Risking Life, if Not Limb today, with Lance Armstrong
#1
Spin Meister
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Risking Life, if Not Limb today, with Lance Armstrong
Having grown up in Los Angeles, I tend to be unfazed by celebrity sightings. One exception: Paul McCartney, whom I spotted in Franklin Canyon, while I was on a bike ride in the Santa Monica Mountains a few years ago. He's one of my cultural heroes.
The other exception is Lance Armstrong, whom I rode with today. A couple of years ago, I also rode with him – and 500 other cyclists – for a couple of miles, when he put in an appearance in Hollywood. That ride, up famed Sunset Blvd., was in the dark, and getting close to Lance with hundreds of crazed cyclists, weaving in and out around each other, meant risking life and limb.
This morning, Armstrong was in town again, for the semi-annual CicLAvia, when several miles of city streets in the heart of Los Angeles are closed to motorized traffic. I knew Lance was going to be on the official's stand at 9:30 a.m.
Telling myself that I'd had my fun riding with Lance, I decided to join several regular Sunday morning cycling friends from the Los Angeles Wheelmen, to pedal a few miles to the western edge of CicLAvia. At 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning, when we started off, all the streets in L.A. were fairy empty of traffic.
Joining the wonderful CicLAvia route proper, we made our way a few miles towards downtown. As we reached City Hall, we saw a significant number of cyclists heading towards us. It was Lance and perhaps 40 other cyclists who surrounded him. My friend, photographer Ted Soqui, and I found ourselves instantly fazed by seeing Lance, and we turned around to join the parade.
Although we passed thousands of riders pedaling the opposite direction, and overtook a few hundred heading our way, virtually no one recognized who was leading our pack.
Above: the western start/finish of CicLAvia, on Melrose Ave.
Above, my friend, photographer Ted Soqui, is interviewed by the weekend sports anchor, Andy Adler, for a local t.v. station.
With so few riders around Lance – several others seemed to have fallen off the pace – it was easy this time for anyone to ride next to him, and even exchange pleasantries. Drafting Lance was a treat. When I rode next to him, I said, "I had a heart attack about a month ago and my heart rate is 50 beats above what my doctor told me to keep it at. It's worth it to ride with you. Thanks, Lance."
Armstrong didn't seem to have any retainers around him. It was just Lance Armstrong, out for a group ride in Los Angeles. No camera crew filming from a truck, as it was on the Hollywood Ride, no retinue of riders keeping the rest of us at bay. He was just a friendly bike rider who accelerated a lot faster than the rest of us; thank goodness there were some stoplights along the route to slow him down a little.
At the western end of the ride, Lance dismounted. Before climbing into an SUV, he paused for photographs with every cyclist who asked to pose with him, yours truly included.
Thanks for joining me – and Lance – on the ride.
The other exception is Lance Armstrong, whom I rode with today. A couple of years ago, I also rode with him – and 500 other cyclists – for a couple of miles, when he put in an appearance in Hollywood. That ride, up famed Sunset Blvd., was in the dark, and getting close to Lance with hundreds of crazed cyclists, weaving in and out around each other, meant risking life and limb.
This morning, Armstrong was in town again, for the semi-annual CicLAvia, when several miles of city streets in the heart of Los Angeles are closed to motorized traffic. I knew Lance was going to be on the official's stand at 9:30 a.m.
Telling myself that I'd had my fun riding with Lance, I decided to join several regular Sunday morning cycling friends from the Los Angeles Wheelmen, to pedal a few miles to the western edge of CicLAvia. At 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning, when we started off, all the streets in L.A. were fairy empty of traffic.
Joining the wonderful CicLAvia route proper, we made our way a few miles towards downtown. As we reached City Hall, we saw a significant number of cyclists heading towards us. It was Lance and perhaps 40 other cyclists who surrounded him. My friend, photographer Ted Soqui, and I found ourselves instantly fazed by seeing Lance, and we turned around to join the parade.
Although we passed thousands of riders pedaling the opposite direction, and overtook a few hundred heading our way, virtually no one recognized who was leading our pack.
Above: the western start/finish of CicLAvia, on Melrose Ave.
Above, my friend, photographer Ted Soqui, is interviewed by the weekend sports anchor, Andy Adler, for a local t.v. station.
With so few riders around Lance – several others seemed to have fallen off the pace – it was easy this time for anyone to ride next to him, and even exchange pleasantries. Drafting Lance was a treat. When I rode next to him, I said, "I had a heart attack about a month ago and my heart rate is 50 beats above what my doctor told me to keep it at. It's worth it to ride with you. Thanks, Lance."
