Nearly all of the 4 to 6 inches of wet, heavy snow melted away as the temperature nearly got to 50 degrees. We walked the dogs around the block. Later after lunch and a short nap and getting some paper work done, Donna took the dogs for a run and I donned the biking gear and mounted my trusty Epic.
Didn't know what I would find in the woods, but was willing to find out as the knees feel really good today. I had raked off leaves in one section on Friday, so started off there. I soon was riding all the trails and they were in great shape. The leaves were packed down by the snow and the snow was gone for the most part. Even where there was snow, it was easily smushed down and ridable. I did everything we have including up behind Rick's pond and over to the new park. Then rode on the road - down Brennan extension, out Coach to Randle's than back and up 47, back in the woods all the way back to the chicken coop. Donna was just returning.
A great 2 hour jaunt in the clear blue sky with white on fall colored leaves.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
October Hiking
Rooster Comb, Hurricane Mountain and Fish Hawk Cliffs / Indian Head Overlooks of Lower Ausable Lake Photos
Legs still feeling the tightness around the new bionic joints. The generalized swelling of the leg is a thing of the past now. What I have now is internal swelling that stiffens the knee some, but not taking away flexibility, just creating a pull sensation as the knee is flexed.
I was stuck in a hotel room and decided that the stiffness was on the wane after a weekend of hiking, so got on the treadmill and did two miles at a 10 minute pace, expecting the worse in "steps backward." To my surprise I felt looser in the knees in the following days than I have in a long time. Puzzling to say the least. Did I get the scar tissue to break loose? Don't know, but will file that away for future use. I did however, get the expected soemness in the other areas of the body, especially the hip flexors and lower back. Just the thing to do to yourself before a three-day weekend of hiking in the Adirondacks with Donna!
Well the hiking went very well; it loosened the hp and back area and did not tighten the knees until the last day. After Donna got the animals settled in, we set off up the northway to Keene Valley and got on the trail to Hurricane Mountain at 1:30 pm. So, a 4 to 5 hour hike up 2000' got underway. Doing calculations as we started the steep climb right from Tr 9N trail head, I figured we would be in the dark the last hour at best. After the first climb we got to a beaver dam pond that flooded the trail and had to go around. We had difficulty getting back the trail on the other side, so decided to abandon the hike and go back. We saw another trail head just up the road on the way in, so looked it up. Baxter Mountain was a short 2 mile in / 2 mile out and 1000' of up, so that is what we did. It was a nice walk with great views right down into Keene Valley - we could see our B+B!
Saturday after a great breakfast we got an earlier start (10 am!) and headed back to Hurricane, but this time from the northern route. It was about the same distance, 3 miles in / out and 2000' and most of the hike in was right up a stream bed, so very challenging rocky path. When we made it to the top we were rewarded with spectacular views of 42 of the 46 high peaks, 360 degrees of mountains and even a great view of a long section of Lake Champlain. I can see why the put a fire tour on top. There was one other couple that we criss-crossed, but that was it. Cold on top, with ice froming in the puddles and the wind was not bad, especially as the high winds often found on top are how it got its name. We decended and had lunch in town at the ADK Cafe - great food.
Our legs were certainly feeling the effort, but we did not want to waste Sunday, especially as the weather got even better and was supposed to deteriorate by late afternoon. We decided to head up to the cliffs overlooking Lower Ausable Lake - Fish Hawk and Indian Head. We had to park right off Rt. 73 and then hike the private road into Ausable Club. Then up the dirt road that parallels Ausable River until we hit the path that follows Gill Brook until we take a right and climb up to the first cliff, The falls and flumes of Ausable and Gill Brook were amazing. The view up the Lake from Fish Hawk were unreal, also we were looking directly across to Sawtooth, Pyramid and Gothics. We ate lunch with 1000 foot of air between us and the lake below. The short but steep hike over to Indian Head was well worth it too as now we could see up to Hurricane and down onto the dam below. The trails to the dam and along Ausable and out were just as pretty as the other trails. We finally got back on the private road and out - about 8 or 9 miles all together. My knees were tight and I developed a blister, but otherwise was in good shape. Shower at the Noon Mark Diner and then headed home in the rain that started as soon as we got back to the B+B for the shower!
It took the full week for my knees to lossen up and this morning we went for a hike around the block in the fresh 6 inches of snow that arrived overnight.
