Long Deferred Maintenance

Took care of some long deferred maintenance. Maintenance deferred out of fear it would make me itchy to ride. It has. I'm coping. When I had my fall, the RH brifter got moved on the bar. No damage, it just slipped around the bar. First operation... realign it. It got scratched up in the tumble. It works fine. Just scratched. Good thing my elbow took up most of the impact.

Moving the brifter around means new bar tape. Proud I was able to do this. It's a two handed job unpossible for me only a week or two ago. Progress.

My bar taping skills have definately improved. I replaced the seat post. At top is the stock Specialized seat post. It's a piece of junk. The single-bolt attachement is almost impossible to get tight enough to keep the seat from tipping up/down. Really, gotta crank the heck out of it. Making precise adjustments are nearly impossible, too.

At bottom is the Deda post I've replaced it with. The two bolt adjustment assembly makes precise adjustment a snap. And no tipping up/down as I ride. It's substantially stiffer than the Speshy piece as well.

The saddle also got scraped up in the crash. Not necessarily bad enough to warrant replacement. But... it was a carry over from my previous roadie bike, and was red in color. Didn't match this bikes color scheme. So.. I took opportunity to replace it.

Final step was refitting to the bike. I may have to make some more adjustments because of my arm inflexibility. May end up with a total barney setup with a riser stem for a while. Hard to tell without actually being on the road... I'm prepared for the "GO" from doc!

It Was Bound to Happen Sometime

I recall a conversation I had sometime ago with a former pro-racer about crashes. His advise was to accept them as inevitable. They are just part of the sport. And you need to accept their consequences or consider other sport. I've firmly kept riding, so you know my decision.

Tuesday the inevitable happened to me. I was riding, after dark with poor lights, while fiddling with my phone in my jersey pocket. Focused on getting my dang phone put away...I looked up and was surprised to see a curve 2 yards ahead. No way to make it, I took evasive action by trying to tail skid around. I locked up the rear wheel on the bike. I steered into it, then ran out of talent - I high-sided the bike and landed mostly on my elbow. Don't worry, the bike made it through fine.

Being almost 20 miles from home and alone... I gathered my wits and rode about three miles to the nearest gas station and called a cab for a ride home. I cleaned up my roadrash, and iced my now engorged elbow. I had no trouble moving my arm, and it didn't hurt any worse than any other fall. But there was a distinct 'clicking' when I moved a certain way. Worried things would get worse... I drove myself to the ER.

When I walked in there was a lady that made "that" face. You know... that face your mom makes. I told her "hey don't do that! Makes it hurt". We shared a nice laugh over it. I had only a short wait until the Xray tech took me back. Kathleen was supercool. She looked at the growing hemotoma, shrugged, and said "with the way you're able to move that, you may have just hit a blood vessel. Hope! She left and quicky returned and said "You've completely f*cked up your elbow". Here she's pointing to my bone which is supposed to be attached to the horizontal piece...

They splinted me, set me up with some pain killers and sent me home. Obviously surgical. By the time they got around to splinting me, the swelling was worse. I could no longer bend my arm. The splint had my arm pretty straight. Put it this way, when I stood iy looked like I was gabbing my crotch. OK for standing and lying, but horrible for sitting. My shoulder was hurting more than my elbow(!) because of all of the ackward positioning.

Fast forward to today... I met with the surgeon today. First words out of his mouth "lets get you out of that splint!" I let out a "hooray!!" He had me lay down, cut away my splint and told me to relax my shoulder. I hadn't enven mentioned it was tight, but he knew from an across the room glance. He bent my arm and said "feel better?". I like this guy! We took some better xRays, and went over the gameplan. His surgical block time is on Thursdays, but he's scheduled me for Monday. Hoorah. I'm anxious to get that part over with.

So here I am. First broken bone, first surgery looming. Already I miss riding. But I'm trying not even think about how to bouce back. After surgery, and good bone healing will be the appropriate time. Time... fot once... is something I suddenly have plenty of...

