Back Out, Day 15: A Walk in the Park

I should be better by now.

I am not better.

I am less worse.

I woke up pain free. Back stiffness set in within minutes.

After a morning of hanging out, I drove (that alone is rather telling) to Fort Hunt Park, three miles from home. As I got out of the car, my back and legs felt fine. I walked the park circuit road, 1 1/4 miles, three times. After about 2 miles I felt like I was climbing stairs. My limp was much less pronounced today. I didn’t have pain in my hips or my lower back as long as I kept moving. Still I felt tired. Walking is exhausting when you have to fight for a smooth gait.

I stopped to stretch out my iliotibial band. Resuming, I made it to the car at 2 1/2 miles, stopped to stretch the ITB again, then set out for lap three. A man on a bike flew past me. Envy.

I had to stop one more time to stretch but made it back to the car feeling not half bad.

I rewarded myself with a Gary’s Lunchbox sammich at Sherwood Hall Gourmet, a deli near home.

After lunch and some more lazing about, I did 1 hour and 20 minutes of easy pedaling on Big Nellie in the basement. I felt fine the entire time. Getting off the bike, however, I felt the tightness in my left leg again. And my right foot went into a cramp, my toes curling as I stood.

Still, it was a day of some progress. I am hoping to be back to the bike commute in time for Friday Coffee Club. Unfortunately, I still have some unresolved items on my to-do list. New tires for one car, an inspection and minor repairs to another, and minor surgery on my finger. Hopefully, all of that will be behind me by mid March.

By then I hope to be more better.

Back Out, Day 14

This is getting old.

I wake up in the morning and feel fine. Then within minutes my back starts to stiffen up. My lower back just below my left kidney feels like someone hit it with a baseball bat. I also have what feels like a hip pointer and soreness outside my knee on my left side. This hip and leg problem is probably iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome, a tightness in the tissue that runs from above the hip (and just below the soreness in my back) down the outside of the leg where it re-attaches to bone below the knee. It’s probably caused by my having to compensate for the awkward posture that the stiffness brings. ITB is an old acquaintance. I wish I could de-friend it but it keeps coming back.

I have noticed that a little movement seems to loosen things up so I walked 2 1/2 miles today. I had a pronounced limp but I got where I set out to go. (I bought a couple of Powerball tickets because nothing says “Who cares about back problems?” quite like $400 million.) My ITB wasn’t thrilled but at least my little excursion got me out of the house. When I arrived back home I was just as stiff as when I left.

Then I went into the basement and rode Big Nellie very gently for an hour. Usually, this loosens my back but, if anything, it made it stiffer. Even the recumbent gods are messing with me.

It’s pretty damned frustrating. I watch all these Olympic athletes schussing and skating and such and all I can think is “F%^K YEEEWWWWW”.

I’m not bitter.

Things could be worse, of course. I could have cancer, which reminds me that I find out about my skin biopsy on Wednesday. Or maybe, I could have senile dementia.

Where was I?

Oh yes. I was wallowing in self pity.

The only upside to this last two weeks is the fact that it’s been pretty lousy bike commuting weather. And since last week’s snow storm the Mount Vernon Trail has been impassible, making bike commuting impossible. This will change by Wednesday or Thursday when temperatures will rise into the 50s and, maybe, 60s.

Then this back thing will really be getting old.

Back Out, Day 10: A Wovely Day

It snowed last night. At daybreak we had about 6 inches of snow on the ground. The bottom inch was very wet so this was particularly heavy stuff. As readers of this blog know, I’ve been having back spasms for about ten days now. I was little worried that my back would not be up to clearing all the snow. So I bought a Wovel.

Today, I put my contraption to the test.

Damned if it didn’t work like a charm.

It took a while to get used to, but after about 15 minutes I was shoveling like a maniac. Of course, I looked a bit like a maniac but if I gave a damn about appearances I wouldn’t ride a recumbent bike. The important thing is shoveling with my Wovel didn’t hurt my back at all. My triceps and legs got a bit of a work out though.

