Someone sent me this link to an article about another champion amputee cyclist. This time Czech Champion Jiri Jezek.
Here he is competing in the Pro crit up at Sufers Paradise. Yep, that's Aussie pro star Henk Vogels on the front.
Jiri's story is on Pez Cycling News here:
Jiri Jezek on Pez
And another item sent my way - this time about the development of robotic limbs - in this case a robotic ankle. Pretty funky stuff. Move over Steve Austin, the $6 BILLION dollar man is coming your way soon!
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=1035
See ya!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Bionic Man
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A Blistering Pace
Well after my effort yesterday, I thought there were no ill effects but I discovered in the evening that I had created a small blister on my shin (akin to what you get on your heel with a new pair of hard leather shoes). Presumably a bit of skin rubbing going on inside the prosthetic, which I still can't feel as the nerves on that part of my skin are pretty much non-existent. It wasn't large or anything nasty looking so I wasn't that concerned with it.
Today was a bit different. Having managed to actually turn a crank and prove to myself that it was possible (albeit in a modified way) it meant of course that I now need to keep up the effort, gradually building up my capacity to train again. But I still need to be careful and make sure I don't go like a bull at a gate. So with these conflicting emotions, I actually needed a bit of psyching up to get on the trainer today - which I eventually did during the evening news. Here's the file:
OK, this time I did 15 minutes averaging 108 watts, with a 10-minute max of 116 watts. That's 1/3rd of my all time best 10-minute power of 345 watts! (not that I've done any specific 10-min efforts mind you). So a long road ahead.
One thing that really sticks out in the file is how the leg discrepency, combined with the Powertap's aliasing effect (see link for an explanation of aliasing), shows up in the power line, which jumps contantly between appoximately 100 watts and130 watts. I'm guessing my cadence is not that fast, probably close to 80 rpm, which puts it right in worst zone for aliasing to show up.
So, session #2 completed. At the moment I doubt I'll have trouble holding myself back. Pedalling with Schooner is not the most comfortable thing in the world to do, so a constant reminder is there tempering the effort. And I took a peek at the leg afterwards and my blister had burst exposing a bit of raw skin underneath. Such is life. It'll be a while before my leg toughens up to the demands of riding.
Other news - I got my crash bike back the other day and dropped it into Hoggies for a check over and repair of relevant items. Interestingly, there is a small dent and a long white streak along the top right full length of the top tube. The front wheel is out of true so it clearly got a knock. The white streak is from the paint of the boom gate I hit but what I simply can't work out is how the bike managed to get damaged there. Weird. Anyway, we'll soon find out what the damage is.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
279 Days
Well I did it!
I managed to get on the bike and ride. OK, so it was on an indoor trainer but who cares? That's the first time I've turned a crank since 11 April 2007. That's 279 days but hey, who's counting? ;)
OK - so how did I do it? With a bit of help from my friends, that's how. I have described before how I was unable to pedal a full revolution on a bike as the range of motion in my left knee was limited (both by my knee and especially due to the nature of the prosthetic, which was designed to get me started with walking but definitely not for riding a bike). Schooner is definitely the walking type - so bike riding is a new adventure for him.
Enter the machining genius (well in my eyes anyway) of club mate Steve Dixon, who with some assistance from Peter Barnard, who fashioned up a special short crank for me. In this case a 100mm crank. My normal road bike crank is 175mm, so it's quite a bit shorter. What we were trying to do was to enable me to pedal but with a largely reduced pedal circle on the left side. Up top is a pic of the crank.
Cycling fit guru Steve Hogg helped put the crank on the bike for me today and loaned me the flat bed pedal so I could just put my left "foot" with running shoe on top of the pedal. Note how short it is! So short it doesn't even reach the cadence sensor. But who needs cadence anyway when you've got a power meter. Yeah - that's right, before I hopped on, I made sure the trusty Powertap was connected and working, even doing a torque zero just to make sure I was getting a true reading.
On with the bike shoe on the right foot, which still has the normal length crank and pedal/cleat arrangement. So on I hop and off I go. Took a little while to work out where to place my foot on the pedal, most comfortable was basically mid-foot, a bit further back on the sole than usual but it wasn't so easy if I tried to put the shoe back further (pedal further forward). Remember that there is no ankle to flex as you rotate around the pedal stroke - my "ankle" is fixed.
Anyway, it's a start. Once I have a leg more suitable for riding and the knee improves, I'll graduate back to a normal length crank.
And how did I go? - well here is the ride file:
5-sec smoothing as the data is exceptionally choppy, no doubt in part due to the leg imbalance as well as the Powertap's infamous precession "feature". All up, a little over 10 minutes at ~ 110 watts. A far cry from my 10-min all time best of 345 watts.
So, another little goal* ticked off on my journey.
Today was a good day. Most of 'em are anyway but this was worth shouting about.
See ya next time!
* which was to earn my first TSS point once out of hospital.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
A Graphical Representation of Training Levels
OK - a break from talking about my rehab progress and back to matters concerning training and racing with a power meter.
Above is a graphical representation of training levels and associated physiological adaptations to help explain the relativities between using Coggan training levels (based on FTP - Functional Threshold Power) and Ric Stern Training zones (based on MAP - Maximal Aerobic Power).
Click on the image to see a larger hi-res version.
