Silver Night 12/5/09

The wife and I got up to the big city to the annual Silver gathering.
We got to meet up with all the old usuals and a few new faces.

Great food, great friends, and great conversations.

What could be better?
Maybe having all this and riding a bike as well?

Anyway, I won a double set of new brake pads.

So, I'm all set to stop.

Local boys do good...

Nice showing at the State CX Championship there guys!

4th, 5th, and 8th in their respective brackets.

So now, the question is:
Are Marty, Dave, and Jeff ready for the off-season like the rest of us?

I sure hope so, you guys are making me look bad.

Sat. 11/14/09

Got out for a quick ride on the off-trail portion of the Douglas Trail today.

And just north of Douglas, I met up with Big Jim, who was also out riding around.

So, we turned and headed south for a bit and then reversed course and made our way to Pine Island.

From there we turned back around and headed for Rochester.

I think we even spotted Terry blazing north on the trail, as we made our way back.

Not too many nice days left, I'm afraid...

CX results

It looks like Marty and Jeff were both busy on Saturday.

And Big Dave made a double appearence on Sunday in Northfield.

I also see Brian Eppen showed up to give the big dogs a taste of Iowa...

Way to go guys, I can only dream.

Marty and Jeff in full attack mode

I think I found a couple of photos from Marty and Jeff's last outing...


Marty (I think)


I'm pretty sure this is Jeff.

Thanks to Skinnyski.com for the great snapshots.

Go Jeffy, Go!

Well I spoke too soon, I guess. As soon as I mentioned Jeff's lack of fitness (or at least my impression of his lack of fitness) he goes and proves me wrong...

The J train has left the station. Toot Toot!

Puttin' the hurt on

Here are the posted Overall Results to prove it is not an April Fools Joke or Halloween Prank

Great job, Jeff.

Now take it easy on us weaklings...

Cool Video of 24 Hours of Moab

I didn't see Charlie in there, but it looks like fun...

Wed 10/14/2009

I guess I did find a couple of Marty in action...





He looks to be in much better shape than Jeff did.

Tues 10/13/09

I see Jeff and Marty are hanging tough (sorry Marty I couldn't find any pictures of you)...





Looks like fun.

Mon. 10/12/09

Wow, I see Charlie Tri did the 24-hour Nationals...

24 Hour Nationals

Way to go Charlie...

Sat. 10/10/09

Well, last week was the pits, with me catching a nasty 4 day cold right over the top of the big Silver ride. Dang!

So, finally today I felt well enough to get back out there.

But of course it was cold and windy, so I decided to hit the Douglas Trail off-trail paths.

So after a few warm-up miles, I got to ride the nice dirt path for about 7 or 8 miles, then I turned back and headed to the truck from there.

There is one really big tree down across the trail down in the "bowl" section. So my excellent CX skills (just kidding) came into play.

All in all, not a bad ride.

Thur. 10/01/09

I have only gotten out a couple of times this past week.

I did a ride on my standard 20 mile route without incident.

And Jamie and I did another 15 miles out and back up the Douglas trail.
I rode part of the off-trail route, which was fun. But then the next day my ankle was complaining a bit.

I am planning on riding the "Big Silver" ride on Sunday. If the weather holds.

Mon. 9/21/09

Jamie and I did a quick ride on the Douglas trail tonight.

Not too busy, but we did see Big Jim on the return trip. I think he was heading home from work. I'm not sure if he heard me yell at him.

Those little gnats were really pesty tonight.

Then we met Kathy and Marie at Paridise Pete's for pizza and a beer or two or three...

Sat. 09/19/09

Terry had a big day planned and I decided to give at least the first part a go.

On my way to Dunn Brothers, I heard a "funny" sound and a few seconds later I realized it was my back tire making the noise...flat.

I started my quick change routine, and all I could think about was if I had left enough time to get to the starting point.

I changed the tire and got back to riding (now racing) to Dunn Brothers. I rolled in with plenty of time, as Big Dave was not there yet.

So, the seven of us (Terry, Big Dave, Jim T., Chris, Big Al, Dr. Tim, and myself) headed for Spring Valley. We rolled out of town nicely and into a very, very slight breeze we made our way to Spring Valley. Everyone had some fun at the front.

Terry made a bee-line for the donut shoppe and after several donuts the group was ready to head out. By this time, I was not too keen on doing the entire route. So I decided to turn back to town with some of the others. It turns out only Big Dave and Terry went on to Lansboro.

We made our way back to Rochester on cty 1 and I was really glad I decided to not do the bigger route. My legs were plenty tired by the time I reached my house.

What a nice day to be out riding...

Tues. 9/15/09

I had some homework to get done, so I only had time to squeak in the normal 20 miles.

Everything was going like any other average ride, when I noticed a guy walking up the hill with his bike.

I pulled over to see what was wrong and here he had a staple in the back tire and didn't have the anything to change the flat.

So, I pulled a spare tube and a CO2 cartridge out of my saddle bag and we fixed the back tire and got him "Back in the Saddle Again" (lyrics by Aerosmith).

He was heading for Eyota and he had a good 7 miles to go, when I left for home.

I would have hated to walk all that way...

Sun. 9/13/09

Just a quick 20 miles again today.

It was such a busy weekend, I can't quite figure out where it all went.

On a very different note, my daughter became engaged today!!!
Now, I have to start saving for the "big day"...

Thur. 9/10/09

Got out for a quick 20 miler again tonight.

With a stiff SE breeze, I fought it all the way out and really motored (at least I think I was going fast) all the way back.

The guys are planning on doing the Jesse James ride on Saturday, but I really am not in shape to do that distance at the pace I'm afraid they will do.

So, I'll look for something more my speed.

I may need to invest in some cross-country skis for this winter. I'm not sure the wife is all that excited about my winter bike riding adventures...

Wed. 9/9/09

We hit the Healthy Living Center tonight.

So I got in some upper body weight training and some nice miles on an indoor bike.

Man, I get hot riding indoors...

Mon. 9/7/09

Well I had last week off and Kathy and I made a road trip south.

We started by meeting my parents in Branson, Mo for a couple of days.

Then we headed east for Memphis (Yes, we saw the Jungle Room).

After that we spend a couple of days in Nashville, TN. Saw the Grand Ole Opre, the Country Music Hall of Fame, got to be part of a live taping of the Crooks and Chase show (whatever that is) and most importantly I bought some cowboy boots (buy 1 pair, get two pair free). So, I actually ended up with two pairs and Kathy got 1 pair. Now I need some spurs...

And finally we headed to St. Louis and the Gateway Arch on our way back home.

Great trip, too bad I had to come back to work. I hope I win the Lotto soon...

Oh and BTW, I got out for a quick 20 miles tonight.

Big Dave

If you win one, you're good.

If you win two, you're really good.

But if you win it three times (in a row), it's "Total Dominance".

Congratulations, Big Dave on your third ROY Championship.

Now, just take it easy on us "regular" folks...

Wed. 8/26/09

Met up with the Erik's bike ride group tonight. It was a light turnout, but we eventually ended up with 8 riders. Even though Big Jim bailed at PI, I guess 6+ hours of gravel road riding in one day was enough for him. Can you say, Wuss!

Anyway, the group (Big Jim, Jim G., Jim H., Big Jeff, Jeff G., Steve G., Big Tom, and myself) headed north on thre trail to get out of traffic.

We turned off the trail on cty 3 and headed for PI.

