First of any sort of "training" blog for me but I figured I could maybe make it slightly interesting.
If anyone has followed along 7.5 weeks ago I crashed and broke my clavicle into 5 pieces. Surgery, big plate of metal, 12 screws and I'm slowly healing.
What this has meant is I've effectively lost a big chunk of prime summertime to riding outdoors. I'd hate to think what my loss of fitness is. I couldn't even really run out of concern for my shoulder. I was able to get some time on the trainer but really, how much can I ride the trainer when it's beautiful out without breaking into tears while staring out the window at the sunshine? Finally I've been (minimally) getting back on the bike and starting to do some runs.
A few things I've noticed:
1 - I have lost ALL interest in really doing much road riding this year. This wasn't post-accident but pre-accident. I did Hell of Hunterdon and enjoyed it and I *maybe* took my road bike out one other time after that. I crashed riding my cross bike on the road as I hadn't ridden it in awhile and #crossiscoming. I took a lazy road ride yesterday to see how I responded and was reminded how little interest I have in road riding.
2 - Slamming into the ground and breaking my clavicle has not deterred me from riding. If anything just the opposite. I'm dying to get some riding in but I'm highly concerned about crashing the mountain bike or over-doing it with pushing/pulling. Baby Steps. Baby Steps.
3 - Cross. I enjoy racing cross even if I'm slow as fuck. My plan pre-accident was to actually start turning up the intensity and start doing some skills practice and getting time on the cross bike. And then I crashed that bike and screwed everything up.
So now I'm in a weird position where I'm off the bike, I'm not sure how much I can get on the bike and I'm looking at signing up for a ton of cross races that I'm not even 100% sure I can do. There's the physical aspect along with the mental aspect of being deathly afraid of crashing into a partially healed bone. I road one mile with the cross bike on a XC running trail and was terrified of crashing the whole time. Also my doctor tells me 6 months recovery and to work out with 5lb weights...
So It's still completely up in the air on how I'm going to ramp up my riding.
SO BASICALLY TO SUM THIS UP:
This is to document a slow Cat 5 racer who had some half-assed plans of racing cross this year and riding the mountain bike more who got a bit derailed, and how that's going to change.
MY CURRENT PLAN (Depending entirely on safety of my bonez):
8/21/16 - Stewart Group Ride. I don't think I've ever crashed at Stewart. It'll be 9 weeks since crashing...
9/4/16 - Granogue. Really up in the air on this. I'd look forward to this race but my chances of wiping out are higher than usual on this course.
9/6/16 - Bubble Cross Tuesday Cross Clinic. Because it's awesome. I'd be willing to show up every week and even half ass this.
9/11/16 - NJ Gran Fondo. I fully plan on doing a longer ride and not paying because it's super expensive. I was also volunteered to run a booth at the expo. Anyone riding the Gran Fondo should stop by the Bike Walk Morristown tent and say hi.
9/17/16 - Nittany. I suck at this race. I mean I *really* suck at this race. And I would say it's the perfect place to not crash but then again I broke my bone on my parent's grassy front lawn so who knows.
9/18/16 - Girls Guts Glory. They're sexist and I can't do the race but I'll be there to support the girlfriend.
9/24/16 - HippoCross (Tentative) - Because how can I miss this?
10/2/16 - Caffeinated Cross. This may be so far away that I'll pass the General Lee. Debating it.
10/15/16 - Emmaus Cross race. Because I have never been to Emmaus.
10/23/16 - Marty CX. I have never made it into a Marty race. Something always happened and I was never really sad about it. Their course has never interested me but hopefully this year...
10/29/16 - HPCX. It's HPCX
10/30/16 - Mountain Man. Once again Joy is going to do this race and since they're not sexist I can sign up also and do this race. It's not cross but I really really enjoy the running/riding duathalons and wish there were more.
11/5/16 - Bubble Cross. Because this is the best cross race I've done. (Update. Reg'd including SS)
11/6/16 - Bubble Cross. Because I hate my legs. (Update, 3rd race in a weekend may suck)
11/13/16 - Giralda Farms 10k. Because I do this every year and enjoy it. I've been very minimal in the 5k/10k races I've been doing but I like to make this one each year. Technically I'm also part of the running club that puts on this race so I should support it. (Skipping Westwood for this)
11/19-20/16 - SuperCross. Because the directions there are "A left turn, drive an hour, a right turn park". Possible I do SussexCX on 11/20. Who knows.
12/10/16 - Solstice Cross. Because I lost my summer so I may as well push this as far as I can.
1/6/17 - Nationals. Because by then I should be duking it out with Power & Hyde. Amirite?
Two things I've noticed after typing that all out...
1 - This looks expensive and time consuming. But then again I could have car payments or a cocaine addiction.
2 - I left off all the big races I wanted to do this year but probably won't. I wanted to do Glouchester (probably easier to get concert tickets) and DCCX. Really my schedule is filled up and not worth it in my condition.
