Getting Sick Means Getting Better

Another winter, another cold. I'm getting it for 2 years in a row. I probably caught it while test-driving Tesla 3. I talked too much with the sales guy, though it could've been the service guy who gave it to me.

When you have CFS, it's hard to tell if you are coming down with cold. The ache, fatigue and the drained feeling is same as the ones you get with a moderate post-exertional sickness. (A severe one is about same as completely getting knocked out with flu). I rode to Miller Park when I got back from Tesla -- I wanted to take advantage of the break in the weather and ride to South Park, and then got overly ambitious as usual -- so I would've assumed I was having a post-exertional struggle, if it weren't for the scratchy nose and throat.

Some people think CFS prevents them from catching cold. In reality, it is the isolation that CFS puts them in and therefore deprives them of opportunities to come in contact with vectors carrying the virus, I think. I'm an example. I've gotten sick only once between 2008 to 2017. And that was when I was riding crowded subways in Korea.  Now I am a bit more socially active, catching cold/flu is becoming an annual event once again.

Anyway, Tesla Model 3 was a blast to drive. It was lighter on its feet and had tighter turning circle making it much more agile and sportier than Model S. It felt much like Mazda 3, only more powerful. (Some compares it to BMW 3, but BMW 3 steering has more springy feedback to it). But no, I'm not getting another Tesla. I knew it would be a better car and would've waited for it if it weren't for the cross-country trip that we planned. I'll probably get a cheap rice burner -- I miss my old Honda -- for recreation eventually, when I get over the guilt of burning fossil fuel. Tesla will be the main driver anyway, so I won't be contributing to the global warming that much.

End of Yet Another False Recovery

A week long trip to Oregon. the ordeal of 15 mile ride circling the river. 3 mile hike to Nevada Fall in Yosemite. 4 days of sudden wakefulness.  I sure enjoyed while it lasted. Now another false recovery has come to an apparent end along with the summer.

I rode to the Yacht Club to test out the theory that 2x100m run that preceded the last ride was responsible for the CFS flareup the last time. I wallowed in a post-exertional flare-up for 3 days afterwards even without the preceding run this time. So, the 2x100m run may not be the real culprit.  Rather, it could be that the novelty of bike riding has dissipated, and the summer of false recovery is now over. And to think that I might be able to dabble into skiing this winter, LOL.

Getting knocked out of commission for a day after an exercise is bad enough. Paying for one day of freedom with 3 days in jail is just not a viable trade at all. I'll have to go back to being a good boy for now and stick to walking to the café like I used to in the spring. I may be able to ride to another café 2 miles away too. But I don't need to take chance with long rides or runs. There just isn't a need enough to risk bad flareups.

The false recovery will come back. Maybe in November, like it did briefly in 2016. Or maybe in the next summer. I have a feeling that they will get more frequent and longer, eventually leading to the real recovery. I'll just need to lay low when it is gone and abide my time till it comes back.

Freedom

The wife had a business in SF on Thursday and I had to chauffer.  I didn't mind; October is always a good month to visit SF. Fog-less and warm enough for a t-shirt, it certainly was a good day in SF.

Her business in Pacific Height and then our lunch in Laurel Height taken care of, we left the car in Castro as usual and she went to see her friends. I got off F tram at Powell and went for a meandering walk all over SOMA, my old neighborhood during my years of constantly wallowing in CFS stupor.  I probably logged good 2 miles when I got to the Ferry building. I rested on the upper deck of the ferry terminal for 30 minutes munching on Acme bread and Pepsi. I could've taken Muni back to Castro then. Instead, I walked on. I walked till 2nd Street and was resting in Starbucks there when I got the text from my wife that she was coming back. So I hopped on F that just happened to be there and came back to Castro.

That's what freedom looks like.

The day ended with 14,000 steps. Between lying on couch and napping in bed, I was pretty much useless yesterday, though in the evening I managed to walk to a store for lotto tickets for $1 billion prize and then drive around looking for cheap breakfast cereals. It was a post-exercise fatigue, not a struggle or sickness. A happy fatigue.

Speed, Still the Killer

I struggled for another 2 days with CFS flareup. On Tuesday, I didn't step out of the house at all. Wednesday, I managed to crawl out for a walk -- I had to, being cooped up for more than a day with CFS flareup always makes me feel effing bad.

2-Day Crash. 5 or below in the second to the last column means bad day

It's possible that the bike ride caused the crash. It was the second time on the same route and the novelty effect has faded. But I'm pretty sure that the effect of 2x200m run that weakened me for 4 days and the bike ride on the top of it that did me in. I'll test it by repeating the same bike ride next week.