Mrs. Rootchopper used a conventional shovel to clear the steps in front of the house and remove snow from around the perimeter of the cars. A neighbor came by and cleared a path on the sidewalk across the street with a small snow plow. I cleared the sidewalk on my side of the street with the Wovel. It probably takes twice as long to clear snow with a Wovel than my neighbor’s snow plow. (My Wovel is quieter and won’t run out of gas.) It’s at least twice as fast as using a conventional snow shovel.

I’ll have to go back out later today and have another go when the second wave of snow comes through, but I am actually kind of looking forward to it.

Wovel on!

Here are some more pix.

Back Out, Day 9: Enter the Wovel

Wovel, a photo by Rootchopper on Flickr.

My back is getting better by the day. Last night I could roll over in my sleep without using my arms or legs or having discomfort. My posture was better, although I still have a S bend to my spine.

We are supposed to get a significant snow fall in two days. I decided to bite the bullet and buy a Wovel. It’s huge snow shovel mounted on a wheel. Hopefully, it will allow me to clear the snow without aggravating my back. We shall see.

Back Out, Day 8

After discovering some helpful stretches yesterday, I actually felt pretty good when I went to be. Pretty good doesn’t come close to normal function though. I can’t roll over in bed without help from my hands and legs so continuous sleep is hard to come by. When I woke up, I rose from the bed without pain. After fetching the paper, I checked myself in the bathroom mirror. My back should be an I but it’s still an S, albeit an S with less severe curvature. I figured if this keeps up, a ride to work this week would not be out of the question.

Gentle movement helps a bit. Being stationary seems to make things worse. I discovered this when I went to get out of the car at work. OWWWW. I made it to my desk. The relief of sitting at my desk was a comfort, until I had to get up and walk around. More owww.

I made it through a full workday, stopping occasionally to stretch my hip flexors and hamstrings every hour or so. Each time I did it, my back felt noticeably better. Each time it would stiffen up again. During the drive home, I noticed that my back didn’t hurt when I hit bumps as it did over the weekend. I walked around the yard and my back

During the day, I signed up for the Vasa ride in late March. I signed up for the 59-mile version but am considering dropping down to the 30 miler. (I can make it a 60-miler by riding to the start and riding home.) Either way, I’m getting some hot blueberry soup at the end from the Swedish embassy soup ladies.

I just learned that we might get 5 inches of snow later this week. I might just go out and buy a wovel. If I use a conventional shovel, I’ll be out of action for a month. I could even miss out on the hot blueberry soup. Not gonna happen.

A Look Back at 2013

It’s already February and I neglected to use the month of January to take stock of 2013. Now that I am laid up with back spasms I thought I’d give this a go. In no particular order here’s my top ten of 2013.

