2020 WNR 25

 Best air in weeks!  

Seizure recovery update:  Had a teledoc appointment with my neurologist at 9am and he said I'm cleared to do everything, so I should be getting my driver's license back soon. We decided I should stay on the anti-seizure medicine for a while though since it's not having any side effects and it might be preventing another seizure.  He said people who have a seizure of indeterminate cause like I did, have about a 40% chance of having a second one, but after 4 months (like now), that number drops to 5-10%, so I'm pretty far out of the danger zone, but not exactly out of the woods. I told him I had a vague sense that my balance and reflexes were not as sharp as I'd like; he asked if I had stumbled over my feet or anything like that and I said "No, but I can't hold a red light track stand as long as I used to."

Charlie and JB agreed to a 1030 start this morning so I could do my appointment. On our way up NGR, we talked about health care and air quality.  Usually Charlie pushes kind of hard for the first couple miles, but I think today he was going easy on JB, so we all stayed together until after The Washout, and then I put in a harder effort to Junction and that felt good.

As I laid down my Junction Sprint, I passed a woman that I talked to a few minutes later. She had a good story about how she had schooled some newbs a few weeks earlier. She was 72 years old, and the newbs passed her but then farther up the road had bonked and she passed them back and they were impressed with her fitness and graciousness.

Autumn 2020 is only a week away! That seems like it'll be a nice transition into good times.  When I got home, I thought about getting my winter bike ready to ride, and cleaning up The Klein before I hang him up for the season... he's about ready for new tires and handlebar tape so that'll make for some satisfying maintenance.

Not the kind of blue skies that people write songs about, but way better than we've seen in weeks.

2020 SMR 27

 Heat wave is HERE. 

Fractured vertebrae recovery index... 9.5.  Still kind of achy, but didn't slow me down.

Tarantula Tally: ZERO.  Folks been seein'm though.

North Gate went normal - except there was the smell of something dead around Big Shady Oak... didn't see anything but I suspect it was a rat the size of a horse, decomposing in the sun, behind a rock or something.

Diablo Shoutouts to regulars Jim, Kasters, Steve, Bharat. There were also a higher than usual number of newbs who were stopped in places that newbs stop at because they weren't ready for RIDING THEIR BIKE UP A MOUNTAIN.

There was also some guy in a bright blue dune buggy - kind of odd, but he was driving safely.

Things were pretty quiet at Summit, people seemed to just be conscious of how hot it was going to get and just wanted a little break before turning around and facing the rest of the day.

JIM! 

STEVE!

2020 SNR 25

Charlie said "9". Scott said "fine".

Passed'em-Passed'me ratio = 0:0

After last week's heat wave - ARM WARMERS. Then comes another heat wave later this week.

We talked about kale, and cars, and close encounters with deer, and electronic device security.

Charlie's gone next week so it might be just me. We're a good match, pushing each other at different spots when either of us would probably slack off alone.

I brought my sunglasses to the eyeglass store on Monday for new lenses, so I was wearing my sunglasses from three prescriptions ago... the visual defect gave me a sense of distorted space-time and made me feel like I was going faster than I was... or at least faster than I think I was, because I couldn't read the speed on my computer. I applied a nominal factor of safety for the descent.

Brain scan tomorrow - EEG. Next to last step to getting my driver's license back after my seizure in May.

EEG results show changes in brain activity that may be useful in diagnosing brain conditions, especially epilepsy and other seizure disorders. An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that detects electrical activity in your brain using small, metal discs (electrodes) attached to your scalp.

Not sure if I'll get a photo to post, but here are a couple examples:

Example 1: normal

Example 2: brain fart

Somebody made a nice paper flower display at YVR.

Air quality was... acceptable.

KEN!

2020 SMR 26

 Still smoky, but not nearly as hot today.

A guy in a white T-shirt came through The Gate just before we started up. I figured we'd pass him back before the real climbing started but we didn't see him again until almost Junction - hazzah.

JB stowed his arm warmers under his saddle pack and they fell out somewhere... he found them on the way down.

I dosed up with some Ibuprofen before the ride, anticipating some post-ride back pain, but felt pretty good; tried to not breathe too hard on the way up. JB turned around at Junction because of the smoke.

The foot path around the swing gate at The Wall was opened back up.  They even trimmed the bushes there so it's easier to go through, but I decided not to cyclocross it today, and just walked my bike around.

I talked to a runner at Summit. She told me she had tried to cycle up a while back but couldn't make it past Junction. She was observably very fit, but she said she hadn't been riding long enough to know how to approach a long climb.

On my way out of the Park, a deer jumped out in front of me and I panicked a little bit, then the deer changed his mind and turned back off the road but his hooves were slipping on the pavement and I thought he would fall down in front of me. For a moment I visualized myself, my bike, and the deer all lying in the middle of the road in a tangle while the deer kicked at my head trying to get loose; but nothing happened and then it was all over but the adrenaline rush.

The Summit Runner

Smoky enough that this rider was using a headlight for visibility.

White T-Shirt guy

Foot path around Summit barrier was un-barricaded.

Startled deer almost runs in front of me.

Changed his mind but almost slipped on the pavement.

2020 WNR 24

The Mountain has been closed or the air has been too smoky to ride for a couple weeks... so when I saw the report for decent air and the announcement that The Park was open, I planned for a big day on the bike.  I decided to do the iconic route called "Every Inch of Diablo".  Up North, Down South, Back Up South to Summit, and then Down North.  My legs were pretty rubbery at the end of all that.

Wildlife Encounter: a single deer.

Roadkill Report: a little bird

The smoke was definitely a factor, but it didn't feel like it was doing any permanent damage. I was on a long ride so I didn't do any intervals or sprints. My regular Wednesday crew decided to stay home, so it was kind of a lonely ride too.

The Upper Summit Lot was closed... WTAF?  I didn't do Every Inch of Diablo to get to the Bottom of The Wall and not continue... but I didn't want Strava to record me in unauthorized territory either... and that's all I'm going to say about that.

This means YOU!