The left hand side of the graphic shows the training levels/zones and how they relate to each other. I also show what is commonly referred to as the "Sweet Spot" for training.
I always took Sweet Spot to be upper-L2 to L4 (Coggan) although I put a limit in the graphic at FTP since the idea of sweet spot training is that it's good trade off between duration and intensity that gives Chronic Training Load (CTL/fitness) a great boost in the "bang for buck" sense. Once you go over FTP, the sustainable volume starts to decline somewhat.
The nice thing with RST zones is that there are three pre-defined (overlapping) levels that fall neatly within the sweet spot.
At the end of the day, it's the nature of the training and not what we call it that matters. But it sure helps to have a common language. I thought this might help translate between two commonly used training levels/zones.
It should be noted that the FTP:MAP ratio can vary a bit and I have taken a typical mid-point of 75% (typically 72%-77%). It wouldn't change the graphic much either way since levels/zones sort of blend into one another.
The right hand side of the graphic is my interpretation based on the Coggan table showing adaptations and number of ticks per level indicating impact of training at that level.
All I did was to represent that in shades of grey, with the darker areas indicating the relative power level where the adaptation most strongly occurs and fading out to white for power levels with little to no impact. In the same way the training zone/level colours blend into each other to show a continuum, it was an attempt to graphically demonstrate the non-discrete nature of the training impacts.
I also re-ordered the adaptations to show those primarily occuring from lower to higher relative power outputs.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Thunderbirds Are Go!
Last night was the first night of Team Pursuit training for the squad. Looks like we'll have three teams, which is great. We have some new members in the squad and it's great to get 'em all going.
I did learn one thing - two hours standing up/walking around = sore leg. I had planned to try the gym out for the first time today but I'm afraid the leg is too sore today for that, so maybe tomorrow. Next training session I think I'll use the chair a little more!
Apart from that, I've had a couple of visitors this last week. My brother David came up and we
After that, my good buddy Eamonn visited for the weekend and we did what mates do - go for a drive, visit a couple of pubs and see an action film (well sort of - I Am Legend). The return trip to the car park was a bit of a bugger as the entrance I used on the way in was locked down afterwards and meant a lot of walking and stairs to get back to the car. So a couple of days on the feet a lot have taken their toll and today is an indoors rest up day.
Another buddy of mine (an athlete I coached, before an nasty racing accident cut his riding back severely - sound familiar?) sent me an iTunes album. Now I don't own an iPod and have never used one, so it was off to the iTunes shop to download the software and work it all out. Looks like I'm gunna have some fun ripping my CDs to mp3 for long play disks in the car. What, no iPod?! Crikey - time I made into the 21st Century.
I also managed, after years of never figuring it out, to recover all my old emails from the time I was in hospital and from my last (now dead) PC and import them into my current email (MS Outlook). Considering they were in different email formats (MS Outlook Express & Mozilla Thunderbird), that turned out to be trickier than it should. But I got there in the end. I found a utility written by some geek that sorted out the Thunderbird files, import them into Windows Mail, then into Outlook.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Mistaken Identity
I don't know how but there were some readers (according to my Dad) that thought the picture in my previous post was of me. Now maybe if my Dad was Prince Charles I might have ears like that that but alas that's not the case - it was in fact a Belgian fellow, Jan Boyen, who is also a pro cyclist (despite being a below the knee amputee). See my previous post for details.
It would also have meant that I was riding again which is not yet the case. Despite the desire, I'm not quite in a position to ride just yet.
However, now that I am on my feet again (so to speak) I am now desirous of doing some form of aerobic exercise as I am starting to become quite the lard arse, at something like 20kg over my race weight. Yikes!
So, on Christmas Day between happily tucking into the oysters, prawns and lobster for lunch and ham, roast pork and turkey for dinner, I discovered my brother had one of those recumbant indoor cycling trainers. Like this one.
So I thought it would be perfect to see if I could pedal. Alas the range of motion allowed by Schooner (my leg) and my knee was insufficient to enable me to pedal. We are not amused.
So what does one do?
Well one checks out alternatives and I have two up my sleeve. Firstly I need to be able to move major muscle groups (i.e. my legs and bum mostly) in a frequent motion with enough resistance and over enough time in order to make sufficient blood pump round my system to start the process of improving my aerobic fitness (i.e. commence the cardiovascular and metabolic improvements I'll need). My slowish and limited walking simply ain't gunna cut it. For the able bodied this usually means running/jogging/brisk walking or swimming or cycling and variants of each using indoor training equipment.
I can't yet do any of these (swimming is out due to small open wound on the leg / risk of infection).
So my alternatives are:
1. find other exercise options I can do; and/or
2. find mechanical measures which would enable me to pedal a bike.
What interested me with this option was the motion was similar to pedalling but without the same range of knee joint angle required. Kind of like walking with your feet going in circles. I tried a few rotations and it's just within my current range of motion capability, so I reckon that's the go. Then maybe mix in a fast circuit of weight training and hopefully that will get me back on the long road to competing again.
Option #2 is to create a shorter than normal left pedal crank for the bike, which would enable that leg to make a full revolution on a bike until I am both ready and have the prosthetic capable of enabling me to revert to a full length crank. So my good buddy and track racing super star PeterB (he gets the "B" as I know quite a few Peters) happened to phone me today and he is going to set about getting a 100mm left crank made up (my normal road crank is 175mm and track crank 170mm).
