Menagerie

I wish I was able to somehow download my thoughts directly into my blog while I am riding.  It seems that is about the only time I have these days to think about things to write about.  I do enjoy my blogger time, but lately family time has eaten up a lot of my "blog" time.  Not that its a bad thing, I am just busy being a Mom and wife.

Below have been my thoughts over the last two weeks of training.

FEET:  I have been wearing my orthotics for about a month now and I do notice a decrease in foot pain. I still cannot walk bear foot on hard surfaces; if I could EVER get back to that point, I would be extremely happy.  Even though it is a bit of pain to constantly move my insoles from one pair of shoes to another, it must be done.  I am hoping that as time goes on, my feet will continue to improve.  My feet were quite happy at the last 6 hour race, on a single speed.  This coming weekend, I will be testing them out on the ORAMM course, single speed style.

RACES:  The final race of the season will be the Chainbuster 6 Hour at Oak Mountain.  This is going to be the most technical and difficult of the series.  Right now I am comtemplating gear choice, as I am going single.   Do I want to suffer on the climbs and the Jekyll portion of the Jeckyll and Hyde Trail or do I want to spin my legs off on the easier sections?  Right now I am going with the latter: spinning is better than cramping.  I really enjoyed this series, but I am going to move on to other adventures next year.

ERGON:  My hands are so in love with these grips.  I am currently running the GS2's on my Niner AC9 SS and Jett 9 RDO and the GX2's on my Air 9 RDO.  I love the extra leverage the bar ends give me.  There have only been a couple occasions where I went "bar end-less" this year due to the tightness of the trees.  The only difference I have noticed over this year as opposed to the last 5 is that I have had to run the grips in a more horizontal position.  I used to run them with the wings in a slightly up position, but I began to have some ulnar pain, so I adjusted them down a bit and the pain went away.

WHOLE 30:  Even though I am still a little over a month away from starting my "cleansing," I have already begun to wean myself of the "junk" foods.  I have made my own mayo and salad dressings, cut my dairy intake by 75%, and am only using stevia and honey as sweeteners.  What I have noticed by doing this is that I am sleeping better and my energy levels are up.  The flavors of the foods I do eat have intensified!  I don't need as much sweetener to make things sweet.  I need very little of my home made salad dressings as compared to the store bought. I LOVE sardines straight out of the can for a snack.  I am anxiously awaiting November 26.  My only concern is that I might just freeze to death this winter as I have lost most of my natural insulation.

LW COACHING:  Lynda Wallenfels is a wonderful coach.  This year, I had to take a step down from her premium coaching package to her basic due to financial constraints.  But I have not been let down in the least.  I did miss talking to her on a weekly basis, but she is so awesome about answering e-mails that I did not feel sleighted.  She even answered one of my e-mails while in the middle of racing the Cococino 250!  I plan on continuing to be coached by her in 2013.

GRAVEL GRINDERS:  I am really liking this type of racing and am gonna try to do a few next year.  I finally have the right bike, which makes all the difference in the world.

19.2 pounds with a 1 x 10 drive train

JackRabbit 6 Hour Race Report

I was looking forward to this race, as I would be back on my single speed after a 4 month hiatus, nursing painful feet.  This would also be my first race using my $$$$ custom orthotic inserts.  I had been wearing them at work and had done a few short rides; my feet were digging them!

I was long overdue for a mudfest.  Sure enough, it rained the night before and then the skies opened up again just 1 hour before the start.  It was still drizzling at the start line, so I was all geeked up in my shower cap and 16 gallon Glad trash bag.  This was a tip I had picked up at La Ruta.  My Niner was sportin' a mud fender, too.  With this "get up," the plan was to stay warm and dry for the first lap.  Even though the temperature was about 60 degrees, I was shivering.

I would be coming down this, watching oodles of geared riders pass me by!

The start was 1/2 mile of pavement, with a 2% downhill grade, a SS'rs worst nightmare!  And so, as I was spinning a cadence of 140, I watched about 50-60 racers blow right by me.  I was sooo looking forward to "choo-choo" time on the single track.

With the muddy conditions on the first lap, at least being stuck behind some slower racers kept me from doing anything stupid.  And it also allowed my legs to warm up as I sure did not have a proper warm up prior.  On this first lap, I watched at least 5 racers hit the deck.  Luckily they all bounced back up, only their egos bruised.

The rain stopped about midway through Lap 1 and I managed to keep the rubber side down.  As I pulled into the Northwest Georgia SORBA pit (they were kind enough to allow me to set up with them), Norma helped me to to get out of my garbage bag, Hulk-style!  I decided to leave the mud fender on until the course dried out ... my eyes thanked me.

