Spectating
Uncategorized April 21st, 2007Yes that is right…as of last night I am a merely a spectator at the Tour of Georgia after being DQ’d upon finishing yesterday’s Brasstown Bald stage.
Yesterday was definitely the hardest stage of the tour and for me it was one of my hardest days on the bike! I had been dealing with a saddle sore for the previous few days but at the start of the stage it did not feel too uncomfortable. However that was not the case afterwards….
Anyway, from the get go I was struggling. Whenever the road would go up I would go shooting out the back of the group and have to ride in the caravan and get back on. In the end I don’t think the Chief Commisaire liked that idea and I got DQ’d after finishing the stage.
On top of that lovely news the infectiong that I had brewing in the form of a saddle sore blew up. After the finish much like in Europe last year I had to go and get a hole cut in my ass so the infection and am on a cycle of antibiotics! (I would like to say thanks to the race medical staff who have taken care of me since day one of the tour….you guys are awesome!)
Needless to say I am very FRUSTRATED for not only getting DQ’d but for my saddle sore issues. I am not quite sure what to do…experiment with different saddles…laser hair removal…racing on a recumbent….who knows? I have pretty much tried everything so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.
Later, g.
PS. It was awesome seeing all the fans out on Brasstown Bald yesterday and I wanted to say thanks for all of the cheers and support on the way up it really helped!
April 21st, 2007 at 5:54 pm
hey..remember me crashed hard goin down lemmon with ya last yr. anyways ive been there with the saddle sores. is the sore usually on one side or is it in the middle. i always got ones on my left leg side cuz my hip was dropping dude to my leg-length difference. im sure u prolly would be aware by now if u had something like tha going on though..but who knows. it does seem like it might be realated to some anatomical issue simply b/c it keeps coming back like it has. not sure when you’ll be back in boulder but ive heard one of the sports med centers around here specializes in bike fitting/analysis etc.
April 21st, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Garrett,
I really hate to say this, but you are known for it. Maybe it is the constant saddle adjustments you are doing, thus always having a different point of contact on your pelvic bones/saddle area. We did a little study on this in undergrad, and when there is constantly friction in different places it causes many problems. When an area has friction in the same place everyday it adapts by becoming more tolerant and causing less sensitivity to the area. Anyhow, I am not an expert and do not take my word for it. Regardless, you put yourself out in the front and got Priority some TV time. Kudos for the ride and good luck with the meds.
April 21st, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Well, I have basically had a permanent saddle sore since I started racing and spent a year on a bike that was too big - got a better fitting bike but the saddle sores seemed to stay for an extra few years. Until recently anyway - some sort of combination of something seems to have worked… You might already know all of this but here’s my incredible amazing accumumation of info:
1. Chamois cream with witch hazel helps because witch hazel is an astringent, and thus has disinfecting properties - Assos has witch hazel but it also has parabens, which interfere with your endocrine system, which produces hormones. Beljum Budder is a great paraben-free alternative and it has witch hazel but it’s a new product so it’s not available everywhere yet. Martina and I can both hook you up with samples if you want.
2. Clean with rubbing alcohol before and after riding.
3. Lance the sore when it gets a head and before it gets out of control.
4. Get a bike fit/leave your fit alone. (my teammate Sharon lives in Denver and swears by her fit guy - I don’t know who it is but Sharon’s blog is www.sallpress.blogspot.com)
5. Who is your team’s clothing vendor? My final disappearance of saddle sores seems to have coincided with the arrival of our Capo clothing. But it was also right around when we got our new bikes, which fit me better than last year’s, and the beljum budder, so who knows.
I don’t know if this helps at all. Sorry it’s so long. Good luck.
April 21st, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Garrett, Garrett, Garrett……….what did i tell you…………….5 months off the bike should do you good, its like you never rode ever before………………
and as far as taking care of this one, all i can suggest is that you drown your sorrows in wild turkey for the next week, and maybe that little bugger down there will get drunk and go home with someone else.
seriously though, i would say keep adjusting the saddle, you gotta keep em guessing. maybe even adjust more often, maybe step it up a notch to the 45-49 range, but dont go over 50.
I really wish you were in bisbee, next saturday is the pimps and ho’s night at Hot Licks. I might do the race that day as a pimp, or a ho, i just dont know.
