The Wedding

It was a beautiful day for Kevin and Amy's wedding.

Here's the happy couple. . . . .

Oh wait sorry, HERE'S the happy couple. . . . . .

Squirt and some guy she's scoping out. . . . . . . .

If I had a picture of myself and the guy above, I'd put it here. . . . . .

But I don't. . . . . .

And I found out it's more difficult to ride a tandem than I thought. . . .especially in a dress. . . . .

Congratulations to Kevin & Amy. Thank you for letting us all be a part of your day.

SS Amy's Bachelorette Party

Embarrassing stories to follow. . . . . . as if the pictures aren't enough. . . . .

Monday Aches and Pains

Today I feel like I got hit by a truck. Wow. My fatigue is at a "5" on a scale of 1 to 5. I had to run up the steps a couple times today and practically collapsed. I guess that's a sign of putting it all out there.

I knew Sheboygan favored my racing style with lots of roots and technical stuff. I also knew the paved road climb off the start was going to hurt because I HAD to get in the top 5 going into the single track if I wanted to pull ahead and gain some time. I lined up in the second row and waited to hear the last GOOOOOOOO of the year.

I had to announce my presence going up the hill, as I was ALMOST taken out by an "out of control" sport girl. Thankfully it all worked out. I got into the single track right where I wanted to be. But we were so tight on the first lap I didn't get to ride the tight turn with the roots, nor did I even get to attempt the creek crossing. Carnage everywhere.

When I got the equalizer I was so spent I barely made it up half way. Lap 2 had me starting to cramp there, lap 3 had me grimacing as the cramps were getting severe. It's hard to RUN with cramps!

It was in the second lap, at the creek crossing that SS Amy caught and passed me. I tried to catch back up but she's so powerful on those climbs! And I was so tired! Every time I'd think I was ALMOST on her wheel she'd drop me again. I never rode the singletrack on the quarry side so fast in my life. It literally was a blur we were going so fast. It was awesome.

I think I only got to ride the entire section of the roots of evil once. People were slipping out everywhere.

And when we got to the jump on the first lap I was right behind a slower sport guy. He took the right, I took the left and we nearly took each other out we merged back together so close. We got great crowd approval on that one.

All and all it was an awesome race. I have to wonder how I would have performed if my fitness level were at it's peak. Maybe next year. :-)

Motivated AND Inspired

I still love Sheboygan. I love every single root, I love the jump, I love the gravel climb, I love the twisty turns, I even love the equalizer. Today, I didn't even mind the pain.

While I didn't get to enjoy a complete season this year, having to spend a little too long OFF my bike, I managed to enjoy the last few races the body would let me do. And this one, was (of course) the best.

I was not ready, in fact I did not even WANT to do this race today, I felt terrible and SS Amy and I debated turning around on our warm up because she felt the exact same way. And somehow we both dug deep into the depths of our souls and pulled it out our butts. Good job sister. :-)

Race recap to follow at a later date. I'm too mentally, emotionally and physcially drained to go any further. It's about time.

Tomorrow is IT

Tomorrow is the big day. The last WORS race of the season. The BEST WORS race of the season. I hope I'm not disappointed.

The pre-ride was good. The course is a little different in a few places, but nothing too out of the ordinary. I rode it fairly well. I don't understand why I can't make it up the equalizer though. . .I'm always SOOOOO close to the top. . . .but then my "big guns" just lift my front wheel up, and it's all over.

The jump was great. . . . .I still don't know why I was ever afraid of that silly little thing.

Tomorrow will be interesting. My body aches today. . . .for who knows WHAT reason. I hope that I worked some of those aches out and tomorrow will go that much better. Bringing the MENTAL game is what's going to have to happen tomorrow. Right now my "mental game" is just about as poor as my "top end". Something's going to have to improve by tomorrow. . . . .or I'm toast.

Although riding the first lap behind the tandem was a riot. I think I might have laughed too much. . . .I hope I didn't fatigue my abs.

See you at Sheboygan.

You may be motivated, but are you inspired?

Are you inspired?? Or are you just motivated?

What's the difference? Find out HERE.

MOVE THAT BUS!!!

