SacramentoMike
Not Safe For Work
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Is My Motorcycle Killing Me?
- Thread starter James Burleigh
- Start date
Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:
marcusorelius
Well-known member
Now I know who put up those signs on old rte 66 on the way to seligman & what burma shave is (I thought it was some kind of store)
bluesdog
Well-known member
My FJR helped to save my life.
I'd been feeling out of sorts for most of the winter. Finally I noticed that a birth mark on my chest was altering in size and shape, and it was diagnosed as malignant.
Subseqently, I had a couple of surgeries; one to remove the actual tumor, and another to remove most of the lymph nodes under my right arm, in order to up the odds from 60% to +90%.
I managed to get back on the bike within a few days after both operations, although the drain I had to wear fo 20 days following the second was uncomfortable and inconvenient.
As I recovered, I began to feel my overall health returning, and a follow-up visit last month with the oncologist at the clinic confirmed that I was fully clear of cancer.
I'd been motorcycle-less for over 10 years, so when I started riding again this March, I began experiencing once more all those amazing feelings that biking gives one.
Cancer is thought to be involved with the immune system, and it is understood that unrelieved stress negatively impacts the immune system. I had been living under a constant stressful situation for many years, and I think that is what finally triggered the disease.
I now am much more watchful of my well-being: I have learned to pay more attention to my diet; I am more accepting of the care and love given me by my friends; I meditate; ...and I ride my FJR :yahoo:
I'd been feeling out of sorts for most of the winter. Finally I noticed that a birth mark on my chest was altering in size and shape, and it was diagnosed as malignant.
Subseqently, I had a couple of surgeries; one to remove the actual tumor, and another to remove most of the lymph nodes under my right arm, in order to up the odds from 60% to +90%.
I managed to get back on the bike within a few days after both operations, although the drain I had to wear fo 20 days following the second was uncomfortable and inconvenient.
As I recovered, I began to feel my overall health returning, and a follow-up visit last month with the oncologist at the clinic confirmed that I was fully clear of cancer.
I'd been motorcycle-less for over 10 years, so when I started riding again this March, I began experiencing once more all those amazing feelings that biking gives one.
Cancer is thought to be involved with the immune system, and it is understood that unrelieved stress negatively impacts the immune system. I had been living under a constant stressful situation for many years, and I think that is what finally triggered the disease.
I now am much more watchful of my well-being: I have learned to pay more attention to my diet; I am more accepting of the care and love given me by my friends; I meditate; ...and I ride my FJR :yahoo:
odot
CC member # 17,----- DUP member # 7, mensa club m
Perhaps Hans will be the first fjr rider to farkle his machine with an oxygen tank.... :dribble:
beemerdons
Certifiable Old Fart
Lots of good suggestions here, from lots of different folks! I'm just glad I don't have to ride to work in your traffic situation. And I'm really glad I don't have to work! HUBBA!
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CAJW
Well-known member
Hans, Hans, Hans.. here I am, getting twisted up cause' I can't ride right now (stitches are dissolving, but still real sore from surgery) and you're twisted up cause' you are riding! We got to find some common ground here. My suggestion is to dial back the coffee intake to one cup a day, ride Tuesday and Thursday and turn your brain off while caging it Mon, Wed, Fri. like every other driver on the road in the Bay Area during commute time. You'll be safer statistically by avoiding the dreaded Friday afternoon rush and you'll be able to lower your awareness level (somewhat) while driving the cage which should hopefully lower the BP. I find that making my riding for pleasure, not utility (commuting, errands etc...) keeps the FUN in riding and it never becomes a chore or source of stress inducement due to the fact that when I'm riding, I'm out for a good time. Keep Smiling :lol:
TriggerT
Mr. Impatient
I don't know if your cycle commute is killing you, but I can tell you that since my new job came with a company cage, and therefore I ride next to ZERO miles (like less than 100 in the last month)I feel far more depressed both going to, and coming home from work.
As others have said, the cycle might not be the problem, but the commute itself.
As others have said, the cycle might not be the problem, but the commute itself.
dcarver
Well-known member
I'd rather ride and die young and handsome
..oops, there goes that theory, I'm old already :****:
good thing I'm still handsome,what else would I do?
..oops, there goes that theory, I'm old already :****:
good thing I'm still handsome,what else would I do?
rogdeb
Scouser
Hans,
A plethora of good advice here that you need to take to heart (yeah .. "take to heart" :good: ) . My small 2c worth though ..... you're over thinking this thing and need to keep it simple. Enjoy the ride to work (no changing lanes like a banshee to beat the Camaro to the front), then, if possible , enjoy work! Finally, now the work crap is out of the way and your heading to the safety of home and Fang, enjoy a leisurely ride home...... Repeat the following days.
I'll send you my bill
A plethora of good advice here that you need to take to heart (yeah .. "take to heart" :good: ) . My small 2c worth though ..... you're over thinking this thing and need to keep it simple. Enjoy the ride to work (no changing lanes like a banshee to beat the Camaro to the front), then, if possible
, enjoy work! Finally, now the work crap is out of the way and your heading to the safety of home and Fang, enjoy a leisurely ride home...... Repeat the following days.I'll send you my bill
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rogdeb
Scouser
madmike2
Shtirrenuppenmeister
Actually....there is another possibility for oxygen starvation to consider. Are you holding your breath in stressful situations? I'd bet the advice from all track-day instructors is, "Remember to breathe!"
