Asthmatic Cyclists Unite (and Take Over) October 31, 2009

So I’ve written a bit on here about two things: asthma and cycling.  My body apparently doesn’t plan to stop having asthma.  But I don’t plan to stop cycling, either, so I think we’re in the process of reaching a happy medium (can’t we all just get along?).  A friend of mine was asking me about cycling and asthma the other day, so I’ve decided to write this post in the hopes of sharing what I know about exercise and asthma and encouraging those with asthma to not put away their bicycles (or running shoes, walking poles, skis, or whatever strikes your fancy).

But first.  YE OLDE OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor (though I am thinking about nursing school, but that’s a whole other story).  I don’t try to play a doctor on the Internet.  This post is intended to share my POV when it comes to dealing with asthma and exercise.  If you think or know you have asthma, first things first–SEE YOUR DOCTOR.  Asthma can be treated, but it is also nothing to mess with.  And besides, I know you wouldn’t just blindly trust the words of a stranger on the Internet, now would you.

OKAY.

First off–what does asthma feel like?  Many people describe it as a “fish trying to breathe out of water” feeling.  Umm…yeah.  I’m not a fish, but I think I can understand the comparison.  For me, I’d describe an asthma attack as a feeling of never getting enough air.  No matter how much air I take in, it’s not enough.  My chest feels tight and dry.  My lungs hurt.  I cough. I sometimes wheeze.  It’s like when you’re trying to blow up a balloon that’s been sitting around for awhile and the rubber kind of sticks together and doesn’t fully inflate when you blow air into it.  It’s like my lungs do not fully inflate with air.  When I’m cycling and have asthma, I also feel fatigued and like I can’t ride to the speed and distance that I’m used to.  That said, everyone’s different.  And so here are my tips:

1.) IF YOU SUSPECT OR KNOW YOU HAVE ASTHMA, SEE A DOCTOR REGULARLY. Maybe this one’s obvious, but don’t even think about those over-the-counter medications.  People have died from trying to self-treat asthmatic symptoms.  I take a preventitive medication (Azmacort) and a rescue inhaler before rides (Albuterol).  You may also have to try various meds until you find one that works best for you.  I used to take Advair.  Didn’t like it.  Had a terrible sore throat all the time.  I went back to Azmacort and that works swell.

2.) CARRY YOUR RESCUE INHALER AT ALL TIMES.  Yes, even if you take the preventative medications (like Azmacort), you still need to carry your rescue inhaler with you, especially when you’re out exercising.  I slip mine in the back pocket of my cycling jersey (see, there IS a reason why you need one!).  Before my cycling days I’d carry it in my sports bra (too much information?).  Find a place for it and don’t forget it.

3.) INVEST IN A PEAK FLOW METER AND SPACER.  The Peak Flow meter is used to measure how well air flows out of your lungs.  Keeping track of your “peak flows” can indicate if your lungs are worsening and tip you off to impending asthma attacks.  Use a spacer with your rescue inhaler.  You won’t even feel the medication going into your lungs, but the medication works SO MUCH BETTER with a spacer than with the inhaler alone.  I’ve found you can buy both of these items online at amazon.com or from medical supply stores.

4.) KEEP TRACK OF YOUR INHALATIONS AS YOU USE YOUR MEDICATIONS.  This is HUGE.  You don’t want to be caught out on a ride with an empty inhaler.  It’s really impossible to tell how much medication is left, too, without keeping track of how many puffs you use.  I found an amazing iPhone application called “Inhaler Tracker”.  I think it was $1.99 or $.99.  It allows you to catalogue various medications and “tap” the screen to decrease the medication and keep track of how many puffs you have left in your inhalers.  Well worth the money.  (But of course, pen and paper works just fine, too).

5.) DO AN ADEQUATE WARM UP AND COOL DOWN.  I’ve found that if I do warm up stretches, followed by a slow ride at a low gear, I’m less likely to have an asthma attack out on my ride.  I’ve found that when I jump on my bike and get riding right away, I get asthma and then have to call the whole thing off.  So I do my slow warm up, usually starting out on 2 or 3, and usually increase one gear per mile.  I work up to 5 or 6 (my average).  When I’m nearing the end of my ride, I reverse the order, going down a gear each mile and aim to ride the last 2 miles in 3-4.

6.) KEEP A STEADY PACE.  Okay.  We can’t all be Lance Armstrong.  For me, cycling is about the pure joy of the experience, but sometimes it gets the best of me and I just want to go as fast as possible!  That’s when I run into trouble with my asthma.  In addition to my warm up period, I try to find a pace and stick with it.  This is essential not only for flat stretches, but also for climbs.  ESPECIALLY for climbs.  Sometimes this means I shift down a gear.  But it’s better than having a full blown attack on the trail.

