All posts by Mike

Where have I been?

Personal stuff, Ride reports (not Tu/Th)

I’m not even looking at the date of my last entry; it’s been so long that it’s been tough to even think about putting up a new one, because doing so makes me thing about what I’ve let go by. I’m still alive, no real changes to health besides a run-in with ulcers on some of my fingers when I didn’t keep on top of my Raynauds (my circulation issue that cuts off blood to my fingers, sometimes my toes, when it gets cold). I’ve since figured out a new regimen for the meds that’s taken care of it, but it’s still going to take a while for one of the ulcers to heal. It’s not a lot of fun. Had more bloodwork to make sure there were no serious infections (there weren’t), and the platelets are still in a good place too.

Still been riding, although there have been a number of Tuesday/Thursday-morning rides cut short a bit, lopping off the West Old LaHonda section, because the combination of cold and fog was making the finger ulcers worse. And last Sunday we were supposed to do another ride to San Leandro for Kevin to get his second Covid shot, but the weather looked questionable so we drove instead, and did a short ride afterward, just 30 miles. Of course, it was completely dry in the morning! And by the time we got out… it rained.

But today, Kevin, Colin & I finally got out on a “real” ride. Reverse Pescadero with West Alpine. I crawled up Old LaHonda, over 25 minutes, and on the run to the coast, into a headwind, I passed on taking a turn at the front, letting a very strong Kevin and a very strong Colin do the hard work. Not my proudest moment, to be sure. But I began to feel not-quite-so-bad heading south on Stage, so there was some hope. We did the usual stop at the bakery in Pescadero, fueling up on a Coke, sandwich and pasty, before tacking Haskins from the hard side. Kevin and Colin got a gap on me pretty quickly, and I never could close it. Kind of figured I’d fall further and further behind (like on Old LaHonda), but somehow finished the climb not too far behind.

West Alpine? I finally came into my own. Why does it take so long to get warmed up??? Test of my patience I guess? I held back for Kevin and Colin but we all finished together in 49-something. I can live with that, especially as slow as I’ve been riding lately.

Kind of done with pretty pictures of Skyline when it’s cold & wet

Tues/Thurs 7:45am ride

Tuesday’s ride was cold & miserable, largely because, well, it was cold & miserable after all, but also because, despite the pretty nasty issue I’m having with a few of my fingers, I hadn’t really dressed warmly enough so Kevin and I skipped the West Old LaHonda section and headed straight back down into Woodside.

This morning I dressed right for it, three layers up top instead of two (base layer, jersey plus jersey/jacket) and felt so much better. My hands lasted most of the ride without issues, finally starting to lose circulation just prior to descending 84 post-West Old LaHonda. Not only that, but the nitroglycerin ointment the doctor prescribed to improve circulation? I used it just on the one really bad finger, and what do you know, at the end of the ride that finger had regular color, while the others went white. The stuff works!

Just myself and Kevin out there this morning; no Karen, no Kevin (ex-pilot). And who could blame them? Wet, again. Cold (down to 38F), again. And descending 84 to West Old LaHonda? Nasty headwind the whole way! I felt terrible at the beginning of the ride, wondering how far I could go, but got stronger as the ride went on, the way things should be. Saw two sets of Turkeys; one in Huddart Park and another on West Old LaHonda.

Was it really last Sunday, or was it the Sunday before, that I didn’t need either base layer or leg warmers? Hard to believe. Seems like this has not been a very pleasant April, as far as the weather goes.