34 degrees and wet, heavy snow all day - needless to say, I was less than inspired to ride. I'd had every intention of it, and if it had just been rain falling, I'd have been out there, but I just couldn't face the snow. Instead, I spent 50 minutes on my treadmill and watched the first episode of Glee on Netflix. I foresee a lot of treadmill time in the future so I can watch the next 43 episodes!
On the up side, when I last rode on Tuesday (last night was date night with the hubby), my shoulder didn't bother me much at all as I rode Pali. I'd been to the chiropractor that morning, and he said the problem was that the biceps tendon was rolling out of the bicepital groove in my humerus (it's not at all humorous), and getting up on the ridge next to the groove. When I rotate my hand to the inside, as I do to hold onto flat handlebars, it causes the tendon to rub on the ridge - painful! He was able to get it back into place, but thinks that the ligament that's supposed to hold it there is damaged or gone. My internet research showed that this is fairly common when there has been other shoulder trauma. The trick now will be to find a way to either keep the tendon in place or learn how to put it back into place on my own. Ouch!
I have to give lots of kudos to WomanTours, the company I'm going to Bhutan with. I e-mailed them a few days ago, explained my shoulder problem and the pain I was having riding my mountain bike, and asked if there might be an option of putting drop handlebars on my bike or narrower ones or something. Jackie, the company president, didn't express dismay at having an injured guest on a tour in a third world country. Instead she praised me for being willing to go even if it hurt, and offered several suggestions she thought might help, including them being willing to bring an extra set of narrow handlebars. We wrote back and forth several times, and finally concluded, after my chiropractor visit, that I'll bring a set of bar ends with me to clamp on my handlebars. They'll allow me to hold my hands in a more vertical posture. I really appreciated WomanTours' willingness to work with me and help me find a way to go to Bhutan. Thanks, Jackie!
The view from my window this evening - you can't see the snow falling, though.