Fortunately it isn't that hard a job for a reasonably skilled machinist as the left crank is the easiest to do (the right crank is a bit more complicated as that side has the spider and chainrings attached). My bikes use Campag square taper cranks, so an old BMX crank will probably do the trick. Add an old style pedal and cage, put the bike on a trainer and as long as I can get on the thing I should be away!
OK, so I have a couple of options to test out over the next couple of weeks so I'll be sure to report back on the success or otherwise.
That's the calorie expenditure side of the equation sorted (well a plan at least). I also have to add to that the more disciplined approach to calorie consumption. I'll just go back to doing what I used to before, which was pretty successful. Since emerging from hospital I have simply eaten too much but I suppose I can't be blamed for having such a lapse for a while.
So Happy New Year to everyone. Let's hope 2008 is a beauty!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Pro-gressive
Have a look at this guy, Jan Boyen:
Photo from November 2007 edition of ProCycling magazine. How cool is that leg? Thank insert God or other higher being of your choice for carbon fibre technology.
I want one! It'd go real nice with my carbon Teschner Track Pro.....
Jan is a Belgian pro rider with team Jartazi Promo Fashion - yep a Pro! Nice one.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Anyone for Golf?
Crickey, it's been a couple of weeks since I posted!
Well I have been a busy boy you know. Let's see, I've been hanging around the cycle training forums a bit lately and have a few items of interest flowing out of that which I might post about later.
Also dishing out the pre-Christmas pain to my coaching clients (which is always fun). Hey - if they wanna eat lashings of turkey, roast vegies, pork, crackling and apple sauce not to mention pudding with brandy sauce, then they gotta earn it, right? ;) They do get Christmas day off though, well most of 'em do. A couple want to ride that day anyway.
Renovations at my home took another step along to completion, with painting finished in the lounge room and kitchen. Looks great! Air-con also installed which while not such an environmentally terrific thing, let's face it, it gets pretty hot and muggy here at times and those nights are going to be ever so much more comfortable now.
Yesterday I hooked up the video/audio equipment which has been disconnected for months and put them back in the corner where they belong. The digital radio has been playing all day. I like the ABC's DIG digital radio station, which you can listen to on the net at http://www.abc.net.au/dig/
Great music 24-hours a day, no interruptions, ads or announcers. Fabulous!
Went to the shops on the weekend to pick up some kitchen stools I had on order. They are now in the kitchen (naturally) around my new kitchen benchtop after some unwrapping and light construction help from David, Cynthia and Mum. An early Christmas pressie for me - yay!
I also got a new (used) car last weekend - a VW Golf 2.0 TDI (a 2007 model, silver, with 8,000 km on the clock). I had to ditch the Subaru Impreza as I can't drive a manual transmission car anymore. The 6-speed DSG box in the Golf is something else though - and the turbo diesel engine pulls like a fast train on crack. Nice!
It's all another step along the way to regaining my independence. I tried a variety of cars, most much larger than the Golf but the Golf had the most room (front and back) and was the easiest for me to get in and out of. It also will take a track bike in the back no probs (one of the most important criteria that).
So car shopping was big on the agenda recently and it was my brother David and his wife Cynthia that really helped me out there (in more ways than one). We had such fun doing it that David bought a Golf too - but he really went for it and got a brand new Tornado Red Golf GTI. We got a good deal buying two cars - so that was cool.
And as far as independence, well the silent partner helping me the most to get through this difficult year was definitely my Mum. She has been there for me since I went into hospital in April, making sure everything was as good as it could be all that time. Day in, day out, nothing was too much trouble. She had to put up with less than ideal living conditions in my construction site of a home while I was getting 24-hour/day help at the hospital. And after leaving hospital, she has been there to help me while I made the transition to home and begin walking again on my prosthetic. There is no doubt that it would have been a shocker of a year without her strength and support. Thanks Mum. Enjoy getting back into your garden.
Of course I have many others to thanks for their support and help through this time as well. Too many to name but they all know who they are. The hundred or so regular and not so regular visitors to my hospital bed, my email and forum buddies, family and friends just doing all those little things, all the cards and pressies I received. I have no idea how many chocolates I got. Flowers, fruit, books, DVDs to watch. I really do have several books on mountain climbing and escaping death now :).
Also those that were there for me in those critical first few days. It was not fun and trying to make sense of it all and decisions about emergency op after emergency op - well without someone like Peter about, it would have been far worse to cope with.
Some did really fun things like organise a birthday party for me (thanks Samantha) complete with special hats for everyone, streamers and flashing lights; organise a bar-b-que for so I could get outside in the wheelchair and enjoy a bit of real air (thanks to uncle Norm and aunty Hilary - yep I really do have an uncle Norm) - it was the first bit of steak I'd eaten in about six months. It tasted good. Others brought food (e.g. Italian home cooked meals from Aud & Bas, and other home cooked delights from Hilary, Phil, several of my cousins and my Mum of course kept up the food supply as the hospital food was, well, ordinary at best).
The night before I went in for my amputation operation, Sam organised a champagne "celebration" drinks with the nursing staff to help keep the spirits high. And the staff at St George Hospital were great.