Back in 2009-2010, 2 sets of 8 curls with 12.5 lbs dumbbell were enough to make me sick. Someone on the Phoenix Rising site suggested to cut it down to 4 reps and that worked like a magic. Then in 2011, I noticed that walking the same distance just a bit faster made me sick. That's when I started pacing with a metronome and I've been limiting my walking speed to 90/sec. I learned since then that it's the sustained speed/intensity that keels me over, time and time again.

Reducing 2x100m to 2x20m may fix the problem. But I don't need to run; for now I'm content with slow walk/ride for a distance. I just need enjoy my freedom that such walk/ride brings. I'll give the run another try eventually, maybe in the winter when it is too wet to walk or ride.

Wakefulness Not Replicated

Yesterday, I was still a bit tired from the 2x100m run 2 days before. But I wanted to replicate the wakefulness after the morning ride, so I swallowed another Bronkaid and traced the same route to Miller Park and then to Sacramento Yacht Club.

Miller Park

I could feel my legs being substantially stronger than the last time. I was able to easily get up from the seat to pedal across one intersection. And the whole trip, despite a bit more fatigued at the beginning, was easier than the last time. I didn't crap out all afternoon afterward either; a bed rest of 30 minutes, and I was sitting up. It may be the result of 2x100m run.

The 3 days of wakefulness, however, was not replicated. I slept 9 hours last night and I still wasn't as awake as I was the first time. Then fatigue rolled in this afternoon and I spent most of the afternoon lying down.

It could be that the novelty effect disappeared on the second ride. Or it could be that I was on Bronkaid for 2 days in a row, and therefore less ephedrine kick. Or it could've be the solar sunspot. There could be millions of reasons. At the end though, it's likely that the wakefulness just happened for no reason at all, just like in 2016, and therefore cannot be replicated. After all, why did I decide to go for a morning ride out of the blue on that day? Probably because I was amped up already.

Still, it's quite possible that the outcome was different on the second ride because I'm still under the weather from the 2x100m run 2 days before. Even though that did not make me sick, I should give the morning ride another try when I'm rested and see if that makes any difference.

Interval Training

Yesterday was as good a day as any for the interval exercise I've been meaning to try as I improve. I finally got unwired and took a nap for 2 hours in the afternoon. Then it was too late for a walk or ride, so I decided to give 2x100m run a try.

It's something I tried in 2011. Back then I still believed that I might be able to exercise my way out of CFS. So I'd go out to the school behind the apartment building I was staying at in Korea and try 4x100m. I reduced it to 2x100m when that made me sick. It still made me sick, and I gave up on it after a few tries.

This time, I'm up and moving about the day after. But a wave of incredible fatigue and ache completely paralyzed me around 9PM last night, several hours after the run. It must've been the neutrophil storm whipped up to remove the cellular debris from the run. I managed to get up at 11PM and take shower before going to bed for good.

Getting knocked out for a few hours may not be the end of the world. But the after-effect may last several days, as sustained speed/intensity usually do -- it may reduce the exertion tolerance even if I don't get sick and therefore limit my ability. I'll have to see next a few days. For now, not getting sick the day after the run is yet another indicator that I have improved.

Recovery?

What was supposed to be a quick 3 mile morning ride turned into a 9 mile one. Instead of heading north to Tower Bridge, I turned south and rode on. Miller Park would've been 3 mile ride; but I couldn't resist the temptation to explore beyond. That's usually what happens when I take a new route. And ephedrine in the Bronkaid pill I swallowed before leaving probably made me even more daring.

After that, I was spent. But I was still wired and managed to clean the bathroom in the evening. Then insomnia stuck. You'd think 9 mile ride  ought to make a CFS patient sick for days.  I used to get sick just from cleaning the bathroom alone. The ride should've at least put me to sleep for good 8 hours. Instead, I couldn't fall asleep till 3AM. I tossed and turned and got up at 9AM. This is just like 2016 when all of sudden I was able to walk more without crashing and couldn't sleep, only worse. (I mean, better).

Next day I was still wired. I was awake enough to get the laundry done and then walk 2km. And then, another insomnia.  (The coffee I had in the afternoon may have something to do with it this time.) I slept less than 5 hours and I'm still wired this morning. I'll have to go for a long afternoon walk or another ordeal to get some sleep tonight.

I never was a good sleeper before. I remember lying awake in the middle of the night and tracing the hexagon patterns on the ceiling paper. I was no more than 6 then. And I suffered from insomnia all throughout my working life. The silver lining of getting sick with CFS was that it cured my insomnia and I was able to sleep full 8 hours like a baby. Now that is going away.

This could well be yet another false recovery. But it's happening more and more often and it will stick someday, I'm pretty sure. Then I'll have to struggle with insomnia all over again. It's truly a rock and a hard place.

