First yoga class...

...since the crash. It went really well actually, and after being immobilized and restricted for so many months, it felt awesome to stretch, bend, twist and work the kinks out. I'm so happy to be able to do yoga again! It's also going to be a big help with further recovery.

I saw my surgeon this morning, and got the official go ahead to get back on the bike. I didn't tell him I'd already been on the bike. Now it's official. Yay! It's been a good week for getting back into a normal life.

Spring training

Went for my first road ride today since the crash. Did the full Rosemount loop - 53 miles. Speed wasn't abysmal, but I could feel I have no top end. No sprint, no hill power. It really is like starting from zero, and I'm right where I was in, oh, February or so. Nevertheless, it was good to get out for a ride, no pressure, just enjoying being on the bike again. No racing or group rides for me for a while. The bike looks bling, with pristine white bar tape, Hudz and saddle. The new team kit looks good too.

This and that

Went running again today and dialed up the pace over the last time. No pikas today, just chipmunks, although I saw one critter with no chipmunk stripes, but no pika ears either, so I'm not sure what it was (too small to be a prairie dog).

I'm really into the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, and tonight we'll watch the final episode until the season resumes in January. After that I'll be able to check out the fan sites without worrying about spoilers. Yes, I'm a nerd, but that's not news to anyone that knows me. It's as interesting as a good book, politically relevant, philosophically stimulating, with neat special effects and hot Cylon chicks (and guys) too. The characters are complex and real, not simply good vs. evil. Seriously, what more could you want?

Physical therapy is coming along, but as remarkable as all the little improvements each day are, I want to be fit again! Once I'm "normal" I still have to work my way back up to the fitness, strength and flexibility I had before the crash. Fortunately, I've had good sports doctors that understand what it's like for an athlete. I'll be so happy when I can sprint on the road bike, shoulder the cross bike for a runup and jump into bakasana in yoga class. To stick with the nerdiness: "patience, young jedi."

Another potential doper caught at the Tour. I'm not liking how they're guilty until proven innocent, especially with the proven outrageous incompetence of the labs, but it looks like confidence is slowly being restored to the Tour and the sport in general. But really, at a time when our justice system is under extreme duress, how about at least waiting for the B sample results before declaring yourself judge, jury and executioner, armchair pundits?

Can I hold out?

I'm gaining mobility and strength in my shoulder every day, and feeling better and better. Ran again today, took 1/2 minute off my last time around Lake Harriet (still nowhere near where I was this spring). I'm itching to get out and ride. I hear about other people hopping on the bike soon after surgery. Thoughts go through my head: "maybe if I don't race and just ride around" or "maybe I'll just bike commute." Of course I can fall on the Greenway too, and there are plenty of idiots and road ragers behind the wheel out there. Is it worth the risk? At this rate I'd be at the back of the C race come cyclocross season.

Five week update

Saw the surgeon yesterday, five weeks after my surgery. He gave me the go-ahead not to use the sling at all anymore (technically that wasn't supposed to come for six weeks). I'll go in for PT on Tuesday and get a new set of exercises. I'm feeling more and more mobile and strong. Doctors says I'm progressing normally, but I can't see any differences in the X-rays from visit to visit. I guess that's why he gets paid the big bucks right? Going to start using the recumbent trainer at work and I'm getting my bike put back together so I can ride the trainer at home when I can put the weight on my arms. Making progress...

May 16 from 30 degrees below

June 13 from 30 degrees below

May 16

June 13

Clavicle steel plate removal dilemma

Saw the surgeon yesterday. I have an appointment with a physical therapist Tues. to start doing some PT and begin to restore some range of motion and prevent further loss. Being in a sling for six weaks has noticeably atrophied my left arm, pecs and lats. If you thought I was skinny before... I've been researching removal of the plate and screws after a year (not for squeamish):

Pro: stronger bones because of the lack of the "crutch" of the plate, plus the weak point of the holes from the screws will be gone; less likelihood of another fracture due to weakness at screw holes and stress risers where metal meets bone; less discomfort from tendons and nerves against screw heads and plate edges; less discomfort in winter due to cold steel against bone.

Con: risk of complications from surgery, including infection, further nerve damage, anaesthesia and all the other risks of open surgery; risk of another fracture while screw holes fill in after the removal; remote risk of my body rejecting or attacking the "foreign" object.

If I did it, it would be after cyclocross season ends next year, and I'd have the winter to heal without undue risk of another fracture while racing.

Has anyone else been faced with this decision? Am I missing other considerations?

Checking in, Cat 6 news

Wow this blog is boring when I'm not racing isn't it? I'll be at Opus tomorrow, roasting weenies with my teammates at turn 1. Friends of Cat 6 are invited to stop by, we'll have beer too! Our jerseys are up for sale on the Twin Six web site. If you want to "rock the mid-pack lifestyle" this is your jersey! Only the cool people get the bibs though. There's an "easter egg" hidden inside the back pocket. Wanna know what it is? Buy a jersey and find out! The State Fair Crit series is coming up fast. It's going to be awesome! This is our first real race, and we're hoping everything goes well. We'll even have porta-potties!

Although our message-board humor can be testosterone-laced, we're doing our part to support women's racing by accomodating the Women's Cycling Summit (genesis of Midwest Women's Cycling Made Real and the Women's Prestige Series) - a bus will be picking up the women after their race to take them to the Summit, and bringing them back afterward. We originally scheduled the women's race for later because of feedback that starting them first prevented many from being able to make it on weekdays, but it would have been too confusing to mix up the schedules each week.

