New Jersey in the fall...

Another perfect fall day - sunny, temps in the low 60s, and the colors are close to peak. And so I headed out to play two-wheels leaf-peeper. One of the great things about Lawrenceville is that from our house I can hit the road and be out in true country in a matter of about five miles (trivia time: our mayor is a farmer on the edge of the town limits). My goal today was the Sourland Mountains which is mostly preserved land with scattered country houses and small farms. And lest anybody jump to conclusions, let it be known that New Jersey is not really a mountainous state. We have lots of rolling hills but the high point in the entire state is only about 1200 feet of elevation. We therefore tend to be somewhat liberal in what we call "mountains." The Sourlands could also be described as just a whole bunch of rocky hills but that does not sound as romantic. In any case it is a region with lots of trees, wildlife (deer and an occasional black bear), and a couple of pretty little streams - great place to ride and take a few pictures. It was the first time since starting up on the bike again that I have gone after any kind of real hills but I must be getting stronger because I enjoyed every minute - and I have yet to test the granny gear on the new bike.

One of the neat little moments today was moving down one of the no-shoulder roads on an uphill section. I guess I was focused on the road more than the scenery because out of the corner of my eye I caught a sudden movement which turned out to be a deer who apparently didn't see me either. He (or she) was feeding at the edge of the road and I got to within five feet when he saw me and jumped almost straight up and then made an abrupt right turn and headed off into the woods with his buddy. Another reason why I love cycling...would never have that experience in a car.

The pictures are all in the Sourlands except the shot with the blue sky and white fence. That is on the edge of Lawrenceville and is actually the site of one of the last grass airports in the United States. It had been there since the early 20th century and, in fact, Charles Lindbergh had used it years ago (his house in the Sourlands was the scene of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping in the early thirties). The owner was in his mid-eighties and and sold it about a year ago. Fortunately it will be developed as soccer fields for the local kids and not as another suburban plot of colonials.

So for the day...forty three miles, a tad under 15 mph average, and the new bike is still an absolute joy. I'm a little sore tonight but I think that is going to be part of life for awhile - nothing that a couple of Advil cannot remedy.

Deja vu all over again...

And again, and again, and again...That line is attributed to Yogi Berra but is also the thought that was running through my head today. Being back on the bike and riding the familiar roads that stretch out from Lawrenceville - it is hard to express what a great feeling it is. Today was simply a gorgeous day. After a cloudy start the sun came out, the temperature was somewhere in the low 70s, and with the fall colors of New Jersey I couldn't have had a better day for a ride if I had designed it myself. When I picked up the new bike a couple weeks ago the shop was out of computers - no big deal since all I wanted to do was get in a quick ride to make sure I could still do it without toppling over. However, a couple of rides later I wanted to have my "numbers fix" and so I picked up the computer and put it on the bike this morning. I'm not really obsessed with numbers but I do like to know how far, how fast, and how much time so I felt like the new bike was now complete. Today was actually my sixth ride (so who's counting?) since I picked up the bike. I've progressed from an initial 20 miles to 35 today and at a 15 mph average - not bad for a recovery ride. I was officially "graduated" from physical therapy on Tuesday but still have a bit of swelling in the ankle and leg and a few other miscellaneous aches and pains that will pass eventually. I don't think I'm ready for a century yet (although maybe by year-end...) but I feel amazingly comfortable on the bike - no back pain, the ankle is still a bit weak but not painful, and my balance is good. Needless to say I feel very lucky. And speaking of deja vu...I was watching my speed over the first 10/15 miles of my ride today and was more than a little surprised at how well I was doing - 20 and 22 mph when I went into the big ring (and no, it wasn't all downhill) and averaging 16+. However, somewhere around the 15 mile mark I made my turn and started heading back home and - you guessed it - discovered the head wind I would have most of the way home. For a minute I actually thought I was back in Texas or Kansas where we woke up almost every morning to some degree of headwinds. Tomorrow is a rest day but next time out I will take the camera and add a few photos of New Jersey fall colors.

And with a matching helmet...