Running through the Start/Finish area ... no need to remount as my pit area was just 10 yards away.

The second lap was slicker than the first.  I got "squirrely" a couple times.  About halfway through the second lap, I was finally able to get in my own little bubble and enjoy the ride.  I had Specialized Renegade Controls (550 grams each) on the bike.  Initially I was worried how they would hook up as I generally like more tread, but I am happy to report that they worked well in the mud.  Luckily this was not a rooty course; I don't believe the Renegades would have worked at all on slick roots.

The third lap was still a little slick, but by the fourth lap, the course was dry and fast again.  It was during this lap that I realized I had chosen the wrong gear ... a first for me.  I was too spinny.  I was wishing I had an 18 on the back.  Oh, well, better to be under geared than over geared.

By the fifth lap, I started doing the math.  I was feeling really good, but I wasn't sure if I would have enough time to get in that 7th lap before the 4 pm cut-off.  (In this series, if you come across the line at 1 second past 4pm, that lap does not count.)  So I really put forth an effort on the 5th and 6th laps.

As I ran across the timing mat finishing up my 6th lap, the clock's cumulative time was 5 hours 14 minutes.  That left me 46 minutes for the 7th lap.  Not having a bike computer, I was only able to guesstimate my lap times; I was thinking about 49-53 minutes per lap.  There was no way I could crank out a 46 minute lap.  So I handed my timing chip to Kenny and went out for a 7th lap anyway.  Why?  Because I was feeling good and this course was fun!

I also wanted to see how my feet would hold up for a solid 6 hours of racing.  I was ecstatic that they were happy for the first 5 hours:  no pain, burning, numbness, or jolts of electricity.  The orthotics were working!  I only had a bit of pain along the outside of my right arch and I attributed that to my arches not used to bearing a majority of the weight; something that will just take a bit more time, I hope.

I finished up my 7th lap at 4:06:  a 52 minute lap and just 6 minutes after the cut off.  The real funny thing was when I took a look at my lap times.  They were ALL 52 minutes and some change!  Talk about consistency!  Danielle would be proud!

6 laps in 5:14 earned me a top spot on the podium.  My feet were a non-issue.  I had a great NWGA SORBA pit crew.  My Niner SS was perfect.  The sun came out on lap 5.  I could not have had a better day!

A great bunch of people.

2012 Monster Cross Race Report

The first and last (until now) ultra cross race I did was the 2009 inaugural Southern Cross.  I did it on this bike:

22.3 pounds

After that race, I swore I would never do another "gravel grinder" until I had the right bike.  It took me 3 1/2 years to get that "right" bike, courtesy of Zeke who bought it first, tried to like it, but just could not fit his head around the idea of "gears."

19.3 pounds

This green machine was built up with a Cannondale crank, carbon Lefty, 1 x 10 (34T chain ring), Stan's Crest wheels, Specialized 1.8 Renegades, and Ergon's GX2 grips with carbon bar ends.  Right now I am using a Dura Ace front derailleur as a chain retentioner, but I am hoping that the Paul's Chain Keeper with extension will work.  This is my first ever "rent to own" and I rather like it!

160+ racers on a wide variety of bikes started out rather "hot" at 8 am.  I chose to not go out as fast as I did at Fool's Gold, but rather let the race come to me.  I just set my own tempo up the FS477 gravel climb, flew down the descent passing several on CX bikes and 3 cross bikes that succumbed to flats.  I rolled along FS1206 and this is where I felt my overdrive finally kick in.

At the first aid station, I was met by the volunteers in "NASCAR-like" fashion.  Awesome!  In and out in less than 10 seconds.  I was feeling great and motored up FS5000.  So far I felt I was equal with the cross bikes on the gravel climbs and at an advantage on the gravel descents.

And then came the 10 mile grind up the Blue Ridge Parkway.  2700 feet of climbing on pavement. It was here that I was wishing for skinnier tires.  However, I did not focus on the negative, but rather took in the spectacular views that the Parkway has to offer.  That is one aspect of this type of racing I enjoy.  I have time to take in the beauty.  As Jonathan Davis so aptly put it, "I felt like I was riding into a painting."

courtesy of Eric Weaver

I was by myself along this section until the second aid station.  Unbeknownst to me Mark was 200 yards behind me grinding on his 36 x 17 SS mountain bike.   Had I known this I might have sat up a bit, allowing him to catch, and then work together.  But no matter how much the head wind sucked, I had to keep moving.  Somewhere behind me was Brenda, Cissy, and others.