Thanks for the Diploma, Hil. My daughter Lily graduated from Maret ending our family’s seven years at the school. It’s an astoundingly well run place and we will miss the many characters we encountered on a regular basis. The graduation speaker was Hillary Clinton. There is no truth to the rumor that Lily will be her running mate, but Hil and Lil would be a great sounding ticket.
Hey Bulldog. Lily started college at Butler University. She wanted to get away from the east coast and go somewhere warm. She got it half right. Indianapolis is a tad west of the Gulf Stream. Brrr. She’s adapting to college well though
Heaven, Thy Name Is Rosario’s. Lily’s college decision came down to a choice between Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas or Butler. Last spring, we flew down to San Antonio and checked out Trinity. It’s a fine school. Nearly everyone who graduates gets a job…in Texas. That was a bit too much of a commitment for Lily. While there, we found the bestest Tex Mex restaurant in the known universe. It’s called Rosario’s and it’s a mile south of the Riverwalk tourist nest. If you go anywhere near San Antonio, check it out. YUMMY!
I Can Quit Now. After 30 years, I am now eligible to retire from the federal government. It has been an up and down ride but one of these days, I will take Uncle Sam up on his offer of a very long paid vacation. Sadly, it won’t end well.
Knocking Wood. Mrs. Rootchopper went through hell in 2011 (thunderclap headache and getting run over by an SUV) and 2012 (cancer surgery and radiation therapy), ultimately leading to losing her ability to enjoy food or even eat solids and lost 50 pounds. Her sense of taste mostly returned and she returned to a healthy weight in 2013. Lord willing, she will never have to gag down another bottle of Ensure.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Lily and I attended a DC high school baseball championship semifinal game at Nationals Park. Maret won the game and, later, the city championship. My son Eamonn and I went to a Nats game and laid waste to “Take on Me”. We went to see another Nats game at which Lily became close personal friends with William Howard Taft. The only reason I don’t go to more Nats games is that they happen to fall on days when the biking weather is great. (So I’ll just have to ride to the games in 2014, right?)
Back to Back Again. In 2012, Lisa and I did most of the 50 States ride as well as the Backroads metric century together on the same weekend. Let’s just say it was a tough couple of days in the saddle. Since she dropped out of the 50 states before finishing, I agreed to a return engagement. We rode the entire 50-States ride together in 2013 except for the last 3 miles when we became separated in a downpour amid a construction zone. We both finished. The next day, I went back to Backroads and did the metric with new bike friends Kristen and Elizabeth. It was a great ride with excellent riding companions, but I am going to be a little less aggressive with event rides in the future.
Blood and Chatter and Pumpkins, Oh My. I did a slew of event rides during the year. . In April I rode the Monument to Monument ride. It was a bit of a miserable experience seeing as how my lungs didn’t want to function, but the other riders tolerated my slow speed. During the ride I met Mike, an affable rider who can talk the paint off a bike frame. John Roche organized another Hoppy 100 ride. He even arranged for us to rescue a cyclist who had crashed on the South Capitol Street bridge. Riding and drinking are fun but add blood to the mix and you’re really talking about a good time. During the 50-States ride Mike reappeared and gave me a rousing welcome when I pulled into the rest stop at his house in Tacoma Park. He later organized a ride to the Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport. The ride and the museum were terrific. Bob (Don’t Call Me Rachel) and Jeremy Cannon and I ride the Great Pumpkin ride in October. We were joined by John Roche. We were thankful that no blood was spilled. I also did the Vasa ride in March and WABA’s new cider ride in December. Twas cold. Both times.
A Lighter Engine. After many attempts, I finally decided to get serious about the SEC diet. SEC stands for stop eating crap. It works remarkably well. I lost 25 pounds in four months. Sadly, my hill climbing still sucks. So if you are riding with me this year, have mercy.
Friday Coffee Club and #BikeDC. Increasingly, cycling is becoming a social activity for me. This started back in 2006 when, after meeting during the 50-States ride, Charmaine got me riding with the Bike Friday Club of DC. I added rides with Shane and Jeff, friends that I met during the 2007 50-States ride. I met Mary at the 2010 50-States ride. And the snowball really started to pick up steam. Then she co-founded Friday Coffee Club. Bike riding around here is an introvert’s nightmare. And a whole lot of fun.

50 States Again

I need a bike ride. I am swirling in a medical vortex. My back is out. I can’t stand up straight. My face is peeling. My skin is red. The negative biopsy result on the growth behind me ear did not convince my dermatologist that I don’t actually have cancer. She did another, deeper biopsy. I’ll know in two weeks. I go to the hand surgeon tomorrow. At least today’s dentists visit was uneventful.

And of course, with my back out and all these doctor visits, I haven’t ridden my bike since Sunday.

