Back on the bike....and wishing it was a Trike

So, finally, after far too long sitting on the sidelines I have returned to the bike! Oh, the joy! Then I realized it really sucks.

When you are fit I truly believe we take the fitness for granted. Aside from gaining pounds and hair on my legs (something my wife was very happy about), sitting and waiting causes the mind to embellish what you think you have in the way of strength, power, and endurance. As I drive down Pacific Coast Highway and see the cyclists I SEE myself gaining on them, sitting on their wheels, then gassing them and popping them off the back. Oh, the truth, the truth, is soooo painful once my trusty steed is once more mounted and readied for battle on the tarmac.

I set off feeling the wind whip through the hair on my legs...of course this is the reason I can't top 13 miles per hour! I roll on feeling the heat in my chest rising and the drip of sweat trickling down my man boobs to the pooch of a stomach that was once, dare I say, ripped!??? I carry on each pedal stroke more labored than the previous; each breath shallower than the last - where, OH F-ing WHERE, is a group that I can sit in and suck wheel? I plod along reminiscing of a past so much better, fitter, faster. At last, I hear "On your left..." They whizz by me as if I am standing still, I take a breath (deep as I can under the strain of just rolling along) and bridge up to this group, (my saviors). Oh the GODs must have heard my cries, the gleam of kits, the whir of freewheels, the click of gears, (the f-ing blistering pace!) The joy does not last long. I quickly realize that this 'group' is moving very fast AND they are taking turns at the front. I have absolutely nothing to give - I am spent, I am extra weight, I am certainly NOT ment to be along for this ride. As the front rider peels off and slides back I motion to her to go in front of me and with a snarled lip she obliges ...I am not long for this 'group'. I am once again alone, now gasping, heart racing, sweat dripping, eyes burning, ego crushed. I roll home.

Just a note.

I am working to transfer this blog to Wordpress. I don't know why. I just am. Day two in the berry hammock, everything feels.....snuggly.

Injury sets back bicycling - nimrod sidelined

So since October I, Nimzero, (so named after an accident on the fabled FoodPark ride waaayyyy back in June), have been unable to ride with any degree of consistency since the Marathon 50 at Vail Lake. During a commuting ride to work one morning I "jacked" my groin - I was climbing a little incline on the Santa Ana River bike trail and while out of the saddle, on an upstroke, attempted to stretch my abdominal muscles on the left side. No big move, no pain, but subsequent to the motion I felt a lump in my inguinal channel area. I thought nothing of it. (Jump 4 months.) Pain persists. Moves around my lower left abdominal area, groin, iliac crest, an mid and lower back. I think I've got something big, bad, and deadly. I must interject that I did go see the doctor in October and early December - he said, "nothing dangerous, most likely musculoskeletal in nature" take anti-inflammatory and antibiotics for possible infection in the epididimus. Antibiotics? WTF? I guess that is the answer for everything. I took them, no significant change. I donated my junk to technology for a free ultrasound and it was negative for any abnormalities. I can't rest, still thinking I need to write out my last will and testament. (Crazy! 4 months ago I was the poster child of health and happiness.) So, though I promised myself I wouldn't, I began researching the internet for answers, previously the answers were to get my affairs in order...Now I found Grey's Anatomy and I have been looking at the abdominal region muscles and tendons/ligaments and have found multiple possible reasons for my pain - I am now seeing the inside and realizing how much stuff goes on in the groin. Laugh if you must but I am getting close to believing that I have strained the Cremasteric Muscles of the left teste! Okay, you ask what is the Cremastic Muscle - well, when you pinch off a wizz you use the Kegel contraction which causes the junk to rise, the rise is caused by the Cremaster Muscle. It is a thin section of abdominal muscles that form loops that drop into and around the testes. When you suck in you stomach the Cremaster Muscle is activated and draws in your berries. Pretty kewl, huh. So all my suffering, and I must say most was mental but the physical is very real, is as far as I can tell caused by this little group of paperthin muscles! Sucks to be me. Oh, BTW, there is no "cure", just a jockstrap and a prayer and IBU!!!!!! Hope to see you all out riding sooner than later, not that you've missed me or anything....doooooogh!

So Cal Endurance Series Cal Epic 50 (Race?)

Oh yeah!

