It's been so great to get some miles in recently. My daughter is with her mother for a little camping trip, so I've had the past few days "free" to ride. I had a nice ride at home after work on Thursday and then on Friday I was feeling good so I rode hard at lunch and then did another hard ride from the office after work. Today I did one of the smaller but faster local group rides and had a good time. My legs were very tired from the double day on Friday, so it took a long time for them to warm up and they were missing a little bit of the snap- especially on the one challenging climb for the ride. After things regrouped a bit, I got my legs back- more or less- and settled into the group.
The last portion of the ride culminates in a series of easy rollers that set up the final sprint. It's a sprint that I know like the back of my hand and have a history of doing well in- it just suits my style of sprinting. The group stayed relatively intact and then about a mile or so from the sprint, a small group broke things up and I chased onto the group and sat on as best I could- which was not all that easy. Things came slightly back together just before the sprint and I found myself taking a pull in a spot I didn't want to, so I took a short pull and worked my way back into the shelter of the pack. It was right about then that the first attacks in the sprint happened and I had to back out of the group and move from the right side of the road and out to the left into the sprinting group. It took some effort, but I made it in and then launched my sprint. Things looked really good and I thought I had it for sure- and I think I would've- until my chain dropped off to the outside of the big ring as I was trying to get my 11t wound up. Sadly, that is why SRAM is now making a new, stiffer version of the big ring used on the Red group. I have the new ring to test out, but have lazily not installed it yet.
Still, even with the slight mechanical, I had a great ride and was really pleased that I was able to recover from the hard efforts earlier and have the legs to sprint well. I'm still just inching my way back to being stronger, but each little step like this sure feels good. Hopefully I'll have better sprinting legs at the track on Tuesday night. Would be nice to finish one of the races with a "podium" or a win.
Tomorrow is hopefully gonna be a nice long day of 100+ miles and further building of base fitness and endurance. The legs are super tired right now, but after a rest I hope they recover. Had a nice big meal of pasta with chicken sausage for dinner, so hopefully I'll have enough carbs and proteins to endure the day tomorrow.
Hope you are having your own epic weekend- with or without your bike.
Tim
Showing posts with label Recovery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recovery. Show all posts
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Big little things or little big things?
Tomorrow (4/29) marks exactly one year since "the crash" that changed my life- and nearly ended it. Tonight as I rode my rollers in the driveway and flogged myself for an hour, that fact was tucked somewhere deep in my head, but it was far away in the distance. Instead, my thoughts were focused on my pedal stroke and deep breathing. I concentrated on finding the smoothness in my pedaling and feeling the stroke all the way through the circle. My mind was not on recovery, but was fixed on getting stronger and fitter so that I can get back to being competitive.
During the hour, I did three hard 20 minute intervals that each finished with a max effort sprint. FYI- 37+mph and 165+rpm is my official terminal velocity on the rollers with the fixed gear. Each interval was an exercise in maintaining focus, since it is so easy for me to mentally drift away. But I managed to think of it as being similar to riding a Points race or a long Scratch race, or even a crit. I thought of it in terms of competition because I love to race bicycles. Since I was 12 years old, I've spent my life trying to race bicycles. I've had some great successes and far more disappointments, but my love of the sport has always remained.
As I've gone through this process of recovery from the injuries, I've frequently thought of things in terms of how long or how difficult returning to racing was going to be. Of course, it goes without saying, my thoughts have also been on what the recovery would mean to my greater life- the life I have with my friends, family, girlfriend and kids. But, as we're all inherently selfish beings, my thoughts have often fixated on being able to ride and race.
I've been blessed in many ways through this experience. I have had my life enriched beyond all measure by the people I am lucky to have come in contact with. I am also lucky that my helmet did its job and that the people at the track that night did not panic and kept my injuries from being even worse. I am blessed that my daughter was such a brave little girl that night- seeing me in that condition was not easy for a child just about to turn seven years old. I am lucky beyond belief that my friends and family and so many of you showered me with the support and encouragement I needed for my recovery. And I am also very lucky to have a girlfriend who spent a month away from her home in Taiwan to nurse me back to strength to be able to take care of myself. And, best of all, I am blessed to be recovered enough and strong enough to be able to dream about racing at the front of the pack again while I slog away on my trainer in the middle of the night, in my driveway.
Things could've turned out much worse- but they didn't.
Tim
During the hour, I did three hard 20 minute intervals that each finished with a max effort sprint. FYI- 37+mph and 165+rpm is my official terminal velocity on the rollers with the fixed gear. Each interval was an exercise in maintaining focus, since it is so easy for me to mentally drift away. But I managed to think of it as being similar to riding a Points race or a long Scratch race, or even a crit. I thought of it in terms of competition because I love to race bicycles. Since I was 12 years old, I've spent my life trying to race bicycles. I've had some great successes and far more disappointments, but my love of the sport has always remained.
