Have Your Pill Today?

injury :-( but enjoy a little Food And Wine

Saturday - I awoke to immobility.  I don't know how or why this happened, the last thing I truly remember from Friday evening was enjoying a great dinner with Susan at South Hills Market and Cafe, then going out and drinking at BW3 with friends. 

Susan drove home, as I don't really remember that trip.

Maybe this is where my ill-fated injury happened.  Who knows.. but I woke and couldn't bend my right knee, I could barely hobble down stairs, get in and out of a vehicle or bend down to pick something up without contorting myself in such a manner that made me look more so ridiculous than normally.

Saturday was the day the new oven came also.

To make a long story short, the oven is in, and my knee is still sore.  Well today the swelling is mostly down, and it hasn't hurt to jog down stairs.  There's still a little pressure it seems but overall that soreness is fleeting and I think I will try to ride on the trainer some this evening since abandoning all hope of riding for the past several days.

What gives?  Well being the MD that I am (MD = Mountain Doctor) I have a loose knee.  You see I had this knee problem once before.  Similiar situation, just woke up and I'm crippled.  Anyhow..the specialist told me my knee cap is looser than normal.  It rubs around and aggravates and get's inflamed.  At the time he viewed my MRI, said there was no permanent damage prescribed a drug and told me to do a few exercises to tighten things up.  He also threw the caveat in that I may have this problem in the future.  I'm diagnosing myself and saying my future is now.

The pain has not been as severe this time as it was then, and I see no point in getting an MRI, or paying more for prescriptions when I can just double my intake of Ibuprofen to meet the prescription strength.   It's great being an MD.  But I am doing my part to cut down on the rising tide of medical costs.

So not riding what have I been doing? 

Does the weather suck?

Good lord does the weather suck or what?  Last weekend we had some snow dumped on us.  I think the National Weather Service blew that call, as when I went to bed if I recall we they were only calling for an inch or so.

If you live around the Huntington  / Charleston area - well you know what Saturday morning offered you once your woke up.  - About five or six inches. 

On top of the snow, well it was cold - course you can't really have snow without that, but it's been just shitty cold I can't explain it.  Our house is cold... Susan's cold, the girls are cold, the dogs are cold, hell the water was even frozen Sunday morning.

Cold...

"Last Minutes with Oden" - you will be moved

Sometimes, you're stumbling across the internet and you come across something that just floors you.

Today, is one of those days for me.   I was going back through and checking out various blogs and found this.  I hope you like.

Last Minutes with ODEN

from phos pictures on Vimeo.

I'll have to "E" a shout out for this..

That's enough for today.

Indoor Training Ride Movie Night - Rock-N-Rolla

During the winter months I find that I spend a great deal of time riding in doors.  If one has ever ridden in doors you know how boring this can be... hell I've written about it several times.

We are in the middle of a major home improvement project that has a completion date of March 20 plus or minus - more on the project and the completion date at another time.   So I'm trying to get as much done on this project without letting it become a job.

You know what I mean?  This project is fun at the moment, but as it lingers and the completion date gets nearer and nearer all of a sudden this project that is fun becomes a job and quickly turns into the proverbial pain in the ass.  So my plan is to do a little each day.

In doing a little each day it allows me to also do a few other things - some people call this "multitasking".. Susan probably thinks of it as "not staying on task", but everyone's entitled to their opinion.

So yesterday to "stay on task", I decided to ride for an hour on the trainer - I theory you can better train on a trainer.    So I did..  

One secret to riding on the trainer is - Intervals.

Wake Up Time to Eat

As you know by one of my Facebook post's yesterday that I went to the Y.  BTW - why is it that every time I mention that I go to the Y that someone comments:  "Did they put a bar in?"  Is my lifestyle that obvious?

hmmm

But yes I did go and no they have no bar, but I did have a glass of Scotch later in the evening - on the rocks as they say.  Single Malt Glenfiddich to be exact.  One glass though, as I mentioned yesterday I'm watching my girlish figure.

