Lots of Missed Time

So this post (and the several to follow) are long overdue. I have left out way too many things that have happened in my life. A quick recap is as follows:

1) Got a serious girlfriend
2) Study for boards examination
3) Took my CSCS examination
4) Graduated Physical Therapy School with my Doctorate
5) Took my boards exam for my PT License
6) Had to switch my PT License to the state of Georgia from Tennessee
7) Went on vacation
8) Took the Georgia Jurisprudence and Ethics Examination
9) Went to Colombia, South America for 32 days and volunteered at a school for disabled children
10) Moved to Georgia
11) Moved within Georgia because my first place was uninhabitable
12) Started my career with PT Solutions
13) Began the residency program with PT Solutions
14) Got up to speed on how to treat patients
15) Moved to our Chatsworth clinic with PT Solutions
16) Got promoted to clinic director with PT Solutions
17) Business boomed with the clinic
18) Racing boomed with my new team as a Cat 3
19) I crashed in a very cold and rainy race
20) I raced again and won a very big race at Sunny King
21) I crashed again when someone made a mistake and took me out
22) I'm learning to walk again after that crash tore multiple ligaments in my left knee
23) I've hired 2 new clinicians to come on and help me at my new position
24) I'm waiting on and MRI and discussions on possible surgery and the route we might be able to take without surgery.

I think that very quickly gets everyone up to speed without any real details. I will be writing again (right now) on explaining things in more details and bringing the blog back up to speed. Wanted to get this out there though.

Collegiate Track Nationals: Getting There

As soon as I got through the security at the airport in Chattanooga, I got a voicemail and an email telling me my original flight had been cancelled/delayed 50 minutes. My original layover in Atlanta was only supposed to be 45 minutes. I called Delta and spoke with their rep. My scheduled flight from Atlanta to Denver at 7:15 was the last one for the night. He told me I could chance it, or wait and start again Wednesday morning. I decided to chance it. We ended up boarding in Chattanooga at 5:50, only 15 minutes later than the original departure time. But then we had to sit on the plane for 25 minutes before we finally took off around 6:25. The scheduled landing time was 7:08 in terminal D. My Denver flight was leaving terminal A at 7:15. We got to the gate in Atlanta at 6:55. I was off and running by 7:00. I haven't ran in a long time, and when you throw jeans and a big bag in each hand into the mix, it became fairly difficult. I was feeling the soreness in my anterior shins from that run for the next 3 days. My gate was at the very end of the A terminal too, but as I turned that corner, the door was still open and the attendant was still accepting passengers. I had made it! That was all I was asking for since I had found out about the initial delay. I was happy.

However, the good vibes started fading. My recent sinus issues continued to grow as the plane climbed higher. I was getting a very intense sinus headache and couldn't breath out of my nose: something that had started when I woke up Sunday morning. I landed in Denver with no relief. I proceeded to baggage claim to get my stuff. You know what happened next. My bag didn't make it. I knew it was a possibility so I wasn't too upset when I found out they would just deliver it to me the next day in Colorado Springs. I had packed all the things I needed to ride in either my carry-on or my bike box that had been shipped prior. I would just go without vitamins, underwear, shorts, and shirts for the first day. I was fine with that until the next morning when I was building my bike in the garage and I remembered that I mistakenly put my saddle in that checked bag. Crap! No riding for me until the airline got around to delivering my bag on Wednesday. I had wanted to get to open track when it first started at noon so I could hopefully have more space and avoid the crashes I've heard about on warm-up days. That wouldn't be happening. The scheduled delivery of my bag no later than 4:30 showed up around 7:15 Wednesday night. Thankfully, I had heard from a friend that I could borrow a saddle from the rental bikes at the track. So, I ended up getting my ride time in anyway even if the saddle height was way off.

As I was about to wrap it up on the track on Wednesday, I noticed Matt Baranoski had just started riding. I sped back up to ride along side him. (Baranoski is the two time reigning national champion in the elite and collegiate divisions for both the kilo time trial and the match sprint. He also won the keirin and team sprint national titles a few weeks ago.) We got to chat while we cruised for about 25 laps around the track. He even took me through a run of the 200 meter line on the track. Pretty cool time.

I had my numbers pinned to my new custom VOmax skinsuit and my gear bag packed and ready for racing to start the next morning. Flying 200 meter time trials were up first.

View of Pike's Peak from the backyard of where I was staying.

Race Report: Velodrome Cup Pro Race Series

This past weekend was the last of the Pro Race Series at the Dick Lane Velodrome in Atlanta. I’ve enjoyed my time down there this year getting to know some really good people and learning to rail 180° turns at over 40mph. I’ve come a long way since that cold and snowy day in March when I completed my beginner track class, but I still have a lot to learn on the track.