7.) IF YOU FEEL SYMPTOMATIC, STOP.   In spite of my best efforts to control my asthma, there are some days when I’m riding that I’ll develop symptoms.  I slow my pace or stop.  I may have to use my rescue inhaler again.  But I’ve learned that I cannot try to “push through” asthma symptoms.  You really can’t push yourself to endure asthma; it’s unrealistic and dangerous.  Listen to your body.

8.)TREAT THE CAUSE, NOT JUST THE SYMPTOMS.  Learn what triggers your asthma, which is sometimes easier said than done.  I’ve learned through careful observation that allergens (dust, mold, pollen, pollution, practically everything) trigger hay fever, which in turns triggers asthma when I’m out on my rides.  I’ve also become aware of what types of weather trigger my symptoms.  Extreme heat or cold are no good.  Wind is tough because of the allergens in the air.  I take allergy medications before my rides to decrease the chances of getting allergen-induced asthma.

9.) LISTEN TO YOUR LUNGS.  There are just some days that your body won’t cooperate.  That Big Green Monster Called Asthma parks his ass in your lungs and refuses to budge (I kind of imagine asthma to look like that green globby creature from that commercial).  On those days, I accept that I cannot ride (even though I love it) and do something like yoga instead.

10.) DON’T EXERCISE WHEN YOU’RE SICK.  I’ve read that if a cold is “above your neck”, you can still exercise.  However, I’ve found that when I’m sick with a cold, no matter where the cold “is”, I can’t exercise because I’ll get asthma.  Take it easy.  Rest your body and get better.

11.) DON’T LET ASTHMA HOLD YOU BACK.  I’ve had asthma my whole life.  I’ve been told many times that I should not cycle, dance, run, or do anything else that might trigger an attack.  But luckily I found a good doctor who subscribes to my idea that exercise with asthma is better than  no exercise at all.  I cannot live a sedentary lifestyle.  The key is to learn your triggers, manage your asthma, and live.  You cannot get rid of asthma, but you can certainly learn to live with it.

Faraway From Cars August 26, 2009

The title of this post comes from a Mercury Rev tune (a track from their latest–and really beautiful–creation, “Snowflake Midnight”).  I listen to this song when cycling because it is so appropriate (lyrics-wise) for the activity; it makes me flip up a gear or two, wanting to go faster and faster.  Cycling. It has become my passion.  I never thought I’d become a distance cyclist given my asthma, but I’ve proven myself (and my lungs) wrong (+ the asthma medications help out on that front).  When I am on my bike, I feel FREE.  Sounds cheesy, but that’s really how I feel.  My day is perfect if it can end in a 10-12 mile loop around my local trail.  I love the wind, the speed, the solitude.  The long stretches with nothing around you but nature and sky.  The tough hills that give way to delightfully thrilling flights at top speeds.  The satisfying click as you clip into your pedals.  The nods of encouragement you get from other cyclists; they, too, have caught the bug, they know how you feel.

When I’m climbing a hill, part of me feels like I want to give up.  My legs are burning; I feel out of breath.  I slow down.  I breathe.  I listen, and I hear silence–from other people, cars, the freeway–but when I really tune in, the nature surrounding me is a cacophony of different sounds–the wind, the leaves, lizards darting, unidentified creatures scurrying about and scrounging in the brush.  And I feel at peace when I listen to the natural world around me.  My heart beats in my ears and pulses in my neck.  The wind pricks my sweaty skin.  And then, in spite of the burn in my thighs, I continue my slow ascent up the hill in the shade, listening to my breath and the rhythmical whirr of my pedals, counting in 2, out 3 to make sure I am breathing properly.  And I stop and take a deep drink, count 1, 2, 3, 4 from my Camel Bak, and then continue up my arduous ascent, arguing with myself, thinking, “I can’t go on”, and then “But I want to go on”, talking myself into the climb: “you can do this”, “take it easy”, “go at your own pace”.  And I stop again for another listen and another drink, and I become aware of two deer–a mother and a fawn–down the ridge below, drinking from the edge of the reservoir, and I watch them.  Peaceful.  And I continue up the last stretch, and I reach the top, and I feel this tremendous sense of accomplishment and purpose.