This morning was another jog prior to work - a whopping two miles.  Unlike Fatty I will not be doing any IronMan events this year.  So why am I jogging - I don't know. 

Susan and I have plans this eve after work, so squeezing in a workout in the evening is unlikely- shit let's just call it impossible because once we sit down to eat, I'm having a nice ice cold pilsner. or two. or three.   or... well you get the picture.  

F A I L

Today is the first post of the new year.   I know you've been biting your nails waiting in anticipation.

Well what follows will no doubt not live up to any expectation what so ever.  That I can assure you.

Well let's get a few things out of the way first -

The 2009 Gift CD- didn't work for everyone it appears.  Some it worked, others it didn't.  How this happened and why are beyond me.  All I can say is:

F A I L

Also you may recall a little incident in Jacksonville called the Gator Bowl between WVU and Florida State.

F A I L

What else?  Let's see...

Well by now you see the lead in picture you can guess that this is a little foreshadowing as to what this post is about.  My annual new year post about loosing weight and how it's going to be different this year as opposed to last.  Yet if you were to examine the past few years of relative information it would lead one to wonder why bother as history repeats itself.  So yes I'll probably be writing another post like this next year.

Snow

Saturday was the first snow we've had for 2009 in these parts that amounted to any real accumulation.  Actually I was shocked that we had as much as we did - hell this Sunday morning we still have plenty on the ground and on the trees.

 So with the Mountaineers playing Rutgers at noon, I couldn't wait to get out and ride and be back in time to open that pilsner and enjoy the game.

Getting ready to ride in cold in-climate weather for the first time is a bitch for me.  My organizational skills are pretty pathetic, but when all my cold weather gear - gloves, tights, pullover, etc have all been moved from one box to another over the past year, and then back.  With those boxes and bins being moved from this shelf to that shelf.... well one can guess that I don't know where half of my shit is on the spur of the moment.

Put it this way - my bike riding shoes are pretty specialized (actually the ones I'm talking about are Specialized) - not that they're any thing special for bike riding shoes, just that you wouldn't want to use them for anything else other than bike riding.  Because I'm the only one that rides a bicycle in this household, that cuts down on their usage all that much more.   Well  somehow, I can only locate one of these particular shoes.  How the hell does that happen?

(probably because I don't put them back where they're supposed to go, although the one I found was in the proper place, it's hard to believe that I would find a need to use just one bike shoe without the other so as to make it possible to leave it not where it belongs)

But the snow is coming down, and game time is approaching.

Weekender

Damn..  If one thing does not go wrong, ten things will.  Of course the converse of that is true also in that if ten things do not go wrong, well one will.

Please recall from my last post that I had a BSD¹

Thankfully that was fixed and everything seems to be working fine now.  But while I was down and out, and believe me it sucks being without a computer in a two computer household that's as 21st century as Susan I are.  It really sucks. So to get away from all the facebooking and tweeting, I went for a ride.    To be honest Saturday, I got up and rode pretty early about 9:30am or so, because we were to head to Buckville for the Strawberry Ball.  Don't ask...  So I wanted to get a ride in.

Twilight

Yes as I think I posted on my Facebook page, I was trying to be hip and going out at Twilight.  After-all if you have a "tween" you know what comes out in the theaters this Thursday.   That's right the second installment of Vampire 90210. 

Listen if you've seen the first movie you know how bad this cinematic turd is.  Thus I won't mention the movie here again.

Answering the Call...

"11/14 Sunday Ride  in the Park

10:00AM meet at the top of the hill bville park. Planned route of a couple hrs of casual pace in the park, then proceeding to mile 1 - 6 on KT.   Come for one or come for all."

Was the call I loosely answered as posted on the BFat website this past weekend.  Decided to take my whole glutton for punishment to the next level and participate in the weekly (I guess it's weekly) group ride Sunday Morning.   btw, I'm sure Mike will post something worth mentioning on that site as I was too busy sucking oxygen to take any pictures.

