Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - The (Award-Winning) Historian

Neil just left me a message, his bike club just gave him an award for most improved cyclist. (I should probably let him post about it first, but you all know how quiet he is... )

It's too late to call him back so I'll just say: Congratulations, buddy, you deserve it!

Jeez, Neil's full of surprises this year. Way to go Historian!

:beer:

Congrats!!!!!!!!!

What an accomplishment! Congratulations!

Neil just left me a message, his bike club just gave him an award for most improved cyclist. (I should probably let him post about it first, but you all know how quiet he is... )

It's too late to call him back so I'll just say: Congratulations, buddy, you deserve it!

Hmm, at first I thought Neil was referring to my Honorable Mention in the Historical Article category in last year's Chess Journalist of America awards. It was for a lengthy article on the history of chess in Atlanta following the Civil War. It was so long the editors of Georgia Chess and I jokingly called it "Pawn With The Wind." But then I remembered the banquet last night.

Yes, I was recognized as Most Improved Rider at the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia annual meeting and Awards Banquet, held at the Manayunk Brewery. (Incidentally, Neil F. and I had lunch there during our first ride back in June 2007.) This was a special award the club devised in my honor. The club president cited me as (here comes that word again) "inspirational" and "proof that anyone can ride a bike if they want to." They gave me a water bott-, no, I can't even type that with a straight face. The club gave me a certificate for a $250 bike fitting at Cadence, Philadelphia's 'high end' bike shop:

http://www.cadencecycling.com/training/services/pa/biomechanical/

I've had a bike fitting with my local shop that I think turned out well, but I don't think it will hurt to have the folks at Cadence take a break from working with racers and triathletes to look at me. I may hold off on the fitting until after I have my knees looked at - the left knee in particular seems to be getting worse, and if there's a surgical fix, even a partial one, I should investigate it.

I was flattered by the award, and although I suspected there would be something said at the banquet, I never expected the extravagant gift. I mumbled some thanks as the 125 attendees applauded. I returned the thanks by purchasing the club jersey at the end of the night. It's something I'd wanted to wear for a long time, but I always came up with excuses not to own it - I had too many jerseys, I'm not good enough/fast enough/lycra'd enough/carbon-fibered enough to ride with BCP, etc. I don't have that excuse any more.

http://www.phillybikeclub.org/jerseysm.jpg

Neil just left me a message, his bike club just gave him an award for most improved cyclist. (I should probably let him post about it first, but you all know how quiet he is... )

It's too late to call him back so I'll just say: Congratulations, buddy, you deserve it!

I forgot to thank Neil for starting the thread. Thanks buddy!

Congrats, Neil!

Hope to see that jersey on the Lancaster covered bridge metric this year.... :)

Woohoo! Congrats, Neil! Absolutely outstanding:D

Amazing! No wonder I like to direct people to this forum when I sense they need some motivation :D .

Way to go, The Historian!

And congrats for the honourable mention, too :) .

East Hill

Congrats, Neil!

Hope to see that jersey on the Lancaster covered bridge metric this year.... :)

If I wear it on the Pittsburgh-Washington DC tour in June, you may see it in Williamsport!

Good Show!

Jeez, Neil's full of surprises this year. Way to go Historian!

:beer:

They are not all pleasant surprises, however. I had my third episode of lightheadedness in two weeks this morning in church. My breakfast consisted of a couple of toaster pastries - no water with them. But I had a full dinner the night before, and didn't feel hungry.

The two previous episodes were last Saturday on waking up - I canceled a ride I had scheduled with "bautieri", and began to feel better after being up a couple of hours. The second was at work Thursday night, about an hour after eating. The common thread could be lack of sleep - I'm not sleeping well these days, but as a middle aged, obese man I need to be concerned about the onset of the "D" word. Ground control to Major Tom - any comment?

Way to go!

Yes, I was recognized as Most Improved Rider at the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia annual meeting and Awards Banquet, held at the Manayunk Brewery. (Incidentally, Neil F. and I had lunch there during our first ride back in June 2007.) This was a special award the club devised in my honor. The club president cited me as (here comes that word again) "inspirational" and "proof that anyone can ride a bike if they want to." They gave me a water bott-, no, I can't even type that with a straight face. The club gave me a certificate for a $250 bike fitting at Cadence, Philadelphia's 'high end' bike shop:
I was flattered by the award, and although I suspected there would be something said at the banquet, I never expected the extravagant gift. I mumbled some thanks as the 125 attendees applauded.
http://www.phillybikeclub.org/jerseysm.jpg

That is pretty awesome. What a cool group.

Congratulations on your professional successes too. This is the second award that I've heard of regarding your work in chess history.

