Day 282 - Racing Again

Today was the first mountain bike race that I competed in since my hip fracture. It was also the first time that I race my "Blue Beauty", my Giant Anthem X2. The race was sponsored by Bikemasters and our cycling club, The Mission Trails Club. It was a 6.4 mile lap at Mission Trails. The twist was the lap was raced backward, which made it harder. I finished in 4th out of seven riders in the expert class. Not bad for a 46-year-old man with a bum hip. I have an excuse now if I don't place well. "My hip was acting up." Did 3 laps for a total of 18 miles in 1:23:28 with an average heart rate of 170 bpm and max heart rate of 183 bpm. I took home a medal for my efforts, which made my day. At my age, I'm happy to take home anything. Felt good to be racing again.

Day 275 - La Lomita

My wife and I went out for a ride in the morning. We rode to La Lomita Chapel in Mission. Built over a century ago by Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the chapel supported the priests and their charities and served as a rendezvous spot for the “Padres on Horseback” en route to Roma from Brownsville. After stopping at La Lomita we rode further past the Anzaulda Bridge. We turned around a few miles after the bridge. The wind had picked up and we rode into a stong headwind on the way back. My wife bonked and had to stop at La Lomita, while I rode back to the parking lot at Mission Trails to the truck. I drove to La Lomita and picked up my wife and we headed home.

Day 274 - Getting Dirty with Specialized

Me and a couple of buddies, Grape, Tweezer, and Rayworld, came out to the Specialized Demo that was held at Mission Trails on Saturday morning. Bicycleworld brought in a big trailer full of their top-of-the-line, expensive mountain and road bikes to ride. It was like being a kid in a candy store. Ray and I jumped on some Epic 29er Marathon bikes, while Tweezer and Grape jumped on some Stumpjumper Marathon 29ers. All the bikes were running the new, SRAM XX 2x10 drivetrains. Since the trails were wet, we rode the Hike and Bike down to Bentsen. At Bentsen we detoured onto the top of the levy road. That was a mistake. Since it was caliche it wasn't too bad, but we started getting dirty from hitting small water puddles. After a mile or two we were kicking roster tails of wet dirt spray and the bikes got dirty. By the time we got back to Bentsen the bikes were real dirty. The Specialized guy, Richard, gave us a dirty look when we got back from our ride. We were having so much fun, we jumped on some $7K S-Works bikes and hit the Hike and Bike again. For the first time on a road bike it was awesome. Compared to a mountain bike the road bike accelerated like a rocket. We flew down the Hike and Bike, hitting speeds in the low to mid 30s. I could easily get addicted to the speed. After about 30 minutes of playing around we hightailed it back to parking lot. Wow. What a fun day of testing we had. It's not every day you get to ride a such expensive bikes. We had a blast getting dirty with Specialized!!!

Day 267 - Roaming Roma

Nico, Ridehard, Tweezer and I woke up early Saturday morning to drive out to Roma, about 45 minutes west of Mission to check out a piece of property for potential trail development. The City of Roma had invited us out to take a look at their property to see if we wanted to do a mountain bike race. We met up the with several City and Chamber people and they gave us a quick tour of their property. After we finished talking we hopped on our bikes and went exploring. It is always exciting to ride new trails. You're not sure what you are going to find around the next turn, drop, or climb. We stopped often and played around riding dirt mounds, hills, drops and other technical challenges. I caught our adventure on my HD pocket camcorder and will post footage. After two hours of riding we loaded up our mountain bikes and gear (see picture of Ridehard and bikes) and headed home. It was a fun-filled morning of riding with friends. You can't beat that.

Day 261 - Chasing a Golf Cart

The trails were too wet to ride from the rain we received earlier in the week, so I hit the road on my mountain bike in the afternoon for a ride. Rode from my house in Mission to Edinburg to McAllen to Mission and back. On the last leg on Conway Rd. I came upon a golf cart riding in the bicycle lane (see picture). I hammered the pedals, caught up to it, and passed it. Shortly thereafter I arrived home, two hours and 26 miles later. It was a good ride, but had way too many stops at the stoplights. That's why I like mountain biking as opposed to road riding. No stoplights. No traffic. Just flow. I can't wait to ride the trails again.

