Chipseal, Cobbles, and Pedals

As I stood there watching the dirty riders slug through the muck, the freezing rain pummeled my bright yellow jacket.  My feet were soaked.  Rider after rider pulled off the course.  It was hypothermic conditions and most felt it wasn’t worth it.  “Aaron!” I yelled, “If you finish, you might make top ten!”  Half the field was missing as they were already in their heated vehicles.  “Melissa,” someone said, “Did you race today?”  “Nope,” I replied.  “Why, you’re a smart one!”  Though the weather was fierce, somewhere deep down, I was envious of the riders, that they had the opportunity to fight that battle. I on the other hand, had fought a big battle that week, as I had spent several days in the hospital with a very serious infection on my right leg.

Aaron after the Wrenthem race.

The infection started the previous weekend, the Providence Cyclocross Festival, October 10th-11th which featured some of the very top cyclocross and mountain bikers in the country and even the world!  The race was only a 45 minute drive from my apartment, so Saturday, I drove up, ready for action.  The course was made almost for a BMX’er which made the technicality very inviting!  I was tired, but excited for the quality of riders and course I was going to compete on. That week, I had a little sore on my leg that I thought was an ingrown hair…so I had been picking at it all week.  It was slowly growing bigger and bigger. As I sat at the start line, the sore on my leg lay exposed.

The race was very fast and I didn’t finish where I wanted, but still knew I could improve the next day.  I went home that night, and this is where the ‘real’ story begins.  My sore had become very inflamed.  I knew it was becoming infected so I boiled some water, got some salts and started soaking it with a hot rag.  “Aaron,” I asked, “could you come in and help me poke this thing with a pin…it really needs to drain.”  It was sooo painful and we didn’t get much drainage, so  I retrieved to bed for a sleepless night.

The next morning I awoke feeling more miserable than ever.  My leg was on fire and my glands in my thigh were so swollen it felt like they would burst. I tried to walk to the bathroom but could barely put any weight on my right leg.  “I think it’s infected.”  So, being that it was a Sunday, I called our amazing friends, Tom and Barbara.  Tom’s a family doctor, and Barbara is an Orthopaedic surgeon.  They called in a prescription for and antibiotic and I took it immediately. 

My leg before heading to the ER on Monday, October 12th.

Aaron and I drove up to Providence for the festival.  Aaron’s race was before mine.  I was unsure if I’d race, being that I couldn’t walk very well, but I brought my things just in case.  I rode around the course; every bump made my leg throb with pain.  “Not sure if I’ll race, Aaron,” I said.  “Do what you think is best.”  So I rode around more, and somehow ended up at the start line….”Damn it…I’m racing!”  Needless to say, the race was not so good.  I probably finished in last place.  My handling sucked and I got so banged up.  I didn’t feel well.

The next day, I rode my bike to work.  My leg was still in pain. “Melissa, what’s that on your leg?!”  “Oh,” I said, “Just an ingrown hair I think.”  Their eyebrows turned, “That doesn’t look like the work of one hair follicle…you should go to the ER!”  So, after work, I took a picture of my leg and emailed it to my family…I couldn’t decide if it was worth going to the ER over.  But immediately when I pressed the ‘send’ button, Aaron’s Mom called, “Melissa, get your butt up to the ER NOW!!”  So, I grabbed some reading materials, a few snacks, and hopped on my bicycle and rode up to the hospital, just a few blocks up the road.

In my delusional mind, I thought when I got there that they’d just use a special cleaner, clean the wound, and send me home…but the doctor said, “Here’s my recommendations…we are going to admit you for the night so we can pump you full of antibiotics.  You’re oral antibiotics aren’t working, so you need an IV.”  I was stunned and in denial, “Can’t you just clean it and send me home…isn’t there an outpatient option?!”  “Nope, I can’t force you to stay, but this is my recommendation.  You’ve never been hospitalized before, have you?!”  I was terrified.  I didn’t want to miss work!  I text-ed my boss, “I won’t be into work tomorrow.  I’m getting admitted to the hospital.  Sorry for the drama.”  I couldn’t believe it.

Wednesday morning.

Thursday

Finally, Thursday came and the infection specialist had promised he’d start his rounds on my floor.  He walked in the room, took a look and explained the process my leg was going through.  He said, “You can go home.”  I was stunned as my Primary physician had told me that morning I’d be up there a few more days, “Is this a joke?!”  “What did I just say?!!  You can do home!” he said.  Thank God!!  I was sick of that place and ready to sleep in my own bed.  The nurse came, pulled out my IV, I packed my bags, called Aaron, and waited impatiently for him to pick me up. 

Thursday afternoon (at home!)

Saturday

So,where am I now?  I started riding last Monday, very gradually.  My energy had been diminished from fighting this infection and  drained from a full day of work.  Now, I am getting back to full force…still no running, but I plan on racing this weekend in Canton.

Sunday October 25th & off the antibiotics.

The women's field takes off.

