If you have been around me for more than 5 minutes you have undoubtedly seen me adjust/crack my back.  this is in no small part to a constantly nagging dull lower backache i have had for well over a year.  it first started at the end of April ‘06, the day before my last race in France when i woke up with my back completely out, like couldn’t stand up straight-kind of out.  complications worsened in august of ‘06 at Charlotte when for some unknown reason my right leg loaded up totally and then shut down.  it caused me to quit the race on the third lap.  needless to say i was a bit scared as my roommate and teammate Stu had been diagnosed with a kinked illiac artery and had to retire from cycling.  the only difference between Stu and I however was that his symptoms were constant and mine seemed to get better as I warmed up.  i had some testing done with a dopler flow meter that mesures blood flow through the vascular system.  it didn’t find anything- but i could not get symptomatic during the test, so i felt they were inconclusive.  Since then I have hoped that it had something to do more with a nerve then a vein (because theres no $20,000 surgery to fix the nerve). 

WELL. this morning i adjusted my back and had a very DEEP release that instantaneously ended my back pain.  it struck as a slight shock because a feeling that i have lived with for a year was gone.  on my ride today, try as i might, i could not get my right leg to fail.  for the first time in over a year i felt normal,having equal strength in both legs.  for the first time in months my lungs were my limiting factor not the strength in my muscles.  tearing up hills in an effort to blow up my right leg i was gasping for air and i still had reserves in my legs.  the only way i know for sure to get my leg to fail is to do a pursuit on the track.  so i’m off the the track in a bit to try it out.  but right now im really excited.  i hope this is the end of a long depressing period.  i’ll let you know how it goes!!!!