At PI, we turned west (as Big Jim headed for home or more gravel roads...) and followed the river road to cty 11. The group rolled along nicely, and even hung together up the big climb on cty 11.

As we made our way to Roscoe, we got a bit split up, but we came back together before town.

And as we turned east for PI again, we had a slight headwind. But the group did an excellent job of working together to keep the pace high, but not too high that we were splitting up all the time.

Big Tom wanted the PI sign bad, so I graciously let him out of his cage and he was off. Big Jeff tried to catch him, but Tom was too far out.

We headed south out of PI on cty 3 again, then as we neared Douglas, the pace whipped up for the sign, Jim H., Steve G., and I did our Domestique duties for the day and Big Jeff turned out to be the eventual winner of the the coveted Douglas town sign.

Then it was back on the trail for the shop. Big Jeff (and others) split for home as we neared town.

We got back at around 8:15pm, just as the daylight was getting thin.

Great ride, everyone.

Tues. 8/25/09

Did my quick 20 miler tonight. Light winds, so I decided to push the pace a bit (after my warm-up period).

As I was heading out, I passed Gary G. coming in from one of his standard rides and a bit later, I passed Shaun and Harry as they made their way back into town from one of their standard Tuesday rides.

All in all, just a nice night to be out spinning...

Sat. 8/22/09

I got out and met the 8:00am Dunn Brothers group this morning.

Big Jim must have overslept, as he drove in and Marty even graced us with his presence today. He's getting (or should I say has gotten) into shape for the CX season. Boy, I pity the fool that signs up to race against him...

Anyway with light winds, we decided to head for Whitewater State Park.

We made our way across town and then headed south on cty 1 and then across at Pinewood School to Marion Road, then past Camp Kahler and out past the Gun Club (a road I'm all too familar with). We made our way to Eyota. After a quick stop we headed north out of town on cty 7. The group rolled along nicely as we turned east for a bit and then north on cty 7 some more.

From there we headed pretty much east down into Whitewater and then down into Elba for another water stop.

Now for the fun stuff, as we headed west out of Elba, up the steep grade toward Plainview. Once on top, the group reassembled and we worked together all the way to Elgin. There was some road construction, so we continued west until we got to cty 11. Then we turned south and headed for home.

I was starting to feel the pace, so I skipped a few rotations in the pace-lining. But it wasn't too long before I started to feel better and decided I should do some work before the others started to notice I was sand-bagging.

As we neared town, Dr. Tim headed for homw, while the others rolled down cty 11, right past my place as they headed for the Camp Kahler road again.

Nice ride guys (Dr. Tim, Terry, Bruce, Big Jim, Marty, Al, and Zak).

Sun. 8/16/09

I got out for some quick spins on Monday and Tuesday. Mostly to measure my fitness for the Main Event on Saturday.

I decided to give it a go (after being convinced by Silver)...

So on Friday night, I packed the bike, made a couple of water bottles, fixed some breakfast items, and had all my gear either in the truck or ready for the morning.
And at 3:45am, I got up to start the adventure. After I got dressed and loaded the remaining items for my trip into the truck, I was off toward Lakeville.

As I drove up I munched on breakfast and tried to wake up. I got to Lakeville, made a wrong turn and wound up in front of Leg's house. Luckily, Legs was out getting the paper or something, so I chatted with him a bit and he pointed me to Silver's place. I made my way over to Steve's and things looked a bit quiet, so I parked the truck and decided to take a little nap.

It wasn't too long and Espresso showed up, so I decided to head up to the house. Steve, Ted, and C-Ray were all getting ready. Pretty soon Legs showed up and shortly there after the others showed up (Pete, Mike, Edgar, and Shad).

So the nine of us posed for the manditory starting point photo and we were off. We headed out for Northfield at around 6:15am. The sun was just starting to show itself. The roads were pretty quiet as we made our way out of town.

We rolled along nicely into a slight breeze to Northfield, here Senator had to turn back. So the rest of us rolled south out of town and up the climb toward Nerstand. I think C-Ray took the sign at Nerstand. A quick stop at Nerstand for water, food, and breaks. And then it was more south and east to Pine Island. Again, C-Ray took the first set of signs, but Espresso snuck in for the second set.

We stopped in PI, and everyone filled up on much needed food and water. We rolled east out of PI to Mazzeppa. What a nice stretch of road as we headed into Mazeppa and then east out of town on hwy 60, to cty 7. Up the big climb (where C-Ray and Mike put on the hurt), to Chefie's. No one was home, so we made just a quick stop for water and then it was north to Zumbro Falls. I was too far back to see who took the town sign.

We turned east again on hwy 60 at Zumbro Falls and headed up the long climb (where Legs dropped his chain) and then after a couple of miles, we turned north on cty 2 (I think) and headed for Lake City. Again the group worked nicely, as we tackled the rolling hills on cty 2 and then finally back on hwy 63 for the mad dash for the Lake City sign. Again, I was too far back to tell who actually won the sign (I'll give it to Legs)...

We stopped at the convience store in Lake City again for just a bit, but long enough for Steve to get a tongue-lashing from the store clerk about how some of us took ice and water without buying anything else. After a couple of good laughs, we headed SE out of town for Wabasha. It was here that I started to notice my left hamstring was starting to let me know it was there.

The group rolled along with a nice single pace-line all the way to Wabasha. But along the way Rob got attacked by a "killer bee" and in the process of defending himself, his Oakley sunglasses went flying onto the road and right under my front wheel. I was sure they were toast, but Ted picked them up and other than some scratches on the frame, they were fine. Another endorsement for Oakley Eyeware (now where's my check). We continued on into Wabasha without incident and then up and over the bridge to Wisconsin. C-Ray decided he wanted to be first into cheese-country. We stopped in Nelson for lunch and everyone took full advantage of the sandwiches, chips, soda, and beer (Edgar). As we were getting ready to leave, I bumped into a couple of high school classmates (they were there on their motorcycle enjoying the ride around the lake).

We headed north toward Pepin, Stockton, and Maden Rock. Edgar got a nice motor-pace from some friends on a motorcycle, but he came to his senses and came back to the group. Soon it was time for the big climb of the day. I had settled in for the climb, when I noticed C-Ray and Mike openning up a gap on the group, so I decided to join them. As we headed up Mike started to drift back and it was C-Ray and I from there. I really needed to keep a tempo that I was comfortable in, and when C-Ray slowed a bit I decided to just grit my teeth and keep the tempo going. I made it to the top and decided to book it down the other side for the Bay City town sprint. To my surprise, I made it into town without C-Ray coming around. We stopped in Bay City for water, food, and to regroup.

From there we headed north and then west across the bridge into Red Wing. After a quick water stop, we hit the Cannon Valley trail for Cannon Falls. The "trail of tears" was once again, not a disappointment, as the pace was high with everyone taking turns at the front (mostly C-Ray, Mike, Silver, Ted, and Legs) working it hard. The trail was very quiet for a change, except for a couple of people who knew Edgar. Once we got to Cannon Falls we stopped at the local grocery store for food and water.

Then it started to sprinkle and I was sure the "fun" was just about to start. But as we headed out of town, the rain stopped and we rolled along all the way back to Lakeville without the drenching that I was sure we were in for.

We rolled back up to Silver's at about 8:25pm, dark enough that I had to put my sun glasses away. And after a quick couple of group photos, my wife (who had been to the Twin's game with my daughter and her boyfriend) drove me to McDonalds for a couple of cheeseburgers, fries, and a large vanilla shake.

Then the rain decided to show up, so once again our timing was perfect.

