Day 133 - Spiderwebs to the Face

Went on a mountain bike night ride with my riding buddy Ridehard (that's him in the picture). We arrived at Mission Trails at 7:30 p.m. We geared up and put on our lights and hit the trail. It had been several months since my last night ride. I took the lead and rode at a moderate pace. We did the new lap which is 7 miles long. The trails were fast. They were nice and packed down from the rain we got the week before. Took a couple of spiderwebs to the face on several occasions. There were just like Campbell's soup -- mmm mmm good. We also rode Thornwood and Rattlesnake and the Up and Over on the way back. Afterward, we cooled down in the parking lot with a couple of frosties. It was a good night ride.

Day 129 - Riding the Border Wall

Got up early this morning to for a mountain bike ride with one of my riding buddies Harold. The trails were too muddy from the rain we got earlier in the week so we went exploring on the road. After meeting up at the parking lot at Mission Trails, we headed out on the Hike and Bike to Military Rd. We took a left on Military to a dirt levee road. We rode on the levee road for a few miles until we reached the Border Wall and the Anazaldua Bridge. (For those who don't live here, it's the wall the U.S. government built to keep out the illegal aliens from Mexico. I stopped to take a picture of the wall. It was impressive. A smooth white wall of concrete rising up 40 feet high (see picture). I don't think anyone is gonna be getting over that puppy. We talked about how cool it would be to have a road or mountain bike race along the border wall. We turned and took the road back to the parking lot.

Day 126 - Skipping the Race

I've decided skip the first race of the mountain bike race series in Brownsville. It was a tough decision, but I am still not 100% recovered from my broken hip and I haven't been training enough. I might do the 2nd race in November or the third race in December if my condition improves. I'm disappointed because I have raced in the series for the past three years. It's been fun. I have had a lot of good race memories from the series. I was looking forward to this year because I would have been riding my Anthem X2. All my previous races were ridden on my old Trek Fuel 70. While my "black beauty" served me well and bought me podium finishes, and the 2007 "expert" division title (see pic), it was a heavy bike. It tipped the scales at 32 lbs. Not exactly light for a XC race mountain bike. My Anthem X2 weighs 26.5 lbs. so I know I could have improved my race times from my previous races. But it looks like I am going to have to wait longer to find out. In a way I am relieved since I don't have focus so much on training and can just ride for pleasure, which is what I need right now.

Day 121 - Riding with my Buddies

After not riding for a couple of days I was iching for a ride. I got home. Helped my son do his homework. Changed into my biking clothes and headed out the door to the trails. On a whim I called up one of my riding buddies Harold to see if he was riding. By good fortune it turned out he was hooking up with two of my other riding buddies, Nico and Brian, to go ride at Santa Ana Refuge, a local wildlife refuge. We met up and jumped in my truck and headed out. When arrived at Santa Ana, saddled up our gear and rode. We rode the paved road for a couple of miles and then we hopped on the trails. The trails were overgrown with grass and full of mosquitos and ticks. We didn't stop in fear of being attacked! We rode until it was dark. It was great to ride with my buddies again. It had been a long time since we had ridden together. The only bad part was pulling off the ten or so ticks that had attached themselves to my legs during the ride. But it was worth it.

Day 119 - Quick. Somebody Kick Me in the Ass!

Lately I've been feeling old. My neck/upper back sprain has been hurting me for the past two days. More than my hip! I've had to take a Vicoden at night just to go to sleep. My lower back sprain from riding my mountain bike three weeks ago is also still lingering. I just can't seem to get over all my aches and pains. If this is what getting old is like, I don't want any part of it. I think I need to start doing some weight training to strengthen my core. I used lift weights at least two to three times a week during race season. It's just hard to find the time, energy, and motivation when you're injured, work full-time and have a family. Excuses, excuses, excuses. What I need is some motivation. Quick. Somebody kick me in the ass!

Day 117 - Tired and Sore

On Satuday, I mowed and trimmed my yard. Since the trails were too muddy from the rain we received Thursday and Friday, I went for a bike ride on my mountain bike in the afternoon. Rode down to the convenience store on Highway 107 to rent some movies from the Redbox. On the ride back, I came up on and pulled up next to another bike rider at a red light. I said hello and we talked while waiting for the light to turn green. Once the light turned green we continued to ride and talk. He was a roadie. We pedaled and talked for two miles before he reached his turnaround point. It was nice to see and talk to a fellow bike rider on my ride. Lately its been just me and my Ipod. I pulled a muscle in my back and I was in some pain when I got home. I had to take a Vicodin. I fell asleep, tired and sore.

Day 114 - Raining Cats and Dogs

Woke up this morning and went into the kitchen where my wife was making breakfast. She asked me "What's that clear stuff coming down outside?". Half asleep, I shuffled over to the kitchen window and took a peak "Rain!", I exclaimed. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was raining cats and dogs. We had been going through a drought and hadn't received any rain in the last six to seven months. The good news is the rain will pack down the trails which were loose and dusty. The bad news is it will spur new grass/weed growth. Our cycling club, The Mission Trails Club, which maintains the trails, will need to do some trail maintenance during the next few weeks. Will need to get out the mosquito repellant too becuase the mosquitos will be looking for some blood.

Day 112 - It Keeps Me On My Toes

My hip was a little sore from all the riding I had done over the Labor Day weekend. I rode 10 miles on the trails on Friday, 15 miles on the road on Sunday, and 15 miles on the trails/road on Monday. As a result I have been limping a little for the past two days. It's taken longer than I thought to get rid of my limp. I stopped needing to use my cane about three weeks ago. I also stopped doing my rehab exercises a month ago so I could concentrate on walking and cycling. I am doing some stretching of the leg and hip every few days. I really should resume my leg exercises. But somedays after a long day at work, it is hard to get motivated to do them. I don't like doing weight training. It's too repetitive. One of the reasons I love mountain biking is the mixture of speed, balance, and control that it requires and the concentration it demands to react to changes in terrain and obstacles. I'd much rather be outdoors riding my mountain bike. It keeps me on my toes.

Day 110 - Gettin' Dirty

Went out for a Labor Day ride this morning. After putting some miles in on my mountain bike on the road yesterday, I wanted to get in a ride on the trails. Rode many of the older trails at Mission Trails such as the Wetback, Time Trial, and Rattlesnake. Did the Bike Breaker for the first time since my accident (don't tell me wife). When I got home from my ride and took off my socks my ankles were covered with a thin layer of dust, dirt. Growing up as a kid, I loved playing in the dirt. That hasn't changed. I'm just doing it on two wheels now.

Day 107 - Riding the Logstacle

I saw my othropedic surgeon this morning. They did the usual routine. Took my weight, blood pressure, and x-rays. Saw my x-rays. Looked good. Doctor came and looked at my x-rays. Said the bone is healing. It's not completely healed so I still need to be careful and not take any hard falls. He told me he wanted to see me one more time in a six weeks. I took that as a good news that I am almost healed. I went home and changed into my cycling clothes and gear, mounted the Anthem, and headed out for a mountain bike ride. I rode south through downtown Mission to the trails. It is a mile and a half from my house to the trails. At the trails I rode Easy Rider, Jackhammer, Psychopath, Poo's Forest, Tweezer, and Champain Run. Rode at at moderate pace which was half speed of race speed. I'm hestitant on the turns, not wanting to fall. I'm slowly getting my confidence back. I rode a new logstacle that was put in Poo's. See picture. I rode the rockgarden on Psychopath. And I took the Quicksand Drop where I fell three weeks ago. I finished the loop tired but satisified with my ride and headed home.

Day 104 - Big Ring

Went out for a ride on my mountain bike after work to relieve some stress. Was going to do some laps around the school but changed my mind. Decided to ride to a convenience store to rent some movies from a Redbox machine. Loaded up my Camelback and took off. Rode down Conway Road heading north into a slight headwind. Shifted to the big ring and pushed the highest gear that I could while maintaining a good cadence. Made it to the Stripes convenience store on the corner of Conway and Highway 107 in about 20 minutes. Rented two movies and bought a bottle of wine and a 24 oz. beer for after the ride. (The wine was for my wife). Saddled back up on my mountain bike and started the ride back. The wind was with me so I was able to max out my gears part of the way back. It was just getting dark when I rolled into my driveway. I popped open my cold beer and celebrated my ride. Prost!

