TNSandman
12-07-2005, 11:34 AM
Tatonka asked me to post my story here after seeing it on KTMTalk Web Site. I am happy to share my story of why I got back into dirt bikes after an 18 year absence from the sport. While I am not the fastest guy on a bike, I merely enjoy getting out in nature and just enjoying being in the moment. My cycle has helped me on a road back from the brink of terrible health to where I am now which is a happy, somewhat still overweight, rider. I enjoy the challenge of pushing myself to get healthy while on the back of my steel pony. Hope my story provides some help to someone out there.
On to the post...
I was reading some posts from other riders talking about overall effects on health due to cycle riding. I have a few thoughts on this and just wanted to share in the hopes of encouraging others to get back in the saddle even after an 18 year absence from riding.
Let me give some background on myself; A few years ago, I finally had reached the pinnacle of what I looked at as success. I had finally made the leap to middle management in the technology dept of a VERY successful TPA.(TPA is fancy word for Third Part Administrator in the Insurance Industry) Every day presented new challenges which kept my job exciting and new. I reveled in solving problems by creating software, database apps, etc.. which made fellow employee's lives on the job easier. I was sort of the Go-To guy when someone needed a software or technical solution that was not otherwise available on the market. After a few years of performing this task, I started to succumb to a serious case of burn-out and began dreading going to work everyday. In the long run, my health was starting to go along with my sanity and I could no longer stomach being tied to a desk all day. I spent most of my life being a free spirit-Before the marriage and job, I was a full-time musician that lived hand to mouth but extremely happy being a starving artist. My job began to consume me and I got to the point where I was constantly stressed out and running in the red. ALways nervous and upset while driving myself to keep doing "The Job". Finally, one day, I awoke to get ready for another day on the job, something was different about the way I felt. My hands trembled and were numb as I took my shower. Not a normal occurrence for somebody 31 years old at the time. I got to the office and kept experiencing numbness in my lips, hands, and face. I stood up to alert a co-worker something was terribly wrong and to call an ambulance and I blacked out for the first time ever.
I'll spare the details of my personal health battles but lets just say stress was killing me in all ways you could imagine. My stress had finally manifested itself in the form of tangible, physical symptoms and I had a complete and utter melt down. My sedentary life sitting at a desk, eating a poor diet coupled with no ability to manage stress on my own any longer had finally taken over.
After some serious soul searching and working with my doctor of over 20 years, I was finally able to begin getting back to a more normal life. My weight had shot up to almost 290lbs with extremely high-blood pressure. Yep, I was in pretty piddiful shape and my loved ones could not believe how badly I looked.
I managed to walk up to my boss when I was feeling more myself and told him, I'm tired. He said go home, get some rest and come back tomorrow. I said, No, I am just too damn tired to keep doing this. I quit. He was shocked to say the least. The moment I packed my office up and turned in my laptop, the weight was lifted off my shoulders and things had finally come full circle. I had no clue what I would do with myself but needless to say, when my 401K check showed up, I went into business for myself and finally had time to rediscover the things I enjoyed growing up. The first thing I did was slow down and enjoy the simple things again. One of those wonderful memories of my childhood was getting to sneak off and ride motorcycles with my friends. I decided now that I was ready to get back in the saddle a few months ago. I strolled in a KTM dealer and walked out with my very first motorcycle of my own. While I am in much better condition now than I was a year ago, I decided to take the advice of my doc and get into a sport to loose weight. Motorcycling was the sport I chose and I am glad I did.
What's the point to this biography??? Well, the point is after riding since June of 2005, I have managed to loose 30 pounds out on the trail. No dietary supplements,...no short-cuts...just good old exercise in riding my cycle. I just had my yearly check-up a few days ago and the results were short of miraculous to my doctor. Iam still a fat dude but I have managed to get myself back down to 254lbs from 290 since June. While I do take drugs to manage my blood pressure, my doctor has cut back my doseage since I no longer need as much meds to regulate my blood pressure. My cholesterol had dropped as well from 215 down to 199 due to eating better and exercizing on my bike. While I still have some bad habits I am trying to break, my cycle is helping save my life in the long run. I am living proof that the fine sport of cycle riding can be just as healthy as it is dangerous. Hope this helps some others out there that may be thinking about getting back into riding. It's never too late to start. I have changed my view on life totally since under-going this dramatic early mid-life crisis. Nothing stresses me out...I have infinite patience with others as well as myself. Riding is not only good for the mind and body, it's good for the soul.
