recovery

Bike Curious? Here’s the Perfect Pedal for a Slow Sunday Cycle in Austin

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Years ago, I was pedaling past the World War II era airplane hanger at Austin’s former Robert Mueller airport, which I recall flying into right over where I lived. (Not the recent special investigator.) Now, Mueller is the one-word name (like Bono, Prince, or Sting) for the new urban, high-density (and high-cost) neighborhood that now sits on the former airport. Back then, somehow I’d been able to rent a room in pretty new row house owned by a nice gentleman from Ethiopia. That’s another story.

I biked but not much. On that night, I found the ride quite by accident and joined in. It was fun and easy, but soon I went on my way and didn’t go back. Skip ahead many years in time to a couple of weeks ago, and I ran into a fellow rider at the grocery store, Jason. He reminded me about the ride, and since I was on a bike and curious about Bike Curious, I showed up. Needing a recovery ride from Saturday’s hot and tiring 45-mile Mamma Jamma training ride, I went again a second time. Lemme tell ya’ all about it.

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I Didn’t Ride My Bicycle Today, and I’m Okay With That

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Returning readers recall relatively recent reflections recommending rest. After five days of riding my bike almost 90 miles, and knowing I would reach 100 miles last week, this weekend I did very little. My body, my left knee and quadricep muscle in particular, were very grateful. As usual I was having trouble getting myself going. So when a friend offered to come by and help with some errands in his car, I jumped, however gently, at the opportunity. Later, we went for a walk, and it got late. I could have forced myself to go put in some miles on the bicycle, but I did not. And it was glorious. Let me tell you.

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Give Yourself Permission to Just Do Nothing!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ Leave a comment

Thomas Merton was a Catholic monk born in France who moved to Kentucky. He wrote over 60 books, encouraged inter-religious dialog with the likes of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh, and others and advocated for pacifism and social justice. He died in 1968 in his early 50’s when he accidentally was electrocuted stepping out of his shower where a running fan had fallen over. (Some say he was assassinated by the CIA.) While I’ve not read his work, I’ve seen this quote below before. And it seems more relevant than ever in 2019.

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Massage Is Good for Cyclists and Other Humans

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 2 Comments

Back in May I blogged about a massage in One Fine Day: Free Massage, Bike to Work Day, Deadpool 2.  I still have some free passes left so I returned today.  And boy did I need it!  It may be obvious to those of us who have had massage, not everyone has had a massage.  So here’s a little post about massage that you might enjoy, whether you ride a bike or not.  The ending is uh, joyful.

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Speak Up, Legs! Slowly Easing Back Into Bicycling & Houston Bike Shooter Update

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 9 Comments

It has been five days since I got on my Fuji Silhouette bicycle and rode it.  So this evening as I finally worked up the guts to do just that and was mulling over a title for this blog, I thought of the words, “Shut Up, Legs!” This is the catchphrase of Jens Voigt, who rode the Tour de France 17 times, a record only beaten this year by Sylvain Chavanel.  He retired in 2014 the day after his 43rd birthday and setting a new one-hour bike record — the farthest anyone had ridden a bike in one hour.  You can see my ride today on Strava here.

While I’m slowly getting back to riding (I hope) and watching the Tour, Jens has been commentating on it for NBC Sports Network.  As mentioned in my previous post, about the Tour de France, Top 5 Reasons I Love Watching Le Tour de France and You Should, Too.  You should go read my post and then come back.  It’s really good!  I’ll wait here.  Done?  Great.  Let’s continue.

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Getting Back on the Horse (aka Bicycle) After a Medical Break + Janeane Garafolo

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Ten days off the bike is the longest break I’ve had since I can remember.  It’s possibly the longest stretch sans bici since I began doing long distances back in January of 2015, pre-Strava.  It has been hard, sad, relaxing, and other things — just a weird time.  And I’m not out of the woods in terms of the medical situation that put me there.  Of course, I’m not the only person who’s had to stop activity for a health challenge, of course, and it could be far worse.  Some people have crashes (Tour de France, on parle de toi!), surgery, or life-altering issues.  I hope I’m not one of them.  Physically, there are changes, and there are also psychological ones.  That’s what this post is about, so click on through and check it out, already! Continue reading →

Texan Lawson Craddock Breaks Scapula on Day 1 of Tour de France, Just Keeps Riding. Quelle Courage!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 10 Comments

The first Texan to ride in the Tour de France since 2005, Gregory “Lawson” Craddock (Twitter,  Strava) who is from Houston but lives here in Austin, Texas first appeared in the TDF in 2016.  Returning after a not great 2017, on Saturday during on Stage 1, he crashed due to a water bottle in the road.  Diagnosed with a fractured scapula and gashes on his forehead and elbow, he received treatment en route and finished the ride.  After recovering some on Saturday and a tearful interview declaring he had come too far to give up so easily, he rode again Sunday and again today.  He’s using his misfortune to inspire others and for charity, too.  A Dude Abikes salutes his grit and gumption, so I had to give him a shout out from my little speck of the internet.  Go Lawson!

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Rainy Friday Blahg Post: The Value of Sleep and Rest Days for Cyclists

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 14 Comments

workintexas rain ride.pngI think the title sums it up pretty well.  It rained.  Alot.  I had to go to a job search class and didn’t have the time or patience for the bus.  It was only a mile and a half so I rode, but the rains picked up.  The skies were thundering and lightning, and I almost had to stop.  It is Star Wars Day — May the Fourth Be With You — but gale force winds gusting over 25 mph were against me.  It was a blah day, and I was tired as usual, but I pressed on, as I tend to do, for worse or for better. Continue reading →

An Austin Cyclist Was Hit By Cars Twice in a Year; Lance Armstrong Settles With US Postal

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 9 Comments

In the April 8th edition of the local paper, there was an article about JoJo McKibben, who had a traumatic accident after being hit by an SUV while biking last summer. In fact, the cyclist became trapped under the SUV, and seven people actually had to lift the car off of her! The first driver was drunk and indicted but is free on bond and has yet to go to trial.

Earlier this month she was hit again, but fortunately was not hurt as badly. The second driver is in jail on a lesser charge. Both accidents show that while Austin has the image of being a bike-friendly city, and in some ways it is better than others (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio — I’m talking to you). But the reality is much different. I know, I bike most days and fear for my life multiple times because of distracted, bad or mean drivers.

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ADAB Interview #1:  David Walker: If I Can Do It, So Can You! (Part 2)

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 12 Comments

If you haven’t already, please read Part 1 first. It is at this link: Engineering a Comeback from a Life-Altering Event.

“David Knows”

Lying on his back in Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, Texas in October 1981 after losing most of his right leg in a railroad accident, David Crittenden Walker was scared. Of dying. Of never walking again. Of the pain. About the look of worry on the faces of his family and friends. They were staying overnight with him for the first week. He was getting Demerol shots every four hours, and they were “wonderful,” he said, because it blocked the pain. But that last hour before the next shot was excruciating. He would get loopy, then pass out. Because it’s so addictive (think opioid crisis), he had to be weaned off it as soon as possible. He also started having some hallucinations which freaked him out. His brain had to make sense of his new reality. David was 17 years old, and all of a sudden, he only had one leg. How the fuck does anyone live with that? Continue reading →