Coach Cary's Blog
Thoughts, Opinions & Inspiration
More proof Maya loves me. Setting my sights on ski season.
Back in Crested Butte! I love travel and new adventures – obviously - but I also love coming home. Every time I drive into this valley my soul feels a little bit brighter. The kitties were thrilled to have us back. Maya must have sensed we were on our way home; Friday...
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Escaping snow in Sun Valley. Dancing with coyotes under a full moon in Park City.
We were lucky to have decent, if not warm, weather in Sun Valley. There was a cold front that dusted us with snow on Monday. But on Tuesday the sun was out again. It was still chilly; as Puck and I started out on our hand cycle at 9:00, it was 22 degrees. My hand...
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Sun Valley & Park City 2017 Take II: Three wheeling it.
I may have forgotten to mention that Mark and I were supposed to be in Corsica - cycling - right now. For several weeks after I tore up my knee, I was determined I could make it work. I would take my hand cycle: Logistical nightmare. I would rent a hand cycle: Yea,...
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Vermont 50 mountain bike weekend (without the mountain bike).
I’ve been traveling to the Vermont 50 mountain bike race since 2012. It has become an annual tradition and I look forward to it every year. It is an excuse to visit my friends in Vermont, ride 50 miles on a beautiful course that is only accessible on race day and then...
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Don’t go to the dog park with a pocketful of dog treats. And other (seemingly obvious) life lessons.
As I write this I am on a plane heading to my annual Vermont 50 Mountain Bike Race pilgrimage. Which is really an excuse to visit Holly, Jon, their two awesome kids (who I claim as niece and nephew) and one awesome dog. I decided it would be tough to complete 50 miles...
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Understanding post injury atrophy. It’s complicated.
I was standing in the gym the other day when a CrossFit buddy saw my un-braced leg for the first time. The extent of atrophy shocked her. How could I have lost ALL my muscle? I was at least partially weight bearing from day 1 post surgery. I started PT within 3 days...
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FREEDOM! Now the real work begins.
I’m going to come right out and admit that when my surgeon told me I could walk out of our appointment yesterday without my brace on, I looked at him like he was crazy. Walk? Without my brace (aka security blanket)? No can do, doc. I love my surgeon and I trust him...
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Hand cycling update! Rehab update! And are you sure I’m not 46 already??
Technically I turn 46 tomorrow. Happy Birthday to ME! Ok, celebration over. In triathlon, you race as the age you will be at the end of the year; this is so you compete in the same age group for the entire calendar year. So in my head I’ve been 46 since my first race...
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Compression gear to the rescue; some of my favorites. And a quick update on my hand cycling adventures.
I’ve been a big fan of compression for many years. Before compression even entered the sports lexicon, I was the proud owner of many pairs of medical grade compression stockings, leggings and socks. Let’s just say I had compression when compression wasn’t cool. I was...
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Muscle atrophy is no joke; but WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT, ANYMORE.
I never gave much thought to muscle atrophy until I had ankle surgery several years ago. When my cast came off after just a week, I was shocked: Where the hell did my calf muscle go? And what was that floppy skin doing in its place? The scary reality of muscle...
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Headed home after tackling my first (itty bitty) section of single track.
Goodbye Park City. Again. For now. I’ll be back soon. It’s always fun to learn new towns and trails. And coffee shops. I feel like I’m getting the hang of Park City. This morning Puck and I went for our final Park City hand cycle ride on Betty the Hand Cycle. I don’t...
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Crutching in Park City. And a critical review of Slip & Soar technique…
It’s been a whirlwind few days and I haven’t had time to update. So I’ll do the Cliffs Notes update of my road trip to Park City. Really what you want to hear about is the Slip & Soar held on the ski jumps at the Utah Olympic Park. But I’ll save the best for last....
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Dogs, mud and laughter: so good for the soul.
Yesterday morning I woke up to the now familiar patter of rain. It was actually pouring, so a bit more than a patter. We’ve had such a rainy summer here! I can’t complain too much because it means we are not suffering from forest fires. And everything is green and...
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Learning to be creative. And maybe just a little bit more patient.
I have been meaning to update this blog for the past week. But I have realized everything takes me 10 times as long and costs 10 times the energy as it used to. By the time 5:00 rolls around, I’m so exhausted I feel like I must have done a lot: Fed dog? Check. Fed...
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Humbled by kindness as I adjust to my new reality.
What a week: On Tuesday I ripped my quad tendon off my patella, tore my VMO muscle and fractured the surface of my femur. All from a little slip when I wasn’t paying attention. Ask me if I feel old and fragile. On Wednesday I had an MRI to confirm all this. On...
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Run rejuvenation quest update: Program temporarily discontinued.
Tuesday was a great day. And then it wasn’t. I got in an early run with Puck and Bandit, felt great! My new running shoes arrived: An Altra shoe with slightly more aggressive tread than the one I had been running in. They felt amazing when I tried them on and I was...
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Lessons from Puck: Don’t bite your friends. And why recovery is so damn hard.
I have always believed we humans can learn a lot from our canine companions. Useful things like: Live life to the fullest, love unconditionally and rest when you are tired. Today we add: Don’t bite your friends. Puck has two dogs he absolutely loves: Bandit &...
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Puck: Part Husky. Part Pointer. Part… Retriever?
The three most common things I hear (and I hear them a lot) when I am out with Puck are: “Wow, look at those eyes!”, “What a beautiful dog!”, and “What is he? A Great Dane?” The eyes are pure Husky. And he is a beautiful dog, in my totally biased mom opinion. However,...
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