Day 102 - Like Old Times

Was jonsing for a ride this past weekend. Today was a great day to ride since we had a lot of cloud cover and it wasn't so hot. It's been a brutal summer. The temperature has been over 100 degree for thirty days straight. To make matters worse, we haven't had a drop of rain in months. It looked liked it was going to rain in the late afternoon. After mowing the yard, I went for a ride under the overcast skies. I did six laps around the school next to my house. I pushed the paced as much as I could, working up a good sweat maxing out the middle chainring and little cog. It started to sprinkle on my last lap. When I got to my house, my legs felt tight after getting off my bike. I hadn't had a good workout like that in a long time. It was like old times.

Day 98 - Grounding Lifted

I hadn't ridden my bike since my small fall two weeks ago, so I was itching to get back on my bike. I cautiously asked my wife, not sure if I was still grounded from riding. "Honey, do you want to go ride bikes?" She was reading and said "no". Seeing an opening, I then asked "Then can I ride?" "Where" she asked. "Around the school," I said. She paused and then said, "You don't need my permission to ride your bike." I couldn't believe my ears. I was no longer grounded. So before she could change her mind, I quickly changed into my bike clothes and put on my bike gear and headed out for a few laps around the school. The same school with the school signs and poles that took me out three months ago. I rode cautiously, staying far away from the sign poles. After the 6th lap, I rode home. Content and happy to be back on my mountain bike.

Day 96 - Slacking Off

I've been slacking off on my workouts and rehab lately. I've been bummed out my progress which has been slow. My hip has improved to the point where I am walking without my cane. What worries me is my lower back which I sprained two weeks ago when I went out for a bike ride and stood and hammered the pedals. Should have known better after being off my mountain bike for three months. I was dealing with the same back injury before I broke my hip. I don't know why. I used to be able to stand and hammer the pedals with no problems. Now every time I do it, I sprain my lower back. I am beginning to doubt that I will be able to race in the mountain bike race series in Brownsville this year. The first race is in October. I've competed in the races for the past three years. I will miss racing.

Day 92 - Walking Again

My leg felt better today. After work, my wife, son, and I went to Mission Trails. We walked and my son rode his mountain bike. I took a few pictures of him riding the trails. He likes riding down the hills on his mountain bike. I actually caught him smiling while riding! (See picture.) I walked from the parking lot to the cattle guard and back, about a mile, without my cane. I saw a couple of guys in our bike club riding. Made me miss riding my mountain bike. After three days of limping, I was happy to see improvement in my hip.

Day 90 - Limp Is Back

My limp is back. I've had to use my cane after my little mountain bike spill at the trails on Sunday. I didn't think my wreck it was too bad after it happened. But my hip has been sore for the last two days. Darn! Just when I thought I was over the hump and back to riding my mountain bike. One step forward and two steps back. To make matters worse my back is still sore from straining it a week ago when riding the Hike and Bike. Between my hip and back, I good for nothing. I haven't done my walking or rehab exercises. I haven't ridden my indoor trainer. I hope I didn't mess up my hip up too bad. It seems ok. It just feels like I regressed. I've learned my lesson. I've got to take it easy. No bike riding on the trails for me for a while.

Day 88 - Welcome Back to the Trails

Today marked my first time back on my mountain bike on the trails since my hip surgery three months ago. In the afternoon my wife, son, and I met up with Eddie and his 12-year son for a kid's ride at Mission Trails (that's me in red and my son, Noah, in yellow). I thought it would be a good introduction back on the trail. It was a slow pace for the kids. I got a flat about 1/2 way through the lap. I quickly pumped air into the tire and we were back on the trail. For the most part, I felt good. My balance was a little off. I was doing fine until the Quicksand drop, a 12-foot, 45 degree drop into a bed of sand. I made the drop but got off line at the bottom and panicked, hitting my front brake to avoid the trees on both sides. I slid out and went down into the sand. I got up. Nothing hurt. I continued and finished the ride. When I got back to the parking lot my wife saw that I was all dusty and ask "What happened? Did you wreck?". "Yes, I took a slight spill," I said sheepishly. Looks like I'm gonna be grounded from riding the trails for a little longer. At least I got my first flat and wreck out of the way. Welcome back to the trails.

Day 86 - Use Protection

So I have been looking for protection for my hip when I ride. I searched the web and found some padded hip shorts for downhill mountain bikers. Fox makes a nice looking pair, but they were pricey. Other companies such as Under Armor also make padded shorts for football with the cushions built in. But they also were pricey. So I ended up buying a 3-pad football shorts with pockets for football pads. I bought some football hip pads made of 1/2 inch EVA foam to place inside the shorts. I'm not sure if they will prevent a broken hip in a hard fall like the one I had, but they will give me confidence. At this point that is what I need to get back on my mountain bike. Remember to always use protection.

Day 85 - Snakes Alive!

Today was my wife's birthday. As the good hubby I am, I took off the day at work to spend some time with her and my son. In the morning I rode my mountain bike on my indoor trainer for 30 minutes and did my rehab exercises for another 30 minutes. For her birthday we went to lunch at our favorite sushi restaurant Kato Sushi. After lunch we drove to the mall to buy my son some shoes for school. I walked a lot at the mall. In the evening it was more walking as we went to Bentsen Park which had some night activities going on at the park such as bug hunting and meteror watching. My highlight was touching an Indigo snake one of the park volunteers had draped around his shoulders. It was scaly. It was close to midnight when we got home. I must have walked at least three miles without my cane during the whole day. My leg was spent. I hope it is not sore tomorrow.

Day 83 - My Butt Hurts

When I woke up this morning, my back and neck was sore from my ride on Sunday. My butt hurt too. I think I overdid it a bit by standing and cranking the pedals on the on the hills. Or it was the length of time I spent in the saddle. Most of my rides on the indoor bike trainer have been 30 minutes. I spent about 1 hour and 1/2 on my bike on Sunday. I need to spend more time on my bike.

Day 82 - Back in the Saddle Again

Rode my bike today for the first time since my surgery. I mustered up my courage and went for a ride on my singlespeed with my wife and son the Hike and Bike, which is a 10-mile loop from the Mission Trails parking lot to Bensten Park and back. I used the ride to test my leg. I knew I could sit and spin without any problems since I was doing that on the indoor trainer. The real test was standing up and cranking the pedals. A quarter of way into the ride, I decided to test it out on a slight incline. I stood up and hammered the pedals. My knee felt a little weak, but held. It passed the test. We continued the ride at a moderate pace. An hour and half later we made it back to the parking lot. Mission accomplished. Back in the saddle again.

Day 81 - Diving Fun

In the afternoon, my wife, my son, and I went swimming at the City of McAllen pool on Bicenntennial. It a nice pool with a big, twisting slide and a diving board. Feeling hot, I decided to take a plunge in the cool, inviting water. With a slight limp, I walked over to the diving board and stood in line with a bunch of kids. I did a cannonball on my first dive. Then I did a jackknife. After that I did a straight dive. I was having diving fun until my leg started to hurt after about seven dives. I limped back over to my wife and sat down in a folding chair under the shade of a big tree that we had found and spent the rest of the afternoon reading my Mountain Bike Action magazine. I dozed off and dreamt I was riding my mountain bike.

Day 78 - Help Me Tom Cruise!

My orthopedic surgeon told me I could start riding my mountain bike again on the road. He still wants me to stay off the trails until I'm fully healed. The main thing he said is to avoid falling on my hip again. After we left the office, my wife noticed that I was quiet and asked "Why aren't you happy? You don't seem excited about being able to ride your bike?" I hestitated for a moment before admitting to her "That's because I'm scared." After taking a hard fall, psychologically I am worried that if I ride again I'm gonna wreck out and hurt my hip. It reminds me of a scene in "Talladega Nights" when Ricky Bobby crashes his car and gets out and runs around the track in his underwear thinking he is on fire and shouting "I'm on fire! I'm on fire! Help me Tom Cruise!" Maybe Tom Cruise can help me too. I need to put the fire of wrecking out of my mind.