My track cycling buddies Alan and Peter set up a laptop computer with a wireless internet connection for me - that was a tremendous gesture and was one of the biggest helps for me - it meant I could stay connected and talk to the world at large.
Anyway, thanking some by name and not all is always fraught with danger but they all should know how important it all was to me. Thanks everyone.
Christmas is coming all so fast and now I am back to living by myself. The transition will be interesting.
Finally, following the all clear from my Doctors to look at a return to work plan, I had a chat with the CEO and snr Management at my day job company (who have been really supportive) about my eventual return to work. We had a great meeting and some good ideas ensued. I will likely start sometime after Australia Day (26 Jan) and begin with part time duties - probably in a business improvement /consulting role that the CEO has in mind for me. I can also do some work from home (we have the technology) so that will lighten the physical load somewhat. I kinda need the money too!
Anyway, that's all for today folks. Things are going well.
I'll be back with some more juicy morsels another day.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Jealousy is a curse
OK, so what's new? Well....
My recovery is going well, I don't use crutches any more which is pretty cool although my walking range is still to be built up. It'll be months before I get on a bike though mainly due to the type of prosthetic. :(
Sshhhh - don't tell Schooner - he might get jealous.
Doctors have given me the go ahead to start discussing a return to work plan. That was the recommendation of my Rehab Doctor last week and after consultation with my GP on Tuesday.
My Doctor’s advice is to take it slowly at first, so I am looking for a phased entry of part-time and work from home options to get the ball rolling. He has suggested starting sometime from mid to late-January. It will sure make for a good start to the New Year. I’ll just need to be able to get back on that bike then!
My challenge at work will be more to do with the mental side, dealing with people’s reactions to the disability, the “stress” of the normal work day, readjusting to a newish team, finding my way back to full productivity/value add and so on.
Ride safe kiddies!Photo ©: AFP Photo
Read More......Thursday, November 29, 2007
A Shrinking Violet
Moi? Ha, not really.But I do know that my leg stump is shrinking and that's both expected and desired as I progress. I know it has shrunk in the five weeks Schooner and I have been together, as Schooner has been a fraction big for my leg of late, meaning I've had to put extra thick ply cotton socks over the leg so the fitting is nice 'n' snug.
The fitting has to be real tight so that your leg is well secured but also so that there is minimal movement of your leg inside the fitting as you walk. As my leg got smaller, it allowed some vertical movement inside the fitting, which in turn rubbed a bit of skin off my shin. I couldn't feel that part of my leg (no nerves there at the moment) so I didn't know I'd rubbed anything off until I took Schooner off at the end of the day. Sod. The other sore has healed fine, so now I have to get this one fixed.
Anyway, today I had another visit to the Limb Centre at Redfern where George, the prosthetic specialist, had a look at me walk and inspected the stump and fitting. Then George whisked Schooner's inner liner away for some additions to reshape it and make for a more snug fitting. Once that was done, then a few walks up and down the corridor to inspect my gait resulted in an adjustment to the angle of the pipe section between Schooner's upper mould and his foot. That's resulted in an improved gait. With allen keys twisting industrial grade bolts, it was just like having your cycling cleats adjusted by Steve Hogg! My gait still ain't perfect but with trousers on you may not even know I didn't have a real leg.
Today was also the first day I got about without a crutch. Granted I didn't do huge amounts of walking but certainly more than I've attempted before and I can walk at a reasonable pace, standing tall and looking ahead, as long as the ground is flat. Once there is a camber or slope, then I have to be a little more careful.
Speaking of trousers, I haven't been able to wear any, as I can't get the cuffs over Schooner's outer moulding (suppose that means I have no flares in the wardrobe)! Even if I could, I wouldn't fit into anything as I've, er, grown my waisteline a tad you could say. :(
So Mum turns up from a trip to the shops with a pair of trousers that'll fit the waistline and maybe squeeze over Schooner's "skull". Well only just and with a bit of fighting they do. No matter, a trip to Aunty Hil sees the sewing machine out and a short hidden zip installed at the bottom of the inner leg seam - problem solved! Nice one.
Another nice thing to note was George saying I've made as much progress in five weeks as some people do in 50. With that in mind of course I pump him for when we can fabricate something to get me back on the bike, even just on the trainer. Puhleeaasse? Can I? Huh?
"Let's look at it in the New Year - we'll sort something out - we can do anything". He's right of course and knows that the money to set me up now would probably be wasted in eight weeks as the leg would change so much any expensive fitting made now would be useless.
Patience Alex, patience.
PS - the pic above is from this site:
http://www.betterphoto.com/ Read More......
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Mr X-Ray
I had an appointment at the rehab clinic today to see my Rehab Doc and the Prostheticist. I took them through my progress since getting my new leg (Schooner) 4 weeks ago. They had a look at my stump, Schooner and his associated bits. Then I got up and did a little walk for them to show them how I was going.
The look on their faces sort of said it all - as far as they're concerned, I am going great guns. Excellent progress, they were a little amazed in fact. My stump has shrunk somewhat (it's meant to) and so I will be in to see my prostheticist again next week to make some adjustments to my fitting to make Schooner sit more snugly onto my stump.
The only down side due to the improvement is the up 'n' down motion of my stump inside the leg fitting has rubbed a bit more skin off the shin. It needs to toughen up a little but really I shouldn't be able to move much inside the fitting.
