RECOVERY DAY FOUR

Today is day four of my steroid injections recovery, and it’s not going as well as planned.

Afraid to test out the knee during a walk or run, I escorted my wife on my backup road bike while she ran/walked six miles in and around the mall’s asphalt parking lot. In the process, I’m pleased to report, I spotted and picked up two lonely pennies that had been discarded or accidentally dropped by the mall’s consumers. Their loss, my gain! Albeit a small gain!

Regarding the knees, I can report that there was a slight discomfort and clicking afterwards. Very slight clicking and almost unnoticeable discomfort.

Eight + miles on a bike, at an embarrassing pace, surely should not have damaged the knees any further. Maybe I’m being too impatient by not giving the injections time to properly heal.

On the up side, it was a miracle that no one threw bottles or cans at my 1985 Ross Road Bike with its new handle bar wrap. Maybe that’s why we chose the isolated parking area to run and bike and not public streets or sidewalks.

RECOVERY DAY THREE

This afternoon’s walk, if that’s what you call it, was horrible. I walked at a pace that would embarrass a slug, turtle or fast moving snail. To be more precise, I walked like a senior citizen, deliberate and measured. Now I know how seniors feel. Wait, I am a senior.

Hoping that the walk to and from the gym would be fluid and comfortable, I found myself measuring nearly every step after leaving the entrance/exit to our community. Thankfully, at the half way point was the gym and my weight machine routine.

The resistance machines went smooth only because I mostly did upper body exercises. Afraid to stress out the knees, I held off from doing any lower body machines – and I’m glad I did. I can’t imagine my knees buckling under the stress of additional weight.

Tomorrow will be another day (Brilliant statement), and I plan on riding my backup bike next to my wife while she runs and walks whatever distance she may have in mind. I’ve already adjusted the new clip-on pedals to enable easy clipping and effortless clip-offs.

One thing I don’t want to do is fall off of the bike because of the new pedals – which could result in damaging my already damaged knees. What’s that called, double jeopardy?

RECOVERY DAY TWO

I miss biking! I also miss power walking and running! Most of all, though, I miss biking. Even though most of our future events evolve around running and walking, biking has become my favorite of all disciplines.

This morning, right after dropping off my truck at the auto shop for maintenance, I casually walked one and a half miles back home, stopping midway to say hello to my biking friends who were milling around the mall’s east parking lot in prep for today’s coffee ride.

I have become somewhat attached to this fine group of bikers, but this morning I felt slightly fragmented due to my two ailing knees.

The slow walk home went okay, but I did feel some discomfort in my left knee near the end of the stroll. At least the right knee was better than the left, but it wasn’t perfect by all means.

Time has been declared as the great healer, and time I have plenty of. Patience, however, not so much!

I need to go for a swim!

OVERUSE INJURIES

Without a doubt, there are some ups and downs in this chosen lifestyle of biking, running, power walking, swimming and strength training. 

In all the years that I’ve subscribed to such a lifestyle, which are too many years to count, I’ve encountered many more ups than downs, though.

The only down side of passionate exercising, marathon running and ultra-distance cycling is overuse injuries. At any rate, that’s the way I see it!

One such case is what I’m currently experiencing, all due to overextending my mileage on the road bike. At least that’s my opinion and I believe the opinion of my orthopedic medical doctor.

Along with upping my road bike mileage, I’ve found myself riding much faster than when I began this two wheel challenge over one year ago. By much faster I’m talking 7 to 8 mph faster now than what I was accomplishing June of last year when I began seriously biking. If someone told me last year that I would be averaging over 17 mph while biking over twenty miles, I would have told them that they were nutty.

Anyway, there evidently is a price to pay for my sudden increase in intensity and distance. I’ve been averaging well over one hundred miles per week for the past few months.

The price is wickedly brutal and discouraging. After undergoing a steroid injection in both knees yesterday, I find myself again recovering from overuse injuries.

The injections, although not cruelly painful, are painful in the respect that I find myself sitting on the sidelines while my friends continue riding and running. That hurts!

But I’ll be back in short order with renewed passion.  I promise!  Determination along with patience will have me back in no time on that shiny road bike and back on the road with my lovely wife and remarkable friends.

Stay tuned…

CYCLING IMPROVEMENTS

The bike rides seem to get longer and longer and the average pace faster and faster.  Does this indicate that there has been some improvement in my bicycling?  I think so!  

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my awesome wife who seems to have a knack for keeping up with moderate-speed pelotons despite her lack of bike training. 

Case in point was Saturday’s Team Memorial 101’s 30-mile tour through much of Weston, FL.  With an average pace of 14.9, my wife had no difficulties whatsoever keeping up with me or the group, even after we left the peloton eight miles shy of the ride’s end.

With a tad bit more training, I'm confident that she would be riding with the experienced 16 to 18 mph group in no time.   

While pedaling my Felt Road Bike yesterday for nearly 41 miles with one short break, maintaining an overall pace of 15.9 was no problem.  Overall pace takes into consideration stop signs, traffic signals, sharp turns or whatever else may slow the pace line.   

To be fair, though, let’s contribute some of that to overcast skies and proper hydration.  It’s a world of difference cycling in bright sunshine versus cycling under protective cloud coverage.  The direct sun seems to sap much of my energy, whereas cloud coverage offers some relief from South Florida’s intense heat and humidity.

Today is Monday, a needed rest day from cycling.  After biking for five days in a row, a total of 142 miles, today we will concentrate on strength training and maybe some walking and running.

Cycling shall continue Wednesday!

Yesterday’s South Broward Wheelers Experienced Ride:

CYCLING ON THE BOARDWALK

What a wonderful way to witness the rebirth of our sun, biking along the Atlantic Ocean on Hollywood Beach's beautiful boardwalk. 

This particular photo was taken shortly after the sun had risen, giving us daylight to continue our fourteen miles of smiles and good conversation.

 

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