Long blog. No Pictures.

Good Morning,

            Today’s blog will be covering quite a bit since I am laid up.  Good news, since the 22^ndof Jan, I logged a ton of hard miles on my SRM.  The battery died the night of the 24^th.  I was staying at a friend’s house and had no way to charge it.  I just returned home last night.  I hooked the SRM up to the computer and sure enough, all the data for those three days was there!  The date, time, and slope needed to be reset but I retained about 417km of data in three days!  I did one more long day and one recovery dad after the powermeter died, but I’m happy to have the others.  For people that ride bikes, and ride with a computer, it is absurd how affixed I become on the information while riding. 

What is my cadence now, and how about now, and now?

Why is my heart rate in Zone 5 and my Power is in zone 3??

The data can sometimes scare me when I say this:

How long have I been at this wattage doing 12.01 km/h up this hill?  Holy shit I have a long way to go.

It normally means I am crawling up a 25km climb and I just calculated it is going to take me 2 hours and 10 min.  Fun!  Riding without the powermeter on my last long day to Manizalles was OK because I felt horrible in the first hour and half anyway, so I’m sure the data would have made me crash mentally. 

WHY AM I LAID UP TODAY?

            I could no longer take the excruciating pain in my ass (literally) from being on the bike.  It is unrelated to the comfort of my saddle and shorts.  No I (apparently) have with is known as Sciatica.  Meaning there is something in my lower back or glute muscles that is squeezing or pulling on the largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve.  I have seen many doctors in the USA as well as taking large amounts of time off the bike, yoga, stretching multiple times daily, core strength.  All to yield the same result, when my hip angle is compressed and I push down hard on the pedals, my piraformis muscle begins to feel like it is on fire and then pain begins to shoot down the outer edge behind my left leg.  It is also very uncomfortable to sit down for more than a few minutes.  I decided to get an MRI.   MRI cost in the USA = $3000+ without insurance.  MRI cost in Colombia $184.00 or something close to 390.000,00 pesos.  The results were good, sort of.  No surgery.  A bit of degeneration in 3 discs in my lower back, and one with a very tiny protrusion is what was concluded.  This is bad for me because I am looking for a solution.  The neurospine specialist, (who happens to be the tallest Colombian I have yet to meet at 6’3”) did charge me quite a bit, but offered to analyse the electro-magneto-neuromuscular-balance test that I should get next.  No problems with the back, it has to be muscular.  I debated this with him explaining the relevance of the position on the bike with my pain.  He said we can go for a second opinion (which he would pay for) after I get the results for the ENMB test.  Until then he prescribed some medication for inflammation, and two cortisone injections.  All to be self administered.  I almost passed out putting the first injection of the anti-inflammatory in because the cortisone I has administered first was taking effect so quickly.   Boy is my butt relaxed today!  Time for pancakes.

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That little picture will have to do for now.

Andrew

just a few more that were good

this is also what i have been doing

I didn’t like the first title, so this is the new title.

Here are a few pictures from after a 78km mountain bike ride.  The flower pot is really cool, that was at a stop we made to get some food.  I needed to take pictures of it.  The ones of my legs are to highlight twenty one mosquito bites I am still suffering from. 

 

As far as hygiene goes, some things really seem to slip for me when I’m not at my home.  Whether I have a job or not, I normally shower twice a day.  I have a nice shower at home that allows for good water regulation.  I normally keep it on about quarter power, and take hot showers that can last up to 15 min, maybe longer if I am really cold.  I use dial soap, and I do not wash hair.  My hair is normally very short, and gets a good rinse.  If my hair gets muddy from a cyclcross race or from mountain biking, or from playing in the mud, then I will wash it with the organic shampoo that remains in my bathroom.  A friend of mine got me on the no-wash hair program years ago claiming that your body produces clean oils if you eat clean.  I eat pretty clean and my hair doesn’t smell so I go with it.  This is the same principal as not wearing deodorant.  This drives Diego crazy.  I don’t prefer deodorant, perfume, cologne, or smelly lotions.  I like the way I smell, which normally isn’t that bad, even after sweating.  I do not sweat a lot during a normal day, and like I stated previously, I eat clean and shower regularly. 