Doc also thinks it won't be too long before I can move to the next type of prosthetic fitting (a silicon sheath version) that will enable a cycling leg to be made up. I still think it may take a couple of months.
While at the hospital, I decided to pop into Radiology to see if they could give me a copy of the x-ray images of my leg. Apart from 'grumpy pants' behind the counter, it wasn't too painful to get organised and a little while later I walked out with a CD with images of my knee, including before my first operation, after operation to insert the plate and screws and again after amputation. Thought I'd share a few with you.
First the original fracture of tibial plateau and the fibula. You can click or right click on any image to see the full size version.
On the left is the front on shot and you can see the multiple fracture of the tibial plateau (the top section of the bone below the knee) with the main displacement running diagonally from bottom left to top right.
On the right is the side on shot, with the fracture being at the top of the tibia bone on the right.
Here's what they put inside to pull it all back together. Again front and side on shots. 
The plate runs across the tibial plateau and down the tibia with six screws running through the plate into the bone.
There is an extra screw through the two separated sections of the tibial plateau to hold them together. You can also see the staples holding my skin together after the operation.
And here are the shots after my amputation.
You can clearly see the shortened tibia and fibula, where they have been cut/sawn or whatever it is they do.
At the bottom of the image on the left, you'll see a dark patch. That was where I had a stubbon hole in my closure would that wasn't healing. It was about 2 inches (5cm) deep and took about 10-12 weeks to heal properly.
So that's what it looks like from the inside. All those screws and plate are still inside. I'll spare you the real life shots!
The other bit of good news is it looks like my scans from last week (a white cell scan and a sulphur colloid scan) show an improvement, which is great since I've been off the antibiotics for a month now. Looks like I have the all clear from the infection.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Phantom of the Ditch?
OK - latest developments...
The Ditch
I reported the other day about my first few tentative steps without crutches. Well since then I've also ditched one crutch and spent the last few days just using the one crutch to get about. A walk around my local street and another day walking around one of those old warehouse conversion shopping centres - you know the ones full of homewares stores. Big and lots of dead flat floors with hardly anyone about - great training territory actually!
Apart from walking about, while there I picked up an external hard drive for the PC, as I'm getting a bit tired of backing up to disks, so have set up an automated option. I was also looking for kitchen stools to go with my new benchtop. Yadda yadda, I found some I like but didn't buy today. Another day perhaps.
So today, I decide to give the no crutch walk thing another go and wouldn't you know it, I was walking semi-normally. Way to go Schooner! Good enough to get around the house sans crutch but a far cry from a long walk. Still, I've only had Schooner (my new leg) for three weeks today, so I reckon that's not bad going. I even carried a cup of tea with me, from the kitchen and down a few stairs to my "home office". I couldn't keep it up all day but not a bad start.
The only downer is I've rubbed a small patch of skin off my shin - I can't feel it as the nerves on that part of my skin are non-existent, so I only found out when I took the leg off. It's not that bad but I have to take care of it and make sure I don't get an infection.
Also today dropped in to say gidday to my buddy Steve Hogg at Pedal Pushers (my LBS). Steve runs Cyclefit Centre and if you want to know anything about making a bike fit a rider, Steve's your man! Steve (and wife Margaret) also made some visits to me in hospital - one day he looked at me in the eye and then walked out of my room to keep going down the corridor to find me - I'd lost so much weight at the time he simply didn't recognise me! When I make it back on the bike, Steve's going to take on the challenge of fitting me again.
The Phantom
People ask me and wonder what it "feels" like. Well since I've been using the leg again these last few weeks, I've noticed more senstations coming from my non-existent foot. Sometimes referred to as "phantom" sensations and not an uncommon phenomenon for amputees. Mostly I get a light pins and needles like sensation from the ball of foot and toes area. Sometimes sensations of light pressure on other parts of my "foot". No pain fortunately. It's weird though, I have to admit. But strangely reassuring, like sitting here at the PC, it's like I have a real foot still down there with a really tight sock on it.
You also notice some of the little things, like lying in bed and your foot has an itch - you can't just use your other foot to give it a quick rub/scratch.
All up - I have a new level of freedom which is continuing to improve.
Keep biking!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Tip Toe through the Tulips
Well, not quite.
I did something new today. What's that ad say - "how long has it been since you did something for the first time"? An airline ad I think.
Anyway, as reported in my last post, I've started walking along on my new leg, which I've decided to call "Schooner" by the way, with the aid of crutches. I've been gradually able to walk further, with a walk to my local shops and back last weekend (that's about a mile) and another cruise this afternoon of a kilometer or so. My knee is getting stronger, a little less pain as I begin to bear my weight on it walking.
So what's new? I started this walking caper last time I wrote. Well today I tried to take some steps without putting the crutches down on the ground. Up until today, this resulted in immediate pain and feelings that the knee would give way, quickly getting me to put the crutches down again.
Well today I tried again, and low an behold the knee held up, just, with no pain. It was a bit wobbly. So I tried another step and it worked again. Very small steps mind you and not exactly a pretty gait but I got from the lounge room to the kitchen without the need to put the crutches down.
OK - so I have done this before, when I was a baby and took my first steps - but in this case I qualify since I can't remember taking my first steps as a baby.
