Archive for May, 2010

Polar Challenge Update

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Courtesy: Dell Weingarten

A Polar Challenge success!  The Polar Challenge is a 320-nautical mile race from Resolute Bay, Canada to the 1996 position of the Magnetic North Pole. Groups race in teams of three and the course takes about a  month to complete. This extreme race  covers very challenging terrain, as participants endure harsh weather conditions. This is the first year that all teams that started the race, also finished it. All teams competing in this year’s competition received a ColdAvenger Pro mask to protect their lungs and airways and protect their faces from the elements.  Racer Dell Weingarten reports back on how the race went and how well the ColdAvenger fared in the earth’s most extreme environment.

Courtesy: Dell Weingarten

From Dell:

The Polar Challenge was an amazing experience! I just got back and am still trying to adjust to life out of the Arctic. I do feel blessed that I was able to participate and finish this incredible race. This is the first that all teams made it to the finish line. The ColdAvenger was key…When I play or work in a cold environment in the future, I’m 110% positive that I will use a ColdAvenger. I know that using the ColdAvenger not only helped my airways when breathing but kept my nose and cheeks from getting frostbite. One of the great things about the ColdAvenger is that your Goggles do not fog up. You are able to read a GPS, keep a look out for Polar Bears and see where you are going. I used the ColdAvenger for hours and hours. Thanks for helping make this an incredibly enjoyable experience. It is truly a great product!

Courtesy: Dell Weingarten

Thanks Dell, for the update and the pictures!  What an amazing experience for you and the other racers.  Well done, all of you.

John B. Sullivan aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in cold weather, May 2010, Recreations Health and Performance | 1 Comment »

ColdAvenger is Everywhere on Makalu

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Dr. Eric Meyer

I’ve always known that Dr. Eric Meyer is a great ambassador for the ColdAvenger. He is an avid mountaineer who climbs some of the world’s highest peaks. He is an accomplished anesthesiologist, who also studies the effects of cold weather and altitude on the respiratory system. Dr. Meyer “gets” the ColdAvenger.  In Eric’s travels he meets and introduces the ColdAvenger to other folks needing the technology and health benefits of the face mask.

Blair Falahey: Courtesy

This spring, Dr. Meyer and the Valandre team are at Makulu base camp attempting a summit. At camp, Dr.Meyer met Blair Falahey, a passionate climber and world-traveler from Australia. Two years ago, Falahey was at Makalu attempting a summit. Unfortunately, he was turned around one hour before the summit due to significant frostbite on his nose. He hadn’t protected his face properly from the frigid winds. Seven months after his frostbite, he underwent composite graft surgery on his nose and sat out the 2009 climbing season. Determined to claim the Makulu summit in 2010, Falahey came back and luckily met Dr. Meyer.

After hearing Falahey’s story, Dr. Meyer asked if he was happy with his current answers for face protection. The answer was a non-convincing, “kind of.” Cue—the ColdAvenger Balaclava. Falahey had tried several types of face masks and systems to protect his nose, but all left him unsatisfied and concerned about his nose getting the proper protection.

Makalu

Falahey instantly loved the ColdAvenger and said, “I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Finally, I had found the solution to my problems. The mask felt great. Comfortable, snug and yet did not restrict my breathing. It works well with my goggles and sunglasses. I can’t wait to take it up on the mountain and try it. It could just be the difference between losing more of my nose to frostbite or not.”

Stay tuned to see how Falahey and his team fare on Makalu. The ColdAvenger is everywhere this year on Makalu…remember that Dr. Meyer and Chris Klinke with the Valandre team and Chris Warner with Shared Summits, are also making attempts to Makalu’s summit and fully protected with a ColdAvenger.

Good luck teams and I can’t wait to hear updates!

John B. Sullivan, III aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in cold weather, May 2010, mountain climbing | Comments Off

It’s World Asthma Day!

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. World Asthma Day annually falls on the 1st Tuesday in May.

Asthma is a lung disease affecting both children and adults. Symptoms may include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and difficulty moving air in and out of the lungs. Symptoms may occur during the day, with exercise, or at night, disturbing the patient’s sleep. Symptoms may be “triggered” by allergic and non-allergic factors such as exercise, viral infection, strong smells and cigarette smoke.

“Treatment varies depending on the frequency and severity of symptoms,” Karen Zalan, clinical leader of the Community Asthma Clinic of Sudbury Regional Hospital, in a press release. “For best possible control of asthma, patients need to be educated about their medications, how to use their inhalers properly, what ‘triggers’ their asthma, signs and symptoms and how to manage asthma worsening.”

Of course ColdAvenger is proud be the cold weather face mask that provides protection to help asthmatics be able to enjoy the outdoors. To celebrate World Asthma Day, here is a list of tips from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology for those with breathing problems.

Healthy Tips
* If you cough, wheeze and have a tight chest or shortness of breath when you exercise, you could have EIB.
* Walking, leisure biking, swimming and hiking are good sporting activities for people with EIB.
* Cold weather activities such as cross-country skiing and ice hockey, as well as sports that require short bursts of high energy are more likely to you’re your symptoms worse.
* An allergist can figure out the cause of your symptoms and develop a treatment plan that can keep you exercising.

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Posted in asthma, cold weather | 2 Comments »