I really enjoyed being back back on the bike for the last two months. I started out sticking to tamer trails as I was still dealing with some sternum discomfort related to the wires used to initially close up my chest. When the trails got chattery, it was uncomfortable enough to be distracting. Not where you want your head when getting into techy bits.
My heart surgeon advised me the discomfort was common beyond the 3-month mark with it typically subsiding by the 6-month mark. In some cases people have mild discomfort well beyond that.
The discomfort has indeed been getting better. I am pretty sure that early on after my return to the bike there was a fair amount of just building up my tolerance to the discomfort.
Over the last few weeks, I have been riding more technical trails and getting more comfortable on them. The chest discomfort is nearly gone and no longer a distraction.
I don’t quite have my technical chops back yet and I know its mental thing about not wanting to deal with a superman endo to the chest. I’m sure that will come back as well.
Enough on recovery, I’m Calling It DONE!
While out riding with Steve last week we played around a rock formation for 15 or 20 minutes. We collectively rolled up on the entry rock about half a dozen times before noticing a sizable rattlesnake warming up underneath it. We both kinda wigged out for a bit as we had been scrambling all over the rock formation looking for lines to ride.
We then took a closer look around and saw another rattler hanging out on the otherside of the same rock. It was time to call it a day for playing on the “Snake Eyes” rock.
Tasty Burritos closed out a great day to be on the trails.