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Brittany

Gimp Updates: ACL and Thyroid

Posted by Brittany – September 10, 2009

Just thought I’d throw in a quick update of how things are going with my two gimps.

Thyroid
Eight days after thyroid surgery I was riding my bike again with only minor pain. The pain in my neck was aggrivated a few days later while flying to Spain. Hours without sleeping and with my neck kinked in an airplane chair were the culprits. But, after a day or two there, I didn’t have any more pain. Pretty much two weeks after thyroid surgery, I was fully recovered- no pain, not tired- felt fine!

Since it was a partial thyroidectomy, I have the option of not taking Synthroid or other thyroid replacement drugs. However, I’ve been on Synthroid for 6 years already and going off of it- asking half of my thyroid to do what my whole thyroid hasn’t done for 6 years- would be too much. So, I’m staying on my current level of .88mg of Synthroid. I’ll have a blood test soon to make sure my hormone levels are where they should be. But, my energy has seemed normal, so I suspect my levels are probably at normal.

ACL
Overall, I’m healing. I’ll be skiing when the snow falls. But, I’ll likely play it conservative for a little while, especially with the early season snow cover. My knee rarely hurts and overall feels really stable. I have good control and balance with it, but the muscles surrounding my knee are still weak. I need to spend more time working on strengthening and plyo’s to get it ready for ski season.

Recovering from knee surgery always has it’s ups and downs. I finally started riding single track a couple of weeks ago. But, then I went to physical therapy and aggravated my hamstring (to the point where I could hardly walk) and my 10-yr old issue of patellar tendinitis. This caused me to take a few days off the bike. But, then I was at it again- feeling good! I was watching out for things that irritated my tendinits to keep it managed and was happy to be riding some of my favorite single track trails. Then, on Tuesday this week I started noticing a pain in my hip flexor. When I woke up on Wednesday morning the pain was worse, and it’s even worse today after physical therapy. I spoke with my physical therapist about it, and he thinks I’m probably over-doing it and perhaps having some compensation issues with my weakened knee. So, another few days of rest are needed.

Never-ending Roller-coaster
My recovery is physically and emotionally like a roller coaster. I go up and down on a monthly, weekly, even daily basis. Right now I’m frustrated with my knee/hip-flexor issues because I just want to be free of pain and do the things I love doing. I want to ride single track, because I’ve been deprived of it all summer. But, I am still a gimp. I’m angry because this injury is preventing me from accomplishing yet another goal: The Pearl Pass Aspen ride- happening this weekend, and we were planning on returning via an epic single track trail. I’ve wanted to do this ride for over two years now. I guess it will need to wait until next year.

I remember my ski team coach telling me when I was frustrated about the same things with my ACL surgery 12 years ago, “It takes a year to recover. Then, you’ll be back to yourself again.” She was right. On Saturday (two days from now) I’ll be exactly 6 months post-op. So, I’ll be officially a “half-gimp” :) I have to keep that in mind, I guess. For right now, I can do the things I love to do… in moderation. I must remember that I’m still healing and that I need to listen to my body when it warns me. It’s just all part of the healing process. My goals will have to wait until I’m not a gimp anymore…

PEARL: Paonia Running Ladies

Posted by Brittany – September 10, 2009

Being an active woman myself, I’ve always kept an I out for women who are athletic, but have a bit of flare. So, I laughed when I saw PEARL, the Paonia Running Ladies.


(Photos from PEARL on Facebook)

How did I find out about PEARL? Even though Paonia is literally a hop, skip, and jump across from Crested Butte in summer, I found out about our full-of-flare sisters when they popped up in my sidebar on Facebook. It turns out an old college friend of mine has a sister that is a PEARL herself.

In true Crested Butte style, our sisters in Paonia have set a standard for what a women’s group should be. Everyone knows women are the master multi-taskers. These women give new meaning to this idea by exercising, accessorizing, socializing, and re-energizing all at the same time. What a fun way to motivate women of all kinds to get together and exercise. Running races? Yeah, they do it- but they have a lot more fun than the average runner-girl.