Day 254 - Retaining Pond

Tweezer and I went out to play at the retaining ponds Sunday afternoon. The challenge is to ride a complete lap around these big mounds of dirt that circle a pond of water without putting a foot down or falling 20 feet into the water below. I had tried riding it a couple of times before on previous rides, but couldn't make the climb up the other side halfway through. It's technical riding that requires concentration, control, balance and no fear. Was this my day to conquor the retaining pond? Or would the retaining pond swallow me whole in the water? Check it out. Love the commentary and sound effects Tweezer. He would make a great golf announcer.

Day 240 - Riding the Berms

Finally got in a good, hard ride. Between the weather, work, and family, its been hard to ride. This afternoon I went out to Mission Trails to take some pics of the Cactus Flowers for our website. Took the pics and then caught in with Richard and we put in a half a lap. AC, Hector, and Jesus joined us later and we had a nice choo choo train of 5 guys blazing the trails. AC (see pic) was the lead steam engine as he put down a good, fast pace. Rode some new berms on Tweezer which were cool. I ended up putting in 22 miles at the trails. It was a great ride that I badly needed to get the blood pumping.

Day 239 - Windy and Wendi

My wife, Wendi, and I went out for an early morning ride on Saturday. A cold front had blown in the night before and the temperature was in the cool 60s and it was windy. The trails were muddy from the rain so we rode the Hike and Bike to Bentsen Park in Mission. It was tough sledding against what seemed a 20 to 25 mph wind that beat against every pedal stroke we had. Despite the wind, we made it to Bentsen and stopped inside the World Birding Center to warm up with a hot tea and blueberry muffin. Yummy! After warming up we took the canal road back past the Butterfly Park in Misson, then to Military Rd.,and back to the trails. My wife kept complaining about the wind which was against us on the way back. But we made it back to the parking lot. I enjoyed the time we spent together on the bike.

Day 236 - "It's Just a Scratch"

My wife finally busted me and my knee. After successfully hiding it from her for three days, she caught a glimpse of the scab. "What's that?" she asked. "Oh, nothing," I answered, trying to blush it off. "Come here...Let me see," she demands. "It's just a scratch" I say, trying to downplay the injury. She looks at it intently. Thankfully, the scab had healed up nicely and it didn't look too bad. She then asks, "how did you do it?" I decide to come clean and tell her about my little OTB incident the other day. To my complete surprise she doesn't ground me. It must be my lucky day. Or I think it may be because it she is relieved that it is not on my face, like my last cut on the tip of my nose,which looks like I am going to have a small scar. I make a mental note to myself. Keep injuries off of face.

Day 233 - OTB DVD

We had Mission Trails Club meeting Tuesday evening at the Mission High School. Harold got us into the Performaning Arts Center. I was excited since I had ordered and was going to show "Over the Bars" a compilation of mountain bike wrecks at the meeting. I was tempted to tell my OTB story at the meeting, but that would have blown my cover, since my wife was there and she hadn't found out about my latest wreck and injury. It was an awesome dvd. Full of nasty wrecks. My skinned and scapped knee was pale in comparison to the pain that these riders experienced in their crashes. Check out the Youtube trailer. Viewer discretion is advised.

Day 232 - Hiding My Knee

I managed to hide my skinned and scraped up knee injury from my wife yesterday in my OTB wreck. After I got home, I jumped into the shower, took off the bandaids and washed up my knee good with soap and water. After I got out of the shower, I put on a bandaid. My wife was in the bedroom and heard me and asked, "What are you doing? It sounds like you are putting on a bandaid." I flatly tell her no and change the subject. I grab a pair and throw on a pair of pajamas to cover up the evidence. She doesn't notice. I walk to the bed, trying not to hobble. It was a good fall. Upon inspecting my bike when I got home, I found I had bent the left brake lever. And I had fallen in the dirt. Looks like I might have to replace it. The brake lever that is, not my knee. So much for starting the new year out without any injuries.