Armstrong didn't seem to have any retainers around him. It was just Lance Armstrong, out for a group ride in Los Angeles. No camera crew filming from a truck, as it was on the Hollywood Ride, no retinue of riders keeping the rest of us at bay. He was just a friendly bike rider who accelerated a lot faster than the rest of us; thank goodness there were some stoplights along the route to slow him down a little.
At the western end of the ride, Lance dismounted. Before climbing into an SUV, he paused for photographs with every cyclist who asked to pose with him, yours truly included.
So I didn't risk my limbs this time out with Lance, although I may have put my life at a little bit of risk. (That thought had crossed my mind as my heart rate monitor read 150). Soon enough my heart rate was back to normal, and I rode slowly – very slowly – home, and I seem none the worse for wear, richer with a few photographs and memories of an exciting morning.
Thanks for joining me – and Lance – on the ride.
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This post is a natural product. Slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and are in no way to be considered flaws or defects.
This post is a natural product. Slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and are in no way to be considered flaws or defects.
Last edited by icyclist; 04-13-11 at 01:11 AM.
#4
Throw the stick!!!!
Very cool post, thank you for sharing.
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#5
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Awesome pic man!
I gotta ask, it looks like you're in pretty good shape. What caused the heart attack?
I gotta ask, it looks like you're in pretty good shape. What caused the heart attack?
#9
Spin Meister
Thread Starter
The first lesson is that being in shape doesn't offer iron-clad protection from a heart attack, although it certainly helps recover from one.
This was my second heart attack. The first heart attack was probably due to family history (my dad had heart disease), and some serious stress. I was in great shape, had prompt treatment, and I was back on my bike in five days (I rode slowly for a couple of weeks).
Lesson two: I was in a sort of darkly and periodically contrarian mood, a left-over of my stress from a few years ago. For whatever reason, I stopped taking aspirin for a couple of weeks. That aspirin had been keeping my blood thin enough to keep a clot from potentially forming in the little stent sitting inside a coronary artery from my first heart attack. A clot did form inside the stent, and I had my second heart attack thirty minutes after finishing a great bike ride. That clot – or rather my idiocy – came very close to killing me. What is the lesson? Take your medicine (as I now am).
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This post is a natural product. Slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and are in no way to be considered flaws or defects.
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Sorry for the hijack!
Is there anything you can do to repair clogged arteries?
The reason I ask is because I've always known that good health doesn't mean healthy heart - but I've never personally known anyone that had a heart attack that was in good shape.
Hope you stay on track for a great recovery
Is there anything you can do to repair clogged arteries?
The reason I ask is because I've always known that good health doesn't mean healthy heart - but I've never personally known anyone that had a heart attack that was in good shape.
Hope you stay on track for a great recovery
#11
Senior Member
I had a lot of wiseass remarks about Lance being in Hollywood and not at the other race today.
But it's got to be cool to ride with, and meet an icon.
Paul McCartney is still a bigger icon though..... Beatles were the best, Wings were good too.
But it's got to be cool to ride with, and meet an icon.
Paul McCartney is still a bigger icon though..... Beatles were the best, Wings were good too.
#17
Spin Meister
Thread Starter
Sorry for the hijack!
Is there anything you can do to repair clogged arteries?
The reason I ask is because I've always known that good health doesn't mean healthy heart - but I've never personally known anyone that had a heart attack that was in good shape.
Hope you stay on track for a great recovery
Is there anything you can do to repair clogged arteries?
The reason I ask is because I've always known that good health doesn't mean healthy heart - but I've never personally known anyone that had a heart attack that was in good shape.
Hope you stay on track for a great recovery
If arteries are clogged, there's evidence that certain medications will at least slow it down, and maybe reverse it. There's a little – very little – good evidence that a vegetarian diet might reduce plaque.
Staying fit (not becoming overweight), reducing stress, and eating well – i.e. cutting down on refined foods – these are probably the best defenses against clogged arteries.
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#19
Former Hoarder
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Awesome story - thanks for sharing! I was out there at CicLAvia later on in the afternoon around 1pm starting in Little Tokyo. Great event, and will definitely aim to go to the next one on 6/5.
Best of luck to you and your health - take care of yourself!
Best of luck to you and your health - take care of yourself!
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Very nice post with lots of great pictures.
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