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Bilateral TKR The Historian - recovery diary

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Another before photo.... June 2010. I'd completed a 40 mile ride a couple of hours before. I'm the one on the right.




Here I am before the 40 mile ride.
 
Preparing challenges for the New Year. I'm hiking Mount Misery in Valley Forge on New Year's Day. (Mount Misery is a small hill, named by General Washington's troops during the winter encampment of 1778.) I'm riding the MS City to Shore bike ride in September, 100 miles of flat ground from just outside Philadelphia to Ocean City, NJ. I rode it in 2007, but now I'm older and, ahem, fatter. Time to get back in shape.

Me, with my team captain, in 2007:
 
I hope you meet all your goals for 2013!
I wish you the best in health and happiness in the New Year!:friends:
 
For the MS City to Shore, I'm captain of Team Clydesdale. In cycling terms, a Clydesdale is a male rider over 200 pounds or six feet tall. Larger sized women are Athena, and the weight standard is 150 pounds or more. These classifications are taken from the sports of mountain biking and triathalon.
 
wish you well on your training and bike ride would love to ride with you. you cant do 100mls in uk without some hills ,i am trying to build up for 3 day ride from yorkshire to newhaven south coast
 
TheHistorian said:
For the MS City to Shore, I'm captain of Team Clydesdale. In cycling terms, a Clydesdale is a male rider over 200 pounds or six feet tall. Larger sized women are Athena, and the weight standard is 150 pounds or more. These classifications are taken from the sports of mountain biking and triathalon.
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broken link removed: https://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/PAEBikeEvents?pg=team&fr_id=20331&team_id=316518
 
Those knees were something else before the 40 mile bike ride! Wow! Looks like you have some great goals set and a lot of training to do. I have not done any long distance riding but would like to. Would love to hear about your training program as you move forward.
 
My training is going to be interesting. I've also made a commitment to a 439 pound bike novice that I'd get him to the point he can ride the City to Shore as well. (If you go back a page or so to the Core Creek photos and video, he's the one holding the camera while I struggle to get off the stone dolphin. You can hear him telling me "now you have to get off it, smartass!" in the video.) Anyway while his miles are his, my riding is going to follow the same training plan I prepared for him. Basically two-three days during the work week whatever short mileages he can accomplish followed by one long ride on the weekend and a recovery ride following. The long rides should be a gradual increase in the mileages week to week until two weeks before the event. Then the taper begins, as the muscles rest during the shorter mileages.
 
Couple of before photos.... this was early in my weight loss. You can see how my bad knees and valgus threw my entire posture off.
 
TheHistorian said:
...one long ride on the weekend and a recovery ride following.
... increase in the mileages week to week until two weeks before the event. Then the taper begins, as the muscles rest during the shorter mileages.
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I am certain that Neil knows this, but for others that may not, a 'recovery' ride is one done so slowly and easily that the leg muscles don't work (hardly) at all. The idea is simply to increase blood circulation to the muscles to help to remove toxins and to speed the (you've guessed it :)) recovery process. Tapering is the same, as muscles rebuild from training prior to The Big Day.
 
Roy Gardiner said:
I am certain that Neil knows this, but for others that may not, a 'recovery' ride is one done so slowly and easily that the leg muscles don't work (hardly) at all. The idea is simply to increase blood circulation to the muscles to help to remove toxins and to speed the (you've guessed it :)) recovery process. Tapering is the same, as muscles rebuild from training prior to The Big Day.
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Yes, and this is going to be the interesting part.... how much recovery time do I need with joint replacements? I found I needed more recovery time from hard rides than many cyclists. On bike tours I generally needed one day in seven off and at least one other "light" riding day. In 2008 Pittsburgh to DC I rode nine days straight and was exhausted when I reached my rental car at Union Station. I don't know if having better but artificial knees will change my requirements.

Sigh, life was easier when I was 400 pounds. I never needed to think about exerting myself because I never exerted myself.
 
TheHistorian said:
Yes, and this is going to be the interesting part.... how much recovery time do I need with joint replacements?
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My own experience, FWIW, is entirely positive. I pedal straighter and smoother than before, and can put FULL power through those knees. This means I don't have to pedal at daftly high cadences any more, but can use higher gears if I want to.
 
Roy Gardiner said:
My own experience, FWIW, is entirely positive. I pedal straighter and smoother than before, and can put FULL power through those knees. This means I don't have to pedal at daftly high cadences any more, but can use higher gears if I want to.
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That is awesome!!! Best of luck to you on your MS ride, too!!! I do the MS "Pedal to the Point" Cleveland to Sandusky (Cedar Point Amusement Park) and back. It is advertised as a 150- mile round trip ride, but is actually 164.

Isn't it great to feel "normal" and reap the benefits of your TKR's? You are doing great!
 
You guys are so inspiring! It is so great to hear how much you ride with your new knees. Do you all ride racing bikes? Neil, is your friend who weighs 439 pounds going to do the 150 mile ride??? If so, I really got to hand it to him. I do not think I could train enough at my age/weight (56/295) to do a ride like that. Everything other than the new knee just hurts too much.
 
ElanorG said:
You guys are so inspiring! It is so great to hear how much you ride with your new knees. Do you all ride racing bikes?
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I have a fitness bike, which is a road bike with flat handlebars; I also have a road bike that I use, too.

After your TKR or BTKR, you will be amazed at how far you can ride and what you can do.

I am glad to read of The Historian's positive forays back into the cycling world! He is just beginning to scratch the surface of what he will be able to do!
 
ElanorG said:
You guys are so inspiring! It is so great to hear how much you ride with your new knees. Do you all ride racing bikes? Neil, is your friend who weighs 439 pounds going to do the 150 mile ride??? If so, I really got to hand it to him. I do not think I could train enough at my age/weight (56/295) to do a ride like that. Everything other than the new knee just hurts too much.
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He's a big dude that rides a recumbent comfort bike. He's working on weight loss, although he's not to the point he is self-sufficient in that - he works in a family business damaged by Hurricane Sandy and his father became seriously ill at the same time, so he's been distracted by black swans and gave up. (One of the most important rules I learned for weight loss is to never give up. I tried to lose weight constantly, and constantly failed. The difference in 2006 is I stopped quitting after failing.)

What I will suggest to him during our hike on Tuesday - a couple miles in Valley Forge Park - is that he aim for the 75 mile ride option and that's it. Frankly, that will be a triumph.

The only bike that fits me now that I'm taller is a touring bike, a Surly Long Haul Trucker. Its a steel framed bike designed for long distance riding and carrying loads. I've sold one of my bikes so far, and the other is going to be sold this spring - both are too small for me now.
 
Roy Gardiner said:
My own experience, FWIW, is entirely positive. I pedal straighter and smoother than before, and can put FULL power through those knees. This means I don't have to pedal at daftly high cadences any more, but can use higher gears if I want to.
Click to expand...

My friend Judy has both knees replaced, and she delights in telling me about riders criticizing her for pedaling in high gears on climbs. "You will hurt your knees" they tell her, and she replies "no, there's nothing in them to hurt." :yay:
 
That Surly is a great bike Surly makes excellent bikes! I am glad to read that, after your struggles with knee issues, you are busting out and moving forward. Riding for the MS is a wonderful challenge as well as a wonderful service to others!
 
referee54 said:
That Surly is a great bike Surly makes excellent bikes! I am glad to read that, after your struggles with knee issues, you are busting out and moving forward. Riding for the MS is a wonderful challenge as well as a wonderful service to others!
Click to expand...

Lets hold off on the cheering yet. I still have 270 days to fail before the MS ride.
 
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