 
So instead I have to leave you with that crappy google earth image of my ride.  It consisted mostly of about 10 miles of stop and go.  This "stop & go" I was most thankful for.  So thanks Mike, for having all of those flats, they helped keep my heart from exploding.

What's Up Dawg???

Hey that's my Randy.  You know from American Idol?    I'm just trying to get into the season.. I live a real exciting life while Susan's out of town. 

So I didn't write anything yesterday, I was too busy.

( HEY cut it out back there, we'll have no snickering")

So, last week I mentioned that I was back to exercising - or at least trying to on a regular basis.   I did pretty good I think.

Broke out the bike, rode about 70 miles total, and went to the Y twice and jogged thunderously trotted another 6 miles. 

Took a few vitamins, and drank several beers..

Ok, yeah it all comes screeching there once I mention the beer thing.

I can't help it I like it.

Hey Huntington made MSNBC again- that's why I'm trying to exercise, doing my part to swing the pendulum, then I'll go to the Pizza joint and swing it back the other way. 

I jest, last week I even actually ate pretty healthily - minus the beer of course.

Oh, I hate to bring up work on my personal blog, but seems as though I spend most of my time exposing my literary genius while at work, I thought I should at least mention this.

Lewisburg - part dos

Lewisburg - part II read part I here

After eating Applebees we arrive back at the Super 8, about 11ish.  Now I ask you readers, have you ever stayed at a hotel where there is a dog convention going on?  It seems that on this night at this hotel a K9 Search and Rescue group was staying at this location also.  I think there was more dogs than people this Friday evening.  If there was not ten dogs barking there was one, and if there wasn't one dog barking, there was ten.

Oh well....

Back in January I had set a goal for myself to ride a Century.  For those that don't know, Riding a Century usually implies - riding 100 miles (get it Century / 100 Miles ?? ).  That was one of my few goals.  Once Susan had suggested we come to Lewisburg I thought to myself, yes I can get that goal pretty easy.  (I won't count the 100 Miles to Nowhere as that was on a trainer)

Well as the weeks led up to the ride I began waffling.  I was constantly asking myself;  do I have enough energy to ride 80 miles?  Do I even want to?  How long will it take?  Will I have any time left over in Lewisburg to take some pictures and enjoy the scenery?    All of these questions simply was masking the fact that I'm just lazy.  But yet I asked them and I was concerned about them, albeit some more than others.

So as the weeks drug on, laziness prevailed and I decided I would simply do the 50 mile ride, after all that's pretty common for me and I know I can do it.  A few days prior to the event I guess I started doubting, what it was that I really wanted to do.. After all I had set a goal of 100 miles.  Why not do it?  Where am I going to get a supported group ride?  Why do I want to ride that far, heck why ride fifty, the sooner I'm done, the sooner I can get back and sit at a bar. 

Turmoil...

Well Saturday morning arrives non too soon, luckily we were awakened by the alarm and not howling dogs.  We head to Shoney's for breakfast, and then to the College there in Lewisburg where the Wheels Of Hope Ride starts and stops.

The Route:

As I mentioned begins at the College, and does a short Prologue loop.  This loop is shown heading toward Ronceverte on the image above, then looping back into town along US 60, before heading North towards I64.

This first leg - the 21 miles proceeds northward to the Airport for about 8 miles I guess to the first rest stop.   Now if your doing 21 miles like Susan it is here where you would turn around and head back.  The 50 mile ride is big large loop that eventually intersects with US 60.  At this intersection, if you're doing 50 you turn to the left back towards Lewisburg.

Turning Right would put you on the 80 mile course.  This "lollipop" section is approximately 30 miles that heads you towards Dawson with a short loop before turning back to Lewisburg along US60 (the way you came).

You eventually finish up back at the college.

There are several rest stops along the way, with fruit, sandwiches, cakes, cookies, very well stocked, and all the intersections are manned with local emergency responders.  Very well organized.

