Hypoglycemia or Coyote?

Stress, getting sick and not being able to train as much in the past couple weeks have taken a toll on my blood sugars and my mood. Today, I increased my basals by 30% and have still been running high. (This is also despite spending the whole day Saturday on the bike during the 125-mile Death Ride near Lake Tahoe.) So I squeezed in a longer ride after work today in one of the cycling hot spots of the Bay Area: Portola Valley. The climbs here are gradual and most consider this a basically "flat" ride (although almost no sections of it are truly flat). I didn't worry about dropping low since I actually had to increase my basal rate to get my blood sugars down while climbing 7-9% grades last weekend.

About an hour into the ride, I stopped at one of the large parks in the area to hit the bathroom. I set my bike by a woman reading a book and her border collie (mix?), who started whining when I approached them. I asked the woman if the dog was friendly, and was assured she was. When I reached out to pat the dog's head, she turned and walked away. As I came out of the bathroom, the dog started whining again. The woman was perplexed by her dog's behavior and I asked whether she was acting strangely. She agreed that this was very unusual behavior for her dog. I just wondered, could this dog be sensing that I have low blood sugar? Am I even low? I didn't think I was, but after checking in at 65, I had to wonder. I mentioned this to the woman, that some dogs can sense low blood sugar. We both agreed that the dog didn't seem too concerned about me in particular, but was more interested in getting the woman's attention. Anyway, it was probably wishful thinking on my part that this creature would take notice of my blood sugar; but it was an interesting coincidence, regardless.

Or, perhaps there was just a coyote nearby...

Picture from http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2007/05/coyotes-the-wild-becomes-urban/

Pescadero Classic Road Race Report

My original plan for 2009 was to focus on bike racing from January through August and increase triathlon training gradually in June, and then more so as I got closer to racing with Triabetes at Ironman Arizona in November. In January, I joined a group of women cyclists called the Early Bird Women's Developmental Cycling Team--a team for women in their first year of USCF racing--in hopes of fully pursuing this goal. Well, plans changed on Feb 1 with my accident. While I have improved vastly, the rehab and conditioning is far from over. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever fully recover. So, it was with some anxiety that I signed up for the Pescadero Classic Road Race on June 13. I continued with the Early Bird Women, although I was pretty tepid about ever racing a bike again in those first several weeks in February. Here is my report for my first official USA Cycling race event of 2009 that I completed--about 4 months later than originally expected.

Name of race: Pescadero Classic Road Race
Date: June 13, 2009
Category raced: Cat 4 in a Cat 3-4 field combined with 35+ 3-4 field
Weather: rainy before start, cloudy/damp but not cold, westerly light/mod winds
Field size: 45?
Early Birds present: Stephanie D., Beate H., myself
Other teams: Poggio, Metromint, Velogirls, Roaring Mouse, Dolce Vita, ...
Individual goals: feel in control of my safety, experience a road race, work hard, try working with others if there is an opportunity
Team goals: support each other

Short Story: I finished the race in one piece and am happy for the experience. I wasn't expecting to be fast but a problem with my front derailleur didn't help the situation.

Very Long Story (mostly appreciated by family members & best for reading when you are stuck in line somewhere. You've been warned):

I pre-rode this course last weekend to give me some confidence on the reputed technical aspects, and felt comfortable that the descents etc. were nothing I did not routinely encounter. Part of the appeal of this course for me was that, with the hills, it was likely that the riders would get strung out, and I would not feel stressed riding in a pack. Because of my current fitness level, I expected to be dropped from the main pack at the first climb.

After a belt in my car (with only 52k miles) inexplicably broke Friday evening (what's up, Mazda?), I thought I was doomed! I had been feeling pretty anxious all day and it just pushed me over the edge. Fine, I would just go for a ride and race another day. But thanks to my teammate for stepping in at the last moment, I was able to get a ride to the start early Saturday morning. Driving down the coast, it was rainy, foggy and generally not looking so great for a race. Once we arrived and warmed up, I discovered it was actually not that cold and was happy to see that at least the rain had let up.

