Remembering Stefanie

Remembering Stefanie

Stefanie Spielman, wife of former Ohio State and National Football League star Chris Spielman, passed away Thursday (11/19) after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer. The following is the official statement from the family followed by a special request from the family.

Stefanie Spielman, who waged a courageous, public battle with breast cancer for more than 11 years, died at 6:15pm this evening at her home in Upper Arlington, Ohio, surrounded by her family. She was 42 years of age.

Survivors include her husband of 20 years: Chris; and their four children: Madison (15), Noah (13), Macy (8) and Audrey (7); mother, Myra Belcher of Upper Arlington; sisters Sue (Bill) Fitz of Upper Arlington, Sandy Belcher of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Cindy Belcher of Bangor, California. Stefanie's father, Richard, preceded her in death in 1987.

Stefanie's husband Chris released this statement a short time ago. "Stefanie has gone home to be with the Lord. And for that we celebrate, but with broken hearts. I want to thank everyone for their support over the last 12 years. Together with your help, hopefully we made a difference in this fight."

Public calling hours will be Monday November 23, 2009 at the Longaberger Alumni House on the campus of The Ohio State University from 1-8pm for those inspired by Stefanie's life and her service to the community. A celebration of life memorial service will be held Tuesday at Trinity United Methodist Church in Grandview.

Official release and memorial information (PDF)

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In July of 1998, when she was just 30 years old, Stefanie Spielman was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, she not only worked to overcome the disease within her own body but sacrificed her privacy to prevent and fight breast cancer in others. The fame of her husband, former Ohio State Buckeye linebacker and NFL great Chris Spielman, gave the couple a unique advantage in what they felt was their responsibility to use their personal experience to create a positive impact on others. Therefore, even though she was exhausted by chemotherapy and tried to cope with what was happening to her, Stefanie stepped into the spotlight determined to raise awareness and encourage funding for research. Through the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, the Spielmans have so far raised over $5 million for breast cancer research.

Stefanie's public fight has encouraged women never to skip breast self-exams or mammograms that could save their life. Stefanie always kept her attitude positive, and was always grateful for the blessings she felt life had given her. A breast cancer fighter, mother, daughter and friend, Stefanie Spielman is a champion for women everywhere.

2009 Fall Fast Laps & 6 HR Race at John Bryan State Park

There are a few changes for the fall series. Awards will be given at individual races for the top finishers as well as for the series. The race series awards will go the best combined total time for all 3 races. Awards at the final race will be announced but mailed to the finishers. In addition we will have prizes & snacks at the last race. This series is a fun way to try some competitive biking in a non-threatening environment. The cost will be $5 for MVMBA members and $7 for non-members. We've kept the $5 fee for the past 6 years - thats pretty good. We want to encourage folks to join MVMBA and support mountain biking in the state of Ohio.

There has been a lot of input on the divisions but no clear trend so we will keep the race categories the same.

So, what is Fast Laps? Fast Laps is an off-road time trial series consisting of a lap through the trails at John Bryan State Park. Riders go off every 20 seconds and its a race against the clock. Lap times vary depending on your experience level but are typically around 45-50 minutes. We have shorter laps for the kids and beginner women. A full lap is usually around 8.5 miles while the shorter laps are around 5 miles. Sometimes we run the laps clockwise and sometimes counterclockwise just to mix it up - per KWH

Team Radio Shack 2010

RadioShack announced it will be the primary sponsor for Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel's new cycling team.

"Lance Armstrong will compete for Team RadioShack as a cyclist, runner and triathlete in events around the world, including the 2010 Tour de France," the company said in a statement.

Armstrong is currently riding for the Astana team and was third overall in the Tour de France after Thursday's time trial.

"To be able to compete for an American team comprised of the world's top cyclists, supported by the best coaches and staff -- I couldn't be happier to partner with RadioShack, a truly iconic American brand," Armstrong said in the statement.

The Web site domain teamradioshack.com was registered by Capital Sports & Entertainment, Armstrong's longtime management company based in Austin, Texas, on July 20.

RadioShack has been involved in NBA and MLS sponsorships and is currently a NASCAR sponsor.

Tour de France Team Time Trial

Armstrong erased all but a sliver of his 40-second deficit to leader Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland in the fourth stage. The only thing separating him from the yellow jersey now is a fraction of a second.

"Boo-YA!!!" Armstrong wrote on Twitter. "Well, what can I say? The team was simply awesome today. Consistent, fluid, mistake-free. We love this event ... and are stoked to win."

The performance was reminiscent of Armstrong's dominance in the team time trial for the last three years of his string of victories from 1999 to 2005. This is his comeback year at the Tour after 3½ years of retirement.

