I had it in my mind to ride my new Giant Talon 1 from Sycamore out to Sideways Farm for a quick tour and refreshing brew.
The trail crosses within feet of the Sideways and spotting the blue structure through the trees provided a much needed and welcome relief.
A cautionary note: This bike ride caused me an incredible amount of pain after the fact. Looking back I did everything wrong. I didn’t stretch. I wore the wrong shoes. Hiking boots for 20 miles? The wrong distance. I was not prepared for this ride. It was very long and hard and I don’t think my seat was properly leveled. I was in pain for the next 10-15 days. I got a therapeutic massage and I hope this helps me heal but like she said… what did you expect?
On May 11, I finally went to see Dr. Kevan Hansel. He is also a cyclist and so, aside from being a medical doctor I thought he might have some specific insights from the biking point of view and he did!
He gave me a thorough checkout and basically ruled out DVT or Shingles and settled in on tendonitis. He prescribed pain medication and anti inflammation medication. The first night was like a miracle. The pain lifted and I got to sleep but the pain came back and so it’s going to be a longer, slower process than I was hoping for. We joke that when we get sick we feel like we’ll never be well again but when we’re well again it was like we were never sick. Well I’m trying to make a point to myself that this thing Hurts! This pain in my leg, hip, thigh and calf but mostly calf gets extremely intense at night. The amazing thing is that it goes away in the daytime and I start walking and climbing stairs but then it comes back at night with a vengeance. All that being said, mine is trivial compared to the horrific pain and suffering being inflicted on Ukraine by Putin. So I count my blessings each and every day. Ultimately I consulted with Dr. Hicks who read my X-rays and identified a pinched nerve that, as he said, all the physical therapy in the world would not fix. My Laminectomy surgery was done on Friday August 26, 2022
Lessons learned: for one thing 1. Plan to go back but Not until you’re fully rested and ready
2. Stretch 3. Wear better shoes 4. Get your bike professionally adjusted at Sycamore Before you go out to ride again and finally 5. Your wife loves you. She knows you’re not a teenager so Stop Acting Like One!
My plan was or is to ride the entire Ecusta Trail which is currently under construction. When heading out on such a venture one needs to set intermediate benchmarks and Sideways Farm & Brewery, approximately 10 miles out, was the object of today’s quest. The trail is composed of the large gravel stones leftover from the lifting of the steel rails of the abandoned Watco RR Line. It is rough going. I was planning for an hours ride but it took almost twice as long. I was hot and tired but then, like an oasis in the desert, the blue barn of the Sideways Farm caught my eye and offered my salvation. The family run brewery offers a unique and eclectic choice of small batch brews each with distinctive names and flavors. Today I chose the 137-English Ale. Clear, Crisp and Cold, in that moment it was everything I ever wanted. And thankfully They take Apple Pay so using my iPhone turned out to be a great benefit since, in my haste, I discovered I had left my wallet at home. I took about 20 minutes to savor the flavor and enjoy the pristine and laid back atmosphere, called my wife to let her know I was on my way and then hit the trail home. Sideways is like talking a mini vacation to get away from it all and only a 15 minute drive from town. So whether you hike, bike or drive it is well worth the trip.
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