RR: Raymond Hills

[ODB]

A timeline:
Jan. 20: In a spectacularly lame crash on one of the easiest trails at Santiago Oaks/Irvine Regional Park, I suffer a distal fracture of my left collarbone.
Feb. 2: Surgery. A ti plate and several screws now hold the collarbone together.
Feb. 20: First follow-up. Things are looking good, but still way too early for physical therapy. Come back in four weeks.
March 20: Second follow-up. Shoulder is feeling pretty good, so I'm certain that i'm gonna get the go-ahead for PT and be on my way to a speedy recovery. Orthopedic surgeon says no go; can ditch the sling except for sleeping, but there's still not enough bone growth at the fracture site. I had hoped to be back on singletrack by May, but it's clear that's not gonna be happening. Disappointment and despair set in.
April 24: All right, NOW we're for sure gonna start the PT in earnest. It's been nearly three months since the surgery, after all, and i've gotta be healed up enough by now. Not so fast, hotshot. The fracture is filling in, but it's still not stable enough to start serious recovery. Oh, and you're gonna have to start using a bone stimulator (kinda like ultrasound) at home to try to accelerate the healing. GOD-F!CKING-DAMMIT!!!! I'm the first to admit that I'm not a patient man, and despite my love for Texas Hold 'Em, I have a lousy poker face. The doc sees the disappointment, tinged with anger, in my clenched hands, slumping posture and downcast visage. I'm going nuts not being able to exercise, I tell him, and I'm really anxious to speed up the recovery process. The doc, wanting to help, starts going over all the stuff i can do in the interim: elliptical trainer, stationary bike ... I cut him off. Doc, i say, i'm not a gym guy; i'm a get-outdoors-and-ride-my-bike guy, and I need to get rolling again. He takes pity. Well, he says, I can clear you to ride on even surfaces; streets and fireroads only, none of the rocky, bumpy stuff. And whatever you do, nothing where you're gonna have to pull up on your handlebars or put a lot of weight on the collarbone. Crashing, it goes without saying, is not an option.
Yesterday: After several days of "should I?/shouldn't I?" consideration, I decide to chance it and take a short road ride. Nothing too ambitious; just something to get the heart rate up again. First order of business: wheel my Iron Horse Hollowpoint outta the garage and straighten the handlebars that got twisted around in the silly crash that started this whole ordeal. Tires have deflated a bit over the past three months, too, so I fill them up to a firm road-riding pressure. Next, check every stinking bolt on the bike and make sure everything's in proper running order. Brakes are paramount, cuz i'm not gonna allow myself to get much above cruising speed. Conservative and cautious are the watchwords of the day. Next, the Crank Bros. Candys come off, and the ZuZu platforms go on--i've never had a slow-speed tipover with the Candys, but i'm not taking any chance falling over on my bum shoulder. I don't want the Camelbak pressing down on my C-bone, so that stays behind, and on my frame goes my old water bottle cage. So quaint!
My destination for the day: pretty much my neighborhood. I live at the base of the Raymond Hills area of Fullerton, which offers several short but steep ascents up to scenic Skyline Drive. My plan is to hit the climbs multiple times, pushing the tallest gear i can stand. Like I said before, I just wanna get the heart rate up again. I roll outta my cul-de-sac, and the sensation of knobbies buzzing on pavement, combined with the feel of wind in my face again, gives me a big grin. As Raymond Avenue begins to pitch upward, i settle on an SS-like gear and start hammering. Let's make it hurt, i tell myself. But, surprisingly, it doesn't hurt, and I bag the hill in quick fashion, breathing a bit harder than when i started, but not gasping. Must be the adrenaline shot of getting rolling again. Damn, that was fun. I roll down a steep side street off of Skyline and turn right around and climb back up it. Several more ascents follow on the steepest street i can find: Kroeger Avenue. By the last, I'm still in my middle ring, but i've stepped down to my biggest cog. I sense that old burning sensation in my legs again, and damn it feels good. OK, time for a leisurely cruise along Skyline, then a cautious descent on Acacia Avenue back home. I keep on the brakes the entire way down, but when I pass the "Your Speed" sign by the elementary school, it says "26." Not breaking any land-speed records, but I really didn't wanna get the bike going that fast. Oh well.
I roll into my driveway about an hour after I left. There was no twisty singletrack, nor chunky rock gardens, nor steep chutes--no panoramic vistas from the top of a mountain, either--but still, this is the best day in the saddle i've had this year.
Today: Mild ache in the legs and back, and I like it.

[OTHRIDER]

ODB,

Hey, nice write up and a good ending to boot. I recently started riding and just a few days out of the seat is too much for me. It must have been a great feeling to get the wind back in your face.

Your mention of Acacia brought back some memories. Back in my youth, there was a famous college or pro athlete who trained on Acacia. If I remember correctly, he would do twenty (!!!) runs up the hill to stay in top shape. Some of my baseball buddies and I figured we should copy him. We'd start at the stop sign near Rosary H.S. and St Juliana, run to the top, run back down and so forth. By the end of the summer, I was able to do the trip maybe eleven or twelve times. I'm sure the run down the hill contributed to my chronic knee problems.

Congrats and a wish for a safe and speedy recovery to you.

[ODB]

Originally Posted by OTHRIDER

ODB,

Your mention of Acacia brought back some memories. Back in my youth, there was a famous college or pro athlete who trained on Acacia. If I remember correctly, he would do twenty (!!!) runs up the hill to stay in top shape. Some of my baseball buddies and I figured we should copy him. We'd start at the stop sign near Rosary H.S. and St Juliana, run to the top, run back down and so forth. By the end of the summer, I was able to do the trip maybe eleven or twelve times. I'm sure the run down the hill contributed to my chronic knee problems.

Try running up it pushing--with your one good arm--a 3-year-old in a jogging stroller. Good times!

[Pain Freak]

Man, I feel your pain. I think I'd go nuts if they told me I couldn't ride. The longest I've ever gone without riding in the last 7 years is 2 weeks and I was so damn testy then, I was arguing with myself. My boss, my wife, my kids and others told me to just go ride your bike and come back with a better attitude. I did and it worked. I'm hoping you aren't having it that bad, but from the sound of your post, you're struggling too.

Heal fast!