Bend, Oregon

"Gee...I wish i lived in Illinois. Bend is such a hassle."

 

Miles from Nowhere

No training for two solid days, but a lot of practice sitting in one position concentrating on moving forward at very fast speed with simple thoughts running through head.




As we crested a hill soon after we had crossed the Idaho/Oregon border, I flipped the radio on to hear Cat Stevens sing.

Miles from nowhere
I guess I'll take my time
Oh yeah, to reach there

Look up at the mountain
I have to climb
Oh yeah, to reach there.

Lord my body has been a good friend
But I won't need it when I reach the end

Miles from nowhere
Guess I'll take my time
Oh yeah, to reach there

I creep through the valleys
And I grope through the woods
'cause I know when I find it my honey
It's gonna make me feel good

I love everything
So don't it make you feel sad
'cause I'll drink to you, my baby
I'll think to that, I'll think to that.

Miles from nowhere
Not a soul in sight
Oh yeah, but it's alright

I have my freedom
I can make my own rules
Oh yeah, the ones that I choose

Lord my body has been a good friend
But I won't need it when I reach the end



  to reach there I felt the beauty and fullness that I experience just about every time I come home.  No matter where I go, there it is. Oregon.  I'm lucky to know a place so beautiful and true for so long.  I'm lucky, I suppose, to ever be able to feel the simpleness of it again and again.  Listening to the song, i looked down at my knee, a rare pain-free moment.  I looked out the window, holy moly, this is amazing....I've got the girls, a healthy knee, a gorgeous vista, and cat stevens, and I'm almost home, easy as pie!!!

Pain free knee and Oregon desert and Cat Stevens!

Cycling Friendly Town

So many people wonder why I'm always complaining about riding where we live.   Well, on this sunny morning, although I didn't bother to work out, I got on my bike and rode around the intersection a bit. Not only is there No Traffic, but there's an unobstructed straightaway of about a mile going either direction from Jodi and Bill's.  I always think, if we even had something as simple as this in Oak Park it would be a suitable alternative to those folks who choose to sit on their trainer for two to four hours at a time.

first run after the crash

this can't be happening to me!

Ow! My knee!

Oh, my roadrash is oozing, i mean itching, i mean burning!

this can't be happening to me!

All photos by Ashby.

the altitude is killing me!

My back, i can't get up!

I'm doing the hokey pokey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 hour easy spin around FC

Nothing like Fort Collins to make someone feel like they can ride their bike all day if necessary.  I set the gearing low, took the easy non-hilly roads, and took it nice and gentle.  My knee sort of hurts on every pedal stroke, and I didn't really have time or energy to try to run yesterday.  Today I go out for a jog and see what happens. 

bikes, warm summer evenings and vegan tapas

Typical FC house party.  Did anybody bike here?

karen & addie...i guess we're not in RF anymore.

Nothing spells recovery from a trip to the pavement like visiting Jodi.  Girl has figured out the BEST place to live if you want to eat right, ride every day, and have access to killer thrift stores.  We all went out for ride past house party and on downtown for din-din.  Spinning on Jodi's SS Voodoo felt great, and my knee says it's OK as long as I'm not pulling two kids in a burley (like Jodi was). Pete and Addie on the Tandem, we're in heaven.   Crash...what crash??? Now if i can get out for a ride today and run a little bit, there is hope ;-)

reality sets in...

Today I wake up with incredibly sore neck, arms, shoulders, puss filled tachederm and knee that feels fine as long as i don't think about running or cycling. So it goes. After all the upset this week I had secretly planned on running about two or two and a half hours today, recovering from long ride yesterday, and putting it all away for the road trip. Now, hours later, i sit on my bed and stare out the window (for once it's perfect summer breeze weather here in OP) and wonder where my year went. If I ever wanted to ask the question, *can you finish an ironman on a longest run of 14 miles* I'll certainly be able to answer it this month. Yes, this month, that would be AUGUST, 2010.

11 months ago I stood in a tent in Canada, crying and asking PNF for a hug, as I explained how horrible 09 had been and she verified that obviously 2010 would prove inspiring enough that everything would be different.