It's been 9 days since I had surgery on my broken left arm, and things seem to be progressing as expected. The surgery to insert a metal plate and screws (not sure how many) went well (only took an hour), and I'm back in a hard splint, held up by a sling. I have full use of my fingers, which is a good sign, although there's a very small, persistently numb spot on my index finger. Even if it's permanent, it's not a big deal.
I took the day after surgery very easy. I took pain meds every few hours. I've since resumed full-time work and am only taking pain meds when needed, which is right before bed and occasionally one during the day, if I've been a little too eager to use my left hand (like today, for example).
My first return visit to the doc who cut me will be on Monday, Aug. 31st. He'll most likely remove the splint to take a look at how the incision is healing. Hopefully, he'll put me in a shorter splint so I can bend my elbow. We'll see. He won't be putting me in a traditional hard cast, though, which is nice.
The itching under the splint has been more annoying than the pain, but even that seems to be subsiding. My other cuts and scrapes are healing nicely and have formed some of the biggest, thickest scabs ever seen in the free world. The looks and reprimands I've been subjected to for picking at those scabs is terribly unfair. I mean...it's so satisfying!
I still need help doing many things, although I've taught myself some tricks and shortcuts, and have become more dexterous with my right hand. I can button and zip my pants all by myself, like a big boy, but I still need help making my meals and washing myself. I hope my wife doesn't get suspicious when I still ask her to bathe me a year from now. "But honey, the doctor says that this is the last skill to be redeveloped after such a violent break. It could be five, ten years before I can bathe myself...and even then, it's dangerous."
Yeah, I doubt it, too. A guy can dream, though...
As for my activity level, I can do a few exercises, some 1-arm dumbbell
work, and walking, as long as I don't get too sweaty under my splint.
Going from 150+ miles of cycling per week to zero has confused my body,
both from an exercise perspective and a dietary one. I still want to eat
as much as I was pre-accident, but I'm trying to keep the intake in
check. It took too long to drop last year's excess weight. Don't want to
go through that again.
Now, the even more interesting news. Since my insanely high insurance deductible of [insert Luxembourg's GDP here] has finally been met, I now have full coverage. Imaging is included, so it might be time to get my left knee checked out. I at least want an MRI to determine what's going on in there. Then, if there's a chance it could be fixed, perhaps surgery would be worth it. If so, here's what the next few months potentially looks like for me:
AUG - arm surgery
SEPT - root canal (9/3)
OCT-DEC - knee surgery?
JAN 2016 - beg wife not to leave me
It would be a royal pain to go through all that in just a few months' time, but if I can get an MRI and knee surgery for essentially no cost out-of-pocket, it would be a shame not to do it — especially if it would allow me to run again. I'm not getting my hopes too high just yet, but who knows?
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Saturday, August 15, 2015
A Flair For The Dramatic
As I sit here typing slowly with only my right hand, I'm trying to figure out how to explain how I'm feeling about all the miles I've put on my bike this year, all the recent hill climbing, the weight loss, the noticeably improved fitness...and the fact that I won't be able to ride the 108 mile Coeur d'Fondo next month.
Yes, my friends, I've once again had a bike accident. This one, however, was a doozy. It was violent, and it broke my left arm.
It was going to be a relatively short, flat and easy ride with my riding buddy Tom. 40 miles total, out and back on the Centennial Trail. All was going well. We were two miles from the end of the ride when we had to move left to pass a runner. I was on the far left and didn't see a big bump, hidden in a shadow. We were riding at a good clip when I hit the bump and went flying with my bike. It happened very fast, so I couldn't tell you exactly how I landed. All I know is that my body skid several feet before stopping. I laid there moaning, and Tom told me not to move. Blood was gushing from the back of my right arm, and my left arm was bent in a very unnatural way. The shock and adrenaline masked the pain at first, but once I stood up, I started feeling it. I had to hold my left forearm in place with my right hand, otherwise it would twist and flop completely over (sorry) and hurt. Badly. Tom walked me to a shady spot in a nearby parking lot while he rode off to get his car to drive me to the ER. My wife, who Tom called for me, was already at the ER when we arrived.
After too long a wait, I was taken back for X-rays. They X-rayed my left arm, right elbow and left knee, all of which took the brunt of the impact. My left radius was cleanly snapped in half and nearly sticking through the skin. Any movement of my left arm was agonizing, and I nearly shed a manly tear or two as the X-ray tech positioned my arm for several images.
