Category Archives: Just Life

Taking Antibiotics

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I’ve felt ill-ish for the past two weeks.  I’ve had this nagging sore throat, just on one side, that isn’t going away.  Initially I thought it might have something to do with a questionable tooth, but now I’ve pooh-poohed that idea.

Anyway, after the race on Saturday, I was drinking a protein shake, and when I swallowed, my throat got way worse, like 10 X as painful.  Plus the pain wasn’t just a mild sore throat, when I swallowed, but it was sharp and radiated up towards my ear.  This was a big change in just a few seconds.

It stayed like this for a night, then Vincent told me sometimes, when he has a sore throat, he puts salt directly on the sore area using a wet Q tip covered with salt.  I thought, why not?  I did this a few times and my throat actually felt a little better.  Not as good as it it initially, but better.

But, yesterday I woke up again with a bad sore throat.  Or 1/2 sore throat really, since it is only on one side.

The weird part of the whole thing is that I really haven’t felt bad in any other way.  Yesterday I thought that it  was moving into my chest.  I felt a pain in the middle of my back, between my shoulder blades, that felt like it was from my chest.  But, it hasn’t really gone there.

This all started when I went back home a couple weeks ago and my brother Kris was super sick. Sore throat, coughing yellow stuff, the whole deal.  I thought I had avoided it, but my throat got sore, then I drove out here.  Bill came out and he got a sore throat within a couple days.  Then he started coughing, etc.  In the meantime, Kris’ friend Rita got ill too.  Both Kris and Rita took Zithromax, with Rita getting better instantly and Kris feeling the same.

I’ve written before about Zithromax.  It is a no-no for athletes.  Plus, it makes me feel like shit forever.

It has been nearly a month for Kris and he says he’s 95% good.  Bill said he feels better too, but not 100%.  I’m teetering on the edge.  I can’t decide whether to go to minor-med and get it checked out, or just try to ride the whole ordeal out.  I’ve never had  a sore throat this long in my life.

I have some friends in Wisconsin and they told me their daughters, who are in college, have never taken any antibiotics in their lives.  I found this nearly impossible.  How could they have lived nearly 20 years and never contracted an illness that nearly mandates antibiotics.  A bad ear infection, strep throat, etc.   Really, I think it is great, but just don’t understand.  By the time I was in college, I’d taken handfuls of antibiotics.

Anyway, I don’t get along well with antibiotics. Like I said above,  I won’t take Zithromax.  It gets rid of the symptoms, but I can’t pedal my bike worth for nearly a month after.  I’ve taken antibiotics a couple of times in the last 5 years and they didn’t seem to bother me all that much, but I don’t remember the name.

I know if I go to minor-med, they are going to prescribe some general upper respiratory antibiotic.  That is what they do.   I have three weeks until Leadville, so I’m thinking maybe I should just bite the bullet and do it.  I am getting just a little worse everyday lately.  But, maybe it will clear on its own?

The problem is my legs have felt pretty good riding at altitude.  I don’t have much air yet, but that is to be expected.  I’m trying to ride higher, over 10000 feet as much as possible. Monday I rode to Leadville and back from Silverthorne, over Freemont Pass, and yesterday rode MTB bikes high above Breckenridge.

Today we’re meeting up with some other guys and riding the Dirty Copper Triangle from Copper Mtn.  It is only 30 miles, but pretty steep climbing and lots of riding over 11000-12000 feet.   I don’t seem to be getting that much worse just continuing to train, so I’m just going with it, as of now.

Anyway, I’ll decide after the ride today.  I’ll see how I feel at the end and then make a spur of the moment decision.  Probably not the best way to deal with it, but I don’t have the knowledge to really do it any other way.  It’s really hard to know what is best until after the fact, looking back.

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Vincent is carrying this bag of Fig Newtons with him this morning.  This worries me immensely.

Vincent is carrying this bag of Fig Newtons with him this morning. This worries me immensely.

