Medical Mystery?

Well, as I mentioned earlier in my other posts that I haven't done much riding since February because I was overtrained or something. That's what I thought, according to exercise research, when overtrained, your body should take a maximum of 9 weeks for it to recover and feel good again before exercising again. Well, for me, it's been now 12 weeks, and I did go on a few rides but my legs especially on the quads and calves gave me a torturing sharp pain as I went riding. I have thought about it for a while why I have these things happening to my body? I have never felt this after 15 years of mountain biking and cycling. It was getting too rediculous and too weird. Then it came in my mind, that beginning of last fall, I have started taking a new medicine called, "Invega Sustenna" to replace the 'Resperidal Consta' I have been taking for years. The psychriatrist I go to thought I should change to the Invega Sustenna which is a brand new medicine that just came out and does the same effects as the Resperidal Consta but with this new medicine I can get the injection once a month instead of two times per month like the Resperidal Consta. I went for it and mentally, it's working great. Then I thought, because I am exercising poorly now than I have ever been, is it the medicine? I did some research on the Invega Sustenna and I could see on one of the side effects on the list is "muscle cramps or muscle soreness". Then I googled muscle cramps and it said if you have a prolong muscle cramp that would not heal, it could be medicine you are taking as well.
So I went to the nurse I go to and asked her about it, and she said she thinks it's possible and will talk to the doctor so I am waiting for a reply back. I asked if I could change back to Resperidal Consta because that stuff never caused the same problems I have right now. The only diffence between the two medicines is the number of injections. They do treat exactly the same. I'd rather have more injections and ride my bike than have less injections than not ride my bike at all(oh yeah, definitely!) So, I don't know if this is the problem or not, but I hope it is because I am dead tired of not exercising. Exercising is good for you and I don't want that taken away out of my life.
I have read other people's reviews about the Invega Sustenna, and not really any of them really talked about the same problems I have. They talked mostly about weight gain, nightmares at night, and being thirsty at night. So, I assume, none of these people exercise at all. Only one person in the reviews talked about she swims a lot but did talk about muscle stiffness and aching joints.
So, I don't know, it's a real mystery. We'll have to see after a few months and changing medicines. The Invega Sustenna is really helping my mind and helping me think more clearly but I want to ride my bike a lot too and we'll see what the doctor has to say. I want to keep riding my bike and it's the main reason why I am getting better. I learned that you can't only get mentally better just exercising but both medicine and exercising helps. I hate medicine but everybody says it is helping me so I'll stick with it. Taking it especially with biking or other exercises helps even better.

This is my home...

Yep. This is it. I have to be honest with you, every time I go to a race or away from home, I'd rather be home. I was born here and I grew up here. I am a true Sanpeter, even though I don't farm, or hunt, or 4 wheelin', or any other thing Sanpeters really do, I still fit in just fine. All probably because I was born here, I am the only one in my family that was born in Sanpete and I am probably going to be here forever because I assume I don't fit in anywhere else in the world. I just mentioned that probably ten years ago and I can't think of anywhere else I want to be. I love the towns, the mountains, the people, the farms, and all the animals. The animals and I just get along just great around here. Even a bear didn't attack me, maybe he likes me, I don't know.

In the past while, I was doing a lot of thinking, maybe I don't want to keep doing so many races all the time and not have much time to ride where I "really" want to ride. It's great around here, there's awesome bike trails that were just built and where it is just fun to stay home and ride. I like the peaceful and relaxing environment I have here....and a whole lot of space. Maybe one day, there will be a lot more bike/horse/hiking trails in Ephraim Canyon, we are working on that, talking with IMBA and the Forest Service in the future. Many people around here do have some great ideas on some new trails in some areas in the canyon.

I can't get a job anywhere else but in Sanpete, it's true, most outsiders can't get a job here probably because they are not from Sanpete. I believe that, because we, the Sanpeters really hate city slickers or a person that is not a Sanpeter. When they do move here, all they do is complain. Complaining about how horrible it is here, like there is nothing to do, then they end up leaving. I go, "so long, we don't want you here anyway". Yeah, we get that a lot. We also hate visitors, even during the Manti pageant, LDS church pageant thing, people that come here gets really annoying, and especially college students that go to Snow College, they are just a nightmare. This is our home, and my home. A bunch of hardheaded haigs that know how to really work hard, live hard, and play hard.

2011 Spring Pictures and Such...finally.

Flume Trail

Out by Gunnison, sheep in the sunset.

Flume Trail in the grey.

Flume Trail in the sun.

Damaged tree at Little Hill, either snow or lightning. Still a mystery.

Black Hill Trails

View of Taylor's Flat from the Flume Trail.

Newborn horse behind Mike's new house.

