A pair of dirty 30s this weekend.

Rode 30 miles yesterday on dirt trails and 30 of the same today. Normally I would call that a lazy weekend. But a week ago at this time it was hard to put on my shoes and socks, or open a car door. Won't go into all that again, even though I like to whine, but looking forward to riding into exhaustion again soon and hope I continue on the healing path.

Rode my HardTail yesterday with fat 2.5 tires, was a soft spongy ride but the traction helped. Today rode my Cross bike, my favorite, the zip of this bike is great. Tried her out today on some MotorX trails which is the short video at the end, it was fun plan on spending more time on these jumps and drop offs. Thought about acting my age once, but got so terribly bored.      

My so called life,,,,

Me and the 'Creepy' are getting a hankering. Yeap. You can see what that hankering is for by looking over here -------------------------------->

The double dose of Cortisone shots I received this last Tuesday reduced dramatically my shoulder, and joint aches. I have been working on developing a stretching routine, and exercise program to get better muscle and joint balance.
My blood test came back. I don't have RA, or Lyme disease. The test did show an inflammatory condition, which is causing joint pain and that is all we know at this time.
I feel good today, best I have felt in a couple of months. Hallelujah for Cortisone.

I'm thinking I can get out and ride some trails tomorrow for a bit. I haven't rode a bike for about 2 weeks and then some. I have not been off a bike this long since 2005, and that is another story regarding an Internet relationship from hell, and a year of despair. Well meeting someone in a AOL chat room and then shortly afterwards having her move in from 1700 miles away with her dogs, cats, and birds is nutz. That all seems so crazy now, I gotta share that one some time. But I digress. Hmmm, I wonder, can you actually digress if you don't have a point?

So I will kick back and drink a couple of beers and think about pedaling tomorrow, tonight.










Thanks for the visit, and listening to my rambling.
LaTa
DAve.

A visit with the doctor.

I was told by daughter Melissa, and older sister Dawn, I just can't disappear from Blogdom just because I haven't been bicycling. I told sister Dawn, but my endorphin supply is down, I'm just want to spend my free time whining to everyone who will listen. It got so bad around here that Creepy Baby and Friend started hitting the bottle. So now I drink with them. I know it's wrong, but it's only for a season

I saw the orthopedic surgeon today. He injected something cortisone like into both shoulders. Movement is quite restricted lately. He determined both wrists have significant impingement, which was what the neurologist's report said last week. There is something else going on besides the muscle-skeletal problems here. Other joints are now hurting. Lots of blood tests were done. He mentioned maybe Lyme's disease, or RA. I wait.


Perhaps that explains something. It seems earlier this year I was putting more hours in the saddle then most bike riders that I know. Seems I was slowly getting slower. I wasn't gaining on it. At Triple D race this January I didn't have my 'normal motor' running that I am used too. I said to myself I'm 58, my MOJO supply just isn't what it used to be. Maybe something else was working on me.
Other riders saw it, I stayed in the back half, a couple of guys dropped along side of me, and asked if I wanted to start 'working it' I told em go ahead, I'll find you.


So my plans are just to hang out, rest up, get this problem figured out and ride again like I have never have before. The bikes will be ready, it'll come.


Meanwhile I am mounting a pedal system to my '6 wheeler' for some easy does it riding. :-)

Time for reflection

What I have done to pay da bills has been to keep 'things' running. moving up the food chain and today I am foreman of the Technician/Electrician shop for an Electric Utility that I have worked for the last 34 years.




When a device breaks down and quits doing what we would like it to do, I always say that it was no accident. It's failure occurred because we didn't do what was necessary to keep it running. Improper care and maintenance occurred somewhere along the line. The malfunctioning equipment was precisely obeying the laws of physics when it had it's break down. Perhaps it ran too long, or not enough cooling, or misalignment, insufficient lubrication, among many other possible causes for failure.


And so is the bio mechanics of our bodies.


I checked back on some of my past blogging and seems I didn't pay enough attention to all the reports I had coming in for a predicable failure.
Shoulder blogging..............among others.

Jan 29th
I didn't see the rut right in front of me, I didn't have time to react, my front tire kicked sideways throwing the bike and me to the right. I bounced hard on my right shoulder and head.  This one hurt. My arm, neck, hand, and shoulder ached. I climbed back on the bike. I had 5 miles to go. My neck stiffened up and I could not turn my head.

Feb 5th
nursing some sore shoulders

March 6th
Shoulders are the same, both sore, but tolerable

March 12th
shoulders are a bit beat up

So seems I let wisdom go out the window on this one and didn't read the reports coming in.