There was a neutral promenade from the high school to the race start. I thought, "Promenade, easy pace," but realized I would have to pick it up a little to avoid getting dropped before the race even started. We turned the corner on Stage Rd and I guess there was some signal that the race was under way. The first few miles were flat and I was able to stay with the pack. I enjoyed it and felt comfortable. I noticed most people around me were not in their drops. There were a few other riders in the back with me and there was one gal behind. I was working pretty hard at times to stay with the pack, especially with the early sprint prime; it would have been easier if I tucked in a little closer. Once the road started to climb, I was dropped along with a friend of mine, who was doing her first road race. I gave her a quick how-to on getting back to the pack but it sort of fell apart and we were both on our own.

I knew there was one gal behind me and thought, "Well maybe I won't come in dead last." Or maybe we could work together to try and get back to the pack, just for the fun of it at least. I was coming down the first descent and shifting to my small chain ring in prep for the steeper climb ahead, when my cranks locked up. I looked down and the chain was jammed somehow in the front derailleur cage. Somehow, I loosened the chain and got in my small chain ring. "Hmm. I hope that's solved." I was a little concerned I would be stuck in my small chain ring, but was able to shift back up on the next descent. Turning onto Highway 84, though, I realized I had a problem. I could not shift to my small chain ring. This would be okay on 84, which is a gradual uphill climb, but not on Haskins Hill. I was hoping there would be a mechanic at the feed zone. I had no idea why my derailleur wouldn't shift down.

Being stuck in my big chain ring on 84 was probably not a bad thing, because it forced me to keep up a faster pace. There was a lovely tail wind for most of it and I felt strong and happy. Turning the corner onto Pescadero Rd., I ground my way up the initial hill and caught the attention of a friend of mine who was supporting his team, Dolce Vita. "Chris! My bike won't go into the small chain ring!" He tried to adjust the derailleur but it was stubborn about working properly. Finally, he got it to work okay, and I took off. I rounded the corner for the climb up Haskins but to my dismay, I was still stuck. I pulled over to see if I could just put the chain in place; at this moment, one of the men's large peletons came charging up the hill and I stepped off the road. They were taking every inch of the road (right-side, anyway) so I was sort of glad I hadn't been riding at the time. The cables were still moving the derailleur so I was able to drop the chain in place, and continued up Haskins. The climb is through redwoods, and was shady, moist and cool. I was a little flustered from the chain thing and lost my focus. I think I forgot I was racing for a little while there.

Once on the descent, the roads were mostly dry, but I still took a somewhat cautious approach. Some of the turns are tight but most are not too bad; but I knew that another group of guys would probably be passing me and wanted to be sure to hold my line tight on the right side of the road. Sure enough, I heard someone call out "Left side!" followed by 4 guys in a paceline just screaming by me, insanely fast through the turns. It was a little nerve-wracking as a larger group came by. I just hoped they were being careful. I felt like I was a little too cautious on the descent due to passing racers; once I was through the first few miles, though, I picked it up, effort-wise. The rest of Pescadero Rd was a sort of rolling descent with a bit of a headwind. It seemed like it should have been easy all the way to Pescadero but it took some effort to keep the pace up.

view from a climb on Stage Road

Taking the corner onto Stage Road for the second lap, I got some sympathy cheers but joked with a couple people that I was off the front, of course! I was trying to figure out if the pro/1/2's were still on the course, and calculate where they might pass me. When I got to the first climb I stopped to move my chain to the small ring. This was annoying more than time-consuming. Who wants to stop during a race? At the next climb, I devised a new method to move my chain--I just unclipped and pushed it over slightly. It seemed to work but then I noticed some rattling. Was my whole derailleur going to fall apart? I got off and inspected and discovered that the cage was broken on the right side--snapped through completely. So it could move my chain to the right, but not to the left. I was impossibly behind at this point and trying to remember that I just came out here to gain the experience. I continued up 84 and made the 2nd and final turn onto Pescadero Rd.

