It's May!!! Sadly, my ride plans have been thunder-stormed/serious rained out for weeks now. But, the daffodils are very nice...
Tonight I FINALLY got to ride with a group that meets up at a local cafe popular with the cyclists of the area. It was a great goup, a nice pleasant C ride with room for conversation between hills. I was proud of myself for being able to drop everyone on the hills, especially the longer slopes. But, sadly, I was having some drive train problems and ended up having to drop off the end of the ride towards the very last few miles. We were climbing a very steep hill when suddenly I dropped three gears and had zero pedal resistance. And, bam, down I went... off the side of the road onto some very large chunks of rock. I'm fine, but sadly my bicycle has been messed up since I got hit by that car a couple of weeks back. No new damage from this fall. And, maybe it's good that I had the greater motivation to get it fixed. Sadly, all of the shops have at least a few days wait time for repairs because everyone is getting work done on their bikes since it is the beginnign of the season. I need to take it to get fixed, and soon. But, everyone has a wait of at least 3 days as of last time I checked. Rats... still, it has to happen!
Other cool news: I met another cyclist with an ileostomy! How cool is that?!
She is a spin instructor at Spin Shadyside, and is doing the walk for Crohn's Disease with a team. I met her totally by chance when I went into her spinning studio on a whim while I was walking around asking for donations for raffle for the local fundraising events I'm doing leading up to the GYGIG ride. I never would have guessed that I would meet another person with an ostomy in my solicitation of bussinesses for donations! And, definately not a cyclist!
I'm hoping I can get her to do the 60 mile route of Pedal Pittsburgh with me on the 21st.
And now I'm destined for a shower, since I'm still sitting here in my cycling shorts with my dog desperately attempting to lick all of the dried sweat off of me (ewww).
Travis! Hopefully soon I will be able to send you some moohla for your awesome ride - just working out rent and getting my 403(b) in order (401k for non-profits - I was supposed to start contributing on my last paycheck, but it didnt happen - OMG I'M OLD!) Keep fighting the good fight, and know that I am cheering you on from Jersey.
ReplyDeleteLove Love Love,
Your long lost childhood friend - Em
Awww! thanks, Em! We should make ourselves less long-lost sometime soon. :) I'll be in the NY/NJ area immediately around the GYGIG ride June 9th and 13th. And am definately doing a 100 mile ride in the lehigh valley (not really close, but closer) in August.
ReplyDeleteAnother Pgher and cyclist here who has a (temporary) ostomy!!! I had ulcerative colitis, so w/2 more surgeries, I'll technically not be chronically ill anymore, but I know what you're going through! My friend Julia just met you at the co-op and told me about this blog! Yay!
ReplyDeleteAlicia Kachmar (http://aliciakachmar.com/blog)
Wow, awesome! That's great! Maybe we should all start a cycling club of PGH gutless cyclists! The Gutless Gang. I actually also found out today that the owner of a prominent local bike shop is in the club as well... hmm...
ReplyDeleteI just hopped over to your blog and saw your entry about surgery - a tough time, to be sure. Let me know if you have any questions about adjusting to live as a bag person that I might be able to answer, however temporary it may be till your J-Pouch.
Thanks for dropping a line!
-Travis
We should totally start a club!!! When is the bike race you're doing? In NYC, right? I lived there for 7 years up until last year...back to the burgh for health reasons! So far so good re: ostomy. I mean, it beats *running* to the bathroom all day, and I guess it's all different knowing that it'll be reversed. I actually have a few Crohn's friends (Crohnies they call themselves) who have had the jpouch surgery as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently living in South Carolina for a month, for a job, but we should connect when I'm back in the burgh this summer--Gutless Gang for the win!
Yes! Let's start one! Maybe we could be a club within a club, since the Western PA Wheelmen is the club that does a lot of the group rides out here.
ReplyDeleteThe ride in June is actually up the Hudson, starting just North of NYC in White Plains. I'm really looking forward to it! Speaking of multiday rides, it would be really cool to do some brevets as the gutless gang! I feel like that's an awesome awareness raising thing, since doing hundreds of kilometers is no small feet for anyone. :)
Glad to hear the bag isn't getting you down too much. I had a hard time adjusting at first, but cycling has helped me keep a positive outlook.
Happy cycling!
t.
Oh man I didn't even know about the Western PA Wheelmen! That NY ride sounds awesome. I'm gonna do the Take Steps walk in Pgh which is around that same time, June 12. But yeah, we should totally go riding! Email me: aliciakachmar@gmail.com Are you involved with the CCFA at all? I have gone to/helped out w/a few events in Pgh....
ReplyDeleteThe bag was a transition to be sure...I guess it's different knowing it's temporary...I get used to things quickly and I try to repeat this Moroccan proverb, "The world has not promised anything to anyone" when I'm feeling down about things. When I think about other diseases, the complications associated with them, the ostomy situation doesn't seem *that bad*...I sorta forget what it means to be "healthy" too...