Day 77 - Some Days Better Than Others

Did a 30 minute bike ride on my indoor trainer in the evening. Took it easy the first 10 minutes then shifted to a bigger gear for the next 20 minutes. It was a moderate-paced workout. I got my heart pumping ok. Nothing too intense. My legs felt a little tight after I finished. Did my rehab exercises afterward. My leg always feels better after exercise. Usually it is stiff in the morning. I'm still walking with my cane. It's been about a month since I have been using a cane. I thought I would have dropped it by now, but my progress has been slow. Some days it feels better than others. On Sunday, I went kayaking with my wife at Anzuldua Park and I didn't need my cane. I carried a 35 lb. kayak without any problems. Then on Monday I was back to the cane. I can't figure it out. Will see what my doctor says. I have an appointment tomorrow morning.

Day 72 - Walking and Walking

Been walking a lot after work on my leg. Yesterday I walked around Veterans High School with my wife. It is about a mile around the school. We walked on the same sidewalk that I fell on and broke my hip. I struggled to make it all the way around without my cane. Today, it felt better. I walked for at least 45 minutes around a tennis court at a park as my wife and son played tennis. My leg and hip felt good. I'm limping less. I am going to do more walking and less riding my bike on my indoor trainer. It seems like putting weight on my injured leg/hip does more good than spinning pedals on my mountain bike, which doesn't put much weight on my leg. I won't get as much cardio work, but I can also build up my cardio later. I just want to ditch my cane as soon as I can.

Day 70 - First Good Workout

Today I had did my first good workout since my surgery. I rode my mountain bike on my indoor trainer at a fast pace for 30 minutes. I worked up a steady sweat about 15 minutes into the ride. I don't have a heart rate monitor, but I'm guessing I got my heart rate up to at least 130 to 140 beats per minute, based on experience. Before I got injured I would do intervals where I would stand up and hammer the pedals for 20 to 30 seconds at a time, taking my heart rate to 180 bpms, which is my maximum heart rate. While it was nowhere close to my maximum it felt good to get my blood pumping through my veins, my heart, and my body. I can't wait until I am able to stand up and hammer those pedals again like old times.

Day 68 - Shorter Leg

I made good progress on my leg/hip over the weekend. I think I may have finally turned the corner with my hip. I was able to walk without my cane with only a slight limp. Last week I added some exercises to strengthen my hip abductor muscles, which seemed to have helped. I was reading that the hip abductor muscles help stabilize the pelvis and hip. I am encouraged by my progress. I'm also relieved. For a while I was worried that maybe my limp was caused by my leg being shorter from my surgery. I remember when my grandmother broke her hip when she was 93, the doctor fixed it, but it ended up being an inch or two shorter than her good leg. I'm relieved that that's not the case. I don't want to be called "peg leg" for the rest of my life!

Day 65 - My Rehab Routine

People often ask me if I am doing rehab. My answer is "yes". I've been doing rehab at least three to four times a week at my house. I haven't gone to a rehabilitation clinic or seen a physical therapist, cause I trying to save a few bucks so I can pay my hospital bills. I have done some research on the web to find exercises that I need to do. I've been alternating days between riding my mountain bike on an indoor trainer, and walking on a treadmill. And I do some exercises with 10 lb. ankle weights to stengthen my hamsting, glutus maximus, and quadricep muscles. Yesterday I rode my indoor trainer for 40 minutes. Today, I walked a mile and a half on the treadmill. I can't seem to lose my limp yet. My goal is to walk into my doctor's office without a cane or limp at my next appointment in first week of August. I'm not sure if I am going to be able to since my progress has been slow lately, but I am surely going to try.

Day 64 - Body Tattoos

During the past four years that I have been mountain bike riding I have had my share of wrecks. Like tattoos, I have visible reminders on my body to remind me of my wipeouts. I have a small, pen eraser size scar on my upper right arm where a small tree limb jammed into my flesh. The doctor had to dig it out. I have two, two inch diameter brown, circular scars on both of my hips from strawberries I got from sliding out on the road. I have a two inch scar on the right side of my face from a wipeout I took at Flat Rock Ranch last year when I lost control on a descent and hit my head on the ground, cracking my helmet in seven places and breaking the arm on my sunglasses which cut me open. It took 15 stitches to fix (that's me in the pic after the stitches). You should have seen the look on my wife's face when I came home. I'm surprised that my wife even lets me ride after all my accidents.

Day 62 - A Matter of Time

My wife called me in the morning to tell me that one of my riding buddies, Brian (the guy kissing the burro while on a mountain biking trip in Saltillo, Mexico, last year), took a nasty fall while riding some hilly singletrack at Sullivan City. Concerned, a couple of my friends/riding buddies and I met up with him after work to see how he was doing. His arm was all scratched up and his shoulder was in a sling. The doctor had reset his separated shoulder in the morning. As we talked about his wreck, I realized that we had something in common -- each of us had either broken or seriously injured ourselves from mountain biking. Nico broke a finger in his hand after an encounter with his handlebar and a tree. Harold fractured his wrist after riding his bike into a canal ditch. I broke my hip after clipping a signpost with my handlebars. And Brian had separated his shoulder after losing it down a hill. I came to the conclusion that if you mountain bike the way we do -- hard and fast -- you will fall, and eventually you will get hurt. Wrecking goes with the territory. It's just a matter of time before you will hit the dirt, road, or in my case the concrete. Despite our injuries we will continue to mountain bike because we love riding. We just might have to slow down a little bit!

Day 60 - Rather Been Racing

My wife and I spent Saturday morning volunteering with mountain bike race in Mission called "The Four Hours of Cactus" organized by a local bike club we belong to The Mission Trails Club. It was a tough race. The humidity was high and it was hot. I'm sure it was over the century mark near the end of the race at noon. I mostly roamed around taking pictures and talking to riders and friends. It was good to help out and talk to friends, but I would have much rather been racing and getting sweaty and dirty. I enjoy racing mountain bikes. I miss the nervousness waiting at the starting line, the blast of adrenline that surges through me after the start, and pushing my body to the limits against competitors lap after lap. Being at the race reminded me of how much I miss racing and strengthened my resolve to race again.

Day 57 - Waddling for a Mile

After sitting on my behind for most of the day at work, I needed to get out and workout my leg and hip. Instead of riding my mountain bike on the trainer, I decided to try out my wife's treadmill for the first time. I got on it and turned it on at a slow pace of 1 mph. That was too slow so I gradually increased it to about 1.8 mph which was a good pace for me. I started walking. My foot hurt, my hip ached, and I walked like a penguin, favoring my injured leg and hip. Thirty minutes later I stopped after waddling for a mile. While it may not seem like a lot and it wasn't a pretty sight, I did it without my cane! I was proud of that.

Day 54 - Peg Leg

Over the past few days I've been working my leg out. I've been putting my full weight on my leg and trying to walk without my cane. I'm able to walk without my cane for a little bit, but I still have a noticeable limp. I need a few more days to build up my muscles and trust my leg is going to support my weight. My wife has a new nickname for the way I walk. She's been calling me "Pegleg". Now all I need is a parrot, an eyepatch, and a pirate ship, and I would be set. "Aye, aye, matie!"

Day 53 - Indoor Trainer

I set up my mountain bike on an indoor trainer at my house this weekend. I bought the trainer from friend at work who doesn't ride much anymore. I went by BikeMasters and bought a tire without any knobbies to use as the rear tire. I slapped on a gel cushion seat and got on and pedaled for a 25-minute ride on Saturday evening. Not wanting to overdo it like my first ride on a stationary bike, I spun at a relatively easy pace. After I finished I felt good. It was great to get back on my mountain bike again, even if it was indoor and I didn't go anywhere. The thing I liked about using the trainer was I didn't have to put all my biking gear on, except for my shoes. I'll probably do all of my training on the indoor trainer until I'm ready for the trails. I'm trying to stay away from sidewalks. They haven't been too friendly to me lately.

Day 50 - Spinning Pedals

I got on and rode a stationary bike today. I went over to the old gym at work during my lunch hour to try it out. I wasn't sure how my leg and hip would do. After changing into my workout clothes, I hobbled over to the bike with my cane. I adjusted the seat. I programmed the bike for 25 minutes on an easy, flat level, and started pedaling. I kept pedaling working up a small sweat by the end of the ride. I ended up doing 3.5 miles with a cadence of about 95 rpm. When I got off the bike, my hip felt fine, but both my legs were tight. The tightness disappeared after I rested a bit. Later in the day my quad muscle in good leg started hurting and I got a pain in my lower back. I put the heating pad on my leg and back when I got home and it took care of it. While it might not be the real thing it felt good spinning pedals.

