Fitness Douchebags

First day back to the gym since the accident. I have to admit,...

jacksonwest — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 21:33:00 -0500

First day back to the gym since the accident. I have to admit, I was apprehensive that I’d ever get back. But 35 relatively easy minutes on a recumbent stationary cycle followed by physical therapy exercises. Tempo maxed out at at 156bpm heartrate, and some core muscles sang way out of tune, but a warm sweat was nice for a change and new headphones helped. I plan to go back soon, if only to get out of the house.

After a two week hiatus, Smokin’ Fast is back and...

jacksonwest — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:28:45 -0400

After a two week hiatus, Smokin’ Fast is back and naturally I’m talking about pain after spending the last three weeks thinking pretty hard about it whether I wanted to or not.

Pictured are some before and after images of my shoulder, including the scapular fracture through the glenoid fossa of the glenohumeral joint and the complete clavicle fracture. The clavicle was nailed back together with stainless steel, while the scapula was wrapped and riveted with titanium.

Look behind you

blindsider — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 18:02:00 -0400

Douche in training here. Reminding you to hit the gym while the Douche in chief is laid up on painkillers, recovering from being under the knife, and then focus on his recovery. A proper douchebag wants to look good in his tank top. The problem is he forgets there’s more to filling out that shirt than what he can see in the mirror. Don’t forget your lats are bigger than your pecs. Just like your triceps make up 2/3rds the muscle mass on your arm.

Since most men judge each other by how much they can bench, You can still make a good show of it.

But a man who can’t do pullups is a woman. So work on that back, boy.

Bay Area Super Prestige Series 2012 Race Two: Candlestick Point...

jacksonwest — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:48:01 -0400

Bay Area Super Prestige Series 2012 Race Two: Candlestick Point (by FitnessDouchebags)

I registered for this race shortly after my first, and was hit by that car shortly thereafter. It was the first chance to see Robby, who I was riding to meet for some training when I was hit — he was competitive early in his own category race until he ran out of gas.

I thought seeing everyone out having fun without me would be more bitter than sweet, but I was wrong. Had fun watching the other racers in my Men 35+ Cat C cohort navigate the dusty course (the same as the previous race, but in reverse), so I went ahead and shot some video of the day’s action.

Me? My surgery on Wednesday went well, will have a better prognosis tomorrow on when I’ll be back to ridin’ dirty. I’m hoping to at least try a recumbent, stationary cycle this week.

I’m scared and angry. Scared that I won’t heal...

jacksonwest — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 17:06:00 -0400

I’m scared and angry. Scared that I won’t heal quickly or properly, angry that I was injured at all and at how difficult it’s been to get treatment for my injuries. I’m also sick and tired, my appetite is poor and libido slack. At this rate I can expect maybe two bowel movements a week. And no orgasms.

I’m already in the process of letting go of the dream that I can qualify for the Boston Marathon this year. I doubt I’ll be able to compete in the next cyclocross race I’m signed up for. And who knows when my left shoulder, which already suffered from tendinitis, will be healthy and pain-free enough to swim again?

Instead, there’s probably going to be lots of boring, repetitive physical therapy exercises. I’ll get to slowly wean myself off pain medication without the endorphin kick I might get from a trail run. And I’ll have to do it while back at work every day.

Did I mention the persistent nausea? Excuse me for a moment.

I’m already starting to feel slow and old and depressed and fat and forgetful and ugly and crippled and ashamed. I’ve been craving World of Warcraft. My moods seem about as stable and consistent as those of a depressed junkie. Which? Anyway, I haven’t even been able to muster the energy to follow up about the bike theft in my building.

In theory, I’ll have shoulder surgery on Tuesday and hopefully get an appointment with a maxillofacial surgeon for that week. No idea how long I’ll be laid up or on meds after that. Not to mention dealing with the paperwork and bills, insurers and lawyers. All of this grief given to me, and some of my hopes taken away in the blink of an eye by a seventy year old woman taking a left turn and failing to yield who didn’t even see me until after I was unconscious on the ground.