Back to the waiting room for a L-O-N-G time again, then finally back in to get the bone re-set and splinted.
I was given a tetanus shot, Propofol (the drug that killed Michael Jackson) to put me under, along with Demerol for the pain. For some reason (adrenaline? fear of ending up like Jacko?) I never drifted off. One of the docs said he had never seen that before.
The procedure involved hanging my left arm by my fingers (using metal traps that look like those old Chinese finger traps) and having the arm bent at 90 degrees. Then, they hung a sling from my upper arm with weights in it to pull the bones apart. Even with the drugs, that was loads of fun, kids. After several minutes of manipulation, they still weren't able to get the bone to stay in place, so they did the best they could, splinted it, and said I would likely need surgery.
After the splint hardened, I was wheeled back for a CAT scan, which confirmed that I also had a fractured bone in my wrist (probably from an earlier crash this year). Since it doesn't seem to be an issue, it'll be left alone, although they said it could be removed entirely if it still caused pain.
Finally, six and a half hours into my happy hospital visit, I was allowed to go home (stopping by the pharmacy on the way to get my pain meds).
I met with the orthopedist yesterday and will have surgery this coming Tuesday to get a plate and pins put in to keep the bone in place. They will be permanent. If my insurance will cover it, I'd like to opt for bionic parts, maybe with a lazer gun option.
The important question, you're probably asking, is, "how's the bike?" Well, it's pretty banged up and will need some repairs. I'll let the bike shop assess the damage once I'm able to take it in.
In all seriousness, that invisible bump may end up making our savings account invisible, even WITH my insurance.
Sleeping with a splint and sling has been difficult, but the Percocet has helped a little. And, fortunately, I'm married to a patient woman. She'll have to be, not only because I need help doing many things, but also because I'll be getting very restless and grumpy not being able to ride, run or work out for several weeks.
So, with that said, here are some pictures. Don't scroll down if you're queasy about this sort of thing...
Yes, my friends, I've once again had a bike accident. This one, however, was a doozy. It was violent, and it broke my left arm.
It was going to be a relatively short, flat and easy ride with my riding buddy Tom. 40 miles total, out and back on the Centennial Trail. All was going well. We were two miles from the end of the ride when we had to move left to pass a runner. I was on the far left and didn't see a big bump, hidden in a shadow. We were riding at a good clip when I hit the bump and went flying with my bike. It happened very fast, so I couldn't tell you exactly how I landed. All I know is that my body skid several feet before stopping. I laid there moaning, and Tom told me not to move. Blood was gushing from the back of my right arm, and my left arm was bent in a very unnatural way. The shock and adrenaline masked the pain at first, but once I stood up, I started feeling it. I had to hold my left forearm in place with my right hand, otherwise it would twist and flop completely over (sorry) and hurt. Badly. Tom walked me to a shady spot in a nearby parking lot while he rode off to get his car to drive me to the ER. My wife, who Tom called for me, was already at the ER when we arrived.
After too long a wait, I was taken back for X-rays. They X-rayed my left arm, right elbow and left knee, all of which took the brunt of the impact. My left radius was cleanly snapped in half and nearly sticking through the skin. Any movement of my left arm was agonizing, and I nearly shed a manly tear or two as the X-ray tech positioned my arm for several images.
Back to the waiting room for a L-O-N-G time again, then finally back in to get the bone re-set and splinted.
I was given a tetanus shot, Propofol (the drug that killed Michael Jackson) to put me under, along with Demerol for the pain. For some reason (adrenaline? fear of ending up like Jacko?) I never drifted off. One of the docs said he had never seen that before.
The procedure involved hanging my left arm by my fingers (using metal traps that look like those old Chinese finger traps) and having the arm bent at 90 degrees. Then, they hung a sling from my upper arm with weights in it to pull the bones apart. Even with the drugs, that was loads of fun, kids. After several minutes of manipulation, they still weren't able to get the bone to stay in place, so they did the best they could, splinted it, and said I would likely need surgery.
After the splint hardened, I was wheeled back for a CAT scan, which confirmed that I also had a fractured bone in my wrist (probably from an earlier crash this year). Since it doesn't seem to be an issue, it'll be left alone, although they said it could be removed entirely if it still caused pain.
Finally, six and a half hours into my happy hospital visit, I was allowed to go home (stopping by the pharmacy on the way to get my pain meds).