I was fortunate enough to get upgraded to the A category for this last Pro Race which meant I got to mix it up with the big boys. (And race for big money) I wasn’t good enough to make the final podium, but I did manage to grab wins in both the 3 lap time trial and the flying 1 lap time trial. I was pleased with my times on these events as they were both PRs. The flying 1 lap time actually made the track record at 19.376s. Another plus of these results was that they let me see where I am physically going into collegiate nationals next week. I think I’m right on schedule.

I had picked out a few of the 8 races I would really try to score points in and just considered the other races as survival events, trying not to go down the rankings too far. Those targeted events (except for the timed events) didn’t exactly unfold as planned, but that’s what happens when some really fast guys show up. I knew Thomas Brown would be hard to handle, but I was thoroughly surprised and impressed by the riding of Brody Hartley who ended up winning the overall. He sure has learned and developed a lot from his time spent at T-Town this summer.

Final Podium: Brody Hartley, Thomas Brown, Steve Carrell

Standings going into the last race of the night. 

The afternoon session included the 3 lap Merckx TT (1^st), a 30 lap Split-Scratch (7^th), and a 60 lap Points Race (9^th). The evening session, or ‘main event’ with rider introductions, included the flying 1 lap (1^st), a 20 lap Reverse Snowball (3^rd), a Miss-n-Out (9^th), a Win-n-Out (5^th), and a 1 mile Scratch Race (7^th). The Points Race and the Miss-n-Out are the bane of my existence so I wasn’t expecting much there. I was expecting a little better in the Win-n-Out and the Scratch Race, but by that time of the night, my legs were pretty toast. I had already pretty much locked in my omnium position so there wasn’t much left to fight for. With those results I finished 4th in the omnium giving me my biggest cycling pay day to date.

Overall, it was a great time and fun day at the track that finished with a night out in Midtown Atlanta with some of the GA Tech boys. What a night. None of this possible without the help of Wayne Whitesides, Nathaniel Rowe, and Christian DiCenso. Thanks Guys.

I have 4 more races left this year. I registered for them today, shipped my bike out yesterday, leave for Colorado on Tuesday, and start racing one week from today. Time to finish strong. 

(Here's the link to an awesome video from the races Saturday: here)

I made the program!

Poor guy separated his shoulder

Waiting at the boards

Rider Introduction

Race Report: Athens Twilight

After almost 4 hours in the car Friday evening, I finally made it to Athens. I was welcomed by some really cool fraternity guys yelling at me and chasing my car for turning around in their driveway. Thanks to Paul M. I had a nice place to stay that was close to downtown and both races. Not long after arriving I was settling into the couch for some sleep before the early race the next morning.

I had my breakfast, loaded up the car, and headed out to find the parking area for the first race of the day. Pulling in I saw my teammate Ben which was going to be nice to get ready alongside a familiar face. Since it was wet and still drizzling a bit, I decided to scrap the carbon wheels and just put them back in the trunk. Best decision of the weekend. I changed out my brake pads and put my aluminum wheels on in the parking lot before heading out to registration to pick up my number. This is when I realized I left my wallet in my clothes bag which was back at the house. After the trip to fetch my wallet, I made my way to pick up my number and finally had it pinned on my skinsuit with about 20 minutes to race start. I dressed in a hurry, not evening changing socks due to lack of time leaving me racing in the rain with cotton socks. With 13 minutes til race time, Ben and I departed the cars and headed for the start/finish area. So much for a warm-up before a crit. About this time I was realizing my breakfast was not substantial enough and I was already getting hungry. I also didn't have my coffee or bring an energy gel for the race. Everything was just looking up for me at this point.

We waited on the sidelines as the race before us finished. The official said we had time for one practice lap before the start if we wanted. Not having warmed up or seen the course, I decided to go and ride a lap. I was the only one. Bad decision. When I came back around, I was at the very back of the pack of 50+ racers. Walking my bike, I started to move up close to Ben for a better position when all of a sudden the race had started. I couldn't hear the official up front and had no idea we were about to start. I hopped over my saddle and onto the bike. The rider to my right leaned over into me causing me to rub wheels with the guy in front of me. I saved the fall, but was unclipped and on my feet again. I hopped on my bike again and was off for the race. I looked back and there was only one racer behind me and the motor bike with a lot of ground between me and the peloton. There was going to be a lot of chasing.

I think after two laps, I was finally up into the field. Around this time, there was at least a two man crash in corner 4 as I saw two bikes fly into the air on the inside line of the corner. I was behind the crash and had to come to a standstill before we could navigate around it. I was then chasing the peloton again, this time up the hill to the finish line. Another lap down and I moved all the way up to the front for a one lap pull and to see the best route around the course. I was swarmed and started dropping back again after this, this was the very common in this race. There were definitely some sketchy racing going on and several times I got pinched in corners by some juniors who verbally responded to me announcing my presence with sheer class and safety in mind.

