kaqphin (Super Cat's) Mentor group - CLOSED (Page 44)

the knee is feeling better.  More of a scare than an injury.  PHEW!!!! It's good enough to RIDE TOMORROW! 

I leave for Penticton today.  I am going to ride the bike course tomorrow and then cheer on BTers and other friends on Sunday!  I'm psyched!  The toughest part will be holding to my guns and NOT signing up for next year!! 

I keep telling myself and others 1)it's a recipe for injury since I don't have the running base at all 2) I don't know if I will really have the time to put in the training with classes and working- next year I will have an open schedule again. 

But my friend has been doing the math and told me the other day he thinks I could pull out a 15 hour ironman by WALKING the marathon.... that just sounds brutal! 

But its gonna be a great weekend! 

Oh Jeni...I'm so sorry.  

You definitely sounds perkier! And Im sure this attempting to type is keeping you busy!

On the plus side - this is a REAL cyclists injury you have so thats got to make you feel like you have a bit of pride there.. and it sounds like the guys you were riding with... well it sounds like you were riding them off your wheel

all in all crashing was less traumatic and scary than i thought it would be. probably because i don't remember the impact part i has always thought crashing would make me scared of riding ever again but all i want to do right now is ride so i guess thats a good thing

so on that fatefull saturday i was going to  ride the iron man course by myself but a half hour into my ride a group of 20 guys caught up  to me and i asked if i could join in.  draftin in a pack like that was totally awesome.  you really feel the effects of getting pulled along.  the group split and i went with the guys going longer and harder.  a guy who rides with on of the top teams was in this group  and as i proved myself by actually going after their sprints they got friendlier and callef me a strong rider.  we split again and once again i was with the guys who wre out to ride hard.  we did some hills and i just paced myself.  i got dropped but i was far from the last person up.  we regrouped and they were all probably at least 10 years older than me and excited to have a girl in their midst and one that could keep up.  they took me on some amazing backroads in the penticton area where there were no cars and stunning views.   i was workin HARD but keeping up and sucking back gels like there was no tomorrow so i wouldn't bonk.  i raced the guys down a wicked decent and there all surprised to learn i have only been riding a year and was cat 4.  so we head home along the highway pacelining at 50kph.  i take a pull and get us up a hill.  they tell me good pull as i settle in to rest drafting really close to the guy in front of me so i do as little work as possible.  I am 3rd or 4th in line and the guy in front of me wobbles and goes down.  at that speen and being that closere there is nothing i can do.  i remember thinking ", did i just run over his head" and then nothin until layin on the ground looking up to see 6 of the guys staring down at me saying they were calling an ambulance.  the guys joked that it looked spectacular and when i pointed to my shoulder they all laughed and told me i was a realk cyclist for breaking my clavicle.  i saw sevveral og them the next day including the guy i ran over (he had a nice wheel width bruise on his chest i will take credit for)., my powertap file is pretty cool.  it shows mt speed went from 47kph to 0 in about 3 seconds and my heart rate went from 169 to 130 in the 20 seconds after my speed hit zero.

WOW, what a story.  Good luck to you in recovery, but yes you definitely have a cyclist injury. I hope I don't become a real cyclist like that. But, definitely rooting for your recovery.  I'm pretty amazed at your fairly candid retelling of it, and I think it is good you can see it that way and that you actually miss the bike and aren't scared of it.  Yes, it'll force some recovery on you, that's for sure...but you really seem to be finding the silver lining.  Is it affecting your baking job at all? I hope not.

Look, it's my 1000th post! OH MY, too much time on BT!  

I have my last Oly of the year on Labor Day (Monday).  It'll be my first "true" Oly distance as I did a 1/4 Iron race and then the July Oly I did was slightly short in the swim and the bike.  Of course, I feel more than ready for it since I've been HIM training.  I need this race for motivation though. I was starting to get the "blah" feeling with training, maybe some burn out, but I'm 37 days out from Longhorn, so I can't be slacking now, and it'll be taper before I know it.  But, this race, Ironman Kentucky watching, Ironman Wisconsin watching, and then a short sprint should keep me fairly motivated to get through the big training!

I am going to need a new saddle though.  Probably won't get one till after the HIM, but yes, definitely need a new one. IM training on this one would kill me I think!

Britt - Congrats on the 1000th post!!!

Jeni - hope you are still keeping your spirits up!