April 22nd, 2007 at 7:44 am
Thanks for all of the advice guys…I think Jones’s five months off the bike accompanied by Wild Turkey is the best idea! Can I spend those five months with you in your RV Jones?
Jon yeah I remember you and I got an Andy Pruitt bike fit and have no leg lenght issues but that is a good point.
Jeremy thanks for your help also but the problems always occurs in the the same area no matter how I adjust my saddle…and to be honest the reason I adjust my saddle is because of the bumps.
Lastly thanks for the info Courtney that is very helpful. I never tried alcohol before and had no idea about witch hazel and parabens. Belgium butter you say?
April 22nd, 2007 at 10:34 am
Hey G -
Bummer to see the DQ. I guess they are being picky at GA this year, eh? Damn, what’s the problem with a guy getting a tiny bit of help to make the time cut? Anyway, UCI commisionaires. Not much you can do.
About that damned saddle sore. I saw a side-shot of you from GA the day you were in a break. You looked to be in a painful position. Maybe that was from the sore? Or is your position that bad (no offense)? If you are able to come to Seattle, we could take a look at things for you. We have a great physician, Dr Pettis, at out place who is an expert with this area. And Todd Herriott and myself do the bike fitting and positioning in conjunction with Dr Pettis. It works well. Sometimes it takes some time to find the perfect set-up, but we always get there. Pettis has had good success with these issues with a lot of top dudes like Hincapie, Hesjedal, Sayers, etc. If you have time to come up to Seattle, let me know. You’ve really got to get it taken care of ASAP. Good luck brotha.
Gotta get back to the Tour of GA coverage. Reistad was in a break when I last watched…
Russell
www.herriottsportsperformance.com
www.inewmed.com
April 22nd, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Garrett,
Sorry to hear about the ever-present saddle sores. I have a couple of tips for you:
1. Stop sleeping in your dirty chamois.
2. Stop touching any saddle sores
2. Get a box of alcohol prep wipes, carry them with you, and use frequently.
3. Exfoliate that skin in that area gently with exfoliating gloves while you are in the shower.
4. Liberally apply Pain Relief Neosporin that is antibacterial and topical pain killer while on bike, plus chamois cream.
5. Apply a benzoil peroxide lotion (for acne) before you go to bed.
6. Do not follow anyones advice on “home lancing” programs. Ever.
7. Follow MJ’s advice and drown pain in wild turkey.
April 22nd, 2007 at 7:43 pm
A while ago Zabriskie posted on his website advice on dealing with saddle sores. It’s no longer there, but I found someone else’s site that had it. Follow this link below, scroll down to MAIN-TAINT-ANCE, and good luck.
http://fixedgeargallery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2056&sid=1fe776ff73b57c0ed50a87c765e0cdc8
April 23rd, 2007 at 8:44 am
Two words for you… Bag Balm. $7.00 for a can at Wal-Greens. I would say 3-fingers worth of goodness keeps your shtuff tight. Just don’t spend too long, or people may wonder.
April 23rd, 2007 at 8:55 am
G.
I think I have a solution for your ass.
We had a kid (you remember Kat?) about two years ago and have found the most amazing cream - “Dr. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste”. It fixed the very worst cases of diaper rash it might work for you.
Look me up if you’re ever in MinneCRAPolis.
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Hey G!
I was the tour staff that came up to you on day one in PeachTree and told you i liked the blog. You had an awesome race and showed major stones by attacking with all of that mummy wrap on you!
As far as the saddle sore…witch hazel straight up or in a chamois creme. I use Qouleum’s anti-fiction sauve. It is awesome…plus you smell like all those euro dogs…so the local competition thinks i am way cool and have the hook up!
Again, great race…keep your chin up and your saddle height alone. Come back strong and kick’em in the jimmy!
-Chance
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:47 pm
yay..somebody remembers me!
April 23rd, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Throw some extra strength Gold Bond Powder (Green Bottle) down your shorts before every ride. It will keep you cool and dry and the medicated stuff in Gold Bond kills bacteria.
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:24 pm
blah blah blah blah blah………5 months off.
April 25th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Garrett…I can send you some udderly smooth. hee hee.