Time to Overcome Discouragement

I called the ER and they informed me it would be another charge for the visit to remove my stitches. My friend told me she could help me, but I was impatient and determined to do it myself. A week has passed since I removed my own stitches.

The day after stitch removal I was back on my bike going up Stagecoach road
with my sidekick Aussie/Labrador MJ just like we do each Monday afternoon. That ride is my therapy after the long 48 hour weekend shift at work. MJ makes me laugh hysterically every time he launches himself over the metal cattle grate. I only did a short ride no falls, no knee trouble.

I went to crossfit wearing my shorts and tall socks with duck tape on my knee and double unders were on the WOD. I've finally after months and months kind of learned the trick to them and I shocked myself completing 11 in a row. We did box step ups that challenged me because I had to use my left leg every time to step up. My legs were sore the next two days. I also did another bike ride after and had a great time and climbed trail that I usually choose to descend.

Thursday I went for a morning bike ride, an afternoon jog/hike where a helicopter flew over my head at the top of the mountain. I finished my day with an evening bike ride.

My evening bike ride was on lemon grove with a new friend.
I climbed the first section well and I thought I was just going to do a quick ride very short loop, but my riding partner took me on the longer portion of the trail. He was great! He was patient, opened a gate for me, told me how itchy the yellow jacket sting would be the next day (yes first sting ever). He told me to follow his lead which helped me successfully accomplish a climb until I got stuck and had to hop off and hike my bike for a minute. I cleaned a downhill section even though I was extremely nervous. It was a section I've ridden in the past, but my confidence level got rocked from the fall I recently took that ended in the stitched knee. I learned it was time I overcome the discouragement. We started running out of daylight and my partner asked which way I wanted to go then quickly informed me he was making an executive decision to take the quick way down. The quick way isn't hard, but it's rocky and intimidating with very little daylight. Well much to my surprise I finally learned why people tell me my 29er rolls over everything. I had a really great time it was probably my favorite ride all week. I almost left out the best part...my riding partner showed me a side trail that was an option if I wanted to skip the hill where I knew I'd have to hike my bike. I take the trail option and the easier hill to ride at the end of it. The best part of this side trail is when my riding partner tells me he spent his time clearing the poison oak and improving the trail. I asked him if he did the entire trail that I rode. He did it on his own, expecting nothing in return and he did it because he couldn't ride while he's been healing from a hand surgery. Yes he earned major brownie points! Anyone that would voluntarily remove poison oak is a saint in my book!