Archive for the ‘My Diary’ Category

This week I have a knee problem that has put me to riding only and nothing very extreme. I have rode the Provo Parkway and the Orem Bonneville Shorline, staying on the doble track road there and just working the knee with a good spin. So I have reposted a 2004 article from Runner's World that explains the problem and what you can do to fix it.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (“Runner's Knee”)

Here's how to prevent and treat one of the most common running injuries.

By Shelley DrozdFrom the August 2004 issue of Runner's World

Forty-two percent of all overuse injuries affect the knee joint, and patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), or simply “runner's knee,” is the most common overuse injury among runners. It occurs when a mistracking kneecap (patella) irritates the femoral groove in which it rests on the thighbone (femur). Pinpointing a single cause is difficult, says Stephen Pribut, DPM, a sports podiatrist who specializes in running injuries. It could be a biomechanical problem–the patella may be larger on the outside than it is on the inside, it may sit too high in the femoral groove, or it may dislocate easily. Also, worn cartilage in the knee joint reduces shock absorption, high-arched feet provide less cushioning, and flat feet or knees that turn in or out excessively can pull the patella sideways. There are also muscular causes. Tight hamstring and calf muscles put pressure on the knee, and weak quadriceps muscles can cause the patella to track out of alignment. Just the repetitive force of a normal running stride alone can be enough to provoke an attack.

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I don’t really know what happened but today I pulled off a 55 minute trail run on the Big Springs 8k loop today. Normally I have been doing it in about 65 minutes but this past week I pulled off a 62 minute run and after a few days riding the bike I hit 7 minutes off my time. I stopped smoking about 40 days ago and wondering if it just might have played a big part of this? I’m sure it has! You can check out my Smoke Free Timer and see how long it has been, leave me a comment if you can.

So I’m going to slow down my run days just a little and see if maybe that will help get my time down around 50 minutes or so, it is worth a try.

By Bill Messick

This was the first time this year I have done this ride and it was a great ride to do. I got my wife to dump my butt off at the gravel road at the end of the Timpooneke Campground up American Fork Canyon. From there I followed the road for the next two hours around the front of Mount Timpanogos and down the rough road to the single track at Grove Creek. From there I dropped down the 3-4 miles past the falls to the park at the top of 500 north. This ride is an advanced ride and takes you around narrow cliff exposed trails, so walk it if you have to on this on.

The video has music by Blackdog Mems and Resin and at the end there is a really cool bird of prey named Sundance, for more videos check out my Video Blog.

Photos taken on the Timpooneke Road – Grove Creek Trail on 8-29-2010.

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I know that is a big statement to make but it is simply the truth! I have been peddling a MTB bike for over 20 years now and have been through my share of chain and bike oil, from greasy gunk to wax I have tried them all. If you have bought some lately you know that it is getting pricey and the bottle is getting smaller every year. I use to by a 12 oz bottle of the wax for about $4.50 now it is up around $20.00 or more. So about a year ago I had ran out of wax on a ride with a buddy and the next day was Sunday and my chain was screaming at me for some love so I started searching on Google for a cheaper and hopefully a better solution to the problem.

Eco-Friendly & Good To Eat

If you have ever done a search for chain lube you have seen the mass of things people have tried, one such thing was transmission fluid. It is cheep to buy and you get a big bottle for less than $2.00 at Wal-Mart, so I picked some up and the next day gave it a try. It did work very well but quickly I saw it’s down falls. It started gumming things up after only a few rides and the smell was not a good thing not to mention the toxicity of it! It was at that point I realized I was looking for an oil that was also eco-friendly, and also editable that would not only make it safe for the environment but safe to eat! Let’s face it I ride in some of the most pristine places on this earth and I want to keep them that way and dragging around petroleum by products on the trails is just a bad idea. I believe that each and every one of us that use the trails are responsible for the time we spend on them and if we don’t care who will?

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Yesterday I had attempted to take a ride up Clark’s Trail but the weather had a different plan, about 25 min up the sky broke open and dumped on me. I tried to push on but as soon as the mud started sticking to my tires I knew it was only a matter of time before my bike would take on 100 pounds of mud so I turned back and dropped out of the ride and went back. Today with the blue sky showing a different story I returned for a do over, the trail was dry and packed from the rain that had chased me off the day before.

I have been having some trouble with my front brake making noise when I roll so I took a few minutes to spread the pads apart and clean them out seemed to work good.

Check out the video of this ride and for more try my Video Blog.