Monthly Archives: September 2014

Limping Badly, but Still Riding

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I’ve been limping worse and worse recently. It seems to be a muscle problem, which makes sense now that I understand a little more what actually happened to me during surgery. Forget the screws and plate in the bone. The trauma to the muscle is severe. I’m going to get another x-ray done within the next couple days and am starting a strengthening regiment to try to get some of the muscles working.

Check the pictures out below of the tool they use to spread open the IT band to fix a broken hip. It looks primeval. It seems primeval.

I put some Garmin pedals on my bike to see the difference in power between my left and right leg power. I don’t know of another way to do that. I’m pretty interested to see if I’m really imbalanced or not. I tend to think that I’m just bad all around, but I do have some issues pedaling at certain times with my left leg. On Strava, there is a form and fitness page and it doesn’t seem that I am gaining any fitness, even though I rode 68 hours last month. When I crashed at the end of May, my fitness level was 116. It is now 48. I don’t understand the algorithm that Strava uses to manufacture that number, but I know that I was above 48 early February, only riding 18 hours in January. That is pitiful.

Okay, I’m down in Arvada, framing in Vincent’s basement. Keith and Catherine flew out late yesterday, after riding to Red Rocks in the morning. Bill and I kept going and did a lap of Morgul-Bismark after, so we had around 70 miles. My power meter’s battery died about half way, which is a shame. We rode pretty hard and I was interested in the numbers.

I entered Chequamegon Fat Tire, so am racing in two weeks. It is going to be what it is. I won’t even be able to get to the field in the front, but I would hate to miss the experience. I am lucky that I am to the point that I can just ride the event.

This is contraption that the surgeon uses to spread the muscle during surgery.

This is contraption that the surgeon uses to spread the muscle during surgery.

This is it in use.  No wonder my IT band feels like a solid rock.

This is it in use. No wonder my IT band feels like a solid rock.

Dueling power meters.

Dueling power meters.

Stacie showing me some exercises to do.

Stacie showing me some exercises to do.

Our group at Red Rocks yesteray.

Our group at Red Rocks yesteray.

There were so many people doing some sort of boot camp at Red Rocks.  This woman was creeping along on her hand and feet.

There were so many people doing some sort of boot camp at Red Rocks. This woman was creeping along on her hand and feet.

Pondering what to do next.

Pondering what to do next.

Time Crunch

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I’ve decided that when I’m in a time crunch, I need to do “real” life and just miss posting here. I’ve missed more days this past month than I’ve missed the past two years. Even though I truly enjoy the interactions here, I’m not going to miss out on doing real life experiences, just to report on thoughts and other things I’ve been doing. Makes sense. But, that being said, I hope to not be so busy that skipping posting becomes common.

We’re in sort of a time crunch here. Trudi has a flight to the World Tour races in Canada on Sunday, but it’s from Duluth Minnesota. She had to get a ticket and that was my best guess of where we’d be right about then. Bad guess. So, we only have 3 days to finish up framing Vincent’s basement, drive to Topeka to restock and then get her up to Duluth.

I’ve done good rides the last three days. The Garmin pedal test isn’t reliable. My experience so far that they are random number generators. They produce no accurate numbers, at least consistent enough to be believable. The left/right balance is total bullshit and chances constantly. The power is just plain wrong. I really don’t have anything good to say about them. I’m going to be putting my Rotor Power meter back on as soon as I get an extra 20 minutes.

Bill, Vincent and I met up with some of Vincent’s team mates and rode up Golden Gate Canyon yesterday. We turned off and rode gravel for a while. Eventually, everyone turned back and Bill and I kept going up to Peak to Peak. We climbed a bunch and then desended South Beaver Creek back to Coal Creek Canyon. I hadn’t been up there for years and hardly ever have ridden down it. It’s a pretty great descent down from Wondervu to Arvada. We ended up with right at 60 miles with 6000 feet of climbing.

I’ve been doing some abductor exercises the last three days. My leg already feels better and I’m walking much better. I could barely do 14 reps initially and yesterday I did a total of 90, 60 with a 3 pound ankle weight. Other than walking better, I feel much better climbing out of my seat. I’m not where near race form, but am only 12 weeks out from breaking my hip, so I don’t have anything to complain about really.

Plus, this framing the basement, uses a ton of muscles that have been latent recently. I’m sore each morning, but a good sore. The only bad part of this project is breathing some, not alot, but some, insulation dust. My head feels clogged at night and my sinuses are itching and raw. Not unusual, but bothersome for riding.

Okay, today we’re gonna frame first, then ride. Probably not such a good idea for a riding, but we need to get a ton of stuff done. Plus, I have an order for some x-rays, so I might just ride on bike paths over to Cherry Creek and get them done. That is probably close to 30 miles. I have 12 hours riding the past three days, so an easy ride is probably not such a bad idea.

Bill climbing on Hwy. 74 toward Wondervu.

Bill climbing on Hwy. 74 toward Wondervu.

Towards the top of the gravel off Golden Gate.

Towards the top of the gravel off Golden Gate.

I love stopping and getting water out of wells.

I love stopping and getting water out of wells.

We stopped by to visit Mike and Judy Hudson in Kittridge a couple days ago.  Judy wasn't around, just Mike.

We stopped by to visit Mike and Judy Hudson in Kittridge a couple days ago. Judy wasn’t around, just Mike.

Their house is very cute.

Their house is very cute.

Bill framing a wall.  Hanging them from the ceiling is a real hassle.

Bill framing a wall. Hanging them from the ceiling is a real hassle.

We've been eating great.  Lisa and Trudi have been making really good meals.

We’ve been eating great. Lisa and Trudi have been making really good meals.