In six days, I will hopefully be on the run course, making my way to the finish line at Ironman Florida. Training has been pretty interesting, definately a learning experience. Especially when trying not to make a sprained ankle and weak achilles tendon any worse.
I'd love to write this great post about training or what I have learned; however, I don't really have much to say. All the training is in the bank, all I can do now is wait and rest and try not to eat too much Halloween candy. Calm, ready. A little unsure of the run, never having run a marathon before. Not scared. Not now at least. Maybe it will kick in at swim start when I go off with 2,000 other triathletes.
So, Wed, I'll drive over to Panama City Beach, check into Sunset Inn and take it from there. I guess in the meantime, I need to start packing things, maybe print the IMFL athlete guide and event schedule.
Peace out.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Ketchup
Been a while since I posted, but things have been incredibly busy. This will be a short summary of what has been going on.
After the long training weekend in PCB, the next week was another long week. Had a family vacation planned in Lake Burton, Ga (near the Tenn/NC/Ga state lines), so had to ride 100 miles on the trainer Friday morning, run errands after that, then drive up the about Lawrenceville Friday night. Saturday am, finished the drive to Lake Burton. Was supposed to swim an hour, but although the house was at the lake, it was not on the lake. Rather about 500 feet above the lake. Plus the water temp was 53. So no swimming for me (although I did look for public access). On the other side of the lake was where the tornado hit in April. Scary. Lake Burton/Clayton Ga is really neat, and if you get a chance check it out. The Ingles is really cool, and has a Starbucks in there. Sat PM, my brother and I rode mountain bikes for an hour. All on road, basically down to the lake, around some, and back. 22 min out 48 min back. The road we were staying on (from the turn-off at the lake) was a mile long and had 500 feet of elevation, some parts I swear were at a 13-15 % grade. We almost had to get off the mtn bikes and push, it was that steep.
Sunday, I was supposed to run 20 miles. I tried to find the flattest road possible. So I found a 10 mile out and back, from the bottom of the hill the road is on to Tiger, Ga. Map didn't truly explain the 1000 feet of elevation (the mountain) in the middle of the route. Energy held up, but my mile 7 my left foot stated hurting, and I noticed every time I hit uphill it would feel like it was cramping. Felt kinda like my plantar, but more on the side of the inside of my foot. So I got to Tiger, 10 miles and called it quits. No need to injure myself.
My bro and I also rode mtn bikes for another hour Sun pm. Singletrack, kicked our ass.
Monday, we drove back. Stopped in Hotlanta for some shopping (All3sports didn't have anything I wanted), and the 7 hour drive ended up taking 10 hours. Exhausting.
Tuesday, supposed to swim, but slept in. Felt like crap.
Wed, did a combo of part of Tue and part of Wed workouts. Swam, first time since last thursday. Felt back, low energy. Still not recovered from the trip.
Thurs. Had the sniffles all day. Supposed to run 20 miles to make up for not doing it this weekend. Ran after work, started around 7pm. Did ok to mile 10, then lost concentration and splits started slowing down. By mile 12 my left foot was getting tender. By mile 13-14 both hips were getting sore, next mile right foot getting tender. My splits were getting slower and slower. So I forced myself to get to mile 16 and then called it quits. Energy-wise, I felt ok, body was just hurting. I think I am just not used to running this many miles in a week and my joints paid for it. But I think I stopped before injury. We will see. Afterward took a bath, but the water was lukewarm. Got the shakes so bad that I almost couldnt' climb out of the tub. Tried to eat a granola bar and shook so bad that I couldnt' hold the bar and dropped it. So went to bed without eating anything.
Got pretty cold during the run, so wondering if that is it. Felt ok during the run though, wore compression socks, tri uniform, visor and cotton gloves. HR was low the whole time.
Friday -- slept in. Skipped the swim. Will see about making it up tonight or tomorrow. Feel better after a crappy night's sleep. Hips don't hurt, feet mildly sore, but more of that "well-used muscle" sore feeling.
After the long training weekend in PCB, the next week was another long week. Had a family vacation planned in Lake Burton, Ga (near the Tenn/NC/Ga state lines), so had to ride 100 miles on the trainer Friday morning, run errands after that, then drive up the about Lawrenceville Friday night. Saturday am, finished the drive to Lake Burton. Was supposed to swim an hour, but although the house was at the lake, it was not on the lake. Rather about 500 feet above the lake. Plus the water temp was 53. So no swimming for me (although I did look for public access). On the other side of the lake was where the tornado hit in April. Scary. Lake Burton/Clayton Ga is really neat, and if you get a chance check it out. The Ingles is really cool, and has a Starbucks in there. Sat PM, my brother and I rode mountain bikes for an hour. All on road, basically down to the lake, around some, and back. 22 min out 48 min back. The road we were staying on (from the turn-off at the lake) was a mile long and had 500 feet of elevation, some parts I swear were at a 13-15 % grade. We almost had to get off the mtn bikes and push, it was that steep.
Sunday, I was supposed to run 20 miles. I tried to find the flattest road possible. So I found a 10 mile out and back, from the bottom of the hill the road is on to Tiger, Ga. Map didn't truly explain the 1000 feet of elevation (the mountain) in the middle of the route. Energy held up, but my mile 7 my left foot stated hurting, and I noticed every time I hit uphill it would feel like it was cramping. Felt kinda like my plantar, but more on the side of the inside of my foot. So I got to Tiger, 10 miles and called it quits. No need to injure myself.
My bro and I also rode mtn bikes for another hour Sun pm. Singletrack, kicked our ass.
Monday, we drove back. Stopped in Hotlanta for some shopping (All3sports didn't have anything I wanted), and the 7 hour drive ended up taking 10 hours. Exhausting.
Tuesday, supposed to swim, but slept in. Felt like crap.
Wed, did a combo of part of Tue and part of Wed workouts. Swam, first time since last thursday. Felt back, low energy. Still not recovered from the trip.
Thurs. Had the sniffles all day. Supposed to run 20 miles to make up for not doing it this weekend. Ran after work, started around 7pm. Did ok to mile 10, then lost concentration and splits started slowing down. By mile 12 my left foot was getting tender. By mile 13-14 both hips were getting sore, next mile right foot getting tender. My splits were getting slower and slower. So I forced myself to get to mile 16 and then called it quits. Energy-wise, I felt ok, body was just hurting. I think I am just not used to running this many miles in a week and my joints paid for it. But I think I stopped before injury. We will see. Afterward took a bath, but the water was lukewarm. Got the shakes so bad that I almost couldnt' climb out of the tub. Tried to eat a granola bar and shook so bad that I couldnt' hold the bar and dropped it. So went to bed without eating anything.
