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Ed Burke: our loss.
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Ed Burke, a physiologist/general smart guy and author, passed away a few weeks ago. That is a huge loss to the cycling community. He had many valuable insights into the science of cycling and shared them in several of his books and many of his articles. Each of his books are mandatory for a complete cycling library.
One of the last articles I read of Ed's was in Pro Cycling (I think) and talked about, as I recall in rudimentary terms- why slightly higher cadences may reduce "muscular tension" and allow greater blood flow to muscles during maximal efforts. The article was a fresh perspective on cadence. If I had it here I would give you more specifics. Look for it, it is relevant to several threads on this forum right now. Such a shame we lost Ed. Very smart man, huge contributor to the intellectual wealth of the sport.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Ed Burke: our loss. [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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Does anyone know Ed's cause of death? I suspect he was so busy helping other athletes that he didn't help himself.

I recently had a thallium stress test to check my coronary artery health and strongly recommend it, or whatever your doctor recommends as the best diagnostic tool. I have several friends who found out they had some severe CAD (coronary artery disease), and one of them was 42. A local triathlete who was also in his early 40's keeled over and died of a heart attack a few years back here in Orlando. An autopsy revealed severe CAD. But he hadn't had a stress test because, according to his wife, he was too young, strong, a non-smoker who ate right, and trained like an animal. Unfortunately, life style helps but it doesn't confer immunity. His premature death was probably preventable. If this message gets through to one of you guys, then it was worth my time to post it. :)

I wish someone had dragged Ed to the doctor's office....

-Robert

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank
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Re: Ed Burke: our loss. [Robert] [ In reply to ]
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I read that Ed suffered some type of serious heart problem during a ride and could not be resusitated. That is a tragic end for such a smart man.

Although this is of little comfort to those Ed left behind, there are certainly worse ways to exit this world than in the middle of a ride with your friends. I can only hope for a similar departure as opposed to to rotting away in a home talking about how great I was... Oh wait, I already do that.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Ed Burke: our loss. [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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For those of you who didn't know Jim Ward, thats how he went out. Bike ride with friends and just keeled over - at 82 I recall. When they took him away on a gurney he still had his cycling shoes on his feet. for some reason that brings a smile to my face.
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Re: Ed Burke: our loss. [Bernie S] [ In reply to ]
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"If you're gonna die, die with your boots on." Iron Maiden, from "Die With Your Boots on."

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Ed Burke: our loss. [Robert] [ In reply to ]
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Ok, Robert. Being somewhat chronologically challenged, I'm interested in this Thallium Stress Test. After your post, I read up on it some. I now understand how it works, and generally what it shows. What I can't determine, however, is what can be done if it detects a problem. What information did you get on that...if you'd care to share?

"...like every writer, he measured other men's virtues by what they had accomplished, yet asked that other men measure him by what he planned someday to do."
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Re: Ed Burke: our loss. [Lloyd] [ In reply to ]
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Lloyd: I'm 60, so I hear you!!!! Well, two close friends have already had bypasses (one triple and one double) One of them then had to have a stent put in another artery after the bypass. Sheezh! But, interestingly, this one guy, a well-know and very fast local runner, had NO pain. De Natha. Zip. Zilch symptoms. BUT, his father died of a heart attack at age 50 or so, so his doctor suggested the test. He had two severely clogged arteries and at the paces he runs he was a candidate for a sudden cardiac event. In addition to stents and bypass surgery several medications are available to help unclog the arteries. Talk to your doctor. Death is not preventable as far as I know, but why die at 60 when you might last as long as Jim Ward! God Rest His Sole! I was lucky, my stress test was described by my Chinese Doctor as "Extraordinary Normal". I have a low resting pulse rate, pretty wide arteries and a large heart. None of which makes me fast by the way. I'm a BOP racer. I also have a long femur. Sheezh! I've got the equipment and NO TALENT! BWUAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Good luck!!

-Robert

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank
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Re: Ed Burke: our loss. [Robert] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks, Robert. Guess I'll be giving my Doc a call. He's a triathlete as well, so at least he's understanding.

"...like every writer, he measured other men's virtues by what they had accomplished, yet asked that other men measure him by what he planned someday to do."
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