The following is a lesson learned through the life of my friend.
I have posted this onto different chat site and discussing forum with only one purpose; that is to draw the attention of bikers, friends and sport lovers, to reflect my story while riding alone or in a group, speeding and aiming at that milestone...
The tragedy happened on Sunday, October 28, 2007. I started writing this on Monday afternoon soon after my dead friend Zhao’s family and I came out of the prosecutor’s office where we completed the report. Though heart broken I wanted to tell everybody this unfortunate incident; hoping nothing similar will happen...
I have included only Zhao’s pictures here. These are the pictures he would have proudly shown his wife and kids. The pictures that show his first time he had worn those new cycling pants, those windshield glasses, the new GPS receiver and all those toys of his. He had been very excited and could not wait to show his loved ones how handsome he had been. In the end, Zhao himself had not been able to see these last pictures of his life.
Zhao was my friend. His daughter and my daughter have known each other since kindergarten, more than seven years ago. He and I both love children and we have always taken them to enjoy the outdoor; to the streams, the beaches, swimming pools, fishing, water park, the hills where we have left many footprints. Because of my persuasion, he had fallen in love with and had been crazy about fishing. He started cycling because I’ve talked him into it. He died at about 14:00 on October 28, 2007.
Zhao worked in a bank. He liked to show off and hated to lose face; and so he was highly self demanding. He performed well in his job and had earned many praises from his boss. As far as I know, he had a weak heart and had got high blood pressure. He had had lots of pressure from his work. He smoked, drank and loved to eat heavy oily and spicy food. According to him, apart from Sundays and holidays, he would definitely do flywheel in the gym, sometimes two sessions on high, in full swing. I naively believed that a person like Zhao must have been in good form.
In fact, I started talking him into cycling in Summer, but he postponed it with the excuse of the weather being too hot. And so only about two weeks ago, he bought his bicycle---Champion No. 2.
Last week I took him for a ride for the first time on a mountain trial, from Taipei Zoo to Xiao Ge Tou. Before reaching Xiao Ge Tou, I had suggested to rest four to five times since it had been Zhao’s first time on a mountain trial. We had sausages and rested for about 30 minutes there. In those four to five times of interval, Zhao had jokingly said “Hey, look, I didn’t ask to take a rest, you did, ok ! ” Then, he implied to me that he had been ok and would like to continue. So, we rode along Ah Rou Yang, but half way up the slope, he showed he had been too tired; and so we went down hill instead. That afternoon, Zhao’s moral was high. We went to City Oasis in Chung He to buy his cycling pants and we had dinner out.
Until now, I’ve always thought that Zhao was in good form and would be better than mine.
Last Thursday or was it Friday if I can remember it correctly, Zhao asked what plan I had for Sunday. I told him I would go cycling with my brother; and at the same time I informed him the route: Taipei, National Palace Museum, Feng Quai Tsue, Wan Li, Jin Shan, Dan Shue, Guan Do and bank to Taipei City. It was about 100km. I told him what Feng Quai Tsue had meant for a cyclist. Zhao was a heavy internet nut and of course, he had collected all relevant information of this route and had made some detailed analysis on it.
▲ We started off at 06:20 from the intersection of Chung Xiao East and Fu Shing South Road. At National Palace Museum, I jeered that we must take some photos.
▲ According to the above mentioned route, we arrived at Feng Lin Bridge smoothly. While resting, Zhao smoked one to two cigarettes.
▲ Zhao caught up with us; like most first timer, although panting, he made it anyway. We rested at the gazebo, talked, bragged, and took some photos. The most tedious journey has had finished for today. The following would be several short mild up and down slopes and most flat rides; and so we all were relieved.
▲ Zhao loved children so much to the point that he would spoil them. At this point, he had been so exalted that he would show his children these pictures and would brag about them. To my least expectation, he had not been able to see these pictures himself.
▲ We constantly rested and at last reached the gazebo on Feng Quai Tsue; then all the way down slop continuously.
▲ I am the typical lazy type of cyclist. Even my brother can’t match me with this. At one time, I even had a pancake and coffee and rested indoor for almost one hour.
▲ And so, you can imagine, the three of us chatting, taking pictures, resting and riding without stress at all.
Zhao, however had been an emulous type of guy, had taken over me whenever there had been a chance. My brother and I both had advised him not to rush, but he never listened. Then when we passed Guan Do, we took a right turn (national water fowl park), at about 10km from the first step on the left, Zhao called out to me and said he felt a bit stuffy on the chest. He parked his Champion No. 2 on the roadside, stride across the low cement bulkhead, leaned against the railing and sat on the wooden floor. He asked me to ride ahead and that he would rest for a while and would take the MTR home from Hung Shu Lin (mangrove) Station. (It was about 14:00) I didn’t want to go ahead since we all came together, of course we would go home together. I asked him to rest first; but in less than 10 seconds, I saw Zhao turn up the white of his eyes, felt down and banged his head on the right. I was shocked. I rushed over and called him but it didn’t help at all. Coincidently, there was another group of cyclist there at that very moment---the LOVE-V cycling fleet. (There were a lot of people at the scene at that time. I was in a flurry and didn’t know if some cyclists from the same group came to help; but I realized eventually that they were from LOVE-V cycling fleet.) A guy helped dial 119. A lady in black top and white pants said that she was a nurse who turned out to be the wife of Yao, a cyclist in LOVE-V fleet. A male cyclist gave Zhao CPR and mouth to mouth resuscitation. Zhao had stopped breathing 2 to 3 times.
The ambulance came. The wife of Yao volunteered to follow Zhao onto the ambulance to offer help. My brother all of a sudden had to care for three bicycles. Fortunately with the help of the members of LOVE-V cycling fleet, he was able to disassemble the bikes and loaded them onto a taxi home.