So we ventured out to Dundee to check out the Extreme Home Makeover house. It was cool. The house is beautiful. We were only there a short time, as they escort everyone out at 8:00pm, but we got to see one "celebrity" (Michael).

Then we had the most delicious caramel apples. . . . . . .

And drove around screaming MOVE THAT BUS!!!!!

Sweet.

PUPPIES!!

Here's the first glimps of my sister's puppies (well, her dog's puppies). Aren't they adorable?? I guess they are a black lab/shepherd mix. They just opened their eyes yesterday.


Here's the one my sister wants to keep.

Here's the one she says she has picked out for us. . . . . . . .I think she might have to talk to BILL about that one. . . . . . . .

Cute, cute, cute!!

Holy Cow

Cross Race #1 - Badger Prairie, Verona, WI. Two words, IT SUCKED.

For anyone who knows anything about heart rates, my LT (lactate threshold) is approximately 182. Usually in a WORS race I'll average about 182 with a maximum somewhere around 192(ish). Typically that's where I start to hyperventilate, and feel like I could use an oxygen tank. Today I maxed out at 194 and thought I was going to DIE.

The start was good. . . .I'm actually pretty good at the dismount, the barriers and the remount. Generally that drives my heart rate up a little higher. . . .but I can usually sit back and recover. Not today. I literally thought I was going to pass out. Half a good lap, then all the girls started passing me. . . . . I round the last corner prior to dumping out on the road for a nice stead climb to the next lap, and oooops, I seemed to have missed the turn. Of course I didn't get to preride that section, so when the course took like a 270 degree turn, I went straight. Full bore into the caution tape and I snapped it. Then a few more girls passed me. . . . .

It's obvious the first thing to go when you're not training "hard core" is your upper end. Unfortunately that went after my 8 weeks off the bike. At least in a mountain bike course you can gain precious seconds by riding the technical stuff smart and using the base you built to hold you in there. In cyclocross you either have that upper end, or you don't. Guess which one was me?

At least I finished, and I didn't finish last. I ALMOST started crying out there, but I didn't. And I was SOOOOOOOO close to quitting, but I didn't. Thanks to everyone for the cheers. Really that's the only reason I kept going. I didn't want to dissapoint my fans. :-)

Now it's time to recover and see what the body will produce for Sheboygan. It's my favorite. I hope it's as fun for me this year. . . . .

Cross Practice

Tomorrow's the first cyclocross race. Did some practice today. . . .ouch. One forgets how much that hurts. Tomorrow should just be one all out heart attack. I can't wait.

Bill took a digger. . . . . .face planted himself into the dirt. I guess he was afraid to break the caution tape we use to practice. . . . .but on another lap he actually broke the tape. . . . . .stressed CK out a little. . . .he works hard to maintain those "barriers". Bill's sitting this first race out, which is probably a good thing. He might be safer. . . . .

This year they made some changes in cross with regards to the categories. It used to be Womens "A" (fastest), Womens "B" (middle) and then Womens "C" (slowest). Since we've been racing for a few years now, I've conquered the "C" class, and last year moved up to "B". I had some really good finishes, and ended up winning the overall in "B". But last year I was a lot faster too. This down time with the back has taken away from my high end training. Cyclocross will be interesting.

Since they now use the same categories in Cross (Cat 1/2, Cat 3 and Cat 4) as they do in road racing, you have to petition for an "upgrade" if you feel you were assigned the wrong class. I'm at Cat 4 road racer (entry level women's category), but I'm a lot faster in cyclocross. . . . .so . . . . . . I had to ASK for an upgrade. I thought about just doing the Cat 4 race and seeing how far ahead I could get. . . .but I guess that would kind of be like doing a Citizen race in WORS for me. . . . .which just wouldn't be cool. So I'm now a Cat 3 cyclocross racer.

Sweet.

WI Rapids

It was a weekend full of excitement. The boys made it to the podium again. Captain's SECOND best finish of the year. CK took 12th overall, Captain took 22nd overall. Nice job boys.

I thought I'd try a new strategy since I'm not really sure how my body works anymore. I started in the back of the pack at Sunburst, but there wasn't any single track there. So I thought I'd start in the FRONT of the pack this time around, hooking Holly's wheel off the start line. One minute into the race I was so maxed out I was hyperventilating. . . . .I thought it was probably in my best interest to just "ler her go". Why can't I be in shape like that?!?

