Uneventful colonoscopy this AM. No polyps, no idea to what causing loose stool. DR suggested 600mg of ibu for muscle pain. I am finding out what is not causing my discomfort and so far the disastrous causes have been eliminated. Which medicine specialty will identify the cause and remedy the solution. My plumbing is safe from intrusion for another 10 years.

Last night starting @ 4 was the uncapping of the 4 liter of golightly fluid I needed to drink as fast as I can or at least 8 ozs every 10 to 15 mins. I crunched the numbers and drew up a time sheet to keep me on track to empty the jug. Both my plan and the drink worked as described.

Left side ribs are still painful to deep breathing. Going to take Wed off. I need to buy a set of tires for the van on my way to Sedona tomorrow. Tires are almost at wear strip and have 61,000 miles on them. I’m thinking replace the tires here w/ better choices than central OK. Might not be fair comparision but the point is valid.

Hanging @ motel.

Sleeping on queen sized bed, I slept on the first 36″ width. My van bed is just fine. Had to stay here again tonight because daily checkout was before I was released from dr and I needed a driver to get me out. restaurant food. Another shower tonight.

Phoenix megalopolis stole the h2o to make it so big. In the Sonoran desert w/ Saguaro cactus for shade. Smog. Distant mountains ring basin.

Yesterday @ Montezuma’s castle near Camp Verde just S of Sedona while walking back to my van to leave I hear “Craig Bierly” called out several times from a passing rig. It was Kevin Bergdahl from TCS where I used to work. He picked me out of a croud of people while he was inching forward in the traffic. Impressive for him and validation for me that i seem the same 21 months later. Hardly anybody knows my last name because it is not on my business card.

yesterday was a hang out day waiting the late afternoon ride start from Bike & Bean. Shower @ Hilton b4 ride because 1 ride of grit was better on a clean body than 4 days of accumulation.

Shortly after 5 a bunch of us headed out & rode x the hwy to old man and then some other pieces. Brisk wind blowing sand. Chilly and sunny, beautiful light again. frenetic pace by leaders trying to get 2 hours out of a 1 hour ride. I can’t keep up, I just get winded trying to ride hard.

Ended up back @ B & B for a raccaus beer drinking no dinner evening. Slept behind shop.

My gut pain & loose stool moves to colonoscopy this Tues down in Scottsdale. Blood tests came back normal but I have high cholesterol still. I booked pricey motel reservations for Mon & Tues  nights.  I drink maybe 3 qts of h2o a day, i lessened my consumption and stool firms up. Kidneys not able to remove excess h2o I drink? See what the 4″ hose reveals.

Today started as just another beautiful Sedona spring day. researched hotel choice. To be released after the procedure I have to have a motle reservation & a  drive to it. Taxi both ways. I found a room for 2 weeks of grocery $ 4 miles away.

Geared up & rode to B & B to start my morning. Plan is to ride down low by myself @ my speed & working on technique. I had ridden most of the distance several times. I made my tech problems feeling pleased w/ myself. I say pleased because it beat the frustration of not making any of them. At Templeton & Cathedral trail junction I dropped down towards TH & wash that I planned to ride up. Amnesia is so protective as I have no memory of the nasty fall I took over the bar from stuffing my front wheel on landing. I must have rolled a drop that was too steep and lacked a down slope runout. I vaguely remember coming to picking up my bike. A hiker took it away from me, he asked about me and where I was going. I seemed to make sense and could focus my eyes. I was woozy.  He walked my bike dwonhill to TH where I wrestled it away from him and said thatnk you for help. I didn’t ask him what he saw. I rode back to B & B between the bike lane white lines. Hurt but able to pedal. Plan is to get back to van while I could still seeand drive to Sedona hospital emergency room for examination. Pulled it off. At the hospital I packed a clean clothes bag and walked in. I am in my riding shorts & jersey. I am limping from a banged right knee. My left side is way hurting, I can’t close my mouth to chew, a bleeding cut on my left little finger, a gash on the inside of my mouth, and a bloody 1 1/4in gash under my left eye. Cat scan and several Xrays revealed no serious injuries. DR said that tomorrow I will feel like a car hit me. Never had that happen. Do not remember the beginning of the fall nor how long I was knocked out. DR said I was out cold. I am hurting. My right knee had a little swelling but the icing seems to have reduced swelling.

Yesterday i emailed Dave Turner @ Turner bikes that I rode w/ his test guy. DT replied.

Not really, just really fast & hardly a break, 20.31 miles in 3 hrs 16 min, climbed 2772 feet.

Slept w/o heater again last night. Dawn brought warmth to 47 degree interior when i got up. Let sun warm up and wore my Pisgah wool jersey.

Stopped @ NY bagel store for normal supply of 2 cinnamon raisin and 1 blueberry. I like the bagels. Jimmy & friend Kevin from Long Island told me that there are different NY bagels.

Made Bike & Bean just after 9:00. Say hello to all. Jimmy introduced me to Dave who will be putting on the Turner demo days around the country. Gonzo was supposed to ride w/ them but he didn’t show. I offered to guide him, his wife Bev, & their friend Bob. They were going to ride system trails. I suggested Highline from shop and thought that would be good enough for them. Dave is riding a DW Spot like mine. Both he and his wife’s Flux have 650 wheels which are a bit bigger than 26″ but not quite 29″. Experiment continues of optimal wheel diameter. Bob rode a very old Cannondale hard tail w/ rim brakes, and all but bald tires. Oh well I thought to myself. This guy is in for a tough ride. Turned out he had things in hand.

Pace was brisk w/ just several munchie breaks. Dave is a live wire and just splatters everyone w/ his drive. Let him go w/ request to wait @ every intersection. fast rider & quite skilled. Amazing how he negotiated the tech features first time thru. He & Bob were pretty ecstatic riding the social trails made by mtn bikers. Dave was looking for more riding time. OK, my idea for a longer ride is to ride the Hogs for maybe another 90 mins. They threw down. Rode up easy sleezy wash where my skills were finally better than dave’s. Whoopie.

Off to Chicken Point on Little Horse trail then up & down on Broken Arrow for a ways until the nondescript start of High on the hogs trail. More fun. Bev elected to return to TH. Bob rode in front of me and smoked that ancient bike. I finally rode a tricky uphill left turn exit. Returned on Hogwash which is a undulating sketchy single track a ways underneath High on hogs. Tricky trails. Further diminished the walking spots. Rode chute on Little horse again picking a line around Bob who bailed just ahead of me. I told him to freeze so I could squeeze by down. Challenge is 15 foot elevation drop in 10 feet horizontal and there are 3 rock steps roll downs, rock surface is broken smooth bedrock, I don’t think is slick rock. Confidence to let gravity pull forward, for the suspension to suck up the drops, and  I can steer a committed line.

Rest ride was system trails back until crossing hwy 179 to pick up lower Made in the Shade for a mostly downhill back to shop. Dave & Bob split for parking lot while I choose a longer route back to B & B.

What a hard ride. I have a spent feeling different from others, maybe a bone tired.

Hung @ B & B afterwards. Defrosted the fridge. Jimmy let me put my cold foods in the shop fridge.Down canyon further to Beaverhead flats camp spot. Dry Beaver creek is swollen w/ snow melt from Flag.

Smoked the Spots.