The weather for the inaugural Fat Tire 50 Marathon was better than PERFECT! Temp in the mid 70's sunny with a few scattered clouds, blah, blah, blah... This was the second event for fellow Nimrod Ivan P. his first was a mid week overthehumpseries XC race in Irvine, CA. He placed 6th in his beginner class - Great first showing Ive! Back to the 50, the race started smooth. Ivan and I rolled out together and as luck would have it, the group we started with (Masters 40+) were labeled with a large "I" on there right calf! The mark of "I" emblazoned on our legs for all to see (as they rode past us up the hills.) We rolled until I took my first of three OTB's on a little techy switchback downhill section. No real blood just humility. The race continued with some fun climbs and then a horrible 4 mile creek wash through 4 inch deep sand culminating in a mile + climb up a rocky sandy steep (but not for Tinker Juarez) ridge with beautiful views. The first lap was a mully, Ive and I were just checking out the course, lap two - cramps and sore arse. Then the real pain began...near the top of the Bridges Climb I noticed my front tube stem was missing - sheered off to be exact and leaking air with each big bump. I stopped twice to add air and then reached the top of the Damn Climb as I flowed like water down the long very fast decent, I chose a right line when the left was smoother - automatic flat at 25 miles per hour, no control, no stopping...release...curl...pray...ready for impact...OUCH! Granite and dead bushes greeted me upon my return to earth- blood skin, flat tire. Ivan caught up to me and hung out while I fixed the flat. I was passed by a 60 + year old lady and a young woman who recently gave birth. Humbling..
Off we go again....bounding bounding down down down...rest stop. Ahhh! Heed, Hammer Gel, Water, and Endurolytes...away we go - again. No sooner did we leave and enter the Damn Decent on a rocky fire road. Ivan was going too slow, we were passed by a guy in a white cotton tee and some tan cammy shorts on a hard tail - I followed , drifted toward a berm and gully, then looked over a thirty foot cliff to the creek below, "oh shit" - I thought scared over compensated and found the dirt road on my back, bike flipped over my head and the seat hit me square in the face before skating down the road without me...more blood, skin, humble pie. Ivan said it was the worst OTB he had ever witnessed, I said it was not so bad (just a little internal bleeding and bruising). Just a side note - subsequent to the race I found bruises where bruises should never be! The remainer of the race I picked a mellow pace and rolled to the finish broken, battered, bruised, and alive. What a race...Great Job Ive. Ivan came in just behind me and placed 5th overall in beginners, I placed 15th overall in 40+.

Peleton Rules - Break Check

Good evening, to me. Today was a fast roll around the O.C. with the Food Park crew. Mark Scott and Hoverhawk, Dave Worthington were out donning the nimrods racing kit and looking stellar. I on the other hand, mountain biked yestarday and felt it in my legs as we rolled out of the Coffee Bean parking lot in Irvine. The ride went well we hit 36 mph down El Toro Rd. and veered onto Laguna Canyon tearing up the tarmac as we do (I say "we", though I mean "they"). As we approached the Pagent of the Masters facility in Laguna Beach the three way light turned yellow! One third of the pack was through as the remaining riders hollered "roll it!" this is unfortunately a much too common occurance on a large (40-80) person group ride when the peleton is going through a light. In this instance, a gentleman (I use this term loosely), decided in mid pack to stop for the amber/red light as the rest of the peleton in unison chose to "roll" the light. I was blessed with lightening fast reflexes and found myself staring up into the cavernous arse of the rider ahead of me with no time nor room to maneuver, instead I torpedo'd his ass and went flying onto my own. My bars were twisted, my ass was shredded, and my kit, my beautiful nimrod racing kit - torn and dirtied! I was bleeding from both knees and my left wrist was swollen to the size of a ping-pong ball. Screw-it! Tyler did it with a broken collar bone, Hincappie did it with a busted wrist, Levi did it as well...I rolled on. To the poor sap that received my horns, I am truly sorry but YOU FRICKING DON'T STOP IF THE PACK SAYS GO!!

Captain Nimrod - RIP

It is with bewilderment and sadness that I post the loss of a fellow cycling enthusiast and Nimrod. Mr. Chris Hipp was Captain Nimrod to those who knew him. On his way to his regular weekend group ride Chris had an aneurysm and died. I was not fortunate enough to ever ride with him, however, from the posts that I have read, even a message from Lance Armstrong, Chris was a GREAT person and cyclist. He will be sorely missed from the pack and his Nimrodity will forever remain. He was a lover of life, his wife Lorraine and tearing up the tarmac. May he rest in peace and his memory be fuel for the fire's of life still burning in those who knew the Captain!

Nimrods Racing was touring the California coast and stopped by the Hammer Nutrition Company in beautiful Whitefish, Montana. The company headquarters was open and modern with team jerseys encased in glass frames adorning the walls. Proprietor Brian Frank has built a highly professional yet fun work environment and my tour of their facilities was awesome!

Nimrods representing in full effect! Might try to work a sponsorship deal with them - if "we" ever post some results.