Well not quite one year, that is actually on June 7.
On my anniversary I will be in a plane headed out of the country for a bit of a vacation. 5 weeks visiting my wife?s family and then 2 weeks in Disney. I can?t wait, eating like a pig, being waited on hand and foot, of course my bike will be angry at me when I get back home.
What I went through last year seems surreal. The constant chest pain, shortness of breath etc, etc. I feel better now then I thought I ever would. I have to admit though that I did get frustrated at times during the recovery. I know it seems hard to believe, probably one of the easiest recoveries imaginable and yet I still feel it should have gone; not better perhaps but faster. My endurance came back but my speed was nowhere to be found. It does get better though.
Eight months out from surgery was the first time I truly felt that I was improving. I had hit certain goals before that but they didn?t impress me. My first 23 mile MTB ride, the first 48 mile MTB ride, the first ride with over 3,000ft of elevation gain. The first 5k trail run in under 35 minutes, hmm, have not improved on that one yet.
What did I do at eight months that felt so good? Glad you asked. I got up on Tuesday at 4PM (I work nights, love my night shift, I have been to every activity my kids have in and out of school and still get to ride or run almost every day) did the usual pre work stuff, make dinner, play with the kids, read to them and head to work, worked my 12 hours, after work I headed to the trail and road 24 miles. Left the trail and picked up 30 pieces of sheetrock (finishing my basement) on the way home, used that load and go thing they have, unloaded the sheetrock and carried it all into the basement (basement is ground level in back and on one side so I just pulled up next to the door). Proceeded to finish some electrical work until the kids got home and then took them for a MTB ride. Made dinner when we got home, read to the kids and went back to the basement to finish up some work and then finally went bed at midnight. Aside from being up for 32 hours I still felt rather good, the tired I felt was from a long day not from health. When I finally came to bed my wife said ?I guess you are feeling better?. Why yes I am, thank you, and since you are still awake?.
The wife and kids have been riding with me more and more often, I have actually been doing as many as 8 rides in a week, five solo and 3 with the family. My 4YO has been riding on his trail-a-bike and loves it, and I have to admit pulling an extra 80 pounds has really improved my speed, I am riding faster then I have in years. I still have the goal of doing some 6 and 12 hour solo endurance races but it looks like I will have to wait for next year. Most of the remaining events conflict with my vacation plans. I do plan on doing the Snake Creek time trials in January so that will probably be my next race.
Here are my little and I on a recent ride.
And here is big brother from the same ride.
As so many others before me have said ? life is good.
On my anniversary I will be in a plane headed out of the country for a bit of a vacation. 5 weeks visiting my wife?s family and then 2 weeks in Disney. I can?t wait, eating like a pig, being waited on hand and foot, of course my bike will be angry at me when I get back home.
What I went through last year seems surreal. The constant chest pain, shortness of breath etc, etc. I feel better now then I thought I ever would. I have to admit though that I did get frustrated at times during the recovery. I know it seems hard to believe, probably one of the easiest recoveries imaginable and yet I still feel it should have gone; not better perhaps but faster. My endurance came back but my speed was nowhere to be found. It does get better though.
Eight months out from surgery was the first time I truly felt that I was improving. I had hit certain goals before that but they didn?t impress me. My first 23 mile MTB ride, the first 48 mile MTB ride, the first ride with over 3,000ft of elevation gain. The first 5k trail run in under 35 minutes, hmm, have not improved on that one yet.
What did I do at eight months that felt so good? Glad you asked. I got up on Tuesday at 4PM (I work nights, love my night shift, I have been to every activity my kids have in and out of school and still get to ride or run almost every day) did the usual pre work stuff, make dinner, play with the kids, read to them and head to work, worked my 12 hours, after work I headed to the trail and road 24 miles. Left the trail and picked up 30 pieces of sheetrock (finishing my basement) on the way home, used that load and go thing they have, unloaded the sheetrock and carried it all into the basement (basement is ground level in back and on one side so I just pulled up next to the door). Proceeded to finish some electrical work until the kids got home and then took them for a MTB ride. Made dinner when we got home, read to the kids and went back to the basement to finish up some work and then finally went bed at midnight. Aside from being up for 32 hours I still felt rather good, the tired I felt was from a long day not from health. When I finally came to bed my wife said ?I guess you are feeling better?. Why yes I am, thank you, and since you are still awake?.
The wife and kids have been riding with me more and more often, I have actually been doing as many as 8 rides in a week, five solo and 3 with the family. My 4YO has been riding on his trail-a-bike and loves it, and I have to admit pulling an extra 80 pounds has really improved my speed, I am riding faster then I have in years. I still have the goal of doing some 6 and 12 hour solo endurance races but it looks like I will have to wait for next year. Most of the remaining events conflict with my vacation plans. I do plan on doing the Snake Creek time trials in January so that will probably be my next race.
Here are my little and I on a recent ride.
And here is big brother from the same ride.
As so many others before me have said ? life is good.
