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Dry mouth and giddyness while biking

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Dry mouth and giddyness while biking

Old 01-20-13, 07:29 PM
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Dry mouth and giddyness while biking

So I moved to Boston from India this October. I really wanted to bike around instead of buying a car; even in the winter. A senipr colleague at office very kindly lent me his bike to try out during the winter.

So I biked 2 or 3 times a week to work and everything largely was fine. It's not a super long commute at around 5.5 miles but it's not something I'm used to. It was tiring at times but overall I could manage okay. I biked one day at 28 F and while toes got really cold and hands hurt at the end, I did manage to get through.

One day though, I think it was a little colder than usual. So I put on my usual jacket (which is nice and thick) over my shirt, 2 pairs of gloves and 2 pairs of socks along with a Balaclava and went off. I was feeling a little more tired than usual, but I just put this down to me not being fit enough. As I crossed the 4 mile mark I started feeling funny. I kept going but it kept getting worse..Heart started pounding a bit, mouth started going dry, started feeling giddy and wanted to puke. So common sense prevailed and I just biked off the road and stopped and sat on a rock. And good thing I did...as I couldn't even sit straight and felt really sick. I didn't bike through...called someone who picked me up and dropped me at work. Strangely in around 10 minutes I felt normal ..and thought that I might even be able to bike that last mile or so. I didn't though. I wanted to ask all of you experienced riders...what happened?

All I ate was a banana before I started off (as usual) and then I eat at work. Maybe that wasn't enough and I should eat more before I leave. But 2 pairs of gloves and 2 pairs of socks were not enough at all..I was still very cold there. Maybe the gloves aren't good enough..ditto the socks.

Could you guys recommend what I should buy? Nothing too pricey please. I'm just an occasional 2 or 3 times a week rider..and am doing it just to prove to myself I can go without a car one whole winter. Summer should be easier as I'm used to the hear from India...but while walking in the cold at around 25 - 30F seems fine...the bike seems trickier.

Do pass on what happened to me and how I can avoid this going forward.

Thanks
Arvind
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Old 01-20-13, 09:29 PM
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Sounds like you smoked some weed before the ride, Arvind!

In all seriousness, although I don't know what happened to you physically, I can recommend three pieces of equipment to get you through the winter: neoprene overshoes (booties), nylon overpants, and lobster mittens.

The booties will help keep your feet warm, but also protected from road spray. The overpants will help you stay warm and dry by blocking wind, snow and rain, and the lobster style gloves (i.e. two finger compartments for two fingers apiece, plus a thumb compartment) increase air insulation and reduce surface area for better heat retention.
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Old 01-20-13, 09:30 PM
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At that temperature, my guess is you need more food.
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Old 01-20-13, 10:53 PM
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It's called bonking.
But I'm sure the psychophysical stress of moving from India to Boston added to the delirium.

Eat more good stuff.
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Old 01-20-13, 11:32 PM
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No, it is not bonking, not at all. It's just common low blood sugar. Probably the low temperature caused you to burn a few more calories than you are accustomed to, so you didn't quite make it to work before your banana put your blood sugar in the toilet. You would have done better to eat nothing. This is relatively common in new riders. After a while, your metabolism adjusts and increases your ability to convert fat to blood sugar so you can burn that. For now, eat more before departing. A normal breakfast is 400 calories, because that's about how much liver glycogen your brain burns during the night, and a mix of carbs, protein, and fat. As your mother probably told you, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A 150 calorie, all-carb banana obviously didn't work that well for you.

I would say that your clothing had little or nothing to do with it. If you'd been able to keep riding, you would have stayed warm or at least warm enough.
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Old 01-21-13, 10:31 AM
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I've had similiar episode in the past when doing long rides(100+ miles) during the winter months. As I think back I don't think I ever hadthe experience while doing 200+ mile rides during the summer months. I'm not sure if I remember having any dry mouth or anything like that but I do remember the 'giddyness' factor. To me it always been the fact it gets painful to even look at the road...kinda like a giddyness. The two most recent times I remember having it were on the same route, actually, back in early February last year and then again on the last day of fall. I was a bit surprised/not surprised when it hit me last month. I had ridden one heck of a century for this time of the year 17.22 average pace. I first noticed when I went to stand up to climb a small hill and boy I didn't have it in me anymore. I knew the remaining 14-15 miles to get home was going to be fun, mostly uphill. By the tiem I hit the main climbs I was gone. I did like the OP, I pulled over and took a bit of a break before continuing the last 3.5 miles or so to get home. I had only eaten one thing since I left home and it was pretty much sugar at the halfway point...yeah about 600+ calories. Back last February i grabbed a couple of bananas about 10-15 miles before i got hit with the 'giddyness'. Now I understand what's going on. Now it totally makes sense.