Got pretty cold during the run, so wondering if that is it. Felt ok during the run though, wore compression socks, tri uniform, visor and cotton gloves. HR was low the whole time.
Friday -- slept in. Skipped the swim. Will see about making it up tonight or tomorrow. Feel better after a crappy night's sleep. Hips don't hurt, feet mildly sore, but more of that "well-used muscle" sore feeling.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Bounce
Got home a few hours ago from a pretty good training weekend.
Friday -- 4,000 yards in Trousdale. Longest swim to date. Did pretty well, left shoulder a touch tender. Friday night I drove over to Sunset Inn in Panama City Beach -- the Tallahassee Triathlete's home in PCB. So why did I head over?
Well, it is three weeks to Ironman Florida, and I am in the middle of my last big training block. On tap for Saturday -- 100 mile bike ride (w/a 20 min brick) and Sun -- 18 mile run (longest run to date). All. By. My. Self. Not a bad thing, just different, and with no SAG support. But probably pretty important for the race, b/c I won't have a paceline for IMFL.
I was a little apprehensive about both, but for different reasons. For the bike -- well, I was hit by a car a few weeks ago, still mentally struggling. Run -- well, last time I ran close to that long, 16 miles, I trashed my achilles tendon and put myself out of commission for a few months. So, how did it turn out?
Saturday. I woke up to wind, wind, wind, wind, and wind. Temp was cool, and windy. Not breezy, but windy. Weather Channel said wind out of the ENE at 15 mph, with gusts up to 25. Yeah, that unfortunately got that right.
The Bike: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/119964235 First mistake of the day -- not eating a powerbar before the ride. I usually do, but forgot. Guess I was jacked up. So I decided to try and spend the entire ride below my aerobic zone -- basically in fat-burning land. Below 134 hr. Really 125-130.
Also, this week, I took the cateye off my bike. I decided that for these long endurance rides I do not want to know my speed, b/c it will just piss me off and I will speed up and ruin my day. Also, did the ride with just two water bottles. Meant lots of stops, but I didn't want to put a rear water cage on my bike.
Did I mention it was windy? OMG. On front beach road, especially around the high rise towers, it was like a hurricane. I seriously thought the wind was going to blow me over. Had to spend a lot of time on the brakes. Luckily traffic was light.
Turns out I didn't worry too much about cars. Part of that was traffic being light until my return trip on front beach road. The other part, was that I knew I wasn't in Tallahassee. Different venue.
Note -- that pot-hole road in front of Boardwalk has been redone and it is smooth as silk.
So, the ride North on 79 was a little tough. Winds coming at me from 1-3 o'clock. Steady and non-stop. I quickly learned that: (1) to stay in my hr zone I would have to go slow; and (2) it was going to be a lot longer than the last time I rode this course with a group (mostly in a paceline). Last time, we hit hwy 20 in about an hour -- this time about 1:20. Turning East on Highway 20 was pretty much into a headwind, and seemed like pretty much nonstop up a slight hill. It was here that I learned that I needed to delete the term "race" from my brain, b/c there isn't anything race-like in an IM. Just long, slow, endurance.
At the 2 hour mark, I hit the gas station to refill my two bottles, and turned South on 77. It was nice. Able to ride at a good clip, but I kept wanting to "race," and after a few minutes had to reign it in b/c I knew I would otherwise implode.
Then I turned NE on 388. Oh shit. This was horrible. This was truly a headwind. I was probably riding at 10-12 mph a lot on this road. It took forever. Finally crossed Blue Springs Road, and the bumps began. It took so long to ride into that headwind, that I decided that I had to ride to Youngstown to refill my two bottles. So a whole lot of bumps to go with the incredible headwind. After what seemed like an eternity (and a hr spike due to a dog trying to catch me), finally hit Youngstown and refilled. This was right about at 4 hours. Also, took a minute to post on FB how much I hate that freaking road. I am going to e-mail and FB Bay County Commissioner and call them out. I cannot see how they can let 2000 people from all over the world ride on that damn highway. Tell you what -- get a phone book and put it up against your boys. Then let a friend hit the phone book with a softball bat about a dozen times. Then see how you feel and how pissed off you are. The people I spoke with in Youngstown say that the county is responsible for the road, and continually diverting $$ for repaving it into slush funds. I call BullShit on Bay County. Honestly, if I had to design a bad road, I do not think I have the creative capacity to design a road this shitty. So, to make it worse, I had to ride back down 388. At least I had a tailwind. So instead of bump... bump... bump... bump... bump.... it was bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, etc.
Finally turned North on Blue Springs Highway. Whew, crap -- crosswind. This road is pretty and nice, but still had to keep my hr low, and it was hard to do that with the hills on this road. Of course, that was just a primer for Westbound on Hwy 20, because from the turn onto 20 until the intersection at 77 (where I previously turned south -- about 12 miles) is pretty much big-ass rolling hills. Fun for a short ride. HR killer for the longer rides. Finally get to the gas station at 77, refill my two bottles (for the 3rd time).
Meet a guy and girl who lived near the airport, they were riding their tri bikes, getting ready for IMFL as well. They were really nice, should have gotten their names. Girl was pretty cute to boot.
So anyway, get back Westbound on 20 for the ride to 79. This went pretty fast b/c it was with a tailwind and no real hills. Finally turn South on 79. Whew. I was super excited b/c I knew the ride was getting close to being finished. Of course, I had to reign it in b/c by then my hr was starting to continually creep over 134. And the wind was coming out of the E instead of ENE, so it was a solid cross-wind. Long story short, lots of breaks in my cadence to get my hr under 134, lots of sitting up on the brakes. Turned down the appendage road, felt the tailwind and said screw this, I don't want to do a u-turn and fight another headwind. Plus I did go all the way to Youngstown on 388 so that counts for something. So I skipped the appendage and kept going south on 79. Right before the big bridge, the cute girl passed me. She hauled ass up the bridge. Show-off.
Finally made it to front beach road, and stopped at that gas station for a coke and one last refill. Coke tasted great. Ok, time to hit the road. Oh shit. I'm headed East, right into the headwind. Oh shit again, this road is crowded with cars. So a looooooong 6 miles or so back to the Boardwalk and back to the hotel. Sucked, but had to be done. Felt like my head was on a swivel, in between looking for cars on the road, cars turning off the road, and cars trying to get on the road. And the vortex created by the big towers.
