Went out last evening to see if the calf muscle would put up with cx dismounts. It handled the dismounts ok, but seized up like a home built two-stroke engine running on straight gasoline when I kept running.
Which means no Lion of Fairfax this year.
Which means that laying off running for a week didn’t fix it. It did feel better in its failure than it did a week or so ago, so if there’s a bit of non-oncoming-train-in-the-tunnel light, that’s it.
With a bit of an inquiry to Dr. Internette, it has been diagnosed as a tweaked (torn, pulled, strained, ganked) soleus muscle. I’ve come to the conclusion that laying off running for two weeks and cycling for maybe one might get things right. The “R” component of RICE - the component I have not been actually engaging. I’m mentally preparing to not ride for two weeks, though. Dropping the heel while cycling seemed to make it cranky on the way back last night. So, sadly, riding is out for a bit.
Which means no SFR Mixed-Terrain Ride this weekend, either.
Maybe I can finally work through the deferred maintenence issues on the bikes, which will make them happy.
What bugs me is that I’d been feeling reasonably good on the trail work, and before the soleus-interuptus, running was feeling efficient. Ah well. It’ll just feel that much better when I can do it.
Oh well, at least the turkeys came by to visit while I was shaking my head and complaining…
And the bike is patient…
September 29th, 2007 at 7:45 am Nobody ever gets the “R” part completely right. It could be part of our nature, or the society in which we live. But after my big ride in August, I truly rested for only one day before I had to go back to work. (Incidentally, I haven’t been on a long ride — 20 miles or more — since my big ride, either. But that will hopefully change this weekend.)
September 29th, 2007 at 10:34 am Thanks beth! I was hoping that I could get away with “R” meaning “don’t Run”… That didn’t work. Or at least it didn’t work enough. As I said a little while ago, I think I did this on the bike and it has sort of been nagging for a bit, and the running really brought it to a head. Now I have to treat it like an Injury… ah well. Hope you get out and enjoy the roads this weekend!
September 30th, 2007 at 10:42 pm Gak, Bummer about the calf. I hope you get well soon, and by soon meaning in 2 weeks so you don’t push it. There goes my plan to live vicariously through your cross season. I guess i better get on it… Good luck Tarik
October 1st, 2007 at 6:39 am Thanks man! Get out there and start riding before the first snows hit. — J
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:33 pm “seized up like a home built two-stroke engine running on straight gasoline”…that one had me nearly outta my chair!
October 6th, 2007 at 9:50 am Ouch about the knee. I had an ankle injury earlier this year that kept me off the bike for a month and there’s no hurrying it–that only causes setback.
About your CX Quickbeam (a friend of mind who is thinking about CX on his QB want’s to know). Do you ride CX fixed or freewheel? What chainring/cog combo do you use?
And now on to my news (I’m busting to get it out). Keven at Riv told me yesterday that my QB was just then being built. It’s been a couple of months coming because I bought one of the last frames in my size and so it had to be built up from scratch. Timing was just behind all of the Toyo shipment that arrived (congrats on your Hilsen) so I was way down the line. I’ll be riding it next week, though! Rob
October 6th, 2007 at 5:42 pm Hey there Rob -
Great news on getting the Quickbeam. I’ve read on the rivsite that they are putting it into sleep mode for a while, so it’s great to hear that you got one before then.
For your CX friend - I ride cross with the factory 18T freewheel and the 40T chainring. Gearing depends upon the course of course, but that seems to be a “within the spectrum” gear. There was a thread on the Bay Area Cyclocross list (oops - y’gotta join it to see the thread…) about single speed gearing. I wouldn’t want to try CX fixed. Off-road trail riding is one thing, but it would be pretty hairy on level dismounts and some of the technical sections.
Hope that helps! Send pix of the Quickbeam when you get it runnin!
– Jim