Still Alive!!!

Yes, I'm still alive. Haven't had much interest in posting lately. This UC thing has me down. Can't seem to completely shake this flair which I've been fighting for a year now. Thought I had it beat in July by going gluten-free, but, in the end, it didn't happen. Not even sure if the meds are even working at this point. Not sure what the future holds. Perhaps surgery or other meds - who knows.

Anyway, just got from two weeks in Minnesota with the family. Had a great time and was able to get my mind off of being sick. Did a ton of things - Vikings, Twins, State Fair, eat, and eat, and eat!!! Now if only I could get back in shape. Actually, I don't really care - I just want to be healthy.

Well, it's time to make dinner, so I need to go. Thanks for listening to my whining. Maybe I will see you on the road one of these days. Later...

Road Ride

Yeah boiy!!! I finally had my first road ride in three weeks this morning. It wasn't much (about 1:15), but at least it's a start. The highlight of the ride was seeing a family of turkeys - two adults and three little ones. I told Ian about it when I got home, but he wasn't impressed. Kids these days - it takes alot to impress them. I guess I should have told him that I saw Bumblebee or Optimus Prime. Now that would have impressed him!!! I'm completely out of shape and about five pounds heavier than I was in March. That OK...maybe they will increase my meds next week since my weight is up. Maybe it's actually working. I won't find out until I get completely of the pred. I've been tapering VERY slowly and it will be a few more weeks before I'm done...hopefully...

Hemorrhoids

Can you believe it? If it's not one thing, it's another. I finally get my UC under control (for now) and now I have to deal with another, excuse the pun, pain in the arse. I'm also finally over my cold, which lasted two weeks, and I've started working out again. Now I have to deal with this. Sitting on the bike has been interesting to say the least. The pain isn't too bad. I just hope it doesn't get worse. Hopefully, the hydrocortisone foam will take care of it over the next few days. If not, I could end up having to deal with a little "procedure" to take care of my problem. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that. I see my GI next week after my next Remicade infusion. Maybe she will offer some other treatment if this doesn't resolve itself by then. I hate talking about this sort of stuff, but this is where my life is right now. Ugh...

What is this?

I was cleaning out the garage today and I came across this. I'm not sure what it is. I think it's something I used to ride quite often. This thing hasn't seen the light day in weeks. Maybe I should play with it more often. What do you think? And yes, I realize that I did a sloppy job of gluing on the front tire. I'm just too lazy to clean it up.

Good Days, Bad Days

When you have UC, you completely understand that statement. Yesterday, I was feeling almost normal. I have not felt like that in more than a year. Today, it's a different story. Maybe it was the shrimp scampi from last night (tomato sauce two nights in a row may have been too much) or the lack of sleep. Victoria also forgot to mention that there was flour in the sauce. I've been wheat-free for about three weeks now and I've been feeling much better. I did some reading about the relationship of wheat allergies and UC, so I thought I'd give it a shot. My sinuses have also been killing me the last couple nights and I haven't been able to fall asleep before 11:30. My cold appears to be pretty much gone at this point, but I'm still dealing with the after effects.

I heard an interview with the golf analyst David Feherty. I think he has become my hero. He's on the board of a great charity - Troops First Foundation. Here's the link if you have a chance to check it out.

http://www.troopsfirstfoundation.org/

If these guys can deal with what they have gone through, I think I can deal with my UC. Stories like these are what keep me motivated at times.

David has also made some "controversial" statements over the last few years. In my opinion, I don't find them very controversial since I think plenty of people agree with them. Here are a few of them...

"From my own experience visiting the troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this, though: despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Osama bin Laden, there’s a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death."

"As for me, my politics are somewhere in the middle—and then way outside both wings. I believe in the death penalty, especially for pro-lifers, child molesters, those opposed to gay marriage, and for stupid dancing in the end zone. I believe in the abolition of estate taxes and the Pickens Plan. I'd lower the legal drinking age and raise the driving age to 18 nationwide, make Kinky Friedman governor of Texas, and make all schools, public and private, start earlier with one hour of physical exercise."

