Did some riding out in Santos today, and took some pictures as well. It's been a while since I had any action shots! These pics were taken on a somewhat-skinny bridge entering the VORTEX ride area. Just having a little fun. It was pretty chilly for Florida today, I think the temp barely pushed 60, so I wore my cold-weather arm and leg warmers. They did the trick, and I felt pretty comfortable riding today despite a chilly wind.
Years back, I tore my ACL and partially tore my MCL and had a meniscus tear after playing hockey. I had surgery on it, where they stitched down my meniscus and replaced my ACL with a portion of my hamstring tendon. Every once in a while, my right knee gets aggravated- either due to it being in cold water, or when I really beat on it. As part of my job, I am required to pass a physical agility test every year. This test consists of as many pushups as you can do in a minute, as many situps in a minute, a vertical leap, a 300m sprint, and a mile and a half run. I don't run on a regular basis, primarily due to my knee. When I do run, I usually do it on a treadmill and keep it to right around a mile and a half. So I went out and busted my ass on this test the other week. I pulled off a 49 second sprint, a 24" vertical leap, 60 situps and 30 pushups (I could have done more pushups, but I only needed to get 28, so I conserved my energy), and a 12:50 in the mile and a half. The next day, my right calf and hamstring were killing me. Over the past week, my right knee has been popping and feeling as if it is swollen...kind of like there's fluid on it. There's no pain, mind you, just discomfort. I am hoping I didn't damage anything in there, but nonetheless I am staying off it for a while- that means no running anymore for a while. Although I think biking may aggravate it, I feel that is much less traumatic than slamming into a paved road repeatedly. Getting old sucks.
Went out with a friend from work, and we hit a good amount of the trails at Alafia. We managed to do North Creek twice, Rollercoaster, Bridges, and River Loop. The KHS performed flawlessly. I ran out of gas while doing Bridges, and due to the recent rains, the trails were pretty muddy. There were a couple of hills I couldn't make up all the way and could barely walk my bike up 'em due to the slick mud. A good time was had by all!
I picked up some cold weather biking gear today off EBay. Florida weather has been real shitty the past week- it's been rainy, freezing, and windy. The past week it hasn't made it past the 50's, and I HAVE HAD IT. I picked up some leg and arm warmers, which will not only help keep the wind out, but they have a fleece lining that will keep me warm. These items, along with a knit cap under my helmet, will keep me nice and toasty during some upcoming rides.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Happy New Year everyone! I can only hope that 2010 is better than 2009...
2009 Recap: January-divorce still dragging on...constant fighting with my ex wore me out over the holidays. February- credit union started garnishing my wages- to the tune of $800 a month- for a boat payment I defaulted on thanks to my pending divorce and current separation. Fought this whole month to get it removed; to no avail..for a whole month they took this money out of my check. March- filed for bankruptcy protection...this stopped the wage garnishment, and was the only way I could start over fresh. April- more fighting, more arguing, more stress. Trying to convince my ex to sign the papers- she continued to threaten to take my pension, take EVERYTHING and leave me in the poorhouse. May- busy month. Divorce was finalized, ex apologized and admitted it was all her fault, and I took the best trip of my life- mountain biking out west. I needed that trip. June-October- pretty uneventful. Took a trip with my new found girlfriend to do more mountain biking, enjoyed my kids, the ex STILL couldn't let it go and fought with me over nonsense crap, and I finalized my bankruptcy. The chapters of my old life were coming to a close. November- Getting a LOT better. This holiday season was not filled with a hospital visit from anxiety like last year's, and things went very smoothly. December- got even closer to my kids-my oldest is an awesome one for sure. Spent the holidays with them both-I couldn't ask for any more. I finally see things getting better....
THIS YEAR.....
I am planning another trip, this time with my gal, and we are going out west to do some mountain biking together. June 2010 is the date! I want to stay active, healthy, and enjoy myself this year. I won't let anything get in my way or ruin my party. I have everything I need right now, a job, someone I care for, two beautiful kids, a roof over my head, some cash in the bank, my bike, my jetski, my health, my future. I plan on traveling as much as possible, and hopefully everyone stays tuned to my blog for a lot more biking and skiing pics! HAPPY 2010 ALL!!
