New Shoes

Tap. Tap. Is this on?

I started to write a post today about all the progress I've been having in my workouts, and weight loss. It just wasn't setting down like I imagined it. In lieu of another non-post, you get this.

My new shoes feel nice.

I like to run in them. Yay!

Fastest run this year!

That's it.

Sleep Advice. Or is it "Advice, Sleep"?

Lately I've been keying in on the theme "take your own advice". It has come up in multiple conversations, at least one blog post I read, and who's knows what else. None of which has been directed at me. Yet, I can't help but have been swayed into listening for something.

Mostly, my own advice is pretty uneventful. I try to stay on the Zen-ish side. Do what you do. It is what it is. Focus. That kinda thing.

But today, I woke up after decent sleep. And it came to me. "You need to get more sleep." Nearly a voice from my head, my subconscious spoke to me. Wow, that must be the real deal.

I feel good.

First Ride

Today, I hopped on my bike. I went out looking for that old demon that knocked my on my butt about a month ago.

I didn't see any demons. I'm not sure I would have recognized them. Being the first ride since the crash, it felt like the first ride in a very long time. Leaves were on the ground. There is no race to prep for. Everything seemed completely different. It was just "a ride". It was good to get out.

It was an easy ride, in that I didn't have anything but easy in me. It was hard, because easy still took plenty out of me.

As I look to future goals, I must admit it's hard because I'm oh so far from them. Yet if I'm not careful, I will attain the goals before i know it.

For today, I am just enjoying pedlin' squares on a beautiful fall day.

What happened?

(feel free to skip to the end for the big finish)

It looks like I may not have posted in a good long while. What's been going on? I got into Chequamegon Fat Tire 40. Training has been up and down. Let's go back a month or 2 before I get to the kick.

Riding good, often. Not insane miles/hours. But I was getting out there.

Then we packed up the family and did an amazing vacation to Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Glacier National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. No biking, but the altitude and hiking felt like it was doing my lungs good.

Some of you may have been through the pile of work that hits you in the face when you come back from 2+ weeks of vacation. Well, let's just say mine was that pile and then some. It was basically 2 weeks of a pretty heavy oncall "fun" and sleep deprivation. I got through it, but any altitude gains were gone. I felt as if I was starting over, and only about 1 month out from Chequamegon.

New plan, just ride. I had zero for lungs and legs. I felt the opposite of snap. But I was riding again.

Fast forward to the point where my riding didn't totally feel like a lost cause. I was doing hill work and getting real miles in.

I cleaned up my Singular swift to "like new" quality. I put the badmamajama small block 8's on (thanks Rick). All ready for one last long trail ride before Fat tire 40.

(Here's the END part you skipped to.)

RAIN. Trails closed.

So, grab a road machine. Milwaukee Orange one is a favorite bike of mine.

Gatorade bottle full. Fixed gear bike geared for some leg muscle work. Day clearing up enough a road ride will feel good. Let's head out for 40+ miles and see how it all feels.

I will later find on my bike odometer 7.5 miles total. Some of these events are pieced together based on what I have been told.

A driver saw me on the side of the road, and called.

I recall talking to some EMT guy, but not really being in the ambulance.

I have some notion I was at the ER asking questions over and over.

Cat scan and some X-rays show I was normal enough to send home.

My helmet is busted.

My best bike kit, 29'n'sngl came back to me cut off. I'm highly appreciative of the medical help received. Obviously they didn't have time to appreciate the sweet full zipper action of TwinSix built kit.

I picked up my bike from the police station. It is fine. There is minimal evidence of some left side touch/rub of something (brand new new bar tape makes it obvious). All my injuries are right side. Does this mean someone nudged me over? I don't know. I could believe that or rider error either way.

I can feel my shoulder and my hip where I hit the ground. It hurts, but I"ll be fine.

Here's to healing quick and feeling like doing Fat Tire 40.

I'm very thankful for all that got me from the side of the road to "safe". I wish I had more story.

Still Here Spinning

Ebb and flow. Yin and Yang. Sometimes I can be in the groove and not post, missing all sorts of grand items. Other times, it's sore throats, allergies, oncall schedules and whatnot. These are the challenges that separate the regular folks from the superhuman cyborgs. All I hope for is to push through and grab back on at the upswing.

Post-ebb, I'm on a few week roll of some flow. I installed some wrist saving technology on my Singular Swift. I've been able to get out on some local dirt, for a few minutes here and there. I'm still crashing here and there while getting used to it. I'm super anxious to get out to the Kettles.

My internal clock is rolling back. I find myself waking up for some fairly early morning workouts in an "almost ready to fly" state.

Running is still here and there. It's in the background, hanging around, ready to pounce anytime I don't quite have enough time to bike. Today I had a great 70 minute run. It's been a while since I've done favorite timed run of 70-100 minutes. I need to keep those around.

I was able to participate in the L-B-L spring classic, pulling down a scientifically guesstimated 67 hard fought miles for the day. I got a few miles in with the boys. And a few more in with the girls. In between, there was wind, rain, gravel, long john donuts, imagined hot tubs, and cow dung. Hanging with the fast guys on 2-3 straightaways was a blast and a half. It was totally worth getting dropped like a rock (twice) on the corners / uphills / gravel. I'll have to work on that. Then getting the best of both worlds, I got to chat with the women while we took the long way back to Luxemburg. I was awarded with frozen toes, a Belgian flag, and some ravioli upon finish. Hard to argue with that day. Made it home in time to hobble around with the kids.

OH yeah, my Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 check cashed. Woot!

Much more going on, I'm sure. This is what I'm sharing for now.

Coughing Fits

Anxiously heading into 2010 with a similar list of improvements I'd like to see. Hoping to get even closer to that fit picture I have of myself. I have spent a few weeks of regular, consistent riding and or running here and there. Alternating weeks of some horrid uber cough have left me taking some time out.

Yesterday I hit up the local doc, knowing I had waited the essential "how long has this been going on" period of 7 months (or 2 weeks).

As I sit typing this, the antibiotics are taking hold. Ready to rid my body of that horrid cough so I can put it back to work. Time to grab the hammer and start molding it into shape.

I foisted myself out of the stone ages and picked up a front shock for that there new 29er I got last year. I'm calling it an opportunity for extra downhill courage with the added benefit of saving my "not getting any younger" wrists. We'll see what happens.

Pay No Attention

Do not look at that guy riding his bike. Instead look at his surroundings. I can speak for the slow guys (or yesterday slow guy), it was a great day to be out there. And if I can do it, you can too.

Thanks to Russell for the photo.

I needed that

A couple hours of toe freezing action on trails and the road with some CX tires was just what I needed. I will give a nod to the fact that mentally it took a bit of heavy lifting to convince myself to go. Always remember that it's better once you get out there.

My toes are thawing out. A hot shower and cup of hot chocolate is in order.