The Reminder

That life-sucking heaviness. The feverishness without fever. The semi-delirium. They all came back yesterday in force. The dishes piled up and there was nothing I could do about it. I struggled to boil pasta for dinner. I was back in 2010.

And the memories came back. I remember standing in line in the post office on Sutter Street in 2010. (I no longer remember why I was there, perhaps I was shipping my photo albums to somebody because I was leaving for Korea.) The fatigue was so overwhelming, I couldn't care less what people thought and wanted to drop right there and lie down on the floor. Or, on the subway in Korea desperately wishing that someone would get up so that I could sit. When we were back, I would send my wife to scout for the bus stop because I couldn't walk another block. It's a wonder how I survived that delirium for so long.

There was nothing unusual I did the day before. I walked a few blocks, ran some errands and ended up logging 7000 steps. In the evening, I revved up for no reason, enough to go out to the grocery store at 10PM to pick up milk and pie. It's something I wouldn't do normally; timidity and melancholy to go with fatigue set in by then even on a good day. A lot of people was out for the start of the weekend. A reminder of things I missed out for the past 10 years.

I took 17000 steps climbing Mist Trail in Yosemite less than a month ago and I survived it without getting sick -- I only paid with some post-exertional struggle. No reason for the 7000 steps to cause such heavy crash. It probably was the result of the surge in the evening before. It's something that I've seen several times before, that I've been calling "post-high crash". It's as if the CFS switch gets turned off in the evening for whatever reason and then snap back on the next morning with full force.

Luckily, the sickness lasted only one day. And that was a good thing in more than one way. When I'm well, I forget what it really was like; I only remember that I struggled. So the occasional reminders of what it was like is a good thing. That let you stay compassionate to severely ill patients who have to struggle with the CFS delirium day in and day out.

Been There, Done That. Again

The summer was officially over last week. But it still was 96F on Wednesday and it wasn't  going to be over till I squeezed in my last bike ride for the summer. It was a bridge to bridge ride starting from Guy West bridge to Harold Richey Memorial, for the total of 12 miles, round trip.

View From Harold Richey Memorial Bridge 

This was my 4th 10+ mile ride. Before, I'd stop for nooks and crannies and walk down to the river for  dipping. This time, I stopped only for the rest breaks. Which should've made the ride easier; it is the stop and go that takes a lot out of you, not the slow ride on flat terrain. But I was blacking out by the time I got to the destination bridge. That was only 5 miles. I was spent by then and I had to take breaks every 1.5 miles on the way back.

Before, I was blacking out after 10 miles. And that was after the ordeal of cutting through thicket on sand and taking a spill on gravel. The first 2 times I did not suffer post-exertional struggle either and I was sleeping 6 hours afterwards. The last 2 times I was sleeping 8 hours for 3 days in a row, as I usually do when I'm struggling.

The thrill of biking the river trail was obviously gone and my performance was halved. The novelty affect is alive and well.

Yosemite Aftermath

The day after we returned from the day trip to Yosemite was another day of vegetating. Then I was able to run some errands, probably powered Walfed, a generic version of Sudafed from Walgreen. After that, a funk set in: happy chemicals dissipated and all that was left was fatigue and weakness. I struggled to get the laundry done like I used to. I had to have my wife to carry it downstairs and load it up in the car, and then haul it back up when I was back from the laundromat.

Another penalty of 3 days, it was all so predictable. And to think I was going to bike 12 miles today. I'm just an incorrigible optimist.

I used to distinguish the post-extertional struggle and post-exertional sickness. Now I think they are the same thing that are only different in degrees. When I was constantly struggling with ADLs, the 3 day penalties after a minor exertion, like scrubbing bathtub, used to completely knock me out. Now that I function quasi-normal when I am rested, the 3 day penalty means I struggle with ADLs. In other words, it means CFS flare-up. Maybe the CFS flare-up will eventually go away too and be replaced with DOMS or plain post-exercise fatigue.

DOMS, too, could be the same kind. There was a paper that biopsied CFS patients in PEM and found that there was no micro-tear in their muscle fiber and therefore concluded that PEM is not same as DOMS. But micro-tear is only a hypothesis for the cause of DOMS and DOMS could be caused by inflammation with or without micro-tear. Even if the micro-tear is the cause, the tear for CFS patients could be so minute that biopsy may not be able to detect. And CFS patients, being hypersensitive to inflammation, get knocked out severely for 3 days after a minimal exertion while healthy people only get DOMS after a prolonged maximal exercise. CFS patients further face the peril that a severe case of PEM could chronically worsen the condition. I ought to know, I've done that a few times in my early years of CFS.