It was a pretty weird feeling I have to say. So while on my walk around my local streets today I walked while holding up the crutches for about 10-15 metres. Again, slow, not exactly super steady but just being able to do it was a great feeling. Well done Schooner.
It's nice to do something new. Why not give it a go yourself?
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
What's up Skip?
Meet Stuey....
Go on, say hello - she won't bite!
Stuey turned up at my place yesterday, looking for a good home. Stuey also has a joey in her pouch but I don't have a name for the young one just yet.
Stuey came my way courtesy of a fellow competitor who happened to win a World Title at the world masters track champs. This kind hearted Victorian suggested the roo might make a good daily reminder to me of a goal to ride at next year's championships. What a good idea. I'll just have to find a good place for Stuey to hop around. Just watch out for the magpies round here Stu.
You'll also notice Stuey has a medal around her neck - that's a UCI world champs medal. You see Stuey was one of a special breed of kangaroo that was waiting for the day to become the favourite icon in households around the world.
Stuey's cousins are now all over the world in Germany, Great Britain, the USA, New Zealand, France, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, Canada, Japan, Austria, Russia and of course all throughout Australia.
Onya Stu!
Only other news to report - I walked about 1,000 metres today, still with the aid of crutches, so bit by bit I'm getting stronger. That's seven days after getting my leg so I reckon that's pretty good going. Next goal is to walk unaided. Not sure how long that will take but hoping for weeks and not months.
Seeya Stu!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Legs 11
Thought I'd share a couple of things.....
Firstly, my new leg that I picked up last Wednesday. Here's a pic for you.
This is the bog standard govt. issue prosthetic that will serve me in these inital months. It's such a lovely shade of pink! The top part will probably need replacing as my leg stump changes shape and size with time and use.
In the meantime, I manage the fluctuations in size by using various numbers of "socks". Leg stumps tends to shrink as the day goes on, so the need to add more socks to keep the fitting very snug.
Another really important thing to be done is to name the bugger! You know, "Larry the Leg" or "Cruncher #1" or something much more creative or funny.
Any ideas and suggestions gratefully accepted. The winning entry might even get a prize (or most likely a thank you and a laugh).
Anyway, it's not much good sitting over there by itself, so I took [insert clever new name]
My walk was about 500 meters I suppose, but that's more than I could do this time last week when I couldn't walk at all!
I can also stand up at the bathroom sink to have a shave and brush my teeth, which sounds like a novelty but is just one of those little things you forget about doing easily when able bodied.
As it stands, the leg and the supplies that go with it cost me a $200 contribution with the government's Artifical Limb Service funding the rest of the >$3,000 cost. That will have to be repaid though should I receive any compensation.
My problem then became - how do you take a photo of your own camera? Well I had to cheat of course by taking a pic of the photo on the box it came in. I suppose I could have borrwed someone else's or stood in front of a mirror!
So there it is. An overly generous gift but I am very grateful as I didn't have a digital camera before and haven't dug the old film based SLR out for many years.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Irony 101
The astute reader would have noticed a small item in a recent post called Bureaucracy 101, where I outlined the tale of obtaining a Mobility Parking Card from the Motor Registry.
Well today I have another funny tale to tell. More of that in a tic.
Today was a pretty important day. I went to the amputee clinic and received my first prosthetic leg. I have taken my first somewhat tentative steps although I still need to use the crutches for support when bearing weight on the "new" leg. I can stand unaided, which is a real novelty, even swinging my hips around in a little jig!
The knee is a little sore in motion and I'm a little awkward as you would expect, my leg has not borne any weight for 7 months and let's face it - it got smashed up pretty badly in my accident.
I'm off to the the rehab ward at the Hospital now to do some training on using the leg. I'll be learning all about things like using these special socks to adjust my fitting, how to walk properly with the leg, exercises to try etc. All a whole set of new sensations to learn and adjust to.
So what about that funny tale?
Well today, of all days, being the day I got my first prosthetic leg, was also the day the local Council decided it would rip up the footpath outside the front of my home and make it a real bastard to walk across for even the able bodied! They'll be installing a new one in the next day or so!
I suppose that's irony.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Index
Riding Goals and Reviews
Specialised Power Training & Analysis items:
An Attempt at the World Hour record (Masters)
A Graphical Representation of Training Levels:
Maximum Accumulated Oxygen Deficit:
Aerodynamic Drag Testing:
Pursuit Pacing:
Training with a PM:
My Own Ergometer/Trainer project:
Performance Testing with a Power Meter:
Methods of Estimating Funtional Threshold Power:
Interval Training with a Power Meter
Performance Manager
Explanation of the PMC:
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2006/10/my-...ager-chart.html
Further update on PMC during season and pre-race build:
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2007/02/tough-love.html
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2006/10/my-...ager-chart.html
Further update on PMC during season and pre-race build:
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2007/02/tough-love.html
Season review with the PMC:
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2007/04/season-in-review.html
Using the PMC to retrospectively analyse an previous season and learn from training/planning mistakes:
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2006/12/chr...s-training.html
Using the PMC to plan a comeback to racing (parts I & II):
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2006/11/pla...erformance.html
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2007/02/sec...oming-back.html
Use of the PMC to predict rider performance in a Team Time Trial:
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2006/10/tea...ce-manager.html
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2007/04/season-in-review.html
Using the PMC to retrospectively analyse an previous season and learn from training/planning mistakes:
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2006/12/chr...s-training.html
Using the PMC to plan a comeback to racing (parts I & II):
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2006/11/pla...erformance.html
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2007/02/sec...oming-back.html
Use of the PMC to predict rider performance in a Team Time Trial:
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2006/10/tea...ce-manager.html
Racing:
National Champs:
State Champs:
General Racing Track/Crits/Road:
Pursuiting/Team Pursuiting:
Racing skills/tactics:
My Accident & Recovery:
Monday, October 22, 2007
We have Clearance, Clarence
Over the last few weeks I’ve had a lot of trips to the hospital for various bone and leg scans (three different types!) as well as sessions with Infectious Diseases Docs, prosthetics people, Rehab Doc and my GP. Good news is that the leg scans are much improved on previous ones and the Infectious Diseases Docs have suggested I stop taking the antibiotics for the time being (yay!). Not quite out of the infection woods yet - I will have another set of scans in 4-6 weeks to ensure I am in the clear and will continue with blood tests in the meantime just to be sure nothing flares up.
