Lessons learned from a habitual outdoor runner

Month: August 2019

A few weeks on the bike

I am grateful to have a bicycle! I’ve had to convert to a cyclist while this knee injury recovers. I am using the bike as part of my physical therapy. My Sports-Ortho was cool about me doing my own therapy once I explained what I was doing and my recovery plan. Of course, he offered to be of further assistance if I needed it, we’ll see.

Picture of the Mongoose Bedlam bicycle
The Mongoose Bedlam

The knee is getting better day-by-day, I can do my regular stretching/yoga/pilates again and have been able to walk a few miles at a time without issue. I’m not ready to give it a run though as the memory of that pain is keeping me cautious. My plan is to attempt a slow run, two weeks after it doesn’t bother me doing these other low-impact activities.

I have over 375 miles on the bike since August 4th (3 weeks). I’ve been averaging 19 miles each morning at an average pace of 14.5 MPH. Maintaining this pace keeps me exuding an effort almost the entire ride, with very little coasting (not that we have much for hills around here). The rear tire is showing a little wear but overall the bike is holding up well, even today while the entire ride was in the rain.

This bike has the shock-absorption front forks and the rear independent suspension. Most bike have similar front forks nowadays, but the rear is not as common. Personally, I like the extra impact reduction of the rear suspension.

You may wonder why I use a mountain-style bike as basically a road bike. The answer is that the roads I ride are not city streets, they are country roads, sometimes dirt and often rough. These are (to use the common term) tar-and-chip roads which are maintained by adding oil and loose rock during the summer months. This loose rock adds a certain element of “surprise” to a road-ride in which those narrow road-cycle tires don’t perform well at keeping you upright. Plus the rock accumulates at intersections and roadsides for additional excitement.

4-Cemetery Route

I like Cemeteries, not in a weird or spooky way, I like the serenity and peacefulness of the majority. They also remind me to be grateful, grateful I’m still just a visitor and not a resident there, but also I’m mindful of the lives of those folks that are now out-of-mind with the passing of time. We don’t think enough about the folks who were farmers, teachers, soldiers, laborers, etc. which helped form the amazing civilization we have today.

I get to ride on paved, straight roads (well, mostly), I get to purchase a new bicycle easily at a store or online and I can get accessories to make that experience safer and more enjoyable. So many little things we take for granted today which someone in our past had to build, support, or contribute to in order for us to make significant transactions from a device in our pocket. It’s amazing if you stop to think about it.

One big plus of riding the bike while my running injuries heal is I can expand my travels out in the open air. This morning I didn’t have any time-crunch pressure so I just ventured “wherever”. As I started out I thought about the cemetery just up the road, which helped me decide to ride to four different cemeteries which turned into a decent ride (see below).

Four cemeteries and one school.

Damaged but not broken!

Abundant gratitude! I am so grateful that the X-Rays and exam concluded no major damage! Yes, I did some damage to tissue and muscle around the knee, but it is workable, so I have begun my quest for recovery.

Here it is, the recovery machine. I was able to ride it this morning and while a bit slow and a shorter distance, it felt great to be out there watching the sunrise and being in the fresh air. Onward into another day. Blessings!

I broke me

Seriously, I can’t walk on my leg! My knee felt so much better after taking a week off running so I ventured out for a gentle run Monday morning, sadly two miles into the run there was a “pop” in my knee followed by a whole lot of pain. I hobbled my way home but now I am out of commission as I struggle to walk. Off to the Sports Medic tomorrow to get a professional opinion on how I broke me and what to do next.

July 2019 Activity Summary

The month started on the mend from June’s injuries, however by mid-month a new issue arose in one of the knees. As I posted earlier, I had to switch to the bike as my outlet. Here are the July 2019 stats which are just fine. I’m still moving and getting better every day!

It’s early August now and I’m anticipating going back out for a run this coming week. While the bike is nice, I miss my running.

Onward!

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