"Actually, some sort of exercise would have helped me. If I kicked the shit out of Tom Cruise, I'd feel a lot better about myself." (He's recovering from depression and alcoholism and Cruise made some comments that therapy and drugs are useless.)

Tour Time!!!

For some reason, I seemed to be more excited about the Tour this year than in other years. I don't expect it to be too exciting since I predict AC will roll the field with ease. Maybe it's the fact that I have to live my life vicariously since I haven't been riding much lately. I was in VA last week for my parent's 50th anniversary and I've been fighting a cold for the last week and a half. Since I'm currently on all sorts of immune-modulating drugs for my UC, I have to be super-careful every time I have the slightest sniffle or cough. Not sure I will get any rides in this weekend since I need to mulch the yard. The weeds are completely out of control and I haven't put down new mulch in two years. Oh well...I have the rest of my life to ride my bike. Right now, I just want to be 100% healthy.

Sunday Ride

Luckily the rain held off and I was able to get another ride today. To pay tribute to today's Giro state which finished on the infamous Zoncolan I thought maybe I would add a few of the local climbs to my ride. My original plan was to cut through the New Britain reservoir and take in the Hubbard Park climb on my way home. On the way, I had to go over this little bear of a climb on Shuttle Meadow Rd. Based on the Garmin output, it was only about 350 feet high, but the maximum grade was somewhere around 18%. I should have know it was steep since I was in my 25 and almost fell over from lack of speed. After that climb, I realized that I'm not ready for any serious climbing and found the easiest route home. That climb may have been a mistake and if I see any blood tomorrow I may know why. At about two hours, it was another good ride. I need to take things slowly and hopefully I can add some more miles in next week. I'll be in Rhode Island with the family, so hopefully I can find some good routes.

Saturday Ride

Today's ride was the longest ride time-wise I have done since my previous illness. I managed to get 2+ hours. I ended up doing a southern loop that took me to East Rock Park in East Haven. The climb into the park is short, but there is one short "steep" section that even has a switchback. The views of New Haven at the top are great. I'll have to take a camera next time.

Thursday Ride and Remicade

I thought I'd update the blog while I have a few minutes waiting for my loss prediction model to run.

I was able to sneak out for an early morning ride on Thursday before my visit to Yale-New Haven for my third Remicade infusion. This is the last of my "loading" infusions and now I only have to go back every eight weeks. It's not too bad - even though I'm stuck in this room full of nurses for about three hours. I was able to watch "The Time Traveler's Wife" on my IPod and the end of the Giro stage on the flat screen. I was surprised they had Universal Sports considering they didn't even have ESPN. It was actually kind of funny since I had to give an introductory course on racing to the entire nursing staff. Phillip, the other guy that's on the same infusion schedule as me, I think slept the whole time. He was even snoring at times. He was telling me that he doesn't sleep well thanks to his chrons, so I guess you might as well take advantage of the situation when you can. I've been feeling better so I hope this stuff is working. After that, I spent the afternoon planting pacysandra, having the septic tank pumped, and getting an estimate on a new fence for the yard. I even had the car serviced. I LOVE the Audi but they are VERY VERY expensive to service. It was a busy day to say the least.

As for the ride, I did one my typical loops. I usually refer to this as my ESPN loop since it takes me right by their campus.










Looks like my model is done. Time to get back to work!!!

Subway and Weekend Rides

With the great weather, I was able to get out this weekend for a couple rides. 1:50 on Saturday and 1:40 on Sunday. My Saturday ride is the longest ride I've done since March 7. Depending on my health, I hope to add some distance in the future. I've been feeling great the last few days, so hopefully the worse is behind me. But, as most people with UC know, things can go downhill quickly for no certain reason. So I will just keep my fingers crossed and move on with my life. I could definitely tell that my legs were coming back on Sunday. I just don't want to get too excited because it seems like every time I feel great, I usually end up taking a step backwards.

I was so bored that I google earthed my Saturday ride. Here is the image. I probably would have done the same with my Sunday ride, but the Garmin went out 5 minutes into the ride so all data was lost.