I’ve also dropped or lowered several other medications, just down to two now.
I go into the amputee clinic this week to have my first prosthetic leg fitted and then after that go back to rehab ward at the hospital to learn how to walk again. I don’t know how long or how many sessions will be required nor what bumps in the road I’ll face along the way (everyone is different) but it’ll likely be a process of gains with some set backs along the way. Still, the days I can mostly do stuff without the crutches will be marvellous.
One example of set back – although seemingly small – the elastic wrap I have on to shape my stump must have been a little tight one day and rubbed some skin off my shin (I can’t feel that part– no nerves there at the moment). I don’t think you can wear a prosthetic when that happens – due to risk of infection. Hopefully I’ll still get to try on my new leg.
The first leg will last 2-3 months, then I get another type of fitting which will also probably last about 3 months before needing replacement. All due to the stump changing shape and size over time.
I managed to take myself out to the velodrome to watch some of the World Masters Track Champs last week. A bittersweet experience, good racing, nice atmosphere but hard watching and not participating. Lots of people from around the world and Australia said hi, which was cool. Sorry if I didn't get to catch up with some. I pretty stuffed just lugging myself around on the crutches and my back was not agreeing with me so I gave the final days a miss.
I’m still working with my GP on a return to work plan. He is not keen for me to start just yet, he wants me to be settled on the leg first and is keeping an eye on the mental side of things. Broadly I am positive and going well (but we all have out moments, don’t we?). It’s all taking longer than I thought but I am grateful for the support I get from everyone.
Bureaucracy 101
It took three trips to the RTA to get my disabled parking card.
Apparently dropping into the Motor Registry with half your leg missing along with the correct RTA form signed by a Doctor to say that you have half your leg missing, is insufficient evidence that you have half your leg missing and could possibly be eligible for a disabled parking card.
Go figure?
House next door sold at auction on the weekend and, well, I was gob-smacked by the price. Glad I bought when I did, no way I could do that nowdays.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Clutches
What now?
OK, it’s been a few weeks again, so what’s new since last time? Well apart from giving Mum a break so she could go home and do some stuff for herself for a while and having my brother stay for a week and a half to make sure I didn’t do anything stupid, the last few weeks have been fairly busy, mostly with trips to the doctors and staff at the hospital as an outpatient and some progress with my house renovations. I had a session with the rehab Doctor and met my prosthetics guy for the first time. We discussed my current situation and made a decision on the type of leg I will use for the first few months. A script was written for the leg and sent to the government for funding approval.
I then had a meeting with the Doctors at the infectious diseases unit to discuss my progress in dealing with the MSRA infection I picked up while in hospital. It would appear I’m doing well based on simple examination of the leg and blood test results, however some scans are needed to properly assess the infection status. This will determine whether I can stop taking the drugs and then just monitor my status with regular blood tests, or possibly at the other end of the spectrum require lifetime medication and maybe even another surgery to remove the metal plate in my leg. I sure hope not the latter two. I’ve had enough time in the hospital bed thanks very much!
The little bastard MSRA:
So it was back to the hospital for three days this last week for these various scans. First was a normal bone scan on Monday, then one using a technetium isotope to look for infection hot spots. A few “warm areas” were seen but these were inconclusive, so it was back on Wednesday for another irradiated white cell scan. I’ve had this scan twice before and described it in this post. That was then followed by a sodium colloid scan on Friday, which is designed to isolate out real hot spots from those that are just due to bone marrow left stranded after the amputation surgery. As yet I don’t have the full results. There is one more potential scan they may require – a gallium scan but hopefully not.
Meanwhile, the government funding approval for my prosthetic came through, so I made a visit to the artificial limb clinic to be sized up for my first leg. That involved a few things, a pencil line around my right foot, presumably to match the other side, leaving a good pair of my walking/running shoes with them and taking a cast of my stump with key positions marked. George (the prosthetic specialist) also showed me the different systems, including his own funky carbon and titanium model with fully self-controlled vacuum system to keep the leg on nice ‘n’ snug. I learned that this first leg may not last long (a few months maybe), as my stump will change form significantly and that I will change to a different style of fitting next time. Even then I may need a third leg fitting in six months.