As I've gone through this process of recovery from the injuries, I've frequently thought of things in terms of how long or how difficult returning to racing was going to be. Of course, it goes without saying, my thoughts have also been on what the recovery would mean to my greater life- the life I have with my friends, family, girlfriend and kids. But, as we're all inherently selfish beings, my thoughts have often fixated on being able to ride and race.
I've been blessed in many ways through this experience. I have had my life enriched beyond all measure by the people I am lucky to have come in contact with. I am also lucky that my helmet did its job and that the people at the track that night did not panic and kept my injuries from being even worse. I am blessed that my daughter was such a brave little girl that night- seeing me in that condition was not easy for a child just about to turn seven years old. I am lucky beyond belief that my friends and family and so many of you showered me with the support and encouragement I needed for my recovery. And I am also very lucky to have a girlfriend who spent a month away from her home in Taiwan to nurse me back to strength to be able to take care of myself. And, best of all, I am blessed to be recovered enough and strong enough to be able to dream about racing at the front of the pack again while I slog away on my trainer in the middle of the night, in my driveway.
Things could've turned out much worse- but they didn't.
Tim
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Return...
I'd love to build the drama of this into something that would make a great Movie of the Week and tell you that I came from behind and won every race of the evening, driven by determination and squinting to see through tear-soaked eyes as I crushed the other riders in the races and my daughter danced in circles screaming the famous "GO DADDY GO" she is known for... but I ain't gonna do that. The night was much less dramatic, though still very emotionally charged for me.
I got to the track early enough to not have to stress out getting ready. As I unloaded my gear from my car, I talked to a guy I had only met once who only knew me through the blog and meeting at the Tour of California briefly. As a fellow track racer, he'd kinda followed along with my blogging about the recovery and was really happy to see me at the track again. The only other guy there unloading and getting ready to enter the track chimed in, "so you're the Masiguy... wow, welcome back man". And that kinda sets up the entire night.
It seems like every body I talked to during the night knew about the crash from last year. Apparently, I made more than just an impact on the actual track itself. Needless to say, it was very moving and I felt blessed to be around so many people so excited to see me on a bike again. It only grew from there too, as more and more of the people I know and who were there last April 29th began to show up. There were hugs and handshakes and more than a few "wow" comments. The previously mangled thumb was quite a hit, with very few people unimpressed by the fact it looks like "a real thumb" now.
I got suited up and got the bike ready to hit... no, wait... ride the track for the very first time since the crash last year. On the drive to the track, I was a mess with the nervous energy and even felt a little nauseous as I got onto the track for the first few laps. As I rode the track very tentatively and tried to get myself to ride close to the boards, I felt nervous and had a few of the "what the hell am I doing here" moments. As I cruised around for the first minutes, I did my best to relax my grip and remember to breathe. After a few minutes another rider pulled up beside me and we began to talk- he's a physician and was at the track the night of the crash and is the one who took care of me until the ambulance arrived. In many ways, I owe the fact that I was not in more trauma to his actions that night. He said he was very happy to see me back on the track and even a bit shocked- "when they put you in the ambulance, I didn't think we'd ever see you out here riding again".
Slowly, I began to feel a little less nervous and a bit more relaxed, so I started to speed up a little bit... looking for the edges of my comfort zone. It didn't take me long to find those edges, but I kept trying to expand them a little at a time. Towards the end of our open warm-up time, as I was high on the banking and talking to another rider going through turn one into turn two, I heard the painfully familiar explosion of a tire blowing... directly in front of me by about 5 bikes. My first thought was, "NO, not tonight!" As the rider with the blown tire slid down the track, at least one other rider went down with him, but I was able to navigate through the confusion without incident- though I doubt I took a breath for a lap. I instantly thought of packing up the bike and simply watching the racing, but the rider I was talking to didn't skip a beat in our conversation and that kept me calm enough to relax again.
Open track time closed and we went into the infield for the rider's meeting prior to the racing. After receiving our instructions from the officials, the juniors were off for their first race of the night. The race was short and then it was time for the racing to begin. At this time, the usual event is the motor-paced burnout, so I planned to sit in the infield and ride my rollers while the other riders contested the motor-paced event... since it was during that event that I had my crash- I figured that was one logical concession to my fear and anxiety. As they described the event to the racers and fans, they stated that there were no longer sprints at the end and that the event was a true warm-up and not a race. With this bit of news, I nervously decided to take to the rail with the other racers and see if I could choke down my anxiety and sit in for a few laps, giving myself the permission to pull out at any time to sit and watch. The first few laps were nervous as I settled in and learned to trust the wheel of the rider in front of me. The usual accordion effect of the undulating pace and surges at the front gave me fits, but I sat in and completed the 25 laps for my group and then happily got off the track!
