Donald’s Daily Draft

OK… It’s not the Bird Flu… and I’ve ruled out Dengue Fever.  So why have I gotten this rash on the top of my legs the last two times I’ve been on the bike.  I was in the heat/sun for a while on both rides.  Last Thursday’s ride was 60 miles and then yesterday’s ride was 70 miles.  As you can see by the pics, they’re reddish bumpy splotches on each of my quads.  It doesn’t hurt… no itch… no pain… maybe a slight burn feeling… very slight. 
I say heat rash because the two times it has happened the temperature was in the upper 90’s and it felt even hotter.  I was also in direct sun most of the time.  Now, I do use Coppertone Sport, a waterproof sunscreen.  It’s one I have always used and never had a problem.  But could it be a combination of that… the heat and all the salt on my body from sweat?  I just don’t know.  I’ve ridden in hot conditions in the past and never experienced anything like this.

STOP THE PRESS!  How funny… as I wrote the paragraph above… I remembered a random comment from Ron (Cozy Beehive) talking about how some waterproof sunscreens might make you overheat by blocking the sweat from escaping your body.  We were talking about getting too hot and needing more fluids than normal.  Well check this out.  I just went back and found this under a heat rash description:

“If sweat cannot reach the skin’s surface, it may break through the duct wall and remain trapped in an inner layer of the skin, where it can cause inflammation and a rash.”
So, maybe Ron solved this before it even happened.  Has anyone else experienced the same? Let me know because a second opinion never hurts (no offense Dr. Ron).     

I guess they do.  This past weekend, I was invited to a grape “stomp-off’ against other media representatives from around town.  It was a huge wine festival, “Great Grapes,” showcasing North Carolina’s growing wine industry.  So, for our efforts, we were told the person who stomped out the most grape juice after 5 minutes straight of stomping would win $100 for their charity of choice.  My charity, 24 Hours of Booty, the official 24 hour cycling event of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  You may have read one of my earlier posts about both of my parents being diagnosed with cancer last year.  Well, I was determined to stomp my ass off and add the prize money to my fundraising effort.  I guess I used the right technique because I filled the pitcher.  Even better, the event organizers gave everyone’s charity $100 and since I won… I got $200!  I was so excited I picked up the pitcher and took a gulp…  two gulps.  Yes, my feet were clean.  Check out the short video below and if you have time, please visit Donald’s 24 Hours of Booty fundraising page.  Cheers! 
 

As many of you may know, I work in the news business.  So, we get a lot of promotional items sent directly to us.  Organizations, public relations or marketing firms pitch their products and books hoping you’ll give them some coverage.  Well, here’s their coverage: 

Today, I got a FedEx package in the newsroom and was all excited.  But I soon found out what was inside was intended to do exactly that… help people get excited.  The package contained Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s latest book: Sex After 50 “Revving Up the Romance, Passion & Excitement.”  I’m sure most of you know Dr. Ruth is a world-famous sex therapist.

I then looked at the attached letter and it was from the Erectile Dysfunction Institute.  There have been articles in Bicycle Magazine talking about how cyclists, being in the saddle for so long, might experience issues… “down there” issues… if their saddle isn’t the right fit. 
Although the letter was addressed directly to me, I’ll remind you all… as documented in a previous post, my wife and I, are the proud parents of a 19 day old baby boy.  Oh, and I’m 38… and… I have taken careful measures in choosing the right saddle with the best ergonomic fit.

Now that we’ve established that I’m not having any ”issues” and that I’m not yet in the book’s demographic.  I must figure out what to do with this wonderfully informative book.  I am more than happy to make a donation… discreet if you wish.  
Or, I do have a friend turning 50 in January… so it could be a helpful (if needed) gift idea.  What’s your idea? 

There’s a really good reason for me being a bit of a slacker lately on my blog.  I know I’ve been slow on posting as well as visting your sites.
But I have a good excuse.  I’ve mentioned in comments on some of your blogs that we’re going to have a baby soon. 

Well, the baby comes tomorrow!

We are, of course, very excited about his arrival.  So, I’ll not only be away from the blog for a few days but off the bike as well.  Although, my wonderful wife has said I should get out for at least a short ride or a spin class.  We’ll see how I feel.

The hospital rooms where we’l l be are so big and I asked what she thought about me bringing my bike in with the trainer.  She said she didn’t care.  We would just be stuck in there and watching movies while the baby slept. 
I think that would be a first.   

It’s time for the question of the week.  I have so many good ones just sitting there on my headset but I’ve feathered the brakes on my excitement and finally settled on this:

If you had to be part of a bike… what part would you be and why?

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The other day I thought I would start a weekly post asking you a question.
It could be about anything… whatever sparks my interest… maybe something I think up while on a ride. 
So, sure enough, I was on a great ride Sunday… mashing the pedals, sprinting, doing hill repeats (go with the embellishment here).  I was all by myself and I realized how many things I think about.  Our minds spin about as much as our pedals do… especially if we’re riding alone.  Some things we think about are normal… others are just plain out there. 
And I thought… that’s my first question of the week.   
So, here’s your chance to spill… or at least I hope you will when you answer this:
What’s the strangest thing you’ve thought about while on your bike?

Despite the pumpkin pie, ice cream, rum cake and cookies… I can still walk.  Typing, though, is a different story.  I got rather lazy on vacation and as you probably noticed didn’t post a thing to my blog. 
I had a bunch of pretty good thoughts but that’s about it.
It was so nice to just veg with my family.  I hope all of you had a great Christmas and are now preparing for the New Year’s celebration.  Some of you will be celebrating earlier considering the time difference.  I’ll be sleeping away the celebration since my alarm goes off at 2 am for work on New Year’s Day.  But whatever you might have planned… have a great time and a safe one.  Happy New Year!  I look forward to new and exciting posts in 2008.    Cheers,  Donald    

We’re cyclist… it’s what we know.  It’s what we do.  It’s our hobby.  It’s what we study and read about.  We blog about it.  We know all the details of our bikes… our favorite brands of components… glasses… gloves… jerseys… shorts… socks… shoes.  And as a cyclist, you know, the list goes on.  So, here’s where I’m going with this.  Do we really try to convey what we want for Christmas when our loved ones ask?  Should we painstakingly detail what kind of cycling gear we’re interested in?  Or, should we just avoid the possibility of confusion and need to return or exchange by asking for a gift certificate?  My wife has said she doesn’t even know where to begin when considering a surprise cycling related gift.  Just as many husbands believe that ”get-up” they saw in the window at Victoria’s  Secret is awesome… our wives know, it’s just not practical!      
How about you?  Let me know how your loved ones are handling the gift giving for the cyclist in the family.