They are not all pleasant surprises, however. I had my third episode of lightheadedness in two weeks this morning in church. My breakfast consisted of a couple of toaster pastries - no water with them. But I had a full dinner the night before, and didn't feel hungry.

The two previous episodes were last Saturday on waking up - I canceled a ride I had scheduled with "bautieri", and began to feel better after being up a couple of hours. The second was at work Thursday night, about an hour after eating. The common thread could be lack of sleep - I'm not sleeping well these days, but as a middle aged, obese man I need to be concerned about the onset of the "D" word. Ground control to Major Tom - any comment?

Yeah, I'm still adjusting to telecommuting on top of lecturing at my new job and writing my dissertation. So I don't see much sleep either and it really screws me up by about Thursday so that I end up sleeping in Friday-Sunday.

Congrats on the award...it is impressive to be recognized!

Are you dehydrating? Have you tried drinking before each meal? Are you dieting with the help of a nutritionist? If not, this could be a bit dangerous as may not be getting the iron and protein you need.

As far as insomnia is concerned, you may need an occaisional sleep aid to help you at least get a few good nights of sleep each week - very important. Ambien CR has helped through some tough international trips and times when I know I must sleep, but cannot. For some people, melatonin is a better choice or even the less addictive (but less effective) Rozerem. Good luck getting through this...

They are not all pleasant surprises, however. I had my third episode of lightheadedness in two weeks this morning in church. My breakfast consisted of a couple of toaster pastries - no water with them. But I had a full dinner the night before, and didn't feel hungry.

The two previous episodes were last Saturday on waking up - I canceled a ride I had scheduled with "bautieri", and began to feel better after being up a couple of hours. The second was at work Thursday night, about an hour after eating. The common thread could be lack of sleep - I'm not sleeping well these days, but as a middle aged, obese man I need to be concerned about the onset of the "D" word. Ground control to Major Tom - any comment?

Congrats Neil !!! You da man !
Hope you figure out why your dizzy and why your not sleeping. I usually sleep pretty well, though I tend to get a stiff back at around 7 - 8 hours, but when I'm on vacation I seem to be able to sleep around 9 hours. I think work is slowly killing me, but I can't find a doctor to give me an excuse for workmans comp.
Good job and good luck.

I would say the D word is a possibility. Get yourself tested, you should anyway. The sugars in a toaster pastry can slam you with insulin production if you are developing a Type II condition due to sluggish response in the Pancreas. With the sluggish response, you have a double edged sword, in slow turn on of insulin production, leading to higher blood sugars, leading to an exaggerated insulin production in level, and a slower than normal turnoff of production. Your better breakfast would be some oatmeal or an egg or two, preferably not fried. ;)

They are not all pleasant surprises, however. I had my third episode of lightheadedness in two weeks this morning in church. My breakfast consisted of a couple of toaster pastries - no water with them. But I had a full dinner the night before, and didn't feel hungry.

The two previous episodes were last Saturday on waking up - I canceled a ride I had scheduled with "bautieri", and began to feel better after being up a couple of hours. The second was at work Thursday night, about an hour after eating. The common thread could be lack of sleep - I'm not sleeping well these days, but as a middle aged, obese man I need to be concerned about the onset of the "D" word. Ground control to Major Tom - any comment?

I would say the D word is a possibility. Get yourself tested, you should anyway. The sugars in a toaster pastry can slam you with insulin production if you are developing a Type II condition due to sluggish response in the Pancreas. With the sluggish response, you have a double edged sword, in slow turn on of insulin production, leading to higher blood sugars, leading to an exaggerated insulin production in level, and a slower than normal turnoff of production. Your better breakfast would be some oatmeal or an egg or two, preferably not fried. ;)

I realized it wasn't a good breakfast, but I was in a hurry - I overslept from being up late last night. Which leads me to think it could simply be lack of sleep, but I'm normally groggy when I don't sleep, and I wasn't groggy. I'm still a little lightheaded now, but I'm also very fatigued. I haven't done anything more strenuous today than sing in church, eat lunch, post to Bike Forums and watch reruns of "Fraiser."

I spoke with a diabetic friend of mine who suggests low blood pressure as a possibility. Regardless, I'm calling Monday morning for a doctor's appointment. Meanwhile, BCP's Most Improved Rider is going to sit and watch a perfect day for riding pass away..... :-(

Congratulations on your professional successes too. This is the second award that I've heard of regarding your work in chess history.

I'm not sure you can call chess history a 'profession', since it's impossible to make a living at it. Also it's not a recognized academic discipline. Only a handful of writers in the field are trained historians - John Donaldson - who is also an International Master, Olimpiu Urcan, Richard Forster - another IM, Tim Harding. John Hilbert, America's leading chess historian, has a doctorate in literature and law, which are related research-oriented fields. The rest of us in this fringe of a fringe subject try as best we can.