Legs still feeling the tightness around the new bionic joints. The generalized swelling of the leg is a thing of the past now. What I have now is internal swelling that stiffens the knee some, but not taking away flexibility, just creating a pull sensation as the knee is flexed.
I was stuck in a hotel room and decided that the stiffness was on the wane after a weekend of hiking, so got on the treadmill and did two miles at a 10 minute pace, expecting the worse in "steps backward." To my surprise I felt looser in the knees in the following days than I have in a long time. Puzzling to say the least. Did I get the scar tissue to break loose? Don't know, but will file that away for future use. I did however, get the expected soemness in the other areas of the body, especially the hip flexors and lower back. Just the thing to do to yourself before a three-day weekend of hiking in the Adirondacks with Donna!
Well the hiking went very well; it loosened the hp and back area and did not tighten the knees until the last day. After Donna got the animals settled in, we set off up the northway to Keene Valley and got on the trail to Hurricane Mountain at 1:30 pm. So, a 4 to 5 hour hike up 2000' got underway. Doing calculations as we started the steep climb right from Tr 9N trail head, I figured we would be in the dark the last hour at best. After the first climb we got to a beaver dam pond that flooded the trail and had to go around. We had difficulty getting back the trail on the other side, so decided to abandon the hike and go back. We saw another trail head just up the road on the way in, so looked it up. Baxter Mountain was a short 2 mile in / 2 mile out and 1000' of up, so that is what we did. It was a nice walk with great views right down into Keene Valley - we could see our B+B!
Saturday after a great breakfast we got an earlier start (10 am!) and headed back to Hurricane, but this time from the northern route. It was about the same distance, 3 miles in / out and 2000' and most of the hike in was right up a stream bed, so very challenging rocky path. When we made it to the top we were rewarded with spectacular views of 42 of the 46 high peaks, 360 degrees of mountains and even a great view of a long section of Lake Champlain. I can see why the put a fire tour on top. There was one other couple that we criss-crossed, but that was it. Cold on top, with ice froming in the puddles and the wind was not bad, especially as the high winds often found on top are how it got its name. We decended and had lunch in town at the ADK Cafe - great food.
Our legs were certainly feeling the effort, but we did not want to waste Sunday, especially as the weather got even better and was supposed to deteriorate by late afternoon. We decided to head up to the cliffs overlooking Lower Ausable Lake - Fish Hawk and Indian Head. We had to park right off Rt. 73 and then hike the private road into Ausable Club. Then up the dirt road that parallels Ausable River until we hit the path that follows Gill Brook until we take a right and climb up to the first cliff, The falls and flumes of Ausable and Gill Brook were amazing. The view up the Lake from Fish Hawk were unreal, also we were looking directly across to Sawtooth, Pyramid and Gothics. We ate lunch with 1000 foot of air between us and the lake below. The short but steep hike over to Indian Head was well worth it too as now we could see up to Hurricane and down onto the dam below. The trails to the dam and along Ausable and out were just as pretty as the other trails. We finally got back on the private road and out - about 8 or 9 miles all together. My knees were tight and I developed a blister, but otherwise was in good shape. Shower at the Noon Mark Diner and then headed home in the rain that started as soon as we got back to the B+B for the shower!
It took the full week for my knees to lossen up and this morning we went for a hike around the block in the fresh 6 inches of snow that arrived overnight.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Weekend of Activity Without Overdoing It
After recovering from the strain of doing the home trails with some good activity (swimming and elliptical), I didn't want to do the weekend warrior thing and put my self back for the upcoming week. So, on Saturday, a windy, cool day I took to the home trails with a rake instead of a bike. After walking the dogs on the trials, I stayed out and raked off about 75% of my trail system. I would have stayed out longer, and probably too long to not do too much, had it not been for the cold front squall that attacked me after about 2 hours of raking at 4 pm. The wind started howling and the rain driving, even with some mixed in hail. I stayed in the woods for awhile enjoying the protection derived by the trees. The branches and limbs coming down had me alarmed enough to start towards the house. By the time I got there I was glad I started in when I did. I looked for the chickens in the coop and only conted four. The other four apparently were under the coop. All in all, a good workout that was later felt more in the shoulder that the legs.