Day 231 - Over the Bars (OTB)

Rode with Harold and Roland in the afternoon at Mission Trails. We did the new lap and then headed over to the retaining pond to goof around. The retaining pond is a bunch of large dirt mounds that run around a pond. The abrupt hills offer a technical challenge as we tried to ride a lap around them without putting our foot down. It requires a lot of balance and coordination to navigate the dirt mounds. I made it halfway round. I went OTB (Over the Bars) after hitting a dirt mound wrong. I ended up skinning my left knee pretty good in the fall, blooding up my knee in the process (see pic). Later in the ride, Harold went OTB too, after he rolled over a fence wire that caught his pedal, stopped his bike, and sent him flying OTB. He landed on his shoulder hard. I was following him and nearly ran over him. After a few seconds he got up and brushed himself off and we finished up our ride. On the way home I bandaged my knee up, trying to hide the blood so my wife wouldn't notice. She hates it when I wreck. She told me before I left that if I wrecked I would be grounded.

Day 222 - Butt Shot

The weather has been crappy the past two days. Drizzle and cold in the 50s. Not great riding weather. So I've been couped up in the house. On Wednesday morning I woke up and wanted to ride bad. The drizzle had let up but it was still cold. I decide to do it and throw on my wind breaker, toe covers, skull cap, and warm gloves and take off. It was cold at first, but I warmed up as I put in the miles. Rode north in the bicycle lane along Conway Ave. in Mission and Highway 107 to Edinburg and back, a total distance of 30 miles. Because of the wet weather there was some mud on parts of the bike lane, which rooster sprayed my bike and my behind. See butt shot. I stop at De Alba's near my house and bought some tamales on the way back. When I got home I popped open a frosty and ate my tamales to celebrate. I had been wanting to do this ride for a while to see if I could handle the commute. If I rode each work day that would be 150 miles a week. I don't think I ready to go that hardcore yet.

Day 216 - Cool Skull X-ray

Just got back from seeing the doctor. The good news is my nose is not broken. They took a couple of x-rays at the doctor's office. They came out negative. I didn't need stitches either. Doctor says it should heal on its own. I didn't think it was broken, but my wife had insisted I get it checked out. After explaining to the doctor how my little accident happened, it turns out that the doctor and his son had ridden at Mission Trails that very same day. They're new to mountain biking and enjoy it. I told him about the club and my wife gave him the club business card. He joked how he could be the club's doctor treating us for our injuries. "That would be cool" I thought to myself. I know our club members would keep him busy!

Day 215 - Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

I get home. My nose has swelled up and is red like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Fortunately, my wife was not as upset as I thought she would be. I guess she has seen worse, like the time I came home from Flat Rock Ranch with fifteen stitches in the side of my face. I looked like Frankenstein! She made me take off the bandages and she cleaned it up with some hydrogen peroxide. She put some sterile stips over the cuts to keep them closed and put a bandaid over them. She thinks it is broken. I don't think so. While I feel some pain and throbbing it doesn't seem that bad. Like a mosquito bike compared to the pain I was in when I broke my hip. I down two Iboprofen and apply an ice bag to keep the swelling down. My wife wants me to go see the doctor to check. Looks like I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow. Later in the evening we go over to my wife's parents house for Christmas dinner. I get ready for the Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer jokes.

Day 215 - Little Christmas Surprise

Got a little Christmas surprise this morning while riding in Poo's Forest, a tight, twisty, trail that runs through and is covered by trees at Mission Trails. Was hauling the mail rounding a blind corner I suddenly come up on a fallen tree branch at head level. Too late to avoid, I smack the tree branch hard with my face. The branch hits me in the bridge of the nose and then scrapes across my nose. I stop and feel my nose. Blood is dripping out. At first I thought I have a nose bleed. I hastily take out a rag from my camelback and apply it to stop the bleeding. Using my digital camera I take a picture and look at it to see the damage. Had a minor cut at the top of the bridge. Another cut on the tip of the nose it worse. It is 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and is where I'm bleeding from. I take out two bandaids and apply them to my nose as best I can since I can't see my face. The bandaids stop the bleeding. I think about calling it a day, but decide I better ride, because after my wife sees my little Christmas surprise I'll be grounded. I ride for another hour and head home.