Did the 20 min brick after, and it actually went pretty well. HR was on track (under 154) and pace was pretty good. Guess I learned something after Augusta after all. Once I was done, showered, etc., hit Mellow Mushroom for some BBQ chicken pizza and picked up a 6 pack of XX, and headed back to the hotel to watch Kona on the laptop. Nice ending to a tough day. Windiest, and most non-stop wind I have ever faced.
The Run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/120152107 Woke up, still windy. Great b/c it kept my body temp down. Wore compression socks. Carried a Nathan fuel belt with 2 10 oz. bottles. For 18 miles, it meant lots of stops to refill.
So basically, my plan was to follow the course (well, hoping to b/c I didn't have directions) down to the Jetties and back, repeat until I hit 18 miles. Luckily some kind soul painted orange arrows and the turns, and I saw all but two -- worked it out though.
First four miles, hr was 140 or so, pace a touch slow, but I wasn't stressing it. Nothing but a gentle warm-up. This put me at the State Park. 20 minutes till it opened, but there was a guard there and he wouldn't let me through. So I turned around and went back to a gas station a few minutes up the road to refill. Ran back to the park, still closed, turned around to run back to the gas station, and ran into Shannon Coates and one of her friends (sorry, forgot his name). We chatted, suprised that each other was there, and then jogged back to the st park. They had to turn around to get cash (cash only, dangit. They hadn't brought any and I didn't have enough for all of us) Miles 5-15, my hr picked up to 145-150, about where it should have been all along, pace worked out also. I can see how the State park will get hot in the dune and trees -- the wind was so strong that it never stopped blowing, but did decrease some.
Saw lots of does and yearlings. Really neat.
So I ran one loop (backwards), and then did the loop again the proper way to make sure I knew what it felt like. By this time, I was getting tired, but kept chugging along. Left the park, hit the gas station and refilled my bottles (a third time). Retraced the race course. About mile 15, I saw Shannon and Co coming my way. They were hauling serious ass. Impressive. Got me so motivated that I decided to push it back to the hotel to maybe mimic the last lap in the race. So I jacked my hr up in the 160's and my speeds went down. This hurt. Ragged breathing, ankle sore, achilles tendon sore, hips sore, etc. But I hung in there, and re-learned something I had forgotten. The body can hurt, and be tired, and be sore, but still have the energy/strength to push on. It is mental. Intervals taught me that last year when I was knocking my 5k time down to 21:48. This morning made me remember. I was tired, sore, etc., but could tell that b/c I had run within my limits, I still had the energy to push. Very important lesson.
Finally made it back, and the last few minutes were a cool down. Hit a double-dose of endurox (did the same thing the day before), cold soak in the tub, compression socks and tights, packed up and checked out and hit the All American Diner. Yum. God I love coffee, and eggs, and cheese grits, and bacon, and pancakes. Not fried apple critters though.
So, what I have I learned? Physically, I am coming around. Mentally too. I feel like I am working on a giant jig-saw puzzle, and have just figured out what picture I am putting together. Now I have an idea of what it will look like and where the pieces will go. I just have to fit it all together. Little more here, little less, there, etc. The parameters are gelling, now comes the trial and error fine tuning.
So, I know there is no way I will turn in the time I want to at IMFL. I'm not at proper race weight or as healthy as I need to be. One day, perhaps two years from now, I might. Until then, I do think that considering my weight, health/injuries, and what I have learned this year -- I think I have the potential to put together as good a day as my physical limitations and weather conditions will allow. This has been an eye opening experience. This is a totally different sport than a sprint or olympic, and probably even a 70.3.
This should be pretty fun.
Friday -- 4,000 yards in Trousdale. Longest swim to date. Did pretty well, left shoulder a touch tender. Friday night I drove over to Sunset Inn in Panama City Beach -- the Tallahassee Triathlete's home in PCB. So why did I head over?
Well, it is three weeks to Ironman Florida, and I am in the middle of my last big training block. On tap for Saturday -- 100 mile bike ride (w/a 20 min brick) and Sun -- 18 mile run (longest run to date). All. By. My. Self. Not a bad thing, just different, and with no SAG support. But probably pretty important for the race, b/c I won't have a paceline for IMFL.
I was a little apprehensive about both, but for different reasons. For the bike -- well, I was hit by a car a few weeks ago, still mentally struggling. Run -- well, last time I ran close to that long, 16 miles, I trashed my achilles tendon and put myself out of commission for a few months. So, how did it turn out?
Saturday. I woke up to wind, wind, wind, wind, and wind. Temp was cool, and windy. Not breezy, but windy. Weather Channel said wind out of the ENE at 15 mph, with gusts up to 25. Yeah, that unfortunately got that right.
The Bike: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/119964235 First mistake of the day -- not eating a powerbar before the ride. I usually do, but forgot. Guess I was jacked up. So I decided to try and spend the entire ride below my aerobic zone -- basically in fat-burning land. Below 134 hr. Really 125-130.
Also, this week, I took the cateye off my bike. I decided that for these long endurance rides I do not want to know my speed, b/c it will just piss me off and I will speed up and ruin my day. Also, did the ride with just two water bottles. Meant lots of stops, but I didn't want to put a rear water cage on my bike.
Did I mention it was windy? OMG. On front beach road, especially around the high rise towers, it was like a hurricane. I seriously thought the wind was going to blow me over. Had to spend a lot of time on the brakes. Luckily traffic was light.
Turns out I didn't worry too much about cars. Part of that was traffic being light until my return trip on front beach road. The other part, was that I knew I wasn't in Tallahassee. Different venue.
Note -- that pot-hole road in front of Boardwalk has been redone and it is smooth as silk.
So, the ride North on 79 was a little tough. Winds coming at me from 1-3 o'clock. Steady and non-stop. I quickly learned that: (1) to stay in my hr zone I would have to go slow; and (2) it was going to be a lot longer than the last time I rode this course with a group (mostly in a paceline). Last time, we hit hwy 20 in about an hour -- this time about 1:20. Turning East on Highway 20 was pretty much into a headwind, and seemed like pretty much nonstop up a slight hill. It was here that I learned that I needed to delete the term "race" from my brain, b/c there isn't anything race-like in an IM. Just long, slow, endurance.
At the 2 hour mark, I hit the gas station to refill my two bottles, and turned South on 77. It was nice. Able to ride at a good clip, but I kept wanting to "race," and after a few minutes had to reign it in b/c I knew I would otherwise implode.