On Sunday we got some lumber to build raised beds and then Donna decided to go for a run with the dogs. I had in mind riding the trails I had raked the day before, but definately wanted to take it easier than the last time. So, I rode on the mountain bike while Donna ran with the dogs - just about 3 miles which was a nice warm-up. Then I took to the freshly raked trails and stayed to where I had raked. Felt good before, during and after. Hopefully that will hold true tomorrow.
On Sunday we got some lumber to build raised beds and then Donna decided to go for a run with the dogs. I had in mind riding the trails I had raked the day before, but definately wanted to take it easier than the last time. So, I rode on the mountain bike while Donna ran with the dogs - just about 3 miles which was a nice warm-up. Then I took to the freshly raked trails and stayed to where I had raked. Felt good before, during and after. Hopefully that will hold true tomorrow.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Steps Backward Needed to Go Forward?
The mountainbiking on home trails did take a toll. After the road ride my knees got swollen and stiff for quite a few days. I was getting depressed and discouraged about getting ready for snowboarding. After some days of rest I had an opportunity to do some swimming and hot tub therapy at a conference in Chicago. What a difference that made! I followed that up with a workout on an Elliptical, and felt great. Better than before the mountain biking! More flexibility, more strength, no swelling. So, the big question: is it necessary to strain the soft tissues in order to make progress, or would the progress have been made without taking the backwards steps? It is nearly a mute point, as I have proven over and over again, I will always push to and beyond the limits and then recover and see what is next.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Traffic Jam in Argyle and 12 Dead Snakes Ride
As anticipated, my mountain biking last Monday put some strain on my knees, especially the right one. So, some backwards steps were taken. By Friday I was getting somewhat better, and the week's activity of standing and delivering at our meeting was not leaving me ready for some early Saturday activity. So, a nap and chores around the house until 2 pm, then I forced my self to go for a ride. Not another go at the trails, but a nice easy road ride to try to loosen the legs up and get some aerobic activity.
I set out to do about 30 miles where there would be no serious climbs, so I set out heading down County Route 47 to our little hamlet of Argyle, I was greeted by more cars and people than I have ever seen in our little town. Turns out it was Garage Sale day and everyone and their cousin Lou was out trying to score a good buy on some crap. It took me forever to get through the little village, something that would normally take just a few minutes. Once out on West Road, the ride became a pleasure. The day was clear, windless and sunny 75 degrees - a rarity to be treasured.
My stamina has really taken a nose dive since mid-summer. But, even though I was huffing and puffing up the hills, I did enjoy the great roads we have. I found a loop that met my goals and started counting dead garter snakes as they were encountered at a regular interval. Must be they were trying to soak up some warmth before taking on the winter.
The legs felt the work and rewarded me with some muscle soreness towards the end so I knew I did something. I think through this process of straining on the mountain bike and now that the swelling has gone down, I have some more flexibility - which is the goal. Feels good to have been on a ride. Tomorrow is supposed to be just as nice, so I will see how I feel in the morning.
I set out to do about 30 miles where there would be no serious climbs, so I set out heading down County Route 47 to our little hamlet of Argyle, I was greeted by more cars and people than I have ever seen in our little town. Turns out it was Garage Sale day and everyone and their cousin Lou was out trying to score a good buy on some crap. It took me forever to get through the little village, something that would normally take just a few minutes. Once out on West Road, the ride became a pleasure. The day was clear, windless and sunny 75 degrees - a rarity to be treasured.
My stamina has really taken a nose dive since mid-summer. But, even though I was huffing and puffing up the hills, I did enjoy the great roads we have. I found a loop that met my goals and started counting dead garter snakes as they were encountered at a regular interval. Must be they were trying to soak up some warmth before taking on the winter.