Diaster of a Storm

Posting from the Blackberry... 13 days (so far) without electricity is no fun. I weathered Ike, well. Only damage was losing part of the roof off my garage. The aftermath has proven to be the real diaster.

My first thought, what a great training opportunity! With atleast a week off of work I wanted to do a mini-camp. However, I quckly found out it wasn't so simple. Without electricity, no refrigerated food, air cobditioning, or hot water makes proper nutrition and recovery almost unpossible. Without a/c it's near 3am before the house is cool enough to sleep. Sleeping late isn't an option either, because you have to get tasks done in the daylight. Those hours between nightfall and sleep are mentally taxing. Boredom isn't something I do well. And cold showers suck!

Fall racing is pretty wrecked. The Dave Boyd Huntsville Classic was cancled. Without power, I'm not prepared, to travel to Palo Duro. When power comes on there a lot to do domestically. I feel like I need to be here when the lights come on.

I'm bummed.

Sooper Sunday

Early-morning dirt today. I arrived at the trailhead and someone at a nearby campsite was cooking bacon. Oh my... the tummy started growling. I had a small package of Cheeze-Its that I quickly downed. From there I hit the dirt. Had a good ride. Ran into a few folks from H-town. Surprisingly it wasn't too hot. It pays to get an early start!

I felt a bit askew! This was the result from a trip over-the-bars! The gal behind me said it was the most graceful dismount ever! Actually, I think the words "mentally disabled gymnist" were used! HA! Kinda hard to explain but I went over and pretty much ended up doing a cartwheel/handstand on the trail! I wasn't going very fast, so no serious harm done. Ma ka-nee is spranged a bit, though...

The ka-nee started getting stiff while packing up the truck. The only thing I had for an icepack was a bag that a jersery came in. Just for the record CapoForma jersey bags make great ice packs!

Stress Damage

After returning from a long working road trip, today's ride plan was a 2-hour endurance ride. Things didn't go according to plan. My heart rate was through the roof! I got down to 8-mph trying to keep my heart rate within Zone 2. Usually, I'm hovering around 18-mph for that heart rate. What's up?

My stress level! The most obvious sign was when I turned my head to look for traffic over my shoulder. It pulled me off line. The neck muscles were that stiff.

I looked up a previous ride in my training log that matched duration, average speed, and environmental conditions. Previously, my average heart rate was 138. Today it was 153! All other things being equal stress was worth 15-beats per minute. Wow! It's striking the effect stress - a mental/emotional factor - has upon our physical well-being.

Without today's ride I would not have recognized the physical ramifications of a stressful day. I'm not the most self-aware person. But when training, the symptoms are on full display. That's a healthy feedback. Makes me wonder what kind of damage I've done myself from years previous?

The good news is my training ride did a lot of good. I felt stronger, and better, at the end of the ride than when I started. Most importantly, I felt much looser and de-stressed. My heartrate was closer to normal by the end. A sure sign of reduced stress! It's great to see physical activity balancing out the daily stresses of life.

Today's ride was a good reminder (feedback) to not ignore the stressors in life, but find effective ways to cope. I'm off to do some yoga now...

No Wonder Adam Was Bitter

If God made Eve from Adam's rib, I bet he really resented that! Rib injuries suck! I didn't end up with a female partner for my rib injury, c'est dommage. Nor will my rib pain condemn humanity to a lifelong of sin! In fact, it's already on the wane. Last night I was able to move around, with only minor pains. I actually stretched, and though it ached, it wasn't that sharp pain, but the "good" ache that you get from a long stretch or a deep massage.

I'm itching to ride! I should probably wait one more day. But I don't want to. Is there anything more tempting than forbidden fruit? In any case, tonight I will also do my logistics planning for the trip out to Terlingua. I gotta get me, all my stuff, and a buddy out to Big Bend and back.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Feeling much looser today! Instead of a constant ache in the side, it's down to just certain things. Like sneezing on my drive to work! Yah, that hurted! Still hoping to ride tomorrow, but that may be pushing things. It sux lounging around the house, feeling my fitness rot away. When you rest, you rust.

Is it just me or does TV suck even worser than it used to? I do have a Vonnegut book I've never read. I think I'll start that tonight.

