Well, there has been a lack of posting because there has been a lack of riding lately. Totally not my fault. Let me run over the series of events that have led me to this problem.
Last weekend was a great weekend for riding, just like I last reported. Monday and Tuesday are my normal days off/rest days depending on how I feel. Wednesday, there was some household chores and things of that nature that got in the way, so no riding there. Thursday was looking like the perfect morning. Kelly took the pup to work, so I was all clear to ride the Pugsley. With all the luck I had during the weekend smiling and riding that behemoth of a bike, I thought it would be the perfect thing to ride.
So, that is what I did. I got on the bike, headed towards the sled trails to get to work. I didn’t really know how long it would take me, but from previous, shorter excursions, I was assuming an hour and a half. With some trail closings, loose snow and a few other obstacles, I made it to work in an hour and 25 minutes. Perfect.
South view from the Trestle crossing the Saco.
Views to the north from the same trestle over the Saco.
That is where the problem came in. Because of the ruts left by the sleds, my back was pretty fried. I have been having some issues with it from skiing, but nothing that I couldn’t deal with. When I swung my leg over the top tube to get off the bike, it took me a solid 30 minutes plus a HOT shower to be able to stand up straight. Not good.
Because of the back pain that has plagueing me for the past few years, I know better. No need to get on the bike. So here we are, Tuesday and still no riding. But things are getting better. Through the use of an inversion table and a bunch of yoga positions and stretches, I can almost walk straight up right. With the exception of my work chair and Jeep seat, I am able to sit comfortably for longer periods and am able to get up and walk around. The toughest part of my day, tying my shoe laces. God bless Crocs.
One good thing about this is I now know the cause of all my back pains. With this latest episode, I have begun to do some core strength exercises and my core strength is awful. I always suspected that, but this has confirmed it. So, the plan is to lay off the bike for a day or 2 more, keep up with the daily yoga, stretching and core workouts (something I really should be doing daily anyway) and I will hopefully be back on the bike by the end of the week.
