Cycling / Running - Logs, Stories, & Pictures (any fellow cyclists or runners here?)

[Tex]

 

[80mileshigh]

On the theme of gruelling efforts, check out The Road to Roubaix if you can:

 

[DanM]

I went for my first cold weather run tonight. It was amazing. Early on I could see Chicago's city glow on the clouds of Hurricane Sandy. Later on I saw this tremendous halo around the moon, never seen anything like it in my life. It was so wide, must have been hundreds of miles across the sky.

 

[FADEC]

Week 4 update:

I feel relatively fine meanwhile. I'm painless most of the time now. The collarbone doesn't feel as loose as it was the case during the first two weeks. There is definitely progress going on. However, you couldn't see anything on the new radiographs yesterday in the hospital. But this is usual. The new bone callus becomes visible on radiographs after five to six weeks.

Yesterday there was again two different doctors and two different opinions by th way :lol: The first one said that the fragments are displaced now and that a surgery might be required. I wondered why he didn't take a look on the first radiographs for a reference, which were taken 3 weeks ago. Then another doctor entered the room. He was older i.e. more experienced which you immediately could tell. A real expert for bone fractures. He looked at the radiographs and within less than 3 seconds he said "nah, this is growing together anyway. One just has to be patient." Then he asked his younger colleague if he looked at the first radiographs. E voilà. My thoughts. So they did, and then he said "See? It was displaced anyway."

I have to wear the bandage for another three weeks. I hope the collarbone will be one piece again by then. I'm still aiming week four of November for my first ride...

---------- Post added at 12:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:39 PM ----------

Later on I saw this tremendous halo around the moon, never seen anything like it in my life. It was so wide, must have been hundreds of miles across the sky.

This is why I love riding during the night. It's just epic. Especially if you also have different sounds and sightings of animals.

 

[Tex]

New personal best today, 129.5 miles.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/239878704
http://app.strava.com/activities/26843113

Also a new personal best this week; I've ridden everyday, Sunday still to come. Total time, 19 hours, 8 minutes over 350 miles.

 

[FADEC]

New personal best today, 129.5 miles.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/239878704
http://app.strava.com/activities/26843113

Also a new personal best this week; I've ridden everyday, Sunday still to come. Total time, 19 hours, 8 minutes over 350 miles.

More than 200 km with an average speed of more than 30 kmh makes me almost speechless. I wish I could do this!

This thread really is a perfect motivation :thankyou:

Now I feel better only by reading your latest news. I just can't wait to cycle again. My first ride after 6-7 weeks will be a 50 km one. And it feels like I am not anymore too far away from doing so. This evening I noticed that I can move my shoulder more and more without pain, while the collarbone also moves on the whole. But I have to be careful not to become careless now. There is still two weeks of wearing the bandage. But if the next two weeks progress like the last two weeks, I should be perfectly fine for cycling (but not for athletic sports though; it'll probably take month...).

 

[llarian]

Hey FADEC ... give it time!!!

In 2005 I had a complete right shoulder rebuild (full thickness superspinatus tear, bone spur under shoulder bone, bicep tendon ripped from upper attachment ... thank God it was ultimately a work injury). Surgeon told me not to touch my bike for six weeks. Not just that ... no activity, nothing. Decided to try the bike after three weeks. Unh, unh. got off the bike for another three weeks.

At my physiotherapist shop, there were four of us recovering from similar injuries. The physiotherapists had a pool going to see would rip out their surgery first. I was the top of the list ... and the only one who did not ultimately undo the surgeon's work. Sometimes the expert is right!!

Hey Tex ... Well Done!!! Do you have any suggestions for trip logging tools that don't involve an iPhone or Garmin?

I had fun today. Head wind was 30kph+, temperature was 0 (32 to some of you). Toes are a little tender!!:lol:

 

[Tex]

Hey Tex ... Well Done!!! Do you have any suggestions for trip logging tools that don't involve an iPhone or Garmin?

Cheers! The only thing I can think of might be a small cycling computer by Cat Eye. There are other brands, but I have only tried Cat Eye. It was around $50. Gives you current speed, average, max, miles, time. No heart rate data or GPS routing though.

 

[80mileshigh]

Bradley Wiggins struck by motorist, suffers broken ribs:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/nov/08/bradley-wiggins-witnesses-shock-collision

 

[FADEC]

Bradley Wiggins struck by motorist, suffers broken ribs:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/nov/08/bradley-wiggins-witnesses-shock-collision

Ouch. Hope he'll be fine again as soon as possible.

I had a broken rib early this year. It took about 2 month until the pain completely disappeared. And it was just one rib. There are bikers which have a broken collarbone + broken ribs. I know how it feels separately, and I really don't want to imagine how this feels combined.

 

[80mileshigh]

When I'm riding I'm constantly frustrated by motorists, but when I'm driving I find myself making the very same mistakes. The state government here gives out free stickers you can put on your car's mirrors that say 'look for bikes' - I'm going to add these stickers now!

Something more positive:

Where I live all flats are false-flats. So I'm used to hills, but there is a really tough one that I previously had to dismount and walk up. After riding about 400km over the past five weeks I have now conquered this hill!

Admittedly I went over slowly, and my cadence was lousy, and I felt like I was melting, but I did it:

 

[FADEC]

When I'm riding I'm constantly frustrated by motorists, but when I'm driving I find myself making the very same mistakes.