As for Subway, I'm not sure I will be eating there anytime soon. On Friday, I had to run some errands at lunch so I grabbed a sub while I was out. It was a "roasted chicken breast" with spinach, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and cucumbers. I've heard that the "roasted chicken breast" is not actually breast meat. Some people claim it's not even chicken. I'm sure it's chicken, but it just may not be the best part of the bird. If you're really bored, do a google search and you will find TONS of "experts" claiming it's not real. Anyway, I thought the sub did taste a little strange, but I was so hungry that I decided to finish it nonetheless. Well, at about 1am that night, I had my answer. There must have been something wrong because I blew that thing right out. At first I was worried that my UC was acting up, but luckily it was just the sub. I was back to normal by the next morning. I guess I should have known better than to buy from a Subway located in a Walmart. Ugh!!!

On the road again...

It was great to finally get in some road rides this weekend. The weather was perfect so I couldn't just sit around the house all day. I went out for about 1.5 hours each day. I know it's not much, but it was the 1st time I was on the road since Bethel #1 (3/7) and all the pancreatitis/UC issues that put me out of commission. I had to take it VERY easy since my health is still somewhat delicate at the moment. I was surprised how high my heart rate was considering how easy I rode. That must be due to multiple issues such as the prednisone (30 mg/day), my anemia, and my general lack of fitness. I just hope things improve as I get in better shape, taper off the roids, and my red blood cells multiply.

On a different subject, this would have been Jiminy Peak weekend. Unfortunately, it was cancelled because of rumble strips added to the shoulders of some of roads used for the course. Let's just hope there is some way this race can come back in the future. Maybe they could come up with a different loop. This has always been one of the most popular races each year and it would be sad to see it end forever.

Smartfood...not so smart!!!

Yesterday, the whole family went to the cabaret theater in Bridgeport for a show. The best part of the show is that you can bring your own food and chow during the show. The guy next to me was even cracking open some Corona's...I never though about bring beers, but I guess it makes sense. My mistake was that I chowed on a ton of Smartfood and Milano cookies - two things that someone with UC should avoid. Popcorn is too much for my digestive track (plus the high fat spray on cheese is not the best thing for you either) and chocolate is basically a laxative. Needless to say, I'm not feeling my best today. I assume those two things have irritated my colon. Things are still somewhat delicate, so anything can set me off. Maybe I'll be able to eat these things in the future when my body is working 100%, but I should definitely avoid them now. Will this UC hell ever end? ;)

April 28, 2010 Workout

I had another easy workout yesterday. I'm feeling better so hopefully my workouts will increase in the future. I basically rode the indoor trainer for 30 minutes and then, after some stretches, I walked/ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes. The running wasn't much (2 minutes @5.5mph x 3 for a total of 6 minutes), but at least it was a start. After that I got back on the trainer for a 10 minute cool down. I want to take things slowly at this point. I've been limiting myself to 1:20 of total workout time. My health is still somewhat delicate and I don't want to cause another flair by doing too much.

Here are the workout stats:

Total time = 1:20 (Zones 1/2/3/4 = 46%/26%/14%/13%)
KCals = 882
Avg HR = 125

Bear vs Trampoline

I know this is an old video, but it still makes me laugh. Enjoy...

Day One...Again...

I was able to get in my first official workout post-illness yesterday. It wasn't much - indoor trainer + weights - but at least it was something. I'm feeling better each day, so hopefully some level of fitness will return quickly. Maybe I will actually be able to get out on the road this weekend. We'll see how things go this week. I'm still pretty weak (can't believe how skinny my legs are!!!) and, based on how high my heart rate was during an easy workout, I'm sure I'm still somewhat anemic. That should get better over the next few weeks thanks to the iron supplements.

