No advice, I’m afraid, but I do have sympathy and virtual hugs.
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Thanks, appreciate it. 
7/1
Three-mile run
Dips 15,15,10,10
BSS 20x2x10
BW squats 3x25 (the way that these are actually tiring…)
Kneeling ab wheel 2x15
Nordic curl negatives 3x8
Band stuff for adductors
8 Likes
7/3
Then after work I ended up riding a lot… for fun. I haven’t done that in probably eight months. Including my commute to and from work, I ended up riding an additional 34 km. I think riding on the trainer has paid off because the hills on the loop I ride didn’t feel as painful as usual. This afternoon I was feeling super angry about my circumstances right now, but this made me feel better.
Maintenance came and recaulked my shower, but of course they didn’t try to address my mold concerns specifically. As painful as it sounds, I’ve already kind of decided to move out. If I can. I have until end of August to leave, so I will start scoping out places soon. I feel like I am kind of going crazy, but that’s what pelvic issues do to you 
I will do anything possible to get out of an apartment that is potentially harming my health.
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Same! 
@Bagsy
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7/6
Deadlift 165x3x5 (just going to slowly work my way up with sets of five to regain some strength, hopefully it works out)
Kinda off track scheduling wise with both my lifting and cycling workouts, but it is what it is. Just trying to deadlift and do ringwork once every 7-10 days and do enough volume of BW work and cycling. The threshold workouts aren’t really challenging right now since the app recalculated my FTP when I returned detrained, but I know these will ramp up slowly but surely.
Lots of panicking over my living situation on Friday was relieved when I found out my former landlord (who’s an amazing guy and much better than my rental company, such a rarity among these types) has a property opening up soon and will be ready around the end of next month. He’s open to a shorter lease, which is uncommon here. I’m going to see it on Tuesday and honestly probably take it, assuming I am approved. I’ll still have storage space for my lifting stuff in the basement.
Of course, the main motivation is to escape the potential mold situation here. I would hate to get surgery and have any endo grow back if I return to my current apartment. But besides this, I’d really look forward to this place because I can live in the neighborhood I’ve always dreamed of since I moved here. I’m not a huge fan of my current city, but I know I’d be significantly happier in this other neighborhood. It does mean I’d be farther from my workplace and grocery stores, but now that I am A Cyclist, it would be manageable.
11 Likes
7/7
Push-ups 6x8
BW squats 3x30
7/8
Super hard workout, did this after riding to see what will likely be my next apartment and my new commute to work (flew by faster than I thought) and then home. Never completed a session on TR with such low cadence. But this was considered a “stretch,” so I’m glad I finished it and will hopefully keep improving.
My former landlord was happy to see me and ready to have me sign a lease right then and there, but I’m waiting for formal acknowledgment of my notice to vacate my current place. In any case, I’m almost certain I’ll get to escape my potentially moldy apartment in a little over a month! 
I’m very excited.
I have an appointment in a week with a surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive surgery for endo, fibroids, etc. Hoping I can get in for a laparoscopy within the next few months. Slowly working toward getting better
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7/9
Pull-ups +20x2x1, BWx2x6
Ring push-ups 8,8,7,6
Squats +20x3x20
Ring rows 13,11,10
Step-ups 3x6
Hanging leg raises 3x9
Rucked 4 km with 20# in pack
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How do you like your cadences?
When I rode a lot, I always preferred a higher cadence, lower gear.
My one buddy was like a slow cadence high gear rider. It was like he was taking giant slow steps, where I’d be a gear or two lower, riding at the very end of it.
I think I rode at a lower cadence than was right for me when I first started cycling. But now that I ride more, especially thanks to the trainer, I don’t try to force a lower cadence anymore. Seems better right now, and I notice I’ve increased my cadence outdoors too. Earlier this spring, my cadence tended to be in the mid- to upper nineties. Now it’s a bit lower, but I think I’m still regaining fitness.
I’ve learned a lot but still don’t know that much about cycling, and I guess it is personal preference. Though I’ve read that a lot of riders start off (and maybe even stick to) “too low” of a cadence.
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7/10
BSS +25x3x11
Some adductor stuff
Feeling really tired lately. I’m sleeping 8.5-10 hours most nights and feeling groggy most days. I’m probably exhausting myself by thinking about my apartment and health condition so much on top of work stress, but I’m not sure. I’ve felt very out of it since coming back from my trip. Plus I found another potential source of mold today, so that’s not great. I feel like I’m turning into a crazy person!
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I really don’t either. For me, riding a bike for either fun or transportation was about [99% doing, maybe 1% knowing. + 100% personal preference].
We also have ridiculous topography in this region (western PA/greater Pittsburgh area) so riding styles and preferences can vary greatly. I rode to the beach & back once on vacation in Florida, and over shot the turn to get back to the house by several miles. Mostly because it was so flat & easy. I got to a dunkin donuts and realized the cul-de-sac was a couple miles back. 
You’re telling me you don’t want to buy a power meter, carbon wheels, and a $500 kit?
Cycling in Florida seems so silly to me. Not just because of the flatness. Sure, I wouldn’t get killed trying to ride up a terrible hill, but a driver who hates cyclists probably would be out to get me… 
Yes! Thats exactly what!
