The Crash and The Journey Back

So yea, at least I haven't broken anything else on my body in a while and I hope to keep that way, but here's my list from the weekend.... 1 - was Zwifting the other night and suddenly something wasn't right - flat rear tire. 2 - go to change it the next day - snap...  there goes the shifter cable. 3 - Saturday get ready to go ride - snapped off the connector for my heart rate monitor strap. 4 - adding air to front tire of Cx bike for my fun ride - the valve stem thingy breaks off...  had to change the tire..  What in the world?  I was almost afraid go to ride.... Glad I did though because I ventured out to do one of my favorite routes - Cx bike through Carvins Cove - this is a combination of pavement, sidewalks (Hollins U), the dirt path from Hollins U to Birkdale, more pavement until finally arriving at the Happy Valley Fire Road.  OH MY was it nice today!  A few years back some doofus at the water authority added all this crappy, scrap gravel to the fire road and

As the COVID19 crisis grows, events are being canceled.  Both events I had planned to do this spring are cancelled.  Once the 2020 Storming of Thunder Ridge jersey arrives, I will own 4 jerseys for events I never got to do.  1 - 2018 Tour de Blount where those first 11 miles just don't count for all that transpired after.  2 - 2018 Big Pencil to Big Walker (held shortly after my 2nd hip surgery)  3 - 2018 Shenandoah Fall Foliage where I planned two days of riding with the second day being my second ever century.  4 - 2020 Storming of Thunder Ridge (was to be a milestone ride again near "crashiversary"). There's something in my brain that says while it's disappointing to have missed these events; there's something more to think about.  These last three weeks frankly have sucked - we started Corona Virus Checkpoints that Monday, Joint Commission showed up on Tuesday and ever since work has felt like a freaking whirlwind of confusion and chaos.  It's been m

 Figuring out which way to commute to work and which bike to use. Riding up and down Brushy Mountain on Hinchee Trail. Came from that direction, on the ridge. This is from the Hanging Rock Trail Parking lot to Gauntlet trail head and back. A lot of really green moss.  :)

Trying a 6-week program on Zwift called FTP Builder.  I did the short FTP test a week ago and the result was 160.  I've done three rides in the program so far.  None have felt tremendously hard.  I know that high (at least for me) cadence hurts my hip at about 3.5 minutes so I had to back off of that a bit.  My thoughts about the rides are below. Jen Divers 31 mins · FTP builder ride 3, I’m sweating during these rides; but surely doesn’t feel like a hard effort. Maybe 1.5-1.6wt/kg. Only three rides in and I’m wondering if this is going to help me. I guess it’s base building. So lost with trying to get stronger. Previously injuries were all upper extremity so I could at least run and ride a stationary bike. Three months of nothing followed by four of not too strenuous; then a year of rebuilding. Now to figure out more cardio, flexibility and strength training more. Anything beats nothing. I look so forward to spring riding weather. Seeing Slings Gap and

So what to do on a January day where the high temperature is predicted to be 70degrees?  Go ride.  I decided to try to ride up Mill Mountain and back.  While it's not a high climb or a difficult climb, it's not that easy for me any more.  I've historically ridden up the roads and trails up Mill many many times.  This was only my 2nd trip since I broke my hip. It took me longer today that my previous attempt- I was way overdressed, so I wound up poking along.  I enjoyed the view from the top for a few minutes before heading back down.  I had noticed the main road up was really wet still from last night's heavy rain.  I was chicken enough just getting back to the stop sign and elected for forgo the fast, flowing descent which I used to love flying down.  Instead, I elected to just ride a short ways down, walk across a short path to Yellow Mountain Rd.  That turned out to be just as bad - there was washed out rocks, mud, grass of what have you all over the road.  In on

Finished 2019 with 2,170 miles give or take a few ridden.  Not bad for the first full year post hip fracture!!!  I still have some weaknesses, and I am keenly aware of them.  The biggest hurdle I have is stairs.  I can get up and down them fine, but when I get tired, have been walking a lot or have ridden my bike, it can be hard and painful.  Sometimes I wind up doing one stair at  a time.  I can tell there's weakness - I think mostly it's my glute.  So yea, weak ass!!! We've been playing around at work on Fridays and dancing some - this past Friday I discovered that many dances causes hip fatigue and pain.  Mainly things that require side steps.  Phew!  It's fun so I'll continue doing it.  I really need to buckle down and focus on some specific exercises for my hip again.  I just hate figuring out what to do.  Can't afford a trainer and can't afford to go back to PT. It's just a matter of focusing.  I feel fat and heavy and would love to lose some w