I thought I would try my kick-the-chain technique but this time the chain fell off instead. Argh! I got off and tried to put the chain on 4-5 times until fixing it. My hands were covered in smudgy grease and I just started to lose it emotionally. Getting myself in a position to do this race was a mental challenge and it just seemed like a disaster to me at that moment. But wait! I recognized those exaggerated emotions as a sign of low blood sugar! I may have been frustrated but, really, was it so bad? I popped a chocolate GU and after 10 minutes asked myself, "Are you still losing it?" When the answer was, "No," then I figured I may have just had a bout of frustration + low blood sugar, which can really wreck havoc on the emotions!

I didn't want to bother with another small-big-small chain ring transition so just rode the flat part of Pescadero Rd in the small chain ring, cruising along at a sad 14-15 mph. Alas, I was finally at Haskins again. Another 1.6 miles and I would be done! Well except for the 10 miles back to the cars. As I was climbing, the pro/1/2 men came by, which was fun to watch. Shortly after, the main pro/1/2 women pack came on by, followed by a couple small groups and solo riders, who were encouraging me on. The 1k mile and 500m signs were both missing from the first lap, which I didn't realize until I was about 300m from the finish. Hallelujah. I crossed the line at the top, and was directed to keep on going back to Pescadero, where Beate & Stephanie were probably wondering if I had come to another terrible fate.

Diabetes management (Diabetes primer: BG = blood glucose, or blood sugar. Bolus = insulin dose taken by pump. Basal = background insulin level delivered by insulin pump 24/7. Basically insulin causes BG to drop & glucose to go into the cells (muscle/fat); carbs cause BG to rise, and exercise can cause BG to rise or fall depending on intensity, duration & insulin levels. Usually exercise causes a drop in BG without adjustments in insulin & food, which is why I carry so much extra sugar. BG in non-diabetic is from about approx. 70 (fasting) to approx. 120 (after a meal)):

5:30 AM: BG 80, breakfast, PureFit + small banana, calculated bolus to bring BG to 160, 1.1 U insulin given 1U:17g insulin:carb ratio, 70mg/dL:1U correction factor.
7:23 AM: BG 302, 0.6 U, trying not to overreact; I didn't want too much insulin on board right before a really hard race effort.
8:11 AM: BG 289; hungry, ate 25 g carbs
8:36 AM: BG 345; somehow was hoping to get away with 25 g carbs & no insulin?? 40 min before race start, took another 0.5 U
8:55 AM: BG 359
9:09 AM: BG 372, 0.5 U. Yuck, not a good place to be.
9:15 AM: race start

For the first ~70 minutes, I drank water only. Once I started to feel hungry and could feel the BG coming down, I started eating a GU every 45 minutes and alternating Vitalyte and water. I finished with a BG of 169. Basal rate started at 0.55 and went to 0.45 a couple hours in. I was really sloppy with my hydration and only drank 1 1/2 bottles. I forgot how race anticipation can really drive the blood sugar up before a race. Usually I have to increase my morning basal rates race day but hadn't really established a routine for road races yet.

What went right: I made it to the race, thanks to a lot of help. I was able to ride, even if briefly, with the pack; I could feel what it is like to be in that situation again. I figured out how to deal with my crappy mechanical situation so that I could at least finish. I dealt with bad pre-race BGs and felt okay BG-wise for most of the race. I took a few moments here and there to remind myself, "I do this because I enjoy it." Pre-riding the course was very helpful, especially considering my mechanical issues.

What would be good for next time : Think through BG management better. Continue to work on my fitness/rehab goals so that at some point in the future, I can stay with more Cat 4's. Go to more group training events where I can practice some racing skills and get more comfortable with that.

