Racehorse takes its first outing and then an ice bath.

The new Inflite duly arrived and I've taken a suitably long time to get it saddled up and out of the stable. Partly because I didn't want to set out prematurely with the setup all wrong, partly because I didn't want the inaugural ride to be in the rain and mostly because as with this blog, not much gets done between house-husbanding during the day and working shifts at night.

Since the last post I very deliberately stayed away from the bike to let the bursa settle. I managed 134 lengths of the pool in a couple of sessions but that was it.

Yesterday having finally tweaked the gears and got the saddle height as I wanted it, fitted the mud-guards and taken the pedals off the old faithful Nigel Dean, I took the bike around the block. man, what a difference.

Ironically, I'm thinking that Lance Armstrong might not have been telling the truth, when he titled his book, ' It's not about the bike.' This bike sure makes a heck of difference, even just on porridge oats! Of course I headed out into the now obligatory headwind toward Wymondham, stopping partway down the road to make a minor adjustment to the saddle.

I had suspected and am now sure that the stem is too long and will need to be changed for a shorter one if I am to add any kind of tri-bar setup for the race. This will not be because I think that I'm going to be head down for 18 hours a day, but just to provide as many options as possible, when it comes to riding position.

Anyway, there'll be plenty more time to discuss bikes and geometry as I learn more about both. Suffice to say that I was over the moon with my purchase.

Having not gone far, I then followed this up with another 80 lengths in the pool whilst my youngest daughter tore around the track at the University of East Anglia (UEA,) Sportspark http://sportspark.co.uk/

Today though I managed a decent  25 miles and was again impressed by the ease with which I was covering the ground. I was also mindful of the recent injury and promptly sat in an ice cold bath for 10 minutes when I got back.

For anyone who hasn't tried this, I was listening to Devina McCall recommend drinking a mug of hot chocolate or in my case chai latte to offset the sensation of numbing cold below the waste, and it works too. 10 minutes is all you need. Longer than that and you'll start to languish in hypothermia territory, so don't punish yourself over it. It's painful enough as it is.

Injury post 1 of many probably!

Greater Trochanteric Bursitis.

 https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=greater+trochanteric+bursitis&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=-QkfU4CWM6uy7Ab0rIC4Ag&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1008&bih=596

I hope that I won't breach too many regulations by reproducing this picture courtesy of the above website, but we might as well acknowledge that like any other' sportsman', I'm likely to be guilty of injury hyperbole and you should be thankful that you get to switch the computer off, whereas my wife and family get to hear me go on and on and....as I discover that taking on a rather daft challenge comes with its inherent risk of injury.

So this week it is the turn of greater trochanter bursitis.

At the tail end of last week, on my planned day off, with someone else watching the kids for me, I headed out on another 50 odd. This time it was a beautifully sunny day with somewhat less wind coming from the south east. Be grateful for small mercies. It is normally hideous and puts me in a bad mood, but not today.

The added bonus today was that I was riding a circuit, so that any grafted miles in the early hours would be repaid in full, with the breeze behind me and a swift return guaranteed. So it was too. I covered the 20 or so miles back from Diss (As you approach it Diss appears.) averaging close to 20 mph and apart from some guy on a bike who appeared to be putting no effort in whatsoever, but whom I could not catch, all was good with the day.

I awoke next morning with a very and of course hyperbole now being accepted, very painful right hip! Where did that come from?

So here you have it. Where the Ileo-tibial band (IT band, commonly known to long-distant runners and other athletes prone to endless repetition,) passes over the greater trochanter bursa, there are certain occasions when the friction of piston-pumping leg movement in this area, creates inflammation and subsequent discomfort. Untreated and aggravated this can become a chronic problem that can take weeks to months to resolve and so must be taken seriously to avoid future problems.

The particular issue of posture and in particular over extended seat posts on bicycles play a part in the causes of this issue for cyclists, as well as not warming up and stretching properly before riding. Guilty!

The mainstay of treatment is ICE, change of exercise whilst symptoms resolve and anti-inflammatories. (Please note the potential side-effects and risks of NSAID use and consult a Doctor before using them.) Do not be tempted to return to the exercise that caused the problem, until you are sure that things are settled. there are plenty of other ways to maintain your fitness in the meantime.

So.....I'm off for a swim.

Preparing the stable

 

 

Yesterday morning I bit the bullet and ordered my first new bike in over 20 years. The Canyon Inflite AL 8.0 S is billed as a winter/commuting/racing bike with cyclo-cross pedigree. I have gone back and forth over what to buy for this trip. It's a race after all, so the temptation would be to plumb for one of the stiffer leaner, lighter racing frames with skinny wheels, cantilever breaks and more aggressive geometry.

 

 

The potential for 200 mile days dictates that comfort has to be at the forefront of my decision and I've asked for a 25mm steerer tube onto which I intend to add some aerobars for variety, when it comes to riding position. I'm also now looking for the right hub dynamo to power the lights and GPS. Anyone with experience of these or any other useful tips, please do get in touch,

 

 

Which way to go?

 



Foxearth Care Home and the wrong shoes.

It wasn't raining but it had to blow a gale from the SE. Why does the wind always blow in your face?

It was only 30 miles from home to Foxearth, where my father has now been transferred and I did manage to make the journey that I had promised myself last week, on his bike. It may well be the last time we do it together, that bike and I, because yesterday morning I ordered a new one. More of that later.

However much you think that you might have prepared yourself for these changing circumstances, there is nothing like the stark reality of sitting with your dad in a care home to make you realise that you were never ready for it and are unlikely to accept the reality anytime soon.

I arrived at my mothers 4 miles away from where he is being looked after, (I started to write,' his new home,' but there you have it you see. I can't write that, because it's not his home. It's where he is being cared for. Home will always be where my mother is and where he took us out sailing or bird-watching from. Where he tended his amazing gardens and honed his skills as a photographer and then wood carver.

Foxearth is a wonderfully fresh and airy place nestled fittingly for my father, - since he spent his working life in agriculture, - in the middle of a working farm. The courtyard area outside his window is full of flowers and small shrubs and has a plentiful array of bird feeders for him to watch. (I am going to ask the staff if I may fit a window box or feeder close to his window, because he will love that.)

When I first arrived he was asleep. I was glad for that since it gave me time to adjust.

Since you will not see a picture of my Dad, but may see plenty of me, it suffices to know that I am a chip of the old block. Oh except for one thing. He has size 9 feet. How do I know this? Because I am sat with him, wearing his shoes, having forgotten to throw mine into the car that the family followed me down in. Jeans and cycle shoes don't go....but then neither do size 9 shoes on a size 11 foot.