Then I turned NE on 388. Oh shit. This was horrible. This was truly a headwind. I was probably riding at 10-12 mph a lot on this road. It took forever. Finally crossed Blue Springs Road, and the bumps began. It took so long to ride into that headwind, that I decided that I had to ride to Youngstown to refill my two bottles. So a whole lot of bumps to go with the incredible headwind. After what seemed like an eternity (and a hr spike due to a dog trying to catch me), finally hit Youngstown and refilled. This was right about at 4 hours. Also, took a minute to post on FB how much I hate that freaking road. I am going to e-mail and FB Bay County Commissioner and call them out. I cannot see how they can let 2000 people from all over the world ride on that damn highway. Tell you what -- get a phone book and put it up against your boys. Then let a friend hit the phone book with a softball bat about a dozen times. Then see how you feel and how pissed off you are. The people I spoke with in Youngstown say that the county is responsible for the road, and continually diverting $$ for repaving it into slush funds. I call BullShit on Bay County. Honestly, if I had to design a bad road, I do not think I have the creative capacity to design a road this shitty. So, to make it worse, I had to ride back down 388. At least I had a tailwind. So instead of bump... bump... bump... bump... bump.... it was bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, etc.
Finally turned North on Blue Springs Highway. Whew, crap -- crosswind. This road is pretty and nice, but still had to keep my hr low, and it was hard to do that with the hills on this road. Of course, that was just a primer for Westbound on Hwy 20, because from the turn onto 20 until the intersection at 77 (where I previously turned south -- about 12 miles) is pretty much big-ass rolling hills. Fun for a short ride. HR killer for the longer rides. Finally get to the gas station at 77, refill my two bottles (for the 3rd time).
Meet a guy and girl who lived near the airport, they were riding their tri bikes, getting ready for IMFL as well. They were really nice, should have gotten their names. Girl was pretty cute to boot.
So anyway, get back Westbound on 20 for the ride to 79. This went pretty fast b/c it was with a tailwind and no real hills. Finally turn South on 79. Whew. I was super excited b/c I knew the ride was getting close to being finished. Of course, I had to reign it in b/c by then my hr was starting to continually creep over 134. And the wind was coming out of the E instead of ENE, so it was a solid cross-wind. Long story short, lots of breaks in my cadence to get my hr under 134, lots of sitting up on the brakes. Turned down the appendage road, felt the tailwind and said screw this, I don't want to do a u-turn and fight another headwind. Plus I did go all the way to Youngstown on 388 so that counts for something. So I skipped the appendage and kept going south on 79. Right before the big bridge, the cute girl passed me. She hauled ass up the bridge. Show-off.
Finally made it to front beach road, and stopped at that gas station for a coke and one last refill. Coke tasted great. Ok, time to hit the road. Oh shit. I'm headed East, right into the headwind. Oh shit again, this road is crowded with cars. So a looooooong 6 miles or so back to the Boardwalk and back to the hotel. Sucked, but had to be done. Felt like my head was on a swivel, in between looking for cars on the road, cars turning off the road, and cars trying to get on the road. And the vortex created by the big towers.
Did the 20 min brick after, and it actually went pretty well. HR was on track (under 154) and pace was pretty good. Guess I learned something after Augusta after all. Once I was done, showered, etc., hit Mellow Mushroom for some BBQ chicken pizza and picked up a 6 pack of XX, and headed back to the hotel to watch Kona on the laptop. Nice ending to a tough day. Windiest, and most non-stop wind I have ever faced.
The Run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/120152107 Woke up, still windy. Great b/c it kept my body temp down. Wore compression socks. Carried a Nathan fuel belt with 2 10 oz. bottles. For 18 miles, it meant lots of stops to refill.
So basically, my plan was to follow the course (well, hoping to b/c I didn't have directions) down to the Jetties and back, repeat until I hit 18 miles. Luckily some kind soul painted orange arrows and the turns, and I saw all but two -- worked it out though.
First four miles, hr was 140 or so, pace a touch slow, but I wasn't stressing it. Nothing but a gentle warm-up. This put me at the State Park. 20 minutes till it opened, but there was a guard there and he wouldn't let me through. So I turned around and went back to a gas station a few minutes up the road to refill. Ran back to the park, still closed, turned around to run back to the gas station, and ran into Shannon Coates and one of her friends (sorry, forgot his name). We chatted, suprised that each other was there, and then jogged back to the st park. They had to turn around to get cash (cash only, dangit. They hadn't brought any and I didn't have enough for all of us) Miles 5-15, my hr picked up to 145-150, about where it should have been all along, pace worked out also. I can see how the State park will get hot in the dune and trees -- the wind was so strong that it never stopped blowing, but did decrease some.
Saw lots of does and yearlings. Really neat.
So I ran one loop (backwards), and then did the loop again the proper way to make sure I knew what it felt like. By this time, I was getting tired, but kept chugging along. Left the park, hit the gas station and refilled my bottles (a third time). Retraced the race course. About mile 15, I saw Shannon and Co coming my way. They were hauling serious ass. Impressive. Got me so motivated that I decided to push it back to the hotel to maybe mimic the last lap in the race. So I jacked my hr up in the 160's and my speeds went down. This hurt. Ragged breathing, ankle sore, achilles tendon sore, hips sore, etc. But I hung in there, and re-learned something I had forgotten. The body can hurt, and be tired, and be sore, but still have the energy/strength to push on. It is mental. Intervals taught me that last year when I was knocking my 5k time down to 21:48. This morning made me remember. I was tired, sore, etc., but could tell that b/c I had run within my limits, I still had the energy to push. Very important lesson.
Finally made it back, and the last few minutes were a cool down. Hit a double-dose of endurox (did the same thing the day before), cold soak in the tub, compression socks and tights, packed up and checked out and hit the All American Diner. Yum. God I love coffee, and eggs, and cheese grits, and bacon, and pancakes. Not fried apple critters though.
So, what I have I learned? Physically, I am coming around. Mentally too. I feel like I am working on a giant jig-saw puzzle, and have just figured out what picture I am putting together. Now I have an idea of what it will look like and where the pieces will go. I just have to fit it all together. Little more here, little less, there, etc. The parameters are gelling, now comes the trial and error fine tuning.
So, I know there is no way I will turn in the time I want to at IMFL. I'm not at proper race weight or as healthy as I need to be. One day, perhaps two years from now, I might. Until then, I do think that considering my weight, health/injuries, and what I have learned this year -- I think I have the potential to put together as good a day as my physical limitations and weather conditions will allow. This has been an eye opening experience. This is a totally different sport than a sprint or olympic, and probably even a 70.3.