I woke up to the sound of rain pounding on the roof.  This weekend was the big Gloucester event.  Pros from all over the country fly-in to race this classic cyclo-cross event.  I was racing with the Elite Women at 2:30pm.  “Maybe the rain will die down by then…” Instead, it pounded all day long.  Excitment built for the opportunity to once again play outside in the mud.  I had no concept of how much mud I’d get to roll through…but soon I’d find out.

The race started with almost 40 women, lined up.  I again was positioned at the back, so I was prepared to move up as quickly as possible.  The gun cracked and I exploded, up the pavement and onto the slick and muddy course.  I was more aggressive than I’d ever been.  There was no fear of the course.  My mind was focused on one mission only, move up!  I passed several girls on the corners and the muddy straight-aways.  Already, I had positioned myself at about 15th place.  “Wow, I’m doing great!”  We went around corners and off the bike to a thick and sticky muddy run-up.  It was steep, but I dug my feet into the ground. Back onto the bike and around another rider.  We went down a muddy hill, around a bend, up another hill.  I dug in to get traction.  Around a tight bend and down another zig zag of mud.  We jumped off the bike and ran through it, and over the barriers on the side of a hill.   Now to the second part of the course…  Down another hill onto the muddy grass. No traction.  A few long straights, through puddles of water, coming off the ocean, and to a zig zag of mud. I had moved up, but at this point, my body started to fatigue already.  Each zig-zag turn, I was getting passed.  We took a long straight, passed the pits and up a little hill, off the bike, around the bend, back on, down, around another bend and push over the little bump.  No traction.  My cleats slipped out of the pedals, I jumped off, ran two steps and back on the saddle again.  Around the corner, down a little hill, straight, right turn, and up the pavement, completing lap one.

I was head to head with a girl from last weekend.  I didn’t want to deal with her again, so I jumped on the pedals and put some distance between us. For the second lap, we were more spaced out.  I passed a few girls, but also was getting passed.  My glasses were fogging up and my handling was a little less aggressive and more sloppy.  I ran up the hill, but it was so painful!  My gut was tight. Lungs burned.  For the entire course of mud, every ounce of me pushed through, getting traction. I snapped up on the second half and move past a few girls. I hadn’t realized how far back I’d been pushed!  My cleats were so slippery and the bottom-tube too, as I’d grab it to shoulder the bike.  People were sliding everywhere!  The crowd was getting a show!  Chics in spandex, playing in the mud! On the last lap, my brain had turned to mush.  I think my head was down too far for this reason.  On the steep run-up, near the crest, my foot slipped and I started to fall. The spectators screamed, “Oh, oh oh!!!” I managed to catch myself and my bike, “Good save!!”  The hill-crowd cheered! I got back on the bike. My head still low and my brain slightly impaired. I pushed forward. Only a few girls passed me on the last half, but still it moved me even further back. I finished, 31st out of 35….not my ideal result.  Still, I had fun playing in the mud and knew what I needed for the next day…more traction on my tires, more aggression, and not wimping out on the last half of the race!  I rolled down the hill, got my bike and myself hosed off.  One of the riders asked, “Is the water warm…”  “Well, it’s warm enough.”  My chamois was soaked in mud…it was pretty gross.  My face was covered.  I drove home and jumped into the shower with all my gear: shoes, helmet….we were soooo dirty!  Ready for another day of cross.  I smiled.

Since I forgot my camera, visit the link below for an awesome short video…you can get a good experience of the mud!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid28343239001?bctid=43277776001

Head is down...pushing through the pain.

Day two of Gloucester.  This time, I awoke to sunshine peaking through the curtains.  I had a new strategy for the day; suffer!!  I needed to embrace the pain much more than the day before.  Again, I was staged at the back.  I had ridden the course several times during warm up, and for the most part, all the mud had dried up.  There were still a few slick areas, but nothing you couldn’t push through.  When the whistle blew, I exploded from the back and moved up to mid pack.  Once we were on the course going in and out of the bends, I kept passing the girls; one, two, three.  I was moving forward.  The course today was different, it zig-zaged back a and forth, with long straight aways, no run-up, but still the barriers and a sand pit.  The pit wasn’t technical as the previous races from the day had packed it down to a smooth trail.  So, technically, this course was like a fast mountain bike race! And boy was it ever fast! 

My agression was fierce, but just as the day before, I hit a wall about half-way through the race, and I just couldn’t push through it no matter how hard I tried.  Two, three, and four girls would pass me.  I’d try to stay on their wheels, sometimes passing them again as we’d battle back and forth, but then they’d get me and gap me. I push over the hills and stayed in the saddle, trying not to run as much as possible.  I used to be a great runner, but biking is so much faster!  My friends were there too, cheering for me as loud as possible.  I kept pushing forward.

Yesterday, we only did 3 laps, but today it was 5 I think.  The end was a blur, but my head was up and I did the very best I could.  I finished 30th out of 37 starters.  Better than yesterday, but nothing I’d brag about.  I want to be in the running for the money for sure!  But, I need to work on not only my skills, but my endurance and power during the race.  It’s still very early in the season, so I believe there’s an opportunity for me to improve and maybe even this year I can get into the top 10 at these big UCI events. Next weekend is Providence… I’ll bring the pain to RI!

The wonderful view.