 |
| Last day of July around 3:30 in the afternoon |
Of the last nine hundred and eighty-four hours, only one has been spent riding but that one hour was today and I'm psyched. Hopefully this is a turning point, the first easy 15 miles of many miles to come, and come soon too so that I can be ready for the D2R2 and the Dirty Forty. I'd give myself a 60/40 chance of being ready. Which isn't to say 100% but hopefully comfortable enough to acquit myself well and finish both. That's the goal, anyway.
To achieve that, and to reconstitute some of the muscle that's been lost in the last 41 days of idleness, I'm starting a moderate weight training program (being worked out). The idea is to rebuild the left quad and strengthen both hips and quads. I need to put on some weight too, I'm a powerless 141.5 lbs at present. I attribute the loss to muscle atrophy. I want to bulk up with 5-7 lbs of muscle distributed across the hips, quads, and glutes.
I drank my first almond milk/protein shake today. More on that later.
The real news is that I managed to ride today! Finally.
Up to Sholan Farms and back via Elm St, a shortened Sholan Loop that still had moderate climbing. Stamina-wise I felt great, like it was nothing, like I could have pedaled for another two hours. But when I focused on it, the knee felt tight, crinkly, punky, about-to-be-sore. I was hyper-conscious of it for awhile. But when I let go of that and just rode without thinking about it, any sensation in the left knee that caught my attention was minimal and unremarkable. Certainly nothing more than any of the other vague aches and various tight spots in the lower back and upper legs. Nothing to cause me to wince or go "ouch! damn!"
So a minor step. One hour. And a sweet hour it was.
Ride Stats: 14.7 miles at 13.5 mph, one hour and four in the saddle. Was tentative. Not convinced everything is back to normal. Certainly need to get stronger quick.
 |
| Forward! |
Oh Dubster My Dubster! Back in the saddle and riding, the dark passage past the nasty shoals complete, the MRI or CT imaging having shown nothing of concern, right? Did you get the imaging done, as you said the doc wanted to? My docs didn't do a CT until the end of april, 5+ months after my fall and it showed that my break was not healing properly, though 3 docs had seen the x-rays and said that it looked good. as an afterthought one of them ordered a CT and it showed the problem. i showed it to my executioner doc and he put a bullet through my heart again, as he had done in february, saying this is not good, which i understood as you are fucked ... the result was taking the screw out, which happened 2 weeks after i broke my arm. the leg is better. details in my response to your letter which arrived yesterday! ride on write on and take care please! woe oh woe art yea who falleth unhappily. ps 141 lbs!?! mein gott! i'm happy to report that through all this i have not ballooned back to 200+ lbs. i'm at 85 kg and feeling ok, want 82. alas cake yesterday, a slice of a layer cake with butter creme icing baked by uli's 91 yr old mother (OMG - she and uli's 94 yr old father also just moved into a new apartment) and cake today, plum cake baked by petra's sister. scrod
ReplyDeleteHey Paulie Style, Jesus, new complications I haven't heard about, WTF? Must write you. I am better, though tentative. Will explain. Mad an MRI but no results yet "I'll call you if there's a problem" no call no problem. My bet is patella tendonitis or psoriatic arthritis. Slowing getting back, trying to regain conditioning enough to have a go at the D2R2 in 2 weeks, the Dirty 40 the following week. Both are doubtful when you throw in the fact that Chez Dubstoevsky is moving to Wormtown to boot, no small project. Brother, I hope you heal soon, and for real! You are an iron man, you will prevail!
ReplyDelete