Last night I went for a bike ride with some friends in Piedmont Park. Rebecca is looking to do an MS150 ride at Callaway Gardens this fall and instead of her buying a bike I offered up my old cannondale that has been rusting away in the back porch. I spent some time cleaning the gears and fixing the rear derailer which was not functioning properly, adjusted the seat and obviously brought the tires out of deflation. As I stood it beside my new road bike I felt a sense of sadness for the neglect I had brought upon it...but one glance back at my Orbea made that feeling go away. :)
So Sara, armed with my mtn bike, Rebecca and I set off to the park for a quick spin to see how the road bike suited her. It didn't take her long to feel comfortable and she was quickly racing ahead. I remember thinking how nervous I was everytime I hit a twig or bump in the road...one false move and there goes 6 hours of surgery and 3 months of recovery.
Those of you who haven't felt the drastic difference between road and mtn bikes will appreciate the fact it takes some getting used to. One small glance back at Sara and I sent Rebecca tumbling to the ground. My biggest fear was that she suffered a broken bone, but after several minutes we realized the road rash and cuts were thankfully the worst of it. She handled it like a trooper but it got me thinking about how one second can change it all. I'm glad that I've been taking it easy on the road bike but my next course of action is to get my clips off the bike and put some 'safer' pedals on...it's just not worth it.
I'm hoping that my feeling of anxiety goes away on the bike because it's something I really enjoy...but after last night, I'm not in as much of a hurry as I was before.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
I can't run...but maybe I can roll...
So the last couple of days I've been thinking about how I could possibly keep competing in triathlons and adventure races. The answer to overcoming the cross-country running portion of adventure races has yet to appear...but I think I may have found a solution to triathlons.
The way I see it, I may not be considered disabled by society, but the fact I'm assured time and time again that running is not in my future means that I am 'somewhat disabled' in my mind. So I think I'm going to ask the 'Tri the Parks' committee if it would be possible for me to compete in the area triathlons with a specialized handcycle wheelchair for the running portion of the race. I'm not sure what the rules are, but I figured it was worth a shot...it's not like I'm in it to win it...I just want to get back out there. I thought of walking, but even that is too much for my hip...at this point especially. I would never want to offend anyone by doing this either...so it's still just a thought.
My coworkers and friends have of course laughed at me for the suggestion, but I'm hoping through the jokes and laughter...they understand that not only am I serious...but I completely plan on finding a way to compete again. Even if it's only entering into the race to do the first two stages.
You can't keep a good girl down right? ;)
Anyway, if there are any of you PAO women reading this blog that don't find my suggestion ridiculous and would consider something similar...I would love to hear from you!
On a side note, I got back out on my road bike this Saturday for a decent ride and with exception to the sore pelvic bones from sitting in the racing saddle, it felt pretty good. I was wishing I didn't have a double crank as I was gasping up the hills... :)
The way I see it, I may not be considered disabled by society, but the fact I'm assured time and time again that running is not in my future means that I am 'somewhat disabled' in my mind. So I think I'm going to ask the 'Tri the Parks' committee if it would be possible for me to compete in the area triathlons with a specialized handcycle wheelchair for the running portion of the race. I'm not sure what the rules are, but I figured it was worth a shot...it's not like I'm in it to win it...I just want to get back out there. I thought of walking, but even that is too much for my hip...at this point especially. I would never want to offend anyone by doing this either...so it's still just a thought.
My coworkers and friends have of course laughed at me for the suggestion, but I'm hoping through the jokes and laughter...they understand that not only am I serious...but I completely plan on finding a way to compete again. Even if it's only entering into the race to do the first two stages.
You can't keep a good girl down right? ;)
Anyway, if there are any of you PAO women reading this blog that don't find my suggestion ridiculous and would consider something similar...I would love to hear from you!
On a side note, I got back out on my road bike this Saturday for a decent ride and with exception to the sore pelvic bones from sitting in the racing saddle, it felt pretty good. I was wishing I didn't have a double crank as I was gasping up the hills... :)
Friday, May 02, 2008
Ironman vs. TitaniumWoman
TitaniumWoman...not enough metal to set off the detectors at the airport...but enough to kick Robert Downey Jr's butt
Yesterday I went for x-rays to confirm everything was healing as expected. Dr. Mautner, my referring doctor, mentioned that besides calcium deposits and a screw that looked to be 'poking out' (he said some medical name, but I can't remember it off hand) everything looked good. My range of motion was great and besides my significant limp when walking he expected that at 6 months I should be back to normal. I asked if that included being able to run and he launched into a lecture about how that is never an option...unless I needed to jog away from a mugger.
All in all, everything seems to be okay and once Dr. Murphy okays the xrays I will be cleared.
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