Here are the workout stats:

Total time = 1:20 (Zones 1/2/3/4 = 55%/20%/19%/6%)
KCals = 834
Avg HR = 122

I'm not sure what the rest of the year holds for me. All I care about at this point is getting healthy again and trying to have some fun with my family and friends. If it includes riding my bike on a regular basis, than all the better. The thought of actually racing again is pretty much off my radar at the moment. Maybe this year will be dedicated to building up my base and then I could think about returning to racing next year. I will be 45 next year, which means I can race with the really old guys. I've even thrown around the idea of trying a few triathlons, but I would need to improve my running dramatically before that would happen. Again, I think this year will be dedicated to getting back in shape and not be concerned with competition.

Back to Work

After being out for the last three weeks with my latest health issue, I finally return to work tomorrow. I actually can't wait. You can only watch Sportscenter so many times. It took me awhile to realize that they were just replying the same hour long show over and over again. At least I had a chance to watch a few movies (ie. The Darjeeling Limited, Die Hard, The Hurt Locker). I'm a creature of habit and I need get back into a routine.

Right now I'm still on 40mg of prednisone per day. I hope to taper (again) 5mg per weeks until I get to 20mg. After that, I will taper 2.5mg per week. I think I'm at about 80% right now. I even started to workout again, but it's been hard with the loss of muscle mass and anemia. I tried to do some "easy" squats on Friday and my legs are still killing me. I guess I need to take it a little easier next time. I got on the indoor trainer for 30 minutes yesterday and it damn near killed me too. With the anemia, everything is hard. Maybe I'll stick to walking for the next few days until things get better.

I watched the last 20km of Amstel Gold on the web this morning after church. It was good to see Gilbert win. He's been on good form lately but hasn't had the results...until now. It is hard to watch races sometimes because I want to be out there riding and racing too. Hopefully it can somehow motivate me for the rest of the year. I don't think I will be doing any racing but at least I hope I can get out and get some miles in.

Road to Recovery...I Hope

Things have been improving the last few days. At least I've stopped bleeding and the bowl movements are solid again. I know that's probably too much information, but that's what you have to deal with when you have UC.

Right now I'm pretty weak considering the weight (10 - 12 lbs) and blood loss. I'm probably grade 1 anemic even though I haven't been tested. The iron supplements 3 times a day will hopefully take care of that quickly. Plus, I'm able to eat normally again so hopefully my weight and strength will come back quickly as well.

I was hoping to go for a walk sometime today. The weather has been great lately, but I have not been able to enjoy it. I love this time of year and it's very depressing when you're stuck on the couch. I need to start some light exercise to get my body back to normal. Plus, I don't want all the weight to come back as fat. Who knows...maybe I will be able to get some VERY easy riding later in the week depending on how I feel. I just watched PR from yesterday and I'm itching to get back on the bike.

Favorite room in the house

Normally, the kitchen is my favorite room in the house. I don't think there's any need to explain this one other than I love to eat and I usually eat constantly. Unfortunately, this has all changed over the last week and my new favorite room has become the bathroom. When you have 6 - 8 BM's a day, you're not left with many options. Clearly, this where I spend most of my time these days. Let's just hope this will improve over the next few days. Depression is starting to set in and the fear of ANOTHER hospital visit is not helping.

I can't wait to see my new doc on Tuesday morning. I even went to Yale-New Haven on Thursday afternoon for a support group. Unfortunately, it was not held. I guess they need to update their website. Not all was lost though...at least I know know where to go on Tuesday.

Max Roids!!!

Since my UC hasn't improved since Sunday, my doc wants me up my prednisone to 60mg, which is pretty much the max I've ever been on. I had started 40mg on Sunday, but nothing has changed. Things should be happening much faster than they are. I like this aggressive action so we can nail this in the butt and avoid another trip to the hospital. I just hope I get back to normal soon and begin the usual taper. I also ditched the clear diet because I'm still losing weight and nothing solid is passing through my system. Now I just play it day by day and hope there's improvement by tomorrow.

My life sucks...

I know this sounds a little harsh, but my life totally f'n suck. Thanks to my 6mp, pancreatitis, CT scan prep, and the other BS, I'm back in full UC flair. Sunday morning I had to go back on prednisone (40mg per day). Luckily, the pain has not started (yet) but I'm seeing too much blood to make me comfortable. Hopefully, the prednisone will take care of things quickly. I'm only having 2 or 3 bowel movements a day, but the blood is scary.