Surgery healing is coming along. It really sucks to be off the bike now that we have good weather. I'm not going to push it though - another crash before I'm completely healed would spell doom. I think I'm pretty good at keeping the rubber side down, but there's no accounting for idiot drivers, small children, dogs and especially high-speed crits. I'm shooting cyclocross season for racing next.

Clavicles of steel

Scans of x-ray film don't show up well, but you get the idea. 9 screws along pretty much the whole length of the clavicle to hold it all together. Wonder how many grams that is? Couldn't get the titanium upgrade, had to go with stainless steel.

Is it me...

...or is there a lot of crashing and injuries going on lately? Maybe I'm just more aware of it now.

Humpty Dumpty

Well yesterday all the king's horses and all the king's men put ol' Humpty Dumpty back together again. Humpty was feeling mighty sore though as the "block" wore off ("block" being some way of anaesthetising the area). They kept giving me more Dilaudid (which is what they tried to give me in the ambulance but couldn't because they couldn't get the IV going), and it seemed the more they gave, the more I hurt, until I was practically yelling at them to give some Percoset. When the Percoset finally took effect I felt better, but not before feeling some of the worst bone-throbbing pain I've felt in a long time - certainly worse than the crash itself. I stayed overnight, which was good because I was in no kind of condition to go home! Got home this afternoon, and it feels so good to be in my Ikea chair, which is way comfier than anything, especially when I'm injured. Percoset, chair, kitty and cookies - much happier now. And a huge thanks to my mom who came up from Des Moines to help me this week!

The Plan

So surgery is scheduled for Tuesday morning. They want to keep me overnight to have me on IV antibiotics and monitor for infection or problems. Then I'm still in a sling for three weeks, and off the bike (and yoga mat) for three months. That puts me into August. That sucks, but not as bad as eight months and healing with a crooked, shortened and deformed collarbone (if I heal at all). I don't think I'll be doing any more crits this year, probably just focusing on getting fitness and mobility back. No choice but the trainer (sigh) until I can get back on the bike. My goal will be to be able to have some fun during cyclocross season. I've gotten a lot of good advice from people, in comments, emails and personally, so thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences! I'm sure I'll get my groove back, but I'm not going to rush anything. Fortunately, I'm not paid to race! Good thing, because I wouldn't have been able to live on a bag of coffee and $7 last year!

Mojo

I think most people will agree that criterium racing requires balls. Mixing it up inches from other racers at high speed around tight corners requires a lot of self-confidence in your abilities, as well as a lack of fear that the racers around you are likely to make a mistake. It requires experience, the ability to bump shoulders and various other body and bike parts without panic, a sixth sense about what others are about to do, and the ability to be predictable and safe yourself. The Evanston Crit at Superweek was the ultimate test of my ability to stay out of trouble, as half of the field went down in high-speed crashes on that crazy course.

So what happens after you finally go down hard? Do you start second-guessing yourself? Do you second-guess others? Do you ride differently, potentially worse for lacking that supreme confidence that things will be okay? Do you stay far away from any potential trouble, thus also avoiding any decent chance of winning? Or do you eventually end up riding even smarter than before? Or maybe you just end up doing triathlons the rest of your life.

Anyone lose their mojo after a big crash?

Surgery

Well the good news is that I will be getting surgery. These x-rays shows how bad it is. There are pieces everywhere. Believe it or not, this could heal up on its own eventually, but it would take a long time and it would be a bizarrely-shaped, shortened bone in the end. The bad news is, because of the road rash, they want to wait two weeks to allow that to heal and thus prevent any additional pathway for infection. Plus healing and rehab time, it'll still be a couple months before I'm 100%. Imagine without the surgery though - many more months and never ever 100%! I'll have a stainless steel plate and a bunch of screws holding everything together. Being "older" means it will take longer to heal.

Be careful out there folks!

X-Ray

Ouch

Well I guess it was inevitable. My fourth season of bike racing I finally found the rubber side up in a serious way.

The first Opus crit of the year was starting out well. In spite of the wind, there was a good turnout, and everyone was in a good mood. Meow made cookies, lots of teammates showed up, and we were all ready to clear out the winter cobwebs. First couple of laps were a bit sketchy, but that was expected, and I stayed near the front. So much so that a couple stomps on the pedals got me my first ninja prime! The next lap found me off the front, since no one wanted to be in the wind. But then the bell rang for the first prime, and the speed ramped up quickly, and we had the wind at our backs. A Grumpy's rider who'd introduced himself earlier made a move around the outside, so I jumped to get on his wheel. Somehow I found my bars hooked with another rider, and down I went at 30+ mph!

Fortunately I didn't take down the rider I hooked my bars with, but I did take down a rider behind us. He was able to get back in the race, but I sincerely apologize to everyone I endangered. I really really feel bad - we all carry each other's lives in our hands, and need to be careful out there.

Dag was riding coach at the back and stopped to help me out. I was just sitting in the road dazed for a bit, but got to the side and Dag quizzed me for head injuries. Turns out I did crack the helmet, but the head was fine. My clavicle was not, however. Fortunately I couldn't see it, but apparently it was sticking up in a way that clearly wasn't right. So it was off to the hospital for me. Thanks so much to everyone that helped: Dag, Little D, Meow and all my teammates, Skibby, the USAC officials, the Skinnyski photographer and many others, and of course long-suffering girlfriend. Minnesota nice at its best!

It seems like EVERONE at the hospital and the paramedics knew all about bike racing and Opus! It was a slow day at the ER and several people came by to talk. I was a bit of a celebrity. Even got cookies for quitters at the ER courtesy of Meow! The x-rays seem to show a serious break, likely requiring surgery. On the other hand, surgery would get me back on the bike quicker. We'll see.