Day 206 - Three Miles

I'm been skipping my indoor cycling machine in favor of running. Since I work in my office most of the day, it feels good to get outdoors and work off my stress. Running seems to help my hip more than cycling. It also feels like I get a better workout. I ran three miles today during lunch at work, which was the farthest I have run in a long time. Ran it under 30 minutes which was 10 minutes a mile pace. Still got a long ways to go. My goal is to improve my pace so I can run with my wife next year. She runs on the treadmill three times a week and puts in several miles. I have a long way to go to get up to her level. My knee hurt afterward. I hope it is temporary.

Day 205 - Gettin' in Some Riding

The weather has been crappy lately. That with the sun going down at 5 p.m. means I there isn't a lot of time in get in a ride. After two weeks of not riding, I finally got in a ride on Sunday. In the afternoon I went out to the trail and got in a ride. Hooked up with Richard, who happened to be at the trails and we rode a lap. Hector showed up later and we did another lap. The trails were hardpacked from the recent rain and were fast. After an hour of riding I cut out and went home. Later tevening we went for our annual Christmas light ride with our cycling club at the "Festival of Light" in Hidalgo. See picture. It was a slow, fun, family ride. We finished the ride off with some hot chocolate and cookies. What a good of biking.

Day 193 - Jumpin' Fun

Here's Nico flying two feet in the air off the 'Magic Mountain' jump on the hills east of the Wetback. Along with Tweezer and I, we put in a fun three hour ride fooling around on the hills and other area on the land south of the Hike and Bike, jumping everything in site, and doing some other crazy stuff such as riding a maze of ski-like models, and dropping descents into the 'halfpipe' canal that the City of Mission is putting in on the land. It was welcomed departure from our normal riding the trails routine and we had a ton of fun. We talked about doing another "Jumping Madness #3" video as a group ride. I'm down for some more jumpin' fun.

Day 192 - Black Friday Ride

Black Friday. The busiest shopping day of the year. People getting up early to fight for parking spots, wait in lines, and the braze the crowds to get those limited specials. I'm glad I wasn't out there and part of it. I gave that up several years ago. Instead I was on my bike. I woke up early morning, put on my riding clothes and gear, and headed out to Mission Trails. The weather was great. It was in the 70s and overcast and cool. Did two laps fast laps. I had a lot of energy. Even got out of the saddle on a few climbs. I think it was all the food that I pigged out on Thanksgiving. Saw a snake on the entrance to Poo's Forest. Finished my two laps and headed home. Twenty-two miles, one hour and 30 minutes. Good training ride.

Day 191 - Bengay Smell

My legs were sore all over when I woke up this morning. My calves, hamstrings, and quads hurt. I shouldn't have pushed it by running two days in a row. It was painful when I walked. It got so bad that I had to break out the Bengay. I rubbed it all over my legs. The cream kicked in and I felt better. But my wife hates the smell. The smell reminds her of when she was a little girl and her mom would rub Vicks on her when she was sick. She woke up and said "What's that smell?" and quickly ordered me out of room. I limped my way around the rest of the day.

Day 190 - Slow as a Turtle

My hip felt so good after I went running yesterday that I decided to skip my cycling workout and go running. So during lunch I hit the track again. I ended up doing two miles in 20 minutes, which is a 10 minute a mile pace. I know that pace is slow as a turtle. I used to be able to do a 8 minute mile when I was running a few years ago. But then I was five years younger. I like running. There is something pure about it. It doesn't require a lot of equipment or gear. Just shoes and shorts. I'm going to try to run at least two times a week if my body will hold up.

