Last 3 races

I haven't done an update for a while as lots has been going on. Big hours on the bike and pretty much a full time worker at the gym in the evenings.

I have done 3 races since the last update

Day Nighter was 1st on the 15th. Earlier in the week I had decided I should do the 6 hour as a solid training ride because the weather looked like it was going to pack in, I needed to get these hours in so this way it was forced into me, but I ended up having to push a little harder over the 6 hours than I wanted to and it kinda turned into a race not training, Bevan Spratt from Tauranga pushed me for the lead for a while. In the end I managed to slip away and win by a few minutes, way closer than I was hoping but it was good to wake me up.

The next day (16th) was the R4 road race from Rotorua to Whakatane and it was pelting down, it was the worst weather I had seen for years and I had to go out in it. The race started and boy it was wet. Within second it was as if you had jumped in a swimming pool, ever bit of you was soaked to the bone.
Right from the start I was struggling I didn't like holding wheels as I was getting a hell of a spray off the wheels in front, I soon just sucked it up as it made my ride easier. A small break went up the road early and we all just sat back until Hells gate at the foot of the Tikiteri hill I lead the pace over the top but my legs were hurting and my knees were killing me but we managed shrink the group down to 15 odd.
I made it all the way to the Whakatane side of the Rotoma's then got swung off the back in a side wind, not what I wanted but my legs wouldn't take any more. I rode for 10km on my own and then the 2nd bunch caught me and for the last 20km I had a hell of a time to even hold on to them. Worst day of riding in my life never been so wet and cold and tired all at the same time.

Last Saturday was Taupo to Napier, this race is hard it has 3 major climbs in it with KOM primes at the top I was keen to get some of these I had freshened up through the week, however my race ended very early 25km into the 140km race my tire blu and as we were changing it my derailleur hanger just dropped out. Before the race I had noticed my tire was deformed with a little wobble not a cut or anything so I thought it would be ok, I didn't have any spare road tires so just run it. Turns out bad idea. and a lack of TLC for the road bike cost me a lot. its now its at the shop getting the TLC.

What's next for me. I have sent an entry down to race the Tour of Southland I haven't had confirmation as of yet as to what team i'm in but i'm just been put in one with other individuals.
In the lead up to this i'm doing as many road races as I can and the Motu 160 and the Whaka 100

Ill update after the weekend
Chur
Carl       

Recovery Update - Katie

Today was my one month (actually 3 weeks) post surgery meeting with the surgeon so it seems fitting to update everyone on my progress. I have been staying with my mum and grandma in Auckland getting well looked after. It has been a great environment to focus on myself and get this right as there is only this one chance to get it right.

So I better start from the actual surgery (Spine Fusion)… I arrived nervous as ever, the surgeon sat down with me for some reassurance.Surgeon – you look nervous. Me – I am. Surgeon - I'm not. Me – that’s great news. Surgeon – well I'm off to do the curtain opener then you’re the main event!

At this point 2hrs out I thought ok that was not helpful at all time for a sleeping tablet. Dosed up I dozed off and was snoring before my anesthetic... Classy.. I woke up in a room – asked oo is this where you operate, the answer was yep, I replied - crazy and then that was me again.

3hrs of operating and I came back around surgery was done and I was over the moon none of the incredibly bad potential outcomes happened. I was kept in recovery smiling away to the nurses until I was taken to my room. Carl and mum were already waiting.. poor Carl had to rest on the ground for a bit I had some attachments and the one which drained from the wound had Carl instantly. They stayed with me for a bit. The first night was pretty quick I was monitored pretty intensely every ½ hr so slept with my arm getting pumped and the most friendliest nurses ever visiting!

Smiling away to Carl and mum – no wonder you cant eat they leave you lying flat like that as you cant prop the bed up with the spine needing to be kept straight.

The first day was bed rest. Its hard not being able to move yourself I even had to be helped to rollover. You would think you could with the amount of pain relief being pumped in. I had epidural – a pain blocker consistently streaming into my back, long and short acting morphine, tramadol, and panadol. Along with three different anti-nausea medications, unfortunately they didn’t work enough and I was incredibly sick this night.

The next day was mobilizing day. My epidural was turned off and I sat for the first time. When you sit it is common to pretty much pass out or get a little off colour. So up I went and a minute later my blood pressure hit rock bottom and that was me, time to be put back down. From here things went a little pear shaped and I had very sore nerves through my quads. On went the epidural again and I spent another night on this. That evening I sat up again, and did some walking exercises! Was very stoked with that.

