Perspectives on health and other cycling conundrums
I consider myself a cyclist, and I am also realizing that many cyclists are very "special" people. Have you ever been told you were "special"? Did it make you feel good, or did it leave you uncomfortably wondering what that meant? I'm not going to define it or anything, but...
So today I was having a conversation with a woman regarding our health care system, and the general health of Americans (which, in case you were wondering, is pretty dismal). I was saying how psyched I was to have full health insurance -- as opposed to the zero health insurance I had during Oxbow and Ken Woods. Huge relief. But she said that she actually thought insurance (above catastrophic coverage) wasn't really worth it as long as you take care of your health. I was pretty shocked at first, as I'm totally afraid of being without coverage. But then I thought about it -- I take care of my health, which works out well for me. I haven't been to the doctor for an illness or health issue for years. But, let's see, I've been to the emergency department, let's see, 8 times in the past couple of years as a result of cycling. And that, my friends, is a good reason to have health insurance.
Karla Stat: cycling related ED visits = 8
So if you ride bikes and don't have insurance, you should get some. You can get it through USA Cycling (if you're a member) for $25 a month. Totally worth it.
Also, why is the "ER" now the "ED" (emergency room v. emergency department). What prompted that change? Or is it just in my head?
Anyway, why are cyclists "special"? Why is cycling "special" (or is it special without the "")? Why do we do it? How come it's so damn addictive? What's wrong with this photo? Apparently the lack of racing this weekend left me with a little too much oxygen getting to my head, and I've been thinking about it all a bit too much.
So today I was having a conversation with a woman regarding our health care system, and the general health of Americans (which, in case you were wondering, is pretty dismal). I was saying how psyched I was to have full health insurance -- as opposed to the zero health insurance I had during Oxbow and Ken Woods. Huge relief. But she said that she actually thought insurance (above catastrophic coverage) wasn't really worth it as long as you take care of your health. I was pretty shocked at first, as I'm totally afraid of being without coverage. But then I thought about it -- I take care of my health, which works out well for me. I haven't been to the doctor for an illness or health issue for years. But, let's see, I've been to the emergency department, let's see, 8 times in the past couple of years as a result of cycling. And that, my friends, is a good reason to have health insurance.
Karla Stat: cycling related ED visits = 8
So if you ride bikes and don't have insurance, you should get some. You can get it through USA Cycling (if you're a member) for $25 a month. Totally worth it.
Also, why is the "ER" now the "ED" (emergency room v. emergency department). What prompted that change? Or is it just in my head?
Anyway, why are cyclists "special"? Why is cycling "special" (or is it special without the "")? Why do we do it? How come it's so damn addictive? What's wrong with this photo? Apparently the lack of racing this weekend left me with a little too much oxygen getting to my head, and I've been thinking about it all a bit too much.
posted by karla at 9:31 PM
5 Comments:
Those hairy legs are what's wrong with the photo. Ironically for someone who's been to the ER eight times in the last two years, the 'why' relates to the release of endorphins during exercise, the effects of which are chemically almost identical to morphine (endorphin meaning basically self-produced morphine), resulting in a similar state of 'feeling no pain'. This can be physical pain or emotional pain. As to why it's addictive, endorphins are also as addictive as external opiates, leading rats in one experiment to exercise themselves to death for their fix. So basically, we're literally exercise junkies, but our addiction tends to make us healthier on the whole (except of course when it leads certain people to the ER).
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I think "ED" sounds too much like "VD". Of course, they started calling VD "STD", and now they call STD "STI". How is a person supposed to keep up?!
I hear ya. I'm super healthy (knock on wood) but use my insurance a helluva lot. Ironically the reason I have to use my insurance is because of swimming, cycling and running.
I try not to think of how much richer I'd be, $$ wise, if I'd never been bitten by the athletics bug.
I'm thinking of ditching triathlon for the Celtic harp. Will it happen?? Nahhhhhhhh.
unlike y'all I'm not an exercise addict (though it'd be better for me if I was!). But I must hang around cycling an awful lot because before you even asked what was wrong with the photo I was asking myself, DUDE that's just not right! what's that guy thinking? :)
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