Great ride guys and thanks for all the hard work out there (Ted, Rob, Steve, Shad, Pete, Mike, Edgar, and of course Carleton)...

Sun 8/9/09

I met up with Jeff this morning for some easy miles.

With the winds out of the WNW, we headed west from Jeff's toward cty 4.

Then we turned north to Douglas and at Douglas we went east and north out of town.

We passed the Sunday morning group as they were heading south into Douglas. They all gave a wave and/or shout as they passed. I'm not 100% they all shouted nice things...

Jeff and I continued north and west until we got to cty 5 were we turned west and south on cty 5.

Eventually, we made our way back to the Genoa hill road and turned east for Genoa.

There were a number of riders out with maps of some sort, I'm not sure if there was an organized event going on or just happened to see multiple folks with maps in hand.

Anyway, Jeff flew down the Genoa hill and I eventually caught him before we had to tackle the three rollers into Douglas.

We continued east out of Douglas and then south on the frontage road and back to Jeff's.

Just the right amount of miles and tempo for my tired (and weak) legs.

Sat. 8/8/09

It was raining this morning, so I decided to skip the standard 8:00am ride and get out later on my own.

About 10:00am the roads were dry and the skies were showing more and more blue, so I headed out for a SE route (into the SE winds).

I made my way to Eyota and then continued east to Dover. At Dover, I turned south and headed for Chatfield. The wind had shifted to more southerly at this point, so I was pretty much into a 20+ mph wind for the next 10+ miles.

Once I got to Chatfield, I realized it was the city celebration day again and roads were closed in preparation for the big parade.

I stopped at the Kwip Trip for a snack and to get some more to drink, then it was off to find a route west out of the city. After some fancy back road turns, I made my way out past the horses and up the cty 2 hill.

By this time the winds had turned to the SW, so you guessed it, no rest for the wicked...

Finally, as I turned north on cty 1 I got the tail wind I was hoping for. By this time the temps (and the humidity) had increased to the point where I couldn't see at times because of the sweat in my eyes. But I got to roll along at a decent pace without my legs screaming at me to slow down.

I turned on cty 11 and headed up and over the big hills for home.

I finished with over 50 miles, very tired legs, and a helmet that weighed twice as much as it should have.

Mon. 8/3/09

Just a quick 20 mile out-and-back tonight.

After yesterday's ride, I just needed to stretch my legs.

I was surprised I didn't feel worse today, but I actually had to tell myself to take it easy at times.

D to D is still a big question mark for me...but we'll see.

Sun. 8/2/09

Terry had sent out the S.O.S. for riders to make the epic journey to Northfield and back on Sunday morning. So, I decided I could use the trip as a measure of my D to D fitness level.

We started at Dunn Brothers south at 7:00am. There were 8 other riders, but a few of them were turning back at some point. They were: Terry, Dr. Tim, Al, Chris, Bruce, Big Steve, Big Jim, Tim B and myself.

The winds were out of the SW and picking up throughout the day. Not the best day to go NW. But we took off heading west to Byron by way of Salem Corners.

The group was moving along nicely with a double pace line. At Byron, we continued west to Kasson and then after a short pause (to let the train go by), we headed for Dodge Center.

We stopped at the Kwik Trip in Dodge Center for more water, gatorade, and muffins.

Dr. Tim and Al decided that this was a good spot for them to turn back, while the rest of us headed north out of Dodge Center.

We then turned west again and made our way to West Concord. We continued west for a couple of more miles and just as we hit road construction, we turned north. The tailwind pushed us along at a nice 22+ mph pace as the 7 remaining riders got into a single rotating pace line.

We cruised on into Kenyon and after a short stop, we continued north and then west again to Nerstrand. From there it was west, north, then west again, down and up over some nice little climbs and finally down into Northfield.

We stopped at the Blue Monday Coffee shop for water, juice, coffee, bagels, and other assorted treats. We stayed there about 30 minutes or so, while everyone got good and refreshed. Then it was off back the way we had came, this time the tailwind was not so favorable.

We basically doubled-back to Kenyon and made another quick stop at the convience store for water. By this time I was starting to feel my lack of fitness, so I opted for a Mountain Dew and a Salted Nut Roll.

We made our way east out of Kenyon and I made sure to stay in the draft of the other 6 as best I could. The group rolled along at an incredable pace (+23 mph) considering the strong cross, headcross, and head winds we encountered as we made our way to Roscoe and finally Pine Island.

We made another stop in PI for water and food (I grabbed another Dew). And we finished of the epic trip on the Douglas Trail. I was glad to be out of the winds, as I was at my limit by now.

Once we reached Rochester, I turned east and headed for home.

140 miles in under 8 hours, not bad.

I wish I could only say I contributed more to the return trip than I did.

I really need to thank Big Jim, Big Steve, Big Chris, Big Bruce, Big Terry, and Big Tim for pulling my sorry a$$ all the way home. THANKS GUYS!!!

Wed. 07/29/09

With a weather report that was calling for showers in the evening, I decided to just head out from home and get in my usual 32-mile route.

I decided to ride the route in the opposite direction for something new and exciting...

There is a lot more traffic on cty 9 at this time, but the winds pushed me along nicely.

Then I had to work extra hard on the return strech.

And it sure looked like rain was coming as I neared home.
But like most things, I was wrong. The rain held off for a few more hours.

Sun. 7/26/09

I got out later on Sunday for a 32 mile loop.

The winds were WNW and gusty, so I got a nice push to Dover.

But I paid the price on the northern and western stretches home.

Seems like I'm just not getting back into shape (or at least the shape I want to be in).

I'm really working to get enough miles in to make this year's Dawn to Dusk, but only time will tell if I make it...

Sat. 7/25/09

I met the guys at Dunn Brothers South this morning for the standard Saturday ride.

We had 8 riders including: Jeff, Steve, Terry, Big Al, Jim T., Chris, Dan G., and myself.

With the stiff winds we decided to hang out on the Douglas trail to Pine Island. At PI, Steve noticed a buldge in his back tire, so we took the time to boot it before the tube popped.

As we were finishing up, Todd, Steve G., and Kristi rode up. We tried to talk Kristi into tagging along, but she didn't want to go as fast as the group was planning. But Todd and Steve G. hopped on.

We headed west to Roscoe and then we continued west until we got the cty 1, where we turned south and then east into Wasioja.

We contiued east and then we turned south into Mantorville, while Todd and Steve G headed east for home. After a quick water stop, we continued south and east past the golf course. By now I was starting to run out of gas, so I passed on my turns at the front or in the rotation.

We rolled into Byron and then we headed back into town on old 14, up radio hill and in past Country Club Manner. Jeff and Dan headed north for home, while Terry, Chris, and Al headed east into Rochester.

Jim T., Steve and I headed south for Dunn Brothers. Steve split for home and I headed past the fair grounds and continued east for home.

Over 76 miles at 19+ mph, no wonder I'm tired...

Thur. 7/23/09

I decided I would do the same route as yesterday (minus the threat of rain).

As I made my way out, I passed Shaun and Larry as they were heading back into town.

I continued on my way thinking I was feeling real good tonight. After a quick stop in Dover for some water, I headed north out of Dover and that's when I noticed the nice WNW winds that had picked up.

So, from here out it was cross or headcross all the way home.

I tried to keep the pace high, just because I felt like going a little harder tonight.

And by the time I reached home, I was plenty tired.