Thanks Carbonfiberboy. This really doesn't make much more sense to me now.
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Old 01-21-13, 12:52 PM
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Originally Posted by bikenh
I've had similiar episode in the past when doing long rides(100+ miles) during the winter months. As I think back I don't think I ever hadthe experience while doing 200+ mile rides during the summer months. I'm not sure if I remember having any dry mouth or anything like that but I do remember the 'giddyness' factor. To me it always been the fact it gets painful to even look at the road...kinda like a giddyness. The two most recent times I remember having it were on the same route, actually, back in early February last year and then again on the last day of fall. I was a bit surprised/not surprised when it hit me last month. I had ridden one heck of a century for this time of the year 17.22 average pace. I first noticed when I went to stand up to climb a small hill and boy I didn't have it in me anymore. I knew the remaining 14-15 miles to get home was going to be fun, mostly uphill. By the tiem I hit the main climbs I was gone. I did like the OP, I pulled over and took a bit of a break before continuing the last 3.5 miles or so to get home. I had only eaten one thing since I left home and it was pretty much sugar at the halfway point...yeah about 600+ calories. Back last February i grabbed a couple of bananas about 10-15 miles before i got hit with the 'giddyness'. Now I understand what's going on. Now it totally makes sense.

Thanks Carbonfiberboy. This really doesn't make much more sense to me now.
Yeah, if you're out for a long ride, you have to keep the calories coming, steadily. You're obviously in great shape to be able to get away with as much as you do.

I remember when I started training as an adult that I had to have about 100 calories every half hour or I would get weak. Now I can do about the same as you, but suffer for it if I forget to eat for too long. It feels fine until it doesn't, so I try to make a habit of eating.
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Old 01-21-13, 01:05 PM
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sugar spike and drop. next time have a little meat with that banana
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Old 01-21-13, 04:07 PM
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Wow that's a lot of information..thank you very much. So I rode againn today..same route..same bike..and only 1 pair gloves and socks but with thermocot innerwear + a jacket. Temperature was 26 F in North Boston. No problem at all. I'm not setting records with the speed I'm driving at...but it's not too bad either. 5.5 miles 40 minutes. I ate a banana, some cereal and a few almonds along with a glass of water. Seemed okay but I was quite thirsty by the time I got to work. Guess I need to drink some more water.

@chaadster: No I didn't smoke anything . Thanks for the clothing advice. I'll keep it in mind.

@009jim: I will eat some more.

@Bikepacker67: By bonking...you mean totally exhausted rt? That's what Google said . Well I've done the same route nearly 20-25 times now..and I've been okay so I'm thinking it's something else. And I did the same thing today at 2 degrees colder.

@Carbonfiberboy: Thanks. That makes sense. So if I get this right. The body will burn carbs first so the banana got burnt and the body didn't get time to go its fat stores and conked me out. But a while later...it adjusted and was ready to go again. If I hadn't eaten anything, the boyd would've had to burn fat. Is that right? I guess I'll eat a little from now on and keep a bar of chocolate with me along with a bottle of water, just in case.

@bikenh: 100 and 200 miles? Wow :-o ... Big big respect. Are you a pro rider? If you can do that much then surely I should be able to do these "warm up" laps

@rumrunn6: I'm a vegan but eats dairy apart from eggs. Any veg substitutes for meat? Thanks.
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Old 01-22-13, 01:05 AM
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Originally Posted by live_dont_exist
Wow that's a lot of information..thank you very much. So I rode againn today..same route..same bike..and only 1 pair gloves and socks but with thermocot innerwear + a jacket. Temperature was 26 F in North Boston. No problem at all. I'm not setting records with the speed I'm driving at...but it's not too bad either. 5.5 miles 40 minutes. I ate a banana, some cereal and a few almonds along with a glass of water. Seemed okay but I was quite thirsty by the time I got to work. Guess I need to drink some more water.

