Author: Bill

Good evening, its about time for bed.  Did anyone go out and travel this holiday weekend?  Not me and the price of gas is approaching 4 bucks a gallon. My racing season seems to always be in jeopardy.

Before I go off to la la land (remember that place) I am glad to report that I was able to make the ride up Lolo Pass tonight even though it is still raining outside as it has done for the last week. According to the weather it will not let up any time soon.  I am hoping tomorrow I can get out for a road ride.

Lolo Pass still has snow and it is almost June.

I parked at Lolo Hot Springs and rode to the chain up area at the base of the climb. the trick was to have a all out 30 minute time trial up the pass. I topped out at 17 minutes so there goes my AT test, oh well I maintained 168 after ten minutes so I will say that is still my AT … good news.  I still have my high end but I do need to lose some of this fat I put on laying around and sleeping.  Speaking of suck, time for bed!

I only have 17 days to raise $320.00 to race in the 24 Hours of MOAB.

I need to bust out so why not pick the most miserable place.  I will get my bandages wet so I have an excuse to rip them off … just kidding.  I plan to use a garbage bag.  I need to get out and see where my Anaerobic Threshold is so I begin training next week.  I know it is not longer at 168 … or is it! 24 Solo party tonight … anyone in?

Hello from La La land where I just had my traditional scone and brew. La La Land because I have been out of it since my crash. Things are getting more defined and clearer but it is not the same as before, like this desire to do 24 hour races this year instead of cross country events. Don’t know where that is coming from.

This week has been rainy and I have been riding indoors.  Yesterday I visited the doc in Victor. I really don’t know that I have any clarification on some questions that I had going in and in fact don’t even know what I want to know. Bottom line, it seems, is that in 4 more weeks we will know if I need some additional methods needed to repair the damage.  I am hoping that in training I can rebuild the ankle and will not need extra methods. Until then … I have to keep the ankle protected from certain movements.

So what’s up this weekend?  I don’t know.  I wanted to volunteer for the road race in the Bitterroot. What is there to do in la La land? Maybe a big road ride tomorrow, any one interested?

Ho hum, what is up today. It is hard to tell.  Snowing in parts of Montana with totals of 16 inches in some spots.  Some of us will get 3 to 5 inches of rain today.   That is as much as we get all year.  Everything seems weird.  It is supposed to get into the 50s today and I drove my car to work this morning.  Not because I am a wussy but because I cant get my bandages wet.

I am trying to revive an old friend, one that has taken me to two VT 50 wins, my Trek.  The old gal is still sexy with her carbon fiber weave and racy look.  I wish I was aboard her again back in the day.  These days everything is all washed up and down the creek.

The Thursday Night Ride is tonight but I can not attend.  I cant get my bandages wet but most importantly I don’t have a bike that I can go “mudding” in.  It is not summer yet, where is it, heck I am not even looking for it any more.

I heard on the news that gas prices will hit 5 bucks a gallon in a month or two, now that is depressing. Did anyone here that report that it may reach 12 dollars a gallon someday?  That will never happen because most people will find alternatives or just stay home.  I may just start riding to my races again.

*NOTE: “The word doldrums, which is almost always found in the plural, has several closely related senses. The earliest, ‘a dull, depressed mood; low spirits; depression’, is first found in 1811.” ~ D. Schreiber

Good morning from Missoula Montana where some say, “I need to spend more time in Missoula”. “We are the Champions” is playing on the radio right now and there is flooding everywhere (Greenough Park is Closed).  Odd song for early in the morning. My foot feels even better this morning and I have received support from my Missoula bike family as well as some remote members. I see two kinds of blogs, one that is basically a account of someone else’s life and the other an editorial about some aspect of life that I share. Today I would like to blog about others.

There is this blog called Fat Cyclist and the writer is a mountain biker.  His wife Susan has recently taken a turn for the worse. Her cancer has spread to become inoperable brain cancer. Susan has been told that she only has months to live, and Elden and Susan have had to pass that news on to their 12 and 14 year old boys and their twin six year old girls. To help you can buy a Fat Cyclist Jersey or donate to a Pay Pal account. Other people are helping by donating proceeds to Susan’s Fight.

Georgia Gould is a elite mountain bike racer who was leading the NMBS #3 when she fell ill with two miles to go.  She had heat exhaustion. This was an important race and these ladies make a living at getting great results for their sponsors.  Some racers gave up their top ten spots to stop and help Georgia who was in real trouble.