Wed. 7/22/09

I looked like rain in the NW, so I decided to head out from my house and go east rather than drive up to the Erik's ride.

I made my way out on my usual 20 mile route to hwy 42, then I turned north and headed into Eyota.

From there I headed east again past the elementary school and up and over the rollers as I made my way on into Dover. At Dover I turned north on cty 10, crossed over hwy 14 and continued north up and over some more hills, until I got to cty 9.

I turned west on cty 9 only to see the dark clouds were now completely over Rochester. I decided right then I was going to get wet at some point, so I kept an eye on the oncoming traffic to see when the wiper blades were being used. To my surprise no wiper blades as I made my way back on cty 9.

So, I turned south on cty 11 and headed for home without getting wet.

But the sky looked pretty nasty to the west...

Sat. 7/18/09

I met up with Jeff and Steve for a nice easy mile day.

We started from Jeff's and were going to meet up with Big Jim on the road. We got a later than normal start (because Jeff couldn't get his garage door to close) and we took a bit of an alternater route to the Douglas Trail. And you guessed it, we missed Big Jim out on the road.

We tried calling his cell phone, but he had left it at home. We doubled back to Douglas, but no Big Jim. So we headed to Pine Island without Big Jim pulling us into the wind. :(

We continued north toward Roscoe and got tangled up in an organized ride, but they all turned toward Kenyon as we continued on to Zumbrota. We rolled through Zumbrota and then turned east for Mazeppa.

After a quick stop in Mazeppa, we continued east and then south (past the spot of my most recent fall) and then headed south for Oronoco.

We then rolled into Oronoco and on south back to Jeff's.

Big Jim had rolled on past our rendevous spot to hwy 63 and then backtracked to PI, Roscoe and then home.

Sorry we missed you, Big Jim.

Wed. 7/15/09

I met the guys at Erik's for the regularly scheduled Wednesday night ride.

We rolled out right at 5:45pm and headed north on the Douglas trail.

As we turned west at Douglas and headed for Genoa hill, someone touched wheels and one rider went down. He looked mostly shock up and a little road rash on the left knee. His bike was OK, but Big Steve lost two spokes on his front wheel.

Big Jim took the broke wheel to his house and came backk with a spare.

The group had rolled ahead and we all got back together at the top of Genoa hill. Then we headed south until we got to cty 10 (I think) from there we headed into the stiff wind out of the west until we got to cty 11.

We headed north on cty 11 until we came to the river road. Big Jim turned north for more miles, while the rest of us headed to Pine Island.

After Big Jeff took the sprint and a quick rest stop, we headed back to cty 3 and made our way to Douglas. And then back on the trail to the shop.

It wasn't a bad evening (if you could take out the crash)...

Tues. 7/14/09

I met up with Shawn and Larry on their favorite route.

We made our way to Chester, then north to cty 9. From there we followed cty 9 all the way to cty 7, where we turned south into Eyota.

We headed south and east past the school and then headed back west and south to cty 23. And from there back into town past the gun club.

I finished with about 25 miles on a very windy night.

Sat. 7/11/09

I got in a quick 20 miles on Thursday evening and I had a chance to chat with Shawn and Harry (I think that was his name) as they made their way back into town.

Today, I met the VeloRochester group at Dunn Brothers South for the 8:00am Saturday ride.

We had a great group, let's see if I can remember them all: Dr. Tim, Bruce, Jason, Tim B., Jim T., Dan G., Chris, Terry, Big Al, one other (I didn't catch his name), and Big Steve, Big Jim, Big Dave, and Big Jeff.





We headed for Millville, heading out of town past RCTC and then north on cty 11. As we turned east on 247 for Potsdam, Big Dave, Terry, and Jason headed back to ROchester as they had things to do this morning. We turned north out of Potsdam and had a nice steady pace all the way to the downhill run to Millville.

A brand new Millville bridge was waiting for us (there was still some gravel on the approach). We continued out of town to the west and headed for Hammond.

At Hammond we turned north again and made our way to hwy 60. Some nice climbs and rollers on this road. Then we turned west on 60 and headed into Zumbro Falls.

After a stop at the convience store, the grou split as Big Steve, Big Jim, Big Jeff, Bruce and the other un-named guy headed west to Mazeppa, while the rest of us headed south on 63 for Rochester. We each took some nice pulls as we made our way back.

I turned on 37th street and headed for home, while the others continued on into Rochester.

I got home with around 66 miles and some very tired legs.

Thanks to all guys that pulled me back up to the group (numerous times)...

Wed. 07/01/09

Oh Hells Bells, Rat Farts, and Monkey Noodles!

It's been 6 months since I had my last fall (in case you missed it, I broke both the fibula and tibia just above the ankle and now I have a cool looking scar and a 4 inch piece of titanimum and 5 screws in my right leg).

Anyway, last night was the Erik's ride and things were going along nicely until just after Mazeppa where Big Steve and I were leading around a corner onto some newly paved roadrway, when I crossed the freshly-painted white line and hit a patch of the loose sparkly gravel-dust. Well the next thing I know I'm on the ground and Big Tom is standing over me checking out my shoulder. I don't think I was out, but I really don't remember anything about the fall.

My right side is a series of cuts and scraps, with my shoulder, hip, and head taking the brunt of it. My new helmet is cracked in two places, so off to find another...

Jeff straightened my brake levels and we got rolling along again (before I stiffened up too much). It's funny, but I can't remember the ride from Mazeppa to the turn on hwy 63. Not even the big climb out of the valley.

Anyway, we rolled along back into town without a problem and I only started to feel sore and stiff as we turned of of 37th street and headed north and then west back to erik's on 41st street.

Kathy is getting real good a patching me up. Maybe she should think of a career in nursing.

No Spam Jam ride for me, I guess...not that I was in shape for it.

Now I have to go out in the garage and give the bike the once over. I hope nothing is broke there (or the wife is going to kill me).

Tues. 6/30/09

Well, last weekend was not a good weekend for riding (for me at least). Saturday looked like rain at any minute with 20+ mph winds, while Sunday looked better there was still plenty of wind. Plus my list of household duties had gotten quite large, so I tackled some of those items.

Anyway, last week I got in a couple of weekday rides. Mostly, my 20 mile out and back loop. But I did stretch one day to Dover and back.

This week, I've managed to get out on Monday and Tuesday evening for a quick 20 miler. I even added the cty 11 hill climb to the end of the 20 miler to stretch things out.

Recently, I've been really concentrating on spinning with my right leg. It needs some strength back in a big way. It seems that I really rely on my left leg to keep me moving and if I'm ever going to feel better than 80% on the bike, I need to get the right leg to help out a little...

Problem is that the next day my right ankle is pretty stiff and sore from the workout. But I'll keep working through it and hope that the soreness gets less and less each day.

Sat. 6/20/09

The VeloRochester group met at Dunn Brothers an hour earlier this morning, so at 7:00am we headed out for Kenyon.

We had 11 riders, Dr. Tim, Terry, Tim B., Big Al, Bruce, Jim T.,

Big Jim,
Big Jeff,
Big Steve,

and

Big Davemade an appearance.

We rolled out of town to Salem Corners and shortly after town, Big Dave got a flat. But like a good teammate, Bruce gave Dave his rear wheel and the group continued on, while Bruce waited for the team car.

We made our way to Byron and then turned left toward Kasson, and then north on the golf course road for Mantorville. After a quick water stop, he continued north and then west to Wasioja and West Concord. From here we turned north and made our final stretch to Kenyon, but not before Terry suffered a flat. We all stopped and watched as Terry changed the flat, except Tim B. was busy distracting Terry with cat noises.

