Stiches... Ride... Hills… Rain... Ride...
Stiches... Ride... Hills… Rain...
Ride...
I saw the opportunity to ride
today so I took it. This was the first
weekend I didn’t have a real workout in a very long time. I did some minor walking with the girl and a
lot of running around the backyard with her, but I was on a limited exercise
per doctors’ orders. See, on Friday I
had to have an old man spot removed from my right eye. It was some sort of cyst. I am sure the doctor told me what kind; I
just don’t remember. It was benign and
nothing to worry about but in the end, but it had to come off so they could
test it.
The man was a magician. No really.
I didn’t feel a thing the entire time he worked on me. Did I get a little panicky when he
started? Yaa, but whenever someone is
going to work on you with needles in a knife, I think you get that way. However, the nurse numbed the eye up nice with
some ointment and eye drops. I didn’t
fee the numbing shot. I didn’t feel the
knife. The only thing I felt was the
needled he used to sow me up when it touched my face a few times. This was the best biopsy ever and I should
know. I have had a few things hacked off my body before.
My most memorable biopsy, was
performed by my father. Which, if you don’t
know my Dad you might think is sort of weird.
When I tell you he was a long-time orthopedic surgeon and once operated
on Larry Bird, it might make you feel better about things. This is the man who once laid me on the
kitchen table and stitched my lip up, when I fell off a slide and split it
open. Then again after this tale you might not feel
better about it, I will let you be the judge.
It was 07, and I remember it was
07 because NetIQ had been purchased, I was training for three half marathons in
three months and I was working out of Houston, TX. A vast land of fried food and humidity. I went back to Terre Haute for my Dad’s
birthday celebration. However, before I
went I noticed that I had an irregular shaped mole on my shoulder. So, I did what any doctors kid would do, I
said nothing about it until I saw my Dad.
What I remember the most vividly about showing him this is at this
actual birthday party him making me take off my shirt and show it to all his
doctor friends. We must have gotten at
least 10 opinions and all 10 were that thing needs to come off and be tested.
During 07, I was still at the height
of my needle paranoia. To say I feared
needles is an understatement. Get blood
drawn, I would pass out. Get a shot, I would
pass out. Go to Team in Training Kick-offs
and listen to Cancer Patients talk about all the needles they got poke with, I
would, well, you guess it, pass out. Ok,
so I wouldn’t pass out, but I would get sick to my stomach with fear, and get lightheaded
and have uncontrollable sweats, and must get out of there. Anyway, so the idea of spending the last few
hours of my time in Indiana at my dad’s office with him poking me with needles
and then cutting me open, however, sometimes those are the breaks.
So, I talked my eldest sister in to
going with me. I thought having her hold
my hand might help me through this. My Mom,
who was a nurse, was also going to assist the doctor. This all sounds good right. Surrounded by family members while you are
getting a biopsy, what could possibly go wrong.
Have you ever met my family, is all I have to say to that.
Mom and Dad were in an argument
and if you think slicing open their 31-year middle son would stop the argument then
you have never again met my family. The
entire time I was face down on the table, my Mom and Dad were bickering like,
well like an old married couple. I don’t
remember what they were arguing about, it doesn’t matter, but it was not a good
argument. It really wasn’t a good argument to be in the middle of, when you are
terrified, and having someone cut open your shoulder.
Who I really felt bad for was my
sister. The more my parents argued and
the more work my dad did on me, the harder and harder I squeezed her had. I think I damn near broke it. I remember hearing for the first and only
time in my life from my sister that she was disappointed in me and that she
would never be my emotional support again.
I forget how strong I am.
However, it wasn’t the fact that I squeeze so hard that made her utter
those words. No, it was the fact that on
that trip back to Terre Haute, I reached my breaking point with my folks.
Yes, as they argued over my open
shoulder, I decided at that very moment was when I had enough of their tom
foolery. So midway through the procedure,
I decided I was getting up and leaving.
I was in a total panic. Freaking
out, but I didn’t care, I couldn’t lay there and listen to the argument
anymore. So, that was probably the breaking
point for everyone. Especially, since
they all three had to calm me down and get me back on the table. The room looked like a slasher film with blood
every where from me trying to leave. Oh my.
Those were the days. In my mind the
entire thing is hilarious now, then it was a nightmare. It also goes to show if you want your patient
to be calm and relaxed talk to him about dogs and pets. Don’t argue with your significant other over
some non-sense. The doctor last Friday magician. Talked to me about dogs. No fighting, no patient trying to get up and
leave.