The legs felt the work and rewarded me with some muscle soreness towards the end so I knew I did something. I think through this process of straining on the mountain bike and now that the swelling has gone down, I have some more flexibility - which is the goal. Feels good to have been on a ride. Tomorrow is supposed to be just as nice, so I will see how I feel in the morning.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Back Yard Mountain Biking
We only have 5 acres of land, but we try to get the most from it. Since it is woods on hard pan there is not much agriculture that can get done. The lawn can hardly get a foot hold. Donna had me build some raised beds and with those and the front yeard flower trough, we raise some potatoes and veggies. No, the thing we can do with the land is make really great mountain bike trails. Yes, we do spill over into the neighbors' property, but we do have their permission. My frist attempts resulted in nearly trial-difficult paths. But over time I have gotten them at a difficult, but not too difficult level. With the legs in recovery, however, I have been reluctant to really have a go at them. And, coupled with the wet weather making them extra hard from the slippery rocks and roots, I have yet to ride them this year. Tonight that sad streak came to an end! Yes, they were slippery. Yes, they put a strain on my quad tendon and patella tendon. But I was ready. It was great to get in the short but anaerobic workout that doing the home trails provides. Over the summer Donna got into doing some trail building herself so she could walk with Harry over to the neighbor's mowed yard that is not used for anything else without taking him on the dirt road which bothers his sore foot. I made a winding, narrow, edge-hanging trail off of her main trail and was anxious to try it. All went well and I did a ride around our block to just cool off and enjoy the sunset at the end. I like this riding because it takes little preparation and you stay close to home while getting a great workout for the mind, legs and lungs.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Nine Months Without Knees
My nine month anniversary for getting rid of my old arthritic knees and replacing them with new metal and plastic ones just past on 9/28/11. The first 3 months were not easy, but I knew it was going to be well worth the effort even early on. Today, I have no knee pain because I have no knees and I am nearly 100% in terms of flexibility and discomfort when bending. Strength and stamina still need some work, but that will come with time.
For the first 3 months I had to recover from the surgery, work on getting Range of Motion (ROM) and get all of the ligaments, tendons and muscles used to the new straightened legs that I now have. I didn't realize how bow-legged I had become as the old knees wore away on the outside faster than on the outside. To accomplish this I used water therapy at the Saratoga YMCA, active release chiropractic massage from Keith Donato and home exercise on the indoor cycle trainer and total gym. I went back to work full time at 2 months and it was too early as I was still swelling up and very tired easily. A constant challenge was overdoing exercises which caused swelling and reduced flexibility or ROM. At this point I was up to 125 degrees of flex in ROM as long as I was not swollen. But I was still getting the swelling with very little activity so had to take it slower than I wanted. Three steps forward, two steps back at best.
A milestone came on 4/7/11 when I took my first road ride around Cassyunna Lake. It was the first time outdoors on the road bike. Even though I had gone on the mountain bike with Donna running 3 to 5 miles several times, this was different. I was alone, it was on the road bike that requires more balance and control, it was 20 miles and I had to complete it without overdoing it and taking too many steps backwards. The ride was a huge mental boost for me. The freedom of being able to use my new legs to take myself on this ride was a true thrill and feeling of accomplishment. It was the start of making this ordeal truly worth while. I was further pleased in that the ride and the few that I did in the next few weeks did not cause any great swelling as I was limiting my enthusiasm and forcing myself to go slow and stay to 20 miles. However, I was causing some pains up in my shoulder and down through my legs. I decided I needed to get a new fit on the bike because my legs are significantly different now. At the 5 month anniversary (5/28/11) I went to FitWerks in Vermont and got new shoes, seat post and handlebars and an adjustment to the bike. Subsequent rides felt much better as my new straight legs now were being worked properly. At this point my only issue was endurance, strength and stamina that were lacking from lack of riding. But, I was returning to the riding I wanted to do with the new knees!
Returning to the level of cycling was one goal that was now being accomplished with enough time to build back strength. The other and main goal was to be able to walk, hike and even climb mountains without pain. Dog walks with Donna around the block (about 2 miles) were now very much a pleasure and not a pain. We did some longer walks - up to 5 miles that again were not painful, but did make me very tired and I needed time to recoup the strength. At the end of April I went to AZ for a Dairy Conference and took the opportunity to do a desert hike and mountain climb with Terry, Russ and others that I work with. The hike was easily accomplished, but the last part of the climb, a scramble up Vulture Peak, was a challenge do to the high degree of flex needed to get up and over rocks and gaps. I was not sure it was wise and may have been taking too many steps backwards, but I had to to do it and was glad I did make it to the top. The next day I did a hike into Sedonna with Barry and still felt great. However, on the return back I was getting a little stiff and did take a fall that resulted in a shoulder injury. That injury was to be compounded a few weeks later by getting rear ended several times in a go cart which took a toll on my neck. So, the legs continued to improve, allowing me to do some hiking and climbing, but my neck and shoulders now needed attention.