Day 189 - Run Forest Run!

Today, I ran for the first time in a long time. I used to run two or three years ago. I enjoyed it. I would run with my wife at least three times a week. We would run around the high school and do two to three miles at around an 9 minute pace. I even did a 10K in Edinburg. I had to quit running after I injured a muscle in my knee while running on the Hike and Bike in Mission. I chalk it up to fate. I discovered the trails while running on the Hike and Bike. If I hadn't had injured myself I probably would have kept running. Since I couldn't run I took up biking four years ago and never looked back. Anyway, back to my story. I went for a run today during lunch at work. It was sprinkling and overcast. I started out slow with a kinda of limping gait. To my surprise after about three laps, my hip and leg felt better. I picked up that pace and was running with normal stride. I ended up running 6 laps or 1.5 miles. It felt good to be able to run again. Run Forest Run!

Day 187 - Sunday Ride

Went for a ride on Sunday morning. Have been training for the mountain bike series in Brownsville. For the past two weeks I have been riding a stationary bicycle at work during lunch three times a week. I get in a 30 minute workout, pedaling 4 miles, doing interval workouts. I'm also doing a 1 hour ride on Saturday or Sunday for endurance. I did 19 miles on Sunday on the Hike and Bike. I had a slow leak and had to keep stopping to pump air into it which kinda of ruined my workout. Anyway, it was refreshing to be back on my mountain bike, which I hadn't ridden since my last ride at Sullivan City a week ago. On the ride home from the trails I snapped a picture of the mural of Tom Landry, who was born in Mission, and coached the Dallas Cowboys to several Superbowl championships.

Day 179 - Sullivan City

Rode Sullivan City yesterday morning with Nico, Grape, and Tweezer. That's Nico in the pic. I was a little hestitant to go since Sullivan is an advanced-level trail. Lots of hard climbing and decents on loose, gravely rocks. The rocks make everything sketchy. We got there about 7 a.m. and started riding. We rode around for an hour trying to figure out where the lap was. The trail is not marked well and has lots of intersecting roads which makes it easy to get lost. Finally we came across several Team McAllen Racing riders - Dirk, Sean, Santiago, and Worm - and caught in with them to ride the lap. I slotted in mid-pack in the group and tried to keep up with them; they are strong riders. It was a tough lap, especially the lungbusting, granny-gear climbs. At the end of the lap we (Grape, Nico, Tweezer, and I) were spent. We thanked them and said our goodbyes and were happy to survive Sullivan for another day of riding.

Day 173 - Welcome to the Mudfest

Today was suppose to be my return to mountain biking racing. Ridehard and I drove down to Brownsville to race. As we got closer to Brownsville we noticed water puddles on the road. We began to worry. When we pulled into the dirt parking lot in Brownsville and it was muddy. It had rained in the early morning and it looked like a mess. We decided to race since we had gotten up so early and made the one hour drive.

The race started out ok for the first mile as we rode the perimeter loop. It was slippery and tough sledding, but rideable. I was nearly at my max heart rate trying to plod through the mud in 2nd gear. The turns were treacherous. I nearly went down on one turn and lost two places. I made it into the switchback section and that's where the race turned into a mudfest. I got 20 yards into the section when my bike came to a dead stop. Mud stuck in the front tire and fork, rear deraileur, front deraileur, rear tire and chain stay. I tried to poke the mud out with a stick, but it was impossible. We had done less than a mile and had another five to go. I thought about continuing, but the situation didn't look good. My Michelin Dry 2's sucked at shedding mud. My Anthem's small rear tire clearance also didn't help. It was hopeless. I threw in the towel and sloshed my way through the mud back to the start/finish line. My race was over, before it really began.

I stuck around and drowned my disappointment with a couple of frosties. Because of the mud the race directors decided to shorten the race to 1 lap. To my surprise, quite a few riders, including beginners, women, and kids finished the race! My helmet goes off to them because the only way to complete a lap was to port your bicycle for a good part of the 6-mile lap. It was inspiring. It was easy to give up, but they didn't. Congratulations to them. They all deserved medals for finishing in such harsh conditions. For me, my return will have to wait another month until December.