After a brief rest, I reap the rewards of the tough climb—the flight back down the hill.  It truly feels like flying.  I find myself giving over my fears, literally “throwing caution to the wind” as I let myself fly back down the hill.  It is exhilarating—the wind, the speed, the whirring of my pedals, the thrill of whipping around corners—and I feel free.  I don’t think about anything but the moment.

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Reading:

I spent a few hours in a couple of great bookstores in the city this afternoon.  Here’s what I’ve added to my “to read” pile:

Interpreter of Maladies–Jhumpa Lahiri

Life & Times of Michael K–J.M. Coetzee (I’ve read this one but haven’t ever owned it; I’m teaching it this fall so I wanted my own copy to write in)

Things Fall Apart–Chinua Achebe (still have never read this one)

Indian Love Stories–edited by Sudhir Kakar

Jonas Reinhardt at Bottom of the Hill July 12, 2009

Ben and I saw Jonas Reinhardt open for Wooden Shjips and Oneida last night (both good, too). I went primarily for JR, and I was BLOWN AWAY.  It is insane how much talent this group has: phenomenal. I’d seen them once before at the Hemlock and came away from that show feeling like I’d just seen the next best thing to come out of the SF music scene. Last night’s show reconfirmed that belief; they are a force to be reckoned with. Think Kraftwerk meets Cluster meets Jeff Wayne’s musical version of The War of the Worlds (and even then you’re still not there). The show also reconfirmed my belief that I need a Moog synthesizer at some point in my life.
What can I say? I’m very, very excited to see where this band goes from here. Amazing. Go see them; you will not be disappointed. Next show is at Amnesia in the Mission on Aug. 14th.

p.s. On another, semi-disappointing note: I’ve reached music burnout with Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.  I just couldn’t help it.  Played it every day for a week.  Damn. On the shelf it goes (for a few weeks anyway).

If I Could Marry a Building… July 2, 2009

…I just might marry this place (it’s that cool):

Ben and I both had the day off on Monday, so we became tourists in our own town and went to CA AoS (his first visit).  It was a lovely, perfect day, from start to finish, and even though this was my third visit, I discovered and-rediscovered why this place is so incredible.

I love, for example, that they kept the old alligator swamp pen (is that the word I’m searching for?  Enclosure? Corral? Bayou?  Pit?) in place as a tribute to the old museum.  When I was little, I would run to these railings the minute we’d step foot in the museum and run my fingers over them (my hands would come away smelling like pennies), and I wished that I could have them for my bedroom (I decorated my room in an “under the sea” theme when I was little):

And thanks to donors like these…

…what sprung up in place of the old museum is nothing short of spectacular.  I’m a big fan of large skeletal structures, and this one is no exception:

…and these are amazing, too:

And so first things first, we lucked out and got into the 12:30 Planetarium presentation (not to be missed; it’s my favorite thing in the museum), and Ben took my photo afterward, with the planetarium dome in the background:

And then we made our way downstairs to the aquarium, which made me really, really, really want to learn how to scuba dive (on my list of things to learn):

And we observed these beautiful jellies…

…and the kelp forest….

…and many rock cod…

And I kept attempting to capture this guy (not easy with an iPhone camera):

So I gave up, and we went on to the Living Roof, where I took this picture of Ben taking a picture of me:

Then we went back inside so I could take some shots of the architecture:

…and the taxidermy (wouldn’t Norman Bates be excited?):

…and I got one last shot of the fake leg in the leeches exhibit (which reminded me of The African Queen):

…before we went on to the rain forest and felt like we were in Costa Rica again:

And when we reached the top, we took the elevator back down, which let us out

at the entrance to this passageway beneath the aquarium:

At that point, we had pretty much exhausted the museum, so we left and walked back to the car,

which was parked across the street from the Conservatory of Flowers:

And then we drove to the Haight and had Pho at one of our favorite noodle houses:

And we ducked in here for a browse before heading home (I think Ben might marry this place if

marrying buildings was possible):

All in all it was a lovely, perfect day.

Now I’m back to my prep work for Summer Bridge (just put the final touches on my syllabus / schedule), and I’m listening to Yo La Tengo’s album Summer Sun. My shoulders are feeling stiff, so I might quit for the day and go out riding (I really, really need a good 10-12 mi. stretch on my bike).

Hot Hot Heat June 28, 2009

We’ve been having a (semi) heat wave the last couple of days, so today Ben and I (along with 3/4 of the rest of the Bay Area) decided to hit the beach.

We started out by heading towards Half Moon Bay, but as soon as we hit the 92 / 280 interchange, we noticed that 92 was solid gridlock (not surprising on a beautiful Sunday), so we changed plans and headed up to the city and drove over to Baker Beach.

