I'd like to thank the academy ...

I'm so excited!  On Wednesday, I'll be getting my braces off!  

I was already wearing braces when I crashed back in July.  The neat thing is, several doctors mentioned that had I NOT been wearing braces, I'd probably have lost more of my teeth.

I'll be wearing my new retainer, which will have 4 prosthetic teeth on them. After my cycling event in July, I'll begin the (dental) implant process, which will probably take 6-8 months to complete.  And then that will mark the end of my post-accident treatment plan.  The end is in sight, and I'll finish well thanks to my fabulous health care team!

Dr. Robert Wagner, Maxillofacial Surgeon

Dr. Joseph Buchanan, Orthodontist

Dr. Petra Kubler, Physical Therapist

Dr. Jennifer Manickam, Primary Care Physician

Dr. Jessica Melchior, Occupational Therapist

Dr. Larry Lim, General Dentist

Dr. Susan Salem, Chiropractor

Dr. Mark Price, Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Nestor Karas, Maxillofacial Surgeon

Dr. Curtis Barmby, Prosthodontist

Repose

Women's retreat was wonderful!

The dishes they served, delectable.

The speaker was a spark plug.

And the messages, quite meaningful.

Sorry, feeling kinda Dr. Seussical ;-)

My massage, oh how mesmerizing.

The bungee swing, energizing!

Walks and talks with friends old and new.

Excited about what God's done and will do.

Give Yourself A Time Out

I won't be making the 65-mile ride in Yountville this Saturday. Instead, I'm taking a brief break from training to attend my church's women's retreat at Silver Spur this weekend. The theme ~ Renew, Refresh, Rejuvenate ... based on Psalm 23:2-3a ... "He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul."

Oh, how we all need to retreat sometimes. Even seemingly "good" activities can add to the noise in our lives. Sometimes we get so used to the noise that the stillness and quiet can be quite uncomfortable. But God says, "Be still ... be still and know that I am God."

You don't necessarily have to go away for the weekend, but make it a point to give yourself a time out ... regularly. We schedule appointments and workouts, coffee dates with friends to find out how they're doing. Why not block out some time for you ... to check on how you're doing. Be still for just a bit and remind yourself that He is God, and I am not ... which is a good thing :o)

68.5 And I'm Still Alive!

Since I had been sick for 4 days, and since I hadn't ridden in 2 weeks, I knew there was a chance that I would not finish this Saturday's 70-mile training ride in Santa Rosa.  I already had a few titles in mind, if that were the case:

~ I Get By With A Little Help From My (SAG) Friends

~DNF : Did Not Finish

So much for positive thinking, huh.  No - I really wanted to be cautious of doing too much too soon.  I told myself I wouldn't push myself if I felt crappy; and if I did, I'd just hop on the SAG (support and gear) truck, as many riders do.  

We started on time, and I did struggle a bit to keep up.  But I know it takes awhile to warm up and get into a rhythm.  "Just get past the first 15 minutes," runs through my mind, and after awhile, I felt good.  The climbs came early (at least the ones they brought to our attention), and we did well.  You could really tell our climbing has improved since our first ride together.  

This is a picture from our long climb towards Skaggs Springs Road above beautiful Lake Sonoma, the midpoint of our ride.  You can see the road between the trees in the distance.   We're about 3/4 of the way up at this point.  The descent was a blast with a nice rest stop with real bathrooms at the bottom.  I'll have to get you a picture what a TRUE porta-potty looks like ;-) 

2008 Spring Season Update

 

 

   click on image to enlarge

Sick Dawg :-(

Missin' a 50-mile buddy ride today, because I've been sick as a dog since Wednesday. Gotta get better for 70 in Santa Rosa next week.  

Welcoming any home remedies for headache, stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, gagging, and overall fatigue.

I have not, however, lost my appetite for food or for cycling.

Dawg-on Happy!

This is Dave, Coach Dave.  He has officially named our ride group Dave's Mountain Dawgs, to which we all respond with a resounding WOOF!  Since he's the only guy in our group, his response to our response is usually, "That's the sorriest bark I've ever heard!"  But you have to understand Coach Dave.  More sarcasm = more love.  Inspirational and motivational speeches may be few, but his hilarity and entertainment factor cannot be denied.  And as grumpy and miserable he may look out on the rides  ... sorry Coach ;-) ... we are often recipients of the most tenderhearted post-ride emails from him.

We love our Coach Dave (and we're sure he loves us).  And we really do miss him when he's not there, as was the case on our 50-mile Yountville ride this past Saturday.  He was sick at home (mainlining chocolate milk he says), so we missed his singing, his picking on us, his mumbling under his breath, and his yelling "GAAAAAAP" so loud that you can hear it reverberate for miles.