It was good to see Troy on the parkway; he was going in the opposite direction, doing an over nighter, and hooking up with his girlfriend who was riding the northern half of the BRP.

I rolled into aid station #2, was treated like a queen, and rolled out once again in less than 10 seconds.  It was here I was able to catch onto a wheel, but he pretty much left me standing still on the first gradual  descent.  I just did not have the gearing to stay in contact.  And my legs were barking a bit.

The remaining 10 miles of BRP was a mix of small climbs (1-3 miles), some false flats, and a few descents.  Mark was finally able to catch me, we chatted a bit (gear choices, tire choices and TNGA), and then I was finally able to tuck into his draft on a couple desents.  That helps, as little ole me can only go so fast ... I was definitely under geared here and my terminal velocity sucks.

Shortly thereafter, Mark set out to reel in the CX SS'r who was just ahead of us.  I let Mark go as it was too much of an effort.  I settled once again and soon caught back up to the cross rider who left me in his wake earlier.  Charlie was his name and he was beginning to have a moment on the climbs.  I came around and paced him up the climbs and he was kind enough to let me hitch a ride on the descents.  This time I was feeling better and able to hang on.  And hang on I did, especially on the 7 mile Hwy 215 descent.  That was just stupid fast!  I did not know how fast I was going (probably a  good thing), but my tires were making a high pitches whhrrr all the way down.

I did not need to stop at aid station #3, but did an empty bottle hand off to one of the volunteers.  Smelling the barn with 13 miles left to go, I reeled in Mark.  He had been successful in passing the SS'r just ahead (I had passed him as well as he was spinning his brains on the final BRP section).  We worked together on the climb up to Gloucester Gap and then on the final paved descent back to the finish, I spun my brains out to help him.  We came across the barriers together, in 4:48 and some change.  I won and he was 3rd in his field.

Another spectacular Pisgah day!

I was tired, but not thrashed like I had been at the Pisgah 111.  Eric, you did not crush my soul.  Surely you are not getting soft.  I saw a couple opportunities where you could have made this really brutal.

There were a lot of park rangers and sheriff's deputies out on the course and directing traffic, making it really safe for us racers.  I made sure to thank each and every one of them.  It wasn't until I talked to Eric later about them that I found out that they were not volunteering.  Eric was paying them anywhere from $25-60 per hour.  I saw at least 6.  They were out there for 8 hours.  You do the math.  One of the many hidden costs of putting on an epic adventure.  So I don't wanna hear any more fussing about how much endurance racing costs.  Pay up or shut up.

Dare I say I am beginning to like this gravel grinding?  Looking forward to signing up for Southern Cross.

Any Takers?

I made my weekly journey to Bare Necessities today.  This is a little store in my home town that sells damaged and out of date groceries at a deep discount.  As gluten free goods are at a premium, I am ecstatic when I find pasta, flours, cereals, and cookie/brownie mixes.  I have been known to clean the whole shelf off on occasion.  Hell yeah!  The discounts are anywhere from 50-75% off!

Today look what I found.

Which leads me into this whole Whole 30 thing.  A few months back, a friend of mine posted on FB that she was doing this new diet (I call it a lifestyle).  Well, I looked up the website and gave a brief perusal.   Basically a Paleo diet devoid of sugar.  I put it on the back burner.

And then this website began popping up on everyone's wall, it seemed like.  And this time, I took a real hard look.  I wasn't about to let anybody get a competitive edge over me.  In my 44th year, I am no spring chicken; I don't bounce back like I used to.  I need any "legal" assistance I could get to keep my fitness and health at its highest.  So I bought the book.

I have wore out a high lighter on this book!

Being celiac, I had already dumped the gluten.  Just recently I had stopped eating legumes after experiencing some milder gluten-like symptoms when eating them.  That is 2 of the 5 "food groups" that the plan has you cut out.  Seed oils is another group that will be easy to let go; olive oil is my "go to oil" anyway.  So I am over half way there.  Easy peasy, right?

Sugars and sweeteners (which includes chocolate) are my Kryptonite.  I enjoy my creamer less coffee with a good dollop of honey.  And my bite of dark chocolate every now and then.  This could get very interesting.  Which will win out:  black coffee or no coffee?

I do love dairy, but lately have drastically cut down on the amount, no more protein powder, ice cream, or cheese (meh).  I suspect that the milk protein, casein, is causing some less than desirable GI symptoms as well.  I will miss my Greek yogurt, though.