Arriving at the College around 7:30ish for the 8AM ride, there are several people already here gathered about. Working on their fancy road bikes, etc.. Several people wearing their Astana gear with dreams of being like Lance. (remember the Tour was going on this date, actually today was when Hincapie almost got the Yellow Jersey)

Many fancy bikes, not being a roadie, I couldn't tell you how fancy some of these bikes were.  To be honest, they may have not been all fancy at all.  Susan and I however would be riding mountain bikes, albeit with slick tires, and yes there was a few other riders whom had chose to ride mountain bikes with knobby tires.

My trusty steed for the day was my first high end mountain bike that I purchased from the Vienna Bike Shopin Vienna West Virginia way back in like 1996 or 1997.  A Trek 8500.   This bike is just a shell of it's former self, the paint is all but entirely chipped off due to my alcohol laden sweat over the years.  It is now mostly a salt crystallized aluminum frame. 

I use this bike mostly for riding on the roads, I have put some riser bars on it (is that what they're called), I've also swapped components out here and there.  But overall it makes a great bike to ride to work on occasion or just beat around the back roads of West Virginia.

Great for today and it illicit many stares.

Susan's riding her Specialized.

StoneWall

You may be whatever you resolve to be - General Stonewall Jackson

That quote may be the case and if true, then I resolve to be a lazy bum.  Last week I was able to get some riding in at Stonewall Jackson Resorthere in West Virginia.  Susan had a conference up there and I was able to meet her for an evening and a day, allowing me to ride some of their trails they have.

 

All like six miles of them.  Hence the lazy bum comment.  

 

To Ride or Not To Ride?

Sometimes you are faced with one of those questions that there is no correct answer yet there is also no wrong answer.

The subject question is one of those.  At least it is for us lazy asses like myself.

Today was another early morning dog wake up, but at least I can go back to bed once they've been fed.  Then up, we sit around and watch the tour all morning. (Tour De France on Versus that is).  There's something about the coverage that I could just lay on the couch and do nothing.  It's almost as if it saps my energy as if I've been riding.  Who knows why?

So, about 1PM I've realized I need to ride, but the weather was cool, and well I just didn't want to.  Especially I didn't want to do a road ride.  The mountain biking around here is somewhat limited without having to travel some by car.

Well, I decided to ride off road.  I figured well those trails out Sugar Camp Road, can use some more exploring, it takes about thirty minutes to get there, and maybe by then I'll feel like riding.  If not, well I can turn around.

connect

 Nice day out, offroad finally some.  Not to exciting but not too dull either.  I must have been feeling sick today because I actually felt motivated to get out and visit some of the local scenery. 

Dusting off the 9.8, changing a derailleur cable, with a cup of joe in the morning.  It was time to get off road some today.   Not wanting to go too far, and not knowing when I would actually feel like riding, I decided to keep it local.  The only option really being the Sugar Camp Road area.  As you recall I've ridden out there some a couple months ago.  So this would be the destination again today.

Google Earthing the area, along with prior reconnaissance I was pretty sure I could get to Hurricane Creek Road following all the four wheeler paths.  That would be the goal.

Departing the home and getting to the trail head takes about 30 minutes or so - little more today as I was taking it easy.  Getting to the top of Sugar Camp road, you take a right.  These are the most heavily traveled of the offroading folk.

Because this is just a short post to let you know that I am indeed still alive, I will not try to embellish and drag this otherwise uninteresting story out to an unnecessarily long duration.

Straight Shot - yes indeed.  Pretty simple, I was kind of worried because the four wheeler group I encountered wasn't sure if it went all the way through.

Also, it's not a route that one would want to ride if wet, as it would be very muddy.  The clingy kind, sticking to the frame and bogging you down.  But on a dry day, it does make an otherwise boring loop worthwhile.  Plus there is the possibility of several alternate routes.

Check it out if your in the area.  From the new US 35 take the Turkey Branch route and turn up one of the four wheeler trails.  From Hurricane Creek take the right right after the sharp curve (pictured).   From Poplar Fork, take Sugar Camp to the top, you'll encounter the trails.

Have a great weekend.