This should be pretty fun.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
PTSD?
So it is Thursday. One week after I was hit by a car. I've ridden a bike twice since I was hit. Once on Sat -- rode the SMT with my brother. The intersections kinda freaked me out. Then sometime this week I rode my bike on the trainer for 90 min.
Today, I was supposed to ride some hills for 75 min, and run for 45, total 2 hrs. Well, it is 6:25, and I haven't done either yet.
Packed up my truck this am to go ride 59 or maybe T.S.Green today. Left work at 5 to get out there. Stressed out. Couldn't figure out where I wanted to ride. Traffic was a mess. Took so many wrong turns just trying to get on Apalachee Parkway that somebody would have thought I was a parent bringing a freshman to college for the first time. Finally by 5:30, I said screw it and gave up. I. Quit.
I thought I had been looking forward to it all day, but simply couldn't handle the thought of riding those roads -- any roads. Made me sick to my stomach and filled my shoulders/neck with stress/tension just thinking about it. I mean, if I'm not safe on SMT, how the hell can I expect not to get hit on the roads in Tally, alone, when everybody is rushing to get home. I just couldn't do it. So, I am probably going to have to ride the trainer tonight and either run the neighborhood or on the dreadmill.
I know that I have no reason to be afraid, the chances of being hit again are huge. But my brain simply will not let me accept that. I mean, it is worse that the first time I ever took my bike out on the roads. I used to love that, riding the roads. It was my utopia. How am I going to ride the IMFL course this weekend all by myself? I don't know if I can do it. I honestly cannot even picture myself on the course. Ok, I gotta go do something else, I am messing with my mind too much. Was hoping this would help, but it isn't.
Today, I was supposed to ride some hills for 75 min, and run for 45, total 2 hrs. Well, it is 6:25, and I haven't done either yet.
Packed up my truck this am to go ride 59 or maybe T.S.Green today. Left work at 5 to get out there. Stressed out. Couldn't figure out where I wanted to ride. Traffic was a mess. Took so many wrong turns just trying to get on Apalachee Parkway that somebody would have thought I was a parent bringing a freshman to college for the first time. Finally by 5:30, I said screw it and gave up. I. Quit.
I thought I had been looking forward to it all day, but simply couldn't handle the thought of riding those roads -- any roads. Made me sick to my stomach and filled my shoulders/neck with stress/tension just thinking about it. I mean, if I'm not safe on SMT, how the hell can I expect not to get hit on the roads in Tally, alone, when everybody is rushing to get home. I just couldn't do it. So, I am probably going to have to ride the trainer tonight and either run the neighborhood or on the dreadmill.
I know that I have no reason to be afraid, the chances of being hit again are huge. But my brain simply will not let me accept that. I mean, it is worse that the first time I ever took my bike out on the roads. I used to love that, riding the roads. It was my utopia. How am I going to ride the IMFL course this weekend all by myself? I don't know if I can do it. I honestly cannot even picture myself on the course. Ok, I gotta go do something else, I am messing with my mind too much. Was hoping this would help, but it isn't.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Hit And Run At The County Line (really)
So after blowing up at IM Augusta 70.3, this past week was a recovery week. Good thing, because while I was not that tired/sore after Augusta, I did have a nasty case of pink eye -- and -- got hit by a car. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.... If you want to skip to it, here is the garmin file http://connect.garmin.com/activity/117998108
Monday was a rest day. Good b/c I was driving back down from Augusta, wondering why my left eye hurt (and was red). Tuesday, woke up (eye still hurt) and did a 45 min easy spin on the stationary bike. Then I went to the doctor in the am, and he confirmed pink eye. So no work Tue and Wed. Tue pm, swap at the pool 1500yds. Wed 30 min easy jog on treadmill. Then Thursday came along.
Thurs am, I hit the pool again, 1600yds, felt out of sync, but whatever. Thurs pm, I had a 60 min bike ride. 15 min warm-up, 30 min at 70.3 pace, and 15 min cool down. Normally for a hour bike ride, I'd put my bike in the trainer and watch netflix while I rode. But today, I wanted to get out. Being cooped up in the house 2 days was driving me crazy.
So, after work, I headed to the St. Marks Trail, the trailhead at Capital Circle. Now I've been riding the St. Marks Trail a lot lately. Actually, pretty much exclusively since that bicyclist was killed on Tram Road a few months ago. At that time, I thought that it was my brother -- he was riding his bike on Tram Road at the same time as the guy -- and it took awhile to find out it wasn't him. Anyway, that whole incident freaked me out so that I started riding the St. Marks Trail.
Ended up wheels rolling around 6:15 PM. Had a nice 15 min warm-up. Then transitioned into 30 minutes at race pace. This time (as opposed to Augusta), I followed the plan and stuck to race pace, keeping my heart rate at 145 bpm. It came out pushing 21-22 mpg. Fifteen minutes down the trail, then turnaround and come back up. It was a nice evening, bikes/pedestrians on the trail, but not too bad. Traffic from cars was not too bad either.
For those who do not know, the trail is about 8 feet wide, asphalt, and paralells Woodville Highway from Tallahassee to St. Marks (i.e., the Gulf of Mexico). It is mostly shaded, a pretty trail, but flat and straight. Boring, but good training for IMFL. It also intersects various roads and driveways, but the traffic is pretty good with keeping an eye out for visitors.
Anyway, 42 mintues into my ride, I was coming up on where Bob Miller Road intersects the trail. This intersection is not bad at all, plenty of visibility for people on the trail and vehicular traffic on Bob Miller. As with other crossings, there is a stop sign at Bob Miller right before the trail. So, people on the trail have right-of-way over vehicular traffic. As soon as the car stops, and let trail traffic through, it can cross the trial and turn left or right on Old Woodville Highway.
So, I am crusing along, having a fantastic ride -- in fact even asking myself why the heck didn't I stick to the plan at Augusta -- when I see a small suv on Bob Miller approaching the stop sign. The suv is slowing down, but as I get closer to it, the more I realize it is doing a "rolling stop" as opposed to a legit stop. Rolling stops and oncoming bicycles do not mix. At. All.
So about this time, I realize that there was only a very minimal chance that I was going to make it around in front of the suv. No way could I speed up and pass in front of it. So I braked hard and prayed I would stop before hitting the suv. Without having time to double-check, I get the feeling that the suv is one of those late model Honda CRV's and is either silver or light blue.
