Emerging from my Pain Cave

2 days after finishing the Dead Dog I have finally emerged from my pain cave. Of course today's one hour massage probably had a lot to do with it.
You can read my interpretation of my road race HERE

musings
Leg cramps are a real biyaatch. Don't want to have any more of them this year.
Always grab a bottle in the feed zone... always.
doctors don't know everything
Back to back to back 3 race weekends are doable

Preparing to enter the paincave

Dead Dog Classic this weekend. It'll be a fast, painful weekend in the 35+ category.

Pain.... I like it, Suffering.... not so much

Am I back?

To answer this question I headed down to do the club's 7.7mile TT this evening to get schooled by JC after his sweep of the Colorado Senior games. I didn't expect much more than sore legs after 3 days of climbing. Wind was out of the south, a cross wind, not much help but not a headwind. Probably the most ideal neutral conditions to be found.
Motivated by the performance of Boonen's prologue TT at the Dauphine Libere, I accelerated out of the saddle sat shifted and sprinted out of the saddle again before settling in on my ride.
My body was rock solid on the TT bars, a product of achieving the ideal bike fit this past winter.
Riding along at about 34 MPH I didn't think that I was on par for for a record as there were times last year that, with tailwind, we were hitting almost 50MPH.

I crossed the line in 13:56

I was elated to hear that I had finally beat John on this course. It's a friendly rivalry and he has definitly helped me to improve my TT.

Then I was told that I had set a new course record breaking the old record by 6 seconds.
That was a goal I had set out for last year but found it difficult to reach.
Now I need to reassess my goals for the TT
Only 10 more club TTs to try and improve on this time.
Hopefully this form carrys over to Dead Dog and High Plains

Climbing,

is there such as thing as too much?
Friday up to USFS sign and back: >1000'
Saturday the Dead Dog RR course, Albany -Ryan Park and back: >6600'
Sunday to the summit, partial DD TT course and back: >2300'
Total for the weekend 165 miles and over 9900' of climbing.
No wonder my legs are tired.

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The bunny has been relocated. After multiple intercepts by Nikki, it was time for him to move to a new home. So after this mornings capture we walked him to the fields south of the house and released him. I hope he finds a new hole to hang out in. Nikki still runs out to the bush where she usually found her friend.
Sorry Nikki, bunny is gone.

And the verdict is....

The shoulder is intact, no tears. Just a massive strain/pull/ whatever. A couple of months of physical therapy and I should regain full motion according to the ortho doc. I can now officially resume whatever it was I was doing before the May 19 crash put the brakes on.

MMmmm Bunny!

In other news Nikki caught the bunny that lives under the house again. This time I had to step in and take the bunny away as Axel was engaging in the "whatever Nikki has I want" game. Not wanting to have 1/2 a bunny between them, I picked up the little guy and put him in a cat crate to make sure he was fine. All limbs firing, a couple photos later and back under the house he goes.

Snow!?, allergies, and no riding

After 3 days of feeling like crap on account of a major alergic reaction to the pain meds I was taking, I finally am feeling good. Of course riding 2 times in 10 days does not help me if I hope to get through the Dead Dog Classic. It seems that even the weather now will not cooperate for me. It actually snowed today, in JUNE! Yesterday afternoon and through the night I endured average windspeeds of +40MPH with gusts to 65MPH and today a high of 45°. Yeah yeah, I can hear it now, I live in Wyoming. I bring it on myself. Hopefully tomorrow will be better after my orthopedic doc visit. Oh yeah, tomorrow I find out if my shoulder will require surgery or extensive rehab (or both). The way I feel right now, surgery would be a good way to regroup and prepare for next season. As for the allergic reaction I had, it was not what I would want to ever experience again. Itching and rash all over my body with my left foot swelling to twice normal size. Sorry no pics, I was in no mood for it. This weekend is supposed to warm up, we'll see how much.

I ride, therefore I am

Whew, after not riding for a week, riding 3 1/2 hours of hills and wind kicked my butt. I headed out to the Bicycle Station to meet up with the CCC for the Saturday ride after watching most of the VeloNews online live updates of the Giro TT (DiLuca maintains lead). I felt good for most the ride up until the last 7 miles that saw me hit the wall on the face of a 20 MPH headwind. I actually got leg cramps, something that I had not felt in a while. After a couple hours of vegetating (and medicating for the shoulder pain), I headed outside for yardwork. Invasive weed erradicating to be precise. I ripped out all the *species unknown* bad guys before they had time to flower and spread. and along the way discovered that my neighbor was using my property for their compost pile. At least the guys mother came over to appologize for the mistake made by them to cross my property line. Just another reason to get a fence line up this year as I knew it was a matter of time before something like this happened on the far side of my property where the "trailer trash" bordered my acreage.
Shoulder MRI scheduled for Monday and Orthopedist on Friday. Just a week away from knowing the damage. In other news, I've figured I have spent well over $150 in bandages, tape, gauze, Tegaderm, and a new set of gloves since the crash 2 weeks ago. Another month of wound repair and I should be ready for surgery (if that is what it takes to fix my shoulder)
next post: City Park Crit - Masters Criterium Championships