I had noticed one rider earlier in the race who's carbon brakes sounded like a kid's animated machine gun fire. Going into corner two, I watched as this racer would brake, front wheel would skid out an inch or two, brake, skid out again. I watched this happen 3 or 4 times in corner two before the apex when my attention was switched to the rider behind him who was now on my inside hip and going down. I could see his front wheel launching into the air and "pedal faster, pedal faster" screamed in my brain because I knew he was sliding out and would soon hit me if I didn't get out of the way quick. I made it out safely, but like any smart peloton, the front group was attacking again with a crash occurring behind them. Time to chase again.

I think with 2 laps to go I had made my way to the front again trying to make sure I was ready for the sprint. However, it didn't last long. More bunching and swarming and I was down the line again. I was really starting to count myself out of this race. I was never able to hold position up front and always got strung out in the corners. I had been having a mental fight with myself all race. On the back straight of the last lap, I told myself, "Well, this is where you find out how good you really are at finishing a race." The group was starting to spread across the entire road and I was surrounded by racers. Coming into corner 3 on the last lap, I was sitting outside top 10 but under top 15. I figured that was it for me. Every time we had come through corner 4, the race got strung out. I would have been 20 meters back from the lead rider this time with where I was sitting. That's a lot of ground to overcome, especially on the uphill finish. But, as they had done almost every time coming out of corner 4, the group went to the right side of the road. The road had a slight left curve to it 10 meters out of the corner. The left line was the shorter and better line. The line I had taken in my warm-up lap and when I led the field earlier. So, coming out of corner 4 sitting 8-10 wheels back, out of desperation I pulled off the group and darted to the left line and started spinning with all I could. Being so far back, going from the corner, at least 200 meters out, was my only option. At this point, I still wasn't thinking this was a winning move, but a move that would place me close to the leaders to make a last ditch effort as we neared the line if I still had anything left. For a minute there in the race, I was questioning whether I would make top 10 and advance to amateur finals or not. But as I launched up the left side of the road, I had at least an 8' side-to-side separation between me and field which limited their vision and their ability to grab my wheel as I came by. And I came by with force. I tried to watch out of my periphery if anyone responded and jumped out of the line as I came by. I didn't see anything. As we came up to the last rise in the road, I passed the lead guy still 75 meters or so to the finish. I started fading once the road flattened out 20 meters from the line. I was praying I was going to hang on, but still expected to see flashes of color out of my right eye. Had the finish been much longer, I would have been toast. But it wasn't. I beat all the odds that day and came away with a win. It was one crazy race.

On to the big show: Twilight Amateur Finals

This is the race I've been looking forward to all year and been afraid of for the past week and a half. When you combine the predicted rain, field of 100+, $2,000 payout, elite talent, and screaming speeds in front of 20,000 spectators, things are bound to get very intense and risky.

I lined up super early since all the advice I had been given was get there early: start position won't win you the race, but it will definitely end it in a hurry. After sitting at the line for almost 40 minutes, I found out they were going to be doing call-ups and I could have been hanging out wherever I wanted for the last hour as I was going to be recognized as a morning race winner and be given a spot on the front line (See picture above and below).

The race started and it was a sprint for corner 1. So fast. I did a pretty good job of holding my line and keeping up with the pace the first 3 laps sitting in top 6-7 wheels. At 9 minutes in, I was starting to fall down through the pack and it always seemed to be on the back side hill. I was trying to stay in the saddle, but that was the wrong move. You had to get out of the saddle and sprint up that hill if you wanted to stay with everyone. I found that out too late and was only able to implement that on my last lap with the group. I actually advanced a position on the hill when I got out of the saddle. I remember one time heading into corner 2 I flinched and was immediately scolded and made a new enemy.

Tons of screaming, fast paced racing came to an abrupt halt when around 16 minutes in a huge crash occurred in the field. It was on the front straight mid way between the Sram neutral support and corner 1. Being in the back half of the group at this time, I saw something happening in the field and soon realized it was people going over other people. I grabbed my brakes for all they were worth and still came screaming into the pile. For one quick second, the crazy thought of "Can I jump this or ride over the top of this," entered my head. Then I was flying over the handlebars crashing into half the field laying on the ground. I rolled out the far side of the pile of people and frantically started looking for my bike. In the mix of bodies and bikes it took me probably 10 seconds to find my bike. Think about that for a minute. I hopped back over the pile and pulled my bike out from under someone. I checked the rear brake and put the chain back on making sure it would spin. I hopped on the saddle and took a few pedal strokes when I saw that everyone else was running back to the pit and neutral service. So I pedaled back that way and soon found out my saddle was crooked. I got a mechanic to mostly straighten it out and I was lined back up on the edge waiting for the field to come around so I could re-enter the race. It took me a second to get going since I was behind other racers. The field was already around corner one by the time my bike was moving and I was out on course. I tried chasing back on and encouraged some other riders falling off the back to get on my wheel so we could work together, but after 2-3 more laps I was pulled. I just couldn't ever make it back on the group. That race really puts some perspective on what crit racing is like at the next level. I now have something to work for.