Swim Low Psychology

Due to a rare thunderstorm, I had to skip my morning outside swim today, and decided I would drop in on the evening Master's team. My blood sugar was 133 and rising after eating a GU; by the time I got in the pool, I was up to 165. "Great!" I thought, "I should be good to go for an hour." I decided to leave my meter in the locker because of my rising BG and because, well, I just didn't want to bring it. Also, if my blood sugar is low enough during a swim to get out and check, chances are I will be done for the day anyway. I usually can't tell if I'm low while swimming until I'm really low (somewhere around 40), and I don't like swimming until I am back up to a normal level (whereas I might be able to walk for awhile if I get low during a run). I can usually tell I'm low only by watching my times start to slow on the pace clock, or else I will just have a sudden thought, "I'm low. Um, I'm really low."

Well, I guess it's clear where this story is headed. I did the warm-up and some gal joined my lane who should have been 3 lanes over (in the faster, and only, direction). But anyway, I proceeded with the workout for about 35 minutes, and was feeling some pain where I broke my collarbone as well as pain in a my right shoulder that has resurfaced from last year to join in the injury party. I started thinking, "I hate this pain!" and feeling really sad, like it might even come to tears. It did occur to me that my response was a little over-the-top. I mean, there is some pain there but it usually doesn't make me want to cry in the middle of a swim. I tried to swim a couple more laps when I suddenly had the feeling, "Oh no, can I make it to the wall?" I got out and ate a chocolate GU, but still wasn't convinced that I was low. Maybe I didn't eat enough during the day? Or maybe I have been overdoing it this week? I tried to do a few more laps, and paused for about 5 minutes in the water. I thought, "Come on GU, do your thing," and then, "What would I recommend someone else to do?" I was wishing I had my meter handy so I could just hop out and settle the issue right away. If the BG were normal, I would feel better, mentally, and dare to finish the workout. I had another GU on deck but this was already a 2-GU workout and I was hoping to not make it to 3. I do not like to abandon a workout over low blood sugar, but decided I would give diabetes the win on this one. "Fine! I'll get out." After showering, I got to my locker and tested, twenty minutes after eating the GU: 74. Although I'm not usually relieved to see a low BG, I was happy that the reason I felt so horrible was easy to explain, rather than some sign of an impending downward spiral into over-training and weariness.

Frostbite in San Francisco

After getting home from a surprisingly successful run this morning, I decided I would be pro-active and ice my hip. I am supposed to be doing this regularly to treat some hip pain that has arisen secondary to my bike accident. But, it is tough for me to ice it at work, since our fridge/freezer can't keep things cold enough, and I keep forgetting to do it at home. But today I would do it! I was wearing some tri shorts and thought, "Hey how convenient! I can just stick this ice pack right inside the shorts and it will stay nice & close!" I thought about putting something in between the pack and my skin, but only spotted thick towels. The other gel pack I use generally doesn't get very cold so a thick towel would be too much. I didn't really look too hard. "Hey! Ouch! It's stinging!" I thought, but remembered back many years to prior PT sessions with ice, where it stung until it was numb. I put some oatmeal in the microwave and was getting stuff ready for work and didn't notice that the stinging had stopped.

Getting up to get my oatmeal, I looked down and noticed frost on the outside of my shorts. Uh-oh. I pulled out the gel pack and to my horror, my skin was white, completely numb and completely frozen! I mean, it was stiff. It grosses me out just to think about it. "Oh no! This is bad!!" I grabbed a wash cloth and put some warm water on it and applied it to the skin. The cloth totally cooled and I repeated the process until the skin started to soften. It was still whitish but started to pinken up, pretty painfully I might add.

Frostbite in my mind is forever associated with people who climb Mt. Everest and lose toes, fingers, limbs... (In 9th grade a mountain climber came to talk with us and told us how she had lost some toes to frostbite. I think it was supposed to be an inspirational talk but I pretty much just remember the losing toes part of it.) Will I have to have my whole hip amputated?! Granted I could use a little reduction here and there but not this way. Seriously, I wasn't that worried but I wasn't sure how to treat it. Once it started warming up, the skin became really hot to the touch, and swollen. Fortunately there were no blisters and after some time, the swelling diminished, leaving red welts about the size of the gel pack. After a call to the advice nurse, who admitted to not getting many frostbite cases in San Francisco, I stopped by the injury clinic at my HMO and the awesome nurse practitioner there eased my worries. I should treat it as a bad sunburn, she said. Aloe vera, pain killers if necessary, and expect it to itch and then peel in a few days. Swimming is okay (phew) and I should even apply cool compresses. Oh and, please use a towel around the gel pack in the future. I felt like I was 16 again when I was in a bad car accident the one time in years that I hadn't been wearing a seat belt!