That is a bike that just finished it's maiden voyage - the first trip of what I hope will be many miles. I had my fitting yesterday, picked up the bike this morning and was on the road within the hour. I didn't go far - maybe 20 miles - but it felt like the ride of the year for me. The bike is a Cannondale Synapse and it is truly a dream bike. It is light as a feather (and you might notice I went out without the added weight of the seat pack - no flats fortunately) and is a marvel to ride. But for me even more of a marvel was that I am on any bike and enjoying it. I started out with a tour of the closed circuit of our neighborhood. I ran through my mental checklist: turn, shift your weight, clip in and clip out, stop, avoid the potholes etc, etc...I turned out onto the street with "real" traffic watching for everything. I headed into the first intersection with a traffic light and a left turn lane with just a bit of trepidation - a lot of double-checking (is that redundant?) before I moved into the left turn lane. And I must say that once that little hurdle was passed it was all good. The bike is without doubt the best - I felt like Lance moving along the road. The ankle and leg felt good and I loved every curve and little rise the the road gave me.

It is so good to be back....

The bike is on the way...

No picture today but I did get some good news that is worth a post...I went back to the lab for a test on the leg this morning and they found absolutely no trace of the clot!!! That is something I've been waiting for since Columbus and I practically did a little jig in the exam room. I promised myself that when the clot finally disappeared and I could discontinue the blood thinners (coumidin) I would be at the bike store at the opening bell. So tomorrow I will be taking my wheels (they did survive the crash) and heading up the road to Halters Bikes. I have picked out the bike - Cannondale Synapse - and the only decision is to go with red or blue....and I think I can handle that. It seems like it has been a long time but when I reflect a bit on how lucky I was it really hasn't been so bad. I have still have a couple more weeks of therapy - six weeks of inactivity robs the leg/ankle of almost all flexibility and it takes time to get it back. I also still have a bit of stiffness in the back but I'm spending about 30 minutes a day on the indoor bike and having no problem with that....It is a great feeling to be getting back to some sense of normality: to go up stairs, to get in and out of the car, to walk with ease. I'm very appreciative of the simple things these days. And to any who are still reading thanks much for your good wishes and support - all that was no small thing along the way. Next entry will be Ride Day!

Goodby to all that....

And so how did we get into August already? And not only "into" but almost finished. It will be time for falling leaves and pumpkins in not too many days.

I had an appointment with the orthopedist yesterday and passed another big target on my recovery timeline. I'm out of the aircast, can walk and go up stairs without crutches - I even had the battery charged and am driving again (no small thing with a stick shift). So I'm bidding farewell to all the walkers, crutches, boots and casts that have sustained me over the last couple of months. I start physical therapy next week and expect that will go for about four weeks or so. I've still got a bit of swelling and I have a ways to go before my back muscles are back to normal - but the end is in sight.

I saw a great quote the other day: "Life expands or contracts in direct proportion to one's courage". I don't know that I have ever thought of myself as particularly courageous - I do know that I have an almost biologic fear of heights, nothing will get me on the roof -but I do think there is something to think about in that statement. One of the many thoughts I had while pedalling cross country was the idea of reaching out, taking the risk, grabbing the ring when you go by. We had some tough days in the course riding Los Angeles to Ohio (my portion) but I would not trade the longest, toughest climb, the coldest, rainiest day for the experience of covering 2,500 miles on my bike.

And today I celebrated the new found mobility by checking out my local bike shop. The Cannondale 6/13 is out of production but the Synapse is an even better, absolutely beautiful bike(Jim, if you are still reading, you were right). It is too soon to think about test rides but just looking at bikes and actually handling the model of choice was worth the trip...And maybe I will even have a photo for the next post....

Moving on....