While blowing my own Tromp-, err, trumpet:

CJA Awards:
2004 - Best Historical Article.
2005 - Honorable Mention, Best Historical Article. (The article that took first was one I peer-reviewed.)
2006 - Honorable Mention, Best Historical Article. (The article that took first was one I peer-reviewed.)
- Best Web-published Book Review.
2007 - Honorable Mention, Best Historical Article.

That is pretty awesome. What a cool group.


Yes, they turned out to be pretty nice once we got over the bad experience I had back in April. They had an 'instructor' for their beginner's ride who dropped me and insulted me. He also practiced unsafe cycling, grabbing my arm at one point and not announcing obstacles. At one point I hit a orange safety cone and almost fell in traffic. I threw a fit on the ride twice. By the second time all the other riders, one of who was the club president, voted to end the ride. I posted about it to Bike Forums ("Clyde Dropped On "Instructional" Ride") and to the BCP email list, where it was a topic of conversation for more than a week. The club dropped that instructor.

Oh, I also purchased arm-warmers that match the club jersey. They are bright yellow. Neil F. will be so jealous! :-)

Congrats on the award...it is impressive to be recognized!

Are you dehydrating? Have you tried drinking before each meal? Are you dieting with the help of a nutritionist? If not, this could be a bit dangerous as may not be getting the iron and protein you need.

As far as insomnia is concerned, you may need an occaisional sleep aid to help you at least get a few good nights of sleep each week - very important. Ambien CR has helped through some tough international trips and times when I know I must sleep, but cannot. For some people, melatonin is a better choice or even the less addictive (but less effective) Rozerem. Good luck getting through this...

I think it's time for a sleeping aid. At least until I lose weight and normal sleep patterns are restored. I'll search for one that won't leave me groggy the next day.

Yes, they turned out to be pretty nice once we got over the bad experience I had back in April. They had an 'instructor' for their beginner's ride who dropped me and insulted me. He also practiced unsafe cycling, grabbing my arm at one point and not announcing obstacles. At one point I hit a orange safety cone and almost fell in traffic. I threw a fit on the ride twice. By the second time all the other riders, one of who was the club president, voted to end the ride. I posted about it to Bike Forums ("Clyde Dropped On "Instructional" Ride") and to the BCP email list, where it was a topic of conversation for more than a week. The club dropped that instructor.

Oh, I also purchased arm-warmers that match the club jersey. They are bright yellow. Neil F. will be so jealous! :-)

That's nice that it turned out so well. I am really inspired by the folks here. You make it easier for me to think about how to overcome obstacles in my own life.

East Hill

Oh, I also purchased arm-warmers that match the club jersey. They are bright yellow. Neil F. will be so jealous! :-)

Okay, now I have to admit that you're a real cyclist.

Congrats neil

Okay, now I have to admit that you're a real cyclist.

I'm glad I meet your standards, Neil. Now if I can only get you to start wearing jerseys...

LBP is also a possibility, yes. That can be caused by hypovolemia (Not enough fluid ;) ) Up your hydration and that may address it.

What kind of sleep issues are we talking here, insomnia or just not getting good rest? Have you ever had a sleep study done for Apnia?

I realized it wasn't a good breakfast, but I was in a hurry - I overslept from being up late last night. Which leads me to think it could simply be lack of sleep, but I'm normally groggy when I don't sleep, and I wasn't groggy. I'm still a little lightheaded now, but I'm also very fatigued. I haven't done anything more strenuous today than sing in church, eat lunch, post to Bike Forums and watch reruns of "Fraiser."

I spoke with a diabetic friend of mine who suggests low blood pressure as a possibility. Regardless, I'm calling Monday morning for a doctor's appointment. Meanwhile, BCP's Most Improved Rider is going to sit and watch a perfect day for riding pass away..... :-(

LBP is also a possibility, yes. That can be caused by hypovolemia (Not enough fluid ;) ) Up your hydration and that may address it.

What kind of sleep issues are we talking here, insomnia or just not getting good rest? Have you ever had a sleep study done for Apnea?

No, I've never had a sleep study. I've always slept badly, largely due to the odd hours I've worked. Before I lost weight, I had a hard time getting good rest, and I often had insomnia. For instance, I would fall asleep at 11:00 PM, wake up a couple of hours later, work on the computer, and then fall asleep again at 4:30 or 5:00 AM. When I wrote for the online magazine Correspondence Chess News (2001-2003), I could editorial conference with our writers in India and Singapore in real time. Once I lost weight, I began to sleep through the night without a break.