I deliberately left Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix off the iPod because I’m loving it so, so much.  It’s one of those things where you don’t want to wear the album out too much at first because you like it so much (kind of like when I’m reading a really, really good book; I will sometimes slow down and savor the last few pages–put the book away for a few days–just so I don’t have to finish it).  But that idea didn’t last long.  Got to put the album on the iPod tonight.

But anyway.  Back to our day.  Right decision to bypass HMB. It was a GORGEOUS day in the city, and in spite of it being Pride weekend (i.e. the Parade), there wasn’t a lot of traffic (or perhaps we just avoided it).
So first off we went to Baker Beach:

And I took this photo of Ben in front of the GG Bridge (clear day):

And then we settled in and watched the waves, read our books, and napped in the sun with all the other people

who had the same idea as us:

And watched this kid waiting for someone to discover that she was still buried in the sand:

And then we took a drive through the Presidio (we got kind of turned around):

And I admired the beautiful buildings and wished that we could afford to live in them…

And we wound our way past the National Cemetery (some students of mine once did a project on this place; they had gleefully admitted that they wanted to go there at night to do their research.  I dissuaded them from that idea and convinced them to go during the daylight hours instead–hey, gotta look out for my students).

And we eventually ended up in the Mission, at one of our favorite places to eat:

(btw, why does that sarape have no hands?) …where we had great taco plates and cooling beverages:

And then we headed across the street to browse at the place from which I’d like to decorate our entire apartment (and closets):

And we were planning to go on to have a second cooling beverage at another fave place….

…but it wasn’t open, so we went home.  And I managed to get sunburned in spite of slathering on the sunscreen (damn you Scando-Welsh heritage!)

It is now quite hot and Harriet is stretched out extremely long (what else is a cat to do?  It’s not as if she can remove her fur):

…and I am drinking iced tea and listening to this amazing album.  I can’t quite bring myself to turn it off,

so I guess I’ll just have to risk music burn out by playing it over and over (or maybe I’ll alternate between this one and

Tim Hecker.)

Summer Playlist June 27, 2009

In my play stack:

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: Phoenix

Harmony & Ultraviolet: Tim Hecker

Rules: The Whitest Boy Alive

Yes: Pet Shop Boys

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots: The Flaming Lips

Louden Up Now: !!!

Loaded: The Velvet Underground

Keep it Like a Secret: Built to Spill

Paul’s Boutique: Beastie Boys

Destroyer’s Rubies: Destroyer

1,000 Hurts; Terraform; At Action Park: Shellac

Bryant Street: Dubtribe Sound System

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts: Brian Eno / David Byrne

Transatlanticism: Death Cab for Cutie

Zuckerzeit: Cluster

Flaming Shellacked Vegetables June 25, 2009

I’m taking a break from Summer Bridge planning (I’m gearing up to teach my third summer at SFSU) to write a quick note about the Flaming Lips and our vegetable garden, the two things that have been on my mind today.

The Flaming Lips have been on a pretty constant playback over the past few months. Ben and I finally saw
Christmas on Mars (netflix) a few weeks back. Loved it. Especially loved Steven Drozd’s role.

Ben and I went to see Shellac last week at The Great American Music Hall.  It was a stand up, top notch show. (How ’bout that Todd Trainer?).  I didn’t know a lot of their music, but I was never bored (to me that’s a sign of a good band).  I was also particularly happy that they chose to end before midnight.  I like going to shows, but sometimes I’m irked by the fact that bands a.) either go on really, really late or b.) go on early and then play really, really late, or c.) have about a zillion opening bands.  (Or maybe I’m just getting old).  But anyway.  Great, great show.  I’m now looking forward to Jonas Reinhardt in July and the Pet Shop Boys in September (and other bands yet to have been decided upon).

I’m excited that my container vegetable garden continues not to die. This morning I counted six tomatoes, a green pepper, and couple of broccoli sprouts, and cucumbers. Here are some photos. Aren’t tiny vegetables cute?

Teeny green pepper….

Cute tiny tomatoes.