I met with the orthopedist yesterday and will have surgery this coming Tuesday to get a plate and pins put in to keep the bone in place. They will be permanent. If my insurance will cover it, I'd like to opt for bionic parts, maybe with a lazer gun option.
The important question, you're probably asking, is, "how's the bike?" Well, it's pretty banged up and will need some repairs. I'll let the bike shop assess the damage once I'm able to take it in.
In all seriousness, that invisible bump may end up making our savings account invisible, even WITH my insurance.
Sleeping with a splint and sling has been difficult, but the Percocet has helped a little. And, fortunately, I'm married to a patient woman. She'll have to be, not only because I need help doing many things, but also because I'll be getting very restless and grumpy not being able to ride, run or work out for several weeks.
So, with that said, here are some pictures. Don't scroll down if you're queasy about this sort of thing...
 | |
| Are we having fun yet? Just before drugs & reduction time. |
 |
| Side view of left forearm |
 |
| Top view of left forearm |
 |
| Right arm, after clean-up. Somehow got a hole nearly down to the bone. |
 |
| Nice road rashes on right knee. |
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Week in Review
I've fallen into the pattern of updating my previous week's activities, so I might as well continue that trend.
Here are my cycling numbers:
Rides: 3 (YTD: 47)
Miles: 149.1 (YTD: 1729)
Time: 9:16:30 (YTD: 99.9 hrs)
Elevation: 4692' (29,106')
Runs: 1 (YTD: 20)
Miles: 2.6 (YTD: 73.9)
Time: 24:37 (YTD: 10.9 hrs)
I also walked 20 miles last week (YTD: 385.4 mi)
I had a very challenging ride last Thursday. The distance (54.9 mi.) wasn't what made it tough, it was the climbing and the wind. There were two significant climbs on this ride, the latter being the toughest climb I've ever done. I rode up Quinimose Rd, then took the turn onto Broken Lance Dr. Both of those roads are steep, mostly out-of-the-saddle climbs. I've also been riding from my house when I ride solo, which means I always finish with a decent climb, since we live on a hill. My goal for August is to climb 20,000'. I honestly don't think I'll achieve that number, but I will climb more than last month, without a doubt. I'm trying to get the climbs in before the Coeur d'Fondo 108 mile ride next month, since that's a very hilly course.
One other quick note, regarding climbing, is that I finally climbed up to the Arbor Crest Winery. It's not long (.8 mi), but it's very steep. It felt good to finally get that climb under my belt.
Speaking of hills, I need to get ready for another hilly ride this morning, so with that, I'll post a few pics from last week's rides:
Here are my cycling numbers:
Rides: 3 (YTD: 47)
Miles: 149.1 (YTD: 1729)
Time: 9:16:30 (YTD: 99.9 hrs)
Elevation: 4692' (29,106')
Runs: 1 (YTD: 20)
Miles: 2.6 (YTD: 73.9)
Time: 24:37 (YTD: 10.9 hrs)
I also walked 20 miles last week (YTD: 385.4 mi)
I had a very challenging ride last Thursday. The distance (54.9 mi.) wasn't what made it tough, it was the climbing and the wind. There were two significant climbs on this ride, the latter being the toughest climb I've ever done. I rode up Quinimose Rd, then took the turn onto Broken Lance Dr. Both of those roads are steep, mostly out-of-the-saddle climbs. I've also been riding from my house when I ride solo, which means I always finish with a decent climb, since we live on a hill. My goal for August is to climb 20,000'. I honestly don't think I'll achieve that number, but I will climb more than last month, without a doubt. I'm trying to get the climbs in before the Coeur d'Fondo 108 mile ride next month, since that's a very hilly course.
One other quick note, regarding climbing, is that I finally climbed up to the Arbor Crest Winery. It's not long (.8 mi), but it's very steep. It felt good to finally get that climb under my belt.
Speaking of hills, I need to get ready for another hilly ride this morning, so with that, I'll post a few pics from last week's rides:
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| Turkey family, Riverview Drive |
 |
| From the top of Broken Lance Dr. |
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| Off of Henry Road, Saltese Flats area. |
 |
| Arbor Crest! |
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| On the way down from Arbor Crest. |
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| View from road up to Arbor Crest. |
Saturday, August 1, 2015
PRs in July!
Another month has flown by. Somebody slow this train down! It'll be winter before we know it. Ugh...