Kudos to our sisters in Paonia. Now it’s time for us chicks to rally here in Crested Butte. But, hey, let’s do it with biking, ‘cuz I hate running , okay? ;)

More info on PEARL:
PEARL Facebook Group Page
Pearls Before Swine – Delta County Independent

TR: Riding 409 & 1/2 (7 Sept 2009)

Posted by Brittany – September 9, 2009

Sometimes I forget how fun it is to ride with other girls. Sometimes I also forget how fun certain trails are to ride. On Monday, I was reminded of both things. I rode 409.5 with Alison Gannett and Allison Kreutzen. What a great day it was- to have two fabulous female riders accompany me on one of Crested Butte’s best, but often forgotten, trails. Here’s some pics of the day.

Alison Kruetzen (Don’t you love the socks?!)
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Alison Gannett (Who kicked my butt, by the way!)
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Me (Photos courtesy of Alison!)
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Al(l)ison-squared :)
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Thanks ladies for a fantastic day out!!!

For more trail information please see 409 and 1/2 on our Crested Butte Mountain Biking Guide.

TR: Riding at Crested Butte ski area (6 Sept 2009)

Posted by Brittany – September 7, 2009

After riding Reno/Flag/Bear/Deadman’s the previous day, we were hoping to ride Doctor’s Park on Sunday. But, we woke up to grey skies full of foreboding clouds. The weather reports weren’t favorable for the day, and with my knee still not 100% I didn’t feel like taking a chance on the rain- The last thing I need right now is to be slipping and sliding around on muddy trails.

We opted for some riding closer to home. In fact, all we ventured was literally across the street! We chose to ride on the trails at Crested Butte ski area. That way, if the rain came, we could quickly get home.

I have always liked riding at the ski area. But, I’ve always considered it a good place for short after work rides. Only this year did I start to consider riding for longer periods of time at the ski area- and this was spurred by recent CBMR activity. Frankly, CBMR decided to wake up this summer. Once a resort that seemed to hate mountain bikers, they decided to actually do something to start attracting them. What did they do? They built all kinds of new trails. At the same time, they closed a few older trails. But, for the most part, there are more new trails than any that were closed. A few of the old trails actually were merged into newer trails, with huge re-routes in sections, while some of the old trails appear new, but actually just have a new name.

A description of each trail can be viewed on the CBMR Summer Trails site. They also have a map of the trails which can be downloaded. Please note that the trail called “Mineral Point”, supposedly slated to be built August, 2009, seems to not yet exist.

Our route, which led us to over two hours of riding, was as follows: up Westside, down Meander, up Prospector, down Painter Boy, up Houston Road, down Columbine.

Westside- A new trail this year that I think was intended for a fun descent, is actually better ridden uphill. The trail is fairly technical, but not overly so- just enough to keep you interested. It is definitely one of the longer trails ascending the mountain.

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Meander- A trail that begins with parts of an older trail, but has been rerouted. This trail is aptly named as it meanders along the northern side of the ski area, with a few steep fun sections here and there and great views of East River Valley.
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We didn’t take pictures of the other trails, but here’s a few descriptions.

Prospector- One of my favorite trails. This trail is a fun ascent or descent, but I tend to do it as an ascent. It is easily accessible from Snodgrass Trailhead, so can make a short ride longer. Or, it is great riding for a quick after work loop. Good loop options include Painter Boy or the Wood’s Trail.

Painter Boy- A beautiful trail all times of year. This is one of the easier trials on the mountain, but it’s ease doesn’t make it any less fun. This trail is good as and ascent or descent, and fun for all levels of riding.

Columbine- This trail takes riders up to the top of Columbine hill, offering some of the best views on the mountain. But, this trail can be frustrating sometimes. When descending, it lacks flow. When ascending, it feels like you are going nowhere fast.

We didn’t even ride all of the trials available to us on the mountain during our two hour ride. We could have included the Luge, the Wood’s trail, and Avery. CBMR trails suddenly have a lot to offer. If you haven’t done so, get up here and check them out!

TR: Reno/Flag/Bear/Deadman’s (5 Sept 2009)

Posted by Brittany – September 6, 2009

Since being cleared to ride single track, I can’t get enough of it. What a treat it is to ride on more interesting trails- and be able to ride them with my friends! I joined the boys on this ride: Frank, Tom, and Trevor. We headed out fairly early to avoid adverse weather and Labor Day crowds. It turned out to be a fantastic day and a wonderful ride.

