It's been a few months since I last checked in - I had just been cleared by my hand surgeon and hand therapist. That was early November. A few have asked..."how's the thumb"??
It's ok. I'd say I'm at 85%. Opening jar lids and bottles is still a challenge. It's stiff and and stretching my thumb across my palm is still challenging. I'm not in pain though, which is a plus. Many have told me it takes at least a year to be fully healed.
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| I've been reading sports motivation books - this is from The Brave Athlete |
I've been back on the bike but it's been a struggle - both mentally and physically. Even though I was running (which I'll get into later), I lost fitness over those months of not training and being off the bike. I certainly feel it when I climb. And I notice it while riding with others I used to keep up with.
I also lost confidence riding more technical and challenging terrain. What if I fall and get hurt again? My thumb bothers me when I'm on the mountain bike - both gripping on descents and shifting. So I try to ride my singlespeed when I can or push through the discomfort. But I'm riding. And I will get back...eventually.
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| Getting my flow on at Ray's MTB park |
Which leads me to racing. I missed out on an entire season of CX. I was completely devastated at first...but eventually let it go. While I did miss seeing so many people, I didn't miss the travel and preparation required. Will I race CX in 2018? Perhaps.
I also thought a lot about whether I will race Enduros and Downhill this year. I haven't fully decided on that yet, but part of me is thinking meh. I go back on forth about the personal challenge. I sometimes find I am happier when I don't have a clock ticking for my ride. Instead, I would like to work on my skills dialed in and getting more rad...which is now my new motto.
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| My 2018 motto (sticker from endlessbike.com) |
I AM trying something new this year - BMX racing. The
Hunterdon County BMX track is less than 5 miles from my house. So why not?! I wanted to try it last summer but the whole #bumthumb happened. I'm committing to racing Thursday evenings since it's convenient. If I like it, maybe I'll pursue more.
I am still very involved with
NICA and continuing coaching Princeton Progressions this spring and getting #morekidsonbikes. Our family has grown to the size that we now have to split the team - but that's a good thing, believe me!!! I'm lucky enough to have a great coaches and parents to help with our ever growing team.
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| P2 takes over Allaire on a beautiful January morning |
I hope to do some more ladies mountain bike clinics when my schedule allows. I will be out at
Women's Weekend at Ray's February 16-18 assisting some really RAD ladies - some of the best BMX/Freestyle riders in the country.
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| Coaching MTB101 for NJ NICA |
As for running... I now consider myself a runner - Yes. I wrote that. I entered and ran a 10k trail run back in November. With not being able to ride my bike outside for almost three months, I was running a few days a week. I would run between school and my therapy appointments and started to.. gulp...enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, there were runs I wanted to give up in the first five minutes but more often I was pushing myself to see what pace I could maintain and the distance. I'm proud that I finished. And I finished 2nd overall for women at the trail run and had a PR for my 10k.
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| 2nd place overall female in the 10k Trail Run |
Fast forward a few months to today and I'm still running. I now try to run between 12-15 miles a week with at least a minimum of 30 minutes per run. I've started to incorporate some intervals and I'm starting to watch my pace get faster. Motivation to keep going. Will I start training for a half marathon? Nah. I'm not willing to invest that time, but I'd like to push my pace.
So that's my new start to 2018 with some goals and objectives. As in teaching, we always modify and adjust as we see needed. I've got to start somewhere and I'll keep moving forward.
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