Sometimes I don't mind going to the doctors office.
Today I had a follow up w/ my physician. Generally, I'm not too keen on seeing the doctor, but today I was stoked. I've been bicycle commuting for about a month (40 miles r/t). For the month prior to that I was riding to a point 14 miles from the house and catching the bus the rest of the way.
I've eliminated soda from my diet.
I have completely stopped eating at fast food joints. Well - mostly. I have had KFC once and Popeye's chicken once in the past two months.
I started eating breakfast at the house and a healthy lunch.
I was curious to see what kind of progress I had made.
So, I get to the clinic. Of course, I rode my bike there (15 miles). When I got there I was pretty sweaty. I didn't figure that was any big deal since it was only a follow up. I figured he'd ask me some questions, draw a little bit of blood and call it a day.
Fought a nasty headwind all the way down:
First good news, I've lost 12 pounds! A month and a half ago I weighed 309. Today I weighed in @ 297. My resting heart rate has dropped from 72 bpm to 68. My blood pressure has gone down two points (from 118/something to 116/something - can't remember the bottom numbers). The doc said my numbers are fantastic given my age and my unhealthy habits over the past 30 years. He said my cholesterol levels were excellent (based on the old blood tests), and my blood sugars were no problem at all. I wanted to test for my cholesterol levels now - after a couple of months of riding - but he wants to wait another three months.
"Your levels were great prior to beginning your riding, why bother now? Let's check on the next follow-up".
My wife works in the Medical Center, so I dropped by and had lunch with her and then took a long, quiet, easy ride home. Stopped by a park and meandered through neighborhoods on the way home.
Here's where my bike took me today:
On the way home - 'bout 1/2 mile from the house - my seat post broke, right where the clamp holds the seat in place. I had noticed the seat wasn't feeling right - a bit nose-up - so I had been keeping the majority of my weight on the pedals and the handlebars. I'm glad I did. According to the guy at the bike shop that particular part failure has caused many a severe scrotal injury.
Yep - your dangly bits could be skewered by your seat post.
That was a close call.
I was at that bike shop last week to buy tires (kept flatting), and when he saw the broken seat post the kid said "Holy #*(*, you're beating the $*(@ out of your bike, aren't you?"
Well, maybe I am. My wife and I have a deal. When I lose 50 pounds, I get a new bike. Since I'm down 12, I only have 38 more to go. Until then, I'm gonna whup the hide off that sumbuck.
Anyways - a great day for me. Hope y'all had a good one as well.