The juniors were back up for their second short race and then the C group was up for their first race. As I rolled around on the warm up track and talked to a friend, the C's began to ramp up the speed of their race and then that is when the second crash of the night happened... and I saw the whole thing again. As the riders slammed into each other and then slid down the banking into a pile, the other rider I was talking to patted me on the back and laughed saying, "that's gotta make you feel good". I guess my anxiety was showing. Fortunately all of the riders were able to walk away from the crash, though some with a bit of scrapes and busted bikes. Still, they walked away and that's the best kind of crash.
Next, the B's were up... and I was racing the B's. Our first even was a short 12 lap Points Race with sprints on the 6th and 12th laps. As I took to the rail, I admit the nervousness was growing again. When they gave the gun after a neutral lap, the pace immediately jumped pretty sharply and the first race of my return was officially underway. I fought with the bike a little during the first few laps, just feeling uncomfortable at race speed and worrying that I was on the wrong sized gear. After a few more laps and the first sprint was done, I decided to try to get back up to the front part of the large field we had. I got back up to the front half of the group just in time for the final sprint and was far enough back that there was no real reason to sprint, so I didn't contest it as much as I just tried to see if I could accelerate with the group all the way to the line- which I did just fine. My very first race was done! There was one spot about 4 laps in when the group bunched up after a quick deceleration at the front and I got my hear rate up really quickly when people started bumping... but nobody went down and I survived. Race #1 in the done pile!
After the first race, I was much more comfortable and relaxed and even more ready and excited for the next two races. Next up was a 10 lap Scratch race that was blisteringly fast with another break off the front immediately. With about 4 laps to go, I attacked from the rear half of the field along the back stretch of the track and accelerated through the field pretty powerfully and was off on my own for the next 3 laps trying to close the gap to the leading 3 riders... and then my motor failed as I crossed the line to start the last lap with the filed catching me. I got back in and managed to keep from getting dropped or finishing last, but I realized that I have the speed... just no endurance. But I felt good for racing, rather than sitting in. Next up was a 20 lap Point-a-Lap with $2 to the winner of each lap, which always brings out the competitive nature in folks. I sat near the front, but was unsure of my legs still and didn't really want to do anything too soon, knowing I had poor endurance. I sat in for about the first 10 laps, but another group was rolling off the front taking all the money and points. So, I jumped out of the field again and flogged myself solo for about 6 laps with friends screaming for me to keep the hammer down. For a few laps, I thought I would actually catch the break and got close a few times bu they always slipped away when they sprinted each lap. With about 3-4 laps to go, I finally got caught by the field again and settled back in. I sat in for a couple laps near the very end of what remained of the field. On the last lap, I buried myself to get to the line as quickly as possible and finish as strongly as I could. It felt great to have worked so hard and to still find the strength to dig hard one more time.
After that, my racing was done for the night and I packed up my stuff while the last A's race finished up. I got lots of pats on the back from my friends and fellow racers. As I kept saying, it was great to complete the cycle of my recovery and get back on the track and push the pedals as hard as I could. I won nothing, but I proved to myself that my life did not end last April 29th. With time to train and continue to recover and regain my strength, I might even have a chance to win a race again. I know I am driven to try.
Again, I can not say enough thanks to everybody who supported and encouraged me during my recovery. It's not entirely done yet, but I am much closer and I am now able to say with confidence that I can still ride a track bike on the track. It is the camaraderie I have shared with my friends on the track over the years that made my desire to get back so strong. As one of my friends and fellow racers said, "welcome home". It sure felt like it.
Tim
(All photos by Pete Demos- our Creative Director and photographer extraordinaire. He and Rick Ortiz, his cohort in the graphic department and the guy behind the Masi ads and graphics, were there at the track. They were joined by Pete's girlfriend Amber and Rick's youngest daughter. Also there was my Product Manager, Wayne Doran, who works with me to create all of the fantastic Masi products. I owe them all a big thanks for being there to help cheer me on as well. )
I got to the track early enough to not have to stress out getting ready. As I unloaded my gear from my car, I talked to a guy I had only met once who only knew me through the blog and meeting at the Tour of California briefly. As a fellow track racer, he'd kinda followed along with my blogging about the recovery and was really happy to see me at the track again. The only other guy there unloading and getting ready to enter the track chimed in, "so you're the Masiguy... wow, welcome back man". And that kinda sets up the entire night.
It seems like every body I talked to during the night knew about the crash from last year. Apparently, I made more than just an impact on the actual track itself. Needless to say, it was very moving and I felt blessed to be around so many people so excited to see me on a bike again. It only grew from there too, as more and more of the people I know and who were there last April 29th began to show up. There were hugs and handshakes and more than a few "wow" comments. The previously mangled thumb was quite a hit, with very few people unimpressed by the fact it looks like "a real thumb" now.
