Post #2 "Sleeping Sitting Upright"

 

The key to a cross country bicycle trip is all about training.  Unless of course, you crash your bike 3 months after your training starts in earnest.   Then it becomes about training, recovery, then training again.


Training:  I was three months into my training schedule when the unfortunate event happened.  I was pretty much on track in my plan to mimic my training from my 2018 trip.  Same weekly mileage and climbing.  Some indoor rides when limited on time, weather or daylight and outdoor rides whenever possible. 

Recovery:  After April 2nd training became recovery.  If you’ve ever fractured ribs (I don’t recommend it) you realize pretty quickly that the rib cage is involved in pretty much every move you make.  An acquaintance who heard about my crash and had fractured ribs as a young man joked that even blinking involved the rib cage.  Whatever you do, don't cough and don't sneeze, blinking is okay.

The injury was on my right side so the night of the accident I figured I'd just sleep on my left side.  Nope.  Stomach?  Nope.  Back?  Nope.  Funny how many people I've talked to since who have broken ribs in the past, they all asked the same thing.... are you sleeping sitting upright?  

5 weeks of sleeping in a sitting position on the couch in 2-hour chunks waking up just to cautiously change positions and take another drug cocktail of Tylenol and Ibuprofen was frustrating (I quit the Hydrocodone pretty quickly since it seemed to have a beef with my digestive system).  Recovering from and healing fractured ribs doesn't involve physical therapy or some kind of active program.  It involves waiting which is not a skill I excel at but that's what I've done......wait.

Training again:  After about 2 weeks I was on the bike indoors in front of the television doing some light spinning and after about 6 weeks I was back outside.  I have put in nearly as many miles as I set out to and have some great training rides in the books, Chelan Century, RAMROD and Seattle to Portland (slightly shortened so I didn't have to wake up at 3 AM to drive to Seattle just to ride back past my house on the way to Portland).

I'm one week from the trip and the legs, lungs and psyche all feel strong.  Now if I can only find a way to keep a better grip on that Clif bar.


I couldn't sleep so I've written this in the middle of the night (or close to the middle anyway, I'm not sure what the actual middle is, are you?).  With this post in the books, I think I'll try to get some sleep...lying down.






Rest in peace, little buddy.




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