SQUAMISH B.C. -- Coated with a thin layer of dust and a trickle of blood and sweat, rider No. 326 crosses the finish line.

His time of 4 hours, 6 minutes, 50 seconds puts him far behind the leaders at the Test of Metal, a mountain-biking race. But cheers erupt when Brett Wolfe rolls under the banner.

For 45 miles, Wolfe pedaled these steep mountain trails, climbing more than 4,000 feet, dropping down staircase ladders, bombing around hairpin turns. He passed many riders, was passed by others and crashed three times.

He has excellent technique, cardiovascular fitness and focus. He has a rigorous training schedule and a healthy diet.

He has one leg.

He uses no prosthesis.

Wherever he goes, the word "amazing" echoes in his wake.

As Wolfe tears down a steep, 5-foot-wide trail of rocks and loose dirt under a canopy of tall evergreens, a spectator murmurs, "Right on. Right on."

Then it hits the watcher. "Oh my God," Gordon Hall says in awe. "That was amazing."

The woman to his left, Karen Sedgwick of Whistler, shakes her head, puzzled. "Did he just have one leg?" she asks, stupefied.

Wolfe, 32, didn't start competing in mountain-bike races -- including ultra-endurance, 24-hour competitions -- to gladden hearts or inspire others. But every time he mounts a bike, he's a message on wheels.

Brett Wolfe is all about the art of the possible.

Last year he climbed 20,000 vertical feet in the 100-mile Cascade Cream Puff near Eugene, Ore., in 12 hours and 45 minutes. At a 24-hour race in West Virginia, he fell so many times in the thick mud that he lost count, and cracked his helmet during one of the spills.

"It's even mind-blowing to me sometimes," Wolfe says. "I sit back and say, 'I did what?!"

It's hard to make excuses around Wolfe. My knee hurts. ... He has one leg. I have a sprained ankle. ... He has ONE leg. Biking shorts chafe my legs. ... HE HAS ONE LEG!
"Everybody gets caught up in, 'I don't have this. I don't have that.' Well, what do I have?" he says. "It's funny how people limit themselves."

Wolfe is a breed all to himself; a lone wolf howling at the pack. He's never faced another "one-legger" in any race, but he pushes himself to go farther and faster every time he rides.

Food Coma-Your Body on Thanksgiving

by Rachel Suson, EP

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends, reflections of gratitude, great food, and for too many of us-the Thanksgiving food coma. After the seconds of turkey, too many delicious sides, and helpings of your aunt's infamous pumpkin pie, it's difficult to overcome the overwhelming sense of sleepiness that ensues. Known scientifically as postprandial somnolence, food coma is a state of sleepiness and lethargy following a big meal. Physiologically, however, the effects of a large, often fatty meal has greater health consequences than just falling asleep at 8:00 p.m.

How does food coma work?
 

The most common explanation for postprandial somnolence is a shift in nervous system activity. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the system which controls involuntary action of organs, heart, and glands. It is divided into the sympathetic nervous system (SNS, commonly known as responsible for the "fight or flight" response), and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS, lesser known as responsible for the "rest and digest" response.) After a meal, as the turkey enters the small intestines, the ANS shifts towards the PNS, resulting in an overwhelming sense of lethargy. Typically, the larger the meal, the larger the parasympathetic response.

In addition, hormonal responses to meals rich with starchy carbohydrates can also add to the post-meal slump. When digesting meals with a large amount of carbohydrates, the body breaks them down into its component parts of sugar (glucose) molecules. The simpler the carbohydrates (think pecan pie and mashed potatoes), the easier and quicker the food breaks down and sugar rushes into your bloodstream. To respond to this influx of sugar, the pancreas releases an equally large amount of insulin to clear the sugar from the bloodstream and into waiting cells. However, in healthy people, insulin can do such a great job at removing the sugar it causes blood sugar to plummet below resting levels, leaving you sleepy and lethargic-adding to postprandial somnolence. Later, it can also cause a second surge of ravenous hunger, making you eat more even if you are already full.