Since July I’ve had a number of niggling yet intrusive injuries, the kind that force you off your schedule for just enough time to lose some fitness. Stress fracture on the plateau of my left tibia, back strain, Achilles tendon strain, right hip and knee pain for no apparent reason than that I slept on them (I’m a left side sleeper, normally), and just before Christmas I rolled my left ankle inward — a first — and my good friends lent me crutches for the rest of Christmas Eve eve, Christmas Eve, and most of Christmas. By the afternoon the swelling had gone down enough that I could put my foot into a cycling shoe, so Chris, Colin & Anastasia went for a bike ride. (Colin got Ani a new bike and she needed a shake-out ride. It was lovely and so fun; she loves her bike as we all love ours.)
My excellent doctor gave a Rx for a NSAID that has been very helpful. After nearly 4 wks. from the appointment I saw the orthopedist, and had an MRI on Wednesday. I’m still waiting on the results. My hip doesn’t hurt, my knee is okay if I don’t run or push a heavy gear on the bike or squat/lunge too much weight. So until I know what’s wrong with my knee, I can’t begin rehab. I hate this kind of pergatory — I’m a doer, not a waiter. I’m all ready to begin rehab, if only I knew what I need to do.
So, I’m stuck — I won’t take classes that involve lunges and squats, I won’t do leg weight-training, I won’t do steep hill climbing on my bike, until I know what’s up. I dislike this place I’m holding right now.
We’re planning a West Coast bike ride with our friends with whom we rode Skyline Dr. in the Shenandoah National Park last May, for this coming May — from Crescent City to San Francisco — we hope before the June Gloom (aka seasonal coastal fog) sets in. We’re putting together a new tandem bike, one of carbon fiber with couplers, so we can pack it to within the airlines’ rules so we don’t have to pay extra to ship it to Ireland or Italy or other places.
We also want to remodel the master bath, but that’s maybe a post-retirement goal.
Chris wants to do some triathlons this year. I want to do some time trials. Mostly we want to have fun on our bikes. That should be the easiest goal of all.
Aside from that? Life’s great! Happy New Year!
Debster822's Blog 
The reality of old age creeping in is frustrating and frightening. At least we’re out there doing it and reaping the benefits while having a great time. You always have a great attitude and always moving towards the pie in the sky Deb. It really helps everyone out there keep moving forward. It’s been an extremely rough year for me and I’m sure everyone else but just stay positive. I’ve been battling injury but have a lot of big goals ahead. I’m reading a lot of blogs and info from older athletes and it’s really helping me and my regimen. So much comes down to flexibility and blood flow. I’ve incorporated yoga exercise and doing longer warm ups with roller and stretching. Has really helped immensely. Keep moving forward and going for the gold!
Thanks, Pete! I’ve thought the same of you, that whatever challenge you’re facing, you address it head-on while staying focused on your big goal and being positive. Yes, this old age thing (and I generally don’t feel old; I feel like I’m 40 with a number of little things going on) can be frustrating. It’s also very rewarding. I know how to pace myself. I can let the sprinters go and know that I have nothing to prove. And I know how much mental fortitude it takes to achieve my goals. Now if only I can get my body to cooperate, I can get back on track. I guess the secret is to keep moving.