@chaadster: No I didn't smoke anything . Thanks for the clothing advice. I'll keep it in mind.

@009jim: I will eat some more.

@Bikepacker67: By bonking...you mean totally exhausted rt? That's what Google said . Well I've done the same route nearly 20-25 times now..and I've been okay so I'm thinking it's something else. And I did the same thing today at 2 degrees colder.

@Carbonfiberboy: Thanks. That makes sense. So if I get this right. The body will burn carbs first so the banana got burnt and the body didn't get time to go its fat stores and conked me out. But a while later...it adjusted and was ready to go again. If I hadn't eaten anything, the boyd would've had to burn fat. Is that right? I guess I'll eat a little from now on and keep a bar of chocolate with me along with a bottle of water, just in case.

@bikenh: 100 and 200 miles? Wow :-o ... Big big respect. Are you a pro rider? If you can do that much then surely I should be able to do these "warm up" laps

@rumrunn6: I'm a vegan but eats dairy apart from eggs. Any veg substitutes for meat? Thanks.
Doesn't have to be meat. Just more calories. A type 1 diabetic told me that when we get up in the morning, we have hormones active which hold our blood sugar quite steady until we eat something. So he never eats in the morning, but rather eats something soon after he starts riding. This makes sense evolutionarily. Usually it's best to eat about 2 hours before riding to allow the blood sugar to settle, or immediately before, but enough calories to carry one to the next refuel. Meat or fat really isn't the best preride fuel. Better to have some sort of carb and protein. The traditional combination is chocolate milk. When I ran Nordic XC in school, I'd eat 2 eggs, 2 pieces of toast, 2 glasses of whole milk, and 2 glasses of juice. That's a little much for most of us, but that's the general idea.

Go back up-thread and read that link about riding in the cold. However, IME that only applies to inexperienced aerobic athletes. I've run XC, ski raced, snowshoed, and biked in 35° and raining, and I can tell you that it's not that different. One burns fat just fine, but one does need a little more food. Not that much more, but more.
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Old 01-22-13, 09:53 AM
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Okay thank you carbonfiberboy. I'll make sure I eat a combination of the two before I leave.
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Old 01-22-13, 10:23 AM
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You may also want to swing by a bike or sports shop and pick up a gel pack or shot blocks or something to keep in a pocket of your jacket. (I'm not sure which ones are vegan, but I'm sure you have resources to find that out). I personally don't like the taste of them, but they are great insurance if you run out of energy in the middle of a ride.
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Old 01-22-13, 12:51 PM
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One thing to watch out for...according the what I've been told but someone I ride with occasionally. Fat takes longer for the body to process. The less grams of fat in whatever it is you eat the sooner your body will be able to use the food to keep you going. I can't say for sure if that is true but I thought I would pass it along.

No, I don't do any racing whatsoever. I'm like you, I don't own a car and since my family lives in Ohio and I live in New Hampshire I kinda ran into the problem of their only being one, acceptable, way of ever getting back to see them...prior to last year the most recent time was 2004. I had alway heard about the guys doing 100 miles while on tour and I also knew I was a wimp that didn't like riding all that much in rain. I knew the fewer days it took me to get to OH or back up here to NH the better my chances of staying dry. I just riding long miles and they kept on increasing in distance.
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Old 01-22-13, 01:26 PM
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Originally Posted by live_dont_exist
@rumrunn6: I'm a vegan but eats dairy apart from eggs.
This is an interesting sentence. "Vegan" means as few animal products as possible, no milk or eggs.