Anyhoo, July was a good month for my bike and me. I managed to set PRs in:
Monthly mileage: 591
Total rides: 12
Miles per ride: 49.3
Longest ride: 83.7 mi.
Elevation gain: 11,927'
Most miles/week: 169
The only thing that slacked off a bit was my average pace. I attribute that to more climbing and longer rides.
I only lost 2 lbs. in July, but I was fairly close to my goal weight when the month started. I could probably stand to lose another 5 lbs, but no more than that. I don't have the need or desire to be at my marathon weight. I was too light (and weak) back then (2010).
Yesterday, my long ride (83.7 miles) was cut short due to heat exhaustion. I was only a few miles from home, but had a pretty good climb ahead of me to finish. I was toast, so I called my wife to come rescue me. It was still a PR by 21 miles (and in 95+ degree heat), so I'm not disappointed.
August looks to be another great month on the bike, with more PRs on the way. It's been very hot lately, so I'm looking forward to some cooler days.
Keep moving forward, my friends!
Anyhoo, July was a good month for my bike and me. I managed to set PRs in:
Monthly mileage: 591
Total rides: 12
Miles per ride: 49.3
Longest ride: 83.7 mi.
Elevation gain: 11,927'
Most miles/week: 169
The only thing that slacked off a bit was my average pace. I attribute that to more climbing and longer rides.
I only lost 2 lbs. in July, but I was fairly close to my goal weight when the month started. I could probably stand to lose another 5 lbs, but no more than that. I don't have the need or desire to be at my marathon weight. I was too light (and weak) back then (2010).
Yesterday, my long ride (83.7 miles) was cut short due to heat exhaustion. I was only a few miles from home, but had a pretty good climb ahead of me to finish. I was toast, so I called my wife to come rescue me. It was still a PR by 21 miles (and in 95+ degree heat), so I'm not disappointed.
August looks to be another great month on the bike, with more PRs on the way. It's been very hot lately, so I'm looking forward to some cooler days.
Keep moving forward, my friends!
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Mileage PR
I just wrapped up another week of cycling, which ended in a weekly mileage PR of 169 miles:
MON: 32.2 mi, 1:48:20, 313' vertical
TUE: 57.4 mi, 3:34:35, 1371' vertical
THU: 40.4 mi, 2:14:03, 482' vertical
FRI: 39.0 mi, 2:19:24, 902' vertical
TOT: 169.0 mi, 9hr 56 min 21 sec (17.0 mph avg), 3068' vertical
Tuesday's ride (with Tom) included loops around both Newman Lake and Hauser Lake. Newman is a challenge due to some pretty good climbs, but this week it was even more of a challenge because of the road work I wasn't aware of before the ride. They had laid down chip seal for about 1.5 miles on the northern side of the lake. That slowed us to a crawl. For some reason, the rocks kept sticking to my tires and getting stuck under my brake levers just above my tires. Other than that (and a stiff headwind on the way back), it was a great ride. Monday and Thursday were pretty standard Centennial Trail rides, but on Friday I decided to ride from my house, which meant I'd have a nice climb at the end of the ride. It's only the second time I've ridden that climb, and I was much more prepared this time (I'm 8 lbs. lighter and in much better shape). Not to say that it was easy. It's still a pretty grueling climb for me. It'll be a nice gauge of my strength and fitness in the future.
Speaking of which, I've really felt a boost in fitness the last couple of weeks. Summer is half over, so it's nice to finally "feel" like a cyclist. By the time the Coeur d'Fondo comes around (I'll be doing the 108 mile Gran Fondo, around lake Coeur d'Alene, on Sept. 26th), I should be ready. There's a lot of climbing on that ride, so I'll have to step up my game in that department leading up to that ride. Next year at this time, I fully plan on being a monster on the bike. Mark my words, I will never allow myself to get out of cardio shape again, like I did in 2014. If it's too nasty to ride outside during the winter months, I'll be burning up my trainer and catching up on some Netflix garbage (maybe I'll save season 5 of the Walking Dead for such occasions ;-)
Yes, this is still being written by The Resurrected Runner, but I think I'm slowly morphing into a cyclist. If and when the day comes when I can run again, it'll be as part of a program that contains plenty of two wheel workouts. I might even throw in some swimming again if the mood strikes!
So, if injuries are keeping you from one activity, find another one that keeps you fit and healthy. No excuses!