I am planning on going Whole 30 Monday, November 26.  My Mom is on board, but wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving since she is hosting.  I have pleaded to some of my fellow Athenians to hop on the train, but so far no takers.  Come on, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!  And I promise this way of eating will not kill you, at least in the biological sense.  It would be cool to share recipes.  I've made a killer frittata and salmon burger!  And I am looking forward to creating a salad dressing that doesn't have a gazillion ingredients.

The hardest part is going to be drinking unsweet coffee ...

New Hampshire 100 (K, that is) Racing Report

With tight trail and trees, I opted to run the GS1's

Morning came early at 4 am, with the alarm being a rumbling snore from the room next to Zeke and I.  Rice and eggs were washed down with Seattle's Best as we headed out the door for the hour drive to the venue.  This gave me time to decide what to race in as the temperature was 50 degrees.  Having not seen the 50's in months, I went through several options, settling on jersey, shorts, arm warmers, and embrocation for the legs.

The start was uncharacteristic with the hundies in two waves and the 64's in the 3rd wave, 1 minute behind.  I went from shivering uncontrollably to being warm in 2 seconds.  Ughh ... now I would have to wait 26 miles to drop the arm warmers and hope the embrocation would not light my legs on fire as the temps rose.

The first 3 1/2 miles blazed by as it was either pancake flat or slightly descending on a mix of asphalt and dirt roads.  I was through the single file bridge without incident before I knew it.

A bottleneck that never came to be ... nice!

I had a nice group to work with over the next 18 miles or so of  road (dirt/pave), rail-trail, double track, and short sections of trail.  Taking my share of pulls, my legs were allowed to warm up at a good pace, rather than the typical crazy VO2 max type of starts that are typical for this type of race.  There was nothing really technical about these miles, save for the tight trail alongside the RR tracks.  Riding here required heightened attention to not clipping my pedal on the ties or disaster would ensue.  The short bits of single track that seemed to wind through back yards appeared to be newly cut and was narrow, off-camber, and came with a healthy dose of slick roots and rocks.  That compounded with the sudden changes from the bright light of the roads to the darkness of the "King Arthur forest" made for a few "Oh, crap!" moments.  My photochromatic lenses were unable to keep up.

And then, BANG!  At mile 21, the road pitched up to a 20% grade for a mile.  I encountered HedgeHog Hill.  Holy crap!  What a leg shocker!  The group immediately broke up as we each settled into our own sustainable rhythm.  After a brief respite, BANG! again ... the Powerline Climb.  It was much like the powerline climb at Haw Ridge, except for a few energy-sapping mud bogs.  This put a real hurtin' on my momentum, and by the third one, I cried Uncle, and proceded to hike.  My feet began to bark.  "Shut up, feet!"  Only when I was able to hop back on the bike did they relent.

I rolled into aid station #3 (mile 26) where I had my first drop bag.  I had my own pit crew of volunteers who helped me get in/out in less than 20 seconds.  NASCAR style!  Huge shout out to the 100+ volunteers who made this race happen.

Everywhere I looked there were orange vests!

Somewhere along this next section of a series of climbs, I heard The Fiddler.  I tell ya, he would have given Charlie Daniels and the Devil a run for the money.  I must have heard him for a solid 5 minutes before I came out of a break in the forest and saw him.  Awesome and morale boosting!

The next 10 miles was undulating soft trail and double track.  I felt sluggish, not because of a lack of energy, but because I was either pedaling on loamy single track or recently logged double track that had been turned into one long mulch bed.  This section brought back TransRockies memories. It was here that I embraced the endorphin monster and began feeling really good when it happened.    I struck a large rock with my big ring and immediately went from 20 gears to 8.  My drive train was so gummed up with dark mud that I could not determine the specific issue other than my chain kept dropping off the large ring.  Not knowing how far ahead I was of second place I chose to diagnose while on the bike:  it was either a bent ring or a bent tooth/teeth.

After surgery.  Several broken teeth and 1 bent to the inside.

However, this was not too much of a problem as the remainder of the course was so technical with tons of short punchy climbs that I did not miss my big ring too much.  I also chose not to use my smallest two cogs as weird noises would ensue.  I was fearful of my derailleur wrapping around my cassette or spokes while I would be spinning down a super bumpy descent.

The promoters claimed the race was 29% single track.  But the double track was so heinous and at times more difficult than the single track.  All told, I would say the course was 75% trail, a real mountain bikers course.  "Old school raw," as Cheryl so aptly stated.  The elevation gain is only 7000 feet, but what they don't state is that 90% of that gain comes in the last 40 miles.