The shower thing changes a bit when I am living with Diego or renting when I am off racing.  In this part of Colombia, and most of the parts we travel to, there is no hot water.  (there are no air conditioners either!)  Some homes are equipped with an instant hot water maker, but the water really trickles out and Diego’s instant hot water maker will trip a fuse if activated for more than two min and twenty seconds.  My showers are quite a bit shorter, and less frequent.  Once a day, and sometimes if it rains on me at the end of a ride, that is my shower.  The soap Diego buys is called LAX.  It is one syllable like Dial, so I like it.  I still do now wash my hair, but give it an extra good rinsing.  Two days ago I shaved my legs in the enclosed area behind his house.  It is sort of like a garage but there is no roof.  There was a towel on the line and soap hanging out by the utility sink so I used that and a bucket for my outdoor shower…that was my shower for the day.  I was tanning and showering at the same moment.  What a concept!

This will make my friends in the dental industry proud.  If there is a way to make up for not showering by brushing your teeth, I have accomplished it here.  I find I am brushing my teeth easily five times a day.  When I get up 7AM, after breakfast 7.40AM, when we finish training and lunch 1PM(ish), Lunch round two 4pm, and finally before bed 9.30ish.  They take their teeth very seriously here.  Everyone has braces, or had them when they were younger.  The total cost of a visit to the dentist is $16.00. The total cost of braces is $300-$550 depending on how long you have them on for.  There are lot of people with perfect smiles here.  They brush the hell out of their teeth.  And so do I. 

Keeping clothes clean.  Does this count as hygiene?  It involves washing something, so I’ll write about it.  Diego has a horrible washing machine.  This contradicts with the amount of clothes I have here, which is five cycling shorts, four jerseys, three t-shirts, one pair of jeans, two boxers, seven pair of socks (two of which are for walking the remainder are for cycling), three cycling base layers, a black hooded sweatshirt, green hiking shorts, and regular cargo shorts.  I feel like that means high rotation for a guy training twice a day living in an area where it is above thirty degrees Celsius all the time, even at night.  My clothes come off the line sometimes not exactly smelling fresh.  At home my clothes smell perfect every time out of the wash, no matter what they had been put through before.  This is sort of a problem for a guy who refuses to wear deodorant or cologne.  I have sort of worked out a system, and it is currently in a testing phase.  As soon as I get off the bike, I take my jersey, socks, and shorts and put them in the utility sink.  You remember?  The one I used to shower with two days ago?  So I fill it up a few centimeters and put just a little bit of soap in there.  I then pre-wash my clothes before putting them into the washing machine.  You know how mom used to make you pre-wash the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher?  Same concept.  I prewash my clothes, then run the washing machine.  I’m convinced the clothes going in wet helps with the soap absorption. 

I hope everyone enjoyed a little more insight into my life here.  Its not all glamour as you can see.  This is Currently Colombia with your host Andrew Raab signing off!

Back on my computer!

This is a fast post.  I am back on my computer, on a fast wireless connection in Downtown Armenia.  It is nice to use the keyboard I am used to!  The coffee is good here.  This is a picture of me, content, with a nice little green coffee cup.  I ordered the Cafe Excelso, which is “best coffee”.  I always drink it black.

I believe that is the flavour that was meant to be enjoyed.  I found out Juan Valdez lives in Periera.  He also likes cycling, imagine that.  Fucking Juan Valdez?  I am going to Periera on Monday to visit a friend while Deigo takes a bus to Ibague.  Perhaps I will see if we can drop in and say hello to Mr. Valdez.

I think my computer’s battery is dying earlier than it should.  I will only type two of the four quick thoughts that I have..

On the way over here I met a yound man named Jose Carlos.  He had a bouquet of flowers.  He makes money by juggling in the streets at stop lights, and then cars will throw some money on the ground if they are impressed.  We’re talking 100 pesos at a time.  Some quick math for you…10,000 pesos = $4.41.  So this guy saved up his money and bought these flowers because two years ago, a boy gave his sister flowers, and now they are married, happily, living in Medillin.  It all starts with flowers.  I have some pictures I will post when Diego gives me my camera.

I am amazed at people that speak multiple languages.  I met a girl a few years ago in Belgium that spoke Russian, French, English, Dutch, and maybe something else.  I am still struggling with Spanish, despite taking five years of it in school, and now being around it 24 hours a day.  I did notice this improvement the other day when on the group ride.  Rather than hearing spanish and translating it to english, and vice versa when I would speak, I just understood. There was no translation going on in my head.  I was understanding the same thoughts and expressions, but outside of the context of conventionally structured english.  It was nice.  For example, I could say “Why are you wearing all black?”  The direct translation is not how you would ask that question.  Rather it is “For why are you coming in all black?”.  If this is a confusing post, it is because I haven’t really put all the thoughts together properly.