The 37-year-old Texan plotted strategy with star teammate Alberto Contador before the stage to weed out potential rivals.

Astana was timed in 46 minutes, 29 seconds for the 24.2-mile ride in and around Montpellier. That was 18 seconds better than Garmin, with Saxo Bank third, 40 seconds back.

Armstrong entered the day 40 seconds behind Cancellara of Saxo Bank, meaning ownership of the yellow jersey came down to split seconds.

At the last intermediate time check (19 miles), Astana was 41 seconds faster than Saxo, putting Armstrong in the lead at that point and setting up the tense finale.

Armstrong and Cancellara share an overall time of 10 hours, 38 minutes, 7 seconds, although the Swiss rider was deemed a fraction ahead. Organizers examined Saturday's opening time trial in Monaco that was won by Cancellara. Those results were calculated to the thousandth of a second.

Tour de France 2009 Stage 1 & 2 Preview

Stage 1 Analysis/ Stage 2 Preview

July 4 update: An on-form Fabian Cancellara won today’s opening time trial stage of the Tour de France. The former World Champion trailed Bradley Wiggins at the top of the Côte de Beausoleil, and it looked for a time as if the British rider from Garmin-Slipstream would wear the first Yellow Jersey of the Tour. Spanish time trial champion Alberto Contador of Team Astana then blasted over the côte with a still faster time.

Stage 1

Radroute 220559 - powered by Bikemap

Course Preview

The 2009 Tour begins in the principality of Monaco with a time trial. The course climbs into the foothills of the Alpes Maritimes just outside the city before descending to a flat finish between high-rise hotels and the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean. At 15.5 kilometers, the stage is too long to be a prologue, and will offer an early indication of who has brought race-winning legs to this year’s Tour de France. The course includes one category 4 climb, the Côte de Beausoleil, literally “beautiful sun,” which reaches a maximum elevation of 205 meters. The second half of the course descends to a flat finish along the beach on the Boulevard Louis II near Port Hercule.

Fun fact! An average person could walk the length of Monaco in less than an hour. The country is surrounded on three sides by France, and lies not far from Sanremo on Italy’s Ligurian Coast. For portions of its history, Monaco has come under both French and Italian rule, and is currently the second smallest independent country in the world. Vatican City is the smallest, for those of you keeping score at home.

2009 Mountain Bike Race Schedule and Venue information: 

(Kids Race and Get Fit Naturally Schedules coming soon!)

OMBC Race Series: www.OMBC.net

 

 1 Mohican Wilderness-Loudonville- OH March 29

 2 Vulture’s Knob- Wooster, OH  April 18

 3 Mount Wood Challenge- WV   May 3

 4 The Wilds- Zanesville , OH May 17

 5 Eastfork State Park- Bethel,OH June 28

 6 S&S Trails- Mt. Perry,OH July 12

 7 Alum Creek State Park- Delaware,OH July 26

 8 Lake Hope SP- Nelsonville,OH August 2

 9 Caesar Creek SP-Waynesville,OH August 23

 10 Dillon XC Race- Zanesville,OH  (NEW DATE) August 30

 11 Westbranch SP- Ravenna,OH September 27

 12 Mohican State Park - Loudonville,OH  October 11

 13 Mohican Wilderness- Loudonville,OH October 25

 

 Endurance Events:

 Mohican MTB100k/ 100 mi- Loudonville,OH May 30

 Mohican Trail Run 100k - Loudonville ,OH June 20-21

 12/24 Hours of Mohican- Loudonville,OH  September 19-20

 

 Local Columbus Mountain Bike Club : 

http://www.COMBOmtb.com/    ( Central Ohio Mountain Bike Organization )

or http://joinomba.org/  ( Ohio Mountain Bike Association )

Armstrong crashes in Tour of Spain

Here's the AP article below.

BALTANAS, Spain (AP)—Lance Armstrong was taken to a hospital Monday after crashing during the first stage of a five-day race in Spain.  Armstrong fell in a pile-up about 12.5 miles from the stage’s finish. The seven-time Tour de France champion, who is making a comeback to cycling and is riding with the Astana team in the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon race, may have injured his collarbone.

Team spokesman Philippe Maertens said the American cyclist was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and race organizers said Armstrong was being treated at the Rio Carrion hospital in Palencia.

By CIARAN GILES, Associated Press Writer

 

Battle Sports Anemia With A Good Diet

Endurance athletes are at risk for iron deficiency. The National Anemia Action Council provides some suggestions as to how cyclists and other athletes can keep their iron counts high. 