MON: 32.2 mi, 1:48:20, 313' vertical
TUE: 57.4 mi, 3:34:35, 1371' vertical
THU: 40.4 mi, 2:14:03, 482' vertical
FRI: 39.0 mi, 2:19:24, 902' vertical
TOT: 169.0 mi, 9hr 56 min 21 sec (17.0 mph avg), 3068' vertical
Tuesday's ride (with Tom) included loops around both Newman Lake and Hauser Lake. Newman is a challenge due to some pretty good climbs, but this week it was even more of a challenge because of the road work I wasn't aware of before the ride. They had laid down chip seal for about 1.5 miles on the northern side of the lake. That slowed us to a crawl. For some reason, the rocks kept sticking to my tires and getting stuck under my brake levers just above my tires. Other than that (and a stiff headwind on the way back), it was a great ride. Monday and Thursday were pretty standard Centennial Trail rides, but on Friday I decided to ride from my house, which meant I'd have a nice climb at the end of the ride. It's only the second time I've ridden that climb, and I was much more prepared this time (I'm 8 lbs. lighter and in much better shape). Not to say that it was easy. It's still a pretty grueling climb for me. It'll be a nice gauge of my strength and fitness in the future.
Speaking of which, I've really felt a boost in fitness the last couple of weeks. Summer is half over, so it's nice to finally "feel" like a cyclist. By the time the Coeur d'Fondo comes around (I'll be doing the 108 mile Gran Fondo, around lake Coeur d'Alene, on Sept. 26th), I should be ready. There's a lot of climbing on that ride, so I'll have to step up my game in that department leading up to that ride. Next year at this time, I fully plan on being a monster on the bike. Mark my words, I will never allow myself to get out of cardio shape again, like I did in 2014. If it's too nasty to ride outside during the winter months, I'll be burning up my trainer and catching up on some Netflix garbage (maybe I'll save season 5 of the Walking Dead for such occasions ;-)
Yes, this is still being written by The Resurrected Runner, but I think I'm slowly morphing into a cyclist. If and when the day comes when I can run again, it'll be as part of a program that contains plenty of two wheel workouts. I might even throw in some swimming again if the mood strikes!
So, if injuries are keeping you from one activity, find another one that keeps you fit and healthy. No excuses!
Monday, July 20, 2015
Another Good Week In The Books
It's hard to believe how fast this summer is flying by! I've been doing my best to get out and enjoy it while it's here.
Last week I manged to get out for three rides. I rode with my friend Tom on Tuesday. We recorded 56.3 miles which included a nice hill climb on the Riverview Drive/Highland Drive loop, just southeast of Post Falls, ID. The loop itself isn't terribly long, but it contains several rolling hills and one pretty big one (relative to what I've been riding). The loop ended with a very fast descent. I'm not terribly confident in my descending ability (and always nervous about loose gravel), so I usually tap the brakes occasionally just to stay somewhat under control. Still, we were doing over 40 mph. down the hill!
I did a solo ride of 32.3 miles on Thursday (flat and sort of fast), followed by another solo ride from Argonne to Coeur d'Alene and back (60.6 miles). I felt a little knee soreness during the last two rides, especially when pushing and/or climbing. With the Coeur d'Fondo coming up in September, I should probably invest in a professional bike fitting. I'm sure some adjustments are in order.
I did avoid any cramping this week. I started using Succeed S-Caps, along with my gels and drinks I had been using. While I felt little hints of possible cramping in my legs during a couple of rides, it never happened.
I also feel like my fitness has taken a jump the last couple of weeks. I'm not sure if that's because I've started doing a little climbing or not, but I notice that I don't get winded very easily during rides now, unless I'm really hammering. I seem to recover a little quicker, too.
I also did one run with the dog last Wednesday (mostly on dirt trails), to check in on my knee. There was some pain, but it wasn't terrible. However, my knee ached for a day or two after the run, so I still probably shouldn't run on it.
On Saturday, my wife, oldest daughter and our dog all set out on a family hike on some trails we didn't even know about, prior to my internet research. They're only about 20 minutes from our house, but they feel like they're out in the middle of nowhere. We intended to hike about 5-6 miles, but we got confused on the unmarked trails and ended up hiking 10.4 miles in the heat. We ran out of water, and my dog decided he was going to plop down in the shade several times as we were walking. During the hike, he drank all the water in his bottle and some left in mine that I saved for him. I was a little worried about him, but he made it, 3 1/2 hours later! I looked at our course on Strava and I now know the right trails to take whenever we do the hike again.
