It gives him wings.
Posted on 06/15/2005 3:42:34 AM PDT by MississippiMasterpiece
Lance Armstrong's strength and endurance sometimes seem too extraordinary to be believed.
Armstrong, a six-time winner of the Tour de France bicycle race who next month will try for his seventh straight victory, can cover 32 miles in one hour of riding. In contrast, the average cyclist covers 16 miles; a top marathon runner can cover 21 miles on a bike.
Armstrong can ride up the mountains in France generating about 500 watts of power for 20 minutes, something a typical 25-year-old could do for only 30 seconds. A professional hockey player might last three minutes - and then throw up.
So how does he do it?
According to a scientist who studied Armstrong at regular intervals from 1992 to 1999, his prowess can be explained by a set of physiological changes that took place in his body over those seven years and that, in all probability, are continuing.
The changes are described in an article titled "Improved Muscular Efficiency Displayed as Tour de France Champion Matures" in the June issue of The Journal of Applied Physiology.
The scientist, Dr. Edward Coyle, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas, has studied cyclists for 25 years. He says they need large hearts and low levels of lactic acid - the byproduct of intense exercise - in their blood. Their efficiency, measured as how many watts of cycling power are generated for a given cycling input, needs to be high.
"Lance came to us when he was 20 years old, very early in his career," Dr. Coyle said. "He wanted to know what he could do to improve himself."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
In any event, there is no dispute that he spends next to no time with his kids; 99% of his time is in France and LA. He recently said he was going on tour with Crow after this year's Tour. In my book, a real man is a father to his kids, and you can't do that if you're never there.
Lance is a gifted athlete who will go down in the record books, but I personally have a lot of trouble with all the adulation.
suit yourself
DITTO.
What do you know, it's the favorite biblical quote of atheists everywhere! I don't mean to throw pearls before swine, but you really ought to read the rest of Matthew chapter 7 before taking partial quotes from the bible out of context like this again.
I did a search for past articles on FR to see what others had to say about Lance Armstrong, with the 2005 Tour de France coming up. If you've ever cycled, you would have a slight clue how incredible the guy is. I bicycle with some expertise and experience, and he is beyond any ability and shape that I could ever hope to be. But he is an inspiration. This is the first article I looked up.
Maybe I should have known better than to look at a FR thread to talk bicycling, but I hoped there were other conservatives like me who really just wanted to talk bicycling at a high level--not listen to g-d's own little judge-on-earth.
Instead, about all I had to read was YOU bloviating on like your were the lord himself, standing in judgement of Lance because of what you may have read. And NO I didn't read all your posts (couldn't stomach them after reading a few). I'm sure you managed some weasel words about how you have no right to judge him and you're just stating your opinion BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.
Your self-righteous, better-than-thou posts make trying to read about this tremendous athlete just not worth it. And it also lets me know that it probably is not worth looking up any other articles about Lance on this forum.
And don't bother responding, this is rhetorical and not in need of any response especially from you. You will be ignored. I imagine from my post(s) you will already have judged me as a heathen, but I couldn't care less what you think about me or Lance or anyone else for whom you have already pronounced judgement.
Also, if you are so enamored with Armstrong, have at it. It's a free country.
Looks to me as though those defenders have only taken exception to the ad hominem attacks on Armstrong. No one here knows what went wrong between Lance and his wife, yet they continue to claim Lance was in the wrong. Am I a defender of Armstrong simply because I don't claim to know why he and his wife divorced? I don't think so.
Heck, some morons even make baseless accusations about drug use, even though he's the most-tested athlete on earth.
It gives him wings.
Bumping your post.
Not at all. We can still admire a person for what he does even if he makes mistakes we do not agree with.
I still love R. Reagan even though he turned tail and ran from Lebanon, allowed huge budget increases, let his Pentagon say DI's can't hit recruits, put Sandra O'Connor on the USSC ...........
If you read that article, it says that Armstrong is pro-abortion, against the Iraq war, and an atheist. In fact, his wife's embrace of her religion is one of the reasons for the breakup.
That isn't a wild accusation, it just "is." Now, what drives you all so batty about this? If you want to hold the guy up as a hero, go right ahead.
He isn't one to me.
Strawman. You'll note that I never suggested you shouldn't be talking about Armstrong - only that you should refrain from stating supposition as fact. You'd do better to address arguments I've actually made rather than make things up, but then again it appears all you've done on this thread is invent theories based on nothing more than your imagination.
If you read that article, it says that Armstrong is pro-abortion, against the Iraq war, and an atheist.
Your point? Armstrong is a helluva cyclist, and that's enough for me. People disagree on politics, and frankly "left of center" doesn't always equate to being a terrible person. I don't administer litmus tests to every person I meet; perhaps we differ on that.
In fact, his wife's embrace of her religion is one of the reasons for the breakup.
There you go again. From the article: "His stance on religion is in marked contrast to his wife's ever more fervent Catholicism and the difference may have been one of the factors that led to their marriage breaking up." Note that those are the authors words, not Armstrong's. Note also that the author said may, which you converted into "in fact". But I'm sure that was just an oversight on your part... < /sarcasm >
That isn't a wild accusation, it just "is." Now, what drives you all so batty about this? If you want to hold the guy up as a hero, go right ahead.
Who said he was a hero? Not me.
You seem to have a lot of trouble with fact v opinion. Before your next post, I'd suggest you reread what you've written and make sure you've accurately differentiated between your opinion and actual fact. Good luck to you.
Why should not Yee be judged?
OK--let's start with that.
If this guy were not "a helluva cyclist", what would you admire about him?
Further, go back and read what I said about Joe Ehrman in contrast to Lance Armstrong. Athletic ability, money, and sexual conquest does not make a man.
Moreover, you state that all you've done on this thread is invent theories based on nothing more than your imagination.
You're kidding, right? Let's rehash:
- Lance Armstrong has publicly stated that his talents and recovery from cancer have nothing to do with God. As far as I am concerned, that is spitting in the face of his Creator. I won't admire him with that stance, ever.
- Lance Armstrong left his wife and children, and there is no evidence of her being unfaithful to him. I won't admire him for this either.
Are these "theories?"
Did the author of the piece put 2 + 2 together that his wife's faith was a major contribution to their split? Sure. Armstrong is clear enough on his beliefs from what I read, namely, that he wants nothing to do with God. Fine. If that is they way he wants it, so be it.
Now, go admire him all you wish. I won't. Why is that so hard for you to accept?
What is that picture, some sort of racist portrayal or something?
Here I was thinking the motto was "Judge and be prepared to be judged".
Wow! Fascinating.
For about 3 seconds. Now I'm bored with the whole thing again.
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