Three Days and Two Nights

I love Moab. It is one of the most wondrous places in Utah (I'd say Earth but I have not really been so many places on Earth). We used to go to Moab much more than we do now. Mostly because we discovered mountain biking in St. George and the winters have been much, much nicer there the last couple of years. None the less, we spent three glorious days and two nights in Moab. And it was fan-tas-tic!
We rolled into town and parked at Lion's Park just south of the Colorado River. We got our stuff together and headed back North up the path (or old highway) to the Bar M area. Bar M is so much more now than it was just a couple of years ago. It used to just be an area we passed through, but now it is a destination of its own. We rode Lazy to EZ E, but first hit the new North 40 Loop. Crossed the dirt road and started on Deadman's Ridge to Bar B. It took us a moment to remember how these two trails connected. That means it has been way too long. Everything was perfect. We saw a surprising number young riders out with their parents. It was so cool to see that.
Then we continued on to Sovereign. (Surprised, I am sure.) Sovereign was ideal. I felt so good all day. I am still loving the1X10 set up on my Superfly. Not once did I feel I needed a lower gear. I was climbing well and finished the day spent but still strong.
Day 2: Porcupine Rim! This was a treat because we did not think it would be ridable. There was one icy section in shaded spot, but the rest was clear and as dry as we could have asked. I chose my Hi-Fi for this trail. I know I am a bit of a pansy, but the full suspension makes the descent so smooth. My legs felt the previous days nearly  five hours of effort on the climb to the trailhead and beginning ascent. I started to think maybe the Hi-Fi was not the right choice. It did not disappoint once we started to top out and head back down. Everything felt good. I had my Moab flow going. It was delightful.
We grabbed a quick bite at the hotel and headed out to Pipe Dream. We had some friends raving about this trail as we were doing 24 Hours of Moab. So it was on our "must hit" list this time.It met our expectations. We parked at the Hidden Valley Trail Head and did an out and back. I opted for my Superfly again. The sign suggested a "No Dab" challenge defining a "dab" as putting a foot down. I took on the challenge and fell short in both directions. Three dabs out (heading North) and one on the way back (heading South). Next time for sure.
Day 3: Amasa Back w/ Pothole Arch. This is a classic Holley ride. I sacrificed my Superfly for the day to Chris who broke a spoke and slit a tire on Pipe Dream. So he stole my rear wheel and I was on my Hi-Fi again in order to avoid Moab inflated prices. I felt sluggish going up the trail, but smooth on the descents. The trail to and from Pothole Arch just flowed. And then we rallied back down to the trailhead.
Then we headed back to Pipe Dream. This time we parked on the road off of Kane Creek and did an out and back in the opposite direction. This will likely become our standard protocol for this trail. I came so close to being dab-free on the way out, but lost focus. It is always on some piddly little something that I messed up. Then ended up putting a foot down a couple of more times. I shared with Chris my distress and showed him the challenge. It was on, last chance, heading back to the car. I tried to stay focused. I would get nervous the closer we got. Chris yelled out in frustration as he put a foot down. We got closer and closer. Yep. I was dab-free. Last time. Heading North.
We had 12 plus hours of riding in us and called it. We packed up and headed home. The weather could have been warmer, but it definitely could have been colder. We missed some base jumpers, which was disappointing. But all in all a absolutely amazing weekend. Topped off with a late Thanksgiving celebration with my in-laws on Sunday. I am incredibly grateful for all that I have.