Nothing to do but make another berry smoothie and work on patience and compassion, I guess. Be thankful she didn’t take it all away. Be proud of how strong I’ve become that I’m sure I can ultimately survive this and thrive—I’m betting I’ll be crossing the line in Sacramento on December 2nd as planned, if not as quickly.

Sue looks surprisingly well! A little twisted, but not bent out...

jacksonwest — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:25:56 -0400

Sue looks surprisingly well! A little twisted, but not bent out of shape. He’ll probably be in racing form again before I will.

So this was me last night after waking up at San Francisco...

jacksonwest — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 03:05:00 -0400

So this was me last night after waking up at San Francisco General. Some time around ~~6:00pm~~ 5:30pm I was hit by a car while cycling to meet Robby for a ride. Not sure when or where or by whom, exactly! A concussion erased my memory about back to when I’d left my house earlier and some time after (thank goodness I was wearing a helmet, because if the fall hadn’t killed me the irony would have).

Of course one of my first thoughts when I woke up in the hospital and got some sense of what happened, I was all “phew, at least it’s not a 5150.” Again. I asked Riana, who took the photo, to collect what she knows from my reports and those given to her at the ER:

On Tuesday, October 2, 2012, Jackson went to meet his friend Robby in Golden Gate Park to go for a bike ride. He likely left home sometime between 4:30 and 5:00 PM. He sometimes remembers getting as far as the Panhandle. Somewhere near the park, he was hit by a car around 5:30 PM. The driver stopped and gave a report to police; she explained that she had the sun in her eyes and could not see him. He was taken to SF General’s ER, treated for a broken nose, broken clavicle, scapula, concussion, and lacerations, and was released around 4 AM Wednesday.

I’m still waiting for the police report for more details, but the first priority is to heal. Tomorrow I go in early for a consultation and possible surgery to place pins and a plate in my shoulder. On Friday I have an appointment to see about my broken nose. I haven’t seen my cross bike Sue since the accident, so I can only imagine how he’ll look when we’re reunited tomorrow.

But the real question is, how do I stay in shape and maybe even progress through my marathon training in the meantime, while also healing properly? Not sure it’s even possible, much less a good idea! So I might just have to get creative and confront my fear around losing access to the types of training that I know I love in the process.

Meanwhile, while I’ll admit to also being historically pretty anxious about any possible surgery, I am healing pretty quickly under the good care of my partner and friends and tapping into one of my stronger motivations — vanity. My nose seems to have gotten more crooked since that night somehow, I swear. Somebody call a doctor!

robbykingsf: The Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclocross Series had...

jacksonwest — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:37:45 -0400

robbykingsf:

The Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclocross Series had its opening event of the season at Candlestick Park this past weekend, and I entered the Men’s C division for my first race since moving back to San Francisco. The weather was gorgeous — it was already in the 60’s when my class started around 9 — and the course was extremely technical with lots of sand, a barrier set that ended in a run-up, some rooty climbs and a long, fast road section.

Going for a training ride with Robby later today to work on skills. He offers some perspective as a more experienced rider who’s new on the Bay Area scene after cutting his chops in Georgia. He finished really well on the day — 21st out of 63 in his group — and I’m hoping to steal some of his magic.

The web is abuzz this week on whether cyclists should stop wearing helmets to encourage more cycling

jacksonwest — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:20:00 -0400

The web is abuzz this week on whether cyclists should stop wearing helmets to encourage more cycling:

seldo:

“the problem with pushing helmets isn’t practicality but that helmets make a basically safe activity seem really dangerous”

From what I’ve seen of the stats (in some reporting reblogged by said Times, thank you very much), it’s true that around 90 percent of the people who die in bicycle accidents aren’t wearing helmets. They’re also often drunk, riding the wrong way down the street, or some combination of the three. (Looking at you, Kevin!) And the actual number of people who die on bicycles every year is kind of vanishingly small, especially when compared to the number of automobile accident fatalities.