Skinny tires do not stop well. So I skid and skid and skid. SUV keeps rolling and rolling and rolling, never stops moving. I just pray that the suv stops. Not so.
Comparing speed and heart rate.
Next thing I know, I'm in front of suv. As best as I can recall, three things happen simultaneously: (1) I hear a crash/crumpling noise; (2) I'm sliding up the hood of the car; and (3) the driver looks at me. For the first time I realize the driver is a white female, I think with dark brown hair, in mid-40's. Next thing I know, I'm on the ground, facing the way I came. Did a 180 in the air before landing. Because of the way my bike and I are lying and ground, we are actually facing the driver side door/window, but about 8-10 feet away. The suv is stopped. The driver looks at me. I look at the driver. Then the SUV's wheels start rolling. I loudly exclaim the only three words that come to mind -- "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" -- well, not those exact three words, but you can figure it out from the first letter of each word.
Note about the picture below. Looking north, the way I was heading (back to the trailhead). You can see the bike is facing south. Did a 180 in the air after being launched off the hood. IMFL is in 5 weeks, so I'm already having nightmares about having to drum up another bike.
Next thing I know the suv is hauling ass down the road. I try to get up to give chase, but I'm tangled up in the bike. I can't really see the license plate b/c the crash knocked off my glasses. Can't find my glasses. Can't find my phone. I have no idea how bad my injuries are, but can feel a huge surge of adrenaline kicking in. Don't have any means of pursuit. SUV makes a quick left on the next road (maybe 30 yards away).
So I think when I went over the hood of her SUV I left some of my shoe-leather on it.
I'll let you imagine the loud vocalizations I emitted for the next 10 seconds. Still hoping the neighbors didn't have kids outside, b/c that was an education their gentle ears did not need to hear. All I can think about is Ironman Florida is in 5 weeks. I have been waiting a year for this freaking race and this bitch hits me, probably ruins my bike, and runs off.
About that time, I find my phone, dial 911, and a truck pulls up. They ask me what happened and I explained hit and run, and give them a description of the car and the give chase. Actually the guy in the passenger seat says he thought it was a dark vehicle. Could have been. In all honesty, I am quickly realizing what a shitty witness I would be.
I start talking to the 911 operator, explaining what happened. I am checking to see if my body parts are in place. Don't know if it is the adrenaline, but I am numb. I can see scrapes on both calves, and on my right arm. My right wrist is already starting to get tender and my right hip is getting sore. Luckily I see no blood, no bones sticking out of me, and see no immediate swelling. I was talking to the operator while talking to tons of other vehicles and bicyclists who stopped. Funny thing, I didn't know where I was and had to ask a passing truck. The 911 operator could not pull that location up. Turns out I had the 911 operator for Leon county but was in Wakulla county (actually literally on top of the county line). So I get put on hold... and then get tranferred to Wakulla 911 operator. Then Wakulla 911 operator can't find my intersection. Geez.
So the Wakulla 911 operator finds my intersection, after I told her about a dozen times the intersection my bicycle was right in the middle of. Vehicles are passing left, right, etc. I'd say about 80% stopped (probably b/c my bike was in their way and I wasn't touching it until the sheriff arrived) and asked if I was ok. They were all shocked when I explained it was a hit and run. Most offered to look for the suv, but enough time had passed that I didn't want to send them off and find the wrong suv and bet the living daylights out of the driver. Also, I wanted to leave the bike in the middle of the road as long as possible so as many vehicles as possible would see it. First maybe to get them talking about it and find out who hit me. Second to let them know that it could have just as easily been them who hit me (or anyone else).
My hip was sore/bruised from landing on the ground, but luckily this was the wost of the visible damage.
A lot of trail traffic stopped also. So I am very thankful and very comforted by the amount of vehicles and trail users who stopped to check on me. That really meant a lot to me, and makes me want to pay more attention to those stopped on the road. I will usually yell out while on my bike and ask if people stopped need help, but will probably make a little more effort to check on them.
speed and heart rate
speed and heart rate
Cadence and heart rate (cadence is orange)
Cadence and heart rate (cadence is orange)
Snap some pictures of my bike in the intersection and post one on facebook for the heck of it. I was on my feet walking around, and my bike was still lying in the road, when the ambulance shows up. The two paramedics look me over, take down some info. I decline the ride to the hospital b/c I don't want to leave my bike all alone, and and they take off when the sheriff arrives.
The sheriff was nice, seemed genuinely put out that there was a hit and run on trail traffic, and took pictures, info, etc. He was hopeful that with it being a residential area that the person may turn themselves in later, or maybe a family member or the neighbors would call when they heard about the crash. Told me to check back in a few days. I hate to say it, but I was a really horrible witness. All the things I should know, but "it happend so fast." None of that time slowing down bullshit. Just skid/boom/land.
I figure the driver panicked and hauled ass. Willing to bet it was one of two reasons: (1) driver was a teen-ager (like I said, I make a horrible witness); or (2) driver was drunk/no license/no insurance/on probation/etc. I suspect the latter (no offense to those living in Wakulla County, but you know exactly what I'm talking about -- TPT baby). Probably will never find the driver.
So I call Sissy to come get me. Dreading this call b/c I know exaclty how it is going to go
Me: Hey baby.
Sissy: Hey
Me: Whatcha doin?
Sissy: Going to bed.
Me: Can you come get me?
Sissy: What?
Me: Can you come get me?
Sissy: Why? I'm in my pajamas. Didn't you drive your truck?
Me: I'm not at my truck.
Sissy: Why do you want me to come get you?
Me: Well, don't freak out, I'm ok. I got hit by a car.
Sissy: WHAT!!!!!!!!
Me: Yeah, hit and run. She hit me, I went up on and over the hood, flipped.
Sissy: (freaking out now) How did that happen, you are riding on the St. Marks Trail?
Me: Calm down Sissy, I'm ok. I need you to be calm so you can drive down here and get me without crashing. Take a deep breath. I'm ok.
Sissy: Yeah but, but....
You can use your imagination for the rest of the conversation. Bottom line is Sissy doesn't ever want me riding any bike again (unless it is inside). As far as I'm concerned, if I can get hit on the St. Marks Trail, I can get hit anywhere.
Friday morning, I stroll into work and hear "Jason Hand, get down here." I know what's coming. My boss (interim) is one of my facebook friends. Story gets told repeaedtly about the hit and run -- coworkers are in shock.
I wanna thank all my facebook friends (i.e, Tallahassee Triathletes). Means a lot that you guys were so concerned about me.