On another note, I was asked why I wasn't using my carbon wheels for amateur finals. My response was I like them and wanted to keep them working. I expected it to be a sketchy race. I didn't realize it at the time, but when I was going over my bike Monday, I found out my front wheel had gotten eaten by a chainring. The rim had gouges in it along the brake track. I had to file it down with a drimmel and then smooth it out with some sandpaper. Another reason putting the carbon wheels back in the car was the best decision of the weekend. The second best was not racing Roswell the next day. I was in no shape to race and it was pouring rain.

Race Report: Aaron Shafer RR

Definitely a pretty drive through rural TN

I was skipping class to make this race, so I knew I needed to make it count. I had decided to not plan any particular attacks, but to simply race the race that unfolds with maybe some gas up the climb just to see what happens.

So about two miles into the race when the first attacks started going, I simply sat in and watched people burn matches for the heck of burning matches. I was sitting further back in the field than I was encouraged, but with the hoopla that was going on in the front, I felt more secure and protected where I was. Oh, and none of the attacks stuck or really ever even formed for more than 30 seconds.

Turning to start the climb, I had moved my way up to the front, knowing that I wanted to be in the top 5 wheels for it. Two other guys and I were working a rotating pace line over the easy rollers up to the climb and when the road started going a little more up, one rider went off the front. Unfortunately for him, he never made it more than 30 meters in front of us and stayed there the entire way. Once we got to the steeper sections, the field was stretching out and two other riders (different from the lower section) and myself knew what we wanted to do: hurt the field and create a gap over the top to start a breakaway. We began rotating nicely. I was about to finish one of my pulls, when all of a sudden teammate James B. came out of nowhere on my left and said he'd march ahead and do all the work. So I sat on his wheel and he pulled the dragging field along to the top steep kicker. At that point, a few riders kicked it up and over. I tailed along and got in a group of 3 with another group of 3 just ahead up the road. They didn't wait for us, so we had to chase them down over the next 1/2 mile. Once we caught them, we all knew what we needed to do and started a nice 6 man rotating paceline breakaway. Unfortunately, our group of 6 did not include a VW rider (assuming that is who chased the break down), so we were chased down and caught about 3 miles down the road. At this point I thought the entire field was together. I was wrong and supposedly we had dropped a good handful of people on the climb.

We continued rolling across the country landscape of farm animals and lush green grass. It was nice to take it in for a few quick seconds. This second part of the race didn't have any of those 3 and 5 second gap attacks like the first 15 miles. We were all rolling together and if someone accelerated, everyone in the front of the group accelerated with them. No one was getting away. I also made sure I stayed closer to the front from here on in, not getting much out of 7 or so wheel.

Once we made the second R hand turn nearing the finish, the group was really picking up speed. I was making my way up a few wheels along the yellow line. I knew soon we would be making the last L bend for the run into the finish. I was sitting somewhere around 3rd or 4th wheel as we made that turn and the finish line banner came into sight. The road was supposed to be open at the 200 m to go mark. Maybe around 300 meters to go, a CBC rider attacked from my left and created a two to 3 bike length gap between him and the field. At this, I pulled out of the line and began to charge, not quite knowing exactly what I wanted to do yet. I decided to bridge to his wheel and sit for maybe 2 seconds. Around 200 meters to go, I jumped off his wheel and went around to the left. It was perfect timing because as I was punching it out of the saddle, I saw riders out of the periphery of my vision on both sides of me going at the same time. I kicked it hard over the blip in the road. About 30 meters to the line, I took a glance over my shoulder and the race was over. I cruised under the banner super pumped and thrilled to have pulled off another win. A road race win!

It was frustrating to have to pack my car up and leave after the road race to get back to school. I had really wanted to do the time trial and defend my only race win from 2012. But life is life. I made back to class in time to discuss some material and complete the graded assignment before the 5 o'clock dismissal.

The very cool mugs they give to the podium. Now I have a set!

All the posters I 'get' to sign after the race

   

 If you look close, you can see me on the start line (top L corner). The picture they used was from last year's Cat 4 RR start. Pretty cool. 

I found some more photos.

Race Reports: HoS & PeachTree TT

It's taken me a while to get around to writing these reports, but I've been trying to focus on my school work and not failing grad school. I'm sure my parents would be proud. Anyway, school has been filled with endless projects, presentations, tests, and additional classes over the normal. They think they can just control our lives. I guess they can, but it is really getting annoying and my disgust for that building and program is growing quite rapidly recently.