Day 158 - Mixing it Up with the Roadies

My buddies and I decided to participate in a road race on Saturday morning. The race, sponsored by Bike Masters in Mission, was a fundraiser for Mission Crime Stoppers. Tweezer, Grape, and I rode our mountain bikes and Nico rode his road bike. We signed up for the Beginners 36+ group. Our race was four laps for 25 miles. We started the race strong, moving to the front of a pack of 25 riders. We took turns leading the group, averaging about 19 mph, up until the fourth lap, when the roadies accelerated and dropped Grape and me. I maxed out my gears but didn't have enough energy to keep up. Nico and Tweezer stayed with the lead group to the finish line, making respectable finishes. I came in 3rd to last. I didn't care. We had fun mixing it up with the roadies. I have to admit I enjoyed riding with a pack and drafting off other riders. I might just buy me a road bike.

Day 153 - "You're Fully Healed"

Saw my orthopedic surgeon this morning. Took an x-ray. After studying my x-ray for a moment, he turned to me and proclaimed "You're fully healed". I looked at the x-ray and he showed me where the bone had grown back. While I was happy hear him tell me the bone had healed, I don't feel fully healed. I have a slight limp, I don't have full mobility of my leg (I can't sit Indian style), and I can feel there is something in my hip. I don't feel 100%, more like 75%. I'm hoping that my leg/hip will get better in the coming months and I won't eventually notice it, but from the few people I have talked to who have broken bones, they tell me that it is never the same. I hope they are wrong. The other positives from my doctor visit today is he cleared me for full activity and I don't have to see him anymore. Hopefully, I have fullfilled my quota of broken bones and won't have to visit him ever again.

Day 152 - Did You Wreck?

It rained in Mission on Friday. Didn't ride on Saturday because the trails were still drying out. Waited under Sunday afternoon to go for a ride. When I got there I hit the trails and they were nice and hardpacked from the rain. Sweet! Did a lap of the new loop at a pace close to race pace. Heart rate was in the mid 160s to 170s. It was a pace I can hold without going anaerobic. Did a second lap as the sun was doing down. Slid out in Pooh's when I took a turn a little too wide. It was a minor wipeout. Jumped back on my bike and finished my second lap. I felt good. I was able stand and crack on a few of the climbs, something I had been reluctant to do because of my back. Rode home. When I got home my wife was watering the yard. She looked at me and ask "Did you wreck?". At first I said "no", but after repeated interrogation I cracked and admitted I had a little fall. She didn't make a big deal of it.

Day 149 - 184 BMP

Thursday is group ride day. Took off work early to get in a ride with my riding buddies. It's great that we can get together at least one day a week to ride together and forget about work, family, and other stresses of life. We met up Mission Trails at 5:30 p.m. We hit the trails. As usual, Nico put in a fast pace for the first few miles. I took over and slowed things down a little to catch my breath. Then Grapeape flew by me and it was off to the races. We all struggled to keep up with Grape. My heart rate monitor maxed out at 184 bpm trying to keep up, the highest I have gotten it. We slowed down after a while. Came across AC, Richard, and Hector riding on the trails. They put the pedal down and it was back to the races. AC and Brian led the charge. They rode strong, dropping us. We finished and rode back to the parking lot. It was a good, hard workout.

Day 145 - Cool Front Ride

We got our first cool front this weekend. The temperature dropped to about 70 degrees and drizzed on Saturday and Sunday. The trails were packed down from the drizzle and the overcast skies kept the sun from coming out. It was perfect riding weather. Went for a ride on on my mountain bike Sunday afternoon around 4 p.m. I had lowered the stem about an inch and moved my shift levers inward about a 1/2 inch and wanted to test out the changes. Left my house and rode to the trails. Put in two laps on the course that we used in our last mountain bike race. Put in a fast pace, near race pace, on the second lap. The lower stem helped the bike corner better and kept the front end down on the climbs. The movement of the shifters allowed me to hold my grips better. I rode home, happy with the changes. Put in a good hour and a half ride. Stats: 23 miles, average heart rate 139 bpm, max heart rate 177 bmp, average speed 12 mph, top speed 22 mph.

