I've always loved this poem, an ode to non-comformity, by the Scottish author Jenny Joseph: Warning When I am an old woman I shall wear purpleWith a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer glovesAnd satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.I … Continue reading When I’m Old I Shall Wear Purple →

I recently passed the four year anniversary of my heart valve surgery. Since I also had exercise-induced AFIB in the weeks before the surgery, I also got the Maze procedure, which meant this was not minimally invasive, instead I got a median sternotomy. But my surgeon, Dr. Vincent Gaudiani, did an excellent job. The details … Continue reading Aortic Valve Replacement- Four Years Post-op →

The Motivational Benefits of a Hairy Personal Trainer- I Loved It!

I mentioned recently that I signed up for the Sacramento century in October, so it is time to ramp up my mileage. Today my group was doing a 27 mile ride in the hill East of Gilroy, starting at the Mendoza Ranch entrance to Harvey Bear park, which they drove to. I decided to start … Continue reading Fifty Miler With Hills →

http://www.Amazon.com/books I just finished the book The Heart Attack That Saved My Life. The author was happily married with a son, but had settled into a sedentary life with unhealthy eating habits. A serious heart attack was his wake-up call- at age 39. He learned healthier eating during his rehab. And he slowly got active, … Continue reading Many Vibrant Years Added to Life After a Heart Attack →

I was contacted by makers of the Diversiflex resistance band product to review their product. As with all my reviews, I have not received any compensation from them. https://www.diversiflex.co.uk/ As I've discussed previously, I am an enthusiastic user of resistance bands. They are a great way to get a good strength-training workout with lightweight and … Continue reading “Diverisflex” Resistance Band Set →

The title of this post prompts the question: why would you want to do that? Discomfort occurs in life whether we want to or not, and we can expect at least some chronic aches and pains with aging. Training to handle discomfort during exercise is a way to become more able to "grin and bear … Continue reading Training To Tolerate Discomfort →

Today was my longest ride to date on the recumbent, about 3 hours. I rode out to Hellyer Park and back on the Coyote Creek Trail. On a flat route like this it is even faster than my upright. It is nice to be able to go this far and more in perfect comfort. I … Continue reading Long Recumbent Ride to Hellyer Park and Back →

http://www.Amazon.com/books I just read this fascinating book by Hannah Ross about the history of woman and bicycling. I had known some tidbits about how bicycling had helped in the early days of the Women's liberation and suffrage movements, including this famous quote from Susan B Anthony: "Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. … Continue reading Revolutions- Women and Bicycling →

http://www.Amazon.com/books This is the title of an interesting book by Paul Cavell, about continuing to ride well and stay healthy as we grow older. Paul has the interesting perspective about being a professional bike fitter- riders, often pretty talented ones, go to him to have their bike setup tuned in just right for performance and … Continue reading The Midlife Cyclist →