Just in case some of you may not have heard the sad news of the death a few
days ago of Dr Ed Burke, renowned exercise scientist who did a great deal of
research in the world of cycling. Our condoles go to his wife and family.
For more information on his untimely death, read the following web pages.
Interestingly I had my near fatal heart attack (and later quadruple bypass
surgery) at about the same age, but not taking part in my beloved sport of
weightlifting, but just lecturing to my equally well-liked engineering
students. However, I had no family history of heart disease. Events like
this make one realise how unrealistic we are to think that we are less
vulnerable to death when we are young, fit and vitally alive, and how blessed
we are to enjoy every extra minute alive. At least, if one has lived one's
life as richly as Ed Burke and touched as many people around him, then life
indeed has been well worth living.
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http://foxsports.lycos.com/content/view?contentId=747368
Cycling Expert Edmund R. Burke Dies
By Associated Press
November 9, 2002
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Edmund R. Burke, an exercise physiology expert who
helped train Olympic cyclists, died of an apparent heart attack while riding
his bicycle. He was 53.
Burke was cycling near Gold Camp Road on Thursday when he collapsed, said his
wife, Kathleen Burke. He died at Memorial Hospital. Kathleen Burke said
preliminary results from the autopsy Friday indicated her husband had an
irregular heartbeat, which could have triggered the heart attack. She said
his family had a history of heart disease.
Ed Burke was coordinator of sports sciences for the U.S. cycling team leading
to the 1996 Olympics and a staff member for the 1980 and 1984 Olympic cycling
teams.
Burke was later professor of biology at the University of Colorado. He edited
several books on cycling, nutrition and sports physiology, including "The
Complete Book of Long Distance Cycling," "Complete Home Fitness Handbook" and
"High Tech Cycling."
He also wrote columns for The Gazette, Nutritional Science News, VeloNews and
other publications and free-lanced for national magazines.
Chris Carmichael, who coaches Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, said
Burke had a big influence on his life and cycling career.
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The following cycling site provides more information on Ed, photos of him and
letters of remembrance from many who knew or knew of him:
http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/3211.0.html
Sports physiologist Ed Burke died Thursday of an apparent heart attack
while on a bike ride near his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The 53-year-old Burke was on a group ride and collapsed at the side of the
road. He could not revived by friends or emergency medical personnel who
appeared at the scene.
Burke earned a doctorate in exercise physiology from Ohio State in 1979 and
quickly joined the staff of the United States Cycling Federation, serving as
an Olympic team staff member in 1980 and 1984. Burke built a strong
reputation for making cutting-edge research in his field accessible to a
general audience and wrote extensively for cycling publications, including
Winning, Bicycling and VeloNews.
Burke also authored and edited several books on the scientific aspects of
cycling and served as the editor of Cycling Science. He is survived by his
wife Kathleen.
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Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/
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