Rode one lap of single track maxed out, lots of silly little mistakes, a couple "oh my GOD I almost bit it" mistakes. . . . .lap 2 was "holy cow am I tired, what was I thinking? I should be in Citizen I have no CLUE how to ride this crap". . . . . .ending with lap 3 "Why couldn't I ride this stuff this good the FIRST two laps???".

My age competitor (Tammi) volunteered so I took 2nd in age. 3:55 behind Holly (ouch), but almost the same ahead of 3rd. 13th overall. . . . .a little lower than I was hoping for, but I guess my standards for myself are still a LITTLE too high at this point in the game. It hurt, but it was awesome. . . . . at least the 3rd lap was.

Bill's brother BOBBY!! came to visit. . . . . . .hung out on Sunday and harrassed our competitors (and the significant others of our competitors).

This guy won "games" Saturday night, and now he thinks he's "number one". . . . .he doesn't know we LET him win. . . . .


Then when I hit the hot tub this morning, "they' were there again. . . . . . .


Try and scoot them away and they just hang on. . . . . .

The last fun-filled camping event of the year. So sad. Now it's time to focus on Sheboygan and see what happens. Stick a cyclocross race in there. . . . .sweet. Before you know it, it will be time to "take a break".

Friday Funny

I still think this cartoon is a riot, no matter how many times I see it. It's something my dog would do.

Almost the weekend

It's almost Friday as I enter my last update for today. I was boycotting updating for a bit there, but then some of my "fans" called me on it and I figure I owe it to my fans. . . . .

Wednesday CK took off work and we hit Sheboygan for a ride. It's nice to have a slacker job sometimes. Although that can bite you on days when you work 12 hours straight, but Wednesday was not one of those days. . . . . . .and that was a good thing.

The course at Sheboygan is in pretty good shape. Leaf covered. . . . .but in good shape. I was the "seeing eye dog" on the first lap and of course I took a few wrong turns. . . . .oooops. . . .I was really testing CK's patience. . . . he passed - THIS time. Thankfully the second lap flowed nicely and then we were set.

Last year was my first attempt at "the jump". I remember riding there with SS Amy and Lori (aka "squirt" or "minigoat"). They tried their hardest to get me to do the jump but I was just too chicken. I didn't want anyone to see me do it. So I waited. . . .I waited until I was all alone. Then I sat up top of the hill for a good 15 minutes, talking myself into just DOING it. I was so scared. What a pansy I was.

This year I chickened out on the first lap. . . . .since I was with Jeff. . . . .I wanted to be able to do it on my own first. The second lap I went right over. Jumped it good. Just to make sure that it wasn't a fluke, I went back and did it 4 more times. Sweet. Now I'm even MORE excited for Sheboygan.

I know the results won't be what I want them to be this year, since I was derailed on my training. But it doesn't matter. Sheboygan is one of those places where you can just ride and feel like a rock star. I'm SO thankful I now have "skills". It makes riding SO much more fun. I think back to the last few years when I was lacking those skills. Even last year, being afraid of the jump. And now I think "what in the world was I ever afraid of??".

Hopefully Rapids will bring those same feelings out. . . . . .and hopefully they won't have to carry me off and give me oxygen. Coming back to do a 68 minute race is one thing. . . .but coming back to do an all out heart attack 90+ minute race is another. I hope my body is up for the challenge. My mind certainly is.

TOO FUNNY

Happy Thursday.

The Devil

The Devil got them.

Isn't it interesting how we all have our different looks while we're riding. Some look friendly, some look "mean", some look like they're laughing when they're really dying. . . . . . . .





I'm going to try to ride the road bike today. She hasn't been out since the July 4th weekend. We'll see how that goes. I wish there was a manual I could pick up so I could know exactly what to do each day. . . . . .what my body/back will allow for.

I know the back muscles have been tight. . . . . I'll have to hire my own personal massage person. That would be nice.

Oh Yeah, OUCH is the word of the day

Wow. What a day. I woke up last night in a pool of sweat and figured today was going to be bad. The congestion from the cold was in my head pretty good. Decided what the heck, as long as my back allows me to, I'm racin'.

