Monday, November 08, 2004
The Israel Ride - The First Night
On Motsai Shabbos, October 23rd, the riders, both Israeli and from chutz la'Aretz (foreigners) who were leaving from Jerusalem, gathered near the King Solomon Hotel to take a bus to Mitzpeh Ramon in the Negev.
Those who brought bikes had dropped them off at the hospital by Friday at noon and they had already been trucked to Mitzpeh Ramon.
The buses were scheduled to leave at 7:30 but didn't get going until about 8:30. I forgot my extra tire and called my daughter who graciously walked over to the bus, tire in hand. (We were staying at a home nearby). The scene at the hotel was a pretty big balagan but, ultimately, we were on our way. I sat next to a very nice American ex-pat whose son and grandson were participating in the ride. He was a retired doctor from Queens and we played a nice round of Jewish georgraphy.
After a pit stop, we finally made it to Mitzpeh Ramon. We were divided between two locations that were very close. The first (where I was) was simply the Achsania, or Youth Hostel. The second was called Club Ramon but was no fancier than the youth hostel.
I was the first in the room and quickly grabbed the lower half of a bunk bed. (This was a pattern that I would follow the entire ride. Since I was a relatively strong rider, I was the first person to my room every night. Being a strong believer in meritocracy, I did not hesitate to take the best bed. I also showered and washed my jersey and bib shorts before anyone else got there).
After setting my bags on the bed, I went to the parking lot where all the bikes awaited. It was at that point that I really felt that I had made the right decision in bringing my own bike (despite the hassles). While my bike was all assembled and ready to go, those who had rented bikes first had to have them sized and checked. Many riders were not happy with the size or set up of their bikes. Although virtully all of these issues were resolved in the first couple of days, a few riders had very uncomfortable experiences in that time. My bike, on the other hand, was awesome and I felt extremely comfortable from the get go.
I got to bed after midnight but my two of my three roomates, who came later from other areas of the country, did not get to sleep until much later. While none of my roomates snored (that would be the last night I could say that), one of them did talk in his sleep. Nevertheless, i got a good night's sleep.
We woke up at 6 a.m., davened, ate breakfast, checked out the amazing natural crater at Mitzpeh Ramon, waited through some opening ceremonies, and were finally on the road.
Those who brought bikes had dropped them off at the hospital by Friday at noon and they had already been trucked to Mitzpeh Ramon.
The buses were scheduled to leave at 7:30 but didn't get going until about 8:30. I forgot my extra tire and called my daughter who graciously walked over to the bus, tire in hand. (We were staying at a home nearby). The scene at the hotel was a pretty big balagan but, ultimately, we were on our way. I sat next to a very nice American ex-pat whose son and grandson were participating in the ride. He was a retired doctor from Queens and we played a nice round of Jewish georgraphy.
After a pit stop, we finally made it to Mitzpeh Ramon. We were divided between two locations that were very close. The first (where I was) was simply the Achsania, or Youth Hostel. The second was called Club Ramon but was no fancier than the youth hostel.
I was the first in the room and quickly grabbed the lower half of a bunk bed. (This was a pattern that I would follow the entire ride. Since I was a relatively strong rider, I was the first person to my room every night. Being a strong believer in meritocracy, I did not hesitate to take the best bed. I also showered and washed my jersey and bib shorts before anyone else got there).
After setting my bags on the bed, I went to the parking lot where all the bikes awaited. It was at that point that I really felt that I had made the right decision in bringing my own bike (despite the hassles). While my bike was all assembled and ready to go, those who had rented bikes first had to have them sized and checked. Many riders were not happy with the size or set up of their bikes. Although virtully all of these issues were resolved in the first couple of days, a few riders had very uncomfortable experiences in that time. My bike, on the other hand, was awesome and I felt extremely comfortable from the get go.
I got to bed after midnight but my two of my three roomates, who came later from other areas of the country, did not get to sleep until much later. While none of my roomates snored (that would be the last night I could say that), one of them did talk in his sleep. Nevertheless, i got a good night's sleep.
We woke up at 6 a.m., davened, ate breakfast, checked out the amazing natural crater at Mitzpeh Ramon, waited through some opening ceremonies, and were finally on the road.
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I never realised how important a good bed was until I got a bad back�.
Over 1,400 members of BackCare, the national organisation for healthy backs, responded to our Back Your Bed survey - the first of its kind to explore the views on beds of those who suffer from bad backs and the experts who treat them.
SUMMARY OF THE BACK YOUR BED SURVEY RESULTS
Buying a good bed is one of the most important purchases you can make when it comes to back pain relief. Nine out of 10 say their bed is more important to them since they developed back pain; 98% agreed that a good, supportive bed could help a bad back. 82% of experts felt that the right bed could help prevent back pain.
"If you cannot rest properly and sleep well, this hinders recovery from back problems."
A firm, supportive bed, not a hard one, can do wonders to ease and even prevent bad backs. Only 22% of sufferers had bought a bed classed as �orthopaedic�; while 28% describe their bed support as �medium�. Only 6% of experts would recommend an orthopaedic bed to patients.
Three quarters would be prepared to spend more than �500 on a new bed: compared with just 36% of the �normal� population. Nearly one in 10 would pay more than �2,000 for a new bed to get the comfort and relief they need.
Back pain sufferers are twice as likely as the rest of the population to own a new bed - 50% have beds that are less than five years old compared to the national average of 24%.
88% are satisfied with their choice � but 16% said they would get a better quality one next time; while 9% would opt for something firmer; 5% said they would choose a softer bed and 4% wanted a bigger one.
Sufferers are three times more likely to replace their beds when they no longer feel comfortable (65% compared with just 20%).
31% own a king size bed compared with 11% generally. Separate mattresses zipped together are also popular with couples whose support needs differ or who are easily disturbed by their partner's movements. top
So worth considering when buying a
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Over 1,400 members of BackCare, the national organisation for healthy backs, responded to our Back Your Bed survey - the first of its kind to explore the views on beds of those who suffer from bad backs and the experts who treat them.
SUMMARY OF THE BACK YOUR BED SURVEY RESULTS
Buying a good bed is one of the most important purchases you can make when it comes to back pain relief. Nine out of 10 say their bed is more important to them since they developed back pain; 98% agreed that a good, supportive bed could help a bad back. 82% of experts felt that the right bed could help prevent back pain.
"If you cannot rest properly and sleep well, this hinders recovery from back problems."
A firm, supportive bed, not a hard one, can do wonders to ease and even prevent bad backs. Only 22% of sufferers had bought a bed classed as �orthopaedic�; while 28% describe their bed support as �medium�. Only 6% of experts would recommend an orthopaedic bed to patients.
Three quarters would be prepared to spend more than �500 on a new bed: compared with just 36% of the �normal� population. Nearly one in 10 would pay more than �2,000 for a new bed to get the comfort and relief they need.
Back pain sufferers are twice as likely as the rest of the population to own a new bed - 50% have beds that are less than five years old compared to the national average of 24%.
88% are satisfied with their choice � but 16% said they would get a better quality one next time; while 9% would opt for something firmer; 5% said they would choose a softer bed and 4% wanted a bigger one.
Sufferers are three times more likely to replace their beds when they no longer feel comfortable (65% compared with just 20%).
31% own a king size bed compared with 11% generally. Separate mattresses zipped together are also popular with couples whose support needs differ or who are easily disturbed by their partner's movements. top
So worth considering when buying a
# posted by 
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