Tomorrow, I see the neurologist. Tests are going to be done on nerve conductivity to determine where the numbness in my hands is coming from.

I've often heard said to me, " How can you ride so many miles on a bicycle it's 90 + degrees out and blistering sun? " Or it's a blizzard outside, what are you nuts?"
Life is much easier on bike. When all you have to worry about is the next pedal rotation. Nothing else matters. Dealing with life's issues is the real challenge,

"If we don't change our direction we'll likely end up where we're headed."



Talk at ya later.
DAve

Need some healing time

This post is funny. Cup-O-Dirt. Nick did it. Nick is a neat guy, SciFi writer and veteran of many epic endurance snow and gravel races, including Arrowhead 135, Tuscobia, Triple D, and now is entered in Trans Iowa this coming Easter Sunday. Go Nick Go.

NOW MY ISSUE.
I gotta be doing something.I need to bicycle, or something, something that takes my full efforts, heart and soul.

THE ISSUE

The issue is this. Readers of this blog have lately put up with me whining about shoulder problems. This has crept in over the last couple of months. I suspect due to a combination of hard crashes this winter landing on my shoulders, 100s of hours of riding with a change of handle bar designs that didn't feel right, my continuance to keep riding as shoulders were getting worse.

So this week I made an appointment with a chiropractor, I thought I would start there. Today was my second visit. Today he told me he wanted to set up an appointment for me to see a neurologist  The problems is numbness that has developed in my hands, wrist, and fingertips. Shoulder impingement could do this, so could nerve stenosis, among other non wonderful things. Also I have an appointment with the Orthopedic surgeon, to look at shoulder repairs. So not much bicycling for awhile. I will get this all straightened out. I will be back on the ride.

The 5 main problems of not riding a bicycle.

1. I'm not on my bike

2. My spirit doesn't get to fly.

3. My soul goes stagnate.

4. My body becomes a reservoir for pizza and other assorted junk foods with no burn off.

5. I don't get any faster by not riding my bike and drinking beer.

Today was freezing rain, drizzle, snow and windy. Perfect day for bicycle riding, but I think they are all perfect.

Oh well, I think I'll mix myself a margarita that would comatose a horse

 and commence to partake.

Hey thanks for visiting, see you out there on a bike SOON.....

Dave

Me and snow mobile trails

Had fun riding snow mobile trails. All the snow is gone, and in a month or so these trails will all be grown shut by brush. So today I took the opportunity to explore. Rode my HardTail with 2.5 Big Earl tires. The 4 inch tires and the FatBack would have rode better on these soft trails, but I want to keep putting my new handle bars and STI shifters, and brakes through some testing on the HardTail.

Tried climbing a long rutted hill, I was holding a slow climb, HR was maxing out, I was trying to stay in the seat to keep more weight over the rear tire. With about 30 feet to go, I had to stand up to get more power on the legs. The rear tire started slipping and spinning out, when I took my weight of the back seat. The hill was steep, with lots of rocks I was worried about dismounting and rolling down. I was able to get off the bike without biffing, and walked the remaining section of the hill. When I got to the top I was in some guys back yard,  he grilling out and drinking a beer. I waved and he waved back and I turned around and went back down the hill. That was a trick riding back down without going over the handlebars.

Explored the back country, the trail followed along a creek. I noticed a spot where the bluff was about 30 feet above the creek. I pedaled over to the edge and looked down. I saw the monster of all Snapping Turtles laying on the sand. I was looking for away to get down to the creek edge and take some pictures of this beast. He saw me and disappeared. On the way back I checked to see if he was there, and lo and behold he was. This picture doesn't do his size justice. He was now hiding in the water waiting for me to leave with his nose out for breathing. I would say 50 to 70 lbs in size.

Saw several snakes crawling across the trail, warmer weather brings everybody out. I could have explored all day, a lot of new sights. Would be neat to ride and camp out, and put on lots of miles.

Shoulders behaved well enough all things considered, so I hope to get some road riding in this week after work days.
LaTa,
Dave

Has anybody seen me???

Oh there I am having a drink with myself.

Rode today, the WoodChipper Drop bars work great on the HardTail. I won't go back to Straight bars or Surly angled bars again. The Drops give me 4 distinct hand placement which take a load off of my shoulder problems and give great ergonomics.