Shame on You, California May 26, 2009

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California has upheld Prop 8, and legal discrimination continues to prevail in California. Although not wholly surprised, I am angered and saddened by this decision. Of course, people will always fear what they don’t know, but I cannot help but feel angry and saddened by that fact. What are people so afraid of, exactly? Two people who love each other and want to commit their lives to one another? Why is this concept so frightening? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: love and marriage are HUMAN rights. To hide behind the Bible and use one’s religion to deny individuals their basic human rights is unconscionable and unfair. No one has the right–nor the moral authority–to tell others how to live and who to love.
As a straight, married individual, I feel ashamed that California allows me the basic right to be married but denies my gay and lesbian friends and family that same right. The only thing I can do is support my friends and family who have not yet been granted the same freedoms and rights that I have, and to speak out in support of their rights. I am encouraged that those couples who married before Prop 8 are able to remain legally married (a positive step). I hope that those with fear will one day be enlightened.

You can show your support for gay marriage by ordering this free sticker:

Order the sticker here: CREDO Action

How $70 Can Buy You Unconditional Love (and Save a Life in the Process) May 21, 2009

Since I’ve been “not so busy” (i.e. not teaching this quarter), I’ve picked up with my volunteer work again. In addition to “Knits for Kits” (my charity knitting group), I’ve returned to my role as a Cat TLC Volunteer at the Peninsula Humane Society. My “job” (if you can call it that; to do something I enjoy so much can hardly be called work) basically consists of socializing, playing and spending time with the cats up for adoption at the shelter. (In a couple of weeks, I will also be feeding newborn kittens, which will no doubt prove to be an entirely different experience).  In the time I spend with the cats,  I come to meet entirely unique dispositions.  One is playful while the other is quite content to sit beside you and purr.  One loves to be brushed, and the next wants to fetch toys and bring them back to you.  While each is unique, all the cats share an unending capacity for affection and love towards those who spend time with them.  They purr, roll, knead, “head butt” (a sign of affection), and “talk” to you–some of them are downright chatter boxes–and at some point they all want to curl up on your lap for a good snuggle.  It almost breaks your heart, they are so grateful for the affection that the receive (some only get out once a day; that’s why volunteers are so valuable!).  Those who tend to believe that cats are anti-social, independent souls have probably never spent much time with cats, and probably have never spent any time with shelter cats.  Thus I believe it is a gross misconception to categorize cats as aloof or unloveable.  (Incidentally, a fascinating look at the feline disposition can be found in Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson’s work, The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats: A Journey Into the Feline Heart).

On average, it costs around $70 to adopt a shelter cat.  Sometimes, the fees are waived (the Peninsula Humane Society, for example, has a program that adopts cats / dogs to Seniors at no cost). The adoption fee covers spay / neuter surgery, routine vaccinations, deworming, a private vet exam, behavioral help, microchipping, and licensing.  In exchange for the adoption fee, you will be rewarded ten thousand times over by a grateful animal who loves and accepts you for who you are, who doesn’t care if you’ve had a bad hair day, and will reward you with unconditional love and devotion.  (I am touched deeply every day, when, upon returning home, Harriet is overjoyed to see me.  She purrs, rubs, and we share our greeting ritual–I pick her up and swing her over my shoulder; she lies, content and purring, draped over my shoulder like a sack of fur, as I tell her how much I missed her and love her.  No matter how tired I am or what mood I am in, I instantly feel recharged by seeing my girl).  You can drop $70 on a night out…why not use that money towards your next best friend?

Here are a couple of wonderful cats up for adoption at the Peninsula Humane Society:

This is “Tink”.  Tink is gentle, sweet, and loving.  She loves being held and sitting on laps.

Meet “Coco”.  Coco is spunky, playful, and mischievous.  She loves to play with ribbons and feathers, and she never gets tired of being petted!  She is quite chatty, too, and will “talk” up a storm with her cute, kitten-like meow.

If you are interested in adopting either of these cats, or to see any of the many other cats up for adoption, please visit the Peninsula Humane Society Adoption Page online.

YES!!!! to “Yes” April 25, 2009

I just acquired the new Pet Shop Boys album “Yes”, and I’m blown away (not surprisingly). It is a gorgeous combination of electronics, guitars, and–of course–Neil Tennant’s angelic and ethereal vocals. I love that they’ve sampled the Nutcracker in “all over the world”, and I keep playing the first track, “love etc.” over and over (it’s so catchy; plus they mention Gerhard Richter). “Vulnerable” is beautiful; “pandemonium” is classic PSB. Also nice to hear Johnny Marr (the Smiths, Electronic, etc.) playing on certain tracks. Clever lyrics, too (but why would you expect anything less from Neil and Chris?).

I’ve followed their music for years, and what always impresses me about the PSB is that they always move forward in their sound and style–each album is unique and innovative. I hope that they come back this way; I would love to see them on tour again. (The put on a hell of a show).