Back in Kansas

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I’ve been back in Kansas for just a full day now.  I seemed to have brought the Colorado weather back with me because it isn’t the “normal” August temperatures here.  It is approaching cool at night, which is great.

The thick air seems just that.  It has been raining on and off and the my nose appreciates the humidity.  I was getting tired of blowing crusty blood out of my nose every morning in Colorado.

I’ve ridden twice since back.  The first time it was about 5 minutes after driving 7 hours and I felt pretty good.  Yesterday I rode 3 hours and didn’t feel that great.  Go figure.  Think I might just need a little decompression.

It never really browned up this year in Kansas.  It has continually been raining, so everything stayed green, which isn’t normal.  It will probably be a great sunflower fall.  Whenever there is a ton of rain, sunflowers always come in droves along fence lines and ditches.  I guess that is why Kansas is called the Sunflower State.

I’m trying to catch up with stuff here.  The van turned over 300K miles, so I changed the oil and filter.  It takes  15 quarts of oil, so using synthetic oil, it costs over $100, with the filter, for a change doing it myself.  Kind of expensive.  Diesel fuel is finally inverted again, in price, compared to gasoline.  It has been a few years since it was cheaper for diesel than gas.  Right now it is about 10-20% less, depending on where you get it.  It should get a little more as the summer goes on, I hope.

I’m not really concerned about training.  I’m riding, of course, but hope to user the Labor Day races in St. Louis, the Gateway Cup, as speed work, and hopefully come out of that with some resemblance of a jump.  I know it sounds weird, 4 days of racing to get a jump, but it can come that fast, normally.

Okay, I like Sundays.  I’m watching the end of Tour of Spain right now and enjoying a cup of tea.  There is a ride from my house at 12:30, so I have a couple leisurely hours ahead.  I’ll probably start a project, but that is fine, what Sunday’s are all about when I’m not racing.

We installed a headset in my new frame at Vincent's before I left Colorado.

We installed a headset in my new frame at Vincent’s before I left Colorado.

There was new asphalt on I-70 in Kansas. Some infant or completely inept person, put the temporary lines on the road. This wasn't even the worst of it. It was like this for miles upon miles.

There was new asphalt on I-70 in Kansas. Some infant or completely inept person, put the temporary lines on the road. This wasn’t even the worst of it. It was like this for miles upon miles.

The van turned over 300,000 miles driving back from Arvada on Friday.

The van turned over 300,000 miles driving back from Arvada on Friday.

An oil change takes 4 gallons of oil. Ouch.

An oil change takes 4 gallons of oil. Ouch.

We've had this green pepper plant for 4 years now. We used to plant it back outside in the garden, but now just leave it in its pot and move it back inside in the winter. It still produces peppers. Weird.

We’ve had this green pepper plant for 4 years now. We used to plant it back outside in the garden, but now just leave it in its pot and move it back inside in the winter. It still produces peppers. Weird.

This volunteer pumpkin plant started underneath the bird feeder and I guess Kris decided to let it grow. It has a few pumkins on it, so it will be fun seeing if there is enough time for them to grow fully.

This volunteer pumpkin plant started underneath the bird feeder and I guess Kris decided to let it grow. It has a few pumkins on it, so it will be fun seeing if there is enough time for them to grow fully.

We walked the two blocks to the Walberg's house to catch up. We'd already eaten, so we just had wine. Trudi brought dessert. Catherine's mom was over, so that is always entertaining.

We walked the two blocks to the Walberg’s house to catch up. We’d already eaten, so we just had wine. Trudi brought dessert. Catherine’s mom was over, so that is always entertaining.

What is going on with hotel prices? I used to be able to get a 3.5 or 4 star room over Labor Day in St. Louis for less than $50. Seems like travel is staying expensive. I read that the average plane ticket this year is $497 roundtrip. Crazy when you add luggage fees, etc.

What is going on with hotel prices? I used to be able to get a 3.5 or 4 star room over Labor Day in St. Louis for less than $50. Seems like travel is staying expensive. I read that the average plane ticket this year is $497 roundtrip. Crazy when you add luggage fees, etc.