Anyway after the fix, we continued to Kenyon, where we stopped for water, gatorade, and candy bars. Then we headed out of town on cty 12 going east. After some nice rollers and great double-paceline action we turned south on cty 10 (I think) and then back east on cty 11 into Pine Island.

By this time I was starting to feel a bit rung out, so after a quick water stop I headed for home via the Douglas Trail, while the rest of the group made their way to Byron.

I finished the day with over 95 miles and an average of almost 19 mph. Pretty good considering I slacked off on the trail ride home.

I hope Bruce isn't still out there waiting...

Thur. 6/18/09

Just because I haven't been keeping this page up-to-date, doesn't mean I haven't been riding (a little)...

This week, I have gotten in my 20 mile route on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Why only 20 miles? Well, because Monday I was tired (and lazy), Wednesday I was busy, and Thursday it looked like nasty weather was not too far off in the distance.

All the rides were pretty uneventful. I spotted Gary G. out in TT form and a number of other riders out getting some miles in.

Hopefully, I can get some longer miles in this weekend...

Sat. 6/13/09

Big Jeff, Steve, and I decided to give the 8:00am Dunn Brothers ride a go this morning. Getting up early to ride in the cool morning air was a new experience (this year) for me, I overdressed. But at least I was warm.

We took off with 12 riders (Big Jeff, Steve, Terry, Jim T., Bruce, Big Al, Dan G., Allan, Eric, Dr. Tim, Jeff G., and myself). We decided to head NW to Zumbrota by way of Byron, Mantorville, and Roscoe.

It was a perfect morning and the group was humming along like a well-oiled machine. Everyone taking their turns and no one was stringing the group out. As we neared Zumbrota, I decided to head out on my own and turn west for Kenyon and check up on Bill (my son).

Kenyon was a bit further than I remembered, but I eventually made it to town, then I was wondering how I was going to find him. When all of a sudden I hear someone yell, "Heh, what are you doing here?". It was Bill in one of the patrol cars. He pulled over and we chatted for awhile. I asked him to give me a ticket for doing 45 mph in a 30 zone, just so I can say I got a speeding ticket on my bike.

Then I grabbed something to eat at the convience store and headed for home. I made my way south and then west back to Roscoe and then on into Pine Island. From there I hit the Douglas Trail for Rochester. I cut across town on 7th and finally arrived at home.

Just over 100 miles for the first time since way last year. I was tired, but there is something about cracking the 100 mile mark. My leg didn't bother too much, but I could tell it was not happy by the time I reached the driveway (I don't think the wife was too happy either).

What a great day for a long ride and I got to see my son in action...

Thur. 6/11/09

With the fast-paced workout yesterday, I decided I should get out a stretch the legs a bit tonight.

I headed out on my usual 20-mile route, passed a couple of cyclists as they were heading back toward town. Then continued south and east, to see if Ed was awake.

Sure enough as I passed the farm, here comes Ed in full gallup. I decided to try and outrun him, instead of giving him a shot of pepper spray. He chased for quite a while, but he finally gave up. I can only hope I get in shape before he does.

I continued east and then north into Dover. Once in Dover I turned west and made my way up and over the three good sized climbs back to Eyota.

South for a bit and then back onto my 20-mile route and finally home.

I passed a few more cyclists as I neared town, but mostly a pretty nice ride (except for Ed)...

Wed. 6/10/09

With all the rain over the weekend, I didn't get any riding in and before I knew it it was Wednesday. So, Jeff, Steve, and I decided to make it out for the Erik's group ride.

I got a late start from home and saw the group rolling out, just as I pulled up. I threw on my shoes, gloves, and helmet, grabbed my water bottles and began the chase. I was close enough to see which way they headed out on the Douglas trail, so I pedaled along until I caught up to them just before Northern Hills Golf Course. I looked the group over to see who had made it. I saw Steve G., Kristi, Paul, Jim G., Jeff G., Eric,

Big Tom,


and way up front was Big Jeff, but no Steve S. :(

As we rolled along there was another rider coming up from behind, sure enough here comes Steve S. clipping right along. :)

We rolled into Douglas, then jumped on cty 3 (I think) north out of Douglas and passed Big Jim's ranch. We turned left and headed for PI, when a car went by with a bike on top, it got a ways ahead, stopped, and the passenger got out and climbed on the bike. It was Todd. He too had missed the start. So now the group had 13 riders as we rolled into PI.

Then north and west out of PI and headed for Roscoe. Lots of nice rollers and everyone was taking turns at the front. We turned south at Roscoe and headed back toward Mantorville. The climb on cty 11 put a nice hurt in everyones legs. We decided to head into Mantorville and then east past the golf course. Again, the hills made this stretch a real blast.

We got into a real nice rotating paceline as we turned south. What fun! Sinc a bit of a gap had openned up, we pulled over and waited at the stop sign for everyone to catch back on. Then we continued east into Byron.

At Byron, we stayed on the frontage road and most of the group turned north, while several riders turned south and headed for home. The northbound group zig-zagged our way to cty 4 and then headed east back to Rochester. As we neared town Paul and eric split for home, while Jim G., Todd, Big Tom, and the rest turned the screws up as we attacked one climb after another until we reached west circle drive. Big Jeff headed for home and Steve S. turned south for his house, and the rest of us limped back to Erik's.

Not a bad showing for the old, injured, and undertrained. I know I'll be hurting for a couple of days...

A very fast-paced (for me) 54 mile weekday ride.

Thur. 6/4/09

I did a 35 mile route tonight that I haven't done in awhile.

I started with my ole standby, past the gun club and out cty 23 to the hwy 42 intersection. Then I turned south on hwy 42 and stayed south all the way to hwy 52. Then I turned west on hwy 52 for about 2 miles until I coule turn south on cty 7.

Up the big hill on cty 7, then down the backside to hwy 30. I turned west again on hwy 30 and up the long steady grade toward Stewartville. I then turned on the Pleasant Grove turnoff and as I came into town one young fella wanted to give me good dowsing with the garden hose while his buddies cheered him on. I gave him the "don't do it" look and he decided I could go by without a good drink.

From there I headed north down into Fugel's Mill and up the other side into Simpson. Then east and north, up and over the cty 11 hill and finally home.

I was tired but all-in-all a nice ride...

Wed. 6/3/09

First I spent some time on cleaning/re-adjusting my chain/bottom bracket/crankset, then I got out for a quick ride (the usual 20-miler).

Gary G. went by as he was heading for town, while I was still on my outbound leg. He was in full TT-mode and moving right along. I was sluggishly trying to get my legs to continue going around.

The NNE winds gave me a bit of a workout, until I turned around and then got a slight (very slight) push back home.

I finished off with one climb up the cty 11 hill, just to make my legs hurt a little bit more.

But the bike worked flawlessly...

Tues. 6/2/09

I got out for a quick 20 miler tonight.

As I got to the top of the climb on cty 23, I noticed another rider up the road.

I was closing the gap and at first I thought it was maybe Jeff, but as I got closer I noticed it was a gal. So I knew it wasn't Jeff, she was going much too fast.

Anyway, said hello as I went by. And continued to my turn-around point. There was more wind on the way back home, so my heart rate shot up a bit.

But I felt pretty good tonight.

Sun. 5/31/09

I met with up with the trio this morning.

We met at the gas station (or once used tobe a gas station) on the south edge of Country Club Manor.