22% battery life.  Time to rock.  I still have an email to send out.  I hope everyone enjoys reading!

Andrew Raab

Currently Colombia! II

My days of hurting Diego and crew are limited.  Everyone’s fitness is starting to come around.  I was dropped pretty hard today actually.  I have heard that it is very cold in the Southern part of the USA right now.  Today, in celebration of yet another day over 38 degrees, I decided to cut my hair.  Say goodbye to the mullet.  It is way too hot here for that right now.  See pictures!

It has also been raining quite a bit.  Almost always later in the day, and consistently through the night.  It sort of makes walking around a night difficult, but I would rather sleep to the rain, and wake up with really clean air and blue skies.  It is also good for the roads.  More rain means more oil off the roads, which means safer descending at 90kmh.  I have resolved to wear my helmet more often this year as well.  Diego and I got caught out in the rain on our way home from Sta. Rosa/Periera.  It was stinging my forarms, it was also very cold.  I am glad I didn’t get sick from it, or crash on the 12km downhill into Armenia. 

Besides rain, I really enjoy feeling like I live in a rainforest.  It is very tropical.  I felt like the road out of La Paila into La Tebliada contains the cure for cancer in its surrounding vegitation.  When it is not raining, you can hear birds constantly.  I love to hear the birdies, among all the other animals cruising around in the distant woods. 

I am tired of typing about training.  It is boring to read about, and it is boring to type about.  Today is Friday and I have logged 18 hours onthe bike, and didn’t even ride on Tuesday.

If you look down at a previous blog entry, it contained a letter to a distant once close friend of mine, Meggie McKinley.  Among some other personal items she mentioned in her reply, she advised me to not be so angry, and perhaps head home to spend time with my family.  If I showed up at my parents door right now they would probably tell me to kick my own ass for bailing…again.  As for me, I should realise that half the United States is scared and jobless, and forclosing, so my deal here is really quite nice.  Thank you for holding me accountable for my emotions, I am feeling less angry already.  No joke.

That is all for now!

Andrew

Quick picture of my foot, three days later!

It is directly over where i push down to turn the pedals over. Ouch!

Letter and Story, almost as good as Soup and Salad!

this is a letter written yesterday when i was bored out of my mind waiting to go to Manizalles for some meetings with bike shop people, and my VO2Max test.  The test story is after the letter!

Dear Meggie

Everyone is getting an email today.  I am bored in Santa Rosa Colombia.  I can’t ride until later because i am waiting for some phone calls.  I have already cleaned the house of the friends we are staying with. 

-¡Please type me back something interesting! 
-If you need ammunition, i have a blog, you can read it and comment…or compliment.  The website is PersistentVision.WordPress.com 

I am still pretty pissed that Hannah left me, my ex fiancee, and that you thought i was cheating on you.  She is actually the reason why i left colombia early if you remember that from an email i sent you in February.  It makes me crazy.  That makes two missed chances at a lifetime of happiness…hahaha, just kidding.  Relationships aren’t always happy i’m sure.  I really only feel totally happy when i win races.  That is shallow for you.  Going with your husband over me was probably the best decision you ever made, if happiness was the goal.  I’m not sure I knew how to be happy with someone back then anyway.  Adventure, no, i’ve got em’ beat, but not happiness- yes you guys win.
blah blah blah. 
I wonder what India is like.  I am would like to plan for it in October.  Hiking around India and Thailand, what could be better?  Maybe i will be killed in an avalanche, that is a noble way to go.  Crushed by the earth.  Nature 1, Andrew 0. 

Funny to think about how powerful nature is.  When the earth has had enough, it will flick humans off with a big FUCK YOU.  ¡It seems as if evolution has yet to determine whether intelligence is even relative for natural selection!  Imagine that, being smart doesn’t mean anything for the continuance of our race.  So true, more technology has really only meant more self destruction.
 
I never told my mother you said hello.  I kept forgetting.  I will mention it to her in March when I return for a few weeks.  actually now it is looking like just 10 days.  brutal.  I miss speaking english.  I miss hot water.  I miss laying on my comfortable couches.  I hate my new bike, it is ugly and i think i cracked the frame already!  Crazy.
 