The weekend ended up being a restful
one. I wasn’t supposed to sweat the
first few days. So, I took it easy. Walked my girl. Played ball with her in the back yard. However, come Monday, it was time to
ride. Oh, I was needing it so bad. So, I
got ready and headed out.
The first thing that I noticed as
I headed south on Laughlin was that over the hills the sky was growing
black. However, I didn’t care I was
heading to Greenville and doing my Greenville loop. I was hoping that I could make it to the end of
Greenville and back before the rains came.
I really had no way of estimating if I could or not, but I was going to
give it the ole college try anyway. I
thought I could handle 13 miles and 600 feet of climbing before any storm
rolled in.
Heading south on Greenville or as
you know how I like to call it GreenBill b/c it is officially my bitch
now. I felt strong. The legs felt better than they had in a while
on the bike. Probably a combination of
the miles I had put in over the summer and the rest. As I approached the first climb on GreenBill,
I started to toy with an idea in my mind.
Could I make it up GreenBill 1 without going into the biggest ring in
the back or what I call mountain climbing gear.
I shook the idea, why waste the legs on it. However, it was there planted like a
seed. Could I, do it? There was no question I was going to put the
bike into Granny in front and use it to my advantage, but what if I didn’t use
the biggest ring I back, what if I worked a little harder going up.
Again, I pushed the notion out of
my mind as I went into granny in the front and started my long slow
assent. As I went up found myself
attacking the hill. I was not pushing up
to hard, but I was pushing harder than normal.
I passed the first little biker guy on the road and was up ¼ the way to
the top. I had three gears to give in
the back. I just kept going. For the first time ever, my speed going up
stayed above 5 mph. Look, I am Billy b
not Lance, so 5 mph up a hill is good for me.
I gave myself a little room in the back but still had two more rings if
I needed them. However, as I passed
little biker guy 2 and was still maintaining 5 mph, I knew two things were
going to happen 1) I was going to climb the rest of the way in the gears I was
in and 2) I was going to make it to the top.
When I crested GreenBill #1 I let out a little cry of victory. My legs felt awesome, and I had attacked a
hill. I told myself you know what you
are starting to become a bad ass!
I looked to the east again and
the sky was growing darker and darker. The
chances of me outrunning the rain were becoming slimmer and slimmer. However, there was no quit in me. I headed out to GreenBill Climb #2. Feeling confident, I wondered just how far up
GreenBill #2 I could go without going into mountain climbing gear. I found my
answer at the top of GreenBill #2, the answer was all the way to the top. Now
by the time I got to the top of GreenBill #2 I still had one gear to go in the
back before mountain climbing gear. Oh,
yes, I was becoming a bad ass alright.
There was never a doubt, I would
use all my gear to go from the end of the road and back up GreenBill #3, it is
just to damn steep, to do any other way.
It was at this point that the sky’s opened up and started to rain. I would be lying to you if I said that I wasn’t
excited about the rain. There was
something about being out in the rain and riding that made me feel pretty awesome. It was like when you swim in the rain. It makes you feel like so awesome because you
are out doing something that few others would do, and you are loving ever
minute of it.
While I enjoyed riding in the
rain, I was also really cautious. I was worried
about a slick road. I was worried about
people not seeing me. I was worried
about going too fast downhill. I probably over worked my breaks on the way
down. I didn’t want to fall. I can’t remember
rain riding etiquette. It has been way
to long since I road in the rain. It isn’t
something us folks in the Tri-Valley really must think of, unfortunately, it
doesn’t rain nearly enough. I wish it
rained more. Stupid drought. Stupid fires.
I came to GreenBill #4 which was
really just GreenBill #1 in the other direction. However, #4 isn’t nearly the climb that #1
is. So, I wasn’t not surprised when I rode
the entire hill in my middle front ring and had four rings to go in the
back. I didn’t simple start to think, I
was a bad ass at this point, I knew I was a bad ass, or had become one over the
summer. While, I am nervous about all
the climbs come October 1, I am also confident that I can get to the top, just
ride my ride and not anyone else’s. I
made sure I came down #4 super safe. It
is a steep drop and again safety first, especially as the rain hammered
me.
The ride home was good. I got filthy from the wet road and all the
muck that my tires through up at me. It
was nice, I had to remind myself I was in rain, and not to try and push
it. To just get back home safe, I didn’t
need to try and get an extra mile or two.
I didn’t need to seek out any more hills on Lupin or on the Altamont
Pass. Just take the ride. It was a good one. You killed your legs and they felt
great. So, that is what I did.
Comments
Post a Comment