COLLARBONE AND ROAD BOOK UPDATE

So, here're a few updates about one thing and/or another.

Collarbone: (I update this from time to time because when I first broke mine, I was eager for info on what to expect from my recovery; I'm hoping that this is of interest/help to someone.)

I'm four months out from the break and surgery and I'd estimate that I'm probably 95 percent back. Been road riding and running for two-and-a-half months now. Along with a century I've ridden numerous epic climbs including Hurricane Ridge; Sunrise, Paradise and Cayuse-Chinook (Mount Rainier); Washington Pass (Highway 20); Artist Point (Mount Baker) and McNeil Canyon (near Chelan). My running is pretty low-key these days but only because I'm riding so much; it's not at all a collarbone-related issue.

Mountain biking-wise I've been riding for about a month and this is where I'm still inching my way back. The distance and climbing are no problem but yesterday, when the Titanium Cowboy (Scott Young) and I did the epic Samish Loop, I got off and walked part of the steep rocky descent on So Easy which I can usually ride. And there's one challenging bridge in Arroyo Park that's still in my head a bit.

I don't feel any pain in my collarbone, it's more a confidence thing. In fact the only pain I feel is when someone comes up and squeezes my shoulder as part of a friendly greeting which, oddly enough, happened twice on Saturday. (Ouch! and various curse words.)  

The Classic Road Rides of Washington book: I've been road riding lots this summer, gathering routes for my book--the aforementioned mountain spots along with various flat and rolling routes in places throughout Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King counties and the San Juan Islands, with rides in ever-expanding geographic circles throughout the state once my son is back in school. My Seattle Times story of last week generated a few e-mails and suggestions for routes include a couple epics up near Chelan and one killer climb (Lion's Rock) near Ellensburg. The elevation profile looks McNeil Canyon-esque. Weather permitting, I'm hoping to head down and try it this week. 

Other rides and routes on the agenda before the rain and mountain snow starts include Mount St. Helens, Paradise from the east (Stevens Canyon approach), and hopefully another foray to the Methow Valley. I'm always looking for suggestions so please feel free to send them my way.

Also possibly on my agenda is the Capitol Forest 50-Miler , a mountain bike race down near Olympia. I've ridden here a couple times (once with Gary Klein: see here) and always wanted to go back. Looks like a fun killer race. Or, as I wrote in my Times story about mountain road routes, a painfully evil, rollicking good time.