Day by Day, Hour by Hour

I've been a good boy. Doing my stretches and all. Have been using the pain drugs (Ultram) as needed, trying to help Stevie get his groove back. It's amazing, it's day by day, hour by hour. I guess I can see some light at the end of the tunnel, but jeez-louise, how long IS this damn tunnel! Here's the artist rendering of me, when I have a flare up. I really appreciate the fact that he actually drew me, rendering-wise a lot better looking than I am in real life. Oh well. Like Morgan Freeman said in one of my favorite movies, of all time, Shawshank Redemption: "You can either get busy living, or get busy dying"


I didn't really realize what the achilles tendon was, or that it is the LARGEST and STRONGEST tendon in the body. It also has the highest rate of injury and fatigue, especially with runners. So, I did some research, and hired a team of medical experts to profile and document my own achilles tendon, the injury to it etc. This is what they came up with. OUCH! Looks painful, just looking at it.

I'll keep my stretches going, do some yoga and hopefully be back on the bike, soon! I miss having my "groove" back.

Going Forward, In Reverse.......

Random thoughts of nothingness, that's what it's all about, so here we go!

• Unfortunately, have been off the bike for over a week, due to some achilles tendonitis, be back sooner than later, I hope. PT Steve says to stretch it out, but it will take a while
• Chris Strout won the masters 1,2,3 race at the GDVC crit in Wisconsin yesterday, Don Lowe won the 45+ race, and another Macker won the 5's race as well
• Stan & Sue threw a killer party Saturday evening, for the VQ Rats, a good time to be had by all. Hat's off to them!
• Had one of the most beautiful weekends this past, did a ton of yard work, to the best of my capabilities, and am paying for it today
• Wes Hartman, well, the guy is a MONSTER! Wes is a dear friend of G&I's, and in his 4th year as a bike racer, of which the past 2 years have been as a professional. Wes' team was invited to the Tour of Georgia, one of the LARGEST races in America, with european pro's all over the place. Wes not only got stronger every stage, but his team, Target Training seemed to be in almost every break, solo for 100+ miles, and the best part is Wes finished 17th on yesterday's stage, the final day! That's studly!
• My barber Linda and her husband Bob sent me over some pics of their newest addition to their family: Farley! The Jack Russell Terrier. His older "brother's" name is spike. Spike is a Rat Terrier who likes to chase his butt. Farley watch's on in amazement.

Spike is the mean looking one on the left, Farley on the right.

Here's Farley, going SOLO!!!! Whatever you do, DO NOT stare into his eye's! You'll fall in love with him!

I Only Have Good Days, and Better Days

Off to see Dr. Maxey this am, been there done that about 1 million times now. I have been struggling with some pain "issues" on the left leg. It's been about 7 weeks since the last surgery, and this was the post follow-up. I actually moved my appointment to today, as I could not hold off any longer., plus I wanted to see Nurse Barb, as I am her favorite patient.

OK, here we go! This is the "gang" down at Dr. Maxey's office. Nurse Barb, 3rd from left with the name tag on, and my favorite Physical Therapist, Jane in the plum colored sweater!































The X-rays were taken this am, and show some healing at the fracture sight! Yeah! Maybe only 4-5 months to go with all of this craziness?

Due to the pain in the ankle region, Dr. Maxey gave me some non-narcotic pain drugs to try out, and see if that helps. He's a pretty cool character, and I am not quite sure I would want to play high stakes poker with him. I think he can keep a pretty straight face when the pressure is on. But wait, isn't that what you want from a world-re-nouned ortho surgeon?

Heck, what do I know? OK, till next time, as I will post more random thoughts of nothingness!

Do NOT Read My Blob!

• Ok, so you obviously don't listen, as you are reading away. This is the beginning of the week, unless you are on some weird time schedule/military international date/time thing, but whatever. I have a bunch of random thoughts, once again, that mean little to me, and if they mean something to you, I hope it makes you a better person!
• 
  Chris, Kim, Robert and "newbie" Andy stayed over the weekend, so we can race the Hillsboro Roubaix last Saturday. It was cold, windy and overcast. Just the way that everyone wants it, I think.
• Chris, Andy & Robert all hauled mucho-butt over the course. Andy finished 3+ laps, (pretty awesome for his 1st. major Pro, I, II road race) Chris got 17th in the Pro, I, II event (pretty stellar I think, figuring there was 100+ starters, and like 20 something finishers) and Robert scored a top 10 in the Master's 40+, after he pulled support all race so Team Mack could take ALL of the podium spots.
• I think Robert has actually DOUBLED his riding miles for the year after Hillsboro
• I did the Cat III event. My goal was to finish 2 of the 3 laps, which I did. After getting dropped on mile 7 of the first lap, I caught onto whatever group I could and rode as hard as I could, figuratively speaking. After the 2 laps, I was SMOKED!

• Here's a couple of pic's of S. Monkey. Chester and yours truly after the race. My friend Steve Heine took them. We were chillin in the Team Mack Tent! Pretty wiped out after the races.
• S. Monkey & Chester lost their voices from all of the cheering they did that day (not a bad thing, as they can chat up a storm)
• G cooked for all of us, and was the most gracious host, as usual. She's a treat!
• Rode Sunday am with the local group for almost 3 hours, got dropped on the hills, repeatedly. Thanks to Ryan "Michelson" for the support and occasional hand on the back, pushing me upward bound, 50 miles later, I was smoked, again
• Sheila, aka: "Yoga Nazi" just about killed me last night at yoga. I'm still reeling in pain
• Looking forward to Apple Pie Road Race, which will be my next "event"
• Realized that the miles that I am putting in for 2006, are probably base miles for 2007.

$250,000 Reward Offered!

Some time between the time I went to bed Saturday evening, and woke up on Sunday am, my house was broken into, and I was robbed! Someone had stolen exactly ONE-HOUR from me!


Waking up Sunday am,I was dazed and confused. I could not even think straight! I checked all of the locks on the exterior doors, and verified that all of the windows were still locked. Somehow, someone, or something snuck in my house, and stole "IT", and I want it back! I spent almost all day yesterday, and most of last night looking for it, but could not find it. I emptied every drawer, looked under the furniture, even checked in Sam & Darbies crates, to see if they had taken it! They had not.

So I did what anyone else would do, and I called the police. The officer who came to the house was very professional. They took my statement, called in the crime lab to dust for prints, gave G a polygraph test, which she passed, even interviewed ALL of The Boyz! They were stumped as well. They said that this was the tenth report that day of an hour being stolen in the area, but did not have a description of the thieves, so they were at a dead end as far as that goes.

So, here's what I thought up. I'll offer a HUGE reward, to catch the S.O.B who took my hour. The reward is as follows:

$250,000.00 to ANYONE who can provide information leading to the arrest, conviction, and return of my hour that was stolen. A public flogging will add an additional $50,000.00 to the reward money.

Please contact me and the East Peoria police department if you know ANYTHING about this senseless crime!