I had noticed a bit of a creak coming from my bike somewhere on the ride in. When I got to the station, I noticed the crank bolt had worked its way lose. When Jim showed up I asked if he had any wrenches. Nope. Jeff and Steve were no help either. We decided to head back to Steve's to get a wrench. Jeff gave the bolt a good tightening and finally we were off.

With the strong south winds we headed south on cty 8. Big Jim took the lead with Jeff and Steve pulling their weight, while I sucked wind in the back. We turned west and headed into High Forest. Then we turned east and headed into Stewartville. We continued east out of town and as we got near cty 1, I turned north and headed for home. While the guys continued east to hit cty 19 for a few more miles.

I finished up with a bit over 45 miles. All in all a good ride.

Thur. 5/28/09

Got out for a nice 35 mile route tonight.

Took the normal roads out to my turn-around point on my 20-miler and then went south.
Then I turned east toward the turkey farms. Ed, Eddie, and Edward were all there to chase me as I passed the farm house near the turkey farm, but only Ed (the rotweiler) kept the chase up all the way to the corner.

I yelled and had the pepper spray ready, but Ed is a smart old dog. He stayed just out of range and kept an eye on me each time I sat up. He eventually got bored and turned around.

I continued east and then north (into the wind) until I got to Dover. Then I turned west (into the wind) and made my way back to Eyota and the south to my turn-around point and finally back in to home.

I was really bushed tonight, must not have been my night for exercise...

Big Dave is at it again...

Puttin' the hurt on...

Sun. 5/24/09

I met up with the three Amigos this morning...



They started from the Westfire parking lot and headed east across town and I met them by RCTC. With the NNE winds we headed to Elba via cty 9. On the way out of town, Dr. Tim caught up and rode with us until we hit the top of the cty 9 hill, then he turned and headed for home.

The pace out on cty 9 was nice and steady with everyone taking turns at the front. During the whole time Jeff and Big Jim were keeping Steve and I amused with their jokes and tall-tales.

We turned north and continued down into Whitewater State Park. Boy, that road is nice and smooth now. It's alot more fun descending on pavement that isn't full of Grand Canyon-sized holes all over the place...

We stopped at the convience store in Elba for refreshments and nature breaks. Then we doubled-back to the campground and up the nice steady two-mile climb. Once at the top it didn't feel like we were getting any tailwind. Must have been more out of the north at this time.

Eventually, we turned south on hwy 42 and then turned west into Viola. Up and over the many rollers as we made our way back into town. I turned south on cty 11 as the others continued on into town.

I got home with a little over 3 hours on the cycle computer and right around 60 miles, so all-in-all a pretty fast-paced and long day (for me, not so for the others).

I even got sunburned abit on my arms and legs...

Mon. 5/18/09

Well I think I need to recap my last several rides since I've been lax in updating the site.

I did a nice 20 mile ride last Tuesday, don't remember much so it must have been a pretty normal ride.

I was out of town, so I didn't get back out until Sunday. But I did a nice 45 mile loop of Chatfield. The west winds made the county 2 stretch a bit of a workout. But overall, I felt pretty good.

Tonight, I did the 20 mile route (again). The strong south winds were fun. And at the turnaround, I was made aware of the real wind direction of SSW. So the homeward stretch was a good head-cross. I topped it off with a climb up the cty 11 hill south of home.

I think I'm getting better, but I just can't tell...

Sat. 5/9/09

I met up with Jeff and Steve today and we headed for Oronoco. From there we kept going north until we reached Mazeppa. With the WNW winds, we headed east to Zumbro Falls. But before we got there, Jeff flatted. He found the problem, a small shard of glass, after he cut his finger about 6 times. Then, it took quite awhile before we got all of the glass out of his tire. We booted the tire (just in case) and put in the spare tube, pumped it up, and continued on into Zumbro Falls. After a quick stop at the convience store, it was up the hill on hwy 63.

We turned west at Chefies and headed into the wind for a bit. After the nice decent into the valley, we turned south heading back towards Oronoco.

Lots of nice hills and it seemed like the wind was always there to make sure we worked hard. At least I had Jeff and Steve to block the wind for me on those windy sections...

Just over 51 miles on a chilly, windy day. About the time we rolled into Jeff's the sun showed up.

Sat./Sun. 5/2/09-5/3/09

Well on Saturday, I got up enough nerve to ride with the guys. I met Jeff and Steve at Jeff's and we headed out from there. With the winds out of the WNW, we headed for the Douglas Trail to meet up with Big Jim, then we continued to Pine Island. From there we went eastward to Mazeppa and then into Zumbro Falls.

After a quick stop at the convience store, it was up the long hill out of town heading south. We waved as we passed Chefies. The cross winds were really starting to get to me and by the time we hit the Rochester city limits, I was done.

Jeff wanted to do more and I'm sure Jim and Steve were up to it, but I wussed out and they lead the way back to Jeff's. Big Jim had a nasty stretch home into the wind. I hope he made it.

Today, I rode with my other friends (myself and I). I headed SE even though the WNW winds were starting to pick up. The ride to Chatfield was very nice and I felt like I was being pushed along the entire time (which I was). The turkey farm dogs (Ed, Eddie, and Edward) did not make any attempt to chase today. Maybe it was the pepper spray from the other night or maybe it was because their owner was in the yard and they felt they had to behave.

I made my way out of Chatfield up the now straight county 2 and after reaching the top, I was welcomed with a nice stiff breeze. From there the wind was either a headwind or a nice brisk crosshead wind. Fugels Mill road has only been slightly changed with less curve and a more gradual slope. And nice new pavement all the way to Simpson. From there I only had the big hills on county 11 to deal with.

All in all, a good weekend. I felt tired today, but not as tired as Saturday. I'm blaming today on the wind and the fact the myself and I did absolutely no pulls at the front. Sandbaggers, myself took the Simpson sign, followed by I, and that left third place for yours truely...

Tues. 4/28/09

With all the rain over the weekend, I didn't do too much. And Monday night, I made a trip up to see Hwood and picked up my new duds.

But tonight, my son and I got out for a nice 20 miler. The winds were from the SE, so we had more work going out. But, the ride back into town was very easy-going.

Nothing out of the ordinary to report, just a great night for a ride and good conversation with my son.

Update

I got out for a couple of nice but windy rides both Tuesday (really windy) and Wednesday (sortof windy). The weather was a bit colder on Tuesday, so I had to bundle up more, but Wednesday's temps were in the lower 60s.

Both rides were pretty uneventful, except I did spot a young cow standing on the side of the road during Wednesday's ride. He must have found an openning in the fence somewhere. He looked a little lost and confused as I approached.

I got my pepper spray ready, just in case...

Big D, again

Nice work there Big Dave! Fourth at the ever-tough Durand RR, in a group that contained Charlie Townsend is always a big win in my book.

You had great weather for Durand, I hope you felt good...

Best of luck for the rest of the season. Bleed Silver!

I'll be watching from the sidelines (as usual).

Fri. 4/17/09

Got out after work and went a bit further than I have over the past week.

I did the 30 mile out and back from my house. With light winds, I barly noticed the headwind on the way out.

Everything was pretty normal, until I got near the house west of the turkey farm. Two years ago I had encountered three big black dogs there and actually ended up calling the cops on them for coming out into the road and chasing me for almost a mile. But I didn't see them last year, so I thought maybe they were locked up or gone.