Thus ends my boring rambling. Get outdoors this week and sweat!
Last week I manged to get out for three rides. I rode with my friend Tom on Tuesday. We recorded 56.3 miles which included a nice hill climb on the Riverview Drive/Highland Drive loop, just southeast of Post Falls, ID. The loop itself isn't terribly long, but it contains several rolling hills and one pretty big one (relative to what I've been riding). The loop ended with a very fast descent. I'm not terribly confident in my descending ability (and always nervous about loose gravel), so I usually tap the brakes occasionally just to stay somewhat under control. Still, we were doing over 40 mph. down the hill!
I did a solo ride of 32.3 miles on Thursday (flat and sort of fast), followed by another solo ride from Argonne to Coeur d'Alene and back (60.6 miles). I felt a little knee soreness during the last two rides, especially when pushing and/or climbing. With the Coeur d'Fondo coming up in September, I should probably invest in a professional bike fitting. I'm sure some adjustments are in order.
I did avoid any cramping this week. I started using Succeed S-Caps, along with my gels and drinks I had been using. While I felt little hints of possible cramping in my legs during a couple of rides, it never happened.
I also feel like my fitness has taken a jump the last couple of weeks. I'm not sure if that's because I've started doing a little climbing or not, but I notice that I don't get winded very easily during rides now, unless I'm really hammering. I seem to recover a little quicker, too.
I also did one run with the dog last Wednesday (mostly on dirt trails), to check in on my knee. There was some pain, but it wasn't terrible. However, my knee ached for a day or two after the run, so I still probably shouldn't run on it.
On Saturday, my wife, oldest daughter and our dog all set out on a family hike on some trails we didn't even know about, prior to my internet research. They're only about 20 minutes from our house, but they feel like they're out in the middle of nowhere. We intended to hike about 5-6 miles, but we got confused on the unmarked trails and ended up hiking 10.4 miles in the heat. We ran out of water, and my dog decided he was going to plop down in the shade several times as we were walking. During the hike, he drank all the water in his bottle and some left in mine that I saved for him. I was a little worried about him, but he made it, 3 1/2 hours later! I looked at our course on Strava and I now know the right trails to take whenever we do the hike again.
Thus ends my boring rambling. Get outdoors this week and sweat!
Monday, July 13, 2015
The Hills Are Alive
Last Friday (July 10th), I met up with my friend Kenny in Couer d'Alene to ride the Olympic triathlon bike course (he's doing the race next month). It's a pretty hilly course, and one that I've never ridden. In fact, I've never ridden east of Coeur d'Alene at all. We set out from the park, by the beach, and rode east along the north shore of the lake, turned around and worked our way up some pretty challenging climbs. We misread part of the course and ended up going down and back up a steep climb, which added to our total elevation gain (almost 1900' total, over 26 miles).
I learned an important lesson on this ride. Instead of trying to hammer and fight my way up the hills, I geared way down and backed off the effort just enough to not get too winded, nor build up too much lactic acid in my legs. That meant slower climbing, but it also meant not blowing up. It made the climbs more enjoyable and eased the feeling of dread I usually get when there's a hill to ascend. A combination of seated climbing and standing on the pedals seemed to work well, too.
I have a long way to go as a climber, and I know there are much harder climbs that will still kick my rear, but it's nice to know that I can work the uphills in a way that doesn't wipe me out.
I learned an important lesson on this ride. Instead of trying to hammer and fight my way up the hills, I geared way down and backed off the effort just enough to not get too winded, nor build up too much lactic acid in my legs. That meant slower climbing, but it also meant not blowing up. It made the climbs more enjoyable and eased the feeling of dread I usually get when there's a hill to ascend. A combination of seated climbing and standing on the pedals seemed to work well, too.
I have a long way to go as a climber, and I know there are much harder climbs that will still kick my rear, but it's nice to know that I can work the uphills in a way that doesn't wipe me out.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Heat and Leg Cramps
Last Wednesday (July 1st), I rode 58.5 miles with my frequent riding buddy Tom. We rode out to (and around) Hauser Lake, just inside the border of Idaho, which was a beautiful area. Even though we started riding at 9:45am, it was hot. About 40 miles into the ride, I started feeling my left calf spasming, like it was getting ready to cramp. I ate a gel every hour or so and drank both water and Powerade, but the heat was starting to do a number on me. We stopped briefly just 3 or 4 miles from the end of the ride, where I dismounted and stretched. We decided to just spin easily to the end. It was working until a mere half mile from the finish. At that point, going up a slight uphill, both of my quads violently cramped, causing me to jump out of my saddle. I couldn't bend my knees and was in a good deal of pain. I managed to lean over and get off the bike, roll to the side of the trail and lay down. Tom gave me a couple of electrolyte/sodium capsules. They seemed to kick in fairly quickly, allowing me to hop back on the bike and finish the ride. It was close to 100°f at that point. Once home, I took a 15 minute ice bath.