I got suited up and got the bike ready to hit... no, wait... ride the track for the very first time since the crash last year. On the drive to the track, I was a mess with the nervous energy and even felt a little nauseous as I got onto the track for the first few laps. As I rode the track very tentatively and tried to get myself to ride close to the boards, I felt nervous and had a few of the "what the hell am I doing here" moments. As I cruised around for the first minutes, I did my best to relax my grip and remember to breathe. After a few minutes another rider pulled up beside me and we began to talk- he's a physician and was at the track the night of the crash and is the one who took care of me until the ambulance arrived. In many ways, I owe the fact that I was not in more trauma to his actions that night. He said he was very happy to see me back on the track and even a bit shocked- "when they put you in the ambulance, I didn't think we'd ever see you out here riding again".
Slowly, I began to feel a little less nervous and a bit more relaxed, so I started to speed up a little bit... looking for the edges of my comfort zone. It didn't take me long to find those edges, but I kept trying to expand them a little at a time. Towards the end of our open warm-up time, as I was high on the banking and talking to another rider going through turn one into turn two, I heard the painfully familiar explosion of a tire blowing... directly in front of me by about 5 bikes. My first thought was, "NO, not tonight!" As the rider with the blown tire slid down the track, at least one other rider went down with him, but I was able to navigate through the confusion without incident- though I doubt I took a breath for a lap. I instantly thought of packing up the bike and simply watching the racing, but the rider I was talking to didn't skip a beat in our conversation and that kept me calm enough to relax again.
Open track time closed and we went into the infield for the rider's meeting prior to the racing. After receiving our instructions from the officials, the juniors were off for their first race of the night. The race was short and then it was time for the racing to begin. At this time, the usual event is the motor-paced burnout, so I planned to sit in the infield and ride my rollers while the other riders contested the motor-paced event... since it was during that event that I had my crash- I figured that was one logical concession to my fear and anxiety. As they described the event to the racers and fans, they stated that there were no longer sprints at the end and that the event was a true warm-up and not a race. With this bit of news, I nervously decided to take to the rail with the other racers and see if I could choke down my anxiety and sit in for a few laps, giving myself the permission to pull out at any time to sit and watch. The first few laps were nervous as I settled in and learned to trust the wheel of the rider in front of me. The usual accordion effect of the undulating pace and surges at the front gave me fits, but I sat in and completed the 25 laps for my group and then happily got off the track!
The juniors were back up for their second short race and then the C group was up for their first race. As I rolled around on the warm up track and talked to a friend, the C's began to ramp up the speed of their race and then that is when the second crash of the night happened... and I saw the whole thing again. As the riders slammed into each other and then slid down the banking into a pile, the other rider I was talking to patted me on the back and laughed saying, "that's gotta make you feel good". I guess my anxiety was showing. Fortunately all of the riders were able to walk away from the crash, though some with a bit of scrapes and busted bikes. Still, they walked away and that's the best kind of crash.
Next, the B's were up... and I was racing the B's. Our first even was a short 12 lap Points Race with sprints on the 6th and 12th laps. As I took to the rail, I admit the nervousness was growing again. When they gave the gun after a neutral lap, the pace immediately jumped pretty sharply and the first race of my return was officially underway. I fought with the bike a little during the first few laps, just feeling uncomfortable at race speed and worrying that I was on the wrong sized gear. After a few more laps and the first sprint was done, I decided to try to get back up to the front part of the large field we had. I got back up to the front half of the group just in time for the final sprint and was far enough back that there was no real reason to sprint, so I didn't contest it as much as I just tried to see if I could accelerate with the group all the way to the line- which I did just fine. My very first race was done! There was one spot about 4 laps in when the group bunched up after a quick deceleration at the front and I got my hear rate up really quickly when people started bumping... but nobody went down and I survived. Race #1 in the done pile!
After the first race, I was much more comfortable and relaxed and even more ready and excited for the next two races. Next up was a 10 lap Scratch race that was blisteringly fast with another break off the front immediately. With about 4 laps to go, I attacked from the rear half of the field along the back stretch of the track and accelerated through the field pretty powerfully and was off on my own for the next 3 laps trying to close the gap to the leading 3 riders... and then my motor failed as I crossed the line to start the last lap with the filed catching me. I got back in and managed to keep from getting dropped or finishing last, but I realized that I have the speed... just no endurance. But I felt good for racing, rather than sitting in. Next up was a 20 lap Point-a-Lap with $2 to the winner of each lap, which always brings out the competitive nature in folks. I sat near the front, but was unsure of my legs still and didn't really want to do anything too soon, knowing I had poor endurance. I sat in for about the first 10 laps, but another group was rolling off the front taking all the money and points. So, I jumped out of the field again and flogged myself solo for about 6 laps with friends screaming for me to keep the hammer down. For a few laps, I thought I would actually catch the break and got close a few times bu they always slipped away when they sprinted each lap. With about 3-4 laps to go, I finally got caught by the field again and settled back in. I sat in for a couple laps near the very end of what remained of the field. On the last lap, I buried myself to get to the line as quickly as possible and finish as strongly as I could. It felt great to have worked so hard and to still find the strength to dig hard one more time.