Anyway, back to the races. I had been looking forward to the first road race for quite some time. Unfortunately, by the time it got here, school had me run down to the point that I was not looking forward to racing. I knew I still had to go, so early Saturday morning I set out alone for Berlin, TN and the first TBRA race of the year. Without a warm-up, I toed the starting line and we were off. I personally knew none of the other racers: all my friends from last year have upgraded to the cat 3's. I knew one person that I was going to be watching thanks to a friend's advice. The race progressed pretty uneventfully. I could hear someone blow a tire every once in while, but not a whole lot of action in the top 5-10 wheels where I was trying to stay. I hit the gravel in 2nd wheel. We didn't throw any attacks per se, but the accelerations up those punchy hills in the gravel were not nice on the legs. A bit later I charged up and over a hill creating a decent gap; no one responded. I knew I wasn't going to make it by myself so I sat up and waited for the group.

The next 15-20 miles were a big cluster mess. First the masters were closing in on us. We were told to go single file and slow down as they came up to pass. Then a few guys on the front accelerated and surged. Officials came back and regulated us at the front and we had to slow to less than 10mph for quite some time as the masters closed in and passed us. We continued to wait as they built up a gap so we didn't immediately pass them back. Once we were allowed to race again, someone shot off the front and up the road. Within the next 3 miles we were catching and passing the big masters field. About this time is when I was behind a guy that hadn't been up front in the race. Before I knew it, he led me right into a rather large pothole that gave me quite a jar. My fresh bottle I had just switched to the downtube cage shot out. I really could have used that powerful EnduraFuel energy later in the race, but I would have to do without. Here is where I must also give a big thanks to HUB Endurance for letting me borrow some super plush 28mm Vittoria tires for the race without which that pothole might have very well ended my race right there.

So, right before we entered the gravel for the second time, the official made us literally stop on the side of the road and wait. Several guys chose to pee as others sat around twiddling their thumbs. Now that everyone was well rested, any stragglers had a chance to get back on, and cold blood had time to settle in our legs, they let us off again.

Small surges from the front carried us the rest of the way back to the 2.5 mile finish stretch. By this time I had moved up to 2nd/3rd wheel as I was preparing for the finish. Unfortunately I was not patient enough to properly execute the finish. I was putting too much effort and riding in too much wind that entire trip back to the start finish. At the 1k to go mark the first attack went. I quickly matched and got on his wheel, another mistake. More attacks started coming from both sides. I was begging for the line, my body pleading with me to just stop, give up, and call it a day. I don't remember exactly how that last K went down, but I know at the end there were two big surges, one from each side of me. The one on the right was impressive and made a small gap, he took first. The one from the left was shaky and drifted slightly right and in front of me once he came around, he got second. That was enough to keep me seated and just holding on for the finish.

Take home: (1) be more patient and (2) sprinting at the end of a hard run into the finish is very hard and I didn't have it that day.

PeachTree TT:
The second race of the weekend was a time trial southwest of Atlanta. So once again, Sunday morning I got up and headed out the door for the drive down...by myself...in the rain...raining the entire way. I got there in time to setup for a nice little warm-up. My HUB skinsuit from Pactimo fit perfectly which I was very happy about as it was the first time I had tried it on.

I was on time for my start which is always rule number one for a TT. However, as soon as I went off, I came up behind a pickup truck sitting at a stop sign where I was supposed to turn right. I didn't know what to do at first as a slight panic set in. I ended up going around him on the left, but as I was beside him he started moving too. I continued on and passed across the yellow line. Not the best start, but I settled into my aero position and tried not to break rule number two in a TT: don't start out too hard. My legs were not putting out their best, so I just tried making up for it in aerodynamics implementing skills from the book of Tony Martin. I guess it worked because even with a subpar performance, I came away with the win.

It was good to get a decent distance TT in before I take on the state TT the first weekend of May (one of the reasons I wanted to do this race).

Overall not a bad start to the year. Three races and three podiums: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Back to the grind and back to racing soon enough. VERY glad to have this weekend off.

May 2013 Be Better Than 2012

From broken wheels, broken shoes, a broken Garmin, and broken dreams to the "one lap to go" finish at Johnson City and the amazing crash finish for 2nd at Moab. From being hit by a car to surgery and 6 weeks of NWB crutch ambulation. It's been pretty obvious that 2012 was not my year. Most of the goals I set for 2012 were not achieved. They must roll forward to 2013 where they have snowballed into even bigger aspirations; because as a friend once told me, a champion lives on to race another day.

In 2013, I am chasing jerseys. I have 6 in mind listed in order of difficulty.

