I've got a great excuse for not showing this blog any love lately. (and it's not only the holidays...) There's been a lot going on, but since this is geared more towards cycling I'll keep it reigned in.
I'll start by saying I'm learning a new sport, (swimming) and I'm completely awful at it. It's not that I would drown if thrown into a pool before I started, but I didn't have any form. I've been working at this for a couple months now and I actually hit a milestone over Christmas when I was able to swim laps without stopping. This, however, doesn't mean I'm good on any level, but it's so fun. I've also been running a lot, too. Ever since I started feeling better after the back injury I'm really focusing on not taking my health for granted. (More on that in a second) All of this cross training coupled with my normal time on the bike has me feeling good about the approach to 2013. I'm almost dialed with the schedule for the season, which might include a couple surprises.
Before the season gets underway I'll be heading to Spain for a week followed by a drive along the coast to Nice, France for a month-long stay there. Rachel and I decided we would commit to getting acquainted in a foreign land so we rented an apartment for an entire month. It's going to be an interesting journey and I imagine a very fun and adventurous one! I'll be training in the mornings and diving into work at night when the US wakes up. I'll be updating this blog with photos and reports from the French Riviera.
As mentioned above, I have a quick something to say about back injuries. More specifically, disc injuries. Since everyone is totally different, I must say I have no business giving any advice. I would, however, like to share my story for those who google, 'back injury successful recovery' like I did when I was desperate to hear something good. In fact, my next blog will be dedicated to this so it will be easier for people to find. I cringe when I see people posting about their injures and whatnot, so I'm reluctantly adding a photo of my MRI as a reference for where I was in June of last year.
I feel very fortunate I've been able to come out of the pain I was in last year, but the reality is that I'll never be 100% safe from another episode. As of today, I've been able to train at full capacity with zero pain. I can tell when I push it close to overdoing it, but I feel great. I've worked my ass off to get here, but man it's worth it.
Here's to a happy and healthy new year to you all!
km
I'll start by saying I'm learning a new sport, (swimming) and I'm completely awful at it. It's not that I would drown if thrown into a pool before I started, but I didn't have any form. I've been working at this for a couple months now and I actually hit a milestone over Christmas when I was able to swim laps without stopping. This, however, doesn't mean I'm good on any level, but it's so fun. I've also been running a lot, too. Ever since I started feeling better after the back injury I'm really focusing on not taking my health for granted. (More on that in a second) All of this cross training coupled with my normal time on the bike has me feeling good about the approach to 2013. I'm almost dialed with the schedule for the season, which might include a couple surprises.
Before the season gets underway I'll be heading to Spain for a week followed by a drive along the coast to Nice, France for a month-long stay there. Rachel and I decided we would commit to getting acquainted in a foreign land so we rented an apartment for an entire month. It's going to be an interesting journey and I imagine a very fun and adventurous one! I'll be training in the mornings and diving into work at night when the US wakes up. I'll be updating this blog with photos and reports from the French Riviera.
As mentioned above, I have a quick something to say about back injuries. More specifically, disc injuries. Since everyone is totally different, I must say I have no business giving any advice. I would, however, like to share my story for those who google, 'back injury successful recovery' like I did when I was desperate to hear something good. In fact, my next blog will be dedicated to this so it will be easier for people to find. I cringe when I see people posting about their injures and whatnot, so I'm reluctantly adding a photo of my MRI as a reference for where I was in June of last year.
I feel very fortunate I've been able to come out of the pain I was in last year, but the reality is that I'll never be 100% safe from another episode. As of today, I've been able to train at full capacity with zero pain. I can tell when I push it close to overdoing it, but I feel great. I've worked my ass off to get here, but man it's worth it.
Here's to a happy and healthy new year to you all!
km