We set out for our LONG 4 minute drive to Sunburst, wishing it was just a TINY big warmer, and maybe a bit less windy. Somehow time got away on me, and suddenly it was time to get ready. My "support team" abandoned me and I felt stressed out. I had to do it all! I had to put my own number plate back on my bike, get my tires ready, pin my number on my jersey (that alone took about 10 minutes and 18 tries and then SS Amy STILL had to fix it). Headed out on pre-ride, expelled a TON of "stuff" from my head and was out of breath before we were down to the end of the street.

I got to the start line, and Don must have been feeling generous because he called up 4 deep in our age class. . . .or maybe it was a sympathy call up. . . . . .but there I was on the start line and it was all I could do not to cry (what a girl).

He yelled "GOOOOOOOOOOOO" and I went. I stayed at the back and tried to listen to the body. If the back was angry, I was toast. I didn't spend all that time OFF my bike to be set back again. But it hung in there.

There were people cheering for me EVERYWHERE. It was so exciting. Of course I could barely hear them over my profuse PANTING & HYPERVENTILATING, but I was on my bike, and I was RACING. Sweet. I thought I forgot what to do, but somehow I pushed myself beyond where I've ever been pushed. My lungs were on FIRE, my legs were screaming, but my back was ok and that's all that mattered.

1 hour 9 minutes, AHR 182 (my lactate threshold), several tears shed and somehow I ended up 10th overall (minus SS's) and second in age. Tammi had a mechanical and as short as that race was, must not have the time to catch up again. I rode the whole thing and didn't even have to walk. Sweet.

Here's my podium picture. . . . .I didn't make it there as I was doing handoffs for the boys.



We'll see how the body feels tomorrow. Hopefully I didn't dig a hole, my back is OK, and THEN I can officially say "I'm BACK".

The Week

The sore throat set in Tuesday evening. Woke up with the cold Wednesday morning. . . . .thanks guys. Figured I'd set off to "Mad Town" anyway.


Had to visit Lori in DETOX. . . . . . . .



After our pillow fight we watched SS Amy iron her pants. . . . . . .



I stared at my feet for a little while. . . . . . .




Then we went to breakfast. . . . .well, Amy and I did. . . .Lori still can't eat. . . . .

Then I went home to sleep. What an exhausting trip. Being out and about until 9:15pm, wow, that was tough. Hope I can kick this thing by Sunday. . . . .

The return to work

After a long weekend of eating, sleeping, riding a little, and generally laying around. . . .it's hard to have to jump back into the "real world". I'm SOOOO glad I don't have a "real job". I'd never make it. I'm so burnt out after one day I'm thinking of heading to Madison for a day to meet some friends. . . . . .

Bill's got "the cold". . . .somehow I think Team Wisconsin passed it along. We're working the system though cuz he breathed on SS Amy this weekend and now she has a sore throat. . . .although I have kind of a scratchy throat tonight too. . . .Hhhh. . . .that plan might of backfired. . . .

Retirement?

Although Sunburst is just about the worst race to come out of retirement for. . . .I might just be able to do it.

I actually rode 3 consecutive laps yesterday. They weren't fast. . . .and they hurt a LOT (in terms of my muscles and cardio), but I did them, and I didn't have to walk. And better yet, I'm not bent over today in pain. The chiropractor seems to be helping, along with all the extra stretching and strengthening I've been doing. The chiropractor also used the TENS thingie on me yesterday a couple hours before I rode, and this time it actually seemed to loosen up my muscles.

Today the body is sore, and the back muscles are sore, but the disk feels pretty good. Perhaps just a tiny bit agitated, but this seems likely from the sore muscles.

I'd be happy with the one day on, one day off thing for now. I'm still easing back in to things. Haven't done anything longer than 80 minutes for a while. . . . . .and "race pace" now takes on a little different meaning for me. But all is well. There's always next year. I'd rather be slow and CAREFUL to recover and still be able to ride my bike when I want to. . . . . .than be laid up in the pain I was in a couple months ago.

