A Down Week

This week started out nicely. I took advantage of some unseasonably mild temps Monday afternoon for a 34-mile gravel ride to the southwest. My quads were a little sore from more miles than usual on my indoor trainer the previous week so I was hoping the ride would loosen them up a little. Later in the afternoon, in a matter of maybe 20 minutes, I began to feel weak and shaky. I had to lay down. Then I got the chills and couldn't warm up. I spent the evening shivering by our gas fireplace with a blanket over me. Except for a trip to GS Labs in Shakopee to a drive-thru Covid testing site the next day, I had no idea that I'd be on the couch or in bed until this morning (Friday).

The testing site performed 2 nasal swab tests for current Covid infection and one finger prick antibody test to see if I've had any previous exposure to the virus in the past few months. They were all negative. My illness had all the makings of a bad seasonal flu but one that hit me harder than any other I can recall. I recorded a whopping 210 steps on Wednesday. I'm mostly out of the woods now but I've got a lingering cough from deep in my chest, a mild headache, and my voice is weirdly weak and shaky—that's not something I've ever experienced before.

Tammy thinks I may have had a bad reaction to a drug I'd begun taking (mesalamine) two weeks earlier for a recent diagnosis of mild Crohn's Disease. I stopped taking it, not wanting to prolong the awfulness of what I was feeling in case she was right. I really don't think that was it because this felt more viral than a coming together of some various side effects from a drug. It's difficult to know but I'm not about to go back on it to find out. It didn't appear to be doing anything for me anyway.

I'm hopeful of getting the Covid vaccine this coming week. Tests in the cities aren't easy to secure just yet but I do have a reservation set aside for Tuesday in Bemidji if I want to take an 8-hour round trip. I know that seems excessive but for a retired guy looking to kill a day, I don't mind. Plus, I've never been to Bemidji.

Okay, I'm going out on a limb to say that we've got this winter in the bag. The 10-day forecast takes us to within a week of April and it looks very mild. 

Now that I've got my new wheels, I would really like to someday take a trip to western North Dakota and spend a day or two or four on the Maah Daah Hey Trail. A friend sent me this link and it rekindled my desire from a few years ago to make it happen. My Orbea would thrive in this environment. I only hope I can say the same for me. It's on my bucket list...after retracing some of my favorite routes out of San Diego.

It was refreshing to hear Biden speak last night in his first address to the nation as president. The bluster of the previous guy was replaced with sincerity by Biden. The glossing over of the pandemic by the previous guy was replaced with a head-on approach by Biden. And the lies of the previous guy were replaced with honest truth about what we're up against by Biden. I think a lot of us forgot what a real president is supposed to sound like. I feel for the younger people among us for whom the previous guy is all they've known in a president. I'm hopeful that Biden can and will inform their understanding of what a president should be.

That's all I've got.

Comments

Scott Klein said…
I rode a portion of the southern end of the MDH trail two years ago and it was quite enjoyable. I'd love to attempt the whole trail over a few days so that I could soak in the views and not worry about running out of water or energy. Let me know if you want to plan a trip out there this year. I've got the trail maps and a few ideas on how to manage the logistics.
March 13, 2021 at 6:21 AM
Kevin Gilmore said…
Hey, Scott - The guys in the article I linked to were way in over their heads it would seem to be taking on such a ride. I can understand why they weren't able to enjoy the views. That would be part of the journey for me. The race itself intrigues me as well but I'd have to see the lay of the land first. I'll definitely keep you in mind if I look to make it out there this year.
March 13, 2021 at 8:31 AM
Steve Marshall said…
Kevin, I’m looking for an old Army buddy of mine, Mike Maughan. Sorry for posting here but I’m not sure how to contact you otherwise. I see in a post from you had found him in 2005. He was a Army Major at the time which would correspond with my rank also. Great guy. Meet he and his family while we were attending our officer basic course at Fort Benning, GA. I remember him talking about his previous Navy service. If this is the same Mike Maughan I’d like to get in touch. And thanks.
March 14, 2021 at 9:51 AM
Kevin Gilmore said…
Steve, yes, we're talking about the same Mike. Feel free to contact me at onekgguy@gmail.com

Kevin
March 14, 2021 at 9:57 AM
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