If anyone has followed along 7.5 weeks ago I crashed and broke my clavicle into 5 pieces. Surgery, big plate of metal, 12 screws and I'm slowly healing.
What this has meant is I've effectively lost a big chunk of prime summertime to riding outdoors. I'd hate to think what my loss of fitness is. I couldn't even really run out of concern for my shoulder. I was able to get some time on the trainer but really, how much can I ride the trainer when it's beautiful out without breaking into tears while staring out the window at the sunshine? Finally I've been (minimally) getting back on the bike and starting to do some runs.
A few things I've noticed:
1 - I have lost ALL interest in really doing much road riding this year. This wasn't post-accident but pre-accident. I did Hell of Hunterdon and enjoyed it and I *maybe* took my road bike out one other time after that. I crashed riding my cross bike on the road as I hadn't ridden it in awhile and #crossiscoming. I took a lazy road ride yesterday to see how I responded and was reminded how little interest I have in road riding.
2 - Slamming into the ground and breaking my clavicle has not deterred me from riding. If anything just the opposite. I'm dying to get some riding in but I'm highly concerned about crashing the mountain bike or over-doing it with pushing/pulling. Baby Steps. Baby Steps.
3 - Cross. I enjoy racing cross even if I'm slow as fuck. My plan pre-accident was to actually start turning up the intensity and start doing some skills practice and getting time on the cross bike. And then I crashed that bike and screwed everything up.
So now I'm in a weird position where I'm off the bike, I'm not sure how much I can get on the bike and I'm looking at signing up for a ton of cross races that I'm not even 100% sure I can do. There's the physical aspect along with the mental aspect of being deathly afraid of crashing into a partially healed bone. I road one mile with the cross bike on a XC running trail and was terrified of crashing the whole time. Also my doctor tells me 6 months recovery and to work out with 5lb weights...
So It's still completely up in the air on how I'm going to ramp up my riding.
SO BASICALLY TO SUM THIS UP:
This is to document a slow Cat 5 racer who had some half-assed plans of racing cross this year and riding the mountain bike more who got a bit derailed, and how that's going to change.
MY CURRENT PLAN (Depending entirely on safety of my bonez):
8/21/16 - Stewart Group Ride. I don't think I've ever crashed at Stewart. It'll be 9 weeks since crashing...
9/4/16 - Granogue. Really up in the air on this. I'd look forward to this race but my chances of wiping out are higher than usual on this course.
9/6/16 - Bubble Cross Tuesday Cross Clinic. Because it's awesome. I'd be willing to show up every week and even half ass this.
9/11/16 - NJ Gran Fondo. I fully plan on doing a longer ride and not paying because it's super expensive. I was also volunteered to run a booth at the expo. Anyone riding the Gran Fondo should stop by the Bike Walk Morristown tent and say hi.
9/17/16 - Nittany. I suck at this race. I mean I *really* suck at this race. And I would say it's the perfect place to not crash but then again I broke my bone on my parent's grassy front lawn so who knows.
9/18/16 - Girls Guts Glory. They're sexist and I can't do the race but I'll be there to support the girlfriend.
9/24/16 - HippoCross (Tentative) - Because how can I miss this?
10/2/16 - Caffeinated Cross. This may be so far away that I'll pass the General Lee. Debating it.
10/15/16 - Emmaus Cross race. Because I have never been to Emmaus.
10/23/16 - Marty CX. I have never made it into a Marty race. Something always happened and I was never really sad about it. Their course has never interested me but hopefully this year...
10/29/16 - HPCX. It's HPCX
10/30/16 - Mountain Man. Once again Joy is going to do this race and since they're not sexist I can sign up also and do this race. It's not cross but I really really enjoy the running/riding duathalons and wish there were more.
11/5/16 - Bubble Cross. Because this is the best cross race I've done. (Update. Reg'd including SS)
11/6/16 - Bubble Cross. Because I hate my legs. (Update, 3rd race in a weekend may suck)
11/13/16 - Giralda Farms 10k. Because I do this every year and enjoy it. I've been very minimal in the 5k/10k races I've been doing but I like to make this one each year. Technically I'm also part of the running club that puts on this race so I should support it. (Skipping Westwood for this)
11/19-20/16 - SuperCross. Because the directions there are "A left turn, drive an hour, a right turn park". Possible I do SussexCX on 11/20. Who knows.
12/10/16 - Solstice Cross. Because I lost my summer so I may as well push this as far as I can.
1/6/17 - Nationals. Because by then I should be duking it out with Power & Hyde. Amirite?
Two things I've noticed after typing that all out...
1 - This looks expensive and time consuming. But then again I could have car payments or a cocaine addiction.
2 - I left off all the big races I wanted to do this year but probably won't. I wanted to do Glouchester (probably easier to get concert tickets) and DCCX. Really my schedule is filled up and not worth it in my condition.
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