STEVE'S OCTOBER RECOVERY

10/31/09
The weather has not cooperated for me to get out on the bike as my goal, but I am now back in the training center with the fan blowing. Spent 45 minutes on the trainer and managed some core work together with some exercises dictated by the therapist. I am still somewhat in limbo as to a focus for this early work. I am limited in the amount of strength work as I heal, but I also need to re-build the cardio. Looking forward to dry weather and a chance to go outside.

10/29/09
After a slow start and warm up the workout today went well. At first I thought I was not going to be able to function because of how stiff my knee felt, but with a little coaxing it came around and the two hour workout was on. We added a new game which consists of standing on one leg on a balance cushion, throwing a five pound medicine ball into a trampoline, catching it on the rebound and repeating. This functional style workout is much more engaging than standard exercises such as leg presses and it works the core!

10/28/09
Tired, sore and swollen today. Easy spin this afternoon to try and flush out the toxins.

10/27/09
Rehab keeps getting harder. Try doing squats while standing on a half sphere and lunges with an eight pound medicine ball that you have to swing over your head and side lunges/squats swinging the same damn ball. All of this before the weight lifting. Follow that up with some funny little isometric exercises involving elastic bands and balancing cushions that seem easy but make muscles you never knew you had ache oh so nicely. [Disclosure, on some of these exercises the goal is to do a set number and you can start and stop, my goal is to do the number consecutively without stopping.] Despite all of this I am losing muscle at an alarming rate. It should be an interesting winter and spring.

10/25/09
Feel the Breeze! Yep I managed an entire 30 minutes on my bike pedaling around the Burg. Average power was a whopping 92 watts. Probably one of the best rides of my life. Post ride swelling and pain were no more than usual so I will slowly up the ride times and intensity. Hopefully in a few weeks I will be at a point where I can ride with the BWR crew on an E ride. Really looking forward to that. [Good seeing Greg and Ed on their bikes this past week.]

10/23/09
All systems go. I am cleared to ride the bike. (With the caveat that I take it easy for the next month.) So as long as the rides are easy, not too long and in good weather I am a go. It's not Jens Voight HTFU, but it is better than nothing.

10/20/09
Training equals Ground Hog Day the movie. Exhausting work at therapy sessions and recovery days of 40 minutes on the bike and 15 minutes backwards on the treadmill. Friday is the big day when I see the Dr. for analysis.

10/13/09
Still working hard to rebuild the strength in both legs. Unfortunately it has had a negative affect on my good/bad left knee. Some of the patellar/arthritis pain I experienced in the past has flared up. On the good side the anti-inflamatories that I take can't tell right from left so I get a two for one boost. Although the reduced activity has caused some muscle loss in both legs, I continue to increase the weight and intensity of the workouts. I told my therapist I was going to try and ride a bike very easily this weekend and she damn near had a coronary. It seems that the next two weeks are critical in the recovery process. In the next two weeks the graft that replaced my ACL begins to "profuse" (which I think means starts to circulate blood and become more me than the donor)and during this time it is more vulnerable to damage. That combined with increased muscle strength means a balancing act. While strength work must continue it needs to be done with very controlled movements. Just what you don't have on the open road. The good news is that it is happeneing and I still may make it out by the end of the month. Keep posting about rides and races. Without them I feel my connection to cycling slipping away.


10/09/09
Today was a two hour workout in every sense. Lunges, squats, weights, squats while standing on a half ball as well as the usual therapy manipulations. This is a big test to see what the knee will tolerate. All systems seem go for now. Good luck to the BWR crossers.


10/05/09

I spent my allotted 25 minutes on the stationary bike watching the Redskins game. After 8 minutes of pedaling I was able to maintain a cadence of 80rpm. The better news is that as I became more agitated with the play of our "all pro" quarterback, my cadence surged into the 90's. This may not sound like a heck of alot, but only last week I could barely muster a cadence of 60 rpm. Yes it still hurts, but I am optomistic about getting outside on a bike by Halloween. Give me some update on the Sperryville ride and cross races.

10/7/09

25 minutes pedaling and,... wait for it..., broke a sweat! I was able to drop the saddle closer to a realistic height and push against more resistance at an 80-85 cadence. All of which resulted in a slight dampness upon my brow. Not much to the BWR mountain goats, but a milestone to me. Keep reporting!