Sweet. I guess we'll see how the body feels this week before I formulate my plan. It's one day at a time with this vehicle. I'm no Spring chicken anymore. :-)

Sunburst

I rode Sunburst today. Wow. I feel bad for anyone on a rigid bike. I had to stand up quite a bit just so my back didn't go out! It's a little different than past years, but not all that much. It's somewhat marked. . . . . .I think Dave ran out of arrows 1/2 way through though, cuz all of a sudden they stop.

The single track up top (and below) needs to be clipped back, and raked. I'm sure we'll do this again. . . . . .as in past years.

There's one place up top where you can catch air, then that curves to the left and I can see many-a-rider losing it there. I almost did a skid on my butt, but thankfully I still have "skills" (even if I don't have endurance).

I only did two laps. . . .not sure I could handle a third. Not necessarily from a soreness standpoint. . . .but from an "oh my gosh am I tired" standpoint. It sure sucks being out of shape. Hopefully that stage won't last long.

Caught at last

Someone caught me. . . . . . . . . .

Curses!

One of our administrative assistants quit today. Handed in her resignation and walked out the door. So much for giving notice. Tuesday is the day our AA's do all our ads, and she was "the ad girl". Fortunately for our office, I have helped in that department in the past and I'm just about the only person who knows how to do that stuff. So I got to step into her shoes and piece things together so we could "go on" with our real estate lives.

I was hoping to take some time to myself now that my nightmare transactions closed. . . . . . but now I'll be picking up the slack for her until we find a new person, on top of doing my full time job. It's a good thing I'm still not back to riding in full force . . . .BUT I'm getting there.

Today was my first day of PT. This therapist was good. She knew what she was talking about and thought it was pointless for me to see her 3 times a week when she could be teaching me this stuff and having me do it on my own. Sweet.

The general consensus is that I need to listen to my body and if it hurts, don't do it (at least right now). Seems with each passing day my disk gets a little stronger and with the PT, the chiropractor and the NMT, I'll soon be able to "climb" without my butt hurting again.

Although it probably won't be for Kewaskum. . . . .but who knows?? Anything can happen. :-)

The dog

What does one say about a dog wearing a cone and slippers?

Devil's Head

So much to say. . . . . .the "horns" made an appearance, because my "fans" asked for them (no picture, sorry).

Then there's the race course recreated in spaghetti for your viewing pleasure. . . . . . .

Princess Amy hanging out with a tummy ache. . . . .
CK before. . . . . . .

And of course, CK after he tangled with a tree, broke his seat off, and earned the new nick name "Gimpy". . . . . . . . .

Nice calf!! It's only twice the "normal" size. . . . . .maybe next race will produce good results without catapulting OFF the bike. . . . . .

Spectating is hard work. Off to bed I go.

Hanging by a thread

Thank god it's almost Friday! This past week has been one of THE most difficult in my real estate career. Combine that with the fact that I can't relieve the stress by going out for a long ride on my bike and that makes things even worse.

I had a family almost homeless. . . . .and I managed to pull their transaction together with 15 minutes to spare. Their house closed here as they're sitting in South Carolina and the builder got the wire of funds just before close of business so he could hand them their keys. It was touch and go but in the end all went well and they had a place to sleep.

Today I went for chiropractic adjustment #2 and so far, so good. Also had my NMT massage (neuromuscular therapy massage) and she found a ton of spots/knots in my quads. . . .go figure. It's not like I've been using them. Also found some serious stress knots limiting the mobility of my shoulders. I think I'm falling apart MORE by NOT riding. Too funny.

Tomorrow has me attending one last nightmare closing and then I'm home free. . . . . .pack the camper & head to Devil's head. Both the chiropractor and the NMT (and the surgeon) Ok'ed riding the MTB as long as it's "easy, for a short period of time and doesn't inflict any pain". Sweet. I think I'll preride Devil's Head. Then I'll party cuz I don't have to race it. I HATE that race.

Taking Control

Have you ever felt so many things were beyond your control? I think I must be somewhat of a control freak - at least where my own health is concerned. Yesterday I decided waiting around for this disk issue to heal just isn't my style. I don't particularly like guessing at what I can and can't do, asking questions and getting no answers, being patient and seeing no results. So I decided nobody knows my body better than I do. . . .I might as well be the one to find the solution to fix it.