I often hear motorists complain about cyclists. But I realize, no matter if I cycle or if I'm a co-driver in a car, that motorists are actually quite agressive these days. It's due to the everyday stress I guess.

I live in the 9th biggest city of Germany (it was the 5th biggest city a few years ago, but the population numbers don't differ too much anyway except Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne). The rush-hour traffic here is a mess, right in the middle of the Ruhr region ([ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhr"]Ruhr - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]). What I observe every day is what police psychologists call "hunting instinct". Everyone wants to be the first and the fastes. Motorists behave like they have no time to lose. They complain about everything; pedestrians, cyclists, even traffic lights. As a cyclist you literally can feel their stress.

When I accelerate at a traffic light for example, I'm faster than most cars in most cases. This is not because I want to be faster, but because a massive car and its gearing usually needs some more time to accelerate from a standing position than my feet and light body and bike needs. It usually takes 3 to 5 seconds, or even longer, (depending on the vehicle) until cars become faster than me. But, conspicuously those with big decadent cars (Mercedes ML 320 or Audi A8 for example) often become rather nervous. They floor the gas pedal and try overtake me in quite a hectical manner (fast and VERY close) to show me who the stronger one is. Tatally ridiculous, because I am a cyclist anyway and because they are standing at the next traffic light anway, and me next to them once again.

But so far no car hit me (only once but it was my fault). As a cyclist you have to use 4 eyes i.e. the two eyes of a car driver too since they often are dreaming (if not nervous). Especially while turning. This is fun at the crossways, when there is a zebra crossing. They usually look for car traffic, but not for pedestrians or cyclists. Then, while turning, they turn their head too finally, but "suddenly" realize there are people going to cross the street (on the zebra crossing). The reaction often is a hectic braking action, while being outraged by the pedestrians or cyclists, of course. Mostly I'm standing already, since I know them inside out. My only reaction is a hint at the very obvious sign beside the zebra crossing on the road...

But I remember a rather friendly young driver. It was a few years ago. He pushed me out of the way, but he obviously didn't realize. He winded down the window and apologized a few times. You don't have such situations very often. I had it only once, within 15 years in this city.

But what I had more oft though was a flirt with female drivers. And it was always them who started, through their open windows

 

[FADEC]

Well,

week 6 (since my collarbone fracture) will begin tomorrow. But I feel amazingly fine for two days now! I bet I already could pull off my bandage right now. But another 7 days can't hurt. Since yesterday morning I don't feel any pain anymore, finally. Not even when I move my shoulder, or when I use my right hand for washing the dishes etc. To cough also doesn't cause pain anymore (it changed to a slightly noticable feeling of pressure in the collarbone). To carry small things with my right hand, like a bottle of water for example, is possible without any pain already.

So, the collarbone took 5 weeks in order to grow together (fairly; it'll take another weeks until I might do pushups again). Not too bad when I consider that I am over 30 years old, and that it was a complicated fracture with a dislocation, close to the shoulder joint.

It feels rather promising. The fracture isn't really palpable anymore. But the best thing is that you don't really see the fracture from the outside anymore.

With a surgery I maybe would have been able to cycle again after two weeks, or so. But on the other hand I would have a 4-5 inch scar now, and a huge hill on top of my collarbone (the visible metal plate). Followed by another surgery within 6 to 12 month. It seems that a surgery isn't really the most easy or "comfortable" way at all. It's only a faster way to do sports again sooner (basically useful for professionals).

I think I will have my first ride the week after next :bananadance::woohoo:

 

[Pablo49]

I was at work yesterday (I work at a hotel), and the owner saw my bike in the backroom and said they had a few bikes in a storage room from people who had left them behind and I could have any of them. So now I have a Univega Supra Sport, FO FREE! Previous owner took great care of it, looks brand new minus some dust, and rides great. Now to try getting used to these wacky downtube shifters!

 

[FADEC]

I was at work yesterday (I work at a hotel), and the owner saw my bike in the backroom and said they had a few bikes in a storage room from people who had left them behind and I could have any of them. So now I have a Univega Supra Sport, FO FREE! Previous owner took great care of it, looks brand new minus some dust, and rides great. Now to try getting used to these wacky downtube shifters!

Wow. You are very lucky.

I never got a bike for free, except when I was a child of course. I also would have to get used to downtube shifters. I don't really like them. I need shifters exactly where my hands are located.

But have fun anway!

 

[Tex]

 

[Tex]

 

[FADEC]

The camera tests are awesome. Especially in the first video. Perfect mounting, scenery, daytime and route. Looks almost too perfect to be real. Must be Grand Theft Auto V :lol:

 

[Pablo49]

You said "passing on your left" without them getting confused and moving to their left and almost killing both of you. I have never been so fortunate.

 

[FADEC]

I was in the hospital once again this morning. There is one bad news and one good news. The latest radiographs of my collarbone fracture don't yet show any bone callus. But it seems that the two fragments did approach each other and now even have contact. The doctor was quite surprised because of that.

My feeling is that there must be bone callus since I can move my shoulder without any pain while the collarbone moves normally again. The fragments don't move anymore. Not even during night. Yesterday I tried to lift my bike only with my right hand. It worked without any pain.

Anyway, end of the story is that I should wear the bandage for another two weeks. So no biking until December.

I only wonder what my shoulder joint will tell me after 8 weeks of inactivity...