The natural tendency in a stressful/emergency situation is to hold one's breath. If you are not consciously reminding yourself to breath normally (yes, another mental exercise) you could be suffering from some percentage of stress related oxygen deprivation.
Additionally, since you are reporting that your "arms were shaking slightly as though I'd just been lifting weights", it is possible that you are locking your arms while riding or trying to "muscle" the bike to control it. Either way, IF you are using either of the aforementioned techniques you need to re-read some of the riding books from the courses you've taken and take note of the correct procedures they espouse. I surmise they all state that a rider should keep a light grip on the controls and a keep their arms relaxed for maximum ability to respond to changing circumstances and road conditions.
You are a thoughtful and thinking man, Hans. You know that most of this issue is likely to change once you exercise your ability to psychologically understand, mentally comprehend and then physically apply the behavior changes.
Just more thoughts from this observer and worth exactly what you're paying for it.
03HiYoSilver
Well-known member
Here is some more information about this Oxygen Starvation:
https://www.qigongfinder.com/article-the-importance-of-abdominal-breathing.html
"...for individuals who commute regularly in heavy traffic. Myriad stressors occurring every day, and repeatedly eliciting a tight gut response, can contribute to an habituation of this same response so that reflexive tightness in your gut, rather than a relaxed belly, becomes your norm. This makes for a classic case of Red Light reflex syndrome.
The greatest risk of chronic tightness in your gut is that you fall into the habit of breathing shallowly. Even though you may be breathing inefficiently, your cardiovascular demands remain constant. Your heart must continuously pump oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. In compensation for less oxygen being available due to constrained breathing patterns, your body may employ any or all of several compensatory responses. First, red blood cell production may increase in an effort to deliver more oxygen to the capillaries. However, too many additional red blood cells will thicken the blood (absolute polycythemia), eliciting a hyper-ventilatory response, meaning your heart must beat both faster in order to make up for less efficient oxygenation of the blood, and harder in order to pump blood that is now more viscous. Shallow breathing, combined with poor oxygenation, in turn raises blood pressure to service the ongoing needs of your body. This is the physiological equivalent of running your cars engine constantly in the Red-zone, and places the body under tremendous duress. Not unreasonably, the brains response to all of this is one of (exacerbated) chronic low-level anxiety. The cycle worsens as even low level anxiety increases your oxygen demand while diminishing your ability to absorb oxygen efficiently, resulting in possible tendencies toward depression, short temper, impatience, disturbed sleep patterns, digestive difficulties, etc. In addition, the mechanics of shallow breathing undermines the syphoning of lymph from the thoracic duct. Last, but not least, constrained breathing can cause you to experience fatigue, both mental and physical, as well as reduced stamina. Your brain itself consumes approximately 25% of the oxygen you breathe in."
https://calteches.library.caltech.edu/246/1/carbon.pdf
"...The State Health Department
has determined that 30 ppm is an "adverse"
level and that 30 ppm for eight hours, or 120 ppm
for one hour, is a "serious level of pollution." In the
test trips made by Dr. Haagen-Smit and Tom Latham,
the over-all average level of carbon monoxide
measured was 37 ppm of air. In heavy traffic, moving
at less than 20 miles an hour, the level rose to an
Engineering and Science
average of 54 ppm, 'with peaks up to 120 ppm. A
short distance from the freeways and heavily-traveled
streets, levels dropped rapidly, except at stop
signals, where traffic again accuniulated.
"If a commuter spends two hours at the higher exposure
level found in the study," says Dr. Haagen-
Smit, "the carbon monoxide level of his hemoglobin
would be approximately that cited by the 'state
Health Department for the 'serious' level."
A concentration of 30 ppm of the gas will inactivate
5 percent of a person's hemoglobin and 60
ppm will inactivate 10 percent of it...."
In other words, it is not your Bike but conditions people commute in...including Cars.
https://www.qigongfinder.com/article-the-importance-of-abdominal-breathing.html
"...for individuals who commute regularly in heavy traffic. Myriad stressors occurring every day, and repeatedly eliciting a tight gut response, can contribute to an habituation of this same response so that reflexive tightness in your gut, rather than a relaxed belly, becomes your norm. This makes for a classic case of Red Light reflex syndrome.