Long story short, yeah, don’t let a helmet get in the way of enjoying a ride. If you do die, you won’t be around for all the bikeshaming in blog comments anyway.

Derby is like cotton candy for shutterbugs, figured I’d...

jacksonwest — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:45:51 -0400

Derby is like cotton candy for shutterbugs, figured I’d share some action shots from the Rat City versus Sacred City match that didn’t quite make the cut for today’s Smokin’ Fast column.

(via Smokin’ Fast: Roller Derby Dreams:...

jacksonwest — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:01:00 -0400

(via Smokin’ Fast: Roller Derby Dreams: Culture/Entertainment: SFAppeal)

Pretty proud of this one. Much respect to Mickispeedia and Jentropy, who took the time to answer some questions on how they got started. Roller derby is serious business! Full disclosure, I neglected to take any pictures of the multiple women laid up in wheelchairs with their legs in casts.

Yesterday turned out to be what was probably the hottest day of...

jacksonwest — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:07:00 -0400

Yesterday turned out to be what was probably the hottest day of the year so far, perfect for rolling out of bed with about four hours of sleep and going for a hot, sandy ride around Candlestick Point. And by “perfect” I mean “kind of a terrible idea.” Didn’t have time for a practice ride around the course or any kind of warmup, but with some patient support from Riana I did make it to the starting line numbered and chipped.

Once I did hit the course, “lumpy and dusty” turned out to be an understatement. There were long stretches of nothing but dry sand, turns through one-inch gravel that was six inches deep and paths through the grass more pitted than the face of a greasy teenager. I think I counted five falls on the first lap alone.

Also dropped my chain a couple of times, and at one point only figured out that I’d just completely missed a turn when the white course tape I’d ridden through finally snapped across my front wheel. Fell three more times before the race was done, was listed as finishing 52nd out of 59 and the whole experience can be most accurately described as a hot mess.

But I won some style points with my ensemble and had a shit ton of fun. And of all the crashes, I didn’t actually go down in the same place twice, meaning I think I might have actually learned something. (For instance, show up in time to preview the course first!) So naturally while I was at home icing my knee and trying not to think about how long my marathon training will be interrupted, I signed up for the next race.

For the full race report, check out the NCNCA CX blog. Before and after photos by Riana Pfefferkorn.

So in a little over twelve hours I’m due to start my first...

jacksonwest — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 00:13:54 -0400

So in a little over twelve hours I’m due to start my first cyclocross race. I have practiced exactly once. I haven’t had a chance to actually tune up my bike, so maybe I’ll end up running the course whether I like it or not. I don’t exactly know the actual rules. Or the course, which “might be a little bumpy, or dusty.” Who knows what could happen! Actually, I hope it’s twelve hours, I can’t find the race schedule anywhere but I think it’s at 9:45.

Whatever, I’m going clubbing.

Photo by Scott Robinson.

New Organizing Institute "Healthy Campaigners challenge"

jacksonwest — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 07:14:36 -0400

New Organizing Institute "Healthy Campaigners challenge":

Here in the Bay Area, where neglected self-care is seen as a sign of dedication, we’re pretty familiar with crunches at work. The Journal of New Organizing has put together some tips on how to survive a political campaign crunch, many of which apply.

Personally, I know I need more sleep than recommended here, I’m not really sure “Drinking Some Juice (Instead of Soda)” is really that big a difference thanks to all the sugar and “Working from Home (When Sick)” is almost irresponsible advice, but as Riana who sent this points out, if you look at it from a harm reduction standpoint it is better than the alternative.

My former NewTeeVee colleague (and Ultimate Frisbee...

jacksonwest — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:15:47 -0400

My former NewTeeVee colleague (and Ultimate Frisbee enthusiast) Liz Gannes spoke to Explorence CEO Mike Suprovici about his app TorchDash, which allows you to run against friends virtually — great if your closest pace buddy is too far away to actually go running with. Anyway, reminds me I’ve been meaning to download Zombies, Run and some other gamified fitness apps. Any recommendations?