I started with ordering some books off Amazon.com to better inform me of exactly what's going on. I think part of my frustration is that I don't understand why I have to just "wait". What is that accomplishing? Hopefully some self-education will help in that respect.

Then I called my doctor to have him put me back in physical therapy. . . . .this time with a sports specific therapist. Someone who understands my need to be active and on my bike, someone who will help me find a way to ride. . . . .maybe not compete just yet, but at least RIDE.

Then I found a new chiropractor. A younger guy in West Bend who specializes in sports injuries and also works closely with physical therapists. I see him for my "free consultation" today. We'll see what he thinks is a good plan of attack.

And lastly I see my massage therapist on Thursday. She specializes in neuromuscular stuff. . . .and has training working with athletes as well. Hopefully she can help me with a plan to loosen my hamstrings, get the lumps out of my quads, and get my butt to stop hurting.

I'm thinking between ALL these professionals, and by educating myself, hopefully I can form a plan of attack that has me feeling like there's hope to race again. Whatever it takes to be back on my bike in a timely manner, without causing more damage, I'm in for trying. But sitting back for 6 months and "waiting" is NOT an option. I may not make my living as a professional cyclist, but my entire life is built around cycling. . . . . my friends. . . my activities. . . . my stress relief. . . .my fitness . . . . .everything. To NOT bike is not an option (unless it means I will DIE if I ride, then MAYBE I'll rethink that).

Cross your fingers for me and if you or anyone you know has back problems/issues, please share your stories with me. I'm trying to learn from this process and hopefully help others in the process.

So much to catch up on

There's so much to catch up on today. Yesterday we took the Virgin out to teach her some mountain bike skills. We found out she definitely needs clipless pedals & shoes. She rode the trails pretty good and seems excited to go back again. Maybe we'll hook her yet!

Then there were games. . . . . . .which I might point out I dominated at. And the tables were flipped with CK getting it handed to him this time (usually HE'S the one handing it to everyone else). And of course Bill & Squirt's battle. . . . .

Then today was the "girl thing". . . . . . .Amy's "bridal shower". Isn't it just fitting she climbed on the bar to open her gifts??

And of course here are the "3 hotties". . . . . . . . or as Amy referred to us at the shower "the 3 hottest girls in WORS". . . . . .

Amy got some cool stuff. . . . .lots of cookware. Maybe now she'll make us that "PIE" she keeps talking about. . . . . . .

3 Week Body Makeover

Sweet, I found this article today. It says all I need is a set of walking shoes, a set of dumbells and 21 days to get a new body.

I have that!! Maybe I'll "get a new body". Sweet. This is the fun part about not having to follow a "training plan". I can do whatever I want.

Time for other things

This "down" time has given me the opportunity to catch up on a few other things. . . . .besides trying to piece together several real estate transactions that are hanging by a thread.

I've finally just about completed the living room project. I started back in January. . . .painting the living room portion, but not the bar area. This week I finished that. Now I just have to put the 58 bottles of alcohol back into the bar (I swear there must be that many) and put the light switch covers back on and we're good to go.

Then it's time to tackle the laundry room. . . . . . .

Aren't home improvement projects so much fun? It seems you finish one and then there' s always another, and another, and another. I think that's why we moved the last time. . .too much to do!

Realization

I've come to realize that no one is able to tell me what my body can and can't do, and how it will react to different rides of different exertion levels. Apparently every person is different, and every circumstance is different and there is no "handbook" of how to recovery from a back injury.

After this past weekend's rides my "disk" appeared to be a tad bit aggravated. While I am not experiencing the severe pain I had prior to my 2 epidural injections, I did get the constant numb & tingly feeling back in my left leg, all the way down into my left foot. I also got the deep aching pain in my left glute back, which I've come to realize is the actual disk being irritated. I understand this is how the whole thing started, so obviously I'm more than a little cautious about pushing it too much.

I've spent the week researching my disk issues, looking for information that may help me make an intelligent decision as to how to proceed with "my life", and I just haven't found the answers I'm looking for. . . . . .or any answer for that matter.