Throughout the single track there were stone wall crossings, most of which were ride-able.  The ones that weren't the guys in front of me were kind enough to lay themselves down over them and allow me to use them for traction!

About 10-15 of these I had to cross.

Miles 41-53 were by far the hardest for me.  I tend to have a soul-searching stretch about 2/3 into any race, no matter what the distance.  My legs were starting to burn on the punchy climbs, my feet were wanting to be finished, and I was getting pretty darn tired of pedaling 120+ rpm on the flat or descending sections.  I suppose someone at one of the aid stations might have been able to help me out with my big ring dilemma, but I was fearful of them doing more harm than good.

At mile 48 I came into aid station #5 where my second drop bag was.  Awaiting me was another NASCAR style volunteer pit crew and a Red Bull shot.  I don't care if it was a placebo effect or a real "buzz" but about 30 minutes later, I was finding my rhythm and beginning to smell the barn.  But first I had to wade through a chamois deep 30 yard pond/watering hole at mile 53.  I saw a couple racers attempt to ride it, but even on a 29'r, the water was above the BB and hubs.  I chose to carry Faith (my Niner Jet9 RDO) across the pool.  My feet greatly appreciated the cool water.

Miles 53-59 flew by quickly.  It was a mix of snowmobile, jeep, and ATV trails.  I don't recall any single track.  The climbs were not too bad and the descents were blazin' fast.  I just had to be constantly on the look out for the rogue rocks, you know, the ones that either like to take out your front wheel out or launch onto your shins!

The last 5 miles were courtesy of the Greenfield Trails Association.  Tight, twisty, and occasionally flowy single track.  Even though the trails were well groomed by New Hampshire standards, those miles were tough; no downhill road finishes here.  Yet enjoy them I did, because soon the game was going to be over.

The last section of single track.

I had plenty in the tank to make this a fun section.  I rode it at cross country pace, or so it felt.  As I approached the finish line, I was happy with my performance.  I rode strong all day, my feet were relatively pain free, and although I had a mechanical, it was manageable.

The finishing stretch ... so glad I only had to see this once.

I really enjoyed this race.  It was stinking hard!  Harder than the Ouachita or ORAMM.  I rode through, 1st woman, and 17th overall in 6:12.  Even though my legs could have done another 35, my feet would not have let me.  I have absolutely no regrets changing to the 100K.  I am beginning to think the 50-70 mile distance is what's best for me.

Icing on the cake!

Zeke finished as well ... on his SS.  This was definitely an unfriendly course for single speeders.  At  least here he could not bail; the shortest way back to the venue was to just ride (or walk)!  I could only imagine the names he must have been calling me during the last 30 miles; after all, it was my idea to race this new (to us) course.

I was happy to have chosen my Niner full suspension.  Even though it was a bit more bike to drag on the flats, it was awesome in the techy stuff.  Never once did my back complain (I had injured L5 four weeks ago).

Thanks LW for telling me it is ok  to race shorter distances.

Rolling With The Punches

I love to suffer on the bike.  You know, that kind of eye-ball popping, lung-busting, leg-burning pain as you push yourself to the limits.  This type of pain is an endorphin-releasing monster that I welcome with open arms.  It is one of the many reasons why we endurance junkies race.

However, in the last few months, that "fun" kind of suffering has been replaced with a burning, stabbing, and sometimes even an electrical searing pain.  With each step or pedal stroke, I am constantly reminded that my neurological system is full functioning, albeit in a negative way.  If I am lucky enough, the pain is eventually replaced by numbness.

The pain is most definitely worse off the bike.  It hurts to stand, period, and walking barefoot is almost impossible on hard surfaces.  The only respite is when I sit, swim, or sleep.  Weightlessness is my friend, gravity my foe.

On January 15, 2012 when I registered for the New Hampshire 100, I was super excited to be headed to a new race.  LW had my plan dialed for me to peak for this one.  I was salivating at the thought of a 100 mile sufferfest and competing against some of the best endurance ladies in the US.

Fast forward to today.  I am headed to New Hampshire to race, but LW and I have re-set my goals.  As she so eloquently put it, "Setbacks that occur as your race career progresses are called insults.  Always frustrating and demoralizing.  When you have a series of setbacks holding you back from where you know you can be, the best course of action is to place a higher focus on the joy of riding/racing and less on the suffer part."