Vision Quest III

So I am day 11 today and things are good. My eyesight was pretty decent for the mountain biking in St. G last weekend. When the sun was out and casting shadows things were pretty crisp. But when the sun was behind a cloud, it got a bit hazy/fuzzy. I felt safe enough riding and don't believe it slowed me down much.
I was supposed to the contact bandage off my eye Saturday morning. I left it on until that night. I thought it would be better to spend the day riding with it still in the eye.
When I took it out, the eye felt a bit grainy so it was nice to have a good night's rest before needing to actually use it so much. Since Sunday things seem to be steadily improving. I can see road signs at night sans glasses. Computer screens are still a bit fuzzy. This seems to increase when my eyes get tired.  I keep trying to test my vision to see where it is really, but I am not sure to what I would compare it. I should have taken some mental inventory of what I could not see in different situations for comparison.
I can see people's eyes. That is what I have noticed the most. When I would not wear my glasses throughout the day, eyes were just black holes. Now they have color and I can see whites.
I finished the antibiotic eye drops on Monday. I am still taking the steroid drops and artificial tears. It is harder to remember to put the drops in now as my eyes don't bother me as much.
So far so good. And it should only get better from here I am told. December 15th is the big day. That is when I go in for my next check-up.

TruckerCo.Com Kits

I got hooked up with some TruckerCo kits this week. (Thanks Chucky!) I spent a four ride in each of the kits. 

The first was the Vanderkitten kit. My kit was extra small. I liked the way the bib shorts fit. They had a really nice cut and very comfortable chamois. The straps themselves had a different cut than I have worn. I liked the way it hugged.

The jersey fit a bit more loose than I expected. That being said, I never felt like my pockets were bouncing around. Everything seemed to stay in place--and I rode it on a variety of terrains from slower techy to faster rolling.

I am not sure what to call this next kit--Girls, girls, girls or Vegas or something along those lines. I have to admit, I was not sure what to make of this design at first. Then I started to get it...it is just funny. Chris laughed at me all day in this kit.
I again wore an XS. It had a different fit or feel than the Vanderkitten. The shorts were not as fitted, but still felt good. The chamois was equally good--which is the most important thing, really. The jersey fit loose around the chest (as I am not shaped like the girls featured on the kit) but the elastic around the arms was tighter than expected. It was not too tight at all just more fitted than I would have anticipated.

Funny stuff!

See TruckerCo.com on Facebook or http://www.truckerco.com/

Spectacular

We escaped the winter weather in N. UT by heading to SW UT. And it was great. It was never really sunny for an extended period of time, but with weather in the 60's we could not complain. The trails were spectacular.

Day 1: Vanderkitten kit by Trucker.Co.com

Chris drove down while I rested my eyes. We started off with a little Zen which was so zen.I started off a bit shaky (i.e. no skills). I suppose that should be expected seeing as I have not done any riding with the exception of one spin class since the following weekend. My technique came around. After Zen we rode Stucki over to the Rim trails and then Barrel Roll and back through the wash. I ended up cutting a sidewall on the Sidewinder off shoot. And then Chris flatted after Barrel Roll on the road to the wash.

Flat #2

Zen

Texas gets to play

  So on day two we were both riding with higher PSI in the rear tire  due to a tube. This obviously has more of an impact on a hard tail which I was riding vs Chirs' full suspension. We hit Zen again, then Barrel Cacti and the race course. As we were finishing up, my bike it not shifting so well. Chris and I switch bikes so he can diagnose it--splintered derailleur cable with only a couple of strands left. Again!? I checked it the weekend before at Frog Hollow. Luckily, I brought my Hi-Fi down also. This has saved me now two weekends in a row.

Day 2: Girls by TruckerCo.com

We then headed N. to Hurricane to ride Church Rocks and Prospector trail. I was tired. Chris' weekend challenge to me was to keep my heart rate at 160 on the flats. So far I had been doing well. I was able to keep pushing the pace. With a head wind on the way back, I was surprised that I was able to continue to push.
It was a one by weekend for us. Chris converted my Superfly into a 1X10. It was perfect. I ran a 28 up front with a 36-11 in the back. I loved it. My Hi-Fi was already set up 1X9.

