONT][FONT=inherit]No need to make a mountain of this mole hill, I thought. I waved them goodbye and sat down [/FONT][FONT=inherit]gingerly. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]As the weather cooled, I shivered in a ditch waiting, trying to move my [/FONT][FONT=inherit]neck in any direction.[/FONT][FONT=inherit]Nearly an hour later, Mum and Dad arrived. I piled the bike in [/FONT][FONT=inherit]and got in the car. A conversation ensued, [/FONT][FONT=inherit]which turned into bickering about[/FONT][FONT=inherit] which hospital I should go to.[/FONT]
Going to hospital would have been the prudent thing, but I could do without the drama and [FONT=inherit]I told them I’d be fine. 'Nothing a bath couldn’t fix', I figured. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]While in the bath at my parents' place, I called my wife, Melodie, and told her [/FONT][FONT=inherit]of my ordeal. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]She insisted I go to the doctor, so I did. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]Mum took me to the Mill Park clinic where the doctor suggested [/FONT][FONT=inherit]I go to [/FONT][FONT=inherit]Bundoora Radiology for an X-Ray, but he was fresh out of neck braces to stabilise my neck. [/FONT]

[FONT=inherit]Another short distance, more waiting, and I was x-ray'd and awaited the results. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]My results came through and the radiologist told me[/FONT][FONT=inherit] I had a broken neck,[/FONT][FONT=inherit] then casually [/FONT][FONT=inherit]suggested I [/FONT][FONT=inherit]go to the Austin [/FONT][FONT=inherit]Hospital for ‘observation’. This seemed a little weird. I understood broken necks to be[/FONT][FONT=inherit] [/FONT][FONT=inherit]serious, [/FONT][FONT=inherit]so his casual delivery of ‘observation’ was a little unusual.[/FONT][FONT=inherit] [/FONT][FONT=inherit]So, it was off to the Austin with Dad. [/FONT]

[FONT=inherit]I remember sitting in emergency, staring at my shoes in the only comfortable position I knew at [/FONT][FONT=inherit]this point. Melodie had left work to see me and she was clearly shaken[/FONT][FONT=inherit]. Finally my name was called [/FONT][FONT=inherit]and I went to the window. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]I handed my x-ray across the counter to the nurse, and as she looked at them[/FONT][FONT=inherit]she dropped [/FONT][FONT=inherit]them almost instantly. "[/FONT][FONT=inherit]Don’t [censored] move", She said. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]"Is it serious?’", I replied. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]"Deadly serious", she said, as she called more staff to help secure [/FONT][FONT=inherit]me to a board with my [/FONT][FONT=inherit]head strapped to it. I heard the nurse say to a colleague, [/FONT][FONT=inherit]"yes, he [censored] walked in here [/FONT][FONT=inherit]like this!"[/FONT]

[FONT=inherit]The next few hours was a blur of scans, more x-rays, and an MRI to asses the extent [/FONT][FONT=inherit]of my injuries. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]The original X-Rays showed a broken C5 and C6 Spinus Process (that knobby bit you can feel [/FONT][FONT=inherit]on the back on the veterbrae), but it didn't properly show the fracture of the C1 vertebrae due to [/FONT][FONT=inherit]the nature and angle of the X-Ray.[/FONT][FONT=inherit]Later that evening I had a visit from a surgeon. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]"I just got out of surgery with a young guy who [/FONT][FONT=inherit]had a similar accident to you, except he is [/FONT][FONT=inherit]never going [/FONT][FONT=inherit]to walk again", he said. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]The weight of that was very heavy. "We are going to place you in a 'halo' apparatus which [/FONT][FONT=inherit]is a brace to stabilise your neck. Four titaniums screws will be drilled into the third layer of bone [/FONT][FONT=inherit]in your skull to secure it. You will wear the brace for three months. You will be fine."[/FONT]

[FONT=inherit]What I pictured to be a long 3 months on disability flew by. I would have worn it for 3 years [/FONT][FONT=inherit]if need be. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]Along the way I dislodged the halo and had to have the process repeated. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]Sleeping wasn’t easy but not as difficult as they told me it would be. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]Every 2 weeks I would [/FONT][FONT=inherit]travel to hospital for a shower and change the brace padding.[/FONT][FONT=inherit]During the time I had a lot of support from friends, family, and F[/FONT]yxomatosis[FONT=inherit] followers, but none [/FONT][FONT=inherit]more so than my wife who lived the nightmare with me. The time in the head brace gave me a lot of [/FONT][FONT=inherit]time to think, bout life, about the ‘what if I wasn’t so lucky’, and a lot of things I’d put on the [/FONT][FONT=inherit]back-burner while I was fixated on racing bikes. [/FONT]