The box sat in the garage unopened for several days. I had some advice from a very good source that I shouldn't even open it - just put the whole box out at the curb and let them haul it away. A few days ago my son-in-law came down to do the lawn and together we opened the box and pulled out what is left of the bike. Curiously enough I had no emotional reaction whatsoever. I noticed immediately that there are more fractures to the bike than to my personal frame - there were five breaks to the bike that I could see, an x-ray would probably pick up a few more. So I have salvaged the wheels (can you believe I began the morning of 6/15 by changing the front tire, I had changed the rear tire the day before) and, of course, the seat pack with the road tools. So last night the bike went to the curb and this morning I looked out to see the trash truck moving down the street with the blue bike sitting on top of all the other rubbish. And so this morning, along with watching the Tour de France - a very exciting stage today by the way - I went into the Cannondale web site and clicked on the Synapse. They have discontinued the 6/13 which was easily my best bike ever but I found I can get pretty excited looking through the specs of the new models...again, not that I planned it that way but it does give me something to look forward to. I had an offer from someone (who must remain anonymous at this point) to serve as my SAG if and when I return to Ohio to finish what I started in May. I don't know how or when but that is the kind of encouragement that gets me through these days of too much confinement. And, another thought that is a bit overdue...From the moment I went into the hospital Susan has been the support I could not have survived without. She spent ten days in Columbus and through a couple of really awful nights was there for me in ways that the hospital people just couldn't match. And since I have been home she has been my constant attendant....I know that that is what marriage is supposed to be about but there are no words for me say thanks for her support and help....She is terrific. And today's update: I can put weight on the leg so long as I use crutches and keep the boot/cast on the leg. I cannot climb ladders but at least I can climb the stairs and move around the house with a bit more independance - hurray! I am still battling the clot but have finally discontinued the shots in the belly and just taking the coumidin every day. Eventually that will go away too. There are still so many e-mails floating back and forth from folks on the ride that it still seems like just a couple of days ago that the ride ended - a truly marvelous group of people. Stay tuned -I am looking forward to the day I'm back on the road.

Moving on....again

I had hoped to get another photo for my most recent mode of transport but, alas, I'm not moving too quickly these days and the opportunity passed. In four weeks I have gone from bike to helicopter to ambulence and, most recently, to a new Saturn SUV. My brother Dick came down from Michigan - two Michigan people in the heart of Buckeye country, there is safety in numbers - with his new Saturn and "sprung" me from the Westminster-Thurber rehab hospital. I did feel liberated but I must also say that finding that particular facility was one of the true lucky breaks of this past several weeks. The entire staff, the doctor, the nurses, the physical therapists, a wonderful social worker - they are all the most wonderful caring, compassionate group of people I have seen in a hospital setting. They got me through a few very tough days and then continued to encourage and teach me how to get back into the real world....I did have one final little setback in that I developed a clot in the bad leg while in the hospital. Initially that was more than a little scary but they are treating it with blood thinners and I hope to get that cleared up in the next three months or so. So Dick and the nurse kind of slid me into the back seat on Tuesday morning and we were off finally headed back to New Jersey. Susan had made the same trip a couple of weeks ago in one day but because I needed to make frequent stops to move both the leg and the body it took us two days. We arrived home on a beautiful late morning Wednesday to a huge bouquet of welcome home baloons and I almost burst into tears at the sight of it all. Susan came out for a hug and kiss and I realized very quickly how close to the surface are my emotions. Thursday we spent with medical people: the nurse who will draw blood and the doctor who will monitor my clot and blood level. And finally, the physical therapist who taught me how to go up and down the stairs on one leg and one crutch - a bit of a challenge but after four weeks in a hospital bed I wanted to lay on my own mattress. Today is another beautiful day and much of it has been spent on the back porch reading, listening to the birds, and just kind of reflecting on how good it is to be alive. It's easy to start feeling sorry for yourself when you are "stuck" like this (and I must confess to a couple of those moments) but the fact is I am healing, I'm lucky to have my wife looking out for me, and I know that in time I will be back up and moving, walking, and even riding. Today is the start of the Anchor House ride with all the riders riding the buses to upper New York state, I woke up this morning thinking about them - it's the first time in six years I have not been part of that ride - and will be looking forward to following the ride in the papers. And I watched the Tour de France this morning. They are in the mountains now and watching them attack the hills - and the descents as well - brought back flashes of our a few weeks ago. I'm not so naive as to compare myself to the TdF riders but we do have things in common: the love of the bike and the wonderful sensation of rolling under your own power over the roads, the great feeling of reaching the top after a long climb, and the equally great feeling of taking the descent that is the climb's reward. So I have not given up my thoughts of the bike...I look forward to a bit of mobility so that I can check out the bike shop and this year's version of the Cannondale 6/13. Stay tuned.....

Moving time...