Vision Quest II

Day 3:
Today has not been a good day. I went to work for a bit. I was just tired of being cooped up at home. If I was to be honest, this probably was not the best idea. My vision has not been good today. My computer screen was fuzzy or blurry. This increased throughout the day. Everything seems so out of focus. I drove my self home. It was fine, but again maybe not the smartest of things. Chris did offer to take me home if I needed it.
I came  home and just closed my eyes for a bit. It felt good. I have taken my artificial tears hourly or sometimes earlier. My cocktail is still being taken every four hours. Fours hours takes forever to elapse.
It is not a real pain, but an definite irritated feeling. Almost like when contacts are really dried out.
Things are crazy blurry. Not out of focus necessarily but everything is soft or has a halo. Writing this I need to really focus my eyes in order to see.
I am glad Dr Yardly said my vision would be all over the place and it would get worse before better because otherwise this would be scary. But apparently it is just part of the process. Here is hoping tomorrow is better. Please be better.
My next follow up appointment is tomorrow afternoon. We scheduled it early because we had plans to go out of town with friends. The friends have bailed, so we are trying to decide what to do. If this does not improve though, I cannot ride.
Day 4:
I slept in late today. When I got up I my reflection was so hazy in the mirror that I couldn't see my eyes clearly. So I turned the radio on and crawled back into bed. What was the point?
I wanted to go to spin. I have not been on a bike since the race this weekend. I have done yoga a couple of times but that is it. I debated between driving and jogging there. Things seemed to be clearing up so I drove the mile or so to the gym. No biggie. As I spun before class started, I thought my vision was continuing to clear. Distance is definitely better than close.
I drove myself up to my appointment in Sandy. My vision seemed okay. I saw Dr. Linn this time. He asked how things were going. He looked at my eyes and said the epithlium looked good. So he could remove the contact bandages. Excellent.
He took them out and things were not so excellent.  My left eye felt okay, but my right eye felt as if there was something huge in it. It was watering constantly. Dr. Linn looked at it again. He said there was a bump in the epithilium, so he put another contact bandage in that eye. Ahhh...much better. He said to leave it in until Saturday morning. He gave some instructions on removing it. And I was on my way.
When I got outside thought things were as clear as I remembered them. It was a nervous drive back home. Again, I can see, but details were not clear. This did not deter me though. Chris and I were going to go out of town. I was going to ride my mountain bike again...this weekend. St. George here we come.

Vision Quest:I

Day 1
On Monday November 7th, I underwent PRK (photorefractive keratectomy). I got tired of juggling my multiple glasses during riding and life in general. I looked at a couple of places and decided on Hoopes Vision for my procedure. Hoopes was not necessarily the most convenient nor did they really have the best price, but they did provide the greatest piece of mind.
After enduring a couple of hours worth of tests and evaluations, Dr. McIntosh indicated that they felt I would not be a good candidate for the more common InterLase procedure. Essentially, they would prefer not to make a flap due to my "irregular" corneas. Thus, they recommended the InterLase predecessor, PRK. PRK has a longer recovery and is potentially more painful. Yeah!
Chris brought me in on Monday morning and we joked around during pre-op. I got some valium, that did not seem to have any noticeable effect. There was a quick evaluation of my sight again. A hair net and booties to cover my shoes. And lots of eye drops. A "Sharpie" was used to identify the astigmatism in my right eye. Then it was my turn in the Operating Room. The worst part of the actual procedure was when they removed the tape that held my eyes open.
I was not allowed to look at a computer screen on Monday. I was supposed to take a nap. But I never really got tired. I fell asleep around 6 pm. I woke up around 10. Watched some more TV for an hour or so and fell back to sleep.
That is an uncharacteristic amount of sleep for me, but given I just finished a 25 hour race this weekend it was not surprising. Monday thing were great.
Day 2:
I had read that pain an irritation should begin today. I did not feel anything. I continued to use my artificial tears every 20 minutes or so. Every four hours I took a cocktail of eyedrops that included an antibiotic, a steroid (prednisone), and a pain killer (NSAID). I actually did not start the NSAID until my last application on Monday because, as I said, no pain. While I still did not feel anything on Tuesday, I continued to use the NSAID.
I tried to test my vision on Tuesday to see if it had actually improved. I thought it had but then I was not so sure.
I had a follow up appointment that afternoon. I stayed home again, but answered emails and what not. Chris came and picked me up and took me to Sandy. Like I said not the most convenient of places, but I feel good about using them. The appointment was quick. They checked my eyes. My vision reading seemed good. My farsighted vision was vastly different between my two eyes. I was concerned, but Dr. Yardly was not. He said it was normal and that my sight will be all over the place the next couple of days. He also said that if I did not need the NSAIDs not to take them. We then talked a little mountain biking and Rich Abbott. He knows Rich and so we talked him up a bit. Chris returned to work and I drove my car home (which I left in town the day before).
That night my eyes seemed to get irritated. There was some pain. When I was in high school, I went to the doctor with mono. He asked if I was in pain. I said no, but he gave me something for pain just in case. That night my throat became incredibly painful. I could barely talk or swallow. My mom told me it was in my head because of the earlier conversation with the doc. As it ended up it was not in my head, but I wondered if this time it was. None the less, I kept the NSAIDs as part of my cocktail.

