Endurance and Road Blocks

What is endurance?  Defined it is "the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way." 

That sums up my experience lately of working through "road blocks" toward the goal of Cycling X-country.  I go through daily mental gyrations and doubts about this whole process.  The least of my worries is training on the bicycle for my goal.  What has been making me wake screaming at night and causing panic attacks is sharing my experience of PTSD with people.  It has reopened Pandora's Box of nightmares, sort of a catch 22 in this process of bringing awareness to PTSD.  I was perfectly happy having come to a place of peace in my life, not really feeling a need to revisit my past.  Now, with awareness-bringing being part of the fundraising process, I am re-experiencing some of the symptoms of PTSD.  Great :-(

So, riddled with doubts about how to proceed, I'm just taking it one day at a time.  Yesterday, I deleted the donation button on my blog because I was emotionally done with fundraising.  Today, I'm considering putting it back on.  I feel confused.

Another "road block" I've encountered is not being able to get more than a month off work – the ride is two months across the Southern Tier of the U.S.  I love my job and don't want to lose it.  So what do I do?  Change my goal to a shorter ride?  I don't know.

So, maybe the road blocks will also have a detour sign that will lead me to my destination, just not via the route I originally thought.  Or it might take me to a new destination that is unexpectedly wonderful.  We'll just have to see.

Merry Cyclemas

A Sensitive Subject – Women's Bits and Cycling

I recently had a UTI (urinary tract infection) and have become very aware of the necessity of a good bike seat and the use of chamois creams.  When I had my bike fit by Mike Baretta at Revolutions Cycling Center in El Dorado Hills, he mentioned the importance of sitting properly on the bike seat so that the soft tissue isn't being squished.   Pretty sure Mike didn't use the word "squished," not sure what verbiage he used.  It's when the soft tissue has ongoing stress of pressure and friction that irritation occurs.  At the time I thought my bike seat was fine, but now after several months of riding on it I am demoing a Specialized (above) seat from Mike.  It has a vent cut through the seat to prevent pressure.  Also, it is important to have your sit bones measured to make sure you get the right size seat to support you correctly.  Since, as Mike says, there are only five points of contact with the bike, and the place of most pressure is the seat, it's necessary to have a good seat, the right size seat, and the right positioning on the bike.

Next thing I learned is that a good chamois cream isn't something only wimps use; it's really needed to reduced friction on those tender bits.  After doing some searching and reading online I decided to use Assos Cream from Switzerland.  Now, all these creams have great names, like Butt'r or Booty Balm or Gooch Guard, a sense of humor about your bits really helps.  So I used Assos Cream and seriously, it really helps.  Don't mess around thinking you can tough it out like I did, get some chamois cream!

Of course, there are other common sense things you need to do to care for your bits.  Drink lots of water and pee after you cycle.  Clean padded bicycling shorts every time you ride and change out of sweaty shorts after the ride and put on cotton panties after you shower.  I also drink cranberry juice or take CranActin with D-Mannose to help prevent UTIs too.  Stay healthy and happy cycling.

Turning Point

I was sharing my story about PTSD with Graham, a cyclist I was training next to at the LAB.  After hearing that I was laid flat for a year, Graham asked me an intriguing question:  What got me off the floor, what was the turning point?

I didn't know in that moment.  My mind searched for some profound insight that had inspired me to get well miraculously.  I couldn't think of anything.

Later, I remembered the turning point.  It was after a year of not knowing what was wrong with me.  Of all the medical tests for cancer and heart problems and diverticulitis and God knows what else . . . of being tired of being anxious and sick . . . of feeling like therapy was doing nothing but dredging up and reliving old crap . . . I said I was tired of doing this . . . to my therapist.  (Well, I was tired of being anxious and sick.  WTF!)  She marched me across the parking lot to my new doctor's office and they proceeded to ask me, in a weird calm way, if I was planning to kill myself.

Nope, wasn't going there.  (I may have thought about it but I believed in my core that that wasn't going to solve the problem.)

That's when my doctor said that I had PTSD!!  Finally!  He prescribed me Abilify and Celexa.  That was the turning point.  That's when I started to get better.  The right diagnosis and the right medication.

I'm the sort of person, maybe a bit of a perfectionist, who likes to think I could have cured myself with proper diet, exercise, and standing in the light.  I really hate to admit it makes all the difference to be on medication.  There is some thought in my mind that it's a cop out to be on medication, but after a year of being at the lowest of lows, it was and is an enormous relief to be well.

Learn more about my PTSD story.

The Dinosaur

Working out at the LAB is all the latest in cycling training.  At my house, well, I work out on The Dinosaur.  Twice a week I do a workout on this old beast.  I even had to buy make shift straps to hold my feet on the pedals.  My friend Mary gave it to me because the batteries always fell out.  I fixed that by buying a power cord that plugs into the back of the control panel.

It took Jared and me a few weeks to figure out how to translate the old resistance levels to create a good workout for me.  But he's come up with some really good ones that develop strength and endurance.  Jared emails me the workouts because I have only been going to the LAB (which is 45 minutes away) 2x a week.

Example workout: 10 min WU.  1@8min, 1@9min, 1@10min, 1@11min, at R7, one min. rest between.  Increase personal difficulty level with 1=6, 2=7, 3=8, 4=9.  10 min CD

The biggest problem I have with working out at home is that I get really bored, can think of lots of other things I could be doing, and it's sort of lonely.  However, I am dedicated to my cause and know if I don't workout nothing will happen.  So, this old Dinosaur and I are going to pedal along.

My bike weighs a lot!

This is my bike!  I love the color.  It is my first road bike - a Trek Lexa SLX 2014!  I bought it gently used and have loved it.  

However, at the LAB yesterday, Jared had me lift my bike and then lift my friend Brenda's bike.  The difference in weight was crazy different.  I thought my bike was light, wrong.  It is super heavy compared to Brenda's bike.  Jared said that my bike is great for my training now because it will make me work harder, but eventually I'm going to need a new bike that is lighter.  Apparently I can get a good one for around $2000.

A lighter bike will allow me to ride faster (I hope) and farther and longer.  But will it come in such a pretty blue?

Training with Jared at the LAB

With the goal of cycling across the U.S. in 2018, I have been training with Jared Ellison, owner of the LAB in Folsom, since May 2016.  On Thursday mornings he sets me up to a course on the trainer and I ride.  Jared has me work on various aspects of cycling from building strength to building endurance.  In just a few months I have increased my power by 15% which makes me feel great.  I feel stronger than I've felt in years.

I also train at home twice a week with a workout that Jared has designed for me on my stationary bike. With the workouts on my home exercise bike I also work on my core doing floor exercises.

On Fridays, we meet at the LAB and go on outdoor rides.  These are listed on Meetup.

Starting in January 2017, I will be increasing how much I train.  I also may be doing a weekend training in Soquel working on hills.

It is so exciting to see my progress and feel so great!  I know that I can reach my goals thanks to the help of Jared and the encouragement of my family and friends.

Learn more about my story of recovery from PTSD and Adrenal Fatigue.