The Home Stretch

I am approaching the last two weeks of not being able to trail ride and I am chomping at the bit. The doc made me go the full 12 weeks for healing, but says that he anticipates no problems and this is best for what I plan to do going forward. Lots and lots of pedaling.

Santa's Xmas Surprise

Yesterday was Christmas and Santa (a/k/a) my wonderful hubby brought me a new Cyclocross bike and I am super psyched to try it out. However, I also received something for Christmas that I could have really done without, and that's a bad head cold. So now instead of doing a test run on the new bike, I am sniffling and coughing and just waiting for January 5th to roll around when the doc gives me the OK to trail ride again.

And, oooh, am I excited about that. Not being able to ride trails is a great motivator to make you appreciate the trails you have "in your back yard" again. So while others might be tiring of riding the same old, same old, for me, they will all be new once again when I return. That's another positive thing I can look forward to. That "new trail smell".

I have a lot of goals for 2012 on my to do list, so I hope to be putting a lot of miles on my new bike as well. My ultimate goal is to do the Fool's Gold in GA in September. I have wanted to do this race since I heard about it roughly 3 years ago. It will be more climbing in any single ride than I have ever done in my life but the atmosphere is supposed to be wonderful and the race is really well supported from what I've read in  past reviews. There will also be after race music and great food and beautiful scenery. Races with food and music at the end are my kind of thing. Probably one of the main reasons why I choose to participate in most of them. However, I have no illusions that it will not be extremely hard, but I know I can do it. It could take me anywhere from 6-8 hours to do the 50 miles with all the elevation. Oh the elevation.  But, did I mention there will be food and a party atmosphere at the end? Yes, I believe I did. I should mention it again. Not so much for your sake, but for mine.

This will also be the first time I actually do any significant traveling to participate in an event like this so much of this experience will be new for me. I signed up on the day registration opened for fear that I would get shut out since this year this is the final race in the Ultra Endurance series. That means lots of competitive people will be there. People that I will probably see at the starting line only. And maybe on the podium. Assuming they don't pack up and leave before I finish my own race and I miss them getting their awards. Sell out did not happen as I expected and now I kind of feel silly that I entered so early. But, it's done and now I have a commitment. The truth is though that my racing adventures will always simply be for me. I will never be the competitive type like a "real" racer. I know this because 1) I never get nervous or stressed out before races 2) I don't really care about the competition or how I place amongst strangers I don't know. This is why I prefer endurance racing to any other. These types of races are a competition against oneself. Others just happen to be there. So from what I've heard and read, those are two traits that many "real" racers have that make them very successful. Nerves and giving a crap. I think I will pass on that. I just like to push myself for the sake of it. The longer the time on the bike, the better I say. And if you feed me at the end, I am golden.

Ironically, another race I've signed up for 2012 did sell out in just 10 measly hours which is something I never expected. I made it into that one, but didn't want to take the chance of  that happening here since I have my heart set on this GA event. So Georgia, here I come.

Beginning in January, my plan is to ride, ride, ride as much as I can. But, for now, I get to stare at my new gift in the living room, and imagine how cool it will be when I finally get to take it for a spin. *Sigh*.

Nearly 8 Weeks in and Still no Trail riding for me.

No Laura's Allowed

Saw the Doctor about 2 weeks ago and he confirmed that while there was evidence of healing, it was not completely fused and I didn't have the go ahead to get back to trail riding.

So for these past weeks, since I have broken my foot, I have discovered a few alternative options for riding that I actually can do without any discomfort or too much risk of  breaking the weak bond that is forming on the bone.

I have discovered riding my local greenway trail. And riding my trainer. Believe it or not, it really isn't too bad. I am so thankful that I can do any pedaling at all, that I am actually enjoying these new forms of "biking". I won't lie though. When I ride the greenway past the trails I usually drop in to, I long to be in the woods. And, when I ride the trainer, I am thinking about how this effort is going to make me stronger for my next big mountain bike race, whenever that might be. But, hey it's riding a bike. And frankly, riding a bike in any form is better than not riding a bike. It's the cheesy bumper sticker slogan I keep in my head.

I think I am on the mend though. While I haven't put my clip in pedals on my mountain bike when I ride outside on the greenway, I have now switched them out on the bike trainer bike in the garage. And that's a good start.

