Day 20 Health Report

Day 20 Health Report in Rapid City, South Dakota

Warning- You are now warned that this may fall in the category of Too Much Information. However as many of your wondering, here is my account of my physical status.

At every point during the ride, something hurts. What is is shifts an the level of discomfort shifts. But everything will hurt and there is always something. It has almost turned into my daily joke to see what "Today's pain" spot will be.

So far I started off with Saddle sores. I won't go into too much detail. I had them by day 5 in Spokane. They make sitting in the seat a reall pain and it can be quite a chore to find a position that in marginally comfortable and allows me to ride relatively pain free for the day. Talking with a buddy in Phoenix, I have been advised that an acne cleansing wipe and neosporin, quickly after each ride are someof the best things to do. It comes down to keepin' my down under, clean and dry. Their location is really at the ends of your sit bones sort of where teh bike seat flares out a bit. Anyway you wind up feeling them in just about any chair or object you sit in. They are subduee right now, but maybe that is because other discomforts have superceded them.

My next problem was my Left achilles tendon. It got severely strained in Idaho and Montana. I have been taking Over the counter anti-inflamatories and wrapping it with and Ace Bandage. And that seems to have done the trick. It hurts me very little and hase been fine the last 3 days of riding. The swelling is down to almost nothing and only in extreme stretching positions does it feel tight. I am considering that one healed, but on parole and keep an eye on it.

My latest discomfort is my bottom lip. Sunburned, wind burned with multiple cracks and 2 open sores. I am thankful to stilll use Mary Kay Satin Lips and am using that to help. I also have have chapstick with sunscreen and am puting regular suncreen on them. But with all that, they still dry out and the wind beats them up pretty tough.

I have very silly tanlines, but I have been good with the sunscreen, and have avoided getting any serious burns. Just a lne her of there, where I miss a spot of suncreen. Aloe vera gel has been a great soother in the evenings for that.

I don't feel like I have loss any weight. One guy says he thinks he has put on 2-3 pounds. I can tell my weight it shifting to lots of muscle, but I think I am mainitaining weight.

By and large I am happy that I am getting enough protein to heal tendon, carbs for fuel and veggies to keep eerything runnig smoothly inside.

So for anyone owndering that is how my body is doing.