Zhao had been receiving revival treatment for over 1 hour in Mackay Memorial Hospital in Dan Shue before the doctors announced him dead. The next day, I had a heap of legal procedures to handle. October 29, 2007, the prosecutor and the coroner jointly confirmed the cause of Zhao’s death as “Heart Failure”. According to the coroner, myocardial infraction or other causes could only be determined by anatomy. “Heart Failure” otherwise is commonly used in Zhao’s case in which there is usually no signs or symptom other than feeling tired.
Facing Zhao’s family who not only did not condemn me but asked me not to feel remorse; how could I not blame myself apart from feeling so bad.
Had I not talked him into cycling, had I insisted that he should not have followed me and my brother along, had I been more caring, had I had a little bit more medical knowledge, had I not been convinced when he had been so emulous...
I have never participated in any cycling activity in any group. I was made very emotional by this incident; and would like to offer little bit of my opinion if I may, to all fellow cyclist interested:
1. For cycling and other activities (especially big events) it is better to have some care workers to go along, just in case of emergency.
2. Usually when we go biking or hiking, the most common slogan we used like “go, go, hang on a little more.” “A shade will be ahead, just a bit further, we can rest later...” or “oh, come on! rest again!?” These are all very dangerous. Who can guarantee what is going to happen in the next second?
Perhaps you think you are very healthy? When was the last time you had a complete medical check up? One year? Half a year? Not every week I’m sure! When you are hiking, how can you be sure that you are “very tired” or that “your heart is going to stop”? Zhao’s incident happened on a flat road, and everyone was relaxingly chatting and laughing. He had heart problem and high blood pressure, yet, he had kept on working out everyday before he died (at 47 of age). He never had known if that was “tired” or “his heart was going to stop”.
3. Through non-stop training, athletes push their bodies to work to the peaks. Body builders use all kinds of methods to work their muscles to become like those on the green giant. However, it is against nature; because under normal circumstances, a normal person’s muscles are not that big, he cannot run or ride that fast, or jump that high. You might be all right at present; but that does not mean that you will be all right in 10 or 20 years. Perhaps you have advanced what your body could offer. And so, do not go to the extreme when pumping up those muscles. All those modern electronic machines might not be aware of your health condition. After all, you know yourself best. Regardless even if you only have five kilometer left, rest when you are tired or want to catch your breathe.
4. If you are on medication, even if it is a common cold, or if you have slept late the night before, bring you medicine along. Write clearly the name of the medicine and how to use on a piece of paper for others to read in case of emergency. I was searching in Zhao’s every pocket at the time he had the incident, but couldn’t find any medicine at all.
5. Even if you do not want to bring your ID card, bring your health insurance card anyway. Zhao had cash and several credit cards plus ATM cards but no health insurance card. In case of emergency, your health insurance card will provide any hospital a lot of useful information that can save your life. I suggest that everybody going on any outdoor activities, should bring his/her health insurance card, as well as providing information of at least two persons in case of emergency. Apart from his own mobile phone, Zhao only knew his home telephone number. I was lucky enough that his wife picked up when I called. In case I couldn’t get anyone when I called, and when I was in the hospital, when the doctor would tell me continuously that under normal procedure, they would give up resuscitation after 30 minutes, what could I do, could I answer the doctor on behalf of his family?
This incident has cast a shadow on me. I have no words for the pain when I look at the pictures of us, of our children and the happy times we had. After completing the report in the prosecutor’s office that morning, I passed by Park No. 4 next to my house, I looked at the same old place Zhao and I used to meet up, had beer and chatted, I was so sad I almost broke down in tears...
Once again, my heart felt thanks to all the members whom I know and do not know from LOVE-V cycling fleet. Before, I only saw the big word LOVE on your cycling outfits. Now I truly feel the big love in your hearts. When my brother and I was helpless, when we saw a life threatened, you gave us the biggest help which perhaps was nothing to you, but to us it was the blessing we will always keep in our hearts.
I would have to find time to adjust my mood.
I was devastated by the above mentioned experience. I might not have expressed it well in words but I hope I have offered some thoughts and direction; and I pray that all cyclists whom I know or don’t know would go home safely after enjoying cycling.
If need be, please feel free to pass this message on in anyway you wish. Zhao had been a devoted Buddhist. If this story can offer vigilance to all those who love cycling and would minimize hurt and loss of life, I’m sure Zhao could round it off contended somewhere in heaven.
Please let me give you a warning once again. I am not exaggerating. We always say: “You never know your potential”; but I want to add: “ You never know how fragile you are”. When you finally know it, you might lose your health if you are lucky, otherwise like Zhao, you would lose your life.
I lost a good friend. Two innocent and lovely children have lost a father. A happy family is so easily broken by presumption... So, when you wallop on a treadmill and push yourself to the limit, please think a bit of your family and loved ones.
Until now I do not know how to pick up my fishing rod, or to ride my favorite bike because they hold happy memories of us together.
There might be other points that I may have neglected. We all make unforgivable mistakes. For example, the coroner explained: Fatigue can be accumulated. It cannot be revived by just a short rest. Another example: Even riding on flat road can be life threatening for those who have cardiovascular problem. After a strenuous upslope ride, a normal person might enjoy a fresh breeze, but for those who have heart problem, this can cause blood vessels to rapidly contract.
There are a lot of unanswered questions. I am not a medical professional and so I do not have the answers. If you have any thoughts and answers, please do your best to share them among fellow cyclists. It is my sincere wish that we can let sorrow stop here; I’m sure it is Zhao’s also.
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