Sometimes I feel like I insist on learning things the hard way.

Vicious (and viscous) flesh-freezing gel pack,
more dangerous than a winter in Minneapolis

A Word of Thanks

Triabetes is lucky to have some fantastic sponsors for 2009; the full list can also be seen at the Triabetes website. Their steadfast support of Triabetes has allowed us to continue to grow upon last year's success with a new group of Ironman athletes(-in-training), and to expand the team to include all triathletes with diabetes. In fact, this year, Triabetes was recognized by USAT, the governing body of triathlon, as an official triathlon team. Membership has been opened to athletes of all levels--from beginners to the very experienced--and distances (i.e., you don't have to do an Ironman to join Triabetes!) Join here! I'm the team captain for Northern California and Tahoe regions and would particularly love to have some local teammates.

Some of the sponsors that I have the most experience with, and can whole-heartedly support, are Diabetes Training Camp, PureFit Nutrition Bars, Polar, RoadID, Vitalyte, Thorlo Socks, TriSports, SweetSpot and Spibelt, and I very much look forward to becoming more familiar with the others--Kestrel bikes, Giro, Fluid, and diaTribe. Another sponsor is the TriFest in Tucson, which I had to miss due to my bike accident. Individuals at these companies have really reached out to Triabetes, often on a personal level. Of course a huge thank-you is extended to LifeScan OneTouch for their title sponsorship in 2008, which made it possible to continue with the documentary.

Wildflower v.6

Lake San Antonio, CA

Earlier this month marked the 6th year I have made the trek down to Lake San Antonio for the infamous Wildflower Triathlon. The first year, I was a spectator, and swore to myself, as I inched along my chair to stay out of the 100+ degree heat, that I would never do the Long Course (half-ironman distance). That was the first triathlon I had ever seen and I really had no intention of signing up for one myself at that point. I thought that there was no sport I could ever love besides running. And even though I did enjoy getting out on my mountain bike from time to time, the swimming was a deal-breaker. At the age of 7 or 8, when I was taking swimming lessons at the local high school pool, I was doing backstroke when my instructor called out, "That's terrible!" Assuming he was addressing me, I was so afraid that I hid out in the locker room for the next several lessons and never really got back into it.

So it was a huge step for me in many ways to arrive again at Wildflower in 2005 to race in the Olympic-distance event. I had taken swimming lessons, bought a bike, and gotten used to clip-in pedals. The swim was mayhem as usual, the bike felt insanely hilly, and the run up the last hill brought me to tears; but a day or so later, I couldn't wait to sign up for my next event. Four years since then, here is my race report of my 6th Wildflower race event.

***

Last-minute, I found a team that needed a cyclist for the annual Wildflower Long Course Triathlon. The course is a very hilly one, starting out with big rollers for the first 15-18 miles, then long mild grades for another 10-15 miles, then some easy stuff before the really big climbs begin. It is a beautiful place to ride, with little traffic, and lots of wildflowers out this year. Everyone camps, and as we pulled into camp, I saw a 4-foot snake slithering towards someone's tent. I made sure to keep mine zipped up!