My new "sleepwear" so I don't rub or scratch my eyes in my sleep. Sexy!

PS: please excuse the typos, at the time of this writing I could barely see.

Another Cold One

During 24 Hours of Moab this year, I made the statement that I was done racing for the year. I was cold and it just did not seem like fun. My wise friends within earshot did not believe me and even called me on it. And they were right. After a day or two, I was considering 25 Hours of Frog Hollow should someone invite me. Though I did not care enough to put something together. Then it happened. Josh asked if we might be willing to do a 5 person team with him, Matt, and their friend Jeff. The weather had warmed up and we agreed.
As the race approached the weather forecast turned ugly...again. When we showed up at the event site (morning of again in order to avoid a cold night of camping), it was chilly and started raining/snowing. We just sat in the car as everyone in the camp started to wake up. The wet stopped thankfully about 30 minutes before race time; the cold stuck around the entire time. My toes got cold on all of my laps. My first two laps (both during the day) had a beast of a head wind on the road up to the Jem Trail. Ahh...the Jem...absolute delight.
On my second lap, I sensed a rider behind me just before getting to Jem. I asked if he wanted to get around me. His response was "Do you descend as well as you climb?" As I entered the single track, I said not really. I don't think I slowed him down too much. It seemed as if I would gap him periodically and he would make his way back to me. He passed on the dirt road to the Virgin River Dam parking lot. I had him in my sights most of the way to the finish. He probably put 45 seconds on me or so. He was the only person to pass me throughout my five laps.
We doubled up on our night laps to allow more recovery. I think it worked well at this race as the laps were around an hour for me and less for the guys. My back to back laps were 1:03 each differing by 10 seconds or so. While not blazing fast, they were consistent. I definitely enjoyed the large chunks of rest at night and even caught some sleep.
While racing was fun (yet cold), base camp was an absolute blast and warm. There was always someone around to help take care of us and lots of people providing entertainment. Kevin and Jackie brought down their box trailer decked out with lights, heaters, stoves, and food. Someone was always trying to get me to eat something which is so needed at these events. Jackie, Becky, Joan, and Angie took turns making sure everyone had what they needed throughout the night.
The guys--Josh, Matt (x3), Chuck, Dan, Larry, Kevin, Jeff, Steve, Jay, Brian, and Kenny came in and out with entertaining stories, jokes, and laughs. I loved the good natured ribbing and whit that made the dark of night seem bright. Heather, Natalie, and Monica also raced on teams with impressive rides. It really was so much fun. I am glad I was wrong at 24 hours of moab.

Beautiful Sunrise

The Holley Pit

Jeff and Joan in the box trailer (i.e. home)

Podium

Chris talking shop with Larry--Supefly 100 stuff. I wouldn't understand

Soaking up the sun, trying to stay warm and fueled