So, Saturday my brother and I ride the SMT. Best thing to do when you get bucked off the horse -- get back on. I took my road bike, didn't want to ride the tri bike b/c all the previous stories I have read say not to ride the bike until it can be shipped back to the manufacturer for x-rays to see if there are cracks inside the frame. From the stories of other crashes I have read, basically, the bike is considered totaled until proven otherwise. We took it nice and easy, I showed my brother where I was hit. However, every intersection I came to, I slowed down and quadruple-checked for traffic. There were several times where I almost panicked coming up to an intersection, even with no vehicle in sight. I can tell the St. Marks Trail is ruined for me for training, really for anything other than jogging and recreational riding.
Sunday, ran the trail. Of course I'll keep running the trail until after IMFL, b/c the trail is long, flat and boring -- just like the IMFL run course. Or as close as I can get here in Tallahassee. But I'm done with that biking the trail bullshit.
Let me tell you, getting hit by a car sucks. That night, it was impossible to get to sleep. I kept having flashbacks about going up on the hood of the car. Heart rate was going crazy. Kept feeling all these strange sore spots and thinking I was having trouble breathing. My right ankle, right knee, right hip, right wrist, right elbow and right shoulder were sore. My back was sore. The next day I had equilibrium problems throughout the day. Didn't really think much about it until I read that it could be a concussion. But by then it had been close to 24 hours, so I just decided to closely monitor how I felt. Even several days later other sore spots jumped up, my left knee, right forearm, left ankle, even ribs would randomly hurt. I've still had trouble sleeping for several nights. Don't sleep as soundly as I used to and wake-up easily, and startle easily during the day.
But all things being equal, I'm very lucky to be alive.
Monday was a rest day. Good b/c I was driving back down from Augusta, wondering why my left eye hurt (and was red). Tuesday, woke up (eye still hurt) and did a 45 min easy spin on the stationary bike. Then I went to the doctor in the am, and he confirmed pink eye. So no work Tue and Wed. Tue pm, swap at the pool 1500yds. Wed 30 min easy jog on treadmill. Then Thursday came along.
Thurs am, I hit the pool again, 1600yds, felt out of sync, but whatever. Thurs pm, I had a 60 min bike ride. 15 min warm-up, 30 min at 70.3 pace, and 15 min cool down. Normally for a hour bike ride, I'd put my bike in the trainer and watch netflix while I rode. But today, I wanted to get out. Being cooped up in the house 2 days was driving me crazy.
So, after work, I headed to the St. Marks Trail, the trailhead at Capital Circle. Now I've been riding the St. Marks Trail a lot lately. Actually, pretty much exclusively since that bicyclist was killed on Tram Road a few months ago. At that time, I thought that it was my brother -- he was riding his bike on Tram Road at the same time as the guy -- and it took awhile to find out it wasn't him. Anyway, that whole incident freaked me out so that I started riding the St. Marks Trail.
Ended up wheels rolling around 6:15 PM. Had a nice 15 min warm-up. Then transitioned into 30 minutes at race pace. This time (as opposed to Augusta), I followed the plan and stuck to race pace, keeping my heart rate at 145 bpm. It came out pushing 21-22 mpg. Fifteen minutes down the trail, then turnaround and come back up. It was a nice evening, bikes/pedestrians on the trail, but not too bad. Traffic from cars was not too bad either.
For those who do not know, the trail is about 8 feet wide, asphalt, and paralells Woodville Highway from Tallahassee to St. Marks (i.e., the Gulf of Mexico). It is mostly shaded, a pretty trail, but flat and straight. Boring, but good training for IMFL. It also intersects various roads and driveways, but the traffic is pretty good with keeping an eye out for visitors.
Anyway, 42 mintues into my ride, I was coming up on where Bob Miller Road intersects the trail. This intersection is not bad at all, plenty of visibility for people on the trail and vehicular traffic on Bob Miller. As with other crossings, there is a stop sign at Bob Miller right before the trail. So, people on the trail have right-of-way over vehicular traffic. As soon as the car stops, and let trail traffic through, it can cross the trial and turn left or right on Old Woodville Highway.
So, I am crusing along, having a fantastic ride -- in fact even asking myself why the heck didn't I stick to the plan at Augusta -- when I see a small suv on Bob Miller approaching the stop sign. The suv is slowing down, but as I get closer to it, the more I realize it is doing a "rolling stop" as opposed to a legit stop. Rolling stops and oncoming bicycles do not mix. At. All.
So about this time, I realize that there was only a very minimal chance that I was going to make it around in front of the suv. No way could I speed up and pass in front of it. So I braked hard and prayed I would stop before hitting the suv. Without having time to double-check, I get the feeling that the suv is one of those late model Honda CRV's and is either silver or light blue.
Skinny tires do not stop well. So I skid and skid and skid. SUV keeps rolling and rolling and rolling, never stops moving. I just pray that the suv stops. Not so.
Comparing speed and heart rate.
Next thing I know, I'm in front of suv. As best as I can recall, three things happen simultaneously: (1) I hear a crash/crumpling noise; (2) I'm sliding up the hood of the car; and (3) the driver looks at me. For the first time I realize the driver is a white female, I think with dark brown hair, in mid-40's. Next thing I know, I'm on the ground, facing the way I came. Did a 180 in the air before landing. Because of the way my bike and I are lying and ground, we are actually facing the driver side door/window, but about 8-10 feet away. The suv is stopped. The driver looks at me. I look at the driver. Then the SUV's wheels start rolling. I loudly exclaim the only three words that come to mind -- "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" -- well, not those exact three words, but you can figure it out from the first letter of each word.
Note about the picture below. Looking north, the way I was heading (back to the trailhead). You can see the bike is facing south. Did a 180 in the air after being launched off the hood. IMFL is in 5 weeks, so I'm already having nightmares about having to drum up another bike.
Next thing I know the suv is hauling ass down the road. I try to get up to give chase, but I'm tangled up in the bike. I can't really see the license plate b/c the crash knocked off my glasses. Can't find my glasses. Can't find my phone. I have no idea how bad my injuries are, but can feel a huge surge of adrenaline kicking in. Don't have any means of pursuit. SUV makes a quick left on the next road (maybe 30 yards away).
So I think when I went over the hood of her SUV I left some of my shoe-leather on it.
Bitch broke my cleates. Maybe I scratched her suv with them... left a yellow streak on the hood to match her spine.
