Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. -George S. Patton
Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. -Joshua J. Marine
So – it has been a couple of weeks now since the bike wreck in Galveston. All the stitches are out, the healing is taking place, and I am back in the pool and back on the bike. I admit to a bit of apprehension about getting back out on the tri bike the first time. But if not now, when, right? Anyway, I rode out Parmer Lane into the wind tunnel that it is – what better place to jump back in… actually rode in from 1431 to 620, and then out to Hwy 29, turning around, and back into the wind to the HEB parking lot. The right arm was a bit stiff and sore after a while, and I realized that going from sitting upright to the aero bars meant having to lower the left arm first, or I wouldn’t feel quite as stable. This is just opposite of what I am used to doing, I guess because my left side is the dominant one, the last to let go of the brakes when transitioning from up to aero. But once I figured that out, the ride went pretty well.
Saturday’s ride was a lap of the Pflugerville Tri course, followed by a memorial ride in downtown Austin for a cyclist killed last week in a hit-and-run accident. The tri course was naturally windy, but it was a good ride on the tri bike after the Parmer ride. I took the road bike for the memorial ride, since there would be so many people participating, many of which a) are only occasional, “casual” riders, b) don’t understand cycling etiquette, and c) don’t particularly pay attention to cyclists around them while they are jaw-jacking, I noticed.
Sunday, I ran for the first time since the crash. I ran in the Schlotzsky’s Bun Run, a 5K downtown. Not a big long race, but enough to test the body with the impact of running again. The run went okay, in that I managed to complete the run, ran without any walking, no dizziness, no pain from the running afterward. I managed a 32:10 time, so I wasn’t complaining.
Yesterday was a rest day on the calendar, but those are history since I had to sit out so long with the crash. But it was pretty chilly and windy out, so I went to the gym – rode the bike for 15 minutes, ran for 10:29, and swam for about 45-50 minutes. The swim is really helping me work the right shoulder and get the freedom of movement back into the arm. I went for 1800 yards with the pull buoy, and will again Wednesday, I think.
Things are starting to come together pretty well with the “Shave The Dome For The Cure” event. I got a number of vendors to provide door prizes, and am hoping to get the food and drinks donated as well. Looks like Coach Jeff will be doing the shaving by proxy from Patsy’s husband Bruce.
Anyway, onward with the training…
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