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Members Mail Answered

Date:      01/23/2006
From:    
Anthony (Chuckie) Defeo
Subject: Re: Fan Mail From Some Flounder


Original Submittal:

Hey Bob,

Regarding your question: you can feel free to send my addresses, e-mail and physical, to whomever asks. I assume that my enemies are not lurking on ARC :-)

I had my first radiation treatment today, it was not too bad. I had a change in my chemo regime, instead of the standard chemo I was to receive (cisplatin), I am now going to receive immunotherapy. I will be given IV transfusion of a monoclonal antibody (MAb), called erbitux, directed at the epidermal \ growth factor receptor (EGFR). This is a protein expressed in the membrane of cells, including squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) such as mine. The Ab blocks the ability of the EGF growth factor from binding to the cells that express EGFR and makes them more sensitive to treatments such as radiation. There is supposedly less side effects than the standard chemo. I will be receiving weekly doses of erbitux. I began the erbitux this past Thursday and did have some side effects that nite. Suffice it to say Thai food tastes better on the way down. I just received an e-mail from Kristin and will write her directly. Keep training.

Tony


American Road Cycling Response:

Hi Chuckie,

Mary's resting her back under chiropractic decree.

Today I rode by myself from the house we are staying in, out to the park. 78° and Sunny, but a pretty stiff wind. I made a turn around on the extension that we like to add to that loop, and put .4 mph onto my average in about a mile and a half coming back out of the wind.

Turning toward the first bridge, I saw another rider a couple hundred yards ahead. Guess what? I took off chasing him. Bet you didn't guess that!

I had almost caught him after the downhill from the bridge, but he turned off into a development.

Soon after, I turned another corner and straight back into the wind again. When I finally picked up my head, there was another rider almost the same couple hundred yards ahead. I thought, "Well, he doesn't look much stronger than the guy I almost caught."

So guess what? I took off chasing him. Well, Chuckie, maybe you are getting smarter, and you guessed it this time.

By the time I got to the next bridge, I was a little aggravated that I hadn't caught him yet, plus the wind and exposed uphill of that new bridge didn't really help much.

On the long stretch after the bridge, the wind had only increased, but I realized I was now just pacing the guy, which meant we were pretty evenly matched. I spoke softly to myself, "If we are evenly matched, that means this guy is a total loser, so I should be able to beat him."

On the next bridge (the one from this video that you've already seen) I almost lost sight of him, but I stayed close enough to see him turn onto the trail after entering the park.

We always use the trail for a cool down and hardly ever see fast riders on it, so I figured this was my time. "I'll just stay on the road that parallels the trail, let the trail's curves slow him down a bit, while I just work harder straight into the wind."

But on making the final turn out of the wind, he was the same couple hundred yards ahead.

A park truck, all pissed off that I didn't yield to him on the turn, took a nick out of my elbow, then sucked me along faster than I could have been on my own. I probably should have yielded, but it was a clear choice. "Possible death, or defeat? Hmm...what would Chuckie do?"

By the time I made the final turn into the parking lot where Mary was waiting with the dog, I was within a few yards of the guy, but I was hoping Mary could tell me how strong he was, so I pulled off. "What rider?" she mumbled, and stretched her back.

Well, driving out of the park, we saw the guy again, or at least it seemed to be him. When we got over the next to last bridge, we went by him, and I was sure it was my guy.

Just before the last bridge, I saw the first guy coming back of of the development he'd turned into earlier. But when we got close I realized, "I think that's my guy. I bet he cut through the town houses and came out the other side."

We were first in line as that final bridge went up, and I turned off the truck.  The guy rode up behind us. We had plenty of time till the boat was going to be through, so I got out and asked him if it had been him, in the park, and on this bridge earlier.

Yep. It was him alright. And he looked plenty strong enough for me not to feel so bad about not catching him. He was sort of Zirra like, had an Iron Man jersey. Except he told me about some "old" guys he had chased the same way once, instead of calling me an old guy myself. More or less un Zirra like in that regard.

In any case, he told me he had been pacing 30 mph with the tail wind coming out of the park. I wasn't so impressed. I can pace 30 mph if I want to. See, watch here: SlingShot is now pacing 30 mph. What'd I tell you. Nothin' to it.

I've got myself all excited now, so I'm going out for another ride. It's 78° and Sunny.

Oh, I missed what you were saying, something about picking up your materials for your Independent Study?

- SlingShot

 

 

 

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