Well, this time there was the pack leader, a rotweiler mix (I think). I didn't see the other two (black labs), but at this point I wasn't looking for them either. Well, "Eddie" spotted me and came running to the road. And me currently being in such fine physical condition, it was a wonder I couldn't outrun him.

Anyway, as he got close he ran up alongside, growling and barking. He made a couple of moves into the road, but luckily stayed away from my wheels. I had just about had enough, so I pulled the pepper spray from my pocket and let him have a taste. He quickly backed off and went into the ditch to roll in the grass for a bit.

I continued to my turnaround point, all the while thinking what was going to be in store for me as I passed the farm house a second time.

As I neared the house, I could see all three dogs in the middle of the yard. The two black labs were barking, looking at me, and then looking back at Eddie. I think they were waiting for him to make the first move. But, Eddie was busy pretending he didn't notice me, by looking in the opposite direction.

I had to laugh as I calmly made my way past the farm and continued on home.

The rest of the ride was uneventful, except I was really tired by the time I got home. Just got to get used to some longer mile rides...

Way to go Dave, again...

Wear it proudly.

Waahooo!

It's been over 3 months since I've seen the front wheel on a bike actually go around and around. But, today was my first adventure outdoors.

I took advantage of the nice weather to get out and ride my 20 mile out-and-back route.

The wind was out of the NE at about 9 mph, so I had a bit more work on the way out. I did see Gary G. and another rider heading back towards town as I was heading out. They were going much faster than I was, I think they could tell. Maybe it was all the finger-pointing, name-calling, and laughter.

Anyway, I didn't break anything. My lungs hurt, my right calf complained a bit, my left knee took awhile to warm up, and of course the right ankle made sure I wouldn't forget him throughout the ride.

But, I'm all smiles now...

Wed. 3/18/09

Well, I'm back on my feet again pretty much full time (with the occassional soreness breaks).

I continue riding indoors to help loosen things up and keep some muscle tone. My plan is to hit the open road after I return from vacation on April 6th.

We'll see then how I really feel.

But as of right now, I feel I'm about 85% of the way back.

I'll let you know how the first outdoor ride feels after it happens.

All clear...

I had my return appointment today. So, it was X-rays (this time some standing up ones) and then a visit by the residents and finally Dr. Cass.

After comparing the new x-rays to the previous ones, Dr. Cass indicated that everything is where it should be and it all looks very good.

He asked about how much weight I've been putting on it and then he tapped on the front of my shin to see if I felt any pain.

He said, I should start walking around the house (at first) without the boot and without crutches, but still wear the boot to work, until I'm feeling comfortable walking without it there as well.

He also said, I'm good to go and can ramp up my riding to as intense as I want (or can stand). Which in my case isn't too much, but it's better than sitting around all day.

So, my plan is to continue riding indoors for now and get outside once the roads clean up a bit or on the really nice days. Yeah, I've turned into a big wuss.

At least I'm back (sort of)...

Fri. 03/06/09

Feeling a bit better every day.

I have still been getting my 30 or so minutes of spinning each day and my right leg is looking a lot more normal (still got a ways to go).

I am working on the range of motion in my ankle and with my return appointment next Tuesday, I am hoping to progress to the next level.

I have been spending about 90% of my time on one crutch with the walking boot. So, we'll see how much healing I've done in the past three weeks.

I need to be crutch free and walking boot free by March 28th (vacation time)...

Keep your fingers crossed.

Tues. 2/25/09

Spinning, spinning, spinning.

I'm slowly getting back into a groove. I've been getting in around 30 to 45 minutes each day since last Wednesday and I can say it feels great.

There are plenty of new aches and pains, as I stretch, twist, and strengthen my right leg. But I think my Doctor would call this the "Good Pain".

My ankle has been stiff the last couple of days, but after my spin it seems to feel much better. So, I'm going to continue until my next appointment.

I'm still a bit nervious about putting too much weight on it, just yet.
I really don't want to prolong this, by re-breaking something...

But as of right now, I plan to be out on the road by the beginning of April (my wife may not agree, but then "that's another story").

I'm back...

I'm back in the saddle again.

Yep, that's right. I was given the Okie Dokie to start putting some weight back on my right leg. A little at a time and with the aid of my crutches. I also don't need to keep the aircast boot on while I sleep (yippie).

But (more importantly) I did get the green light to start some indoor spinning. So, Bill got me all setup in the basement and I actually rode for about 45 minutes today.

My right calf didn't like it too much and my ankle was real stiff, but I think that's to be expected. The part where I sit also complained a little... At least I can say I'm riding (somewhat) again.

The x-rays showed some pretty good healing, but there is still a ways to go before it's 100%. I have another return appointment on March 10 and I plan on having quite a few miles in by then...

So, now I expect to be a little sore in some other areas for a few days and then it's go time.

Work will be half-days still until the swelling (and tingling) is under control.

All in all a great day!!!

Sun. 02/15/09

Today is the 7 week anniversary of my last bike ride.

The butterfly bandages have all come off and the scar is looking pretty good (chicks dig scars). There is some scab on it yet, but most of it has come off with the bandages.

Work wasn't too bad last week, but sitting in the meetings with my foot down really made it tingle. It feels alot like it's falling asleep. I continue the half-days at least until my return appointment on Wednesday. After that, I hope that I can start putting some weight on it and getting some spinning in.

I need to get my ankle limbered up after all this, not to mention the recovery of all the muscle tone that I've lost in my right leg.

At least I'm sleeping better at night...

Sun. 2/8/09

Six weeks and counting...

I start back to work tomorrow afternoon. It will be interesting to see how I feel after all this laying around. But I am looking forward to getting back to active life.

After the nice warm days this weekend, I can only say "I wanna ride my bike".

Can't wait to get back in the saddle...

Sun. 2/1/09

Five weeks since my disaster.

My foot/ankle look pretty normal, except for some minor swelling (and the big scar down the outside of my ankle). Sleeping is getting better, I only got up once last night. But, this "no weight" detail is really getting old.

I am planning on going back to work starting on Feb 9th for half-days to see how that goes. So, I won't be bored out of my mind. Made a few day-trips to help break-up the days. Bill and I got up to see Marty, hard at work, a few days ago and we met Scott at Glynners for happy hour on Friday.

I haven't seen any emails from Big Jim, Big Jeff, and crew, so I guess everyone has decided to put their bikes up and wait for me to get better (that way we can all be out of shape together).

Can't wait for the Feb 18th appointment...

Mon. 1/26/09

Well, time passes slowly...

The constant nagging pains have pretty much gone. I only get pain when I move it around or when my leg starts jumping around.

I can finally sleep on my side (for a change), but I need to reposition several times at night. So, still not sleeping all night long.

Can't wait for my return appointment on Feb 18th and the possibility of my walking cast.

Here are some pics from my Jan 21st appointment (notice the cool new hardware components, Shimano I think):





"We can rebuild him, we can make him stronger and faster."

Also, I hear that my good friend Ted did a number on his leg while snowboarding and is currently in a very similar situation.


Get better, Ted.

It's been a bad couple of months for bike riders, I guess.

Recall: Cliff Bars with peanut butter

Check out this recall posted by the FDA.

or check out the Clif Bar info...

The stitches are out...

Had my two week return appointment today.

After new x-rays, Dr. Cass came in and said everything looks good.
The plate and five screws showed up nicely on the x-ray (I will try to post some pics later). And the tibia was still in alignment for proper healing. In fact, you could actually see signs of healing down low along the front side of the tibia. But there is still a long way to go before I can put weight on it.