After that, my racing was done for the night and I packed up my stuff while the last A's race finished up. I got lots of pats on the back from my friends and fellow racers. As I kept saying, it was great to complete the cycle of my recovery and get back on the track and push the pedals as hard as I could. I won nothing, but I proved to myself that my life did not end last April 29th. With time to train and continue to recover and regain my strength, I might even have a chance to win a race again. I know I am driven to try.
Again, I can not say enough thanks to everybody who supported and encouraged me during my recovery. It's not entirely done yet, but I am much closer and I am now able to say with confidence that I can still ride a track bike on the track. It is the camaraderie I have shared with my friends on the track over the years that made my desire to get back so strong. As one of my friends and fellow racers said, "welcome home". It sure felt like it.
Tim
(All photos by Pete Demos- our Creative Director and photographer extraordinaire. He and Rick Ortiz, his cohort in the graphic department and the guy behind the Masi ads and graphics, were there at the track. They were joined by Pete's girlfriend Amber and Rick's youngest daughter. Also there was my Product Manager, Wayne Doran, who works with me to create all of the fantastic Masi products. I owe them all a big thanks for being there to help cheer me on as well. )
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Rollers...
I didn't get the chance to ride yesterday or last night because of the rain, which was a bummer because my legs felt really great- though I could feel a touch of tendinitis building in my left knee and the rest was welcome.
Tonight, after my daughter went to sleep, I slipped into some spandex and headed down the stairs and out to the driveway with my rollers under one arm and my Speciale Fixed in the other. Riding rollers is not exactly what I like to do when I want to ride, but it better than not riding at all... and riding rollers on my fixed gear is all the better. There is a certain Zen that comes from riding rollers when you find that sweet spot in your pedal stroke where you can accelerate or decelerate with total smoothness and fluidity and the back of the pedal stroke feels as smooth as the front/ bottom. In a one hour ride on the rollers- which is nearly all I can stand before losing my mind... even on my fixed- that sweet spot in the pedal stroke seems to show up about 30- 45min into the workout. From there, reaching the end of the hour (or slightly more) seems to be very easy and painless. It is during these moments that I go back to my teenage daydreams of becoming the first American Merckx...
Needless to say, I didn't reach that dream... but at least I can ride a bike the same color!
Tim
Tonight, after my daughter went to sleep, I slipped into some spandex and headed down the stairs and out to the driveway with my rollers under one arm and my Speciale Fixed in the other. Riding rollers is not exactly what I like to do when I want to ride, but it better than not riding at all... and riding rollers on my fixed gear is all the better. There is a certain Zen that comes from riding rollers when you find that sweet spot in your pedal stroke where you can accelerate or decelerate with total smoothness and fluidity and the back of the pedal stroke feels as smooth as the front/ bottom. In a one hour ride on the rollers- which is nearly all I can stand before losing my mind... even on my fixed- that sweet spot in the pedal stroke seems to show up about 30- 45min into the workout. From there, reaching the end of the hour (or slightly more) seems to be very easy and painless. It is during these moments that I go back to my teenage daydreams of becoming the first American Merckx...
Needless to say, I didn't reach that dream... but at least I can ride a bike the same color!
Tim
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Working my way back
It seems like almost a hundred years since my crash last April and all the recovery from the injuries. Over the past several months I have hit many obstacles and setbacks- mostly in the form of work and lots of travel. My body itself has been healing much better than I ever dreamed. The knee doesn't bother me at all when I ride- if anything, the other knee bothers me. The right arm still doesn't fully straighten, but I am beginning to learn how to cope with it. The neck, fractured in three places along with the fracture of my skull, is still stiff and sore when I ride much of the time, but I contribute that to so much muscle/ strength loss from wearing the neck brace for 2 months. The thumb... with that ugly reattached tip... is nearly completely healed now. It isn't a pretty thumb or nail, but it is closer to "normal" and fully functional again.
The night of the crash on April 29th, I was feeling super strong. Not the best I've ever felt, but certainly the strongest I've felt in several years. I could feel that a win was coming and I was excited. Also, on the night of the crash, I weighed a more respectable 205 lbs. By the time I left the hospital the second time in mid May, I had dropped to 184lbs. Just last month, in December, I had ballooned up to just over 225lbs. After a visit to my doctor for a blood test found that my cholesterol is too high- like it probably has been for the past 6 years- I decided that all of the waiting for a break in my schedule was going to have to be thrown out and I was going to ride again and at least give myself an even better shot at a longer life. I'm still watching my diet and taking my Prevachol, but I have gotten back on the bike as well. In the past 4 weeks or so, I've really only missed 3-4 days of riding. Granted, much of this riding ranges from a simple spin on the rollers with my fixed gear for an hour to 2 hour rides on the weekends... but it's a far cry from almost NO riding over the previous 4 months.