So with the bike pretty much a wreck (the rider too but you already knew that) this is my new vehicle of choice. Don't have to worry about rain, has enough power to neutralize those persistent headwinds, and it sure does get you there in time for dinner. The folks at Medi Flight sent this to me so I thought I'd better get a photo in while I can.

They moved me out of the hospital yesterday and into a rehab hospital in Columbus. And, much as I really want to go home it was the right decision. I don't think I would have survived fifty miles in a car - actually I'm not at all sure I could get into a car. I met my the therapist today and she suggested I think in terms of at least a week. I don't have anything but praise and gratitude for the doctors at OSU but I have learned a few things about our healthcare system. Part of the job is to treat the immediate problem and then get you moving on as quickly as possible. Tuesday when they were telling me I could expect to go home on Thursday, I think what they really meant was that we are finished here and it is time to move on.

In any event the rehab center is terrrific so far. I compare it with what Susan had (when she had her knee replaced) and I think I have landed in the right place. The job now is to get mobile, get in and out of bed,, to master the walker and crutches. It does seem a little bit strange - last week at this time I was anticipating our last couple of centuries...wow.

I did go through a couple of the blogs today and it sounds like I missed a couple of tough days: lots of rain and more of those ugly headwinds. But the end is in sight guys-I wish each of you a safe and fun ride through New York, Vermont and on to Boston.....

A final note: Susan brought me my helmet today. I had graphic testimony of what I already knew. The helmet was not bad when looking at the outside. It had a few dents and scrapes but flipping it over was another story. There were four severe cracks in the liner and who knows how many that were not visible. Again that relatively minor investment was worth more to me than the few thousands I put into the bike - quite simply that helmet saved my life. I may have it framed and hung in a place of honor (maybe over the fireplace, although I suspect Susan might have some thoughts on that).

I don't think I'm through with this blog yet although I do not plan to document all my aches and pains over the next few weeks - maybe just a few progess reports..But I do need to say how much I have been affected by the supportive comments on both the blog and a few e-mails. You are people I know and people I don't know but I can hardly say how much your kind words and good wishes have meant to me - thank you all.

Ohio...a surprising state ...Part II

Today's title is a major understatement. For those who may not have heard my ride came to a dramatic and sudden end in the little town of Delaware. About 20 miles into the ride on Monday - scheduled at 97 miles to Wooster -I was preparing to make a left turn and somehow collided with a Harley Davidson coming from my rear - as you might guess a thousand pound motorcycles versus a 20 pound bike does not make for real good odds for the cyclist. I have virtually no memory of the accident so what I know now is based a couple of bits and pieces I've picked up from others. The first thing I remember was perhaps ten minutes after the crash when I looked up from the ground and saw a police officer crouched in front of me and one of my water bottles just beyond his foot. The next thing I knew they were strapping me to a board and loading me on a helicopter for a trip to the Ohio State University Med Center . Believe it or not one of my thoughts on the helicopter was that maybe I was banged up a little and if the bike was OK maybe I could be back on the road for Wednesday's ride....boy, was that ever naive. The bottom line is that the bike is history, cracked in several places, my helmet was broken in three different places, and I am more than just a little banged up. And by the way the helmet did it's job - there is no question that it saved my life. Relatively small investment with a huge return. I have not even had a headache since the accident. (And that may be the only place that is not hurting at this point.) Along with numerous aches and pains I have a broken left ankle (and was very grateful to avoid surgery), broken left leg in the non weight bearing bone (fibula), a crack in one of the thoracic vertebrae - again, fortunately just a crack, no structural damage. Beyong that some road rash and one cut that required stitches in the elbow. All in all it sure could have been a lot worse. My first meeting yesterday with the physical therapist was total disaster. My system is so messed up that I could not expand the effort required by the walker without fianlly passing out. We tried again today and things went much better - even with IVs I managed to climb a few stairs and get in a walk across the room with the walker, albeit laboriously and with help. And speaking of help....my brother Dick and Nancy came down from Detroit on Tuesday and left a couple of hours ago. Susan drove from L'vile with daughter Katherine (and Carolyn - all full of life and bounce at 18 months) Katherine also flew back today but Susan will hopefully be driving us home tomorrow.I told her a litttle while ago that while professional medical and nursing care is wonderful (and it is) a little TLC is absolutely priceless. I did enjoy doing this blog and loved the comments - thank you. And I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. In spite of some hard days and difficult weather at times the ride was about adventure and challenge and I truly had fun most of the time. I am pleased I did 2/3s of America on a bike and am indescibably disappointed that I am not doing the final segment. I saw this country and it's people in ways that you can only imagine from a car. I will be re-living this in my head for a long time. I also met an incredible group of people, the folks who did the ride with me. All of us of varying ages and abilities but united in a common purpose; it was truly like discovering a new family. I miss not seeing you in the morning for breakfast, not seeing you on the road, and certainly will miss not riding in formation to the Atlantic Ocean. I may still have a couple of things to say and may add another post or two. I need to do the math and tally uo the mileage as well as a few other thoughts that did not get into the daily blog. And I need to start shopping for a new bike...maybe that will be the next photo.