I've contacted the Yale Medical IBD Group looking for a new doctor. I really like my current GI doc, but I want someone that specializes in IBD. I'm sure he hasn't seen as many cases like mine as the Yale group has. Now it's just a matter of getting an appointment. I've read their website and I already like them.

I've decided to put myself on a clear diet. Nothing but chicken/beef broth, clear grape juice, Italian ice, and jello for me for a few days. Luckily, my weight has plateaued since my hospital visit for pancreatitis, but I'm still 5 - 8 lbs less than my ideal racing weight.

As for cycling, I went out for an easy 2 hours on Saturday morning. I felt great. Maybe I was lacking a little strength from the weight loss, but everything else was fine. My symptoms were getting better, but they seem to have gotten worse since. I also spent the rest of the day cleaning up the yard. Perhaps I did too much (as Victoria believes), but it didn't seem that bad.

Oh well, I guess I just deal with it for now and hope things improve quickly. I don't know when I will be back on the bike. Maybe I should take it easy this year, build up my base with tons of easy miles, and get ready for next year. I just don't want to lose another summer thanks to my illness. So, I just play it by ear, and go on...

The saga continues...

Hi all. (I'm not sure anyone outside of my family actually reads this blog anyway.) Things have pretty much sucked the last few weeks, so I've had little motivation to write.

To put things in a nutshell, I was back in the hospital for the 3rd time in the last 12 months. This time is was a new one - pancreatitis. The med (mercaptopurine) I was taking the last 6 weeks for UC has some nasty side effects and luckily I was able to discover one of them. My lipase level was about 2,200 which is pretty high considering that normal is less than 60. Victoria was reviewing some of her clinical trials in which some of the patents also contracted pancreatitis and their lipase scores were around 800. Now I now why I was laying in agony on the bathroom floor and could not stop throwing up. After a painful ambulance ride to the emergency room I had the joy of spending the next day and a half attached to an IV and eating jello. Why is it always lime jello in the hospital? Hospital nutrition is somewhat of a joke. I always thought they are trying to make you better, but, based on the diet they provide, it's more like they want to keep you there. So now I've lost 5 lbs and thanks to the CT scan prep my insides are screwed up again and my UC is bothering me again. I've spent the last 9 months getting everything back to normal only to have it shot to hell in one day. I think it's time for a new doc. I need someone that specializes in IBD, not just a general GI doc.

So hear I sit contemplating my future. I just hope it includes cycling. After the way I felt after the 1st Bethel race, I was planning to give it up forever. Now that I know my issues were caused by meds I'm motivated to get back in the saddle and get ready for some future races. Not sure Victoria will be too psyched to hear that, but I cannot let go of my obsession. Looks like it'll be some easy training for the next few weeks and then attempt to do the last two Bethel races in April. After that, who knows. I will see how I feel and go from there.

Thanks for reading (I just hope someone is).

New Socks

OK, this clearly shows that some of us either need to get a life or a new hobby. These are the new team socks for this year. After much debate (by who I'm not sure since I wanted white), we went with this color. Actually, it was Wayne that went with orange since he was the one putting this deal together. Now we have 120 pairs due to arrive in a few weeks. Looks like I know what the rest of the family will be getting for gifts this year.

Weekly Training Stats - Jan 18 - 24, 2010

Here are my weekly training stats for last week. It was another good week even though I'm not getting in 25 hours like some others (see Rondo's Rage). Last week ended the Base 3 phase of my training. After an easy week this week, the Build 1 phase will begin next week. Only a little more than 5 weeks until the Bethel series begins...yeah boy!!!

Total # Workouts: 6
Total Time: 12:36
Total KCals: 10,622
Average Heart Rate: 133
Maximum Heart Rate: 169

Now That's Embarrassing!!!

I cannot stop laughing about this. Enjoy...