Time to roll,
I hope you are well and I would like to hear some real stories or thoughts from Meggie McKinley 
 
Andrew
 
i may post this ridiculous email on my blog eventually.  I have been doing that recently.
 

* Max HR and VO2 Max test.  Deigo says take your pedals, shoes, and cycling shorts.  The guys we were just talking to about a space for bicycle related parts for distribution decided to join us on this little extra trip.  So we rolled up to this heart only hospital, all five of us.  I was hoping to really do some showing off.  My weight is 79.8 KG’s.  It comes off fast when you are sick for 5 days, and didn’t miss one day on the bike.  The apparatus was not a bike, no, it was a treadmill.  I was wearing crocs.  This meant i am now doing this test barefoot.  I had already pre-paid my friend discounted rate so nothing was going to stop me now!  Normal people go 15 min.  Good athletes go about 19.  I wanted to go 20.  12 min in and my feet hurt like crazy.  Not too hard, but i’m in serious pain already from skin loss on the bottoms of my “Hobbit” feet.  I noticed blood coming up between my big toe and second toe around min 16.  They pulled the plug a bit over 18 min, with a max HR of only 187.  Blood on the machine was not permitted.  I understood, i was about ready to stop from the pain anyway.  I have some good pictures i took with my phone.  I will post them soon.  I think they are already on Facebook though.  The results were enough for the VO2 Max which sits nicely at 72.4ml/kg/min.  I am not super happy with the testing facility.  It was expensive and i don’t think i did my best because of the sickness i am getting over and of course the battered feet thing. 

Fortunately, because of all the “extra” work I was doing while also keeping a full time job at Bicycle Sport this past year, I am reasonably well funded.  Thank you Charlotte, North Carolina for your very diverse job opportunities!  So I will pay to take it again in a city with a lower altitude and a bike setup.

Cheers,

Andrew

Defamation of the day!

“..RESIDE.. Verb 1. To live in a place permanently or to be inherently present. “
‘..EMPTY.. Noun 3. Without cargo or load’

<Posting this quote again>

“Blessed are the forgetful: for they get the better even of their blunders.”
—  Friedrich Nietzsche

Blog Blog Blog

How is this font?  Do you like it more?  It is not really a change of font, just strikethrough.  Do you like the word TURBO?  How about one of these ¡¡¿?!!  Ñ.  This is a cool keyboard.  I am still in Santa Rosa. 

1. ¿
2. HOW
3. DO
4. I
5. CHANGE
6. THE
7. FUCKING
8. FONT
9. ?

That is my poem for the day.  Could you come out and play?  How about you ryhme and I rhyme in a relay?  Diego’s friends think i’m gay!  Enough of this vocabulary mellay.  Where is my Buñulo, it is M.I.A.?

 

I am having quite a time getting this blog back into fullscreen mode.  I am able to blog a lot since i have a good Internet connection here.  I think this grey is too light.  How about now?

Dinner last night was cool.  Super Pizza.  I was able to share my pizza with ChuCho because he does not eat meat.  He does not drink alcohol, or caffeine, or anything impure.  He has only had sex with two women, he is 31.  He has been in prison for three years.  Then he visited his dying friend in Atlanta for some time and learned English.  He became Nostico after he got out of prison.  He does not believe in god.  He wants to be a metal worker or clean cars.  They are sort of on opposite sides of the spectrum.  He also had a bounty on his head for quite some time.  I will leave his former profession up to your imagination.  He was extremely polite.  He was the one that told me about people saying I prefer men to women.  He understood that there are bigger things in life than sex all the time. 

Chucho, his real name is Jesus, also kept up with us on most of the group ride yesterday, on a mountain bike two sizes too small.  I was impressed.  The more people I meet, the more I like this country.  He asked me a lot of questions about where I am from and what I have done to be where I am.  It was flattering how interested he was.  Most everyone thinks my travels are amazing.  I think my life normal, but I want my kids to have an amazing childhood of traveling and experience, is what I replied…not that I have kids now.  We sort of took the conversation away from the table.  He has only been back in Colombia for a few days so currently he is lighter skin than this gringo!  Everyone laughed about that.  

I am going to help Marina clean the house.  There are some tall areas that I can access without a ladder that need attention.  Then on the bike.  I’m waxed from yesterday.

Cheers from Santa Rosa Colombia, 

Andrew