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Winchester Wheelmen News
April Club Meeting Notes June Club Meeting Our June club meeting was held at Villa Donato “Only for You!” restaurant. To follow are the highlights of the last meeting: · Treasurer’s Report: - Checking $1,350.33 - Savings $6,287.04
Old Business:
· Cyclist News Fellow club member Stan Reeves has recently come home from the rehabilitation center at Mt. Vernon. He is undergoing physical therapy and is unable to put any weight on his hip for about 10 more weeks. · Shenandoah Valley Heritage Ride for the Boys & Girls Club of Winchester - June 1, 2008 Rex Ritchie spoke to the group stating there were 128 registered riders for this event, 51 of which were Winchester Wheelmen! Promising to pledge $25 for each club member that registered, Rex personally donated $1,275 to the local Boys and Girls Club. The ride was well marked and well supported with sunny skies most of the day with the exception of scattered showers in the afternoon. · Vermont Cycling Trip – August 9-16, 2008 Robert Golightly is reviewing cycling routes. A hiking trip is being planned for one day by Richard and Amy Hartman. · FCPR Bike Tour Volunteers are needed to assist during the Frederick County Parks and Recreation Bike Tour for young teenagers. The ride will be in July using the Allegheny Passage trail and the C&O Canal. If interested, contact John Turkel at Frederick County Parks and Recreation.
New Business:
· Trail Maintenance The CWPT 3rd Battle site is in need of trail maintenance due to overgrown brush. Shawn mentioned that Vance’s Cove will need trail work as well. More information to come once the areas in question are surveyed for what work is needed. · Club Responsibilities Mike Perry mentioned that he has been receiving calls asking what the club has to offer the public. There is increased interest in cycling safety classes and overall cycling education. In order to fulfill these interests, a certified instructor/instructors would need to hold these classes. If any club members are interested in obtaining certification in cycling education/safety, the closest classes, as discussed at this month’s meeting, are held in Bethlehem, PA. The club would consider providing reimbursement for the classes. · Race Team Updates Red Rose Races, the organization the team relied on for scheduled races, has discontinued its operation. A different race promotion organization took over some races, ProAm Racing. The most recent race in Millport, PA ended in the midst of the race due to adverse weather conditions. Also, Eric Dempster participated in a race in Cambridge, MD and nearly qualified for the Kona Ironman, being short only 118 seconds! As a result of his performance, he did qualify for the Half Iron World Championships in Clearwater, FL! Great job, Eric!
Physiology Corner By Dave Albecker
Welcome to the physiology corner. Anemia affects cycling performance dramatically. I reviewed the text “Exercise Physiology” by McArdle, Katch, and Katch for anemia, and searched the Velo News website for EPO for this article.
If you draw some blood in a tube, then spin that blood down in a centrifuge, there will be some percentage of the total that is sitting at the bottom of the tube in a red mass. That mass is primarily made up of red blood cells and the percentage of the total, which this mass makes up, is referred to as hematocrit. Anemia occurs when this red blood cell population is lower than normal. Anemia can occur from acute blood loss, iron deficiency, or some rare hemolytic (red cell destroying) disease. The problem for the cyclist is that hemoglobin (Hb) resides on red blood cells and when the number of red cells is low, Hb level is also low. Hb is the primary oxygen carrier in the blood, and when it is low, oxygen delivery is reduced in comparison to what it would be with a normal Hb level. The Exercise Physiology text I used mentioned a study where anemic men needed a heart rate of 155 for a particular aerobic event. However, when the anemia was corrected, they had that same aerobic ability with a heart rate of 113. That means that when the anemia was corrected, there was about 15% more oxygen delivered per heartbeat.
Related to this, if a low Hb level is bad for cycling performance because it lowers oxygen delivery, then theoretically, a higher than normal Hb level will increase oxygen delivery and enhance performance beyond what is normal. This is the reason for the abuse of the drug Erythropoietin (EPO). EPO is a red blood cell growth stimulator and is used medically to treat a number of patients with significantly reduced hematocrits. It has also been abused by a number of professional cyclists in order to improve performance by increasing Hb and therefore, oxygen delivery. However, besides being illegal for competitive sport, if EPO administration is not medically needed and supervised by a physician, it can thicken the blood too much and raise the risk of stroke or pulmonary embolism, neither of which anyone wants.
Dave Albecker
The club executive committee met in the latter part of June. The intent of the meeting was to discuss the creation/re-establishment of committees within the club. If you want to be more involved in the club and “on the ground floor” for the committees, please attend the July meeting. (Typ. Committes are: Trail Maintenance, Picnic, Annual Banquet, etc.)
Future or Out of Area Event Rides · Jul. 26, * Aug. 2,
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