The weather was very rainy on Friday, but cleared up by Saturday morning, which was a huge relief. My start was at 10:20 AM, after our relay team swimmer finished. There were a couple of relay cyclists out there on trainers--an unusual scene at a triathlon--getting ready for the big legs of their relays. These guys were out to win. For our team and others that I noticed, there was a jovial mood--we were pretty happy to just worry about one event for a change. Anyway, the course starts out with a couple of easy miles before the first big climb, which is significant. Since the relays start last, there were few people on the course by the time I started. My goal was to see people ahead of me and pick them off one by one. (Although I kept telling myself, "I am not racing!") At one point a gal tried to pass and it got my competitive juices flowing and I took off. (Triathlon does not allow drafting, for good reason, since it is a serious safety hazard unless you are trained. If you are passed completely, you have to drop back 4 bike lengths.) I was careful about drinking and keeping my nutrition going, and making sure my blood sugar was in a good zone. I descended in the drops and am feeling a lot more comfortable doing this. Actually, now I feel much more glued to the road in the drops vs. holding the hoods.

There was a nice tailwind on the flatter section of the ride, and I tried to take advantage of this bonus. (Usually there is a headwind in this section!) I felt strong and was so so so so happy to be out there. The worst hill of the day up Naciamento Lake Rd. ("Nasty Grade") was okay and I just plugged along, happy to have my compact gearing. The descent is a long sweeping curve and I felt solid but was shocked when a truck+trailer blew by me from the left about 2 feet away. But no harm done. It was another moment I was glad I was in my drops.

I was able to feel good through the finish & my stamina has improved somewhat. My collarbone felt good and my lower back held up. The next couple days I was achy in my lower back and arms, but felt more or less recovered after a few days. My time was about 30 minutes slower than last year, which I am trying to not worry about too much, all considered.

On the diabetes front, things went well. I took my full bolus, as well as full symlin dose, about 3 1/2 hours before I started. My BGs were in the upper 100's before the start, when I got hungry and munched on half of a granola bar. I ate it a bit too early and so had to correct with 0.5 U and I upped my basal a little for a half-hour. My BG's were a bit on the high side to begin with, but came down nicely. I had one reading in the 80's but nothing too serious. Basals were as follows
9:00 AM 0.5
10:00 AM 0.65
(10:15 AM race start)
10:30 AM 0.5
12:45 PM 0.35
1:00 PM 0.22
2:15 PM 0.32 (race over).
I didn't bolus during the ride and ate about 150 calories per hour, or one GU + some gatorade about every hour. I didn't have a swim before or a run afterward, so didn't feel the need to eat a ton.

***

It was great to be there with Triabetes team captain Sean McKendry, who successfully completed his first triathlon in the Long Course event. Just to add some perspective, many people consider this race to be one of the hardest triathlons out there and say that, in effort, it could be considered a 2/3-ironman distance event. It is tough. Way to go, Sean! And he ended it with a rock-star BG of 130.

Sean's out there swimming somewhere

At last!

first ride

"Hallelujah!" was the thought running through my mind as I rode my bike last Tuesday for the first time in 10 weeks. And, actually, this was my first ride on my new bike, which was an incredibly generous & timely gift from an "anonymous benefactor." The new yet-to-be named bike had rested quietly in my bedroom, reminding me that being patient through my recovery would be worth it. I had my bike fitting early in the morning in Mill Valley, and then took off, a little hesitantly at first, to try out one of the classic area rides--the Paradise Loop. This route loops around the Tiburon Peninsula, and is mostly rolling hills and flat, with one longer climb at the beginning, depending on how you start. I was wondering, "Would I make it up El Camino okay?" "Could I last the whole distance?" "Would my clavicle become too sore?" I am using a new type of Speedplay pedals (Zero) for this bike, which are a bit more stiff to get into. But I was determined to give it a shot. I ate half of a PureFit bar and was on my way. The hill was not too bad, and the descent was okay, although I felt a little rusty on my cornering skills and I was on the brakes more than usual. But with a short stop for photos in Tiburon, I finished the ride feeling pretty good, all things considered. More than anything, I was happy--so happy--to be outside riding again, and riding my new bike in particular. My cousin, a cellist who had a devastating injury to her elbow at a crucial point in her college career, advised me that the best therapy she had was to just play her cello. And for me, after one week of being back "out there," I couldn't agree more.

