Bit dramatic? Bit offensive? Build a bridge….I’ve been a bit flatter the last few days and it made me smile.
I’ve plagiarised the title from Trek. I’ll get to that! Just thought it was a great headline grabber after reading it in their book this week.
I’ve had an interesting fortnight since my last blog. Not all a bed of roses as this rehab gig can be ‘a cranky bitch’ a phrase coined by an old high school friend Wendy earlier today.
I am making solid progress physically, building up to 5.5 km daily walks, and today 78 minutes sitting upright on my bike on Zwift. My walks are great along the banks of the Forth River and our lovely beach here in Turners Beach. Some recent photos.
I saw my cardiologist who described my progress as way ahead of others similar age and stage. I think that is the benefit of my pre surgery fitness.
Tiredness and emotional fragility and residual aches and pains are my main gripes. Lack of concentration and poor memory too.
He tweaked my medications a little more beyond my cardio thoracic surgeon, to try and reduce the brain fog and dizziness a bit more. I have been tracking my blood pressure daily and it is consistently low, around 90/70.
In discussion with him and my cardiac rehab nurse Erin, I have started to decrease the walking and increase the Zwift cycling. My knee (advanced osteoarthritis, bone on bone) is playing up and not coping well now with the 38-40 km walking per week. I cannot not see the point in taking Celebrex just to walk an hour when I have an alternative cardiac option in my garage.
I am well overdue for my total knee replacement, and seriously, I am not in the right mental state to have that any time soon.
So I will reduce weight bearing exercise and increase non weight bearing. Sensible but then there is my bum! I still have to sit upright (ie not putting hands on the handle bars)
It hurts sitting up for long periods. We tried a recumbent option with a chair but less power output again vs bum pain….🙈😳
Concurrently with this issue I was feeling guilty that I was letting Trek down. I am a Zwift Trek Ambassador in Australia and leader backup the weekly Trek ride on Saturday. A 70 km, 5 hill climb event.
I had a chat with Trek’s Aaron who reassured me that Trek invest in people, all was good, and they’d help me however needed.
That led to a discussion on my bum discomfort and he told me he’d post me a saddle from an ebike, designed for more upright pedalling.
Boom. A parcel arrived with a bonus, socks and a Trek book.
The saddle is heaps better, tilted back. I can tolerate a longer time in the saddle.
The Trek book! Somewhat of a history book on Trek but also their business philosophies. I do love this particular business lesson : we love our customers and employees and work with some of the best people in the world. But we don’t works with assholes.
I think most of us can relate to investing far too much time with people like Tom in the story above. I try hard with many people and I need to learn to turn away from the very few Tom’s in my life.
In other news, I am a very goal oriented person. If I do not have goals, I tend to flounder. Two have been set in the last fortnight.
Firstly, we have booked to travel to Norfolk Island during our Christmas break for one week. Norfolk Island is a territory of Australia about 2.5 hours flying time east of Sydney.
There is a strong family connection as my great great…..grandmother was born there. A great story for another day.
The second goal. We are starting to scope a bike packing cycle tour. It will be impossible for me to get travel insurance now to include cardiac (silly as I am far far less risk than I was in May). We will go to countries where Australia has a bilateral health agreement. There are 11 such countries.
Again, another story, another day.
Thanks for everyone who has been in touch in the last fortnight. Your continuing encouragement is so very welcomed as some days are tougher than others.
The messages on Zwift, strava, Facebook and texts are so gratefully received. Your encouragement and care is not taken for granted and I am very humbled that you take the time. ❣️
Hugs ❣️
yakkablog 
Glad to year you are recovering and are able to put in some time on the bike.
Out of interest, I looked up the 11 countries…
Belgium
Finland
Italy
Malta
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Republic of Ireland
Slovenia
Sweden
United Kingdom
Still a couple on that list I haven’t visited, and of course I’ve love to go back to all of the ones on the list I’ve already been to! Enjoy the planning! 🙂
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Yes, we are looking at The Netherlands, Belgium, sneaking into northern France, possibly crossing to Newcastle to ride up to Edinburgh via Bamburg and Limdisfarne and back.