Frank
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Me
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The boys on Bear
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Tom
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Trevor
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Tom and Frank heading up toward the top of Deadman’s.
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A scenic look at the valley and trail.
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Can’t say this enough: “So good to be back on single track” :) Thanks for a lovely ride boys!

For more trail information please see Reno/Flag/Bear/Deadman’s on our Crested Butte Mountain Biking Guide.

Where I’ve Been

Posted by Brittany – September 3, 2009

One huge advantage of the invention of the Internet is that it can help you waste precious time- hours and hours sucked into the abyss of something we’ve termed CyberSpace. Procrastination has never been so easy. I found myself succumbing to the abyss this evening. But, sometimes a needless search yields something interesting- something you never would have found had you not been wandering around in the Cyber World. I felt that way when I found the app “Where I’ve Been”.

“Where I’ve Been” is a cool place where you can keep track of the places you’ve been in the world, and even document some of your travel experiences. One of the neat features of this application is the interactive map that is produced as you account for all the countries and states you’ve visited. Here’s what my map looks like.

I found out I’ve been to 32 states and 45 countries- many of which I’ve been to multiple times. Here’s a list of the countries I’ve been so privileged to visit.

Canada
Brazil
Argentina
Peru
Chile
Costa Rica
Australia
South Africa
Mexico
Spain
France
Netherlands
The United Kingdom
Norway
Sweden
Finland
Russia
Ukraine
Estonia
Poland
Germany
Switzerland
Italy
Austria
The Czech Republic
Greece
Bulgaria
Turkey
Egypt
Israel
United Arab Emirates
India
Nepal
China
Kenya
Tanzania
Zimbabwe
Thailand
Indonesia
French Polynesia
Japan
New Zealand
Denmark
Vatican City
Malaysia
Singapore

I just found this application to be fun to play with. So, check it out yourself if you haven’t done so already!

First days back on single track!

Posted by Brittany – August 30, 2009

I haven’t been able to ride real single track this whole summer- Doctor’s orders after having ACL surgery! So, I’ve spent all summer riding on paved and dirt roads. It’s forced me to do some interesting rides that I otherwise would not have bothered with. But, riding road of any kind is never as fun as single track. Finally, now, the time has come where I’m allowed to actually ride once again!

So, I’m easing my way back into it, starting with some easier trials first to build up my confidence. Every ride I play a mind-game with myself. For months I’ve had it in my mind that falling was not an option, because it wasn’t. Everything had to be “no-fall”. But, now my knee is stable enough to handle a fall or two here and there. So, I have to switch from the mindset of not falling to falling is okay. With this comes a change of mindset from, “Will I fall on this? I should get off my bike?” to “I can ride this!”

My first two rides, Lower Loop and 401, helped me shift my mindset and begin building my confidence. Most of all, it was just fun to actually be riding single track once again!

Lower Loop- 8/28 Heather, my “recovery buddy” (had ACL surgery 5 days after me) joined me on this after work ride.

Heather
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Me
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401 – 8/29 Joined by Frank and his two friends, Mark and Kevin, visiting from Seattle

Frank
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Kevin
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Mark
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Mark, Kevin, and me
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The smile says it all!

For more trail information please see 401 and Lower Loopon our Crested Butte Mountain Biking Guide.

Dave Watson skis upper K2

Posted by Brittany – August 29, 2009


Photo obtained during Dave’s 2008 K2 expedition, from Where Will You Ski Today?

I’m always trying to keep up to date on the latest news in ski mountaineering. Dave Watson has made it his goal to ski K2. While he did not make it to the summit (no one did this year), he did succeed in skiing the upper slopes of K2 where none have skied before. So, kudos to Dave Watson!

Dave Watson posted this recently on his Facebook page:
“Expedition to climb and ski K2, became the first person to ski the upper slopes of K2. Skied from 8350 (bottleneck) to Camp 3 (7300m) rappelled the Black Pyramid and House Chimney, skied 6500m down to 5200m (ABC)“. If you have Facebook, you may be able to check out the pictures Watson posted from his expedition by viewing his album.

