Asthma...so what?
For me, cycling
long distances while standing started off as an odd experiment. I'd been cycling on and off road for 25+ years. Back in
the late '90's I began having trouble breathing. Soon after, I was diagnosed with allergic asthma. It became so
severe I could barely function. I lost motivation, gained 20 pounds and was lucky if I could make it down the driveway
to put out the trash.
Being the tinkering type, I began to try different cycling positons hoping to get up off the
couch and become active once again. Soon I discovered I could ride short distances while standing up, without feeling
like I would collapse. Standing seemed natural to me and helped with my shortness of breath and the tightening in my
chest. My ultimate goal was to once again ride a tour and do it medication free. Eventually standing (along with diet
modification, improved conditioning, mind/body training, and careful avoidance of allergy triggers) was
allowing me to get back out there on the bike and live again, without relying upon a daily asthma med. My rescue inhaler
continues to provide the safety net I need when out on the road or in the woods.
As you could imagine, riding standing up
the entire time was difficult, both mentally and physically, but I soon realized that I could pace myself using my heart
rate monitor and train my mind and body to avoid lactic acid burn and fight off fatigue. Now I consider it a "fun"
challenge. To this day, when I ride seated with friends I find myself standing much of the time anyway. It just feels right.
I never forget I have asthma though. I must always manage my situation carefully to complete even the simplest ride successfully
and safely.
My body and mind were not the only areas in need of a change. My bicycles had to be modified as well. Geometry
and components had to be tweaked to keep my knees and back (relatively) pain free. This was and is an ongoing challenge.
After completing several rounds of mods and day-trip test riding, I set out on multiday bike-packing trips both
on and off road.
I had experience mountain and road touring but always with a saddle. My first big standing trip was in Ireland back in 2006. More recently, I tackled Iceland riding from Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, up to the windy, cold and wet Northwest Fjords. My next adventure was
a ride around Lake Champlain (covering NY/VT/Quebec). In total, 402 "seat-less"
miles in 8 days, fully loaded with camping gear, tools, and clothes, to raise awareness and funds for the non-profit
organization Stand Up To Cancer. Thanks to the local TV stations and newspapers, it was an amazing experience
and a great success!
In August 31st, 2010, I completed a 320+ mile ride, off-road from the outskirts of Pittsburgh to Washington
DC, to raise awareness for mesothelioma cancer and the ban on asbestos, the substance responsible for this deadly disease.
This seatless Meso Challenge included one additional twist - a single speed, fixed gear bicycle that did not allow me to coast. When the bike was in motion,
my legs were in motion. This amazing trip was also a great success!
All my training and every trip yields a
wealth of personal tests, lessons learned, and special connections with like minded people from around the world. Meaningful
experiences that extend well beyond the athletic nature of the event, have become commonplace. A lot of receiving and
giving, off the bike - from the stories and advice of Irish pub old timers to providing hope to the parents of an
asthmatic child in Iceland. I'm very thankful to be cycling. I'm very thankful...period.
Still standing...now
standing for others. Come join Team StandingCyclist.com and DO GREAT THINGS.
Peace-
Frank
A. Cavaluzzi
Standing Cyclist since 2005