I'll let you imagine the loud vocalizations I emitted for the next 10 seconds. Still hoping the neighbors didn't have kids outside, b/c that was an education their gentle ears did not need to hear. All I can think about is Ironman Florida is in 5 weeks. I have been waiting a year for this freaking race and this bitch hits me, probably ruins my bike, and runs off.
About that time, I find my phone, dial 911, and a truck pulls up. They ask me what happened and I explained hit and run, and give them a description of the car and the give chase. Actually the guy in the passenger seat says he thought it was a dark vehicle. Could have been. In all honesty, I am quickly realizing what a shitty witness I would be.
I start talking to the 911 operator, explaining what happened. I am checking to see if my body parts are in place. Don't know if it is the adrenaline, but I am numb. I can see scrapes on both calves, and on my right arm. My right wrist is already starting to get tender and my right hip is getting sore. Luckily I see no blood, no bones sticking out of me, and see no immediate swelling. I was talking to the operator while talking to tons of other vehicles and bicyclists who stopped. Funny thing, I didn't know where I was and had to ask a passing truck. The 911 operator could not pull that location up. Turns out I had the 911 operator for Leon county but was in Wakulla county (actually literally on top of the county line). So I get put on hold... and then get tranferred to Wakulla 911 operator. Then Wakulla 911 operator can't find my intersection. Geez.
So the Wakulla 911 operator finds my intersection, after I told her about a dozen times the intersection my bicycle was right in the middle of. Vehicles are passing left, right, etc. I'd say about 80% stopped (probably b/c my bike was in their way and I wasn't touching it until the sheriff arrived) and asked if I was ok. They were all shocked when I explained it was a hit and run. Most offered to look for the suv, but enough time had passed that I didn't want to send them off and find the wrong suv and bet the living daylights out of the driver. Also, I wanted to leave the bike in the middle of the road as long as possible so as many vehicles as possible would see it. First maybe to get them talking about it and find out who hit me. Second to let them know that it could have just as easily been them who hit me (or anyone else).
My hip was sore/bruised from landing on the ground, but luckily this was the wost of the visible damage.
A lot of trail traffic stopped also. So I am very thankful and very comforted by the amount of vehicles and trail users who stopped to check on me. That really meant a lot to me, and makes me want to pay more attention to those stopped on the road. I will usually yell out while on my bike and ask if people stopped need help, but will probably make a little more effort to check on them.
speed and heart rate
speed and heart rate
Cadence and heart rate (cadence is orange)
Cadence and heart rate (cadence is orange)
Snap some pictures of my bike in the intersection and post one on facebook for the heck of it. I was on my feet walking around, and my bike was still lying in the road, when the ambulance shows up. The two paramedics look me over, take down some info. I decline the ride to the hospital b/c I don't want to leave my bike all alone, and and they take off when the sheriff arrives.
The sheriff was nice, seemed genuinely put out that there was a hit and run on trail traffic, and took pictures, info, etc. He was hopeful that with it being a residential area that the person may turn themselves in later, or maybe a family member or the neighbors would call when they heard about the crash. Told me to check back in a few days. I hate to say it, but I was a really horrible witness. All the things I should know, but "it happend so fast." None of that time slowing down bullshit. Just skid/boom/land.
I figure the driver panicked and hauled ass. Willing to bet it was one of two reasons: (1) driver was a teen-ager (like I said, I make a horrible witness); or (2) driver was drunk/no license/no insurance/on probation/etc. I suspect the latter (no offense to those living in Wakulla County, but you know exactly what I'm talking about -- TPT baby). Probably will never find the driver.
So I call Sissy to come get me. Dreading this call b/c I know exaclty how it is going to go
Me: Hey baby.
Sissy: Hey
Me: Whatcha doin?
Sissy: Going to bed.
Me: Can you come get me?
Sissy: What?
Me: Can you come get me?
Sissy: Why? I'm in my pajamas. Didn't you drive your truck?
Me: I'm not at my truck.
Sissy: Why do you want me to come get you?
Me: Well, don't freak out, I'm ok. I got hit by a car.
Sissy: WHAT!!!!!!!!
Me: Yeah, hit and run. She hit me, I went up on and over the hood, flipped.
Sissy: (freaking out now) How did that happen, you are riding on the St. Marks Trail?
Me: Calm down Sissy, I'm ok. I need you to be calm so you can drive down here and get me without crashing. Take a deep breath. I'm ok.
Sissy: Yeah but, but....
You can use your imagination for the rest of the conversation. Bottom line is Sissy doesn't ever want me riding any bike again (unless it is inside). As far as I'm concerned, if I can get hit on the St. Marks Trail, I can get hit anywhere.
Friday morning, I stroll into work and hear "Jason Hand, get down here." I know what's coming. My boss (interim) is one of my facebook friends. Story gets told repeaedtly about the hit and run -- coworkers are in shock.
I wanna thank all my facebook friends (i.e, Tallahassee Triathletes). Means a lot that you guys were so concerned about me.
So, Saturday my brother and I ride the SMT. Best thing to do when you get bucked off the horse -- get back on. I took my road bike, didn't want to ride the tri bike b/c all the previous stories I have read say not to ride the bike until it can be shipped back to the manufacturer for x-rays to see if there are cracks inside the frame. From the stories of other crashes I have read, basically, the bike is considered totaled until proven otherwise. We took it nice and easy, I showed my brother where I was hit. However, every intersection I came to, I slowed down and quadruple-checked for traffic. There were several times where I almost panicked coming up to an intersection, even with no vehicle in sight. I can tell the St. Marks Trail is ruined for me for training, really for anything other than jogging and recreational riding.
Sunday, ran the trail. Of course I'll keep running the trail until after IMFL, b/c the trail is long, flat and boring -- just like the IMFL run course. Or as close as I can get here in Tallahassee. But I'm done with that biking the trail bullshit.
Let me tell you, getting hit by a car sucks. That night, it was impossible to get to sleep. I kept having flashbacks about going up on the hood of the car. Heart rate was going crazy. Kept feeling all these strange sore spots and thinking I was having trouble breathing. My right ankle, right knee, right hip, right wrist, right elbow and right shoulder were sore. My back was sore. The next day I had equilibrium problems throughout the day. Didn't really think much about it until I read that it could be a concussion. But by then it had been close to 24 hours, so I just decided to closely monitor how I felt. Even several days later other sore spots jumped up, my left knee, right forearm, left ankle, even ribs would randomly hurt. I've still had trouble sleeping for several nights. Don't sleep as soundly as I used to and wake-up easily, and startle easily during the day.
But all things being equal, I'm very lucky to be alive.
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