Two steps forward, one step back.

Well, I thought I was all set to move forward. Had a couple of busy days that kept me off the bike, then two very discouraging rides. Saturday and Sunday I could barely keep my output above 160 watts for any length of time, and the effort just made my quads hurt like hell. On the up side, my calf muscle feels pretty good and is loosening up very well. Monday night while fencing I had some decent explosive lunges.

Regarding fencing, I had an interesting experience developing defensive footwork. I found by keeping my weight slightly forward instead of balanced 50/50, I could use my front leg more effectively to spring backwards and create more of a buffer between the opponents blade and mine, allowing me to make more leisurely parries. I was also able to stick the rear foot with more authority during a retreat, allowing me to change to an advance more smoothly. Now that the left leg no longer hurts, I want to do some lunge drills using the jumpstretch bands around the left foot to right shoulder

Tonight I played my first game of lacrosse with a mixed group of thirty-somethings and over forty guys, and I sucked. It was a lot of fun though. I ran out of gas pretty early and had no sprint left after a very short time. The good news again is, it didn't hurt the leg at all. I'll keep stretching it and plan on doing some treadmill miles over the next 2 weeks and see how it goes. I wasn't planning on trying to run until late February, but I think the injury is sufficiently healed. If I can run and sprint in short bursts more comfortably I think I'll be able to settle down and concentrate on better stick handling.

So, I hope this valley in my power numbers is just a burp.

One more thing. I've wanted to write about this but I keep avoiding it.
On January 14, my Dad passed away after suffering a fall and subsequent head injury. He was 85. This past summer, my son, my Dad and I went on a couple of local sightseeing outings. Here's a shot of them both. I miss him.