Today, I finally got out on the bike again after a four-day hiatus.
My last ride was Monday, a quick seven miles en route to school. By Monday night, I was feeling pretty bad and not up to fighting the mighty wind. In retrospect, that was a good idea; it’s very likely that I would have only further exacerbated the bronchial situation.
Today, I put in maybe six miles, maybe less — I haven’t bothered tallying it up — just tooling around from here to there. I was hunting for some hook-and-loop stuff to add to my briefcase, which doesn’t close securely when it’s got my computer and my school binder (Mead’s Five Star Flex line) in it. Eventually, I plan to add a leather strap closure, but I’m not there yet — I’m at the thinking-about-how-to-implement-that-in-addition-to-the-pannier-conversion stage.
Those six miles or so felt decent. You don’t lose your legs in four days. My lungs are still even more inclined than usual to freak out about chilly air, so I’m going to have to make sure to wear the famous NeckTube for a while. I might be able to skip it on Monday, since it’s supposed to be about 60F, but it looks like later in the week I’ll definitely need it. Either way, it’ll go in the MTX trunk bag, which is still so awesome it’s crazy.
I’m also going to have to take it easy on the bike for a bit. In short, I’m passing not Joe Friel’s “Neck Check” test yet — I’ve still got the occasional burning-sensation-under-the-breastbone and chest tightness — so hard training isn’t an option. Suffice it to say I’m glad I’ve got a solid start on the mileage this year.
The goal is not to turn this into a major setback. Death March is the weekend after next, and I am really looking forward to it. Moreover, I’m registered for the Almanzo 100, which takes place the day before our first anniversary, and I intend to be fit, fast, and lean.
I finish my prednisone tomorrow. After that, five more days of doxycycline, and continue the course of fluticasone propionate until I run out, I guess. I’m feeling a little discouraged about health stuff right now — I have had way more sinus infections in the past eight months or so than was routine for the past couple of years (although I do get sick easily as a rule) — but I realize that’s at least partly due to the fact that the allergy load at home right now is probably too much.
Our current housemate has two dogs and a cat, and I’m quite allergic to dogs and the cat in question seems to be somehow allergenically enhanced (neither Denis nor I can touch him without breaking out in rashes, which is a bit weird; Merkah doesn’t have the same effect).
I have most of the stuff I need for Death March assembled; I just need to pick up a couple small items and book a hotel reservation (Denis doesn’t want to camp).
Anyway, that’s it for now.
Keep the rubber side down.