Owwweeee! 2nd Day's The Worst?

Not sure if it's second day soreness, or the way I slept last night, but the ribs were killing me when I woke up. Getting out of bed was close to un-possible. Took me a good 15-minutes of trying to find a way to get up without rolling or twisting in a way that made me see stars!

Other than the ribs, everything else is great. I got a nice strawberry coming in on the hip. I think I see an image of Jeebus in it.... That spot doesn't hurt though, so that's kinda nice! Ironically, the painful ribs show no external signs of bruising. Go figure.

The biggest bruise of all is to my ego. It's embarrassing to fall at LakeLake. The place is smooth enough to ride on a CX bike. I did, afterall, ride off of what amounts to a sidewalk and into a bridge. ;-) Total DA move. Seems that I have difficulty with the easy parts and handle the difficult parts with ease. A concentration/focus issue, perhaps?

I have to admit in a manner this feels good. It's a reminder that I'm doing something physical and athletic. This mountain biking thing is fun, falls and all! Now, back to my heating pad!

Easiest Meal You Could Ever Make

I lucked out at the grocery this week. They had a small round-rump roast. I love cooking roasts, but being single, a 5-lb. roast is a week of food! I usually end up throwing a good bit of it out. I hate wasting food. This week, I found a 2-1/2 pounder. Perfect. It's still 5-6 servings, but I can handle that!



Here's how I cook my roast. First I cut small holes in it, and open them up. Then I stuff a toe of garlic in the hole. It feels weird to stick your finger in!



Then I fill the hole with salt and red pepper.



I poke a bunch of holes. I like the garilc aroma. My goal is that when sliced, each slice will have atleast one piece of garlic in it. Then I cover the outside with salt, red pepper, and black pepper. Next, put it in a pan and cook, about 375F.



Cook time: about 45-minutes per pound (roughly). About 45-minutes before it's done, add about 1 ot 1-1/2 cups of water, to make a light gravy.

Pull it out. Slice it up.



Spoon some of the gravy over some fresh rice. Serve with some sort of veggie. Spinach goes well. Done.

WHY I HAD TIME TO COOK A ROAST

I went to get on the bike this evening and I felt the rear smoosh down. I looked down to flip the rear shock lever to pro pedal. Pro-pedal is almost locked out.

Except, it was already in Pro-pedal.

What the..?

I also noticed some tell-tale oil on running toward the bottom bracket.

Uh-oh.

So, I sat on the saddle and the shock's collaspsed.

Not good.

"Maybe it's out of air," I grumbled. I haven't put air in the shock in months. I pulled the manual to get the shock pressure and noticed this ominous note "If shock becomes 'locked down' pressure up to 250 psi. If shock remains locked down return it to your dealer."

Yikes.

Out came the shock pump. When I connected it, it read the recommended 195 psi. "Dang, it's got air." So I pumped it upto 250 psi. Good news - sort of. It extended about half-way. I sat on the saddle again hoping to bounce it back open. It didn't bottom out like it was, but it didn't open back up past halfway either. It had more sag at 250 psi than it used to at 195 psi.

EEEEKKK!

I pedaled a bit but all it did was bob. This bike has never bobbed before. The shock DID lock up though, and since I was riding on the street today, I went out with it locked out. Before I left I let the pressure down to a normal 195 psi, hit the lockout and took-off. Didn't last though. After about 45 minutes I felt the back end bottoming out.

Obviously my Fox Triad is dead. Probably a blown air cylinder seal. I'm not about to mess with it. Having worked on bikes since I was six years old, I typically do maintenance myself. But we didn't have shocks when I was a kid! So the bike goes to West End tomorrow... atleast I work just 3 blocks away!

I NEED A BACKUP BIKE
I'm caught out without a bike until the Stumpy is fixed. I'd never considered a mechanical failure before. The prospect of going bikeless for a week is... scary! I've been contemplating buying a either a road bike or a super-light (weight not brand) hardtail for a while now. The debate has been a) a road bike is more practical, as I do a good bit of road riding but b) I really need something lighter to race than the Stumpy. Maybe it's time to pull the trigger on some new hardware?