1. TORBRA Cat 1 BAR Champion
2. TBRA Cat 4 BAR Champion
3. Xterra Southeast Regional Champion
4. TBRA Cat 4 Crit State Champion
5. TORBRA Cat 1 XC State Champion
6. Xterra USA National Champion

The thing that will make this complicated and hard to accomplish is scheduling. I'm assuming a lot of these races will fall on the same weekends and I'll have to chose which to do. I already know one of our mandatory Saturday guest lectures for school will occur on a Saturday race day in April. Skip class? I think so. Other goals include:

7. Continue to succeed in school by learning all I need to know
8. Maintain my GA position by staying on top of my hours
9. Train methodically and scientifically for better performance
10. Fully adapt and incorporate my new, less stressful running stride
11. Travel more, for races and to visit friends
12. Ride 5,000 miles

The miles should come pretty easily if I follow my training program required for success in earning all the jerseys. Merely a task I would like to concur that was listed as a goal last year and didn't achieve. Even with being off the bike for about 5 months, I was able to ride 3,516 miles in 2012, about 400 more miles than I rode in 2011. The front half of the coming season will be loaded heavy with cycling events with a mid summer transition to heavy triathlon racing and training. This should help me accomplish the cycling goals since for the first time ever, training will have a sole cycling focus. Delaying triathlons will also give my knee more time to recover so that I can get back to running form. Currently, I haven't been able to run more than a mile without knee pain, and that mile was on the treadmill.

I have my work cut out for me now. Time to get serious and put in all the training necessary for success. Time management will be key to balancing all the workouts with all the school. Time to go to work.

Down Time

I have been meaning to write an update about how surgery went and the rehab was coming for some time now, but just never got motivated to do it. I could always find a reason to put it off. It's amazing how inefficient my life is currently. I am doing very little outside of school which is only half a day Monday through Friday, but I still can't find down time to write a post or study the training book I'm trying to read. Staying busy with training, school, and social life really pushed me to fine tune my time management skills and make the most of my days. Last spring I was in class from 8-5 four days of the week and putting in around 12 hours of training a week. I stayed on top of everything. Where did that motivation, determination, and work ethic go? Down the drain with my activity level I have to assume.

Anyway, surgery went well and recovery is taking an eternity. Not exactly, but being on crutches for 45 days was a long time. I watched as my calf and quads shriveled away as my hands and armpits became calloused. It was so liberating when I could finally walk and be free from my crutches. Then walking made me sore. And I loved it. I am now back in therapy trying to regain my strength. It is a slow process. I have yet to feel any soreness in my thighs because my calf and foot intrinsic muscles are so weak and atrophied that they limit my abilities for higher function. My lower leg and foot tremble after walking long distances or in single leg stance. I like the sense of improvement, but I want more progress in more areas.

In addition to not having the motivation to write, I also was never really sure how much I wanted to divulge when I finally did write something. I definitely struggled there for a while, but I now feel close to the home stretch of being able to resume normal life again. The strength will have to come over the next several months. I cannot expect to just jump back into the form I had. It had taken 5 solid months to get there coming from an able body. It will take a lot longer now. I'm getting excited about buying new equipment, my new bike, and planning for the next race season. I have a lot of unaccomplished goals from this year that will get carried over with a new vengeance. I feel like I got robbed: my bike, my fitness, my strength, my power, my races, my season, my standings, my championships, my jerseys, my glory. And that will have to drive me early in this rehab process to regain my form. I'm just waiting for my foot strength to catch up with the rest of my body in order to proceed to the next level.

Troubles

While some things have been going great, I am still me and I will always get hurt. I'm already dealing with quite a few injuries and setbacks this year. So in no particular order:

I am trying to get back into running shape, which is hard having taken off for such a long time after the end of last season. To make matters worse, I have developed a big lump of scar tissue in my left heal from when I landed on a piece of steel last August. I was trying to mount bike hangers in the walls of my new apartment. The mount was sitting in the floor and I was up on the dresser drilling into the wall. I was done and jumped back off the dresser and my left heel hit first, right on the 2mm wide piece of backing steel for the hanger. The steel bent, the drill bit snapped off in the carpet, and my heel wrenched in pain. I had to walk on the ball of my foot for the next few days but eventually the pain subsided and the radiographs showed no fracture. Now, the knot of scar tissue is making it very difficult to stretch my plantar aponeurosis and heel striking is just about completely out of the picture. I'm slowly working it out with some painful massage though.

A week and a half ago, a few friends and I went snowboarding with the UTC Outdoors program. It was a great trip, but I didn't realize until the next day that in one of my high velocity falls I injured my left shoulder. I was scared it was a rotator cuff issue. I couldn't swim at all last week, but my stroke is coming back this week. I haven't been able to do my power cleans in the gym either. It is still painful, but the progression and the presentation of the pain leads my professor and me to believe it is more of a deltoid or impingement issue that I hope will work itself out soon.