So, the prosthetic is currently under construction and I’ll be trying it out in about two weeks. It’ll be the bog standard govt issue leg but given the short useable life span of this first leg, no point wasting money on some fancy gear. Bit like buying your first bike I suppose.
The worst part about all this of course has been the time it all takes. It’s now more than six months since my accident and I’m not walking yet. The bike will be many more months away yet, so patience is key. I still get pretty tired, getting about on the crutches is certainly not ideal and combined with my lack of symmetry now it completely buggers my lower back – sometimes getting up is quite painful. Early nights and often lie down rests during the day are needed to relieve this.
Then of course I have to start losing weight, really hard when you can’t exactly do much exercise.
One other thing I did amongst the less interesting stuff (like trips to the bank and chemist) was to test drive a car. You see my nice Subaru Impreza is pretty useless to me now since I have no left foot in order to operate a clutch. I really like that car but I have to be rid of it. So while I did test drive the new model Impreza with an auto transmission, I also tried the VW Golf. The Golf’s six-speed auto transmission was light years ahead of the Subaru four-speed offering and for that reason alone I’m likely to go for the Golf. Shame for the Subaru – it does everything else well but the four-speed auto transmission lets the motor down.
Anyone want to buy a 2006 Subaru Impreza with low kms and in perfect condition?
Read More......Sunday, September 16, 2007
Gettin’ Fat / What Happened?
OK, it’s been a few weeks since I last posted. In this case it is no news is good news (or just no news?).
The main item to report on the health front is that the leg wound finally healed over about two weeks back, which is great and the first time in five months I haven’t had an open wound. No more plastic bags in the shower!! It now means the Docs and I can start to plan for the next phase – getting a prosthetic leg sized up, made and fitted.
I’m still on a number of medications, mostly to mitigate against the chance of the MSRA infection that I picked up in hospital reoccurring (but also to deal with other consequences of a leg amputation). It’s a pretty nasty bug and I must be diligent to ensure it doesn’t flare up, especially in the bone. The drugs are fairly powerful, so no doubt they contribute to a feeling of tiredness at times. Also, the inability to exercise in an aerobically meaningful way is also having an effect.
This sedentary state, combined with an overly healthy diet, means the weight has gone on and I’m probably as fat as I’ve been in years. I’m not game to jump on the scales.
Many people have asked me what actually happened.
Basically, it goes like this: 11 April 2007 - I was on a normal morning training ride as scheduled by coach, fairly steady as I was taking it easy in the transition week or two following the National Masters Track Champs, where I had good form. As usual it was an early morning ride, out at about 5.30am. I wasn’t doing a long one, so I rode south from my place out to Taren Point, a route I’ve ridden literally hundreds of times over the past decade. Turn around via Sylvania Waters and back over Taren Pt Bridge on the way home using the cycleway on the eastern side of the bridge. That cycleway leads you into the car park of the St George Sailing Club in Sandringham and straight onto Riverside Dr. It was 6.15am as I crossed the bridge, the sun was poking up over the horizon.
See the picture below courtesy of Google Maps (click on the pic to see a larger version). The orange dots mark the path.
As I entered the car park, all was normal – quiet. I checked the traffic left and right on Fraters Ave. And Riverside Dr. and nothing was about. I’m usually pretty careful at this point as there are a number of potential hazards (speed humps, gravel, glass etc) on what looks a pretty straight little piece of road. I did nothing different today. I have been through here dozens and dozens of times over many years. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a boomgate, closed across the entrance to the car park appears right in front of me, and I mean with only a fraction of a second to spare. Crunch.
I hit it flush at speed, no time for braking or avoidance manoeuvres. The left leg, just below the knee took the full force and this impact caused all the damage. I wasn’t actually sure what part of my leg had broken at the time, I found out later in hospital: a fractured tibial plateau (the upper bulge section of the shin bone or tibia) – pretty well smashed into lots of fragments, a fractured fibula, a severed posterior tibial artery and severe damage to tissue and capiliaries of lower leg, leading to compartment syndrome and operations to graft in a new artery and a knee to ankle fasciotomy on both sides of my lower leg to deal with the severe nature of the inflammation. Multiple operations and many weeks of treatment later, the complications could not be resolved, too much flesh had died (almost all the lower leg muscle tissue bar the upper calf muscle) resulting in the need to amputate the now non-viable lower leg.
So how come I didn’t see the boomgate? I have no idea but it must just blend into the background. It’s a single steel horizontal boom about 4” in diameter (i.e. very solid), hinged at one end, latched at the other side of the road (so it wasn’t moving nor have any "give" in case of collision), is white in colour and with no warning signs. Nasty. As I discovered later on, many other riders had hit it before or had near misses as it is so hard to see at times.
When I visited the crash site after finally getting out of hospital (a bit over four months), it was good to remind myself that I wasn’t an idiot and it was an accident waiting to happen. Someone has since hand painted with a spray can some warnings on the road and suggested an alterative turn just before the gate location to another bike path (which is obscured by the bushes).
So I went from my best ever personal race result, to losing my leg in a short space of time and dreams of competing at the world champs dashed. I was really looking forward to donning the Aussie skinsuit in the points race (an honour granted due to my result at the Nationals).
Still, I look forward to getting my prosthetic, walking again, losing all this puppy fat and ultimately getting back on the bike and being as competitive as before. It will take a while though but it will happen.
Read More......
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