Steve's November Recovery & Training

11/30/09
Decided I need a rest day in light of tomorrow's PT and the weekend riding. That was fun and the capper was hearing about Jack's Victory. I still managed to get stuck hanging outdoor Christmas decorations. Yes in the rain, that was not fun.

11/29/09
Nice long E ride in the country and the only thing hurting was where the bike and butt intersect. (Slow rides are the worst for that.) That is until the end of the ride. Bill's "I am going to give it one effort" goaded me to chase Ken down with a TT effort. Then after saying "I'm taking it easy into town " Bill suckered me into taking second wheel for a rip your legs off pull down Route 2. Glad I was able to hang and still be able to stand at the end for the Dead Man Sprint. Thanks to all for a great day of riding.

11/28/09
Now I know how the mouse felt. Bill, Joe, Jack and Greg toyed with me like a cat playing with a mouse. These guys are fast! The taste of lung blood in the morning, and aching legs in the afternoon. This is training.


11/26/09
Did my 2 hour PT routine at home while watching football. I could only run for ten minutes because of the pain, but everything else seemed fine. Probably no ride on Friday, but is anyone around for Saturday and Sunday?


11/25/09
I found last October's workout schedule so I decided to try some PE1's. Not too bad. So I guess I will use that as a starting point for my workouts.


11/24/09
2.5 hour work out at PT today left me exhausted and the legs toasted. After reading the workout blogs from the BWR guys, it is apparent that I need to get going or be left way off the back. Thanks to all who post, it creates the fear I need to train.


11/22/09
A little over two hours of E riding with the BWR boys fueled by venison jerky. The Belle Plains loop is beautiful. Good to see Ed, Andre, Joe, Bill and Greg out and about.


11/21/09
Two hours of tempo in the Park with 6 sprints followed by a successful doe hunt (another 30 yard bow shot). It is just about time to get back on a real training routine.


11/19/09
I attended a full Marine military honors funeral at Arlington Cemetary. It was perhaps one of the most moving and impressive cerremonies I have ever attended. As with Veteran's Day, thank you guys for serving our country. Feeling humbled, I could not just blow off my workout for the day, so I hit the workout room and duplicated 90% of my therapy workouts and then added some bike time. Looking forward to the weekend.

11/17/09
Back at PT today. Of all the exercises I truly hate running the most. Both knees protest with each stride. Next time I will pre-medicate in preparation. Hoping the weekend weather allows for a ride or two.

11/15/09
New bike, new knee same old back of the pack. Great ride through the countryside with the BWR gang. Three hours or so and somewhere just under 50 miles. No real adjustment problems with the new bike, other than getting used to a really fast machine. Wow what a difference. Even though I have no sprint I could feel the potential for acceleration. Back to work strengthening and conditioning.

11/12/09
2.5 hours of physical therapy today. The legs were jelly by the end. My favorite new exercise is doing inchworms with small balance balls. Her is how it works: with two small inflated balls in your hands you assume the pushup position. Then you walk your feet up to your hands which puts you in the toe touch position, then you walk your hands back out to the pushup position. Repeat Sounds easy, but they truly suck, so I love them! Rain rain go away Steve wants to ride in safety.

11/11/09
More trainer time and exercises, stop the rain!

11/10/09
45 minutes on the trainer trying to work the kinks out of the legs. I'm not limber enough to have the confidence to get on the rollers yet.

11/9/09
Woke up not knowing what to expect with regard to how my knee would react to the first significant ride post surgery. Other than my usual morning stiffness (no pun intended) both knees felt fine. So with that encouragement I was off to therapy for a solid two hours of work, which for the first time included running on the treadmill. At first it was as if I forgot how to run, but it soon came back and I was on my way. The therapist watched me run and also bikes herself so she is going to design a program that will help me get to a real training platform. (Apparently we bikers let our hip muscles, adductors and abductors and some others, weaken, which can cause a number of additional ailments.) Tomorrow will be another test of how well I recover. Thanks to the BWR crew for asking how I am doing today. The answer from a fitness perspective is great.

11/8/09
I can't begin to say what a moral boost it was to get out on the road for the first time in three months. It may have been just an E-ride, but it still will be one I remember for a long time. It's good to know that the smack talk/Jack talk is still there. Another good thing was that my legs felt good. No real discomfort or pain following the ride. Only a sense of fatigue. Looking forward to next week.

11/5/09
Two hour workout today with additional weights and some new exercises. Although I could go to fewer rehab sessions now, I intend to stay with the twice a week because I can do more and work harder as long as I am under supervision. (Dr. orders.) Next week I will begin some easy running on the treadmill. I hope to get out Sunday for an easy ride and I do mean easy! Rehab is like climbing, keep your head down, ignore the pain and stay at it. The next thing you know you have reached the top.

11/3/09
Training at a new faclity closer to my office, so we had to recalibrate all of the weight exercises. My strength is coming back, but we have to be careful not to damage the tendon graft. Still it is a good feeling to be working hard and to be tired at the end of the workout. Highlight of the day, shooting a trophy eight point buck at thirty yards with my bow. To think I almost didn't go hunting because I was so tired from the rehab.