I think I damaged my rotater cuffs on both shoulders. Been here before. The problem. My mileage is way down. I took this week off from riding. Didn't help. Arms, shoulders, were hurting, today, hands were going numb. Too many crashes I thinks this winter. Shoulders act that way, fly off the bike, and land on em, and they flare up later. Spose I will be calling my doctor this coming week. May a 'shot' will get them to simmer down.  Oh well I will work through this.
Seems my blogging is down when my bicycling is down. Seems happy times are related to 'happy rides' Is what it is. Tomorrow there is supposed to be thunderstorms all day. I hopes to ride anyways. Rain riding has a different feel all to it's self. I look forward to it.

Dave

Birthdays in bunches

Today is my dog, Pitty's birthday. She is 8 years old. Pitty was snuck into this house by my son Joshua. in spring of 2003. I was a single parent and had full custody of my two teen age boys. Josh has a big heart, and he found Pitty the runt of the litter at a Pit Bull Breeding farm. She wasn't as marketable as her larger siblings. Josh saved his money, and made a deal, and purchased Pitty. She was about the size of a squirrel with and over sized head.
I wasn't going to keep a Pit Bull in this house. Well she got my attention and my favor and is part of the family now. Here is Pitty and Josh taking a nap, and to the right is Pitty with her bling, hat, and glasses on.

Today is my son's Joshua, birthday. He was born 24 years ago. The doctor that yanked him out and into this world was having his birthday that day too. Josh is high spirited, full of fun and energy. He makes a lot of people smile and laugh, everyday. Happy Birthday Joshua David.

Now you would think that would be enough birthdays for day. But believe it or not, it is my birthday too. Yes 58 years ago today, I was hatched. To me it is just another day. If I would have had a birthday cake with candles, I would have made this wish, that I would spend the day bicycling out on country roads. Guess what? I got my wish

Stopped at this old country church, built in 1867, suddenly I don't feel so old.

Saw Martha out giving Sophie a walk. She's trying to get Sophie to turn around and look at the camera. Sophie could care less. Martha loves Mountain Biking. She offers riding skill classes during the season to get other's interested. Awesome

Rode a metric century on gravel. 62 miles. Legs felt plenty strong for the job. All I need is for my shoulders to start behaving and I can start working in some longer runs. Is what spring is made for. Made this video of today's ride. Taped my camera to the handle bars.



Ok I better drag this 58 year body to bed. Work comes early. You know how bosses are, they think you should show up on time. Good night..DAve

Creepy Baby's friend, a good country ride, and coming clean.

Sorta dragging butt this morning, getting on the pedals was a slow start. Then I find these two girls on my ride wanting to bike today too. Seems winter gets over, weather gets nice and everybody wants to bicycle. I don't know who Creepy Baby's friend is, they came home last night together. It is one of those 'don't ask, don't tell' things yanno.

But ride, I did. 50 miles on gravel. Legs wanted to ride more.  Seems I am having 'equipment problems' no not bike hardware.

Somehow I threw my shoulders out this winter, and I haven't gotten them right yet. Crashes and old joints I spose. So as I ride I develop a ache that starts in my shoulders, and moves into my arms. This too shall pass.

Stopped at the "Cement Slab Cafe" a granola bar, fruit bar, and a OJ was on the menu.










Returned to the neighborhood, and my three mechanics were ready, as always to break down the bike, tune, and dial her in for tomorrow's ride.
Big thanks to Christel, Kayla, and Gillian.

OK, I have been stalling with this. Time for me to come clean. A couple of days ago I posted a link to my last year's April's fool spoof I did. In that I posted a picture of myself at the end.
My daughter, Melissa,  posts this publicly on my blog for all the world to see.

Melissa in MN said...
Come on now, how old IS that picture of you sir? ;-) Didn't think you still had abs.
April 1, 2011 8:36 PM

Now I don't know if you know this but Google has a "GoogleTranslator' that you can put any language in and have it translated to another language. They recently added .'a what did my kid really say translator' So I ran what Melissa said through this and this is what she was actually saying.

DAD!!!!!! Puleeaseeeee, accept you are a fat old fart. Don't post yesteryear pictures, glory days are over for you, just accept it. You are just fine who you are. Love, Melissa.

So I got looking at this picture below I posted. So, yeap, she's right, this was a few years old. I have aged since then. This was kinna a false representation of me. 

So I decided to keep this blog open and honest I would take another picture of me,  today, using the same backdrop so you could judge for yourself the aging changes.

Aging just adds character, right?

Have some fun, it's the best thing for body and soul

Lata, DAve



THIS IS VERY BAD WHAT I DID ONE YEAR AGO TODAY.

CLICK HERE ---->   "a very bad thing"


See I told you.