Since I've been back at school, I have not had a pain free bike ride. My lower back has been giving me problems with most of the pain coming from the right side around L4/L5. I usually get about 30 minutes into the ride before I start noticing the pain. I can make it to about 40 mins before it peaks and I usually give in and dismount the bike to stretch and give it a little break. It subsides rather quickly and I'm back on my way. It usually comes back around 1:45. Sometimes I make it back, sometimes I have to get off and stretch again. I adjusted my fit some after I videoed myself and saw some issues. I was hoping this would take care of my issue and that the pain was just from over reaching by rocking my hips to reach the bottom of the pedal stroke. This past Sunday was the best ride I've had all year. I started out a little faster than usual so the pain started coming on at about the same distance but a little earlier, around 28 minutes. I wiggled around a bit and somehow overcame it. The ride was going great. My legs were flying around the pedals and the pace was not dropping. I was making my way the furthest east I have gone since I've been riding in Chatt. (My goal is to find a reasonable route to North Carolina. I think I can make a 7 hour trip there and back. Spring Break training camp?) I was at 19.7mph at my turn around point of just over an hour and a half. I wanted to keep going, but I really wanted to get back in time to watch Brandon wrestle App State, the last regular season home match. So, I made the U-turn and started heading back. The legs began to fade a bit and a third of the way back I had dropped to 19.5mph. I tried to keep pushing on as I grabbed a bite of Clif Bar. Carefully retracing my path to make sure I didn't get lost on the new roads, I came soaring back to my normal routes when the back pain started to hit again. I was too close and too pressed for time to get off and stretch. So, I just tucked and pushed through. I suffered through the big climb near the end and kept pushing the pace to try to maintain my average speed. I had made it back up to 19.7. With a screaming back and legs, I pulled into my apartment, stripped the chamois off and headed to the arena to catch the match. I kept the 19.7mph, but the change in bike fit and stretching had failed to alleviate my back pain.

So, I set up a time to meet with one of my professors and go through an examination. We found that my right multifidus was grossly atrophied. It was mush and weak compared to my left side. We're not sure why, maybe a strain from last November when I missed the hook for the barbell at the end of squat session, but some type of inhibition is going on and I need to wake it up. I hope it is not from anything more serious such as joint or bone trauma. I'm working on strengthening it and firing my transverse abdominis to see if that might bring it back.

In order to win the Xterra Region, I have to race four races including one championship distance race. I've done the southeast championship twice and planned on doing it again this year to help me clinch the jersey for the third time, this was one of my goals for this year. However, I got an email today saying the championship race has been cancelled in order for Xterra to host the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championship. This is awesome, but it also means I have to find another race to do. I can either travel to Richmond in June or Louisiana in May. I haven't heard too many good things about the Richmond race. They have even had issues of vandalism and competitors getting lost on course because of it. I've experienced this at the Colorado State MTB race in '07 and don't really want to do that again. Louisiana is a great course, but that would be a far drive and it's not technically a championship race. It might have to do though. This is in fact if I don't make the Team USA which will be racing in the world championship. I applied earlier this week. Fingers crossed, sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for that email.

Alberto Contador also ran into some trouble this week. His positive test for clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France finally caught up to him. He has been stripped of his 2010 Tour victory, his 2011 Giro victory and is banned from racing in either this year and from competing in the London Olympics this summer. Harsh stuff especially when you factor in the fine he will receive. The board is pushing for $3 million. Most have been saying this is bad for cycling, but I don't understand. The positive test was already exposed. Everyone knew about it. They only change is the punishment. This affects Contador and not necessarily the sport as a whole. Maybe I'd be more upset if I liked him, but I personally think he's an ass. I'm glad Andy gets the win now for the 2010 Tour. Sort of like retribution for Contador attacking on the slopes when Andy dropped his chain. Karma's a bitch isn't it, Contador? It's also pretty lame that Contador said he thought he was supposed to be protected and untouchable "like Lance" since he had spent so much money on lawyers. What a load of crap. Lance never tested positive during Tour.

Since this week is the Combined Sectionals Meeting for the American Physical Therapy Association, our classes are canceled for the rest of the week. Hello four day weekend. So tomorrow I'll be back on the bike and see how the back is feeling. I'm also going on another snowboard trip this Saturday with the UTC Outdoors program. Wish me luck.

I'm saying those are the mountains of North Carolina in the very far distance. 

Great Start to 2012

Since I've been back at school, I haven't missed a single day of working out. I've made some good progress in my swim stroke and put in a few good rides. I joined the UTC cycling team. I went to see one of my best friends wrestle against Cleveland State. I've been rock climbing and entered a climbing competition. I went bowling and learned a new way to throw the ball. I did my first clinical visit of PT school last week, and we attended orthopedic grand rounds at Erlanger hospital. I went on a caving trip to Petty John's cave in Georgia and I have a snowboard trip planned for this Saturday on Beech Mountain in North Carolina. I think I am doing college right. (Let's hope this test tomorrow doesn't prove otherwise.)

A few other highlights: My dad got back safely from Kuwait; he got a promotion to the best Kroger store in the Delta division which happens to be right by our house; he got a raise with his return to work; and he bought a new car. My older sister had her baby early yesterday morning; they are both healthy and doing well. And today is my little brother's birthday. He is now 21.

Ambitious 2012

Just like everybody else, the new year brings new goals and ambitions for me. Unlike everybody else, I will actually follow through with them. Heck, I've already made progress on three of them.

