my58vw

Is about as much as I care about how fast you are going... as long as we are not in a race!

I got clear from my doctors to start riding road again this (or really last week now) on Thursday. My bone density scan was better, thanks to fosamax and calcium suplimentation - along with walking more. I had the realization about 4 weeks ago that I would never race mass starts again, - at least for now - and that riding a bike means something totally different now.

I was in a local starbucks about a week ago and saw one of my old ride partners. His first question... when are you going to ride again... I said, I was afraid that everyone would make fun of me because I was not fast anymore... and he said "you have went through more than any of us could have, and being on the bike again is more of an acomplishment that my first race win!" I realize that is no longer about averages, groups, speeds, etc... it is about having fun, being like a kid on her bike!

In short, averages do not mean as much to me anymore. They are great to guage fitness, just like a HR or powermeter, but that is it... no more, and no less. When I was racing I was always facinated on speed... our race averaged "27" MPH, etc... now it is... wow I worked as hard as I could and I did as best as I could... for me!

It has taken a season behind the camera to see this!

Well I am back... "faster" than ever!

Mandy

furiousferret

So what exactly happened for those of us not in the know?

I think we're all caught up in the numbers game, most people speed, I've alway been big on elevation / ascent numbers.

Anyway, welcome back to the cycling world, I ride through Riverside Santa Ana Trail occasionally. You picked the right time to start back up because it was miserable the last few weeks.

fixedfiend

congrats Mandy. This is why I never ride with a computer.

my58vw

Ya, that is true...

Last race last season I went down when someone next to me in a sprint toppled on me. My right foot slammed into the ground and I fractured one of the bones in my leg (the small long one?). Upon bone density scans we found that my body was showing signs of ostiopedia or something like that, the precurser to ostioperosis. I was born IS (intersexed) and have not had sex hormones for years - that has been played all over the forum... I tried to take testosterone but my body could not handle it, etc... I am genetically female raised male.

The doctors said I would probably never ride a bike again... I told him no way! They put me on fosamax and other stuff, not a supliment for hormones, but I am not ready to go there yet... to many complications, plus deciding a sex - ouch! I worked hard to build bone mass again over the last 5 -6 months again. I got a contract with CBR to shoot their races, and it threw me right back. The doctors were amazed by my progress, and cleared me to ride again this week...

My body is still weak, and my aerobic system is really bad... but at least I am riding again... and that is what is important...

Mandy

PS, the only real thing I care about is millage... because every mile I ride is one they said I would never be able to!

furiousferret

Wow, thats a pretty complicated story, I'm not too sure of the medical stuff but what I do know that it's better to get out there and exercise. Doctors always tell people to sit on their asses and rot and when those people ignore the advise and have a recovery everyone's amazed.

my58vw

Complicated is right! It took me over 10 years to finally understand it all!