bikes, bruises, sore bums and big needles

If you're wondering why I haven't blogged much lately, it's because I don't do anything lately except ride my bike. It's not really riveting writing or reading material.

The only reason I am typing my blog now instead of riding my bike with Bill is because of the HUGE shot I got in my foot today.

I have bad feet.  Always have, always will.  I've had surgery on them both removing the nerve that is the cause of all my agony.  But, lately with all my biking over-exuberance, I have been irritating the crap out of my poor nerves again.

So here's the story:  (you can log off here if feet trouble and bike riding is not your cup of tea)

Bill and I decided it was time for me to attempt to climb Steven's Pass last week.  It's the big pass between here and Leavenworth, a big ski resort, and 4600 feet of climbing.  It was KILLER!  It is honestly one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.  But I did it!  By the time I got to the top my poor quads and hammies were on their last legs (get it?...it's a pun).  Just getting off my bike and walking was more than my legs wanted to do at that point.

That is me at the top of the pass unable to walk.  My bike is holding me up.

The only word to describe this photo is PAIN

I thought going down the mountain was going to be a breeze (that's another pun...cause it really was very windy), AND, it WAS fun for a while...about 15 miles of descent.  Really exhilarating.  One of the most fun biking moments I've had, especially as I watched Bill's sunglasses go flying off the top of his head, over the top of my head and over the ravine.  Not much you can do about it at 40 miles an hour on a bike.  Then I saw a dollar bill (could have been a $20, for all I know) go flying out of his pocket and also lost forever on the mountain tops of Washington.  Hope someone in need found it....and the expensive sunglasses, too.  Moral of this story: don't have loose items on your body while riding a bike downhill at 40 MPH.  Going that fast on a bike is crazy scary/fun.

Anyhoo- after the crazy descent came 15 more miles of rolling hills with some seriously BAD wind resistance.  After climbing 4600 feet, the last thing a person needs is wind resistance.  I was DYING!  Bill was kicking my butt.  But the worst part was the foot pain.  It started up at about mile 50.  By Mile 60 I was off my bike on the side of the road with tears rolling down my face and my shoe off.  Good thing the ride came to it's miserable end at mile 62 cause I did the last two without a shoe.

Between then and now we have done many more rides, but no super crazy one ones.  But during each ride I could tell that my foot was getting a little worse each time.

Last weekend, for Memorial Day, we decided last minute to go to Leavenworth.  (We drove.  Me and that mountain have not made peace with each other yet), but we brought our bikes with us so we could do some biking once we got there.

Me and my cuties in Leavenworth enjoying our Memorial Day weekend.

It was such a fun trip!  We stayed in a cute little condo with two huge rooms, a kitchen, a jetted tub and a great view of the beautiful mountains that surround the little town.  We were only there for one night, but we tried to pack in as much fun as we could.

Monday morning Bill and I got out early on our bikes.  The boys stayed at the hotel, played x-box, used the pool and tried to go to the arcade.

Bill mapped out a really fun ride for us.  He found a ride called “fruit loops”.  It was describes as a quiet country road loop amid many orchards and farms.   It was the most beautiful ride we have done yet!  Gorgeous rolling hills with orchard and vineyards on them.  Big huge farm houses, little quaint farm houses, with a 360 view of mountains surrounding us.  Instead of the farms smelling like cow poo (like the ones around where we live), these roads smelled like fruit blossoms!  Just beautiful!  But it was not an easy ride, to say the least.  Undulating, is what I would call the first half, and downright painful, is how I would describe the second half.  Big climbs!  43 miles......3400 feet.  3400 feet of foot pain!

This is us doing the “fruit loops” ride at the top of an overlook

Again, I rode the last about 3 miles without a shoe on.  And riding a bike with clip pedals without a shoe is no easy task.  Especially when your going uphill.

Notice how the alien in this picture has no shoe on

So, lets get back to that needle that was in my foot this morning.....

I went to the podiatrist this morning.  Let me try to describe the fun I had.  He brought out his sonogram thingy and got a peak at the inside of my foot first to see exactly where to shoot the meds.  Then he took out this really huge needle.  This is the part where I had to look away, hold Bill's hand, and have him tell me a story to distract me.  Then the Dr. stuck the needle in the top of my foot (you know, the part that is all bone and sinew, no fleshy parts).  Then he probed around for about 3 minutes (felt like 20), couldn't see the needle on the sonogram machine, took the needle out, repositioned it, probed around with it for another 3-4 minutes (felt like 45)  Found it!   Then it took about another whole minutes to push all the juice into my foot.  That part burns.  It feels like he is pushing stuff into my foot for about half an hour.  Yikes!!  WORST SHOT EVER!  oh yeah....I have to do it 2 more times in the next month.

This better work!

I apologize for the boringness of this blog entry, but these things must go down in the annuls of time.  This level of bike riding is never going to happen again, so I must record it for future generations of people who will never believe me if I told them.

I'm not a hugely athletic person, so this process has been painful!  Especially for my poor feet and my poor bum.  I feel sorry for the bums of all professional bike riders now.  I watch them and just have sympathy for their backside.  I know what you're going through, dude!  It hurts!

It's also been rewarding.  I have accomplished some big things I never thought I could do! I'm getting stronger!  Every time I conquer another hill that I never thought I'd climb I get a real sense of accomplishment.  I guess what they say is true.....what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!  (Although I'm still wondering if I will come back from France alive and in one piece)