This is what I should have said the first time:
I’m taking today off to give my saddle sores a break. 350 miles a week takes its toll but it is manageable. At 72 I am 5’5 and weigh 125 pounds. When I go to a department store to buy a pair of pants I get the same size I wore in high school. I pull them off the rack with a 29 inch waist and they slip right on like they are tailored. Because I go to a gym most days of the week I still have six-pack abs even though I never do ab workouts; only biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders and latts; about 40 min a day.
To me cycling is like brushing my teeth or bathing; a necessary chore. You don’t have to ride on my level to get the major benefits of cycling. In fact twenty miles a day will get you the golden protection that comes from taxing your heart and lungs to get a return on good health. You don’t even have to lose a lot of weight though if you want to get faster and stronger you will need to. Cycling is flexible; your muscles, joints and bones benefit even at moderate rates of effort so long as you do it regularly.
We can’t fight aging. I am getting cataracts and when I read or do close work my eyes will not refocus for distance instantly like they used to. I can’t read road signs far away like I could a few years ago. I have Solar Purpura which means “easy bruising” on my forearms. Years of running, cycling and triathlons with no sunscreen have compromised the thin connective tissue just beneath the skin and just a minor bump will produce a bruise that lasts for about three weeks. I wear Under Armour sleeves all the time now. I also have ocular hypertension which is high pressure on the optic nerve but I do not have glaucoma which is damage to the nerve. I take eye drops to drop the pressure (I forgot to put them in last night).
My bloodwork is always great, BP is good. I had a stress test last year and exceeded all the parameters for heart heath. The cardiologist stated that heart disease is very unlikely though I have had atrial fibrillation on rare occasions brought on by stress and anxiety. He did not recommend blood thinners because they are more dangerous than the heart rhythm changes.
I ride because I can and because years ago I got good bicycles when I gave up running. I’d be a fool to stop now. See you on the road.
Last edited by Ray9; 07-31-19 at 09:20 AM.