I wish this would have happened earlier in the week. I doubt I can get a bike put together by the weekend, but maybe?

You Can't See Speed

... goes the saying in motor sport. From my experience, it's true. Watching a a car on the race circuit, you can't really tell who is fastest. The guy out there sliping, sliding, and wringing the last -ish- of traction out of his tires LOOKS fast. He looks like the guy trying the hardest. But often, he's trying so hard because, the car is not working well!

I'm finding the same it true for biking...

After tonight's ride I downloaded the data from my GPS. I noticed something odd. I covered seven more miles in my two hours than I had when I started my base miles three weeks ago. I literally *yawned* on this ride. Boring... is what I was thinking as I rode. Yet, progress has been made. The stopwatch removes all doubts...

The lesson here... speed is only a preception. With absolutely ZERO focus on speed (base miles) the speed has come - although the rides have grown progressively more boring, and more effortless. Lao Tzu would be proud of that statement. That's pretty much Daoism in a nutshell. Philosophy, athletic training, health, it's all related.... not sure how... probably never will... but the journey is fun!

RIDER DOWN!
Never a good scene. A bike, someone lying on the ground and an ambulance...



Ran across on this while riding along Heights Blvd. The rider is a regular along the bike lane. Don't know him, but seen him many times. I didn't interrupt the emergency personnel, but after the ambulance departed I inquired with one of the paramedics "Hit and Run, or fall?" He answered "Fall." Don't know what happened, and don't want to speculate, but hopefully I'll see this guy again soon!

Man, it's been a long time since I've done photojournalism! I miss it!

Be careful out there folks!

Tip Of The Day #2

When storing your Camelbak in the freezer, take out your camera!

One of the smarter ideas I've read is to store your Camelbak in the freezer. Simply empty it, take off the bite valve and drop it in. This way you don't have to dry out the bladder to keep grunge from growing in it. The cold prevents it. Great idea. However, it's also a good idea to take your digital camera out! I left mine in yesterday. Removing it into the pure humidity of Houston air causes condensation - just like a frosty mug. Water and electronics don't mix... so, I took out the battery, put it in the fridge to "thaw", and will put it in from of the airconditioner vent today to hopefully get most of the moisture out of it... I hope it works!

Tough Week

Difficult describes last week the best. I did in fact, break my index and middle fingers on my left hand in my accident last Sunday. They stayed swollen all week. I couldn't even bend them enough to make them hurt until this Saturday. They surely weren't going to be operating any brake levers! So last week, was spent off the bike. The Camp Eagle race was a no-go too... I don't want to write about that... it still hurts.

CURIOUS STREET NAMES

I got lost trying to find a firend's new house. In my wandering I ran across this gem. Two intersecting streets with the same name. Well, technically one is "Timber Creek Place Drive" and the other is a "Timber Creek Place Lane". There is also a "Timber Creek Place Street" and "Timber Creek Place Court". And, they all cross each other at some point in maze-like layout. Who was the uncreative person that named these streets? How'd you like to be the mailman for this neighborhood! Yikes.

DUDE, WHERE'S YOUR CAR?

Although most people have come to believe this blog is titled Bike-Scars, it originally started out Bikes-Cars. I was kind of fond of the double-entandre. Given the past week, the former may be more appropriate... nonetheless, here - finally - is come car driven content!

Saturday, I moved my car to my buddy's house. I will be painting it in his garage. As you can see, it badly needs painting! It acutally looked better than this, I'm just in the middle of prepping the car for paint.



I started to wear a mask when I was driving it down the street!

Later that day, my neighbor asked me where my car was. He mentioned that he found his place on Google Maps by locating the car in the photo, as the address locations are off slightly... so I checked it out... Sure enough, there it is parked outside of the garage in the back yard. (Far right of the photograph). I had it moved there to make room for a party we had at the house... neat.

Look for more progress, as this is my fall mission to get this car painted. I miss my sportscar. And no, it won't be yellow again!

I'M BACK BABY!!