Day 49 - The Penguin Walk

Since the doctor said it was ok to put my full weight on my leg I tried walking without my cane today for a little bit. I was able to walk without it, but my walk was very herky-jerky. I can put my full weight down on my injured right leg, but only for a brief moment and then I have to quickly move my good leg up to compensate. The best way to describe it is how penguins walk. They take small steps and waddle from side to side. It's funny looking. I am going to have to keep using my cane for a few weeks until my leg and foot get stronger and used to bearing the full weight of body again. I guess that's what happens after not using my leg for seven weeks. The saying "If you don't use it, you lose it" is true. Time to start using it again.

Day 48 - Another Month to Go

I saw my doctor today. They took x-rays as I expected. The x-rays looked good. The good news is the fracture is healing. The bad news is I can't ride yet. My doctor said I need at least another month to go before I can get back on the bike. He basically told me to not push it too much. The femur is the biggest bone in the body and needs time to heal he said. No running. No jumping. No biking. I was disappointed to hear that. He did say walking was ok and I could put all my weight on it when I was ready. The consolation was he said I could ride an indoor stationary bike. We have a few at work in the gym, so I am going to try to ride one later in the week to see how I do. That and continue my rehab exercises using a five lb. ankle weight for resistance.

Day 47 - Keeping My Fingers Crossed

I have a doctor's appointment with my orthopedic surgeon tomorrow morning. I'm anxious to see how I'm doing and hear what he has to say. I saw him two weeks after surgery and he told me to put only 25% weight on it. Five weeks have past since my last appointment. I'm sure they will take some more x-rays to see how the fracture is healing. My leg and hip feel good, like I could walk on it if I tried. But I don't want to chance it. I'm hoping everying looks good and my doctor gives me the ok to put my full weight on my leg. I'm also going to ask my doctor the big question -- "Can I ride my bike yet?". I'm keeping my fingers crossed he says yes.

Day 43 - My Back Hurts

Yesterday, I was in cane heaven. Today, I'm not too sure. Yes I get around a lot easier and quicker. And it was less of a hassle to carry, but after I full days use I got a pain in my lower back. With a walker I would distribute my weight between my two arms, so it was a balance load. With a cane, I am putting all my weight on my left arm which causes my back to be out of balance. I think also it is because I am not putting enough weight on my injured leg when I walk. Hopefully, when I see the doctor on Monday he will give me the ok to put more weight on my leg and less on my cane. Depending on how my back feels tomorrow, I may go back to using my walker.

Day 42 - Cane Heaven

Good news! I went out and bought a cane today. Its black, aluminium, light, and adjustable. And it has a foam grip. I was hestitant to use it at first, but I quickly got the hang of it. You hold it in the hand opposite of your injured leg and move it at the same time as your injured leg, putting your weight on the cane. No more lugging around my old-fart walker. After six weeks of hearing the clacking and squeaking of the walker, it is pleasure to walk around quietly. I seem to be able to walk faster too. Just one little problem. I didn't ask my doctor if it was ok to start using a cane. Then again, I still only putting 25% weight on my injured leg as my doctor recommended when I use it so I think it is ok. I'm in cane heaven. I'm gonna add some orange flames to it to make it look fast.

Day 41 - The Fracture Club

The walker is a good conversation starter. A lot of people will ask me at work, or at the store, or elsewhere, what happened to me. I tell them my story. I think I have told the story at least 50 times. I don't mind telling it. I just wish I had a better story. Hitting a sign post with my handlebar doesn't impress anyone. They have quizzical look on their faces like "you did what?" After I tell them my story, some will tell me how they fractured an arm, leg, etc. A teacher told me how he fractured his leg when his motorcycle fell over on him. A jewelery store owner told me how he fractured his elbow after he fell. It's kinda cool, because you share something in common. It's like you belong to a special club. The Fracture Club. What I wouldn't give to not be a member.

Day 40 - When Will I Ride Again?

I plan to ride my mountain bike again. I just don't know when it will be. My leg and hip have been improving. My muscles are slowly rebuilding. I have regained more mobility in my leg and hip, especially in moving it outward when I'm opening my leg. I feel like I could walk on it, but I've been dutily following my doctor's orders to only put 25% of my weight on it. Six weeks is normally how long it takes for a fracture to heal. If all goes according to plan, I should be able to start walking and riding a stationary bike by the end of two months or eight weeks. My goal is to get back on my bike by the third month. I know that this is an agressive timetable, but that is what I am shooting for.

Day 38 - I Miss Riding

I often get asked if I am going to ride my bike again. My answer is an unequivocal "yes". I plan on riding my mountain bike again. I only got three rides in on my new bike, Giant Anthem X2, before I wrecked it. Biking is in my blood. It's been five weeks without spinning the pedals, but its seems like an eternity. I miss the feel of the wind rushing by and my tires rolling in the dirt as I snake through the trees. I miss the comradie of riding with my friends on a group ride. I miss getting dirty and sweaty. I miss pushing my body and lungs to the limit in a mountain bike race. I miss riding. I can't wait to get back on my mountain bike.

Day 37 - Bike Commuting

Yesterday, I met a guy at work named John who commutes to work on his bike. He's in his 50's. He commutes every day from McAllen to Edinburg, a 7-mile trip each way, 14-mile roundtrip every day. We talk a while with me peppering him with a lot of questions like "How do you carry your stuff? Do you take a bath when you get to work? Isn't it hot on the bike ride home?" He answers my questions, then he tells me he's been riding his bike to work for seven years. Wow. I'm impressed. Inspired by his story, I tell him that I will see him on the road when my hip get better and I am able to ride my bike again. I got a lot of bike riding to catch up on when I get better.

Day 36 - Airport Detectors

When I talk to people about my bike wreck and my new titanium parts in my hip, some of them will joke about how I going to set off airport metal detectors when I fly. Curious if this was true I did some research on the Internet and found: more than half of all orthopaedic implants may be detected by metal detectors. Bad. Plates, screws, intramedullary nails and wires are rarely detected. Good. I have an intramedullary nail. Cobalt-chromium and titanium implants are much more likely to be detected than stainless-steel implants. Bad. My nail is titanium. Lower-extremity implants are detected 10 times more often than upper-extremity implants. Bad. Mine is in my hip. Three bads and one good. Looks like I'm going to have to take some extra time to get through security the next time I fly.

Day 35 - "Rad" Ross Breaks Hip

“Rad” Ross Schnell, the defending "All Mountain" world champion mountain bike racer, suffered a broken hip Saturday at a race in France. Schnell, 28, was competing in the event when he slipped on wet grass and hit the deck at 30 miles per hour. He fractured his left femur. "Rad" Ross claimed the unofficial "All Mountain" world title by winning California's Downieville Classic in 2008. The injury has Schnell out of commission for at least four to six weeks. There is a story about Ross in July 2009 issue of Bike magazine in which he says, "Mountain bike racing should be fun. It shouldn't be a grim, serious thing. I mean, you are riding around in a circle on a bike wearing tights. How serious can you be?" I totally agree.

Day 34 - Sore All Over

I drove the Dodge Intrepid to work to this morning. The seat is softer on my butt than the seat in my truck. But the brake pedal takes more force to press down. I think I need new brakes. It gets better gas mileage than my truck so I am going to try to keep driving it.

My foot felt swollen when I woke up. I worked it good with my rehab exercises yesterday. I did three sets of 50 reps of my exercises with a 5 lb. ankle weight. I think I am going to do my rehab exercises every other day to give my leg a rest between workouts. My left hand was sore from using the walker. I going to use my bicycle gloves more often to relieve the pressure on my hands on when I use the walker. And my back was still sore from working on my wife's car on Saturday. I'm sore all over, but my hip feels fine. Go figure.

Day 32 - Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Raising kids is a tough job. I took it easy most of the day, as my leg felt a little sore and my foot felt a little swollen from all the running around I did Saturday. I went to church in the morning. After church we drove to my parents' house to have lunch with my dad and mom. When we got home I was feeling tired, so I took a nap. My back was sore from trying to fix my wife's car window the day before. In the evening we went to drop off a Father's Day gift to my wife's dad. Then we stopped at the grocery store and video store. I had a craving for a hamburger, so we picked up some food at Whataburger. When I got home I ate my Whataburger and drank a Guinness beer. That was my Father's Day treat. I'm happy.

