Sunday, August 3, 2008
Windy City Takes the Wind Out
Well, we managed to make it to Chicago, the "Windy City," in just under a month, 27 days to be exact. Along the way we traveled 2,300 miles, rode through 6 states, over various rivers and mountains, and into wind blowing the wrong direction. We met many interesting folks, some that made us shake our heads in amazement at the human race, and a lot who made us smile at the kindness and generosity of our fellow citizens. Our bikes held up with minimal repairs and maintainance needed and our bodies held up too, that is until our first official day off here in Chicago. While walking to breakfast on Wednesday I noticed that both my legs were experiencing some pretty severe pain. It came and went during the day Wednesday as we toured the city but I was able to ignore it. That changed Thursday morning when it became a challenge to even walk down the stairs. Deciding against having our friends construct a makeshift triage with their readily available IV bags, I went to get checked out at the Illinois Masonic Medical Center. It only took them about 15 minutes to take me in, hook me up to an IV, and to tell me that I was in some pretty serious trouble. The past month of biking had managed to tear and damage muscles in my legs and my CK levels (muscle enzymes) were severely elevated. That means that my muscles were torn and broken down and now the toxins from the dead muscle tissue were flooding my kidneys and liver with stuff that my body does not like. The admitted me for 23 hours to fill me with IVs and checked my blood to ensure my CK levels went down. After 23 hours, to the amazement of the doctors, my CK levels actually increased while I was receiving treatment. So, I won first prize and received another nights stay in the hospital in Chicago. My cousin Holly came by to cheer me up and visited for a few hours and Soule brought some cards and gummy cola bottles and we played poker for a while to get my mind off of things. I was finally released from the hospital on Saturday morning with strict instructions from the doctors to participate in no physical activities of any kind for at least two weeks. I do admit to being stubborn, however, in the face of possible liver and kidney damage, I am affraid that Chicago will be the end of the line for me. Soule intends to carry the torch for the remainder of the ride to Maine. He will be heading out of Chicago on Monday as I depart for home. We are finishing up some tourist stuff here in the city before we leave. It is hard to do a lot seeing how it takes me 25 minutes to walk a distance that would normally take only 5. We did manage to take in a Cubs game which was truelly awesome. You really can't pass through Chicago without seeing a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Continue to follow along on the blog to see where solo Soule is and to support him for the rest of the trip. It is a hard road to ride but I know that he will fly through these next couple of states and will be on the east coast in no time at all. I want to thank those who have followed us along the ride so far and encourage you to go out and challenge yourselves on a daily basis.
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4 comments:
Thank heaven for sharp hospital staff who can pick up on and treat these maladies; we wonder if this is a common, or not-uncommon, condition amongst xc cyclists. If one has be hospitalized better in Chicagoland than at East Jibib General both for the range of experiences and the food quality. You gentlemen have set a fine example of commitment for another pair of young cyclists we know and difficult as the choice was, Matt, we all know you made the right decision to break now and perhaps pick it up again next Summer. This will give you another year to rebuild your body plus give you more material for your annual school essay, "What I did for my Summer vacation." Besides, we don't fancy making a xc cycle trip in the future to raise money for kidney research. Look for Soule as you depart O'Hare; he'll be the ant on the bike.
Jeff, we can still offer you sanctuary in Erie if your schedule places you in the area of the city at the end of a day's ride. There is a minor league ball team there, too, like the Cubs, just 3 blocks off the Bayfront, and the ice cream store will still be there whether you are solo or a pair - we think. Give us an ETE/ETA if you want us to make arrangements; we'll provide contact no.'s via Tom and Linda. TR Inaugural NHS in Buffalo is closed for renovation:(, maybe you'll pass NPS site in Seneca Falls, and of course Ft Ti should be real site to see (not NPS). SW New York state is also wine country and terrain is flat to gently rolling so you should have a nice, fast ride leading to the Adirondacks. Passing close to Livonia, east of Buffalo? May have spot for you there, too.
Anyhow, each of you have safe journeys from here and we will try to rise to your challenge. Pray before meals. ~ TeamDestinationMaine
Jeff-O ~ We hope you had a heads-up about the approaching storm and hid out in the sub-basement until it passed or else we fear you have already passed us and are landing in western Vermont about now; picture Dorothy or the neighbor to that music at the beginning of The Wizard of Oz. If it destroys all else at least a tornado builds character. We hope this is the roughest bit you experience between "here" and the East Coast. Keep well hydrated and eat well balanced even as the evenings become cooler and the terrain flattens again, and enjoy the late Summer variety of wildflowers like early Goldenrod, and Joe Pye, and Pokeweed. And that tall, light blue plant along the roadside is probably Chicory.
Look both ways before you cross.
~ TeamDustDevil
Jeff, let me know if you need a place to stay near Cleveland.
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