Monthly Archives: July 2011

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY – Gene Piccoli

A few weeks back, several CCB members were participating in the Toguri Training Systems Time Trial at the Seaway when a tragic incident occurred.   Nick Van Haeften was on his way to yet another personal best time, and in the last kilometer or so came across a cyclist lying on the road having suffered a massive heart attack.  Not the least bit surprising to those of us that know him well, Nick stopped his race to come to the aid of a complete stranger to administer CPR in a valiant attempt to keep the man alive.

After about ten minutes or so, ambulance personnel arrived but could unfortunately not revive the cyclist.  This was the second time I have witnessed a cyclist die from massive cardiac arrest. The first time was on a CCB ride in July of 2004, when a new member to our club suffered a similar fate in Les Cedres.  This gentleman was a medical specialist at Rosemont-Maisonneuve Hospital, one of only 11 specialists in his field in Montreal.

Several days after the incident on the Seaway, I was shocked to discover that I knew the man who had passed away.  Richard D. worked in the Wealth Management industry, and had sat in my office on several occasions.  As did our CCB member, Richard looked like the total picture of health; lean, fit, and at the top of his game.

During the ‘70s, we all remember the James Fixx running and Dr. Kenneth Cooper Aerobics revolutions.  The basic premise in both was that vigorous exercise was virtual guarantee against cardiovascular disease.  Of course, Jim Fixx died of a massive heart attack during a run which only served to fuel the fires of controversy.

 

Today, we know that practically every medical study conducted on the correlation between endurance exercise and cardiovascular health suggests that endurance exercise significantly lowers one’s risk of heart disease. The not-so-good news is that exercise does not make one immune to cardiovascular disease. We all know someone who was physically active yet suffered a stroke or needed or quadruple bypass because of blocked arteries.  In fact, for every 100,000 people participating in endurance exercise, statistically about 4-6 participants will experience a cardiac event.  Those are great odds, and certainly not a reason to avoid physical activity. The risks to a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle massively outweigh the risks of red-lining during a TT or hammering up Camillien Houde.

 

The only message here is that cardiovascular health depends on many factors;  age, genes, lifestyle, BMI, diet, and of course exercise.  Our life’s passion certainly stacks the odds in our favor, and chances are if we are training hard we are probably paying attention to the other factors, further placing endurance cyclists way ahead of the curve. However, it is no guarantee as we have all too often seen.

 

The bottom line is to be closely followed by a family physician and go for regular check-ups. You and your physician should monitor all of your vital signs, and address any issues. But above all else, listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, stop immediately and request assistance.  People close to Jim Fixx claim he ignored the classic warning signs in the weeks preceding his death.  The beauty of high intensity endurance sport is that our bodies usually warn us if something is not right. When it does, listen carefully;  your life may depend on it.

Conquering your first club ride – Steve Goldberg

Conquering your first club ride

Last Sunday July 3rd a group of us did the ride from Brossard to Rougement. This is a great ride with lots of beautiful scenery and varied terrain. What a great way for a new member to get initiated to group riding and the CCB?

The new member in question is Nathalie Giroux. She was invited to join the ride by Roger who she met along with other CCB’ers while spinning at the Pointe-Claire YMCA. Over the last few years of spinning classes she also learned about the benefits of road cycling with the club.

So there she was in the parking lot on Sunday July 3rd, which for most of us was already mid-season. The fact is that Nathalie had just bought her new Trek only one month ago and this was to be her second ride on a road bike and her first with the club.

Roger suggested she join our “experienced riders group” so we doubtfully invited her along.

The long ride turned out to be 110 km’s and featured two good climbs. This along with the blistering sun and some decent headwinds on the return route made our average of 26 km an hour ride quite challenging.

But Nathalie managed to hang on and was even ready to do more. Congratulations Nathalie Giroux for meeting the challenge of the ride and for still smiling at the end.  Oh and welcome to the club!

Steve Goldberg

Wilmington Weekend – Linda Houle


This summer has not been great on the weather front.  As Ray Deslauriers put it, “IT might be time to get rid of the bikes and start building an Arc!”  The Wilmington weekend was wet as well but that did not stop the brave band of cyclists who decided to go down to Wilmington so that they could ride up Whiteface.  Gosh some had so much fun going up they decided to do it a second time!  Thanks to Joanna Cumyn for sending in a summary of her climb up Whiteface.
Wilmington, 24-26 juin 2011 (J.L.C.)
This past Friday, several CCB cyclists flocked to Wilmington NY to conquer Whiteface Mountain, whose summit elevation reaches an impressive 4,867 feet, which translates into a 13 km climb. Another source states that this climb boasts a 360 degree panoramic view of the Adirondacks, New England and Canada at the top of New York’s 5th highest peak (ref: www.facerace.com).
So, after a two hour delay at the border and for some, a sporadic detour to the Adirondack Holiday Lodge, a group of CCBers decided that there was no better time to cycle up Whiteface. After all it was sunny and the dark clouds didn’t appear too ominous. The uphill climb begins immediately from the hotel, and soon it became apparent that the “long and steady” climb was to take on an entirely new dimension. For future reference, a slow and tortuous climb is a far more accurate description. Ask those who started tacking in the first 4.5 km. For others however, it was a question of establishing a consistent, manageable pace. Whatever the strategy, cold rain, thick fog and winds turned the “long and steady” climb into an endless battle against the elements. The 4867 foot summit seemed virtually unattainable when finally a small dark tunnel at the top provided shelter from where we could enjoy the panoramic view of thick white fog and contemplate the descent back down the steep, winding and now soaking road. Soon, at approximately 4499 ft, the fog dissipated, and the rain let up. To say the least, it was a relief to reach the hotel; we might have otherwise drowned in our water logged cycling apparel.
Saturday and Sunday were spent shopping at the cycling stores in Lake Placid, and/or negotiating rain clouds and fitting rides in during the sunny as well as not- so- sunny breaks. However, after a false start or two, we all managed at least one or two rides along Wilmington’s rollercoaster-like roads beside the scenic river.