Well, you've guessed it. Spring food.

My shadow and handlebars....the only way to get a picture of myself and my bike together.

Gettin' there!

(take out the chips and Pepsi, I usually eat more nutritously than that cat)
I swear the last few weeks has been hard. Just not going on a ride when my mind is telling me to but my legs weren't. As I mentioned a few posts back, I've made a mistake on going too hard too early and then I got burnt. Well, I am still trying to recover, and to recover from my mistakes. After the bike race and Arizona bike rides, I took a week off except I did a recovery ride or two and then decided to go on a hard ride, I couldn't make it up the first hill. My legs felt wasted. So, I've decided, I just needed a little more time to let my leg muscles recooperate. Then over this weekend I went on a 2 hour moderate intensity ride and two recovery rides and my legs felt a little better. I am hoping maybe this week or two weeks, I will back into training. One fellow biker asked me if I am eating enough bananas and I think I am, I don't know really, but I know it's from the (too hard) training from winter when I was supposed to do moderate intensity workouts. So, I don't know, it's really a mystery to me. It's hard when it's so nice outside and the trails are dry and it's making mad. I keep telling myself in the past few weeks, why did I ride too much in 15 degree weather over the winter and now I can't ride at all while it's 60-70 degrees right now? I should have turned the other way around and then have a perfect season but still, I am getting there, still eating enough vitamins and minerals, making sure I am getting plenty of sleep, and doing a lot of walking and recovery rides. I just have to be a little more patient. Maybe one more week or a few days, then I might feel ready to ride hard and do lot's of climbing, I hope!

New Trail

This bridge for the rock is the starting of the trail going the uphill way to make a good loop for the Flume by not riding on the canyon road. It's all pure singletrack, except the New Canyon Road part but hey, better than going up the main road. Anyway, I just built the trail that goes along the base of the foothills to the mouth of Ephraim Canyon from Gordon's Farm from when the Flume Trail ends so you can make a loop. I built half of this and another guy built the other half, he did this wood bridge in the picture above, it's strong enough for motorcycles to go over it and horses can go around it. It's a great trail. All the pictures are in riding order. Enjoy. Actually go out and enjoy the trail, way better than looking at these pictures.

I love these tires...they rock!

For the last ten years, I have stuck with Hutchinsen Python tires and since everybody uses Maxxis tires in the race team, which Maxxis is one of our sponsors, I've decided to try Maxxis out. After a few rides and a race, I totally fell in love with these tires. I got the Maxxis Crossmark tires and they really handle well. I can corner so much better than my Python tires. The Crossmarks can really get a good grip while I climb up rocky technical sections. So now I am going to stick with Maxxis. One of the reasons I stuck with Hutchinsens was because I really liked the thick sidewalls on them and they were pinch flat proof. These Maxxis have very good sidewalls also(they call it the Exo Protection). I am looking forward to many rides on these.

There is an Arizona

Sunrise from South Mountain near Phoenix

South Mountain

South Mountain

South Mountain, Desert Classic Trail

Red Mountain, Hawes Trail

Red Mountain

Red Mountain

Country singer Jamie O'Neal(There is No Arizona) is nothing but a no good liar. After we got there, I thought "there is an Arizona you stupid b*$#^!" We drove down there to see some family and I definitely, ya for sure, took my bike. It was great, if you know where to go. I did a lot of research on the internet on what trails to do and luckily my mountain bike magazine came 3 days before we left and it had a whole big article on trails around Phoenix. It talked about what trails are best and it was a great tool.

First, I did the Desert Classic Trail in South Mountain Area just southwest of Tempe, and this area is the biggest bike park in the world they say. About 60 miles worth of trails. The Desert Classic Trial is more cross country bike friendly while the rest of them were downhill bike specific trails. The trail goes right on the foothills of the mountain. This trail reminded me a lot of the Road Apple Trail in Farmington, NM. A lot of fast rolling trail kind of riding, so I did an out and back in about 20 miles in 2 hours.

The next morning, I got to do another ride in another place, a better place for XC riding. Red Mountain Area. A cousin down there in Mesa told me about the area and recommended me to go there. It was great because it had more extended climbs and more steeper, technical downhills. This area was more prettier and more out of Phoenix area, and I really liked this area. I did about 13 miles in about an hour and 20 minutes. The cactus were more closer to the trails and the trails weren't as overused as the Desert Classic Trail so that's what made it more fun and challenging.

The weather was perfect and of course I went out there 6 in the morning every morning because it would get hotter later in the day, plus I was just got too excited to get up and do some riding in those mornings. It was great and I hope to go do some riding down there again some other time. Phoenix spring is like a Utah summer, that was so awesome.