[FONT=inherit]A very important lesson I learned is that I am not [/FONT][FONT=inherit]bullet-proof. I’d spent the past decade dodging cars [/FONT][FONT=inherit]in the world’s busiest cities, done my fair share of dumb things on the road, calculated [/FONT][FONT=inherit]moves, but all with their share of risk and consequence, and it all nearly came undone on the [/FONT][FONT=inherit]quietest [/FONT][FONT=inherit]country road just because I failed to check my equipment. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]Truth be told I shouldn’t have bought the [/FONT][FONT=inherit]used wheels (which had the incorrect bearings) in order to save a buck. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]Life is too short to ride [censored] bikes.[/FONT]

[FONT=inherit]The time flew by and the day before my 30th birthday I had the head unit removed. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]The first question [/FONT][FONT=inherit]Melodie posed to the doctor was, "when can he ride again?".[/FONT][FONT=inherit]A week later I had my first ride, to Whittlesea and back. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]It was a slow roll, and performing a head [/FONT][FONT=inherit]check was slow and difficult. However, it was long, and with minimal rehab, everything went back to normal. [/FONT][FONT=inherit]I wouldn’t say that [/FONT]everything [FONT=inherit]is back to normal. I rarely race or train; I ride for fun. I take fewer [/FONT][FONT=inherit]risks, [/FONT][FONT=inherit]but once a bike courier, always a bike courier. I continue to wear a helmet, but not always if I'm just going [/FONT][FONT=inherit]just to the shops. The helmet saved my life, and most certainly from head trauma [/FONT][FONT=inherit]and brain damage.[/FONT]

[FONT=inherit] I’ve lost count of the stories I’ve heard of others who [/FONT][FONT=inherit]weren't so lucky, some having the possibility of [/FONT][FONT=inherit]reducing their injury if that had just [/FONT][FONT=inherit]gone to the doctor.[/FONT]
[FONT=inherit]-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/FONT]
[FONT='Times New Roman']There's a little more on here, with comments and a long video interview:[/FONT]
fyxo.coa bump in the road of lifeOpen ↗

I call [censored] on campagnolo making haloes

Crikey Ozman. That was a while back.

BTW - Chicks FIGHT ON IN A FEW MINS! UFC! GO!

That skank who lost is, or was, the most overrated athlete on the planet. Yeah yeah, she could punch my head in. So what? There's no depth in women's UFC. I reckon there's a couple of big behemoths or iced up scrags drinking down at the Crown main bar who'd take her.

And while I'm offering opinions, I'll offer a couple on the terrible events in Paris. Everyone gets their panties in a bunch about muzzie [censored]. It's not [censored] in particular that were behind the massacre in Paris, it's certain [censored] known as IS, who by the way generally kill more Muslims every day than the number of people killed in Paris over the weekend . These irrational fanatical [censored] represent a certain obnoxious brand of Islam. This branch of Islam is supported and funded by a certain gold plated tinpot dictatorship that has [censored] of oil, a government that western governments like to suck up to.

My view on how you stop IS is not by bombing the [censored] out of Syria but by cutting off their funding. Exterminating the entire House of Saud would help in this endeavor significantly.

My other plan is you introduce them to the pleasures of pork and ham. You tell them it's turkey or something. Once they've tried it you lay it on them that they just ate pork. Once they have tried it they won't want to be Muslim anymore

classic1 said:

That skank who lost is, or was, the most overrated athlete on the planet. Yeah yeah, she could punch my head in. So what? There's no depth in women's UFC. I reckon there's a couple of big behemoths or iced up scrags drinking down at the Crown main bar who'd take her.

She gives me a Rousey.

She would probably yank it off and beat you to death with it

lol. It'd only tickle. It wasn't fully Roused.

Semi-roused?

Jens was full of [censored]. Sometimes more coffee isn't better.......

brisbanetimes.com.auhigh caffeine levels contributed to prisoners death coroner 20151115 gkzfsl.htmlOpen ↗

BPSA auditions not going so well....

theage.com.augirl 16 fights off sex attacker on main yarra trail lower plenty 20151115 gkzp00.htmlOpen ↗

I did the Cherry Chase Fun Run in Young as planned. The whole experience felt quite odd starting with the preparation the night before. I laid out my gear - shoes, socks, shorts, singlet, hrm strap and my Garmin Edge 520 and it only took up the room of a helmet! The next step is usually to service my bike, change the pads and put the race wheels on. At this stage I was completely lost and the best I could do was to wipe my shoes down with some baby wipes. The weird gear thing resumed the next morning when I got picked up. All I had with me was a shopping bag and there was no bike to load on the roof.