I would guess you just worked a little too hard during this commute and need to slow down a bit.
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Old 01-23-13, 11:30 AM
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Thanks mk313..I'll keep that in mind. Good to hear bikenh. I guess you're really passionate about your biking though. Maybe I will be in time..who knows @ThermionicScott: Haha..I meant to say vegetarian but does not eat eggs..as eggs are an unborn form of life.
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Old 01-23-13, 02:33 PM
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So, cold hands and feet? Try insulated winter boots and flat pedals. For your hands, try windpoof fleece gloves. You should be able to locate good winter stuff at EMS, REI or City Sports.
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Old 01-23-13, 03:37 PM
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You mentioned feeling thirsty on your successful cold day... did you drink much water on your dizzy day?

It's easy to forget to drink when it's cold, but you actually lose quite a bit of water in cold winter air. If you didn't drink any water when you got up, you were probably dehydrated to begin with. Then, if you didn't drink anything on your ride (because it was cold, so you didn't feel thirsty), you probably got even more dehydrated. Dry mouth, nausea, dizziness - sounds like dehydration to me.
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Old 01-23-13, 11:53 PM
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Thanks Leebo. I will keep that in mind and buy them if I can't manage with my existing stuff.


@charbucks: I'm not sure at all..but I couldn't have drunk much. I rarely drink on my ride..I get to work and then drink as it's around 40 minutes...not more. But I'll make sure I am well hydrated next time. I just know I don't want that to happen again...it was an awful feeling. And I got lucky it's a road through a forest area and there were plenty of rocks to sit on for a bit. Who knows what would have happened on a highway or something? Not fun. Thank you for your advice.
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Old 01-31-13, 02:20 AM
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My take on this is the OP's symptoms are classic panic attack symptoms. Hits hard seemingly out of the blue, heart racing, feeling week and if you don't/can't lie down and relax immediately you'll find yourself getting sick. Hyperventalating isn't uncommon and a serious panic attack can be perceived as a heart attack. Did you at any point feel like this was a heart attack? THAT would almost be a clincher, particularly with the "feel fine in 10 min" thing. Panic attacks can go as quickly as they came, sometimes leaving the person feeling fine or possibly tired and a bit weak.
I'll further postulate that it has little or nothing to do with food/hydration. It was a 40 min ride for gosh sakes. NOTHING you eat (other than pure sugar) is going to be digested in that 40 min. If you get a decent breakfast in an hour before you go you don't even need to eat during the ride. No energy will be gained from the banana eaten during the 40 min ride. But also, no NEED for anything to be eaten in a 40min ride. If you're riding hard you probably will want to drink some water but even if you ride hard for 40 min and drink nothing the worst that happens is you are really, really thirsty. (assuming you weren't dehydrated to start) For most people, even those riding reasonably hard, not drinking for such a short period isn't going to have any serious effect. It might the NEXT 40min...
It is much more likely for a person to drink too MUCH water. The only deaths (I THINK this is true...) on the NY Marathon have been due to drinking too much water. None from dehydration.
You can burn 60grams of carbs an hour. maybe 80 in some instances depending on the types of sugars. People that consume 300 grams of food each hour often end up with stomach aches, gas, discomfort. I would again say that in 40min you are pretty much totally getting your energy from stored up fuel.
As to bonking....bonking happens when you have entirely depleted your glycogen reserves and your blood sugar level is dangerously low and you are probably having a hard time thinking, standing, moving. That's bad bonking. Truly NO energy left. People often use the term lightly when they just get really tired and decide to stop but when you bonk bad you are done and will have to stop for at least some rest, at the minimum.
So my advice is to have a good breakfast as early as you can prior to leaving for your ride, be well hydrated and dress so you don't overheat. The dressing thing takes time to figure out. I keep a record of exactly what clothing layers work at a variety of temps.
My wife says "tell him to suck it up". grin
I'll bet that panic attack (if I'm right...) is a one time thing due to the sheer discomfort and foreign nature of the ride but just keep it up. Day after day you'll get stronger and stronger and soon enough 5mi will be nothing and if you want, you'll soon be doing 20, 30 and more miles. Good luck.
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Old 02-05-13, 03:19 PM
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Thanks digibud. I've done that route a few times after having the panic attack or bonking or whatever it was and I've been absolutely fine. I make it a point to eat a little bit before I set out though. I ride reasonably hard..except on the uphill climbs where I'm on a low gear in front and in the back. Yesterday it was around 24F in Boston and some wind too. While I wasn't super comfortable, I was okay. Below 20F I'm not too sure I want to ride..specially if there's wind...but lets see I'm sucking it up alright..and doing my best. And yeah...it never ever happened again...the weird part was that I'd done that route before. Why I should get a panic attack is just weird. Thanks though
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Old 02-05-13, 04:04 PM
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First off I'd never take anything remotely resembling medical advice from myself.... I have to real clue as to whether that could have been a panic attack but it just sounded like it to me. I've just recall that when I got into serious biking I wayyy over estimated how much liquid/food I'd need, particularly on one hour rides. At the beginning I could not even ride an hour so for some time an hour on a bike seemed like a long time and I thought water and some snack was a big deal until I realized I -never- needed to eat during a one hour ride and as long as I was reasonably hydrated I could - or could not- drink during a one hour ride. But I rarely ride in temps above 75F. I'm sure some folks in hottter climates really do need to drink during a hard one hour ride. We had our temp climb to almost +20F the other day but that was because it was snowing. But at least it's above 0F for the time being.
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Old 02-06-13, 11:35 AM
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HaHa...that's fine. I've gone without eating too a couple of times and I've been fine. Cold but fine. I'll work it out over time...I guess. Thanks
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Old 05-11-13, 09:46 PM
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So I've been meaning to update this thread for a while now but have been putting it off. For anyone reading it again, here goes. Earlier in the thread, I experienced a parched mouth, giddyness and a lot of other things which went away quickly. Many people gave me some great suggestions. So I did all of it..more warm clothing, hydrated well, ate well etc. But yet... it happened again. This time though, I knew what was happening and how quickly it'd all go away again.