There was one cycling development that happened recently. In 2007, I did the 50 States ride for the second time. I started the ride with my friend Paul. At the first rest stop in Anacostia Park, Paul struck up a conversation with a woman participant. Paul was eating gorp, a bag of assorted munchies that was melting in the brutal August heat. Florencia was eating almonds. I took their picture. Let’s just say it’s laughably unflattering.

We rode together for a few miles. Paul stopped for lunch and succumbed to the seduction of air conditioning. Flor and I pedaled on. At a 7-11 on Hawaii Avenue we picked up Shane and Adam. We continued the ride as a quartet until Flor and Adam abandoned us in Rock Creek Park. Flor finished the ride. Adam was DNF. ( think he had to hurry home to eat some quiche.) Shane and I finished together. She went off to an after party where she met Jeff. I went home.

I did 50 States again in 2010. Again it was hot. So having done it three times (my first being on another blazing hot day in August 2006) I retired.

Until Flor contacted me. She had some friends who wanted to do the ride in 2011. Reluctantly I agreed. Flor brought her friends Veronica, Amy, and Richard. We added Jeff and Paul and we had us a posse. We made it to the halfway point when Flor and Amy abandoned us. We picked up a guy named Tito and headed off for the rest of the ride. Veronica and Richard who were new to the ride where having a blast. Their enthusiasm was contagious. It ended up being one of the best days I’ve ever had on a bike.

After riding it in 2012 and 2013, I decided to hang up my 50 States pedals. Maybe, I thought, I’d volunteer to work the sign in table.

Then she came back, Florencia recently returned to DC after a year and a half overseas. She and I attended a happy hour put on by the Washington Area Bicyclists Association last week. During a long conversation we discussed how the city had changed so much she hardly recognized it. I reminded her that we had ridden right past the bar during her last 50 States ride.

“No way.” Then, she said,

“We should do a reunion ride.”

“You abandoned me twice.”

“No, This time I will ride the whole thing with you. Promise.”

What can I say? I am weak. I agreed to ride with her.

Apparently, Facebook agreed. I did that “lookback” video thing the other day. The very first picture is the one of Paul and Flor from the 2007 ride. Later in the video is an over-my-shoulder shot of Veronica from the 2011 ride. She looked like she was having a blast. And she was.

I think the cycling gods have had their say. We ride again in 2014.

Jeff is on board.We may not be able to get Richard to fly in from Puerto Rico. I need to work on Paul. And Shane. And Amy.

And there’s a certain hill-climbing chemist who needs to do this ride.

Maybe WABA will give us a group rate.

As I said, I need a bike ride.

Grounded

My to-do list for the winter is quite long, and none of it involves bicycles. Last week I knocked off some plumbing issues in my house. As is usually the case I used my best plumbing tool, my credit card. Suffice it to say that I am just about as competent around the house as I am working on my bike.

I also went to the dermatologist to get a thingie on my right middle finger looked at. The thingie turned out to be a cyst. The dermatologist referred me to a surgeon to have it removed. It’s annoying and painful and keeps me from riding up hills like Claudia Chiappucci. (Okay, I made the climbing thing up.) I go to the surgeon this Friday so I will miss Friday Coffee Club. Yes, I know, my priorities are all screwed up.

Some time ago, Mrs. Rootchopper found an unusual looking spot on my back. I asked the dermatologist to do a skin screening. The spot on my back was nothing to be concerned about. The rest of me was a whole other story.

Being that I am mostly of Irish lineage, my skin burns pretty much during all daylight hours. It’s a bit like being a reverse vampire. The doctor found beaucoup spots with skin damage that had to be frozen off. She also had me apply a caustic gel like substance to the perimeter of my face. After three days of application, my face looks rather ironically like I have a bad sunburn.

On a whim, I told the doctor about an annoying bump above and behind my left ear. To my shock, she biopsied it. I should find out tomorrow if it is anything to worry about. “I’m afraid your head will have to be removed.”

