My Nemesis?

"What the heck?" is all I can say.

We headed to Napa this morning. I was so excited I could hardly stand it! It was freezing, but I didn't care. About 3 miles up Dry Creek, I was getting nervous, really nervous, so my breathing was off. I got winded and had to stop ... a couple times to be exact. With my friend in front of me and my brother behind me, I also felt totally self conscious. I know they want to make sure I didn't crash again ... but hey, so do I, so of course I'm gonna be more careful. I finally told them, "Don't follow me; you're making me nervous!" We also decided to forget Veeder at the moment, I would calm down, and just see how I felt at the top of Dry Creek.

I slowed down and calmed down and finally got my rhythm down. I was feeling good, feeling strong. On the last incline, I'd decided I wanted to go ahead and give Veeder a try. I was gonna tell the guys when we got the stop sign at the top of the hill, but then the freakiest thing happened. Just as I was slowing down to stop, I noticed my right foot felt wobbly. I called out to the guys, "I think my pedal just came off!" Sure enough, the threads stripped a bit; my pedal, still attached to my shoe, separated from the crank. My ride would be over for the day.

I'm About To Burst!

I'm so excited I can't stand it. I had a hard time falling asleep last night 'cuz I kept thinking about it. What, you ask, is getting me all giddy? I'm riding tomorrow ... in Napa ... hopefully Mt. Veeder ... but we'll see how I feel at the top of Dry Creek first.

Lake Herman has gotten B-O-R-I-N-G!
I'm ready to be challenged again.

Team In Training's informational meetings for the spring season are in January, so training is just around the corner!

I CAN'T WAIT!

Keep the Door Open

Well Shut My Mouth

Well the weather's cleared up, and while I want to ride, I don't have the energy. Did I mention the bracket on my lower right molar came off just before Thanksgiving? I had been wearing these moose bands in an upside down V to help with the last bit of positioning for my jaw. The bands are so tight, I guess it just pulled the bracket off. It didn't hurt. It just wasn't adhered to my tooth, so it would slide on the wire.

Good news is, I didn't have to wear the uncomfortable bands during Thanksgiving! Bad news is, they just fixed the bracket on Wednesday. In fact, they repositioned 3 other brackets while they were in there. So for the past couple days, my teeth have been hurting somethin' awful. To add to that, I started wearing the moose bands again last night :-( They are so tight I can't open my mouth. And ... I have to wear them as often as I can, except for when I'm eating.

Hmmm ~ does that mean I should eat all the time?!

My orthodontist said with the continued use of the stronger rubber bands, my bite should come along really well. In January, I'll have some special x-rays taken where they'll be able to identify the bone density at the breaks and where I lost my teeth. The braces will come off shortly after that, and they'll fashion me a retainer with prosthetic teeth. My surgeon and my dentist will then coordinate bone grafting and the dental implant process ... a process that'll take at least a year. I can't wait to have my own teeth again!

Funny story - last month, a friend of mine came with me to my ortho appointment. I always ask to brush my teeth when they remove the wires, so I can get in a really good, unobstructed brushing. While walking to the restroom, I briefly stopped just in front of my friend and smiled really big :-) She was on her cell phone, but her eyes got really big! She thought I'd had my implants awhile ago!

There's Something About the Rain ...

"Lying here with you
Listening to the rain
Smiling just to see the smile upon your face
These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive
These are the moments I'll remember all my life
I found all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more "

(Edwin McCain's "I Could Not Ask For More")

Countdown

We rode Dry Creek this morning (Friday). I hadn't been anywhere near that area since July 5th, so approaching the Redwood Exit, I started getting nervous. But the nervousness quickly subsided as I geared up in the chilly, morning air that I love. We only did a portion of the route, but I felt good, felt strong. I plan on doing the whole thing sometime soon.

Before going home, we drove up the backside of Mt. Veeder. It's as steep, narrow, and curvy as I remember. Around every other turn, I'd ask, "Is that it?" And then we finally passed it. We continued up to the area where I started my 36.6 mph descent on that fateful July morning and then back down to the accident site where we stopped for a bit. As I stood at the ditch, i thought, " ... oh, we're in front of Mt. Veeder Winery ... what a pretty sign ... i thought the ditch was wider than that ... " I turned around, looked up at the hill that I'd mismanaged, and tried to imagine myself coming out of the last two turns, the path I probably followed, the trajectory I most likely took, and then turned to the spot where I most likely landed. I just stood there awhile. Valle vs. Veeder. It seemed surreal.

But the hill hasn't won. The game isn't over. I'll be back for a rematch ~ December 15th. Wanna come?

I Said No!

Andrew and I rode again Thanksgiving morning! First ride w/ his clipless pedals, so I was a bit worried ... but he did great. He'd been doing 7.5 mile rides, so I was determined to get him to the Lake Herman exit this time. Didn't quite go as planned, but it was a pretty funny ride, nonetheless.

We stopped where he's been turning around to head back. He drank some water, and I asked if he was ready for more. He said nope. I'm turning around right here. We bantered back and forth till he finally agreed to ride out a little more ... just past that tree over there, I said. Well, he rode waaay past the designated tree; and when he stopped, he turned his bike around to make it perfectly clear that he wasn't planning on riding out any farther. I asked anyway, "You gonna ride some more after you rest?" He just said, "NO." So we turned around and headed back home.

I laugh because it reminds me of the first time I rode the Lake Herman Loop. There was a spot where I stopped, turned around, and refused to go any farther. I argued because I was sure if I went all the way to Lake Herman, I wouldn't be able to ride back. I begged, I pleaded. My friend simply said, "NO!" And we turned around and continued back up the hill.

Although he didn't make it to Lake Herman, I DO give Andrew credit for doubling his regular mileage and riding 14 miles. I added miles towards the end of our ride :-) Rolling again this weekend.

By the way, I mentioned being ready to take on Mt. Veeder soon. Andrew and the girls immediately gave a resounding "NO!" Do I really have to wait till THEY are ready?