Excuse me for getting all gross with an open wound on my beat-up...

jacksonwest — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:08:00 -0400

Excuse me for getting all gross with an open wound on my beat-up feet, but Riana picked up some Spenco 2nd Skin AquaHeal Hydrogel bandages. After days of having cheap bandages from Walgreens simply flake off when faced with the abrasion from the heal cups of my new Merrells, I was surprised and delighted to see that this one actually stayed on for a little over nine miles — an then survived the shower afterwards.

This means the blisters and scabs that tend to accumulate during training then refuse to heal until nearly the end of the rest cycle might actually clear up before the taper! Yes, they’re spendy — $10 for a six pack at REI — but when you think about it, the marginal improvement from being able to train longer and harder is pretty high relative to the marginal cost of these over regular bandages.

Nurse Flashman approves, anyway.

Muddy shoes, they can be cleaned. by quasistoic on Flickr. Danny...

jacksonwest — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:43:31 -0400

Muddy shoes, they can be cleaned. by quasistoic on Flickr.

Danny Dawson managed to get his sneakers looking spring fresh even after a Tough Mudder run. His secret? Water pressure and Nikwax footwear cleaning gel. Smells like victory!

cadenced: Lucien Buysse who won the longest edition of the Tour...

jacksonwest — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 23:40:53 -0400

cadenced:

Lucien Buysse who won the longest edition of the Tour de France in 1926 with a length of 5,745 kilomtres.

The goggles! The cuffed shirt! Carrying his own support gear!

(via Smokin’ Fast: Fun, Fit and Car Free:...

jacksonwest — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:42:00 -0400

(via Smokin’ Fast: Fun, Fit and Car Free: Culture/Entertainment: SFAppeal)

Charge your phone, load your Clipper card and step away from your Tumblr dashboard! My latest column for the San Francisco Appeal is up. This week, I share some of my tips gleaned from years of experience getting around town — and out of it — to enjoy some exercise in the great outdoors. Photo by Ian Collins.

On Pace

jacksonwest — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:04:00 -0400

The view from my turnaround point at the end of the Aquatic Park breakwater.

Today was the last day of the third week of my training cycle for the California International Marathon. The day’s regimen called for 20km (12.4 miles) at marathon pace. I ran 11.94 miles in 1:26:22 for a 7:14/mile clip. Not as fast as my last half marathon, but right on the pace target for the 3:10:59 chip time I’ll need to qualify for Boston in my age group.

And that was in busy tourist traffic through SOMA and Fisherman’s Wharf via the Embarcadero. Also, I was at a 7:05 pace in the last mile, my 49th in six of seven days over the last week. As I eased out of my rest break, I did 20.5 mostly aerobic miles before starting the cycle. Week one was 34.5 over five days, which was already about as much as I’d done in the peak week ahead of the last CIM. The previous week was 41.5 over six days.

I have to admit, the heavy mileage is taking its toll. I haven’t dealt with this much pain and stiffness in my ankles during recovery since the peak of my last triathlon training peak. There were a couple of times that my left achilles and then my left hamstring felt near to bursting. I focused on a balanced, fluid stride for the discomfort and easy breathing for the fear.

You know what also helps? A third of an apple pie drowning in molasses and brown sugar custard cream to come home to.

The new Merrells are starting to get comfortable — the stiff, scratchy edge of the heel cup still rubbing the back of my ankles raw, but that searing pain fades pretty quickly and I’m sure if the problem persists I can fix it with duct tape or something. But the footbed is starting to form up nicely, and the extra cushion did feel like it afforded me some relief into the later miles.

I’ll probably take a rest day tomorrow, and then I’ll be back at the top of the three week cycle again. This time I’ll probably try to push the short runs a little longer to inch the overall mileage up, and make sure to fit in at least 16-18 moderate miles on the longest day since I haven’t pushed that boundary this time around yet.