Athletes – from elite Olympians to serious recreational athletes – maintain high levels of physical fitness in order to engage in their chosen sport. The vast majority of these athletes are in excellent health, combining regular rigorous exercise with good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. However, even the healthiest athletes, may be at risk for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia.
Athletes are more sensitive to the effects of iron deficiency because they depend on the body’s ability to transport oxygen to the muscles. In that process, red blood cell hemoglobin and muscle cell myoblogin carry the oxygen and require an adequate amount of iron to function properly. For the athlete, a shortage of hemoglobin due to iron deficiency will cause the body to work slower and actually affect his or her performance.(2) Additionally, less stored iron can negatively affect aerobic training. This can decrease energy efficiency and increase muscle fatigue and cramping.(1)
It has been reported in several studies that athletes who are involved in heavy training may be prone to iron deficiency, which can lead to iron deficiency anemia.(2,3) Those most at risk include female athletes, male endurance athletes, and runners. According to Dr. Jerry Spivak, Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, “It is well-documented that athletes are at risk of iron deficiency by a variety of mechanisms. The classic example is long distance runners, who often suffer from something called ‘foot strike hemolysis’, which is the destruction of red blood cells in the feet due to constant impact.”(4)

Athletes who exercise strenuously on a daily basis can also lose iron through sweat, decreased absorption of iron in their intestines, and by taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs to get rid of soreness (these drugs reduce the body’s ability to absorb iron).
Iron deficiency may develop either because you are using more iron than you take in, there is an increased loss of iron, or by a combination of these two factors. Well-trained athletes take in and utilize iron differently than non-athletes, and this may contribute to anemia.

However, the most common cause of anemia is that the athlete’s diet does not supply them with enough iron. According to Dr. Spivak, “Young women are at particular risk of iron deficiency because their average caloric intake does not match their additional iron loses due to menstruation.” Often the athlete is unaware of their dietary problem and it can continue for some time without being recognized and treated.

How Athletes Metabolize Iron

Iron Requirements - Training causes an increase in muscle, consequently increasing the iron requirements of athletes. This is especially noticeable early in their seasonal training.(5)
Iron Intake - Athletes involved in sports such as gymnastics, ballet, or long-distance running, in which low body weight is an asset, run the highest risk of
inadequate iron intake. Vegetarian athletes are also at further risk, due to the
poor absorption of iron from vegetable foods.(6)
Iron Absorption - Iron absorption is lower in athletes than non-athletes, even when both have an ample supply of iron. This decrease in iron absorption might be due to the fact that food tends to pass faster through the digestive tracts of athletes.(1)

How can I prevent anemia?
A sensible way for athletes to prevent becoming anemic is to consume a diet naturally rich in iron. Try to include some lean cuts of red meat, beans, lentils, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs and nuts in your diet regularly. Increase your intake of vitamin C-rich foods (including citrus fruits, berries, new potatoes, broccoli, sprouts, tomatoes, peppers and kiwis). Vitamin C helps make iron more absorbable.

Don’t drink tea and coffee with meals as the tannins in them bind to iron in food, preventing it from being absorbed. Go easy on your consumption of pure bran as it is very high in phytates, which also binds to the iron.
Once iron deficiency is suspected in an athlete, they should be tested in order to determine the severity of their condition as well as which treatment options are best suited for them. The most common treatment is a combination of a well-balanced diet that is high in iron-rich foods and an iron supplement such as ferrous sulfate.

If you think you may have anemia, we recommend you talk to your healthcare professional. 
Anemia can happen to everyone, even to healthy athletes – but you can usually prevent iron deficiency anemia – and that shouldn’t stop you from becoming active or competing/training in strenuous athletics. With rigorous training, a nutritious iron rich diet, and a healthy lifestyle, you too can experience the thrill of victory!
References
Sinclair LM, Hinton PS. Prevalence of iron deficiency with and without anemia in recreationally active men and women. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Jun;105(6):975-8.
Clement, D.B. and L.L. Sawchuck. Iron status and sports performance. Sports Med. 1984;1:65-74.
Newhouse IJ, Clement DB. Iron status in athletes. An update. Sports Med. 1988 Jun;5(6):337-52.
Dubnov G, Constantini NW. Prevalence of iron depletion and anemia in top-level basketball players. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004 Feb;14(1):30-7.
Densmore JJ. Inherited and acquired hematologic disorders in athletes. Clin Adv Hematol Oncol. 2008 Feb;6(2):111-2.
Sherman AR, Kramer B. “Iron nutrition and exercise.” Nutrition In Exercise And Sports, Ed. Hickson JF, I. Wolinsky I. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1990;291-300.