Overnight we continuously dropped the dosage on the epidural and by the morning they were able to turn it off. And from here I got better and better at mobilizing, I seemed to have temperatures a bit and a bit of gunck to the chest so they had to monitor this as its not ideal but I was pretty happy with the iceblocks I got when I had temperatures.

I was unable to eat until pretty much my last day of the 5 I spent in hospital, but managed to ditch my walking frame and get some independence and be on my way just in time to check out! Wahoo. Oh and don’t worry none of the amazing food went to waste Carl was there to take care of most my meals.

Rocking the walking frame, dressing gown and mean socks with my nurse! Had to wear the mean socks for two weeks after leaving the hospital! 

Boosting look at that distance!!

So summary my body hates pain medication, and my back was absolutely stuffed all the risks were worth it as I had no improvement ahead without the surgery according to my surgeon who saw first hand. Losing the feeling in my leg recently was only the start of the downhill spiral. The surgeon was pretty stoked to get in there explaining I had a very very angry nerve. He just hopes now it has been released that it can recover for the damage already incurred. I guess that’s a result of ignoring pain for so long! So fingers crossed for complete recovery! Come on nerve.

Thanks for the visits :)

During my stay at Ascot I had a private room, lots of visitors, great nurses, my surgeon was awesome and it was almost scary to leave. However things haven’t been bad since leaving and I have progressed walking wise. Starting with the 5minute shuffle twice a day to now being able to walk for 45minutes! My meeting today with the surgeon went great, its just nice to see that you are on track and to get a little more guidance of what I can and can’t do. The cant list is definitely bloody long but… I can walk, do very easy core activation, drive myself short distances, and I am able to go to Samoa I just have to stand heaps on the flight. So you guessed it I am off to Samoa next Saturday, for some sun and recovery before finally heading on home to Rotorua to get back to a bit more of the norm. Cant wait!!

Out for a walk with Carl – Rep'n Waiariki in Alks (got my garmin in hand. I'm taking this walking very seriously).

Carl has let me know he is doing a weekend of double racing.. Sounds hard I am sure he will have an update after the weekend. Thanks to everyone for all the support, still a long way to go yet but progress :-). 

Galaxy Travel N-Duro Race 3

Hey guys here is an update from my weekend. It was the final race of the Galaxy Travel N-Duro Race Series and I was out to try win all 3 races. The previous 2 races had some of my main competitors but this race it was just me battling the juniors so should have been the easier race... At the moment I'm sticking to a pretty strict and strenuous endurance phase and Saturday I clocked up a 5 and half hour ride, so I was going into this race a little tired to say the least, but the previous week I did a road race on the Sunday after a 6 hour ride Saturday and an engagement party into the small hours and felt alright, so I was quietly confident I was going to recover over night.

The track I had designed for this race was 15kms of gravels to start off with so it was a bit of a bunch ride, on the 1st climb I let my cousin Brad Jones set the pace and he was going quick enough to pull myself and him off the front, I lead into the No Brains decent a very technical never ridden decent, I hadn't been down it for a year or so until this week I had a few laps of it. I pulled a gap down here and into the next climb I just rode at tempo until the bunch of boys caught back up to me, as they me caught I had had time to refuel the tanks and put in a big attack going off the front and after a few mins I had lost sight of the others and soon lost sight of Brad.

It was a long way to the end from here only half the race had gone by and I was off the front with no idea how close anyone was, With 15km to go I started to fizz out and feel the last 3 weeks catching up with me, on the last climb up Direct road one of the steeper climbs in the forest I looked back and noticed Brad so once again I had to put down the hammer to secure the win. Stoked to win all 3 races at the end of my 4 week training blocks this last one has been big and i'm bloody tired now, rest week on its way.

After the race Ra introduced me to Tony and Paris from Magellan GPS these guys have come on board with N-Duro events as a sponsor and after talking to them for a short time they offered me a Magellan Switch Up GPS its a bike, running and Swimming GPS its off the scale I haven't stopped playing with it since they gave it to me. I cant thank them enough for my new toy.

Check out their website

Big thanks to Ra for running such a cool winter series cant wait for the summer now.

A quick update on Katie, She is doing well after a little bit of a set back, some thing happened to the nerve in the operation and her legs just wouldn't work very frustrating and upsetting for her. She has weened off her morphine but is still popping a shit load of pain killers a day, every day is roller coaster with the ups and downs. Today she rang me to tell me she walked 1 km down the road and back :-) but mainly hangs out in bed the rest of the day. She will be back :-) its just taking some time as we expected with such a big surgery, I'm heading back to Auckland next week to see her and her progress.  

Cheers

Carl