A couple friends of mine really pushed the limits and got into triathlons and of course, triathlon bikes. Thats a big old Nope! for me. Independent pedal cranks, the whole 9 yds.
Actually, when I was riding for transportation I had a GT mountain bike similar to this:
And thank what ever or who ever that I did, cuz I hopped more curbs, potholes and medians than I can count dodging careless drivers. One did get me T-bone style at low speed drifting through a stop sign, but I was able to step up on the hood of her car to avoid serious harm.
But I did upgrade as I went through parts. Rims (heavier), derailleur, forks, etc.
My money is on senior citizen in a Caddy, pork pie hat, and his little eyes peeking over the steering wheel.
Here’s some ridiculous cyclists vs. hill porn, if you ever want to get all psyched up to not go very fast! (I’ve skidded for long distance on wet cobblestone. It hurts. Every little bump.)
That makes sense though. I use my gravel bike for transportation. While it’s a bit fancier than the frame you showed there, it’s definitely more suitable and probably slightly faster on any really rough road near me. And better for hopping onto a curb if needed. I’m going to buy a rack and pannier for mine soon. I’d like to upgrade to lighter wheels someday…
I’m now imagining this… 
I’m very lucky that I haven’t been hit by any drivers here because I’ve actually had a couple of extremely close calls here as a pedestrian. Depending on the area, drivers here are fairly kind. Sometimes they just aren’t looking for cyclists, or at least not for smaller ones like me. I think I’ve just become used to it and it’s objectively not great, hahaha.
Good thing I will probably never visit Florida again!
Ooooo, I just watched the intro. Gonna watch later for sure, thank you. Looks awesome, hilarious, and dangerous! There are a couple of decent hills but nothing like those and no proper climbs.
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It was definitely distracted driving. She was actually describing what happened to the person she was talking to like “Oh my god! I just hit this guy and he is totally freaking out!”. Otherwise its a pretty bike friendly area.
It is ridiculous how fast and easy it can be to get around. The rail trails are the old train tracks that went from mine portals to the mills, so they’re very direct and only gently sloped in most places.
. Its pretty cool. I don’t think I’ve done any on the list, but there are lots around here to get the legs and lungs scorched.
I certainly knew tons of people drive distracted, but it becomes even more apparent when cycling on the roads. A couple months ago a woman obviously did not see me and almost made a blunder… thought she was going to yell at me when she pulled up next to me when we were both at a stop, but instead she asked me what she should have done in that situation instead. Uh, I don’t know, maybe try looking?
Rail trails are so nice! There aren’t any super close to me, but my cycling trip last fall was on a long rail trail and so indescribably zen. I wish there were more around me.
I’ve actually been to Pittsburgh once. In 2014 if I remember correctly. I obviously didn’t pay tons of attention to cycling infrastructure back then, but what you say doesn’t surprise me. I still vividly remember how scenic it was on the way there by car coming in from the west.
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7/12
Biked 24 km to go to work and run various errands.
Ran three miles after I got home.
I can’t keep bothering my friends about this, so I’ll continue flooding this log with rants: Fuck pelvic issues. Fuck women’s health issues. I hate this so much. I’m tired all the time, can’t even stay awake at night – I don’t know why, maybe it’s the stressing over it, the supplements I take to try to shrink whatever type of cyst or adhesion I (presumably) have, or the condition itself. Probably all those things. I feel like I’ve become dumber over the past couple of months. It’s been seven months of pelvic discomfort to at least some degree. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I have to live like this forever. Right now it’s been over two weeks of Something there. Yeah, it could be way worse like it was in April and I couldn’t do anything for weeks besides lay on my bed or floor. But I can’t live my life feeling… whatever this is forever.
I just don’t understand why this is happening to me. And like the person I am and my scientific training, I’m trying to figure out what the cause of this is. Assuming it’s endometriosis because if it isn’t that or adenomyosis, I don’t know. I come up with all these theories as to why this occurred: stress in my everyday life, trauma I’ve experienced, mold, and now I’m even thinking that my iron deficiency contributed in some way because supposedly that can lead to estrogen dominance. But I’m so active, eat an anti-inflammatory diet, don’t drink, make the right choices nearly all the time.
I had abdominal surgery 3.5 years ago. The doctor who performed it doesn’t think I have endo, maybe it’s just scar tissue from that procedure because there were no obvious signs of endo during that surgery (though they weren’t looking for it per se). Even though my pain started off as something very cyclical. But they aren’t an endo specialist, so I take some of this with a grain of salt.
I have my consult on Tuesday. I don’t know what will happen, maybe I’ll have an MRI to see if anything shows up there (and it likely won’t). I think I want surgery, but what if it is something silly like scar tissue? What if another surgery makes things worse? Of course I’ve read all the horror stories online about these symptoms not only coming back (which supposedly happens in a decent fraction of patients) but sometimes even worse than before. Then there are others who regret not doing surgery because the disease ruined their organs and continued to spread. I realize this doesn’t help because those with positive outcomes tend to not share stories online, but still.
I just don’t know. I’m just living my life in fear and hopelessness right now. I want to cry every day.
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