The Roses

Sometimes I get frustrated. Okay, I'm not a spring chicken anymore at 54, even if I did ride almost 12,000 miles last year, and (finally) broke a 300-mile Wisconsin state record I dreamed of when I first rode across the state in one day back in 1982, over 30 years ago.

Sometimes I get frustrated with my recovery, which I've been told will take somewhere between 1 and 3 years. And then come the reminders from friends that give me permission to be patient, to stop and smell the roses.

Those are friends worth listening to, and worth keeping.

Another day in the rain

This past week I had the best ride since my accident a little over 3 months ago. My average speed was almost 19 mph for 25 miles. It felt great! Today, however, we are in the middle of a week long forecast of solid rain. My body aches, my mind is wrestling with anxiety, and I have lost that zest for life I had just a few days ago. This morning, I search for a source of encouragement, and I pray that God might rescue me from this dark pit.

A few minutes later, I find a link that my Pastor shared on line, a link that carries a message to rescue me from this darkness. A message that, I now know, will bring me out of another day in the rain.

A Song of Hope – “You Never Let Go”

Just what I need

One year ago, we were experiencing a spring that every cyclist living in Wisconsin dreams about. The months of March and April, when it's usually more common to suffer frostbite than a sunburn, were filled with gorgeous sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s and even touching 80 degrees at one point. I had ridden over 700 miles in March alone. It was just what I needed, allowing an early start to my training for the approaching record attempt, something I had planned for the past 3 years.

This spring has been quite opposite, to say the least. Except for a day or two last month that stretched toward the high 40s, most of our recent days have seen near-freezing highs, with more snow and cold winds. Oh well, recovery from a total hip replacement doesn't require 300 mile weeks. Fortunately, the snow has recently melted and the streets are now clear, except for an occasional small puddle. I'm just happy to be able to get out a few times during the week, with a 20-30 mile easy-paced ride. Even those are making my legs scream and my lungs burn.

And for now, that's just what I need.

Hard Copy Validation

 

I had the witnesses: my crew and the UMCA official.
I had personal documents: photographs and mileage records on paper.
I had the governing body verification: an email from U.M.C.A. Records Chairman, Drew Clark.

But I was patiently waiting for something that would help me personally to believe we really did it. The "hard copy" validation came in the mail this past Saturday.

 

Back in the saddle again

It was only a short, easy spin of 12 miles, but it was significant.

I've been riding up to 3 hours at a stretch in the Pain Cave, so I'm slowly returning. But yesterday was my first ride outside since the surgery. While driving home the shop, I surveyed the roads. I realized that most were clear and dry, with just an occasional puddle. Most important - no black ice. So I hurried to get my kit on, turned on the Garmin, and walked my bike to the end of the driveway.

There is nothing like the first spring ride outdoors. Especially when you can look an old demon straight in the eye and ride away with a smile on your face.

This would be a ride to remember.
It was only a short, easy spin of 12 miles, but it was significant.
God is good.

One (more) small step

Yesterday I took a leap of faith. I had signed up for Ridin' for Research, an indoor cycling fund raising event for the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center. My longest indoor ride since the accident had been 70 minutes long, so I signed up for one of the four 80-minute sessions at the event. But I made myself a promise that if I felt good at the end of the first session, I would go for another one. And I did. But the big unknown was how I would feel the next day.

Well, here it is, one day later, and I my legs are still attached to my body. I expected the quads to feel a bit more tired, as I also did more out-of-the-saddle simulated climbing that I have done since the accident. But aside form a very slight tired feeling in the quads, I feel great!

One more small step.

Today will be a recovery day, focusing mostly on Pilates, stretching, and massage, and maybe some light spinning.

My pledge requests for the Ridin' for Research event were to recognise my friend, Kari Lee Admundson, who has been battling colon cancer for the past year. Because of some generous people who answered my call when I was looking for donations, we were able to raise $140, $40 over the goal I had set.

Contributors in Kari's name:
- Ann Graf
- Eric Unrein
- Jacob Herber
- Mark Duchrow
- Sandra Cunneff
- Tim & Lis Neal

One more small step.
Thank you all, and God bless you.

Continuing Education

I remember when I gave up ultra-marathon cycling back around 1990. I remember that I had been plagued with lower back pain for the last couple years. I remember realizing that if I were ever to return to ultra-cycling, I would have to learn new disciplines to keep me comfortable and efficient on the bike, exercises that I wouldn't necessarily like doing. Dreaded core work. Dreaded stretching. And so, when I returned to the sport about 4 years ago, I worked on those disciplines, because I knew they would allow me to return to this sport that I loved so much.

Now, a few years later, and with a new challenge of recovering from a total hip replacement, I am realizing the need for these exercises at an even greater level. As I work to regain strength in my legs, I've become aware of how tight these muscles have become during my several weeks of inactivity. In addition, one other component that has plagued many other athletes, but something I personally have never had to contend with before, is the tightness of the iliotibial band, otherwise known as the IT band. The thick, fibrous tissue that connects from the upper leg by the gluteus maximus and tensor fascia latae muscles, then runs down along the lateral side of the upper leg, and eventually connects to the tibia bone of the lower leg. After some initial encouragement during the early weeks of my rehabilitation, primarily through the strengthening of the gluteus muscles, things began to turn in the other direction. It seemed that at some point, the more I would try to strengthen the muscles around the hip, I would be rewarded with debilitating pain around the hip area and the lateral side of the knee.

What I've been doing to counter act this tightening of the IT band and it's connections to the muscles, is to use various tools to stretch and massage out the knots. Tool like "The Stick" and the "Rumble Roller" can provide the athlete a do-it-yourself deep tissue massage.