Weekly Training Stats - Jan 11 - 17, 2010

Last week was another good training week. Right now I'm in the middle week of the Base 3 phase of my training. My health is also holding out, so keep your fingers crossed. Basically, I'm treating myself like an old car that you just drive until it breaks down. I just hope I don't break down. ;)

Total # of Workouts: 6
Total Time: 12:40
Total KCals: 10,192

Average HR: 132
Maximum HR: 171
(Sorry for not providing the same detail as last week)

Worse Team Kit Ever?

ProTour team Footon-Servetto-Fuji has unveiled their team kit for 2010. Are these things hideous or what? They describe the color as "gold", but it looks more like a flesh-tone or light brown. Can you imagine what these will be like in the wet? These guys probably just hope that they don't become transparent. I hope they are paid well. Is any salary worth this?

Weekly Training Stats - Jan 4 - 10, 2010

He are my total stats for the week of January 4 - 10. I had a pretty good week despite the VERY cold temps. Anything more than 10 hours is a good week for me. I started the BASE 3 phase of my training, so I added more intensity. This included adding "cruise-type" intervals (6 minute efforts @ zone 4 - 5a) on Tuesdays and hills (~4 minutes @ zone 5a) on Saturday. For those you that train based on Joe Friel's program, you will understand what I'm talking about.

Total # Workouts: 6
Total Time: 11:33
KCals: 7,903

Total Time in each zone:
Zone 1 - 42.9%
Zone 2 - 12.4%
Zone 3 - 14.7%
Zone 4 - 27.4%
Zone 5a - 2.5%
Zone 5b - 0.0%
Zone 5c - 0.0%

Ever have this conversation?

"I have to go now and put on my race wheels and dig up my aero helmet."

"I feel a sinus infection coming on."

Funny stuff...

Jens Factor

This has to be one of the funniest cycling related things I've ever seen. As I get older, my Jens Factor seems to be dropping. I'd be lucky to reach Jens Factor 4. Now if only they could find a way to factor in snow and rain. I have to thank Cyclocosm.com for this one.

Today's Workout

Thanks to Mother Nature, we had a couple inches of white stuff dumped on us yesterday and last night. Well, at least it wasn't a total loss. Ian and I spent part of the day putting this handsome fellow together. Looks like it'll be cold for the rest of the weekend, so this guy should be around for a few more days. Ian suggested that we should use him for snowball target practice later this weekend.

Good-bye Old Friend

For health reasons, I've tried to stop eating sugar. I've read a few articles that have linked excess sugar intake with UC. I'm not sure what "excess sugar" means since it can be found in pretty much everything we eat. I do have a sweet tooth and do tend to eat too much candy, cookies, and pastries.

Unfortunately, the first victim of my dietary change is probably the greatest food ever invented - Peanut M&M's. I've been known to finish bag after bag of these colorful, wonderful little candies with the hard shell (my God, I'm starting to sound like an addict!!!). All the chipped teeth they have caused me over the last few years have all been completely worth it. My visit to Costco yesterday was extremely difficult since I had to pass by the aisle with the 3.5 lbs bags!!! After hard work and therapy, I will recover. If it helps me to stay healthy, it will all be worth it in the end despite all the pain it will cause me.

Anyway...good-bye old friend. You will be missed...

2010 Race Schedule

Since it's New Years day, I think it's time to think about the season to come.

The two spring series - Plainville and Bethel - begin the 1st week of March, which means there are only about two months before the fun begins.

Here is my tentative schedule for the 1st half of the season. This is assuming that I do the Bethel series rather than Plainville. The changes to Plainville will most likely chase me away. I just hope nothing gets in the way - such as my health or family obligations.

3/7 - Bethel Spring Series
3/14 - Bethel Spring Series
3/21 - Bethel Spring Series
3/28 - Bethel Spring Series
4/11 - Bethel Spring Series (tentative)
4/18 - Bethel Spring Series (tentative)
4/25 - Quabbin RR
5/1 - Jiminy Peak RR
5/8 - Sterling RR
5/29-31 - Killington Stage Race (tentative)
6/20 - Housatonic Hills RR

I'm sure there will also be some local crits in there as well, but those races are not a priority to me.