Day 31 - On the Road Again

This morning I got back behind the wheel of my car and drove. My wife didn't want me to drive, so I snuck out of the house while she was busy. I drove slow at first. I used two feet instead of one, the left for the brake and the right for the gas. I drove to O'Reilly's in Mission to buy a battery for my other car. Feeling ok, I then drove to a used parts store in Alamo to buy a window regulator for my wife's car. On the way home I stopped at Stripes to fill up the truck. And I stopped at HEB Express to buy some snacks. It wasn't too bad. I was able to get my walker down by myself. The seat was a little uncomfortable on my hip, but that is probably because I haven't driven in a month. It felt good to be on the road again. It gave me a sense of regaining my independence. I am going to try to drive to work this week by myself. Will see how it goes.

Day 30 - One Month and Counting

Today marked the 30th day since my surgery. I've come a long way in my recovery since I had surgery a month ago. I am off my pain medications, I'm off my pee bottle, I am able to get into and out of bed quicker, I don't use my wheelchair much, I've gone back to work, I've started driving, I'm able to sleep on my good side instead of flat on my back, my leg is stronger, and I'm able to move my leg better. I remember the first day after surgery I couldn't even move my leg an inch. While I still can only bear 25% weight on the leg that I had hip surgery on as per doctor orders, I've made good progress on my singletrack to recovery.

Day 29 - Pimp My Walker

I'm getting tired of my walker. One, it makes me feel old. Two, it makes a lot of noise when I walk. I joke around that I can't sneak up on my coworkers anymore. They can hear the clickly clack of the walker feet and the squeaky wheels when I walk the halls. It makes noise even on the carpet. Third, it doesn't look hip with its hospital silver frame and gray grips. It would be cool if you could buy a walker in anodized colors like bikes, like blood red, blaze orange, bad black. I would go with bad black and add some flames and skulls graphics. Then I would accessorize it with an insulated beverage holder for frosties. Add hydraulic disk brakes for stopping power and lockon grips. And last, but not least, attach a pair of speakers to blast my iPod tunes and I'd be in business. Now that's a sweet walker I wouldn't be embarassed to use and be seen with and make me feel like an old fart. Pimp my walker please.

Day 28 - Rehab Routine

I've been doing a few exercises to strengthen my quad and hamstring muscles in my surgery leg. I do 100 knee raises, 100 hamstring curls, and 100 leg kicks daily. I'm doing these exercises without any weight. It's amazing how much my muscles in my leg have deteriorated since surgery. I thought I had decent muscle strength in my leg from bike riding, but man, it's like starting from scratch. I plan to buy some ankle weights and slowly add weight to my leg exercises as it gets stronger. I'm also talking vitamins and a calicum supplement to make sure my body gets what it needs. At night I have been taking heated baths to soak my leg, and I've been using a heating pad on my leg to increase blood flow to the muscles to speed recovery. I hope my rehab routine pays offs and will help me get back to walking soon.

Day 27 - Guns of Steel

Yesterday evening my wife mowed the yard. In the summer our grass, Floratam, grows super fast. You have to mow it weekly. Today I showed her how to use the lawn edger and trimmer. She was slow and hesitant handling the equipment at first, but got the hang of it and ended up doing a good job. Here is a picture of her and her guns of steel working the edger. Is it bad of me to think of faking my injury for a few more months until summer is over so I can escape of lawn duties? I guess the only downside is I wouldn't be able to ride my bike. On second thought it's not worth it.

Day 26 - Gov. Perry Endos

I was talking to a business associate from Austin this morning about my accident and she told me Rick Perry, the Governor of Texas, broke his collarbone while riding his mountain bike in Austin a few days ago. After I finished talking to her, I went back to my office and did a quick search on the Internet and found this excerpt from a story from The Dallas Morning News.

"Perry broke his collarbone and scraped his elbow in a fall while riding with his security team Tuesday evening. He said that he was on a familiar bike trail but that 'things shift after a rain.' He was heading down a hill, but before he knew it, he was heading over the handlebars. The governor said he came down on the back side of his right shoulder and snapped the collarbone. 'It would have been a great-looking video,' Perry told reporters at a law enforcement awards ceremony."

Day 25 - Watch Out for Potholes

I read about two stories of biking accidents caused by potholes today on Yahoo. One was about 67-year-old University of Connecticut basketball coach, Jim Calhoun. He hit a pothole with 16 miles to go on a 50-mile charity ride and crashes. He got up and finished the ride, and fainted at the finish. They took him to the hospital where they found out he broke five ribs in the crash. The other story was about Bob Frederick. Frederick, a retired Athletic Director at Kansas University, was riding on a city street in Kansas when he hit a pothole, flew over the handlebars and struck the pavement. He died with massive head injuries. The moral of these stories: watch out for potholes when you ride in the street. (And speaking from personal experience, the street signs too). Better yet, just ride the trail.

Day 24 - Walking the Amazon

I spend most of the my day relaxing, watching movies, reading magazines, and surfing the web. I read an amazing story "Lost in the Amazon" in Men's Journal magazine about Ed Stafford, who is attempting to become the first person to walk the entire 4,000 mile length of the Amazon River by foot. He started in April 2008 and has been walking for 437 days. Walking and wading through the Amazon jungle and braving the dangers of anacondas, jaguars, vampire bats, pit vipers, scorpions, wasps, army ants, electric eels, piranhas, and leeches. He still has at least a year to go. You can read about his incredible trek in his blog at "http://www.walkingtheamazon.com/".What an adventurer. I wish I could do that. I wish I could just walk.

Day 23 - TGIF!

After my first full week back on the job, I am pleased it is Friday and I will have the weekend to recuperate and rest and not do any work. While it has been been good to be back to work, mentally it is tiring. Coupled with the fact that I have not been getting enough sleep, I feel tired by the time I get home. I think I may be drinking too much coffee also. I been drinking two cups at work to wake up in the morning. I'm gonna try to cut down on the coffee and perhaps try some sleeping pills to help me get more rest. After I get home from work, I open up a frosty to celebrate my week at work. TGIF!

Day 22 - Dead Man Walking

I've been researching and reading a lot about hip fractures on the web and I have found some sobering statistics. About 550,000 hip fractures occur every year; 90 percent of hip fractures occur with persons over 50. The most scary stat I read is that 15-35 percent of the patients who have surgery to repair a hip fracture, die within a year of surgery. Not good. On the bright side, 50 to 65 percent of patients who have hip surgery regain their previous level of function. I hope I fall in this statistic and not the dead man walking statistic.

Day 21 - It's Official

I picked up my disabled parking permits this morning. Getting a disabled parking permit takes some work. You have to fill out an application from the Texas Department of Transportation. Take the application to your doctor to verify you have a disability. Then you have to take it to Hidalgo County Tax Assessor office to pay for and pick up your permit. It took about five days, two to three separate trips, and $20 bucks to get. So now it's official. I am disabled. Temporary that is.

Day 20 - No More Pee Bottle

After peeing in a bottle for three weeks during the night, I kicked my pee bottle habit. For the past few nights, I have been getting up at night to do my business in the bathroom. As my hip has gotten better, I have been able to get out of bed quicker and easier. I grab my walker and slowly work my way through the bedroom at dark, hoping not to hit anything. Do my business. Then shuffle my way back to bed. No more pee bottle. No more accidental mystery spots in my bed. Hooray!

Day 19 - Back to the Grind

Today was my first day back to work after nearly three weeks after my accident. My wife drove me to work. I still can't drive since my driving leg was the one that was injured. As we arrive in the parking lot it is weird to walk up to my office using a walker. As I enter the halls I said hello to several of my coworkers who came up to welcome me back. We talk in the halls for a while catching up on what happened and how the recovery is coming. After that it is back to the grind. I spend some time in my office seeing how far behind I am. Looks like I am going to be putting in some long hours trying to catch up. I work until about 3:30 p.m. until my wife comes and picks me up. It was good to see and talk to my coworkers and get back to work. Now if I can just get back to walking without the aid of a walker and get back to riding my mountain bike at Mission Trails, I'll be just fine.

