Overuse

No racing this weekend. My right knee's crunching and creaking hasn't gotten any worse, but it hasn't got much better either. Seems like a simple case of patella tendonitis, obviously brought on by my vacation week with 2.5 times as many hours/mileage as any other week this year. Riding easy and stretching on Wednesday and Thursday helped, and Saturday the weather sucked so I stayed off the bike and did some focal point icing. Of course, this meant I felt good enough on Sunday to go out in the gorgeous weather and bang out 110k in the New Hampshire hills surrounding Newfound Lake. It's motorcycle week in the Lakes Region, but KL and I for the most part escaped the rumble from herds of Harleys by sticking to the back roads. We explored Sculptured Rocks Road, but it turns to a closed dirt road complete with the "I'd turn back if I were you" sign not far after the park. We reversed course and took the standard route up the Col de Groton Road (4k @ 6%) and then tried going left at the fork toward Dorchester (NH that is). Another few k at 3% greeted us here before a bumpy descent back to rt 118 and then the Mount Moosilaukee Highway (Rt 25) in West Rumney.

We took in the awesome views of the White Mountains and then headed back up the Hall's Brook Road climb, about 10k more at 3.5% average, but very pitchy. The screaming trip back down the new pavement on Groton Road was a blast, taking the numerous turns on the dark side of 65 kph, even catching up to a dude in a new ZR Corvette. We went back around the lake again and cooled down on 104.

Now my knee is acting up a bit again, so this week looks like it will have to be all easy spins, stretches and ice. With my knee's history of problems, I can't take any chances, and tendonitis just doesn't get better from more riding. Durability is the most important component of being an athlete. I wish mine were better. Thanks for reading.