16 June 2007

First ride after injury

Empire Grade For my first ride to gauge where I am, I decided on an otherwise short loop with one otherwise moderately challenging climb, Felton-Empire. So, the route would go up Hwy 9 to Felton, up Felton-Empire, then down Empire Grade. Based on times from previous rides, I would have ridden this 20 mile loop in about 90 minutes before my injury. This time, it took almost 2 hours.

When I started, it was cool and overcast. There was a spot on Hwy 9 with signs warning of runners on the road, but I never saw any. There were a number of mountain bikers, though. By the time I started climbing Felton-Empire, the sun came out, but it remained cool. There were also fractured groups of cyclists descending Felton-Empire.

The climb of Felton-Empire was quite different than my usual experiences. Usually, my heart and lungs would be near their limits. In April, I did the climb in 30:14, using 34/23 or 34/21. In December, I did the climb in 28:36, using 30/19. I was breathing hard both of those times. This time, I did the climb in 45:17, using 30/25. My right leg was the limiting factor, being too weak to be able to push my heart and lungs much at all. The steeper sections were the most challenging, as I had to push hard with my left leg to keep going, and my right leg was still too weak to stand for more than a few strokes.

At least it wasn't anywhere near being too much of a challenge. I wonder what my doctor or physical therapist would say about it, though. Anyhow, it was good to be able to ride again after two and half months.