another weekend ride

10 Weeks Post (Almost)

Today I had some good news from my visit with the orthopedic physician assistant (PA) who has been following my progress over the past two months. The X-ray tech showed me the images of my clavicle and ribs immediately after the exam and my first reaction was, "Oh no! I haven't healed at all!" I walked back over to visit with the PA and wondered what he would say. He pulled up the X-rays and pointed out the areas where bone callus has formed, which is a critical stage in healing. I don't know why, but thinking about all of those bone cells finding each other just makes me laugh. I have this image of cells on one bone calling out, "We're here! We're here!" and cells on the other fragment saying "Catch this rope!" Anyway, I am happy to think of my bone doing its thing to repair the damage I so cruelly inflicted! My PA said that I had passed a critical stage in healing, and that the bones were strong enough now to bear almost normal weight. I asked whether I might accidentally re-fracture the bone but he said this was unlikely unless I did anything really stupid like throw a 50 gallon jug over my head, or take a bad fall. "Can I ride outside?" "Can I run?" "Can I swim?" The answer to these questions was "Yes" with the disclaimer that it would probably be quite painful for some time, so I may not want to. Yeah, I get that. I admit that I've tried running here and there to see how it feels, and I don't think I'm quite ready to go for it yet. Apparently, the bone takes about 3 months to be mostly healed but a full 9 months to become fully remodeled and calcified etc.

After my PA listened carefully to all of my questions, and answered the ones he could, I hustled over to my physical therapy appointment. My PT gave me some new exercises to increase the flexibility in my arm and shoulder. Throughout the healing process, the shoulder joint itself has not stiffened up too much, which is a relief, considering my prior episode of (probable) frozen shoulder on this side. My PT explained that the muscles form a sort of internal brace to protect the fracture and that this may be why stretching my arm much causes nearly searing pain in my upper arm. Also, I need to work on loosening the muscles in my upper back, which is the other area of continued pain. I have a hard time not slumping forward because sitting with an upright posture quickly leads to an achy back.

While not being able to swim, run or bike, I have been able to enjoy hiking during the beautiful spring weather we've been enjoying. The hillsides are green and the wildflowers are in full bloom. Here's a shot from the top of a hill in the Marin Headlands.

6 Weeks Post

6 weeks post accident
Originally uploaded by annetics

Here's a snapshot of the Xray I had done today on my clavicle. It has actually been hurting more in the past week, but the orthopedic PA says that it is still in a good position, and that it is beginning to heal. I'm very grateful that I did not require surgery and will try to be patient. I have a lot of pain in my arm and shoulder area and I guess that may subside once the fracture heals? The physical therapist was pleased with the range of motion of my shoulder joint and got me started on some simple exercises to build my core strength up again. The pain in my back doesn't seem to be improving much these days but I guess that is not too surprising. In my mind, 6 weeks was the magic point when I thought I would feel better, and 8 weeks the absolute latest that I would still be healing. In the meantime, I am glad that I'm able to ride my bike trainer, as mind-numbing as it is, and was very excited to get up to a full hour on Saturday. I'll continue with the mini-updates on the right-hand side of my blog using Twitter. These are mostly so I can keep track of my progress and for my family members who enjoy these details. But, follow along if you're interested.

In Memory of a Bike

This weekend, I'll be getting back my bike that I was riding in the crash. I haven't seen it yet but have been told that it is pretty much toast. At least, the handlebars, wheels, and fork are demolished. I don't know about the frame--I'm hoping I can salvage the saddle and am really hoping that the bike computer survived. If saying good-bye to my trusty Geo Prizm (after I was hit in a hit-and-run in San Francisco in 2006) is any example, it will be sad to say good-bye to my faithful red Cannondale. The bike has seen me through thousands of miles of training and racing, including 2 of the Ironman races and numerous other triathlons. I've taken the bike into the shop far more often than my car, and have been careful to keep it running well. Most of the parts have been replaced, and often upgraded. I was hoping to use it for awhile to race with while I get more experience, and then pass it off to someone who would appreciate the gift.

In 2006, on my red bike, next to my red car.
Don't worry, I always wear my helmet while riding. See, it's on the car.