July 16, 2005, Tucson Criterium Series #3, Masters 45+
Tucson, AZ   12 miles

This was the third in a series of three races, with several weeks between each in the series. I placed third in the first of the series on this course, which is a .6 mile, 3 corner, uphill finish course. Last month my lung congestion problem resurfaced and I had to quit with 5 laps remaining.

Since last month's problems, my health has not improved. The doctor that provided me with the anti-biotics that worked so wonderfully previously, refused to see me as she said that she was not taking on new patients. After some recommendations from friends, I was able to find another doctor that would take me on. After a consultation and several blood tests, urine tests, breathing tests, valley fever test, and x-rays, everything came back negative; so no medications were prescribed. I was prescribed a different (and expensive) inhaler, which has proved to be just as ineffective as the one I received from the clinic months ago. I feel weaker every day and it's a struggle just to get on the bike. My lungs feel more congested every day and I cough up phlegm throughout the day. So my training has basically consisted of just getting on the bike, no hard riding, no sprint training, nothing that would put much demand on my lungs or legs. Most days it's a struggle just to make it back home and I often cut the ride short. Another complication is that my legs constantly ache, like I've just finished a double century. This pain is worst when I'm trying to go to bed and last night was very bad, which kept me and Noel up most of the night, so I got maybe 2 or 3 hours of sleep.

With this less than minimal preparation, I was not expecting to do well in this race and was hoping that maybe I could just finish. In Tucson, I've had to adjust my training to finish prior to 8:30 am, as soon after that it's over 100 degrees. The race was to start at 9:15, so it was already over 100 when we started. I probably would not have even bothered to go to this race, but a neighbor friend was very interested in watching me race and this was the last criterium of the season in Arizona. To further complicate matters, I got a rear flat tire just two minutes before the race and I had not brought my spares with me. Someone was kind enough to loan me a wheel and they delayed the race while I quickly made the change. Unfortunately, the magnet for my computer was on the rear wheel, so I didn't get any measured readings for the race. Since I got to the start line late, it also meant that I started at the back of the pack; the worst place to be for a criterium with sharp corners.

The race started, not too quickly, but the riders in front of me were not riding well. They would slow too much in the corners and then we'd have to accelerate to close the gaps, which is more work than what the guys up front are doing. I found it impossible to find a spot on the course where I could better my position with my limited abilities. Also the rear tire didn't seem to grip too well and would slip a little if I pushed it too hard, so I couldn't make up ground on the turns. On about the third lap, there was a huge gap after the last corner and I did all I could up the hill to get back up with the main group of riders. I never closed the gap and it totally wasted me. With less than five minutes into the race I was finished and quit the race. During the trip home, I was again coughing, even though the demands on my lungs had been rather short in duration.

This will probably be my last race of the season due to my present health crisis. The Track State Championships are next week, but after blowing a couple grand in medical bills, it's not worth the hundreds of dollars to make the trip to San Diego. Even though there will probably be no competition in my class, it's not worth it when I can't perform well and enjoy what I'm doing. The doctor is making the next guess that maybe my problem is related to my heart and has set me up with a cardiologist next week. How congestion in my lungs can be caused by my heart is beyond me, but they are supposedly the experts. The first thing the cardiologist wanted to do was to test my heart on a treadmill. Since I can't run, due to my leg muscles being in shape for cycling and not running, and I can not fully extend my left knee since I fractured it in 1994, trying to get my heart rate up on a treadmill seems fruitless (they don't have a cycling testing machine). I was able to set up just a consultation first, which is $300 less without the treadmill test, and we'll see if what he says makes any sense. At some point I'll just have to pull the plug on the medical expenditures and hope the problem will just disappear on it's own, but it's been over six months now that the problem has persisted and steadily increased it's negative effects.

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