So here are a few of them:

#1 Win Xterra Southeastern Championships, this is largely dependent on a good run which is where goal 2 comes in
#2 Put up a sub 45 min run split at Southeasterns

Now goal three is a little tricky. Yes, I want to just go ahead and commit to it, but I don't want to show up and be embarrassed and waste the money and time and time away from school. So goal three is dependent upon completion of goal 1 and 2

#3 Race (WIN) Xterra USA National Championship
#4 Claim the Xterra Regional Championship Jersey
#5 Race at least 3 crits
#6 Win the TN crit state championship
#7 Take a girl out on a real date, not just hang out at some party
#8 Eliminate irresponsible nights of mayhem
#9 Under social obligations I guess I must include do well in school and my first rotation coming up this summer

I found this article/list of pretty good resolutions too. Not saying I'm shooting for all of them, but I think numbers 4, 9, 11, and 15 are pretty good ones that I have incorporated into my life. (Supposedly there has been some confusion. I do know my math and that I haven't listed 15 goals here. The numbers are a reference to another article that you can find by clicking the hyperlink at the beginning of the paragraph, "article/list".)


There. So now that they are down on paper and displayed to the public, they are real goals. I can be held accountable and will hold myself accountable.


Forgot to put the goal of riding 5,000 miles. I did a rough collection of my actual miles from 2011 and came up with 3,125 miles ridden. I didn't set up my training log to tally this so this is what I could come up with retrospectively. It had to be at least this much. Should make for some fun time in the saddle.

Grad School Update

Wow, it's been quite some time. I have neglected my posting for "higher education" and "more important" endeavors. Not sure I agree with all those terms. I really miss racing right now and writing about the great times I had. Since I originally said this blog would be about my racing and my schooling, I guess I need to include some posts about graduate school.

Far too many things have occurred since my last post and the beginning of semester to attempt to summarize the trip it has been, but I can say it has been busy and very informative. Just this afternoon I had my hands in a man's chest and cut out both of his lungs. Yes, we are doing cadaver dissections in my gross anatomy class. That class is where 78% of my attention and studying has been going over the semester. I have done exceptionally well so far. Well, except for the most recent test. Not a great showing for me, but it will do. My dissection group is great. Thankfully, it consists of three amiable girls that let me do all of the fun, nasty parts of dissection. It also means that we have great gossip around the tank and get to discuss who looked super cute that day in class. We started on Bobley and then moved to Betty Sue. Betty Sue is textbook perfect and was a great time. Tina was not as easy to handle, but we ended up with a very easy dissection for her. Now wrapping the semester up I got to use the bone saw last Friday to cut through ribs, sternum, and the clavicle to reflect the thoracic cage. Lab has been an amazing tool to help me understand the body and get a very firm grasp on muscles, nerves, vessels, fiber orientation, fascia, and of course subcutaneous fat. My mental visualization of muscles in people and the workings of their skeletal system is at such a higher level now.

Occasionally, we have to leave lab and learn other subjects. We've learned how to walk with crutches, do wheelies in wheelchairs, and how to do posture assessments. I learned how to do a back tuck for professional communication and I mastered how to make a powerpoint for evidence based practice. In kinesiology, I've learned that TR (a.k.a. Trent Richardson) can squat 600 and bench 450. My teacher still wants to be him when he grows up.

I've taken the things I've learned in the classroom to my everyday life too. Trying to be more like TR to ensure an A in Kinese, I started uping my weights when I do squats. I've been trying to hit the gym every Tuesday and Thursday morning. I've been making some progress now that I'm really trying. Last week I did 20 reps of 315, 15 reps of 405, 14 reps of 455, 20 reps of 315, and then 25 reps of 315. Then I went upstairs and busted out 100 lunges with 25 pound dumbbells. Watch out TR; I'm coming.

I applied the anatomy of the hand in my most recent set of injuries. I've come up with the diagnosis of a torn posterior joint capsule of the first MCP. I finally got into the doctor so I can get a referral to the hand surgeon and see what he says. Radiographs from this visit pretty much confirmed my suspicion and also showed a subluxation of the first CMC joint and a possible dislocation of the capitate bone. Should be a really fun office visit next week.

I did manage to have a little fun the past two weekends. I went fly fishing with the school (we saw a whooping 0 fish the entire trip) and went camping with some classmates. This has been the extent of my outdoor excursions since I have not been biking in such a long time. It's hard to go when I'm so tired once I finally get home from school everyday and the weekends have just been occupied with other things. It's an insult to my bikes to be neglecting them like this. I must do better.

Quite a few of us have also picked up rock climbing. We've spent several afternoons taking study breaks at the bouldering wall in the student rec center. It's a fun sport that is pretty challenging. It's always good to be humbled by a 110 lb girl that scales the wall you've been working on for 20 minutes.

All in all life is passing. The sun rises and the sun sets. I'm trying to make the most of it and include as much as I can in every day. I don't always succeed, but that's what tomorrow is for. Like I said, too much has happened to include it all, but that's what I got so far.