Ohio - a surprising state....

I have driven back and forth from New Jersey to Detroit via the Ohio Turnpike any number of times over the years. And the impression I have always had is of a long, straight, flat road with virtually nothing to see for miles and miles. Well, today we saw Ohio from a whole different perspective. The border was exactly 2.7 miles from our hotel and from the beginning it was great ride. We were on a series of state roads that curved and dipped and twisted and led us into quaint little old towns and through Ohio farm land - a scene that was totally unexpected for me.

The day started out overcast, and even a bit threatening as a couple of the pictures indicate. We did pick up a few drops but for the most part it was the sun peeking out from behind the clouds and considering that it was a 105 mile day the clouds were just enough to keep it from getting really hot.

We went through probably fifteen to twenty small towns all with their main streets and little business sections and older, well kept houses for the most part. The older houses are a delight to pass. Lots of wrap-around porches with swings and in most cases nicely landscaped with flowers and neatly cut lawns - almost picture perfect middle America. In all honesty there are a few towns that also show decay and problems but not many - and even those usually have signs that some one does care and is trying.

And I continue to be amazed at the farmhouses - the one house picture I put up tonight is one of the prettiest I saw today. And behind it was the barn and a couple of sheds with all the farm machinery neatly stowed away - and, of course, the whole thing was surrounded by hundreds of acres of growing corn and soy beans. These folks were also the owners of the cattle across the street - I thought it was pretty funny to find a longhorn in Ohio and he posed so nicely for me too.

We also had a few more glimpses of the Amish today. We saw a couple of buggys with the occupents dressed in their Sunday best and probably headed to services somewhere. More interesting, we came across a couple, man and wife presumably, riding a tandem bicycle in the same direction as we were heading. She had on the traditional long dress and he the beard and straw hat. They were just ahead of us on the road and they were moving. (For those not familiar with the Amish they do not drive cars - or have electricity or even tractors).

One of our SAG was in the little town of Covington in the police station parking lot...the picture is downtown Covington on Flag Day about noon - not much was happening besides the bike riders getting their rest stop.

I've had a long run without a flat - I think since New Mexico and that was only my second - but today my luck ran out. The unmistakeable and sudden hisssssssss had me to the side of the road very quickly. I had taken a good look at the front tire last night but somehow got distracted and did not move to the rear - big mistake. Anyway the back tire was pretty much shot so I replaced both tire and tube and we were back on the road. And was a good thing I had the new tire because within a mile we ran into a series of new chip and seal (very gravelly and tough on tires) and I felt much better with the new one.

And last little note on the ride...Somewhere around mile 87 we ran into a series of up and down hills and expected that we would have a kind of laborious process of finishing a long ride climbing. Well, Tom grabbed an energy jel and attacked one of the hills with a stand up in the pedals energy that caught me by surprise. I watched him for a second and then decided to respond and we were both off and running and for the next six or seven miles we litterally raced up and down the rolling hills like two ten year-olds on our first bikes. I have no idea where we found the strenth after 85/90 miles but we kept it up for about five or six miles hitting 20 and 22 mph and just having a ball. We finally came into a little town with a light and stopped to catch and then rolled on into Marysville for a DQ root beer float before checking into the hotel.

Tracy really outdid herself planning the route today - it was a long day but one of the best days of riding we have had. Now the only question is whether the legs will be there again tomorrow for a virtual century - 97 miles. Stay tuned....and good night.