The greatest risk of chronic tightness in your gut is that you fall into the habit of breathing shallowly. Even though you may be breathing inefficiently, your cardiovascular demands remain constant. Your heart must continuously pump oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. In compensation for less oxygen being available due to constrained breathing patterns, your body may employ any or all of several compensatory responses. First, red blood cell production may increase in an effort to deliver more oxygen to the capillaries. However, too many additional red blood cells will thicken the blood (absolute polycythemia), eliciting a hyper-ventilatory response, meaning your heart must beat both faster in order to make up for less efficient oxygenation of the blood, and harder in order to pump blood that is now more viscous. Shallow breathing, combined with poor oxygenation, in turn raises blood pressure to service the ongoing needs of your body. This is the physiological equivalent of running your cars engine constantly in the Red-zone, and places the body under tremendous duress. Not unreasonably, the brains response to all of this is one of (exacerbated) chronic low-level anxiety. The cycle worsens as even low level anxiety increases your oxygen demand while diminishing your ability to absorb oxygen efficiently, resulting in possible tendencies toward depression, short temper, impatience, disturbed sleep patterns, digestive difficulties, etc. In addition, the mechanics of shallow breathing undermines the syphoning of lymph from the thoracic duct. Last, but not least, constrained breathing can cause you to experience fatigue, both mental and physical, as well as reduced stamina. Your brain itself consumes approximately 25% of the oxygen you breathe in."
https://calteches.library.caltech.edu/246/1/carbon.pdf
"...The State Health Department
has determined that 30 ppm is an "adverse"
level and that 30 ppm for eight hours, or 120 ppm
for one hour, is a "serious level of pollution." In the
test trips made by Dr. Haagen-Smit and Tom Latham,
the over-all average level of carbon monoxide
measured was 37 ppm of air. In heavy traffic, moving
at less than 20 miles an hour, the level rose to an
Engineering and Science
average of 54 ppm, 'with peaks up to 120 ppm. A
short distance from the freeways and heavily-traveled
streets, levels dropped rapidly, except at stop
signals, where traffic again accuniulated.
"If a commuter spends two hours at the higher exposure
level found in the study," says Dr. Haagen-
Smit, "the carbon monoxide level of his hemoglobin
would be approximately that cited by the 'state
Health Department for the 'serious' level."
A concentration of 30 ppm of the gas will inactivate
5 percent of a person's hemoglobin and 60
ppm will inactivate 10 percent of it...."
In other words, it is not your Bike but conditions people commute in...including Cars.
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Jon_PDX
Well-known member
WOW.....very interesting stuff. I went for a ride yesterday after reading that and made a point of breathing better. Not sure if it helped (probably did) but I'm sure it did not hurt.
Thanks for posting the info
Jon...
Thanks for posting the info
Jon...
FJR Jimbo
Well-known member
If such is the case then let us die well, hapilly and with honor... HooahThis morning I pulled into my parking space at work after my usual ride through very thick, fast-moving traffic, first on local arterials, then on the freeway, then through town.
After I got off the bike and was getting out of my gear, I noticed how tense I was: I was breathing rapidly, my heart rate was accelerated, and my arms were shaking slightly as though I'd just been lifting weights. I could feel what I took to be adrenalin burning my chest, as though I'd just been in a shouting match that threatened coming to blows.
And I wondered: Isn't this what is called stress? And isn't stress a contributing factor in heart disease? And didn't I have a very unlikely heart attack about a year ago, on the heels of having put in tens of thousands of miles commuting in rush-hour traffic?
And it made me wonder: Is my motorcycle killing me?
James Burleigh
Well-known member
Very good advice, Mike. I am convinced the shaking I feel is from adrenalin, not [just] tension. I make it a point to take deep breaths, particularly after pulling up to the front between a couple of cars, because that gets my adrenalin up, so I take deep breaths to calm myself. And I consciously relax my arms regularly, but particularly when I approach an intersection or get into a cars blind spot on the freeway, because I know that if I am to react quickly all my muscles need to be relaxed.
I really do believe my commute is detrimental to my heart health....
JB - MM2 always has excellent advice, he is one of our great deeper thinkerers (I'll ask Marion Webster to add my new word to the dictionary).
I admit, lane sharing thru miles of traffic takes its toll on you mentally. I do get drained when riding, but not really stressed out like I am at work. My relief is on the bike, although I really don't have much lane splitting to go thru either.
How is your stress level when caging it to work? If it's the same enjoy the bike ride. Do you save a great deal of time riding to and from work?
Bottom line, you know your body and stress and you've had a ticker issue. Do what you feel is best for your health, and enjoy leisurely rides on the weekends. Maybe occasionally ride to work.
Your call me friend, just take care of yourself.
(I'll ask Marion Webster to add my new word to the dictionary).I admit, lane sharing thru miles of traffic takes its toll on you mentally. I do get drained when riding, but not really stressed out like I am at work. My relief is on the bike, although I really don't have much lane splitting to go thru either.
How is your stress level when caging it to work? If it's the same enjoy the bike ride. Do you save a great deal of time riding to and from work?
Bottom line, you know your body and stress and you've had a ticker issue. Do what you feel is best for your health, and enjoy leisurely rides on the weekends. Maybe occasionally ride to work.
Your call me friend, just take care of yourself.
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DennisJ
Well-known member
DennisJ
Well-known member
Thanks for the Burma Shave memories. I remember looking out the window for hours on end looking for the next one with my sisters on our trips up and down the West Coast. There is something to be said for the pre I-5 travel days.
Dennis
Dennis
Geezer
Parsimonious Curmudgeon
Telecommute!