Day 18 - Time Trial 3

In the late afternoon my wife and I went to Mission trails to help our cycling club with a time trial. A time trail is a event in which bike riders ride three different stages against the clock to see who is the fastest rider. I've participated in two or three time trials since I have been in the club and they are a blast! As the defending champ in the expert division in our last club time trial, I was kinda of bummed that I couldn't ride to defend my title. At least I could watch and lend a hand. I helped with the timing of the bike riders and my wife took pictures. The event went over well thanks to the efforts of Jaime, president, and his wife Sonia, treasurer, and some key volunteers. We had nine bike riders participate. No one got hurt...though Kyle did a endo (flew over his handlebars) after hitting a tree; Kyle blazed the fastest time overall. Even though I couldn't ride my bike it felt good to get out on my walker, see friends, and help with the event. Here is a picture of the bike riders who took home the bling.

Day 17 - Tubby Time

One of my favorite ways to relax is to take a hot bath. I fill up the bathtub and grab a magazine and a beer and just soak, read and drink. I've haven't had a bath since my surgery (no, I don't stink, I've been taking showers) because I was afraid the water would get into my stitches and I would have a hard time getting into and out of the tub. My July 2009 issue of Bike Magazine came in today and since they took my stitches out last week, I decided to give the tub a try. I turned on the hot water and filled it up. I backed my walker to the tub and put my good leg in first and then my bad leg next. "That wasn't too hard," I thought to myself. I relaxed for a good hour, soaking, sweating, and reading my Bike Magazine. Getting out of the tub proved to be harder than getting in. I got both legs out with my walker. Then I started to get dizzy. My heart rate started pumping like I had just finished a tough climb on my mountain bike. I sat down and rested for about a minute trying to catch my breath. I got up and started walking to my bed and started getting dizzy again. My wife had to help me to the bed. I laid on the bed catching my breath. I think I won't try doing tubby time again for a while.

Day 16 - Say Hello to My Little Friend

My wife put up a hummingbird feeder outside our kitchen window a few days ago. We hadn't had much luck in the past in attracting any hummingbirds. But with the recent storm, which decimated lots of flowers they feed on, including my neighbor's Hibiscus, I got a surprise visit from a little friend today - a green belly hummingbird! He visited the feeder on and off throughout the day as I worked in the kitchen. You can tell I've got a lot of time on my hands if I am getting excited about a hummingbird visiting me. Oh well.

Day 15 - Death of a Frosty

Through the use of technology I spend most of my morning and day working, responding to work e-mails and participating in the Foundation Center's Virtual Network Day Conference. It feels good to get some work done. It keeps my mind off my bum leg and passes time. I e-mail my coworkers that I will be going back to work on Monday. They respond back that they are glad to have me back. They must be getting tired of doing my work. LOL.

My mom brings by a lunch of enchiladas and rice, which I quickly woof down. While putting the food in the refrigerator, she accidently bumps a beer bottle which breaks, sending glass and my favorite frosty spilling onto the kitchen floor. I see it happen in slow motion. "Oh nooo....!" I exclaim. My mom says I should stop drinking anyway and cleans it up. "When pigs fly" I say to myself.

Day 14 - Titantium Parts Upgrades

Off we go to visit the doctor. I'm anxious to hear what he says. We arrive at his office in the morning. After waiting a while I am taken in. They take me to the x-ray room and take x-rays of my hip. After the x-rays, I walk myself using my walker to the waiting room to see the doctor. An assistant comes in and places the x-rays on the lightboard. "Holy Moly!" I say, as my wife, son, and I look at the x-rays. The x-rays show a large titanium rod and a titantium screw in my right hip. In amazement I whip out my camera and take a picture of it for my blog. Too bad they couldn't have put these upgrades on my bike instead of me! LOL.

The doctor comes in and says hello. He studies the x-ray and tells me he screwed a titanium rod inside my femur bone to brace the multiple hairline fractures I had. The titanium screw was screwed into the femur head to secure the titanium rod. He shows me a gap where the fracture occurred. He tells me "It will fill in." He tells me to keep my weight off it (use only 25%) and he clears me to go back to work on a limited-movement basis on Monday. I make an appointment to see him in a month.

I feel disappointed after leaving his office. It was hoping I could put more weight on it or he would order rehab for me. But apparently, I'm not ready. So it looks like I'll be walking around using my walker for at least another month. It's only been two weeks. I shouldn't have been so optmistic. In the meantime I will continue to do a few strengthening and stretching exercises daily, take some calcium supplements, and keep on truckin'. On my walker that is.

Day 14 - Small Feats of Independence

Today marks two weeks since I had my surgery. When you break a hip, progress is measured in small feats of independence like putting on my underwear by myself. Getting dressed. Going to the bathroom. Getting out of bed. Taking a shower. Putting on your shoes. I couldn't do any of these personal tasks by myself after I first got home. Now I can. Sometimes I feel like a small child, slowly gaining my independence. I can do it by myself!

Physically, my injured hip and my quad muscles are weak. With exercise it is getting stronger. After the surgery my leg felt like jelly. I couldn't move it. I can't bear too much weight on my injured leg. And I still need a walker and wheelchair to move around. But overall, I feel I am getting better. I have an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon this morning. We'll see what he says.

Day 13 - Handicap Perks

I have discovered there are two perks to being handicapped.

The first perk is parking in the handicap parking spots that are close to the store entrances. It's like you have your own private parking spot. No more circling the lot looking for a parking spot, fighting other drivers in the parking lot for spots, or parking way out in the boonies and walking a quarter of a mile cause my wife doesn't want to get the car scratched or dinged.

The second perk is riding in the handicap scooters at the stores. Today we went to Lowe's. I am reluctant to use one, but after tiring from walking with my walker, I relent and hop on. Push the throttle lever and away I go! After Lowe's we stop at HEB and I take another one for a spin. I'm motoring along at a top speed of 3 mph. I cut one of the corners a little too sharp, and bam! I hit a display, knocking several ceral boxes to the floor. Oops. Better slow down before I wreck out again. One hip fracture is bad enough!

Day 13 - The Twitching Leg

Going to sleep at night is the hardest. I think it is a combination of me not being used to sleeping on my back and my leg, which gets twitchy. I don't know if it's part of the healing process or if it is because my leg is tired from the walking and rehab exercises I do during the day, but my leg doesn't want to sit still. I drink a beer, pop two Tylenol PM and down two Vicodine, and I still can't get to sleep. What do I got to do to fall asleep? Knock myself out? I finally fall asleep an hour or two later. I wake up in the middle of night and have to pee. Not wanting to take any chances of another pee bottle mishap, I prop myself up and get out of bed and slowly make my way with my walker to the bathroom in the dark. I make it without incident, do my business, and get back in bed.

Day 12 - The Mysterious Wet Spot

I use my pee bottle every night when I go to bed. I place it on the walker next to the bed within reach. Usually I have to use it once or twice every night depending on how much I drink before going to bed. My wife says I should be getting up and using my walker to walk to the bathroom. But I don't think that is a good idea for me to be trying to walk to the bathroom at night while on Vicodin in the dark. So when I have to go I prop myself up into a sitting position on the bed using my elbows and heels of my feet. I open the pee bottle and do my business. I put the pee bottle back on the walker. Then move myself back to sleeping position. Well, for some strange reason, after waking up in the middle of the night and peeing I leave the pee bottle on the bed. Later I feel a wetness on the bed to the right of my shoulder and next to my head. Since I was in a med stupor I'm not sure what it is. I touch it and smell it. Hmm "doesn't smell like pee. Maybe I just spilled some water when I was taking my meds," I think to myself. I use a small towel to try to soak it up but it is still wet. My cat Kippy, who is sleeping next to me and the mystery wet spot, jumps out of the bed. He starts meowing which in catspeak he is trying to tell me "It smells like my litterbox in here. Let me out of the room!" I nudge my wife to tell her to let him out of the room, which she does. I fall back asleep quitely next to the wet spot. When I wake up in the morning I look at the pee bottle and it's empty. Apparently, I didn't close the top correctly and the pee leaked onto the bed. Mystery solved.

Day 11 - Faith in God

Last night I tell my wife I want to go to church. I feel I need to pay my respects to God. So after breakfast we get dressed and off we go. We make it there. My wife wheels me in and we use elevator to get upstairs. I miss church. We faithfully attend most every Sunday. It feels good to be in the house of the Lord. The preacher asks how I doing from the pulpit, and I tell him "I'm making steady progress, thanks to the Lord". In his sermon the pastor preaches about having faith in God. "Put you faith in the Lord and he will sustain you," says the preacher. I'm not an overly-religious person. I don't blame God for my accident or ask God why it happened. Instead I thank him for my blessings. There are people in this world who are suffering more than me. I have faith in God and that he will help me get through this ordeal. On the way out after church I thank the preacher for coming by to say a prayer for me when I was in the hospital.