Today I was able to actuate the front brake lever without screaming! I can't really put much pressure on it, but enough that if I accidently grab it, it wasn't going to cause me to see stars.

Fresh legs felt great! I had great speed this evening! So I ran about as hard as I could. It felt so good to be back in the saddle. I think I may have ridden too long though...

I loaded up some awesome music into the iPod. It was the Soulive show from JazzFest 2003, at Tipitina's. Between Ivan Neville singing, and Karl Denson on sax, Carlos Washington on trumpet, and the usual Soulive crew the music was as good tonight as it was at 2:00 AM, at Tip's, four years ago. Nothing but contagious energy! I rode my program for the evening, and rolled upto the house as the last song started. Its a song called "Do It Again!".

(Alan) If you had fun tonight and you just don't want it to eennddd..
(Crowd) Aww do it again!

Now how could I stop in the middle of that jam? I didn't want the night to end, so I did my loop again! I'm going to sleep good tonight!

Out of Gas

Took the day off from training. The combination of being on the road and working in the heat of the day was too much. The heat index was 103 today - AT 7:40 AM! The heat index maxxed out at 122. It was a hot day. Luckily, we moved our project into the shop building at the end of the day. Tomorrow should be better.

APPRECIATING TALENT
This is a photo of Richard, one of the hands working on my project. This dude is talented with a torch! I've never seen anyone this good. Here, he's cutting 2-inch thick solid steel, almost perfectly straight.



To me it doesn't matter what a person is doing. If they are excelling at what they do with skill and mastery, it's interesting to watch. Or maybe I'm just a nerd!

SEMI-BIKE RELATED CONTENT
Surprisingly, I had some bike relevant action in the fab yard today. A broken bike chain can be a real headache. If you think a broken bike chain is bad, how would you like to fix a broken chain on this guy?



The chain tools are just a bit different than what we bikers used to...



An eight pound sledge and a pick! Here's the broken link...



Here is fixed chain fixed...no derailleur on this one...



ROUSES RAWKS!
Instead of riding tonight, I visited Rouses supermarket. Rouses is a local supermarket chain, that is just in the SE corner of Louisiana. Despite their limited corporate size, they have a really great grocery store. It has more variety than a mega-food-store, but it's smaller so it's easier to find what you're looking for. It's also arranged really well. And there are a lot of speciality items we don't get in Texas. When in season, Rouses also makes awesome King Cakes.



Anyway, I went over to Rouses to get some more Abita Fleur-de-Lis Restoration Ale. Abita is a micro-brewery in... obviously... Abita, LA. They have a great brewpub by the way.

While there, I happened to spot Jack Miller's Bar-b-que sauce! Oh Sweet Mamma! I bought 3 jars! I haven't had Jack Millers in years!! It's a Louisiana original, made in Ville Platte, LA. When cut with vinegar, it makes an awesome basting sauce. I can't wait for the next BBQ!

A Blood Bath Under My Arm

Attempted to give blood today. I say attempted, because I wasn't successful. Things started out well enough. I went through the questionnaire, etc... The gal put the needle in, and it didn't even hurt. Well ok, but it wasn't a big deal. So I relaxed and looked out the window... then the gal checked on me and said "Oh, you are going slow..." then she started messing with the needle. She move it once, no big deal - she checked the bag, moved it again... OOOWWWWEEEEE... it hurt the the dickens!!!

I knew immediately, this wasn't normal. She called the other guy over, and he just kinda looked at it... she pulled the needle out, and I looked down to see a huge knot forming... uh oh. They put a bandage on it and gave me an ice pack for it. They must have asked me 50 times if I was ok. I was fine! I could tell the gal that stuck me felt really bad. No big deal, just a bit of pain, and I certainly wasn't angry at her. She was competent, and sometimes things happen... Here's the result...



I've got one sore elbow! The bruise is actually more dramatic in person. It's puffy and blood was oozing through my skin pores. Lovely. I'm having a hard time straightening out my elbow. I think some of the blood may have run into the joint... This one's going to keep me off the bike for a day or maybe two... Luckily, I planned on that anyway for the blood donation.