On to the post...
I was reading some posts from other riders talking about overall effects on health due to cycle riding. I have a few thoughts on this and just wanted to share in the hopes of encouraging others to get back in the saddle even after an 18 year absence from riding.
Let me give some background on myself; A few years ago, I finally had reached the pinnacle of what I looked at as success. I had finally made the leap to middle management in the technology dept of a VERY successful TPA.(TPA is fancy word for Third Part Administrator in the Insurance Industry) Every day presented new challenges which kept my job exciting and new. I reveled in solving problems by creating software, database apps, etc.. which made fellow employee's lives on the job easier. I was sort of the Go-To guy when someone needed a software or technical solution that was not otherwise available on the market. After a few years of performing this task, I started to succumb to a serious case of burn-out and began dreading going to work everyday. In the long run, my health was starting to go along with my sanity and I could no longer stomach being tied to a desk all day. I spent most of my life being a free spirit-Before the marriage and job, I was a full-time musician that lived hand to mouth but extremely happy being a starving artist. My job began to consume me and I got to the point where I was constantly stressed out and running in the red. ALways nervous and upset while driving myself to keep doing "The Job". Finally, one day, I awoke to get ready for another day on the job, something was different about the way I felt. My hands trembled and were numb as I took my shower. Not a normal occurrence for somebody 31 years old at the time. I got to the office and kept experiencing numbness in my lips, hands, and face. I stood up to alert a co-worker something was terribly wrong and to call an ambulance and I blacked out for the first time ever.
I'll spare the details of my personal health battles but lets just say stress was killing me in all ways you could imagine. My stress had finally manifested itself in the form of tangible, physical symptoms and I had a complete and utter melt down. My sedentary life sitting at a desk, eating a poor diet coupled with no ability to manage stress on my own any longer had finally taken over.
After some serious soul searching and working with my doctor of over 20 years, I was finally able to begin getting back to a more normal life. My weight had shot up to almost 290lbs with extremely high-blood pressure. Yep, I was in pretty piddiful shape and my loved ones could not believe how badly I looked.
I managed to walk up to my boss when I was feeling more myself and told him, I'm tired. He said go home, get some rest and come back tomorrow. I said, No, I am just too damn tired to keep doing this. I quit. He was shocked to say the least. The moment I packed my office up and turned in my laptop, the weight was lifted off my shoulders and things had finally come full circle. I had no clue what I would do with myself but needless to say, when my 401K check showed up, I went into business for myself and finally had time to rediscover the things I enjoyed growing up. The first thing I did was slow down and enjoy the simple things again. One of those wonderful memories of my childhood was getting to sneak off and ride motorcycles with my friends. I decided now that I was ready to get back in the saddle a few months ago. I strolled in a KTM dealer and walked out with my very first motorcycle of my own. While I am in much better condition now than I was a year ago, I decided to take the advice of my doc and get into a sport to loose weight. Motorcycling was the sport I chose and I am glad I did.
What's the point to this biography??? Well, the point is after riding since June of 2005, I have managed to loose 30 pounds out on the trail. No dietary supplements,...no short-cuts...just good old exercise in riding my cycle. I just had my yearly check-up a few days ago and the results were short of miraculous to my doctor. Iam still a fat dude but I have managed to get myself back down to 254lbs from 290 since June. While I do take drugs to manage my blood pressure, my doctor has cut back my doseage since I no longer need as much meds to regulate my blood pressure. My cholesterol had dropped as well from 215 down to 199 due to eating better and exercizing on my bike. While I still have some bad habits I am trying to break, my cycle is helping save my life in the long run. I am living proof that the fine sport of cycle riding can be just as healthy as it is dangerous. Hope this helps some others out there that may be thinking about getting back into riding. It's never too late to start. I have changed my view on life totally since under-going this dramatic early mid-life crisis. Nothing stresses me out...I have infinite patience with others as well as myself. Riding is not only good for the mind and body, it's good for the soul.