It was a challenging, but enjoyable, ride. It's becoming obvious that my body doesn't deal well with heat. Whenever I've had cramping issues, it's been on hot days. I just purchased some S-Caps, which I'll be taking during hot rides from now on.
Train hard, but train smart!
It was a challenging, but enjoyable, ride. It's becoming obvious that my body doesn't deal well with heat. Whenever I've had cramping issues, it's been on hot days. I just purchased some S-Caps, which I'll be taking during hot rides from now on.
Train hard, but train smart!
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Another Solid Week
I didn't set any distance, total mileage or time records on the bike this week, but I managed to log three solid rides (40.1 mi, 32.3 mi, 32.1 mi = 104.5 miles total). My legs felt a little flat on Monday and Wednesday, but I eased off the pace on Friday and noticed a little more life in them. We're in the middle of a heat wave (102°f here today, 106°f tomorrow, followed by another week, at least, of close to triple digits), so doing extra long or extra fast rides will be out of the question. In fact, due to my schedule, I'll probably only ride on Monday and Wednesday.
I'm at 390 miles for June and 988 miles for the year, so I should hit 1,000 miles on Monday.
I'm at 390 miles for June and 988 miles for the year, so I should hit 1,000 miles on Monday.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Metric Century
A week ago today, I rode my first Metric Century (100k, 62 miles) with one of my riding buddies, Tom. The ride included a loop around Newman Lake (with plenty of challenging climbs, albeit nothing too long) and an encounter with an angry redneck who caused me to crash on the side of the road and gain yet more road rash and an extra-sore left wrist (I landed on it yet again). The road we were on was incredibly rural and quiet, yet this jackwagon passed us on the left, got back in front of us and immediately slammed on his brakes. He jumped out, scraggly beard and overalls a'blazin', and shouted that "this is a high-traffic road!" and that we shouldn't be riding on it. Well, good sir, thank you for the load of horsesh*t, but you're 100% wrong. It's NOT a busy road (we saw 3 cars during the 14 mile loop), and bikes have as much right to the road as do motorists, assuming we're obeying the laws of the road (we were). I found out where this hayseed lives, since we continued riding after he left and saw him walking from his red Jeep Cherokee to his shack, er, house. So...
That was the first of only two rides last week. I put in another 38 miles on the Centennial Trail on Wednesday (giving me 100.5 for the week), then took the rest of the week off since my mom is visiting from Florida. She'll leave tomorrow.
I got out for a moderate 40 miler today, with no plans for the rest of the week. I'll probably get in at least one more ride, but the heat is coming in a big way (projected 107°f high for Sunday), so I'll either be laying low or getting out very early for short rides. We'll see. I also have a ton of work backed up.
I lost 4 lbs. last week, which was a bit more than I wanted to lose. I'm now at my goal weight of 160 lbs. The added mileage is causing the weight to drop off. Obviously I need to increase my caloric intake or I'll end up where I was when I trained for my marathon in 2010 (i.e. too light and too weak).
That's about it from here. Speaking of calories, time to inhale some now...
That was the first of only two rides last week. I put in another 38 miles on the Centennial Trail on Wednesday (giving me 100.5 for the week), then took the rest of the week off since my mom is visiting from Florida. She'll leave tomorrow.
I got out for a moderate 40 miler today, with no plans for the rest of the week. I'll probably get in at least one more ride, but the heat is coming in a big way (projected 107°f high for Sunday), so I'll either be laying low or getting out very early for short rides. We'll see. I also have a ton of work backed up.
I lost 4 lbs. last week, which was a bit more than I wanted to lose. I'm now at my goal weight of 160 lbs. The added mileage is causing the weight to drop off. Obviously I need to increase my caloric intake or I'll end up where I was when I trained for my marathon in 2010 (i.e. too light and too weak).
That's about it from here. Speaking of calories, time to inhale some now...
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