“I also really want to thank Monique Sawicki and Heather Ranoa for stopping to help me on the side of the trail (not heeding my exclamations that I was OK which is apparently what I was telling everyone who rode by and asked how I was doing). Both were riding in the top-10 and sacrificed their races to stay with me until help arrived. It was very selfless of of them and that is one of the things that I love about Mountain Biking- those are the kind of people you get to ride and race with.” ~Georgia

So yea! I can attest to the great people that I can say are there for me when I have a little accident. Julie … I am still working on that loaf of bread … Yum! Garland .. cant wait to watch that movie you dropped off.  Ross … that was a good huckleberry shake! I could spend all day remembering the kindness but I better end the blog and get to work. So today I shout out to all these awesome people!

Hello from Missoula Montana where spring has arrived in force, but I find myself sick this morning. First off, I need to rant since I quite possibly have a fever and swallowing is like pulling a freight train through a garden hose.

A Good Tip

If you’re sick, say with a sore throat or fever, do not visit or come in contact with someone who is trying to recover from an injury.  That person may find out you made them even more sick and will hunt you down.  That person may even physically hurt you.  Do everyone a favor and stay away!

Recovery Hike

Yesterday morning I took Marcy for a hike to work out the injured ankle (doctor told me to). The sun was out and so were the flowers.  I am not an expert but there was balsam root arrow leaf (something like that) and these purple lavender like flowers. No use correcting me because I really don’t care.  I just like them!

Big Ride

There are more than flowers spilling out onto the scene and the yellow snow in Missoula is this tree that has released all these micro flower things and it looks like snow flurries of yellow.  Weird, and if you leave your sun roof down in the car, it will piss you.

So yea! I went on a two plus hour ride yesterday. I went to Frenchtown and back and the day was so beautiful that I did not notice the huge headwind going out.  The best part is when I got back I found a loaf of bread on my doorstep.  A friend had dropped off something “to aid in the recovery process”.  Best of all, it was still hot … yummy!

So now I sit here sick … humm … what the heck?

Hello from Missoula Montana where my headache has awaken me and I feel that I must post a blog to let everyone know I am alright but my usual routine is not as usual. In this episode (Part 1) let me take you to Saturday.

I got up early to put slicks on my bike and to drive to Centerville Montana for the time trial portion of the Belt Road Race Omnium. I was hoping to be late so I could just do the road race because I had a cold and I didn’t feel well.  After driving to Great Falls through some towns like Lincoln where it was only 28 degrees I found that I was in fact on time.  I got all caught up and signed up for the time trail.

I got to catch up with some old friends from Team MuleTerra (did I get this right).  I got to see everyone for the first time since cyclocross season as well.  The time trail started and I prepared for my departure. I was able to snap off a few photos before I had to get in line to start.  My start time was 10:15 and I opted for the mountain bike start (one foot down as opposed to someone holding my saddle).

I thundered out of the start line (sounds cool doesn’t it). I was ramping up my speed and feeling very strong. I was about a couple hundred feet from the start with my head down and my legs ripping the pedals faster and faster when all of a sudden I hit the ground with my head.  Just like that!

I laid on my side unable to see anything or feel anything. I hit so hard that I was stunned and I knew that I was not going to just get up.  Finally the daylight became visible and people came rushing to help me off the course.  All I could do was lay there.

I felt someone put a blanket on me and I knew that I should not move at all because I was not aware if I broke anything.  Slowly I started to feel my arms and legs. I started to slowly move each items and take inventory until I went to move my right leg.

My foot was swelling up quickly and I could feel it filling up my shoes. It did not feel right and I thought maybe it may be broke.  Jed Dennison and some others helped me off the road and to my car where I had a chair to sit on.  I was getting worried as my foot kept swelling. Someone got Ice and we bandaged it up. There was concern over my broken helmet so Jed insisted that I go to the hospital.  I questioned if the ER would be covered by USA Cycling and an official told me that everything but an ambulance would be covered. I did not want the patty-wagon so thankfully Jed found a volunteer to take me to the ER.

So off the the hospital I went in the back of a Subaru. Once there I was taken in and given x-rays.  The attending doctor was real nice and concerned about me. It was nice to get such great care.  Once the x-rays were completed the doctor was happy to say that I did not break my ankle and we celebrated. Then he told me the bad news and how long I would be out of cycling.

Too be continued …. (when I am feeling better).