Kelso

Opened up my email today and saw the monthly Chico report. Clicked it and to my surprise, I saw ME! A nice reminder of last year's glorious season. I've decided to give Kelso a shot afterall, hopefully to train through for provincials two weeks later. So not really carrying a lot of expectation, but I am excited because it sounds like there will be a cheering section this time. Woo hoo! Plus, I love riding Kelso (except maybe that infamous service road climb).

After email, my next stop was Chicoracing.com to see if the course map is up -- and it is! Looks like a fun old time -- I relish any opportunity to go DOWN the Ugly Up instead of climbing it, so this course is definitely Kris-approved. Hope to get out for preride on Wednesday the 4th, if anyone cares to join.

Rehab

So now that Strep in all its ugliness is behind me, it's time to get back to the business of bike racing. Such that it is. After a busy day in Niagara on Saturday, spent with Grampa, Aunt Mindy and Gerhard I got some time on Sunday to test out the ol' legs.

Since I didn't have much on the menu (just 90 minutes of endurance riding) I just rode the path of least resistance until a route formulated itself in my head. After a few right turns on reds, I found myself at the corner of Dufferin and Queen on a traffic-quiet Sunday morning. I decided to take my opportunity and tour Toronto's awesome downtown. Got a green on Queen and made my left.

Not two seconds later I was rewarded with an impaired woman, carrying a cat or something in a box with her pants about to fall down (as it was, almost a full butt cheek was visible above her jeans). Queen west = people watching at its finest. I continued, half wondering if I'd make it to the Jazz Festival in the beaches before the clock ran out.

After a few races with cabbies and punks on raleighs, I found myself on the border of the street fest in the Beach, but decided to head down the waterfront trail. And right into a marathon race of some kind! I cheered on some runners, then continued past the skate park.

Coincidentally, G was skating there at the time, but I didn't know that, so I missed the opportunity to see skater tricks. Drat. Thus deprived, I continued westwards on the Martin Goodman.

Around the CNE I met Maggie, an elderly Golden Retriever. She was suffering from heat-stroke, but her owner just accused her of being lazy. She was collapsed on the trail, with her mom yanking on her leash to try and tow her off the pavement. Naturally, I stopped and let Maggie have the rest of the my water. She looked thankful, but still thirsty. I hope her master figured things out for her, but I am satisfied I did all I could. Later, we accidentally shared spit when I took a swig from the dog slobbered bottle. They say dogs have the cleanest mouths, right?

Anyway, a couple people watching/racer cheering/dog-saving hours later, I was home with no other complications besides some slightly itchy ears. It's good to be back :)

Photo of the Day

Emily Batty, Trek World Racing (and the rest of Ontario's top athletes) is back in Europe getting ready for the return of the World Cup Racing season at Champery, Switzerland. Fresh off defending her U23 Canadian National Championship jersey, I'm stoked to see her continued success. She is truly living the dream.

There's no doubt Emily is fast becoming Canada's mountain bike darling. Everyone you talk to will tell you that not only is she obviously talented and hardworking, but she's a gal you'd want as a friend (and I won't even mention her good-looks). Always positive, and always smiling. She's so sweet, she even farts rainbows. ;)

Uncle!

After four days of discomfort at best, and delerium at worst I was able to return to real life. Which unfortunately, spent about as much time waiting for me as Alberto Contador. When I got back, things had piled up almost as high as the Tourmalet.

I guess there's never a convenient time to be sick, but this time it seemed extra intrusive. I have about a million files on the go at work right now. There are speeches to write, progress reports to create, web copy to edit, commercials to get into production, focus groups to attend and on and on and on. I don't know how I'll have time for anything else. Which is unfortunate because there's still a couple races left on the schedule.

Speaking of which, I wasn't sure how I ought to handle getting back in the saddle, so I hit up coach Steve Neal in the twittersphere. His advice was to multiply the number of days I was sick by 1.5 (so 4 days, times 1.5 = 6 days) and ride no more than 90 minutes endurance for each of those days. Then I'll be ready to layer on regular speed work and such once more.

However, Kelso has become kind of a question mark for me. We'll see how it goes. I do love to race Kelso ... but that is one big hill. Hmmm.

Under Attack

Timeline

Saturday: Fit as a Fiddle. Closed the day with a robust night ride at Albion Hills with D-Rock. At 11:00pm I was feeling better than fine.

Sunday, 6:30am - awakened from dreams about sore throats with actual sore throat. Swallowing difficult. Much pain, ugly swelling, zebra stripes.

7:00am - attempt to find walk-in clinic open on a Sunday

7:30am - give up and go back to bed

11:30am - wake up again (where'd 4 hours go?!)

12:33pm - Arrive at the ER at St. Joseph's hospital, since there seemed to be no clinics open

1:00pm - All registered, followed "the black line" to the fast track area, where there were about 50 other people waiting. Felt sure I'd be there til 4pm

1:05pm - Actaul Fast Track! Saw a doctor, prescription in hand, on my way out. Verdict? Strep. WHAT?!

1:30pm - waiting for Gerhard to pick me up, I'm almost laughing at how annoying a summer case of strep throat is, and at how random it all seems. Just my luck. I feel totally fine except for the sore throat.

2:00pm - first dose of pennicilin

2:30pm - no longer laughing.

3:00pm - Fever. Chills. Sweating. Clammy. Dizziness. Nausea. Headache. WTF.

4:00pm - Call mom (Because I was feeling miserable and wanted my mom, okay?). Mom says mom things, then says to call Telehealth.

4:10pm - Fever 39.0C. Telehealth assures me that this is all just the Strep and I am NOT having a reaction to Penicilen, even though things didn't start to go really south until I took it. She says I'll be contagious for 24 hours after my first dose because that's how long it takes for the antibiotic to get a foothold in my system.
Until then, she warns I'd likely only feel worse. Great.

5:30pm - Fever still climbing, 39.2C. Crazy dreams. Lots of whining.

Sleeping and popsicles until about midnight. Fever at midnight: 38C. Alright!!

Now it is 8:50am, only four more hours til the penicilin takes. At that point I'm assuming I'll start to feel better.

This blows. It's not like I had training to do or anything!!!

Albion Night Ride

Awesome night ride with D-Rock. Did Albion frontwards, backwards, daylight and nighttime. All tired out. My kind of Saturday night.

Bicycle Repairman

Thanks to Sweet Pete's Bicycle Repairmen, for tackling my brake problems, once again. See you soon!!