They removed the twelve stitches and said that I need to keep everything nice and still in the air-cast thingy...

So, four more weeks of "no weight" and a return appointment for Feb 18th.

Then we'll see about getting back in shape.

Thur. 1/15/09

Well, another day in paradise...

Not much new to report, feeling about the same.
I am trying to not depend on the meds quite as much, so the nagging little throbbing pain has come back on occasion. It feels alot like a real serious case of your foot falling asleep, with the added sharp pains once in awhile.

Bill took a picture of my surgery, so here's a shot:



Nice looking, eh? Notice the nice black and blue heal (you should see the other side.

Got my return appointment for next Wednesday and another followup for February 18th.
So I should know more after next week...

Tues. 1/13/09

Well, I think I'm finally starting to actually feel better. I am sleeping most of the night, only getting up for bathroom breaks and a refresh of meds (about twice nightly). And I am working on spreading the meds out during the day. Hopefully, I can quit them all together here in the next week or so.

I have not gotten my return appointment info, yet. But that should be coming in the mail, and should be set for sometime next week.

I hope they X-ray it again, so I can see the surgeons handiwork. If so, I'll try and post some pics.

Other than that, I'm starting to feel like a slug (with all this laying around).

I hope I don't gain too much weight or I'll need a beefer bike frame.

Sat. 01/10/09

Well, last night was a doozie. I really thought I should have stayed another night in the hospital.

About 6:00pm last night the pain started to increase, so I decided to eat supper and go straight to bed. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. By 11:00pm, I was about ready to pull any remaining hair I have out by the roots.

When they put the plastic cast on yesterday in the hospital, they wrapped a small ace bandage over a dressing covering the stitches. Kathy took the plastic boot cast off, she then noticed my leg was really swollen above the ace bandage. So she re-wrapped the ace bandage, but this time a bit more loosely. It was like night and day. Instantly, my leg stopped throbbing and I felt much better.

From there on, I slept very well and got up only a couple of times for meds and bathroom breaks.

Special thanks to my private Florence Nightengale. And yes, I'm ordering her the naughty nurse outfit from Fredricks of Hollywood.

And surgery it was...

Well, Thursday came and I was scheduled to be at SMH by 8:30am. They took us into a prep area, where I needed to put on the ever-cool backless jammies and the classic light-blue cotton robe. And don't forget those sweet-looking grey booties with the non-slip soles. Did I mention that this stylish ensemble was sans under garments (I thought I felt a draft).

I then got a real nice IV setup installed. And after a brief wait (~1 hour) and about 30 people asking me my name and date of birth, we were off for the pre-op area. I sat in there for another hour or so. I chatted with my anesthesiologist (Jeff), several other attending individuals, and then finally Dr. Cass. The plan was still to just plate the fibula and not the tibia (unless he saw something once he was in there.

After a short bit I was wheeled into the OR, where there was a small army of people all busy doing stuff in different corners of the room. A quick hop from one rolling bed to another (remembering to keep the luxurious jammies in place, as best I could), Jeff was ready to do his stuff. They started by asking how I had broken my ankle and as I was explaining, they placed an oxygen mask next to my mouth and told me to take some deep breathes. A few more short stories about my heroic tales on the bike and I heard Jeff say, "Goodnight". I think he was getting bored...

Anyway, I don't remember much about the dream. But I think it had something to do with me winning the "Tour da France" eight times (take that Lance).

I woke up in post-op with a serious case of dry mouth. As they hovered around monitoring my pulse, breathing, heart-rate and my rippling muscles (I made the last one up), they asked lots of "how are you feeling" questions. Dr. Cass stopped by and explained that he only needed to plate the fibula, like he expected and that he would chat with me later. They had put another plaster half cast on the leg and wrapped the whole thing in an Ace bandage. After about another 1 1/2 hour waking-up period, I was shipped up to my private room on the eighth floor.

Kathy was already up in the room waiting for me. Once settled in, I was given my ol' favorite, Fentinal (sp) with the magic, little button. I started pushing the button right away. It was now about 2:30pm or so. I had some ice chips for my dry throat. It wasn't long before the nausea started to show up, so they gave some stuff for the nausea and it seemed to help.

Kathy and the kids were there for awhile and a bit later a couple of guys from work stopped up. Right around 6:00pm, I starting feeling really tired, Kathy and Bill headed home and I was left with my liquid supper (apple juice, raspberrie sherbert, chicken broth, and hot tea). I only felt like a small sampling of the sherbert, but I did drank all my apple juice (smily face for me). I didn't feel much like the soup or the tea. The rest of the night was interrupted by lots of visits from various nurses (all asking for my name and date of birth).

The first night nurse kept bugging me to go to the bathroom (number one). But, peeing while laying down is not my thing. After giving it the ol' college try, I had squeeked out about 200ml. This apparently wasn't enough for her though, and she brought in an ultrasound device to see how much was remaining in my bladder. She said that the ultrasound indicated there was another 600ml or so in there (who are you going to believe, me or a machine). So anyway, she said I could try once more or it was catheter time. It didn't take me long to get the remaining 600ml into the jug (I didn't want the alternative).

They put this little air-bag thing on my left leg, it would puff up with air every minute or so to help prevent blood clots. But it wasn't very conducive to getting very restful sleep. So, I was getting about 15 minute catnaps all night long. About 4:00am, I had had enough. I asked the night nurse if I could take it off, she said that it would be OK. And after she took it off, I took one more hit of my favorite fetinal and went right to sleep. I sleep until 6:30am, when two guys came in to take the plaster cast off and they gave me a nice new plastic boot cast. It is the new Nike-Aire model with the little pumper thing on each side of the boot to make it nice and firm around the ankle. It may be made out of carbon fiber and I'm pretty sure I can attach a Look cleat to the bottom. So I'm all set now.

Dr. Cass (and his roadies) came in and said that I could go home today, but he would schedule me to meet with him in two weeks. He went over some details about taking care of the incision, that I still need to stay off of my right leg, and to keep it elevated as much as possible.

About 8:30am, Kathy came in and shortly after that they brought in my breakfast of grape juice, hot tea, and oatmeal. It tasted OK, and best of all it stayed down.
After a light lunch, they came in with all the paperwork and by 2:00pm we were on our way home.

My leg feels much better and now "let the healing begin"...

Sun. 01/04/09

Well about this time last week, I was sitting in the ER waiting for the "good news".

It's been a long week, but I feel much better at home than the first three days of last week.

The swelling has gone down for now (that's what she said), but with the upcoming surgery I'm sure I haven't seen the last of it.

This sitting around is already starting to suck.

The good news is that I haven't been taking too many of the pain meds (I'm saving them for Jeff and Steve when I take them back out on the hills) and the Xbox is my friend (there just isn't much on TV during the day).

I got a sweet NFL authentic Adrian Peterson Vikings jersey for Christmas, so I'm all decked out for the big game today. I might even get a purple and gold cast just to egg on Greg...

Sat. 01/03/2009

Well, I'm home resting and keeping the foot elevated to help reduce the swelling.
They put another temporary cast on it and scheduled my surgery for Thursday.

If I keep my foot up and don't move it much, the pain is pretty manageable.
But if I have to move it around, the pain about sends me through the roof.

At least I have the pain meds...and my EPO.

We finally got to have our family Christmas (our original one was planned for last Sunday afternoon).

I got some real nice heavy bib tights (not sure if I am going to get to use them this season or not).

But, I did get an Xbox 360, so now I have something to help with the healing...