Check out more details about Watson’s Descent on Where Will You Ski Today?

Spain

Posted by Brittany – August 28, 2009

This blog entry is a few days past due, but since I’ve returned from Spain I have been slammed with work. Finally, here’s my last few notes about my trip to Spain. I will be posting more pictures and a full trip report from each city we visited soon… So, check back for more!

Spain 8/20


Photo of the inside of the Palau from La Barcelona Modernista.

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Picture overlooking Barcelona from Museu Nacional d’art de Catalunya on Montjuic.

Well, today was our last day in Barcelona. We toured the Palau music hall which is one of the most elegant buildings I’ve ever seen in my life. Then we headed to Montjuic, home of the 1992 Olympics. There we toured a Milo art museum, the National art museum, & of course the Olympic venues. Tomorrow we leave early for Madrid!

Spain 8/22

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Streets of Madrid

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Providing some shade!

Madrid is splendid! We arrived yesterday and wandered all around the center of the city. In the evening we visited the Prada museum, which evidently is free on Fridays from 6 until 8 pm. We went there to see some modernist paintings (Picasso, Miro, even some Goya). But, while strolling through different areas of the I stumbled upon Bosch. I can´t believe the things that this artist painted, especially given that they were painted in the late 1400´s. His paintings remind me of the surrealism depicted with the art by Salvador Dali. Yet, Bosch was painting 500 years earlier! The museum didn´t allow pictures to be taken, so here´s a link.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Garden_delights.jpg

Today we spent more time wandering around the city. We also found time to visit the Palace and the Museo Reina Sofia (The Queen´s museum). The palace is fun to visit, though not nearly up to par with Versailles or Schonbrunn (sp?). We visited the Museo Reina Sofia on a wim because we found out their entrance was free on Saturday afternoons. But, what a delight it was. They had a good collection of Picasso- even a better representation than the Picasso museum in Barcelona. They also had quite a good selection of Miro, which I still find hard to understand. But, my favorite was the Dali. This museum had a great selection of Salvador Dali. Of course, with either the Prada or the Museo Reina Sofia, other contemporary or even older art could be viewed. But we chose to focus this trip on modernist art and art featured around the Spanish Civil War. This was the time that art was doing great things in Spain. Save gothic art for France and Renaissance art for Italy!

Madrid is a lively town and I do love it here. But, it lacks the excitement of Barcelona. I like the fact that it is generally less crowded, although the plazas on a weekend evening are quite packed. Still, Barcelona has a spirit that Madrid doesn´t have. It´s something that can´t be described in writing or even a photo. It´s something you must be there to feel. Madrid is what was, and Barcelona is what will be. Even though people in Barcelona are “Catalan” by blood, it is the spirit of Spain. Barcelona still remains one of the greatest cities in Europe!

Sadly, tomorrow I must say goodbye to Spain and hello to Colorado once again!

Spain 8/23

I love Madrid, but I hold a special place in her heart for Barcelona! What a special spirit Barcelona has! Unfortunately, I must say goodbye to Spain tomorrow. I´ll be heading back to Colorado. Hopefully I´ll be able to make it back to Crested But…te on Sunday, but I am not sure as my flight lands at 8:30 in Denver and I must drive 4 hours from there. Either way, I will be happy to be home!

Snow?

Posted by Brittany – August 20, 2009

July is the month I dedicate to summer. This is the month that summer truly happens in Crested Butte. In June, I’m usually still seeking out those last good bits of snow. But, when July comes and the wildflowers sparkle the landscape, it’s summertime.

August, however, is another story. By August, my mind has turned back to skiing. Here in Spain with temperatures nearing 100 degrees, I couldn’t be farther away from winter. But, that just makes me want winter even more. Reports of snow falling at higher elevations in Colorado earlier in the week spark this desire even more.

So, I start to seek out the snow stoke. Skiing isn’t really happening much in Colorado, but it sure is at our sister resorts down south. So, when I heard that Chris Davenport and Wendy Fisher were “stranded” at Portillo (Chile) with over 36 inches of snow, I became uber-jealous!

Hope the skies clear for them soon for them to enjoy some real pow!