Neil F. can attest to how loudly I snore. Poor fellow.

For what it's worth, I've been awake since six something this morning. I fell asleep between 1:15 AM and 2:00 AM. I'm getting very tired now.

The club gave me a certificate for a $250 bike fitting at Cadence, Philadelphia's 'high end' bike shop:

http://www.cadencecycling.com/training/services/pa/biomechanical/

I've had a bike fitting with my local shop that I think turned out well, but I don't think it will hurt to have the folks at Cadence take a break from working with racers and triathletes to look at me. I may hold off on the fitting until after I have my knees looked at - the left knee in particular seems to be getting worse, and if there's a surgical fix, even a partial one, I should investigate it.


Just as a reminder of what Cadence is going to have to work with:

http://lh5.google.com/neil.thehistorian/RdpNm3h3h7I/AAAAAAAAAA0/8qjcMoTP6eM/s800/NeilSpinbike3.jpg

Just look at the knocks in those knees!

If you snore loudly, that's a prime indicator of Sleep Apnea.

Have that checked as well.

No, I've never had a sleep study. I've always slept badly, largely due to the odd hours I've worked. Before I lost weight, I had a hard time getting good rest, and I often had insomnia. For instance, I would fall asleep at 11:00 PM, wake up a couple of hours later, work on the computer, and then fall asleep again at 4:30 or 5:00 AM. When I wrote for the online magazine Correspondence Chess News (2001-2003), I could editorial conference with our writers in India and Singapore in real time. Once I lost weight, I began to sleep through the night without a break.

Neil F. can attest to how loudly I snore. Poor fellow.

For what it's worth, I've been awake since six something this morning. I fell asleep between 1:15 AM and 2:00 AM. I'm getting very tired now.

If I wear it on the Pittsburgh-Washington DC tour in June, you may see it in Williamsport!

PM me when it happens.....if the timing is right, I'll join you for a 30-40 mile escort!

Are you planning on running any of the Western Maryland Rails to Trails that runs along side the C&O Canal?

PM me when it happens.....if the timing is right, I'll join you for a 30-40 mile escort!

Are you planning on running any of the Western Maryland Rails to Trails that runs along side the C&O Canal?

Yes, we plan on switching to the WMRT for the 20 or so miles they parallel each other. As a 'snooty roadie' (Neil F.'s description of me) I prefer pavement to dirt. :-)

I'd enjoy meeting you again. We could use the pull. At six one, I don't often find folks who dwarf me. :-)

Congratulations on the award.

Congrats!!

If you snore loudly, that's a prime indicator of Sleep Apnea.

Have that checked as well.

OK. Will do.

No lightheadedness this morning, but a general sense of fatigue. According to the clock I slept six hours, but I know I was awake at both 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM.

OK. Will do.

No lightheadedness this morning, but a general sense of fatigue. According to the clock I slept six hours, but I know I was awake at both 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM.

As another person who sleeps weird hours due to work, I work the grave yard shift, there are some tricks to changing sleep cycles, quickly. First going with the clock is easier then against the clock, in other words going to bed later is always easier then earlier. The clock is always where you are, so if your on a midnight shift, going to a day shift, then going to bed, for a full sleep[ after the last shift, then trying to get on cycle, is going against the clock. What I do, is go to bed for a few hours (usually 2-3), to take the edge off, then get up again, and make a pot of caffeinated coffee, have a day, and go to bed at the regular time for the new cycle, so you should have a good sleep. This trick also works if your flying over several time zones.

Realize that different folks need different amounts of sleep, some folks drag their butts all day if they get less then 9 hours sleep, other folks can get by on as little as 3 hours for many years...... Me for example, I'm good with 6 - 7.5hrs...... Exercise helps, in the summer I would often get 3 hours on a Friday, then go for a long bike ride......

I was flattered by the award, and although I suspected there would be something said at the banquet, I never expected the extravagant gift. I mumbled some thanks as the 125 attendees applauded. I returned the thanks by purchasing the club jersey at the end of the night. It's something I'd wanted to wear for a long time, but I always came up with excuses not to own it - I had too many jerseys, I'm not good enough/fast enough/lycra'd enough/carbon-fibered enough to ride with BCP, etc. I don't have that excuse any more.

http://www.phillybikeclub.org/jerseysm.jpg

From day one of the two day tour Neil F. dragged me on this weekend.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2375/2272681226_cdc394f0d5_b.jpg

Our hosts for the overnight stay on the tour have twin boys, age two. They were fascinated by my 'superhero' jersey, and by my helmet light. So I straightened up, adopted a 'superhero' pose, and spoke in a deep booming voice "I am BCP-Man!" The kids loved it. This kid loved it too. :D