..so I sat down and waited in the cold (This was some awful day at 20 F or something this winter in Andover,MA ). And true enough...it all vanished again and I could ride to work. So why..despite everything being okay did it happen again? One reason I kinda put it down to is poor sleep the previous night. That kinda seemed to be a common trend. Coz there've been other days when I've slept badly, and I've hated the commute back home, specially if its windy and my body aches and pains and all that (Yes I'm only 30 ).

But jokes apart... it seemed to be none of the things we discussed earlier. One interesting footnote to this would be...when I have an extra long bowel movement and lose a lot of fluid while in the loo, I suddenly get giddy and light headed...much much like the bike ride. Why? I dunno. It happens rarely but it does... So point being... it wasnt the cold, weather, panic, food, drink, clothing or anything....it *could* be sleep...but really I don't know. It's never happened after that though...and I'm enjoying the great weather now and loving biking a bit more after that harsh introduction to New England weather around 6 months ago. Just thought I'd let everyone know.


p.s.. Anyone in North Boston..how bad actually...was this winter? It seemed to be quite long to me. But it's my first one here...so I don't know. Thanks.
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Old 09-09-13, 04:29 PM
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Maybe it's time for an M.O.T.

I suggest you make an appointment with your doctor for a general health check, and mention these "giddy attacks" - especially as you mention you have had similar episodes after going to the toilet.

It might be nothing (temporary low blood sugar, dehydration, over-tired, etc...) or it could be something more serious. I'd say it is worth getting advice from a professional (not to say the advice on here isn't necessarily good).


Oh, and in the UK "bonking" has totally different connotations
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Old 09-10-13, 09:40 AM
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Sounds like you were dehydrated. Lots of people only think about the necessity of hydrating in the summer, but easy to forget in winter/other months: https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

Another thing to consider is your diet. I used to be a vegetarian, but found that my body needed animal protein (without it, I had more anxiety, less endurance/energy, etc), so I don't know if that's something lacking in your diet/breakfast or not, but just a thought.

I agree with the other posters who said it most likely wasn't your clothing. A good waterproof shell and wool-blend layers, & wool socks/glove liners will do a good job of keeping you warm.

ETA: Just read your additional posting, sounds like you might to check for a heart arrhythmia and or panic attacks/anxiety, so a good idea to have a doc do an overall physical. Deep breathing, yoga (for breathing/relaxation/mindfulness) will help alongside the other suggestions. Best wishes.

Last edited by Jewel; 09-10-13 at 09:46 AM.
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