Chest pains: I wonder how many exercise stories begin with chest pains? It's actually amazing that it didn't happen sooner, with the strict 'triathlon' training regimen I was pursuing: Beer runs, pizza delivery and remote control hunts. And there I was in the hospital, listening to the doctor tell my wife that, at my ripe, old age of 44, I'd had a heart attack: A lateral wall, myocardial infarction, to be exact. I was to be off work for at least 6 weeks, as the stress of my job would have been too much. I needed to change my diet, and develop some exercise routines. I was in the hospital for what I can only describe as the three most miserable days of my life. Not because of the treatment; I couldn't have asked for better care. I just felt stupid that I had let this happen to me.

During my time there, my wife and I met with several doctors, a nutritionist, and the nurse in charge of the cardio rehabilitation gym. I spent my 6 weeks off work going through cardio rehab, which consisted of walking on a treadmill for an increasing time frame, and a similar workout on a stationary bike. I was actually off work for 8 weeks, missing March and April at the office. My wife was out at a garage sale, and found a $20 mountain bike, which she thought I might enjoy riding more than the stationary bike since Summer was just getting ready to start.

I started by riding the bike to the neighborhood clubhouse and back, a two mile ride, which was just about all that I had in my legs. But I kept riding. The next day I did the same ride, wasn't quite so strenuous. Next day I went a little further, to the entrance of the neighborhood and back, a 4 mile round trip. I just kept increasing the distance, until I realized that I was riding 8 miles, the same distance as a lap around the lake, if I took the bridge at the narrow center. So, I rode around the lake, and felt great!

So, what the heck: Going all the way around the lake was a 15 mile ride. Then, I found a couple of detours that I could use to make it a 20 mile ride. And I started looking at various cycling forums on the internet, and found a lot of people talking about doing Centuries. And, I thought to myself, "How cool would it be to do a Century on the one-year anniversary of my heart attack?" Then a practical thought crossed my mind. The weather in Central Indiana at the beginning of March is, at best, unpredictable. When I was in the hospital, there was almost a foot of snow on the ground. So, that may not be a realistic goal. But, what about a half-century on the 6 month anniversary? Not only is the weather good at the beginning of September, but it's also a 3-day weekend, perfect for taking the time to get this done. So, over the Independence Day holiday, I completed a 25 mile ride, halfway to my goal, and put together a plan to keep adding miles to my Saturday rides, so that come the 6-month anniversary, I'd be ready for my celebration.

All told, I rode over 1500 miles, preparing for the big day. I had hoped to complete the ride in under 4 hours: I finished in 3 hours and 50 minutes! I'd lost over 40 pounds in that 6 months, and really felt good, even with the heart condition.

Life caught up with me this year, though. Projects at the office cut down on the number of evenings I was able to get out and ride. It also pushed my long rides to Sunday, since I was working 6 days a week. I put some of the weight that I lost back on, and I'm not happy about it. But, I did complete the 2nd Annual half century ride over the Columbus Day weekend. I would have done it Labor Day, but oral surgery restricted my exercise ability over that weekend.

The wife and I are planning to re-locate to a smaller town: Noblesville, IN is just way too big for our tastes, anymore. We will be moving to Lapel before May, and I've already told the office I will be leaving at decent hours this year. I may still have to work Saturdays, but I will be able to get my evening rides in, and I'll do my long rides on Sunday, instead of Saturday.