Have you seen those scary lawyer commercials? The dreadful ones that go something like "have you or your loved one been a victim of pelvic surgery using vaginal mesh," aka "been eaten alive by the mesh monster?" I feel distinctly as though I am going to toss my cookies every time I see one. Not only are they creepy ads themselves but I can identify with the "victims."
Every doctor who ever used mesh on a woman's pelvis is probably living under a big dark cloud, waiting for the subpenas to roll in. Ack. I do feel bad for the doctors. My GP/Internal Med doctor said the other day,"yeah, we used to think silicone breast implants were a good idea, too." And medical knowledge marches on.
I do and don't have problems such as those mentioned in the scary ads. I can say that short of dying from the mesh, I won't be likely to join in the frenzy of suing. It's a waste of my time, energy, and good karma. I want to have whatever issues arise repaired and simply move on. I recognize this isn't always possible but that's my plan.
Moving right along, I haven't kayaked recently but generally the Lorax and I put our paddling stuff away in the cold weather. We break out the bikes and hiking stuff and plan other kinds of adventure. I don't live and breathe paddling like some of my club buddies. I like to think of myself as generally well-rounded. (or generally round, one or the other, maybe both.)
So biking, yes! My second and sometimes most favorite activity. I especially love the mud and speed.
The most important thing about biking in the cold is wearing the right amount of layers. Not too hot, not too cold, the Goldilocks middle. Over the years I have found that dedicated bike clothing isn't mostly necessary. Hiking or other athletic stuff translates fine. Wicking really is good, wet sweaty cotton in the cold really can be bad.
In my experience one of the most useful items is: a fleece neck gaiter. If you don't have one and live north of Georgia, get one. They are cheap and ever useful. I usually start any ride below 45 degrees with a gaiter on. I can pull it up on to my chin or all the way over my nose depending on the wind/cold. It also blocks the warm air from escaping from my jacket collar and also keeps my neck itself warm. Above 50 degrees I don't need it. Sometimes I start the ride with it on and pull it off halfway through. It's a small item and easy to stash in a pocket somewhere. It can be used as a hat, ear warmer, bandana, snot rag, no-okay-not the last one, it doesn't absorb snot very well. Anyway, yay for the neck gaiter.
I also own wind pants. Besides my shoes and helmet this is the other piece of "bike costume" that works well, is functional, and kind of necessary. I don't dig tight bike gear (see the round comment above). Looking like a brightly colored Lycra sausage is not appealing. As a matter of fact, the very thought is enough to make me park my bike back in the garage. But the wind pants are a great item. I prefer the REI brand, I have owned two pairs so far over the last 5 years and generally they are superior because a) they are black and b) they are not form fitting; roomy but not baggy, just right. And they do stop the wind. For example it was 34 degrees and had steady 10-15 mph winds yesterday, but with the wind pants and a layer of light weight tights underneath my legs were toasty.
Did I mention wool socks? Those are good too. Again I don't generally own "biking socks," but instead shorter mid-weight wool hiking socks. I dig the Smart Wool ones. Very toasty and durable.
Specifically biking stuff I do own? I have a Bell Metro helmet that has some cool attachments such as a rain/wind cover and ear flaps. During the winter I leave the wind cover on it. I have a pair of older Specialized Tahoe shoes that are one European size bigger than I usually wear, to accommodate the wool socks. And that's about it. Everything else I bike in I can use for some other pursuit, like hiking or paddling. Even the gloves are used for paddling.
So I am recovering nicely from the first hip surgery. I may need a second hip surgery, but I am popping off the physical therapy exercises, eating right, getting exercise, and generally doing well. I know I am doing well when I can bike 10 miles 2 days in a row now. A small achievement but huge in comparison to where I was two months ago. This other problem will be dealt with in due time, and I am not letting it concern me, too much. I am back to practicing yoga 3 to 4 times a week. Between the yoga (critical) and the biking (varied with walking) I think my progress is satisfactory.
The New Year will start in a week and I am ready to put this year behind me. I will be putting my "best foot forward."
No comments:
Post a Comment