Today, according to MapMyRide.com, I managed to get out for 68.64 miles ridden in about 4hrs 20min along the coast and up and down the numerous hills along the way. It's not exactly like doing a scorching team training ride or group ride, but for me it is a big day. When I reached what would have been the half way point for a 35-40 mile ride, I decided that I still felt pretty good and just kept rolling. Again... it's not like I was blasting along at race pace or anything, but I was riding for longer than I had set out to ride. I had hoped to ride for 4-5 hours today, but the realist buried way, way, way down deep in me thought it impossible. I'm as tired as I can be right now, but I am extremely happy about my ride. And, if my legs arenot so totally cooked that I can't walk in the morning, I'm going out again for a much shorter 1-2 hrs to get the kinks out.
The thumb... still a little misshapen, but FAR better than it looked a few months ago.
It's a long way to go before I am in race shape again, but I am closer now than I was in December- and frankly, that's a damned good feeling.
I hope you had a great day of riding too.
Tim
The night of the crash on April 29th, I was feeling super strong. Not the best I've ever felt, but certainly the strongest I've felt in several years. I could feel that a win was coming and I was excited. Also, on the night of the crash, I weighed a more respectable 205 lbs. By the time I left the hospital the second time in mid May, I had dropped to 184lbs. Just last month, in December, I had ballooned up to just over 225lbs. After a visit to my doctor for a blood test found that my cholesterol is too high- like it probably has been for the past 6 years- I decided that all of the waiting for a break in my schedule was going to have to be thrown out and I was going to ride again and at least give myself an even better shot at a longer life. I'm still watching my diet and taking my Prevachol, but I have gotten back on the bike as well. In the past 4 weeks or so, I've really only missed 3-4 days of riding. Granted, much of this riding ranges from a simple spin on the rollers with my fixed gear for an hour to 2 hour rides on the weekends... but it's a far cry from almost NO riding over the previous 4 months.
Today, according to MapMyRide.com, I managed to get out for 68.64 miles ridden in about 4hrs 20min along the coast and up and down the numerous hills along the way. It's not exactly like doing a scorching team training ride or group ride, but for me it is a big day. When I reached what would have been the half way point for a 35-40 mile ride, I decided that I still felt pretty good and just kept rolling. Again... it's not like I was blasting along at race pace or anything, but I was riding for longer than I had set out to ride. I had hoped to ride for 4-5 hours today, but the realist buried way, way, way down deep in me thought it impossible. I'm as tired as I can be right now, but I am extremely happy about my ride. And, if my legs arenot so totally cooked that I can't walk in the morning, I'm going out again for a much shorter 1-2 hrs to get the kinks out.
My "official" team picture, taken about 2 weeks before the crash on 4/29.
My retake of the picture today, after my ride- not exactly April's fitness, but improving.
The thumb... still a little misshapen, but FAR better than it looked a few months ago.It's a long way to go before I am in race shape again, but I am closer now than I was in December- and frankly, that's a damned good feeling.
I hope you had a great day of riding too.
Tim
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Slow road to recovery: milestones
In many ways it feels like my recovery from the crash in April has been taking far too long and in other ways it has been moving very fast. I know that April 29th was not that long ago, when considering the number and severity of injuries. Though it has been almost 7 months since the crash, I am still a very fortunate person to be as recovered as I am. My standard answer to the "so, how are you doing these days" question is this; I'm well enough to be able to complain about not getting to ride as much as I would like to. In the past 2 months, I have ridden so few times I could count the number of rides on one hand and maybe a couple fingers of the second hand. Needless to say, I'm not in great shape these days. That 184lb low I reached in May after my second stay in the hospital due to the blood clots, is now LONG gone... and I now "hover" around 220.
During the recovery, I have focused on little milestones- you know, things like first day without the neck brace, first day walking without crutches, first ride, first flight, etc. Today marks another first and one of the more important ones for me; the first day of not having to wear a band-aid on my right thumb. If you don't recall, the end of my thumb was severed off in the crash and had to be reattached with a metal pin sticking out of the tip of the thumb to help the two pieces of bone mesh back together. The thumb was cut in two right through the nail, so it cut the nail and I lost most of the nail and had a fleshy red and bloody mess that I had to cover to keep from bleeding all over everything all the time. Due to the blood thinners I have to take because of the clots in my right leg, my blood is thinner than water it seems and I bleed if I even think about using my right hand. I can't tell you the number of band-aids I've used or the number of shirts I've bled all over. I peeled my band-aid off in the hotel shower in Taipei earlier this month to wash off the wound area like I have done every day since losing the nail. Somehow though, I bumped the thumb and I began bleeding... and bleeding... and bleeding... and bleeding... to the point that it looked like a crime scene. Getting ready to go to dinner one night there, I tried to button up my shirt and bled all over the white shirt as I fumbled with the buttons. In Japan, I had a similar shower experience and bled all over the place there too. The constant bleeding has been a major annoyance and just another of those little (messy) reminders of not being totally recovered.