I go back to the doc in couple of weeks or so and I am hoping that he is going to give me some good news. Because if he doesn't, I may have to stop paying him.
And then, I can get back in the woods to start training for the next 6 hour MTB race that I have  on my to do list. Or my "hope to do list", in my case. And walk my poor dog in the woods once again. He wants this boot off as much as I do.

Until then, I am just going to appreciate the circles I make up and down my paved path and the ones I make in my garage that don't actually take me any place. Because, while my body isn't actually going anywhere, often times my mind is....and for now, for me, that's what biking is about.

One Careless Step

About three weeks ago, I was getting ready for our 2nd annual camping trip to a really fun mountain bike destination with a large group of fellow riding buddies. Almost everything was in order, but I had to make one more trip into the garage to find that "last thing" that I couldn't seem to locate. In my haste, I took one step down the stairs, took another one, which I assumed was the last one, and was wrong. My 2nd step was actually much higher than the last and when I came down, my shoeless foot hit the ground and rolled and I went down moaning in pain. Crap. I knew this was bad and it was immediately sore and badly bruised. Even with immediate R.I.C.E application, I knew that I wasn't making this camping trip. I assumed I sprained it and did everything I could to heal it.

After a few days of rest, some of the pain somewhat subsided, I went for a 40 mile "rails to trails" ride for another trip we had planned the following week. That was Saturday. Sunday, we went to a haunted house for Halloween and some dufus stepped on my bad foot. Hard. The next day,  the bruising was far worse which worried me. Finally,  I agreed to go to the doctor on Tuesday. After x-rays, he confirmed my worst but most unlikely suspicion. I actually had broken my foot. That same afternoon, I was at the sport's specialist for his diagnosis. Yes, it is in fact broken. I explained to him that I had ridden my bike just a few days earlier for FORTY miles so maybe there was some mistake. No mistake he said, X-Rays don't lie. Panic set into my mind. This was 1.5 weeks before I was supposed to do a Point to Point mountain bike race that I had been looking forward to for so long.  Could I still train? Could I still race? Would my cycling shoes be stiff enough since the soles are so rigid? As to my inquiries, he said  "Well, you could.....". So I took that as a "Yes, but the real questoion was if I "should". I walked out wearing a broken foot boot that I could pump up. Sort of a "pumped up kick". I am sure there is a valid medical term for that thing, but to me it was just a boot of shame. I was really depressed and then in tears. How could this happen? Such a stupid little misstep and bam, now all my plans were changing without my consent. The idea of potentially 6-12 weeks without biking was Unfair, Unacceptable. Unfathomable......and now Undeniable.  But, I was not going to miss this upcoming race. Screw that. I was doing it come hell or high water. I may not finish fast, but I was going to finish. Broken foot or not. More tears. Then came the "snap out of it lecture about how some people have it so much worse and I need to stop complaining and whining and just deal with it.". Yep, big brothers always know how to nurture when it counts.

The boot a/k/a Darth Vader's Right Shoe

By the end of the first day, I couldn't wait to get this thing off. It was heavy and bulky and made me walk funny. And, I had to wear it all the time while awake, the doc said. However, he told me that the only time I didn't have to wear it was when I was wearing my cycling shoes, so there was some hope. Those stiff soled dirty shoes were my shining beacon.

My husband was not too happy at the prospect of me training and then racing one of the hardest courses I would to date with a broken foot. While he would never tell me I couldn't do it, he made it pretty clear that it really wasn't the smartest thing to do. After a couple days, the sensible side of me came to rear its ugly head.
How could I even think of racing this event when I have a broken bone in my foot? Sure, riding on a Rails to trail path is one thing, but this event would be on a rugged course with lots of twisting motions of my foot, tough uphills,  rock gardens and probably mud. Not to mention if I had to for any reason walk my bike out, I was done for. Walking out would be really uncomfortable on all the uneven terrain. I reluctantly made the call. No race. Pity Party for me.

I decided that I should skip it and be a good patient and came to the realization that there would be other races. I chose to use the responsible side of my brain and try to just deal with it. After all there really are far worse things in life than a broken foot.  Sigh.....