30 January 2006 Questions: Nope, don’t own padded biking shorts, yet. I don’t see the point as I’m losing about 5 lbs. a month right now, and I haven’t added the weight program back in yet, not for 2 more weeks. I do have padded gloves, but using the ski gloves right now because it’s so cold. I’ve actually discovered that the padded gloves don’t make as big a difference as stretching my fingers out. Instead of curling them around the handle bars, I ‘rest’ them on the handle bars with my fingers stretched over the brakes. After about 15 miles they start to tingle and go numb, so I have to slow down and shake them out a couple of times before I’m home. I’ve asked Jim, a guy I know who HAS done century rides, for fun, and biking vacations, and he assured me that there’s no trick to improve that. A recumbent bicycle is definitely out of the question. I can’t even sit back in a regular chair. I perpetually lean forward. It isn’t too bad short term, but it does get tiring. Going out to eat isn’t too much of a problem because I can lean against the table but sitting in a meeting can be unbearable inside 20 minutes. Movies work out all right if I go early in the day, when my back is more relaxed, and have my pillows behind me and my feet up on the railing in front of me. A helmet is a no brainer. LOL! In this house, we call them brain buckets. If you don’t have a brain you don’t need one, otherwise you better have it and wear it properly. Biking shoes, nope. I’ve only just learned to walk correctly. LOL!! Really! That was something Craig had to teach me when I was working with him last spring. After tearing the ligaments in my ankle when I was 18, the ankle healed incorrectly and I walked with my right foot perpetually turned out. My poor horse was trained to second level dressage, which means he responded to leg commands, so he was constantly drifting to the left and I was constantly correcting him. It was two years before I took a good look and realized my right leg was pressing against him. He was desperately trying to obey my command, and I was ‘punishing’ him for it. We did finally work it out, but only when I was on him. I couldn’t translate it to the ground. Craig showed me a very simple exercise that taught my muscles to hold the leg right. In fact, he guessed that the whole back problem was a direct result of the ankle injury. Muscles that were supposed to be tight were loose and muscles that were supposed to be loose were tight. It was only a matter of time. Last year really was about starting over. Now it’s time to continue to move forward. I will talk to Craig this Wednesday about a training program of some sort. Team in Training also provide training, but I’ve assured Craig that I would clear it with him first. Another weekend is over, and survived. I never thought I’d hear myself saying I dread the weekends, but there you are. My usual 8 miles this morning but worked with the gears a bit more. Also did the physical therapy, which I’ll need to do a few more times today. Walked MissB but was much more aware of my posture and the way I walked. The song “I Hope You Dance” just played, and I feel a renewal of my spirit. I love God’s little gentle proddings. :-)31 January 2006 I biked 20 miles today and feel it. I’d love to simply vegetate all day, but that isn’t an option. There is DrS, DrR. and DrL. to type, though I think I’ll save DrR until tomorrow. It doesn’t appear to be particularly long. My sister will help me deliver DrL this evening. It is a very short tape. It’s good to be able to talk out things I’m thinking about. Reading Man’s Search for Meaning, I came to realize that MissB has been my meaning for many years, but the time is coming – when I do not know – then what? I always planned to marry and have children. Now what? Even if I married today, I could not carry a child. I could barely hold my grandniece the other day. I’d rather write than breathe or eat or sleep, but it frequently gets put on the back burner for other responsibilities. There is also a part of me that wonders if I could really make it as a writer. I’ll need to be more careful about ensuring I have a little writing time every day. And this bike ride? What is it to me? A part of me simply wants to know I can do it. I have to put in the miles anyway; it would be nice if it could count for something more than just picking up work every day.
1 February 2006 Saw Craig today. He gave me exercises for my back and for my shoulder. He’s a little concerned about how tight my shoulder blade is and explained that it isn’t serious at this point but he wants me to start loosening it up. As he was showing me how to the exercise he was physically moving me into the position he wanted me to be in. Being the Princess and the Pea, I found it uncomfortable. Then he asked me how I was feeling. I forget sometimes how much I can say with a look. I glanced at him over my shoulder, and he laughed. “All right, I know my fingers are pressing pretty hard and digging into you, but your shoulder, how does that feeling?” I laughed and said it didn’t hurt. He was satisfied. He’s not sure if I can actually bike 111 miles all in one day. However, he approves of my training plan for myself and thinks it is possible. I also assured him that when I sign up with Team in Training I’ll clear the program they set up for me through him before I start it. I definitely don’t want to jeopardize all the work we’ve put in so far. I’m feeling fairly good today.
2 February 2006 Biked 20 miles today. I find it amusing that I can’t think of it that way until after I’m home. When I’m getting ready to go, I break the trip down into segments. First, I go to Dr.S office, then DrR and then home. Even home is broken up into segments, from one major street to another. Then I’m home, and then the 20 miles doesn’t seem so daunting. LOL! Physical therapy is quite an undertaking. There are exercises Craig would not require of me, and yet I find they help, so I know he’d tell to go ahead and do them. The new exercises really do help me feel better.
3 February 2006 Easy work out day today but I’m feeling considerably better. I like the new physical therapy Craig gave me. I have to work a little harder for it. With the long work days, these new exercises are really helping. The new doctor made me laugh today. It isn’t often that they actually talk to YOU when they’re doing the dictation. In fact, most of the time I’m quite certain they forget some else has to listen to what they’re saying (mumbling!). After spelling the word he apologized and confessed that he didn’t know why he couldn’t say it, he just couldn’t. It made me LOL and it made the frustration evaporate. I do like working with this doctor if he can just learn to talk into the machine! Sigh... :-) I’ve worked for worse. Think I’ll make an early night of it. I’ve been eating a lot. Sleep will help so I don’t feel so overtired.
4 February 2006 No biking today. Got DrL done this morning. I’ve not had brain enough to do much of anything. It was actually quite nice taking it so easy. It was a successful day health wise in that I was able to get my eating under better control today.
5 February 2006 What a blessing. I have the next few hours home alone with my sweet MissB. I slept well, unlike the night before when I was awake from 12:30 to 3:30 a.m. It’s been a long time since I’ve not been able to sleep like that. I did some thinking and finally pulled out Brother Cadfael’s The Leper of Saint Giles. It’s time to reassess. The swelling and discoloration on the right side is almost gone. I’ll still wait another week before increasing my activity level again. I’ll up the biking first to 10 miles on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I’ll do that for a couple of weeks to see how it’s going and then add one pound weights to my physical therapy routines. It’s a grey overcast today. A perfect day for making cookies, but I think I’ll let myself rest instead. It’s going to be a busy day with family and friends as the folks are hosting an open house for my nephew before he leaves for the mission field, on Tuesday. I’ve added writing to my daily routine, no matter what, even if it is only a few lines or simple tweaks. It feels good.