Today though, I was able to go the day without a band-aid and without bleeding. The nail has finally grown back over 100% of the nail bed area and covered all of the flesh that was always bleeding whenever I bumped the thumb. It may sound a bit dramatic- considering all the other much more serious injuries I had- but not having to wear the band-aid and not bleeding all the time is a BIG deal to me! The thumb still isn't pretty and looks "different" from the left thumb... but it is still attached and the nail is growing out and the old part of the severed nail will soon be gone as well.
I know it doesn't look healed and the shape is different, but I'm beginning to really like this thumb... you might say it's growing on me. (Sorry... I just had to.) The last remaining bit of the original nail is almost grown out to the point I can begin trimming it off. It isn't there yet, but it is getting closer. It may not be much, but it's mine.
Tim
(PS- Thank you again for all of the support and caring that you have shown to me. As we approach Thanksgiving this year, I am filled with many things to be thankful for and your kind support is one of the biggest- I promise.)
During the recovery, I have focused on little milestones- you know, things like first day without the neck brace, first day walking without crutches, first ride, first flight, etc. Today marks another first and one of the more important ones for me; the first day of not having to wear a band-aid on my right thumb. If you don't recall, the end of my thumb was severed off in the crash and had to be reattached with a metal pin sticking out of the tip of the thumb to help the two pieces of bone mesh back together. The thumb was cut in two right through the nail, so it cut the nail and I lost most of the nail and had a fleshy red and bloody mess that I had to cover to keep from bleeding all over everything all the time. Due to the blood thinners I have to take because of the clots in my right leg, my blood is thinner than water it seems and I bleed if I even think about using my right hand. I can't tell you the number of band-aids I've used or the number of shirts I've bled all over. I peeled my band-aid off in the hotel shower in Taipei earlier this month to wash off the wound area like I have done every day since losing the nail. Somehow though, I bumped the thumb and I began bleeding... and bleeding... and bleeding... and bleeding... to the point that it looked like a crime scene. Getting ready to go to dinner one night there, I tried to button up my shirt and bled all over the white shirt as I fumbled with the buttons. In Japan, I had a similar shower experience and bled all over the place there too. The constant bleeding has been a major annoyance and just another of those little (messy) reminders of not being totally recovered.
Today though, I was able to go the day without a band-aid and without bleeding. The nail has finally grown back over 100% of the nail bed area and covered all of the flesh that was always bleeding whenever I bumped the thumb. It may sound a bit dramatic- considering all the other much more serious injuries I had- but not having to wear the band-aid and not bleeding all the time is a BIG deal to me! The thumb still isn't pretty and looks "different" from the left thumb... but it is still attached and the nail is growing out and the old part of the severed nail will soon be gone as well.
I know it doesn't look healed and the shape is different, but I'm beginning to really like this thumb... you might say it's growing on me. (Sorry... I just had to.) The last remaining bit of the original nail is almost grown out to the point I can begin trimming it off. It isn't there yet, but it is getting closer. It may not be much, but it's mine.
Tim
(PS- Thank you again for all of the support and caring that you have shown to me. As we approach Thanksgiving this year, I am filled with many things to be thankful for and your kind support is one of the biggest- I promise.)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
I haven't given up yet.
It's been a few days since my last post- all for the same reasons I listed for the previous delays; not much to report as I sit here on my arse trying my best to heal.
Yesterday was a pretty decent day though- I saw the neuro surgeon who saw me in the hospital the night of the crash. His greeting when he stepped into the examining room- "How's it going Crash?" I love a sense of humor. After filling out 213 pages of information in the lobby with my less-than-perfect right hand, it was a relief to get into the examining room and see him. Thing is, he first had his partner speak with me and ask me some questions... and I wasn't sure if HE was my doctor or not- since I have NO memory of the doctor. The first 2-3 days in the hospital are almost completely a fuzzy blur because I was on really heavy doses of morphine for the pain. But after getting things more or less figured out, we determined that my neck appears to be doing pretty darned good. So good in fact that I get to remove this danged cervical collar and replace it with a much shorter and more comfortable soft brace in a week or less. This means I will soon be able to legally drive again! This is great news towards regaining my freedom. In another couple weeks, I'll find out when I get to take the brace off completely.