Yesterday, after taking 2 days off the bike, I rode at Blue for about an hour. Today it seems my issues are the same. I don't think they've worsened, although they definitely haven't gotten any better. I guess that means I keep taking it one day at a time, one step at a time. Sooner or later it's either going to get better, or revert back to where it was. At least then I'll know.

I broke down and finally took my WORS plate off my bike yesterday. It was a sad moment, because it was me admitting that unless some miracle happens, I'm not getting back to racing any time soon. I was not prepared when this whole thing happened for the possibility that I might not be able to bounce back quickly. But again. . . . .baby steps. Right now I'll ride for fun at 60-75 minutes at a crack and hopefully soon I'll be able to ride "hard" and/or "long" again without pain or "issues". When that happens, I'll be able to kick the training in again. Right now, I just hope to not lose any more fitness than I already have.

This may be a long road back. . . . . .but I'll get there. It may be next year before I'm lining up on the start line again. . . . . .but I can wait. I have to.

Gotta pee?

It's just not fair. It's just so much easier to be a boy and pee.

Hatfield

Well, we thought since we had a two weekend break from WORS, we'd actually get up to Hatfield like we say we're going to do every year to ride. Those trails are so much fun. So we set off to do the 3 hour WEMS race.

I'm not sure what Captain was digging for in the garbage here. . . . . . .I think he just does that when nobody is looking.

This was the debut for CK's new ride, which he picked up from the shop on Thursday. With all the Trek problems the boys have been having, it seemed like a good idea to stray from Trek and try something else. . . .and why not make it a hardtail.

Riser bars??!? I thought those were only for Single Speeders and recreational riders.

The boys raced the 3 hour at Hatfield and rode the first half of the race together. Captain was experimenting with his race strategy, trying the going out hard theory to see where that got him. About 1/2 way into the race another 3 hour boy was starting to catch them so Bill gave Jeff the word to "go" and he went.

Jeff won the 3 hour, the "other guy" managed to finish just ahead of Bill and Bill took third. Afterwards he felt like crap and made this little pile. . . . . fruitpunch Gatorade. . . . . Mexcian was out as dinner options that night. . . . . . . . .

I was given the "ok" by my doctor to "slowly ease my way back into normal life" on Friday, so I tried an easy 2 laps of the race course Saturday, but the boys wouldn't let me race. :-( It was SOOOOO much fun. On a scale of 1-10 my desire to race the 3 hour was about a "12". But two easy laps had my body feeling a little tired and irritated so I decided to listen.

Sunday Captain was feeling much better so we tackled the trails together. The 3 of us rode the loop the 6 hour used (or so we think). There was some climbing in there and I could tell the body was/is still not "normal". I just need to understand what I can and can't do right now so I don't end up in the same position again. Thank GOD I didn't lose any skills. . . . .cuz I sure lost a LOT of fitness. But it's ok, because riding my mountain bike "out of shape" is a million times better than not riding it at all.

Forget it

I've made an executive decision.

You people will have to type the word verification if you want to comment.

What do I do everyday?

For the most part, I enjoy my job. It's never the same, and often times when I think I'll be doing one thing, a wrench is thrown into the plans and the day totally changes. For people who don't like "routine" jobs, real estate is great. For people who like a "regular paycheck" and "regular hours" real estate is not the job for you.

This week I've spent a number of hours in crisis mode. I've had to talk several people "down off the ledge" including one family who are moving out of state (the truck comes FRIDAY) and we've just found out their whole transaction might fall apart, giving them two mortgages in two different states. Their kids start school next week, they're closing on a new house in 2 weeks and neither of them have found a new job. . . . .and now their whole world has been turned upside down.

Then there's the family who is struggling with health problems as well as financial problems and can't afford to stay in their house. . . . .and we can't find a buyer for their house. Helping them cope with how their going to live was another trying matter this week.

And then there's the foreclosure property I have listed, that I've had 5 different offers on, none of which have gone to closing for various reasons. Yesterday consisted of yet 5 more messages left for the bank on what they want to do with the current buyer, and the next buyer who's waiting to put their offer in.

Real estate isn't just showing houses or listing houses. That's the easy part. It's being there to listen and pick up the pieces of the lives of your buyers and sellers when their real estate deals fall apart at the 11th hour. It's being there to listen to them rant and rave that their house hasn't sold and it's WAY better than everyone else's house. It's being there to assure them that everything will be ok. . . . . .or to explain to them that it's not going to be ok and help them figure out a solution so they can move on.

