Helmets, Fitness, and Nutrition

- Health & Safety Update

SAFETY

Being a "Health and Safety" update I believe I was supposed to do the Health subject first, but as they say, "safety first". I find it ironic that I am now the Health and Safety guy for the Break-Away Bicycle club considering I have had one of the worst club member crashes in recent years. Before the crash I was intent on becoming one of the clubs "Hot-rod riders" and didn't think much about safety. After the crash, I still love to go fast, but now I am a little more cautious and hopefully wiser.

So my first safety tip is to get your noggin a good helmet that has MIPS technology! The crash that broke 8 ribs (2 ribs in 2 places), punctured my lung and dislocated my shoulder, did zero damage to my cranium! (My wife says differently but I'm taking the doctors word on this one). I credit the lack of head injury to the new helmet with MIPS technology that I purchased just months before the crash. In case you are wondering, MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. But don't just take my word for it, check out this link to get the low down.

Seriously, don't be cheap (yes I'm talking to you Engineers in our club), purchase a good MIPS helmet!

What a bugger of a winter it was this year, and so much for the early spring Punxsutawney Pete forecast for this year. But what do you expect from a smelly rodent? Back on topic, here is a great link for good safety tips we all need to review before we bust out of the house and ride like the devil due to 4 months of pent-up cabin fever.

HEALTH

I am a self proclaimed heath nut and I need to be careful about getting on a soapbox and preaching on this subject so I am going to let the following article do the preaching this time. Even the medical industry is coming around and admitting that one of the best things one can do for any disease is to exercise!

So here are 30 reasons why your choice of exercise should be riding a bike with the Break-Away bicycle Club of Kokomo, IN.

And as for good eating, this article from "Triathlete" has some great healthy food eating tips that will make you as fast as Lance Armstrong!