It's hard to believe that it's been just over 10 weeks since the crash of November. I've ridden the bike a few time since then. Not enough to keep the legs from last year. It's always amazing to me how quickly you can loose the muscle tone and endurance you work so long and hard to gain. In a matter of weeks it's back to square one. Most of the wounds have healed. The wedding ring will still not go on the finger, I doubt I will ever get that ring on again. The knuckle is still very swollen. The elbo is still sensitve where I got the bad road rash, it's healed but not completely. The shoulder is the pain that I deal with the most now. I went to the doctor the end of December because it seemed to be getting worse not better. I was told that I had some minor arthritis, "swelling in the joint", from the fall on the shoulder. I'm still taking the ibuprophen and will for another couple of months. But you reach a point that you just have to get back on the bike or do something.
So about two weeks ago I got out there, I was going to go alone but decided to stop by and see if Dave White was busy, before I could ask he was upstairs and out the door on his bike. I'm glad he was able to go because I did more with him than I would have done on my own. It was a good solid 33 mile ride, the average was only 15.5. I used to be able to ride that same route at 18.0 and still have plenty to give at the end.
Then this past weekend I was able to get out with the group, there were about 7 of us all together. It was a good mix. Some of us have been working hard all winter while others were just starting out again like me.
The weather here has been great, especially for riding, you just can't but help to get out there and take advantage of it. You keep asking yourself though, it's winter right? But it's 65 degrees today. If we don't get some rain this winter and spring California is going to burn again this summer.
I was able to keep up with the group or stay in the middle. We rode up and through Sierra College Blvd in the hills and then came back through Miners Ravine on the bike trail. In the picture above Chris Gale is in front of me and is just taking off on a sprint. The trails are fun to do that on.
We were coming down baseline and about ready to turn back home, I looked down at the cyclometer, only 32 miles, I looked at the legs, they felt good, I wasn't tired, I wanted to be, push it a little more, and so I continued down Baseline to Fiddyment. I was right behind Chris as we sprinted for the end just up ahead. I continued straight and picked up the pace a little more. I went into the turn down at the end onto Blue Oaks. I slacked off a little, I could feel the legs now, the burn in the lungs, I was pushing the edge.
I'm at Woodcreek and making a right, the pace is starting to get to me and I slow to 17 mph. It's a bit easier through the intersection and by the high school. I go into the turn and I'm heading down Junction, almost there, a left onto Park Regency and up the final stretch. I get off the bike and feel the legs, they're not sore, but I can feel them for sure.
What nice is I don't feel the shoulder like I did last month after a ride. It's still there, but much better. This year may be okay afterall, it's a good thing, I've got a lot of riding I want to do...