Day 10 - First Beer

I had my first beer this evening. It seems like an eternity since I drank one. In reality it's been 14 days since my accident. I love frosties. My favorite are microbrews. While at HEB earlier during the day I convince my wife that since I am no longer taking any Vicodin during the day that it is ok. She relents. I pick out a six pack of "Wild Blue". It is a blueberry flavored lager brewed in New York. It packs a whallop with a 8% alcohol content. It's like drinking two beers instead of one. After we get home from our outing for the day (went to Petco, HEB, and my mom's) I open it and take my time savoring the flavor as it slides down my parched throat. Toast to the brewmaster!

Day 10 - La La Land

Yesterday I had a breakthrough in cutting down on my dosage of Vicodine that I take for pain. I make the whole day without having to take any. The night was a different story. My leg starts twitching. (I guess it is tired from the rehab and moving I do during the day). So to stop the twitching I pop two Vicodin and two Valium. Welcome to La La Land.

I wake up in the middle of the night cause I have to pee. I keep the pee bottle next to me and do my business. I pop another two Vicodin and drift back to sleep. One hard thing about sleeping is I have to sleep on my back. I normally sleep on my left or right side, which I can't do with of my hip fracture. It's uncomfortable since I am used to sleeping on my side, but once the pills kick in I'm ok.

Day 9 - My Blog

Getting up in the morning is the worst. I have a hard time waking up because of the Vicodins I take to go to sleep at night. It takes quite an effort to get out of bed. I basically have to turn my body 90 degrees using my arms and heels of my feet to move my body around. Once I am perpendicular to the side of the bed, I slowly slide myself off the bed and put my good leg on the floor and grab the walker at the same time. It takes about two to three minutes to do it. The painful part is all the blood in my leg rushes to my calf and foot which hurts a bit for a while until I walk around a bit.

I usually go take a piss and then grab my pills and walk to the kitchen and eat breakfast. My wife is up and cooks breakfast and makes coffee. I drink a cup of coffee to wake up and then eat my breakfast. My leg isn't in too much pain today. I decide to not take my pain pills to see how I do. After breakfast I spend a few hours on the computer checking my e-mail and working on my blog. A few days earlier I had decided to create a blog of my ordeal called "Singletrack to Recovery". Singletrack means "a trail" in mountain biking terminology. Singletrack also means "a singular focus". The title conveys my focus on recovering so I can mountain bike again. I like it.

Writing the blog is theraputic and gives me something to do besides work. I have always liked to write. I plan to post a link to my blog on our club's forum so people can follow my recovery. I've been working on it steadily for the past two days. Writing and editing. Most of the entries have been postdated to approximate the days and times of the actual events as I did not have access to a computer until I came home on Saturday. I work on my blog until 2 p.m. I'm doing good without the Vicodin. I pop an Ibuprofen 600 mg for pain just in case. I start to get sleepy. I'm going to lay down for a while.

Day 8 - Stomping Grounds

My public outing today consists of going to Mission Trails. We load up and get in the car and drive to the trails. We arrive at 6 p.m. I get out and into my wheelchair. Paul, one of local regular riders out there sees me and comes up and we talk for a while. I explain my story to him. We finish talking and my wife pushes me in the wheelchair down the paved Hike and Bike. It feels out of place to be riding the paved Hike and Bike in my wheelchair. I look over at the trails to my left and imagine myself on my bike riding the trails. It feels good to be back at my stomping grounds. I love riding my mountain bike and can't wait to get back on it.

My wife pushes me past the Bike Breaker. The Bike Breaker is an expert-level 25-foot drop down and up a steep ravine over a wooden bridge. It is the most difficult and dangerous obstacle we have at the trails. It has claimed numerous bikes, hence the name. It took me six months to build up my skills and courage to ride it. I now ride it regularly, but it is always scary and gives me an adrenline rush no matter how many times I ride it. I think about trying it my wheelchair. That would be a first. But I don't have my helmet. Safety first. Just kidding.

We come across Caleb, John D., Joanne, and Ray, who are riding. They stop and we talk for a little bit. It boosts my spirits to talk to them. Caleb takes a picture of us with his phone. After that my wife wheels me back to the parking lot and we drive home.

Day 8 - My Angel

The one person who has been my angel through this whole ordeal is my wife. She has been at my side since the accident, staying at the hospital and taking good care of me. Most of the nights she slept on a chair next to my bed. She also has been taking care of me at home, feeding me, cleaning up after me, transporting me around, pushing me in the wheelchair, and in general cheering me on. I thank God that I met and married her and appreciate everything that she is doing for me. This accident made me realize how sometimes we tend to take the people we love -- our family, friends, and others who are important to us -- for granted. Sometimes it takes something bad to happen in our lives to realize the good we have.

Day 8 - Experiment Didn't Work

Yesterday was rough. I tried to suck it up and take the pain of cutting back by taking one Vicodin (325 mg) instead of two every four hours as the doctor had prescribed. But I could feel the pain in my leg and it made me grumpy for most of the day. To top it off my ankle and foot was swollen. I think I have been walking too much. Called the doctor's office and they say I need to be in bed and keep my foot raised. After responding to some work e-mails and paying bills in the morning, I climb into bed for some rest.

Day 7 - The Medicine Police

I wake up and I'm in a lot of pain. It's been six hours since I took my last pain pills. I get out of bed and using the walker go empty my pee bottle from the night and then brush my teeth. I transfer myself to the wheelchair and wheel myself to the kitchen to eat breakfast -- blueberries, sausage, eggs, and coffee -- but I'm in too much pain. I down a Vicodin and before I can down the other my wife snatches the bottle away from me and says it is time for me to start cutting back on the pills. In pain and protest I wheel myself to the bathroom and make a big stinky for her to clean up. I have a bad feeling that it is going to be a long day.

Day 6 - Connecting to Work

I call a few of my coworkers at work to let them know the surgery went well. Quite of few of them had gotten together and sent me a plant/flowers, a big goodie basket, books, and a card while I was in the hospital. The goodie basket was awesome. It was filled with a bottle of wine, fruit, candy, crackers, cheese, magazines, and other snacks. My wife and I made a serious dent in it while we were in the hospital. I was tempted to break open the bottle of wine but my wife wouldn't let me. Besides, who needs alcohol when you have Vicodin and Valium? You know how bad hospital food is. Bland. No taste whatsoever. It was real nice gesture of them. I write them a thank you e-mail. I speak to our IT guy and he set me up with a remote desktop connection so I can access my work computer files and e-mail through my home computer, which is cool technologically-speaking. What a dedicated employee I am. I have been out of work for less than week. Must be medications going to my head.

Day 5 - Target and Underwear

My wife thinks its time for me to get out of the house. So we plan my first public outing -- to Target. She's tired of looking at all my old crusty underwear. I was putting on a pair of briefs in the morning and just about when I had them all the way up I look down and see the floor through them! Turns out they had some nice size holes in the bottom of them. No wonder I could feel a draft. LOL. So I get dressed and we gather and load my handicap stuff -- pills, pee bottle, walker, wheelchair -- into the car and off we go. The hardest part of the trip is getting into and out of the car. I have to use my walker to get out of the house and then I transfer myself into the wheelchair. My wife wheels me over to the car, where I stand up and turn myself using my good leg and slowly lower myself into the car seat. I rotate my hips and slowly move both of my legs into the car and viola! I'm in. The whole process takes about five minutes. At Target I wheel around in my wheelchair as my wife pushes the cart and we get our stuff. I pick out a pack of boxers along with some other stuff we need. We make it home two hours later. Mission accomplished. It feels good to get out in public again.