And then sometimes it's leaving work in the middle of the day to go ride your bike, or packing up every other weekend to go camp & race bikes. That's the part I like the best.

Word verification

Had to add the word verification to my comments page, sorry for the inconvenience. Someone keeps hitting my blog with crap posts. . . .links to junk.

Calumet

What a weekend. Calumet is always a fun place to camp. Once again we were on the "water", moving up in the world again. Aren't we just a good lookin' crew?

The course was fun to walk. . . .I did a lap Saturday since I can't ride my bike yet. It took me about an hour and 15 minutes. . . .and I'm TOTALLY counting that as training. Of course I was sweating, huffing and puffing as I was out of breath, and I'm sure my heart rate was a little higher than it should have been. But it felt good to do SOMETHING.

I'm finding out it's REALLY hard to be a cheerleader and just watch when you're feeling almost normal. I know. . . .patience is a virtue. . . .I think it's one I do NOT have at times. But knowing if I'm NOT patient I'll drive them to cut into me to "fix" the problem has me being just a little more obedient than normal.

Bill had a great finish today. He looked incredible. Wasn't even breathing that hard when I saw him. He took 3rd in age which gave him another podium finish. CK wasn't so lucky. He took yet another spill, this one all of his own doing, and had more bike issues. I think Trek is hitting the crapper. I got my workout today running up and down the hill a number of times for handoffs. I actually had fun. My butt started to hurt a bit. . . .but I think that's still ok. I guess I'll find out later this week.

Home at a reasonable hour. How exciting. I guess I'll clean up now and actually relax a bit before it's time to hit the sack.

Off to Calumet

Last race at Calumet this weekend. While last year was relatively good to me (8th overall in Sport). . . .usually Calumet isn't very kind to me. It's more of a "roadie" course. . . .one for those "in-shape" people who like less technical stuff. . . .NOT me. While I'll be sad I won't be able to race the LAST WORS race there (or so they say), I think I'll get over it.

And I'll DEFINITELY get over missing Devil's Head. I hate that one.

I hope to try riding again next weekend. We'll see how that goes, and figure it out from there. Until then. . . . . . .I'm still a cheerleader.

Second one down

Today was my second "epidural steroid injection". They held my feet down, just incase they spasmed involuntarily like the last time. It wasn't as painful as the first one, as there must have been more room for the medication to go, so it didn't press directly on my nerve. I still felt it all the way down my leg. . . . .but definitely not as intense as the last shot.

Having these injections take a lot of out of you. I came home and plopped on the couch to watch a movie, then prepared a new recipe for dinner. Moving around to some extent was good, because these shots make you very sore and stiff. This evening I feel like I did before the first shot. :-( But I'm sure that will pass.

Hopefully #2 will help me "heal" enough to actually ride my bike. I've got one more chance after this one, and if that doesn't do it, it's off to the surgeon. I miss Phoenix.

For your amusement

Ok, so I'm not happy about the whole Floyd thing, nor do I want to spark a debate on the issue. . . .but this was pretty funny.

He's adorable

I had the privilege of seeing the Saroldi-Gonzalez baby today. What a cute one! I pulled out my camera to snap a shot or two, only to find out my battery was dead. Nice. So check out Tony's Blog for some new pics.

Francisco was awake when I got there, but he decided to grab a nap soon after that. . . .and that was the last time I got to see him "active".

Ulla looks as radiant as ever. Her feet are all ballooned up though. . . . .just like the time I used that stuff on my face and it got puffy. . . . .but she's still just as beautiful as ever.

And Tony was just beaming when he arrived and went right to little "Frankie" to pick him up and kiss him. Pretty easy to see the love there.

I snuck some Godiva sweets into mom. . . . . . because I believe she's entitled to a "treat" after squeezing out that 7lb, 5oz, 21 inch "cutie pie".

Congratulations again to Tony & Ulla. Soon we'll see Ulla out training again. . . . .pulling little Frankie behind her in the burley. . . . .then she'll come out of "retirement" to kick my butt in WORS again. I can't wait.