After 3+ weeks of fighting with the medical groups, trying to get the authorization to see the fantastic orthopedic surgeon who put my thumb back together, I was told on Monday of this week that my request had been denied and that I had to start all over with a new ortho who knows nothing about me and my injuries... but after going to MY regular doctor and getting a referral again. So... I was given an appointment for this Friday. Ok... now today I get a call from the doctor's office saying that I had an approved referral. But for what? I'd just seen the neuro and didn't have any other referral requests in the system to my knowledge- other than possibly for the x-rays requested by the neuro yesterday. Out of curiosity, I gave the doc' a call to see "what's up, doc?" Turns out... I got the ok to see the ortho I'd been turned down to see. HUH? So now I have to wait for them to MAIL me the authorization so I can try to schedule an appointment with the miracle man and get the pin removed and the knee and elbow further evaluated. UGH... but it's a step in the right direction. Finally...
Today was also my last visit with my homecare nurses; I'm going back to work next Monday... one way or another. So today I got just a blood draw to check my blood levels for the Coumadin I'm taking. Earlier in the week I met with my physical therapist, Sandy. Sandy has been great... at bringing me nearly to tears... but still great. Little by little, things are moving towards something that resembles recovery. YEAH!
The big event of the day though was this;
One with mood lighting so you can read the note...
... and one where you can better see the actual contents.
The guys of Inferno Pro Cycling, our wonderful race team, sent a little goody basket of Belgian Feel Better Juice. Another reason why I love Belgium, aside from slippery wet cobblestones in the months of February, March and April- Belgian beer! Who needs painkillers when you've got beer! Thanks guys (and Ryan for tracking it down to my doorstep)- I'll think of you with each sip... until I can no longer remember your names.
Ok, that's I got for today. Masidaughter has been a HUGE blessing this week. Keeping up with her all week has been running my batteries down pretty fast, but it's been worth each second.
I'm gonna try and post again this week as well as record another podcast (even though I have been saying that since the last post).
Be safe. Have fun. Give thanks.
Tim
Yesterday was a pretty decent day though- I saw the neuro surgeon who saw me in the hospital the night of the crash. His greeting when he stepped into the examining room- "How's it going Crash?" I love a sense of humor. After filling out 213 pages of information in the lobby with my less-than-perfect right hand, it was a relief to get into the examining room and see him. Thing is, he first had his partner speak with me and ask me some questions... and I wasn't sure if HE was my doctor or not- since I have NO memory of the doctor. The first 2-3 days in the hospital are almost completely a fuzzy blur because I was on really heavy doses of morphine for the pain. But after getting things more or less figured out, we determined that my neck appears to be doing pretty darned good. So good in fact that I get to remove this danged cervical collar and replace it with a much shorter and more comfortable soft brace in a week or less. This means I will soon be able to legally drive again! This is great news towards regaining my freedom. In another couple weeks, I'll find out when I get to take the brace off completely.
After 3+ weeks of fighting with the medical groups, trying to get the authorization to see the fantastic orthopedic surgeon who put my thumb back together, I was told on Monday of this week that my request had been denied and that I had to start all over with a new ortho who knows nothing about me and my injuries... but after going to MY regular doctor and getting a referral again. So... I was given an appointment for this Friday. Ok... now today I get a call from the doctor's office saying that I had an approved referral. But for what? I'd just seen the neuro and didn't have any other referral requests in the system to my knowledge- other than possibly for the x-rays requested by the neuro yesterday. Out of curiosity, I gave the doc' a call to see "what's up, doc?" Turns out... I got the ok to see the ortho I'd been turned down to see. HUH? So now I have to wait for them to MAIL me the authorization so I can try to schedule an appointment with the miracle man and get the pin removed and the knee and elbow further evaluated. UGH... but it's a step in the right direction. Finally...
Today was also my last visit with my homecare nurses; I'm going back to work next Monday... one way or another. So today I got just a blood draw to check my blood levels for the Coumadin I'm taking. Earlier in the week I met with my physical therapist, Sandy. Sandy has been great... at bringing me nearly to tears... but still great. Little by little, things are moving towards something that resembles recovery. YEAH!
The big event of the day though was this;
One with mood lighting so you can read the note...
... and one where you can better see the actual contents.The guys of Inferno Pro Cycling, our wonderful race team, sent a little goody basket of Belgian Feel Better Juice. Another reason why I love Belgium, aside from slippery wet cobblestones in the months of February, March and April- Belgian beer! Who needs painkillers when you've got beer! Thanks guys (and Ryan for tracking it down to my doorstep)- I'll think of you with each sip... until I can no longer remember your names.
Ok, that's I got for today. Masidaughter has been a HUGE blessing this week. Keeping up with her all week has been running my batteries down pretty fast, but it's been worth each second.
I'm gonna try and post again this week as well as record another podcast (even though I have been saying that since the last post).
Be safe. Have fun. Give thanks.
Tim
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