I have always placed the fun factor of racing first, closely followed by safety and seeking that top podium spot.  So I have decided to race the 100K.  At this distance I feel I can still have the "euphoric" level of suffering, yet not be hindered/frustrated/demoralized by the pain.  And at this distance, I will be able to enjoy 2 days of riding the Kingdom Trails afterwards.

In the meantime, I am following my doc's recommendation of using a trans dermal cream to help placate the nerves in my feet.  Two days ago I visited Choice Orthotics to get fitted for a pair of custom insoles.  Richie told me that my arch is super high and my metatarsal fat pad is non existent.  The insoles will help displace my weight more evenly along the entire foot.  I will get a properly placed metatarsal button and there will be a gel pad to help cushion the metatarsal heads.

They can also fit Ossur Cheetah carbon fiber foot prosthetics.

Right now the forecast looks pretty good for the race.  The 6:45am start will be a little nippy in the low 50's.  Zeke will be racing his Niner A9C single speed and I will be on my Niner Jet 9 RDO.  The legs are tuned and the GI is happy so hoping the rest of the body follows suit.

At least there is no target on my back!

Morton's Neuroma Surgery Follow Up Report

Well, it has been 9 months since I had that nasty little bugger of a neuroma cut out from between my third and fourth metatarsal heads on my left foot.  Let's just say that if I was a horse, I would have been shot by now.

And here is how it goes!  The surgery had gone great and 3 months later I was in Arizona at the SSAZ riding without pain.  I rode my SS for 5 straight days, 25+ hours, and who knows how many miles.  Only on the last day did my feet start to bother me a little bit.  I experienced some mild numbness and tingling across the balls of my feet, save for the surgery site.  There I experienced nothing at all.

Everything was going great, I was winning the spring Chainbuster 6 hour series on my single speed.  Then in May (7 months post op), my feet started taking a turn for the worse.  After the Chainbuster race at Winder, I noticed the tingling, burning, and painful sensations returning across both feet.  I also noticed that the scar tissue from the surgery appeared to be getting thicker and more tender to the touch.  It became uncomfortable walking barefoot, especially on my left foot.  Where the scar was, every step felt like I had a large rock under my foot.

At work, I was miserable, having to stand 10 hours a day.  I did my best to sit every moment I could, but we are a very busy practice and that was difficult to do.  And then, to make matters worse, I began to have electrical jolts of pain just proximal to the surgery site.  That did not feel good at all!  I was having to soak my feet in ice baths 2-3 times a day to make the pain and electrical stimulation go away.

The funny thing, however, is that my feet hardly bothered me at all while I was on the bike.  I know that the long hours in the saddle had to be affecting them, but to me the days at work made them hurt 10 times as much.

I was apprehensive about the Pisgah 111 and afraid that I would have to DNF, given the amount of hike a biking. I started out conservatively, just waiting for the pain to appear.  Funny thing, that day, my feet were great!  After about an hour I was able to pick up the pace and forget my feet.  Only towards the end on that last Black Mountain hike a bike section, did they start to bother me.

In between the Pisgah 111 and Karl's Kaleidoscope, my feet went back to their former painful, burning, tingly selves.  After Karl's Kaleidoscope, I went back to see my podiatrist.  I have had a history of cheloid formation.  This is basically a scar gone awry, laying down granulation tissue instead of maturing into a nice healthy small scar.  Cheloids can be painful and even entrap the end of the severed nerve, causing the nerve to fire.  It was either that or I was developing a neuroma at the site where the nerve was cut.

After discussing this with my doctor, he ultrasounded the surgery site looking for evidence of a new neuroma.  After not seeing one, we decided to inject the scar with dexamethasone, a type of steroid.  Within 3 days, the electrical jolts had stopped and I had less tingling, burning sensations when I walked.  Whoo hoo!  Small victory.  However, I was still experiencing numbness across the entire balls of my feet.

Since then, I have had a second injection and am still seeing improvements. The scar is beginning to soften and decrease in size.   I am now able to walk barefoot some and the days spent at work are not as excruciating.  I have also made some other adjustments which are helping as well.  Although it is killing me, I have not single speeded since May 5.  I am sure that mashing the pedals aggravates those other neuromas that I do have.  I have taken up swimming to replace those easy recovery rides.  And I have switched from wearing Keen's to Chaco's.  The Chaco's support my arch better so that more of my foot is taking the impact.

Next week I will be going for a second opinion to a foot surgeon (who is also an athlete) on this issue.  I am hoping that she has a miracle cure ... other than a bullet!