So I was almost ready to call it quits after Catskills for the year, but I didn't want to end the season that way. After the crash I was off the bike for a week and a half. Then I got in on a spin bike, doing 5 hours of training the second half of that week and 7 in the following week. I finally got back out on my bike towards the end of the third week and combined got 11 hours of riding in. So overall not what I would call a great training block leading up to provincials. The course was very hilly with only two short flat sections in each of the 20km laps. My garmin was in for repairs so I was going to do this TT completely on feel. I was also lucky to have a friend lend me a disc wheel. The 'whooshing' sound of the wheel always adds to your confidence I find.
At bike check, because I was just under 190cm I had to move my extensions in 5cm. This was complete crap! Because I can't afford electronic shifting, my knees now hit my elbows if my shifters are not sticking straight out. The UCI rules are complete garbage for tall riders and I am sure short riders probably have similar things to say. Anyway, this was not favourable with the hills as I very rarely found my shifter in the ideal location. It was either up too high to climb, or down too low on the descents. It was hard to get into a good rhythm I found as well on this course but I gave it a good go, with no numbers to judge my effort. I ended up 6th in U23. Overall I was happy with it because my expectations were very low going into it. Also comparing my times from this year to last year, I was a lot closer to the overall winner which I am telling myself is a sign that my fitness is improving! Had I not crashed, and had my garmin I think I could have knocked some time off, but no one will ever know. I finished in one piece and that is a much better way to end a season! Can't wait to come back next season even stronger and with more knowledge and experience.
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| Photo cred: Jeremy Allen |
Results:here
Injury Update
So this past Tuesday I finally got my check up appointment and X-ray. Doctor said it healed well and I am ok to resume activity. I didn't tell him that I started 3 weeks ago. I have had some shoulder pain, but it has mostly felt like muscle pain, from trying to build the strength back up. Range of motion is pretty much all the way back now. Took about two weeks to get it back after I stopped using the sling. Now all I have left are some scars and a missing half a finger nail!
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| Left is healed, right is broken. You can see a bright white 'line' in the left one where the new bone has grown. Kind of hard to tell, so maybe I was just faking it? |