All of which is to say, that today I moved to the next item on the list, electrical issues with my house. I had three items to fix: the front porch light, a light switch in the basement and an electrical outlet in the basement. Of course, I hired an electrician.

The light switch was a five minute fix. The front porch light took 15 minutes. The socket took two hours. It was wired backwards creating something called reverse polarity. Basically if you touched it with a metal object you’re likely to get zapped. The electrician checked all the other outlets and light switches in the basement and nearly all of them to be wired improperly. I am not surprised since it was DIY electrical work by the previous owner.

While using his tester to check an outlet upstairs, I bent over and I got a zap of a different sort. My back caught. This has been happening to me since I was in college so I wasn’t entirely surprised. Maybe my back has reverse polarity. It’s frustrating but in ten days or so I will be good to go.

My primary method of treatment is to ride Big Nellie gently. I really don’t know why it works but it shortens the recovery time by a couple of days. So I probably won’t be bike commuting for a while. As they say in professional sports, my bike commuting status is day to day. All of which is to say, I am grounded.

Me and Mr. T

In preparation for eating bad food during tonight’s Super Bowl, I went for a bike ride. It was 57 degrees when I started so I was looking forward to not freezing my ass off for a change. I got about three miles from home when I ran into Ted, known in the Twitterverse as @MrTinDC. After showing him the Morningside bald eagle nest (it was unoccupied), I offered to show Ted the route back to DC via the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

Ted was riding his Jamis commuter bike and I was on The Mule. We rode over the bridge and up the long hill to Oxon Hill Road. Neither Ted nor I died, so we continued on into Oxon Hill Farm. I gave Ted the option of riding the roads near the DC/Prince Georges County border but he opted for the scenic route.

Down he sped along the edge of the farm to the Oxon Cove Trail. It was a bit bumpy and flat along the trail. We rejoined the streets in DC near the police training facility and turned to ride back up a steep hill to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

We stayed on MLK for the next several miles, riding past all manner of folk out enjoying the unseasonably warm day. A couple of people expressed concern for our safety. Anacostians are still not used to seeing people riding. We saw only a couple of other bikes along the MLK.

We crossed the Anacostia River on the 11th Street Bridge side path. The path was covered in an astonishing amount of salt and sand. In a few spots it was like riding on a bike trail next to the beach.

After a brief stint on bust M Street, Ted led around Nationals Park to the Titanic Memorial and up along the Washington Channel waterfront. At Seventh Street Ted headed for stately MrT Manor. I made my way to the 14th Street Bridge across the Potomac.

Instead of taking the MVT home, I opted for Commonwealth Avenue in Alexandria. Comm Ave is flat with a nice wide bike lane and little car traffic.

By the time I arrived back home, it was 62 degrees out. If only this weather would stick around for a few months.

Ain’t gonna happen.

The Best Thing Is that It’s Over

As bike riding goes, January was to be endured. I rode about 465 miles of which about 111 was on my trainer in the basement. I say “about” because I really can only guess at how far I rode by the time involved. I did manage to get in 10 commutes totaling 265 1/2 miles. Leaving merely three outdoor rides of 79 1/2 miles on the weekends. In January 2013 I rode 585 miles including 18 commutes. And all of my riding was outdoors.

The Mule bore most of the load this month, 318 1/2 miles. Big Nellie did 131 miles, but only 20 outdoors. Little Nellie with only 6 1/2 miles is feeling neglected.

It has been unusually cold here in DC this year. As far as bike riding is concerned, this is actually a pretty normal January. I’d have ridden more outside but for the ice and snow on the Mount Vernon Trail which the National Park Service owns and refuses to clear. The typical excuse is that it is used by cross country skiers but I didn’t see a single one on the MVT all month. The NPS’s refusal to clear the trail is really about priorities and budgets. At least nearby Arlington County decided to clear its trails (after much shaming by area cyclists).

On the bright side, the days are getting longer. We’ll be done with ninja dodging soon.

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