Day 5 - Memorial Day Honor

Today is Memorial Day. I think about some of the veterans who have died or have come home without a leg or arm or other body part from the Iraq War and it puts my broken hip injury in perspective. You can recover from a broken hip. How does it feel to have you legs blown off by a IED in Iran. Can you imagine the pain and rehabilitation from that and how it dramatically changes your life? My injury and rehab is a walk in the park by comparison. While it is not easy, I remind myself to not complain or have a pity party about my situation. Things will be getter slowly. I raise my box of apple juice -- since I can't drink frosties for a while -- to salute our veterans who fought in previous wars and the soldiers who are fighting in Iraq so we can remain free to pursue life, liberty, happiness, and ride singletrack. God Bless America.

Day 5 - Thanks Cruzers

I want to thank the Mission Trails Club Cactus Cruzers for sending me a plant/flower arrangement and card, visiting me, and keeping me in their thoughts and prayers. Several of my friends from the club had come by and dropped off magazines, notes, cards, and other care packages while I was in the hospital. I have met and made a lot of good friends through the club since I joined three years ago. I truly value the friendships and the good times, both on and off the bike, that we have had. I post on our forum to thank everyone and to let them know the surgery went fine and I am at home recuperating. I call a few of my riding buddies to tell them what happened. They all tell me if there is anything they can do for me to let them know.

You can read about the Mission Trails Club and our adventures and see pictures of our club events and activities at http://www.missiontrails.org/. If you are looking for a cycling club to join, I highly recommend ours. But as a member, former president, and now one of the directors of the club, I am bias. Our club is about more than just cycling. We are like family. If you are looking for a club to just train and race then look elsewhere. While some of us are competitive, myself included, we are very supportive and encouraging of all level of riders and abilities. I tell people our club values are based on the four F's: friendship, family, fun, and frosties.

Day 4 - Sunday Routine

It's my first full day home from the hospital. No quite sure what to do. Usually the first thing I do on a Sunday after I get up is to go for a ride on my mountain bike. When I was in training I would ride from my house near 2 Mile Line and ride to the trails. From the trails I would ride the Hike and Bike to the World Birding Center and do a lap at the WBC. Then back to Mission Trails and my house. It was a good hour to hour and a half workout. After my ride it was off to church from 10:45 a.m. to noon. Sometimes after church we go visit my parents in McAllen for lunch. So much for most of usual routine. I spend most of the day in bed watching movies, using the walker to get to the bathroom to take a leak, or to the kitchen to eat lunch and dinner, do laps around the kitchen and living room to rehab my leg, and popping pills. Guess this is gonna be my new routine for a while.

Day 3 - Home at Last

Home at last. It feels good to be home after spending over a week in the hospital. I escaped from the hospital at 2 p.m. The first thing I do when I get home is look for my cats. I have three indoor cats --Smokey, Casey, and Kippy -- that I am very attached to. They look at me in in the wheelchair and are scared. One of them - Kippy -- hides under the bed and doesn't want to come out. After a while they realize it is me and come over to sniff me and my stuff to see where I've been. I know I'm ripe. My wife tells me so. She helps me take a shower. Several of my family and my wife's family come by to help. My mother-in-law had both of her knees replaced two years ago and knows what the pain and rehab is like. She's in her late 60s and if she can do it and walk again, so can I. Together they brought me a wheelchair, a walker, a chair for the shower, and a potty chair. I feel like a 70-year-old fart. I also get to see my younger son, Noah, 10, who I hadn't seen since the accident. He gives me a big hug. It's great to see him. He was staying at my in-laws while I was in the hospital. My mom brings me some brisket and potato salad. Nothing beats my mom's home cooking. It's good to eat some real food again.

Day 2 - My First Walk

My second day of recovery after surgery in the hospital is about the same as the first. The rehab people come by in the morning. They help me get up and using the walker I walk to the door of my room with them closely by my side. At the door I turnaround and then walk back to my chair near my bed and sit down. It takes me about five minutes to walk ten feet using the walker. My right leg is still swollen and I can't put any pressure on it. While I sit in the chair they ask if I can kick my right leg up by myself. I try with all my might and am able to feebly move it two or three inches forward. My right leg is swollen and weak. I have a long way to go. Later in the evening I walk with my wife from my room to the nurses station and back, which is a good 30 feet or using the walker. I hope I get to go home tomorrow.

Day 1 - Baby Steps

First full day of recovery from my surgery at the hospital. My right quad is swollen and tight from the surgery. I spend most of the morning in bed watching tv. My orthopedic surgeon comes by later and checks me out. He says the surgery went fine and he put in a titanium rod and screw and would show me later. He says I am good enough to go home. I think to myself, "Is he crazy or what? I just had surgery yesterday and I can't walk."

Two persons from the Rehab department come by later and try to get me to walk using the walker. Heavily medicated, I manage to get out of the bed and up, but boy is hard to walk. I can't put any pressure on my right leg and hip at all. They put a belt around me to catch me if I fall. Using the walker I get up and and sit down in a chair about three feet away from my hospital bed. I feel like a baby trying to learn to walk again.

Surgery

I don't know how I made it through the night. Tuesday was more of the same. They tell me that the surgery is scheduled for the afternoon but won't give me a specific time. So it is more of lying in bed and taking the pain and spasms. I plead with my nurses to talk to the doctor and increase my meds. I think they finally give me a Valium shot which helps. I'm NPO again and can't drink or take much medication. I watch the clock as the hours tick by they as they are in slow motion. 10 a.m...11 a.m....12 a.m...1 p.m...etc. Finally at 5 p.m. I'm told they will be taking be down for surgey. Thank God! Over 36 hours of suffering in the hospital with a hip fracture and given minimal medication to deal with the pain I am taken into surgery. They wheel me down to the surgery room with my wife in tow. When I get to the operating room I remember talking the anesthesiologist who realizes how much pain I am in and quickly gives me something to knock me out. I am down for the count. The surgery takes an hour. The doctor puts in a titanium rod and screw in my right hip to brace the fracture. He tells my wife the surgery went fine. I wake up an hour later in postop and remember somebody asking me if I am ok. As I float back into conscienceness I respond with a foggy "yes". They wheel me up to my room for recovery.

Face the Pain

The transfer to my hospital bed was the start of a day full of pain. They set up an IV and start giving me Demerol shots every hour. But they are not giving me much. Since I might be operated on later in the day I can't drink or eat anything or I can't be too medicated. I'm what they called in hospital speak "NPO" which means "nothing by mouth". I lie there for what seems like eternity, watching the hours on the clock slowly drift by.

The Demerol gives me some relief. but only seems to work for 45 minutes. After that I start getting these intense spasms in my right hip and leg. It's like someone is wacking my leg with a sledgehammer. The pain becomes so intense throughout the day that I tell me wife that I can't see any visitors. It seems like any noise, or person even walking by my leg, sets off the spasms. Caleb comes by, as well as my preacher, to say a prayer when I am having some these spasms and I am a mess.

Around 8 p.m. the doctor comes in and gives me the bad news. "I'm not going to be able to operate on you today," he tells me. I am out of my mind in pain at this point and tell him to give me something stronger for the pain. They up my Demerol dosage. They put my right foot in a boot and traction, raising it and immobilizing it. They allow me to drink something, but not eat. I tell my wife to go home cause I can't bear for her to see me in such so much pain. I spend the rest the my night in pain, letting out a mixture of screams and curse words.

There is older patient who is in the room across or next to me who is also in some serious hurt. I can hear him screaming and cussing in Spanish. You know the saying "misery loves company". It is like he and I are having some kind of screaming contest to see who can scream the loudest. LOL. It's kinda of funny when I think about it now, but it sure wasn't for him or I when it was happening.

My nurse on duty keeps telling me to try control the pain. At one point she brings me some material to read about hip fractures. I think to myself "You've got to be kidding me?" The spasms in my hip and leg are excruciating. I can hardly talk. I'm about to pass out.

I try focusing on taking the pain. First I hum religious songs like "Amazing Grace" and others. That doesn't work. I play the song "Take the Pain" by STEMM in my mind. It's on my cell phone ringtone. I love watching the UFC. I imagine myself in the Octagon fighting. But it doesn't help as I'm getting my ass kicked taking punches to my face and kicks to my leg by an badass opponent called "the hip fracture".



Remembering the breathing exercises my wife used when she gave birth to my second son, I try the childbearing method of pain control. I breathe in and out rapidly in forced movements. This seems to work the best and I spend the rest of the night breathing rapidly and holding my right leg like I was having contractions for a baby. The only question that keeps running through my mind is -- "What am I going to name the baby?" LOL.

It is the most painful night I had ever gone through in my life.