Day 143 - Bike Computer/Heart Rate Monitor

I bought a bike computer and heart rate monitor earlier in the week. I had resisted buying one and relied on my feeback and perceived rate of effort. But I finally broke down and bought a Sigma 1706 bike computer/heart rate monitor on eBay. Part of the reason to buy it was to get more accurate feedback on my heart rate so I can train better. Another reason was to keep track of the miles that I am putting on my bike. The Sigma 1706 tracks speed, heart rate, miles, time elapased, and a bunch of other things. I was excited when I got it in the mail on Friday evening. Spent the evening setting it up, positioning the sensor and wheel magnet correctly, and learning how to use it. I can't wait to take it out for a spin this weekend.

Day 142 - Hit the Tree

Got out of work early so I could get in a ride. Met up with some of my riding buddies Tweezer, Grapeape, and Nico at Mission Trails at 5:30 p.m. Nico took the lead and set a fast pace, followed by Grapeape, me, and Tweezer. We I rode near the back trying to keep up. We played a game where if you put your foot down for whatever reason, you would have to go to the back. We played the game for several miles, with the lead changing several times. The pace was fast. Too fast. I was following Tweezer around a turn in Poo's Forest and cut the corner too quick, and was headed straight for a tree. I quickly grabbed my brakes, which stopped my bike, but my momentum carried me and I hit the tree with my right shoulder. Bam! Fortunately, I was ok. I quickly shook it off and we took off again. We rode this way for a good hour and a half until the sun went down. We made it back to the parking lot, exhausted. I was a little beat up, had a few scratches, and a slightly sore right shoulder, but wow, what a good, hard ride!

Day 137 - Sweating Out the Toxins

Last night my wife and I went to a Mission Trails Club night out at the Kave in Mission. We arrived at the club at 9:45 p.m. A couple of club members were there drinking and talking. My wife and I started drinking. She was drinking wine and I drank vodkas and cranberry juice. It was a small club that played mostly Spanish pop music. There was also a band that played. Two hours and several drinks later I was feeling tipsy. My wife and I said our goodbyes and drove home. We stopped at Whataburger to pick up some chicken strips (yummy!). Made it home, ate, and fell asleep. Woke up tired. In the late afternoon I went for a mountain bike ride at Mission Trails. Put in a hard pace and was sweating out the toxins from the night before. Rode from my house to the trails, did a lap and a half at the trails, and rode back home. Probably about 12 miles. Ended the ride with a 24 oz cold frosty. The perfect postride beverage.

Day 136 - Ride to You Drop

Woke up at 6 a.m. in the morning. Had an early morning mountain bike ride with my ridin' buddies -- Nico, Tweezer, and Grapeape. We all met at the parking lot at Mission Trails at 7 a.m. We unloaded and put on our gear and headed out to the trailhead. Tweezer took the lead and pushed a fast pace. We did a few of the older trails including the Up and Over, Thornwood, and the Rattlesnake. I took over and we did the Bikebreaker and the Cactus Run. We stopped the Quicksand Drop to take a couple of pics (that's Tweezer dropping into the Quicksand Drop), a 8 to 10 foot drop. We completed Tweezer and took the Cactus Run out to Champain Run and the end of the new lap. Nico took over and we did Jackhammer, PsychoPath, and Shady Oaks. We did the Bike Breaker again. Yeah! Grapeape took the wheel and we headed over to check out Los Ebanos Road. We raced down Los Ebanos to Old Military Rd. Then we caught in and rode the Up and Over backward to the end. It was a great ride. Everyone was riding hard. It was one of those "ride to you drop" kinda of rides. I got home exhausted and happy.

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.