With time and therapy from Donato and rest these other challenges became overcome and today I find myself enjoying hiking and climbing in the Adirondacks with Donna and the dogs when we can get the free time. We have done Buck, Hopkins and Rooster Comb, and all without significant leg, shoulder or neck pain during or after. We also did a week of mountain biking in the Northeast Kingdom with Alex, which was the highlight of the summer. Cycling has taken a bit of a back seat as I am enjoying the hiking and climbing, and that has held back my endurance and strength on the bike, but that is ok. I am now looking forward to completing all of the physical goals I had set out with for my new legs - snowboarding. I have started doing the exercises needed to build quads and increase ROM even more. I am over 150 degrees now and can nearly rest my butt on my heals in a deep knee bend. More to come on that as winter sets it!
For the first 3 months I had to recover from the surgery, work on getting Range of Motion (ROM) and get all of the ligaments, tendons and muscles used to the new straightened legs that I now have. I didn't realize how bow-legged I had become as the old knees wore away on the outside faster than on the outside. To accomplish this I used water therapy at the Saratoga YMCA, active release chiropractic massage from Keith Donato and home exercise on the indoor cycle trainer and total gym. I went back to work full time at 2 months and it was too early as I was still swelling up and very tired easily. A constant challenge was overdoing exercises which caused swelling and reduced flexibility or ROM. At this point I was up to 125 degrees of flex in ROM as long as I was not swollen. But I was still getting the swelling with very little activity so had to take it slower than I wanted. Three steps forward, two steps back at best.
A milestone came on 4/7/11 when I took my first road ride around Cassyunna Lake. It was the first time outdoors on the road bike. Even though I had gone on the mountain bike with Donna running 3 to 5 miles several times, this was different. I was alone, it was on the road bike that requires more balance and control, it was 20 miles and I had to complete it without overdoing it and taking too many steps backwards. The ride was a huge mental boost for me. The freedom of being able to use my new legs to take myself on this ride was a true thrill and feeling of accomplishment. It was the start of making this ordeal truly worth while. I was further pleased in that the ride and the few that I did in the next few weeks did not cause any great swelling as I was limiting my enthusiasm and forcing myself to go slow and stay to 20 miles. However, I was causing some pains up in my shoulder and down through my legs. I decided I needed to get a new fit on the bike because my legs are significantly different now. At the 5 month anniversary (5/28/11) I went to FitWerks in Vermont and got new shoes, seat post and handlebars and an adjustment to the bike. Subsequent rides felt much better as my new straight legs now were being worked properly. At this point my only issue was endurance, strength and stamina that were lacking from lack of riding. But, I was returning to the riding I wanted to do with the new knees!
Returning to the level of cycling was one goal that was now being accomplished with enough time to build back strength. The other and main goal was to be able to walk, hike and even climb mountains without pain. Dog walks with Donna around the block (about 2 miles) were now very much a pleasure and not a pain. We did some longer walks - up to 5 miles that again were not painful, but did make me very tired and I needed time to recoup the strength. At the end of April I went to AZ for a Dairy Conference and took the opportunity to do a desert hike and mountain climb with Terry, Russ and others that I work with. The hike was easily accomplished, but the last part of the climb, a scramble up Vulture Peak, was a challenge do to the high degree of flex needed to get up and over rocks and gaps. I was not sure it was wise and may have been taking too many steps backwards, but I had to to do it and was glad I did make it to the top. The next day I did a hike into Sedonna with Barry and still felt great. However, on the return back I was getting a little stiff and did take a fall that resulted in a shoulder injury. That injury was to be compounded a few weeks later by getting rear ended several times in a go cart which took a toll on my neck. So, the legs continued to improve, allowing me to do some hiking and climbing, but my neck and shoulders now needed attention.
With time and therapy from Donato and rest these other challenges became overcome and today I find myself enjoying hiking and climbing in the Adirondacks with Donna and the dogs when we can get the free time. We have done Buck, Hopkins and Rooster Comb, and all without significant leg, shoulder or neck pain during or after. We also did a week of mountain biking in the Northeast Kingdom with Alex, which was the highlight of the summer. Cycling has taken a bit of a back seat as I am enjoying the hiking and climbing, and that has held back my endurance and strength on the bike, but that is ok. I am now looking forward to completing all of the physical goals I had set out with for my new legs - snowboarding. I have started doing the exercises needed to build quads and increase ROM even more. I am over 150 degrees now and can nearly rest my butt on my heals in a deep knee bend. More to come on that as winter sets it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