Once I was at the venue looking at all the runners slowly assemble I suddenly had this wave of familiarity wash over me as I remembered what it was like as a teenager fronting up to the Barwon Banks Fun Run every year having done my two weeks of training in preparation (three if I was particularly motivated).

Whilst killing time before the race start I had a chat with the fellow doing the race timing. He showed us the two timing matts and side aerials that between them should capture the results of practically everyone runner except perhaps the ones that have put their RFID tag in their back pack.

As everyone gathered by the start line the local gym puts on some warm up routine. You can tell straight away who does a bit of running as their eyes glaze over and they just stand there whilst unco aerobics happens all around. The 10km runners started and then I pushed my way through the crowd of 505 5km runners trying to get as close to the start line as I could. It was at about this time that I realised that the commentator could have been Effie from Acropolis Now. Her voice and phrases sounded just like her and I kept waiting for the punch lines that never came. The waiting seemed to take an eternity and I felt quite nervous which is a very odd feeling to have at the start line. Looking back at my race file my heart rate was 138 bpm so I clearly was nervous! Once the gun went off I took off trying to make my way past a bunch of eager kids without punting them off into the scenery. It quickly became clear that there were a few runners much faster than myself and as I made my way up the first long hill trying to draft other runners in the wind it became very obvious that this course was not one for setting PBs. As the race progressed I slowly caught and passed a few runners who had gone out far too hard. I on the other hand had done the opposite, as I went out too easy which meant I was ready to smash the last 1.5 km but found that this was all down hill and I physically couldn't run any faster.

I crossed the finish line including the two timing matts and the side aerials and went up to the display with the results and I wasn't even on there! It wasn't until the results were published online that afternoon that I figured out that I had finished 5th and I came 2nd in the 18-49 year old category. Damn it, I should have been up on the podium getting prize money!!!!

Worst bike race report ever. You forgot your bike!

😉 Nice work. Ace timing system. lo.

gplama said:

Crikey Ozman. That was a while back.

ha, yeah, I'm way behind. Ha

cheetahmk7 said:

I did the Cherry Chase Fun Run

what are some of your PBs for, say, 4 or 5km, (or whatever)?

I used to run heaps until I was about 19 or 20, but just 4 to 6km. I backed right off for a couple of years when I first got right into cycling, but got into again until my chondromalacia 'encouraged' me to stop in my late 20s. I probably could've persisted if I had hardcore physio, but I decided it wasn't worth it.

I thought I was good at it, but I wasn't: :p For memory, my best pace was around 3m25s kms over 4km. I didn't know what intervals were back then, so doing some could've made a difference.

I swear someone said "Ronda Arousey" today on the radio. Boom tissues

classic1 said:

I call [censored] on campagnolo making haloes

Ha. What a waste of a good sticker

531Aussie said:

what are some of your PBs for, say, 4 or 5km, (or whatever)?

I used to run heaps until I was about 19 or 20, but just 4 to 6km. I backed right off for a couple of years when I first got right into cycling, but got into again until my chondromalacia 'encouraged' me to stop in my late 20s. I probably could've persisted if I had hardcore physio, but I decided it wasn't worth it.

I thought I was good at it, but I wasn't: :P For memory, my best pace was around 3m25s kms over 4km. I didn't know what intervals were back then, so doing some could've made a difference.

My 5km PB was 17:30 although I did manage a 17:00 over a 5km course that finished in a different location to where it started and had a bit of descent to it. I definitely did 9:50 over 3km in a duathlon and I have recollection of doing 9:30 in another one.

At the moment I have done a 20:32 5km in training so I am by no means fast, but the depth in a typical running field is abysmal hence I'm going OK.

I initially had no idea about training. My idea of training was to just go out and do 5km time trials. I would get rapid results in the first few weeks, then stagnate, stop and repeat the whole process again. That all changed when I got a coach and joined his tri squad. I got a lot better but I definitely didn't see the results that some of the talented guys saw (one went on to be a professional cyclists, another an Olympian runner and another won the Melbourne Marathon.)