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So pleased it’s all heading in the right direction – and at a good pace. Keep progressing – but don’t rush it.
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So happy to hear you are doing well and healing so quickly! And already planning a cycle tour!
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Such a motivational post. You are amazing & are doing amazingly. F*#k the Toms!
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1) That saddle looks awesome… MY butt empathetically me sighed in relief (out of my mouth..exhaling a SIGH…no…what did you think I meant?). Saddle, chair, … I like to say I’m “solution ambivalent” (solution agnostic has a better ring to it but not quite the right meaning). That’s me saying “whatever works works!!”
2) I feel guilt not getting my act together to send the card/etc I mentioned somewhere…I only mention this as an example of the absurdity of our human brains and what they “tell” us. Mine’s trying guilt. I’m reminding “it” “nah we’re good … we’ll get to it…if we NEVER do it THEN (my brain can) give me guilt.
3) Shirking your Trek ambassador duty are you? Seriously how could you? LOL. You’re only exemplifying every possible amazing trait … being the best of us showing us how it’s done…worldwide. Cycling is more than pedaling…even Trek says so…and we’re all in this together. There’s many sayings that are like it’s not what happens it’s what we do about it. You’re being amazing (this is the best “ambassadorship” situation … I’m imagining them pinching themselves not believing their incredible good luck/decision to have you as an ambassador…NO they don’t want you to have a heart issue but “then she promoted our brand in ways we couldn’t have imagined or hoped for?!!” Can I stop there we’re good on the guilt thing?;-)
4) Just in follow up to “forive me it’s been a fortnight since my last blogpost” it’s not the quantity or frequency of writing that matters. I know there’s a little bit of push oneself to make a post but if you have to push too hard … wait … we’re patient and not going anywhere. If we do, see title of post 😉
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Interesting perspective re Trek and yes I can see that. It is the fact that I am an ordinary, older person that can lead and motivate others on the Zwift platform, plus I guess had kicked a few big, hairy audacious goals, that they liked.
I am going to do a piece of work for the local cardiac rehab specialists here in Tas re Zwift and rehab and will use one of your photos plus one I will send you from a zwifter I know in Norway who is about to have open heart surgery…he’s just purchased a recumbent bike for his therapy…he has done a post on Heartz, the Zwift cardiac group I established. Thought of you straight away.
I love the lateral thinking of guys like you and him. Me, I’m mechanically challenged 🤣🙈 but can appreciate and value others thinking.
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Thanks and love it all that but can’t let you get away with ‘ordinary person’ (!) … and … well you’re not a kid anymore but ‘old’? Who do you think trek thinks are gonna buy bikes that aren’t total ‘starters’ price tag wise? I’m over 50 we’re in our PRIME (lol to buy sporting equipment)! Seriously I know you enjoy it but … see oaet where Trek people are pinching themselves as I said. They gave you a saddle? How about they dust off a recumbent they used to make have their local place get it set up on your trainer … they’re gonna want to film promo spots soon. Don’t think I’m joking even if it sounds funny!!
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I appreciate your and others thinking too. I have…lots (!) of ideas … some are even good! But another cycling/Zwift friend in an unrelated conversation said (and not only re cycling) ‘I’m starting to think everyone is secretly awesome’ … but … Mink … you’re the Emperox of Awesomeness.
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Sharron, so sorry love I haven’t touched base for a while, you have definitely been in my thoughts just busy with my dad and trying to get him care. So very proud of you always my love. Look forward to seeing you soon. Hopefully you are up for meeting us for a coffee. Early November. Much love to you always my love. Xxx onwards and upwards xxx
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Absolutely look fwd to seeing you both. I can’t recall if you have my mobile from when we caught up with you …just in case, 0419 876 143 xx
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