Author Archives → soiledchamois

The Boiled Ham Rides

high-corn-in-front-red-barn

The past week has been blazingly hot here in Michigan with temps often hovering in the mid-90s. As I’ve mentioned several times in the past, mid-90 temps in Michigan are roughly equal to living on the surface of the sun, especially when you realize that we were getting snow flurries in early May! As much as my super large former fat man (on his way back again) sweat glands don’t mesh well with high heat, I won’t complain all that much, since I would rather ride in some heat than the cold.

The week hasn’t been ideal for riding, but I did force myself out into the heat for couple short rides over the past few days.

Continue reading →

Post PT Goodness

fence-posts-wire

I had another early morning PT session on Wednesday. You would think a ride after a session with a therapist stretching, and ripping at my muscles and forcing me to work my core in a million different directions would have me super loose and ready to ride. Sadly, past experience has proved otherwise. Until Wednesday.

Continue reading →

The Power’s Off

paint-the-barn-red

I was up super early Monday morning to go to a 3:30 AM physical therapy appointment (OK, it wasn’t 3;30 AM, but it sure felt like it). I was stretched, yoga-balled, pounded, rolled, BOSU-balled, etc., etc., in the ever failing attempt at having my back and hip feel normal during rides.

Continue reading →

This is Livin’

big-giant-tree-color

I ride my bike in the woods today, completing a full loop with moderated stoppage. Yes, there was some back pain. No, I wasn’t happy about that, but there was a “come to Jesus moment” when I realized which position on the bike felt the best (might need to get all Jaroslav Kulhavy with my position!). And yes, I was very happy to have completed another loop on dirt in the woods. I wish I had been more comfortable, but the trails were great, the morning air was cool, with some occasional light drizzle. Made for a good time.

Continue reading →

Almost a Hike

patched-together-barn

Thursday was my birthday (thank you, but no gifts please). It seems I turned 45 years old, even though for some weeks I was convinced I was turning 46. Maybe that’s because my body feels way older these days? In any event, it’s been a long-standing tradition of mine to try to get out for a ride on my birthday to celebrate another of year of being healthy and fit enough to do such things. That my birthday plan… until it wasn’t.

Continue reading →

A Post Barely About a Ride

wheat-and-ready

I finally got a good night’s sleep in, and was enjoying the first day this week that I didn’t have to be up super, ass crack of dawn early. Then Wifey burst into the bedroom saying something like “THE CLOSING’S AT 9:20 NOT NOON!!! SHE TOLD ME NOON! SHE TOLD ME NOOOON!! IT’S IN MY CALENDAR!! I SWEAR!! Oh, and she said that the buyer wants us to remove some cabinets and some other shit from the garage.”

Continue reading →

Scratching Two Itches

cow-layin-down-

To say I had a bad night of sleep would be an understatement–I tossed, I turned, I farted, I peed, my heart rate was about 150 BPM, and had some pretty lucid dreams. Had I had three cups of coffee, a hit of blotter acid, and an eight ball of coke I would have totally understood, but didn’t. Just a crap night of sleep that had me taking refuge in the guest room so as to give Wifey a rest from my tossing, turning, and farting.

Continue reading →

Taking What I Can Get

eagle-decoration-on-barn

Today was sort of a hodgepodge of getting some work done, house stuff, dad stuff, soccer club stuff, and life stuff. Somewhere in there I squeezed in a lackluster dirt road ride on the Boone with my camera. Part of me thinks that I probably would been better off just aborting the ride altogether, but after spending my Monday goofing off, eating and drinking poorly I figured I better do something to burn some calories.

Continue reading →