Each day I wake to slightly less pain and slightly more range of motion. The pain is really that ache anyone who has ever broken a bone will be familiar with. As the fracture heals the ache in my experience quickly fades from something that can’t be ignored to a dull ache that only becomes bothersome if disturbed, bumped, flexed wrong or too much.
I’m confident my recover will be complete and a bit more speedy than doctors expect. That has been my experience with other breaks and injuries. I’m much less stubborn now than I was in my youth. I am finding I’m getting bored with no real exercise. But, I also know that with the shoulder as tender as it is, any stress with much of my upper body is not possible. I can carry a small empty saucer with my left hand, but not a cup of coffee. I can’t open the refrigerator door, but can close it. A loaf of bread is too heavy to lift. Even at four weeks from the accident, using the left shoulder for much beyond lifting it to wash, brush and tie back my hair is not happening. I can pull up my pants, but mostly using my right arm, leaving my left to light work of stabilizing the pant waist only just while seated. I have discovered that all the doors in the house, I am used to opening with my left arm. I now, do this sort of half walk around my body to get into position to use my right arm. Getting up from laying down in bed requires me to push with the outside of my right arm while crunching my core to a degree I find the right side of my core is sore each morning.
I ordered an adapter thru axel for the Wahoo KickR Snap from The Robert Axel Project.
This is a very nicely made piece of kit. Robert Axel Project don’t have the F-series on their website in the axel finder, but there can’t be much difference at the axel between a Dogma and F-series. I hope. I’ll get the trainer back from being loaned soon and test how the tapers fit the cups on the Wahoo KickR Snap.
Once I get the bicycle and trainer back to my shop, I’ll swap the rear tire out for the red trainer tire and a non-TPU tube. Then get everything set up. I need to figure out setting up the old TV with Zwift. Last time I used it I had an AppleTV on it, that is no longer there just the Firestick. So, more stuff to sort out.
I am making a list of things to check on when I pick the bicycle up. The new helmet a shop jersey, water bottles and I’ve been on the hunt for a long ride/winter training bar bag that will fit with the bar and lights setup I run.
The insurance company called on the 4th of December to verify my address and send a check based on the repair invoice from Velo Pasadena. Velo Pasadena are still waiting on the bar/stem to arrive.
Here at 34 days of physical therapy I’m bored. We have a bit of a warm spell here this week, so tomorrow I plan on a walk to explore how my shoulder reacts to a longish walk. I can tell I’m losing fitness and definitely gaining weight. I’ve been so used to riding over the past few years, walking as exercise has disappeared from my alternatives. I walk uptown if I need something there, but otherwise ignore it. Initially I was not moving much because my shoulder did not feel very stable and I was not all that stable walking. Though that was likely the combination of the injury and pain medication and lots of sleep. Now I’m pretty sure I can tolerate walking a good bit.
I picked the bike up from Velo Pasadena on Saturday the 20th. Sunday morning I set about changing the rear tire to the trainer tire, updating the new shifter/brake levers and firmware update to the Shimano system. The bar took so long the shop had forgotten my brakes are swapped left to right a fact I discovered after setting the bike up on the FeedBack stand to change the rear wheel, then align the mechanisms using the app. That routine has changed since I last did it.
All set. Well, not quite. I had no way to connect to the larger screen above the workbench. The fireTV stick died and the old AppleTV boxes no longer functioned, old first generation devices. I brought the one generation back box I have upstairs down and streamed off my phone after not being able to connect to the MacBook Air IOS Zwift app with all the devices. Quite annoying. I manage a half hour of fairly flat Zwift riding for a first session. I used up most of the day setting things up and working out where stuff was. I still need to find the towel thing that fits along the top tube. The thru axel adapter I bought from Robert Axel Project fits and functions perfectly.
First ride on Zwift was a half hour just to see how things go. And of course the FireTV stick died. I ended up using the AppleTV from upstairs with the AppleTV app and bridging the equipment pairing with my phone and the Zwift Companion app. That took a couple more rides to sort. By the third hour long ride I was into a GCN group ride and everything worked well. My average heart rate is a good bit higher than I’m used to and I’m maxing out higher as well. I expect that given the two months off the bike. My legs are still pretty strong. I do end up sore in the night, but no cramping thanks to the LMNT+.
My shoulder seems not to notice the workouts that much. Reaching for the bottle I can feel my shoulder as I lean on my left while reaching with my right hand. I plan on working toward zone 2 riding more than these hammer sessions. I figure a couple of hard sessions a week with mostly zone 2 the rest of the time should do the trick.
After a week on Zwift, my equipment links up perfectly after I plug the AppleTV in and spin the cranks on the Pinarello F7. I zero the cranks using the 4iiii app, then close that. I do a spin down on the Wahoo app at the end of each session so it is ready for the next day.
Another day, another virtual group ride on Zwift, this time a Rapha Festive 500 ride. I did an hour of the route and called it a day.
So far these group rides have forced me into a majority of the time riding in heart rate zone 3. I am working toward zone 2, but the chasing thing is a hard thing to pass up.
My first week of indoor on Zwift I managed to hit 6 hours and a few minutes across the six days I rode out of seven.
I’m getting better at holding my pace down to heart rate zone two. Chasing the pack or PR’s for hill climbs or sprints really blows up that effort. I’ll be transitioning into structured workouts more and leave the virtual group rides for fun days. I figure I’ll give Rouvy a try as well for the real video. I find the Zwift graphics more than a bit tired. I have a good set up and can do what I need for cycling. I find out soon what the doc thinks I can progress to next. I’m hoping to add some weight lifting soon. The shoulder needs more strength. The LMNT+ intake has proved the fix for the cramps I’ve had in my triceps post ride workout. My range of motion and mobility in the shoulder feels good to me. The doctor will evaluate it tomorrow.
This next couple of weeks will be short cycling workout weeks with family stuff going on and a little bit of traveling.
I met with my ortho doctor today and of course had more x-rays taken. After review he showed me what he called “fuzzy” bone forming and said it was good and going as expected. He said I was free to do as I felt I could. My range of motion was great better than he expected. We discussed my weight training and cycling plans and all was deemed good. I came home and to celebrate by riding Zwift for an hour and a half. Good fun.
An hour, twenty for the 30th. Easy recovery riding. I finally managed to mostly stay in zone 2.
I got one last ride in on the 31st on Zwift.
I ended the year feeling pretty strong. My end of the year totals:
13,222.3km riding
94,237m climbing
538 hours 3 minutes
Only 173 activities.
12 virtual rides, 11 hours, 26 minutes, 35 hours and 40 minutes in PT.
Walked 62.2 km.
All in all, not a bad year even cut short with the crash. Happy and safe New Year to all.
Along The Way 