On the bike again!

Sunday, I met Julie at Fall City (her choice...I would never have picked this for my first ride after 11 weeks off the bike). The access to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail (SVT) involves about a mile climb (not overly steep...but a climb none the less). So climb I did. I was expecting to push my bike up the hill but I rode the whole thing. At one point I was making myself stay on the bike and then all of a sudden I was cresting the top. We road East up to Snoqualmie and turned around at the tunnel. The ride went well and thankfully the trip home was on the downhill...because I was a bit tired by the end. 2 hours - not bad for my first bike ride.

I'm looking forward to getting a couple of rides in each week. With the bus, it means leaving from work right at 4:30pm...to get home by 5:30pm and ride by 6:00pm...so this probably wont happen more than once a week.

I feel a bit wiped out today...not surprising since this is the most I've worked out in 11 weeks!

My nose plug came for swimming, so I hope to be in the pool again this week. My neighborhood pool is now open every evening and there is no charge...so I see more swimming in my future!

I'm also in the process of letting PacTour go for this year. I would only have 3 months to get ready...and my winter quarter for class is going to be a bit stressful...so I don't think I want to deal with training for an event...none the less I'm having a hard time deciding to not go. I think the carrot that might do it is if I plan to go to Whistler this summer.

I have spring break March 22-29th...so I'd like to find some bike related inexpensive trip...of course Moab would be nice!

update...has it been a while?

September 30th, Shortly after I received my doctor's ok to Mountain bike (after I had the plate and screws taken out of my ankle) I lost control of my mtn. bike on a non-technical wood bridge (too much speed on a very slick surface). I tore the ligament on my right thumb. So no bicycling and no swimming. The surgery seems to have been successful, because my hand is healing well and my flexibility is returning.

Last week I received the ok to start swimming again. I've been in the pool two times and both times I've had a fairly severe reaction (within 4 hours of swimming, I feel like I have a really bad head cold). Currently I'm just swimming once a week. I'd like to increase my time in the pool...but I've got to figure out how to decrease these symptoms first.

Walking is my only other exercise. I started taking the bus to work in late October. Thus, I'm walking up Madison from downtown in the morning. Not very far...but the hill is steep. Of course weather permitting I walk back down at the end of the day.

I see my hand surgeon next week, and hopefully I'll be cleared for bicycling and weight training.

this morning 600 yards (easy) The PT wants me to ease back into the pool so that my neck doens't tighten up.