Mist Trail, Conquered

I'm not the one to let good money go to waste. I once again invested $80 on the national park pass when we were at Crater National Park and I had to make use of it to get my money's worth. So we decided to go back to Yosemite almost on a whim, before it gets too cold.

It was a day trip this time. I figure I would be completely spent after a day hike and pretty much useless the next day. It's better to come home and rest on my own bed anyway, instead of the dumpy Half Dome Village tent that cost $140, $160 if heated.

I aborted the hiking on Mist Trail the last time and that that's been on my mind. I know how dangerous it can be to be ambitious -- I got another sample of that 2 weeks ago after climbing Telegraph hill -- but we were tantalizingly close to Vernal Falls Bridge the last time and I wanted to come back and try again.

Turned out, we weren't that close the last time. It was quite a ways uphill from where we turned around to the bridge. Then it was another 0.7 miles from there to Vernal Fall, for the total of 1.5 miles.

We made it all the way to the fall. I walked very slowly -- probably less than 50 steps/min -- in zigzag going up. And I had to lean on my wife on the way down. But it was 3 miles with 700 feet elevation gain, so this one goes in the book as a bona fide hiking.

We made stops at El Capitan picnic area, waded water for a while at the beach right after it, took pictures at Bridalveil Fall and Tunnel View before turning around and driving into the sun. It must be nearing the Autumn equinox -- the sun set at 7:05 PM on the Central Valley.

The day ended with 17,000 steps on my fitbit, the most ever since I got sick. That topped 16,000 steps I did in NYC last year.

Not Out of the Woods Yet, #3

After the ordeal was a day of vegetating.  The day after that, I fully recovered and my pace was up to 105 step/min. I did some house duties and then walked at 95 steps/min to Starbucks 2000 steps away.  Then I woke up with the familiar heaviness that goes with post-exertional sickness the next day.  It must've been the pace. Obviously I'm still not out of the woods yet and I'll have to continue to watch my walking speed.

When you are biking on a flat terrain, you are not exerting much. You only exert in spurt when crossing intersections. Walking, on the other hand, is a constant pace activity. Do that at a higher speed, I still suffer.

It would've been nice to rest, but we soldiered on to SF as planned. I needed to swap the stem on my bike -- I'm going with 80 mm for comfort and agility since I'm not planning on riding fast. By the time we were done charging in Fairfield, the fatigue partially dissipated. It was a deja vu of Witherville.

After dropping off wife at Westfield and the bike at the shop, and I went straight for Telegraph Hill. Something I meant to do the last time we were here, but ran out of time then. The steep incline above Broadway was still a challenge and I zig-zaged at 60 steps/min. 20 minute of rest at the top, and I came down Greenwich Steps. I descended like a normal person till Union Street. Then I became a polio victim with knees locked and  hands clutching the rail. I hardly could take another step by the time I got to the Levi Plaza. On F tram, I was looking for an empty seat like I used.

Still, it was a vast improvement. Before, I had to rest several times go up and coming down. This time, it was only one rest at the top. And the weakness dissipated by the time I got back to my car in Castro and I was walking fine again.

I spent the next 3 days in horizontal position, however. The sustained walk down Greenwich steps must've taken a toll and my calves were sore. (DOMS and PEM coincided, more on this later).  Another proof that I'm not out of the woods yet.

15 Mile Biking Along American River

I took my left hand off the handle bar for a moment to relieve the fatigue on my triceps. The next thing, I was on the ground. The 25c tires were no match for the gravel no matter how sticky they were, and the bike slipped down the side of the elevated trail. I might have saved myself if my feet were free. But they were bound to the pedal. I went down clean and a chunk of skin on my left elbow and arm were scraped off.

That was soon after I made out of the woods at Paradise beach. It was quite a walk on sand and through the woods to get to the river from the trail. On the way back, I ended up in dead-end trail several times. I braved through the thickets for a while before finally gave up, backtracked and found the way out.

The meandering through the woods and the subsequent fall took quite a bit out of me. By the time I got to the Skate Park on B Street, I was beaten. I had to sit on the side of the road for a while to gather wit. Then the trail was closed shortly after and I had to back-track again and detour via C Street to the Bikeway Bridge. I was getting dizzy and about to black out by then. I had to lie down by the trail. My heart rate was up to 130 and did not show any sign of coming down even after 20 minutes. I got up, picked up the pieces and cross the bridge to the split trail just before the turn toward REI. I lied on the picnic bench there for a while again. The ranger came by to check me out. He made sure that I had enough battery left on my phone, gave me a bottle of water and moved on. REI was right around the corner, so there wasn't much to be concerned.

This was way more than a CFS patient should be able to. If I don't get sick for the next 2 days, I'll declare that I recovered.

Did I say how much I like this bike, btw? It is not only responsive, it is also super comfortable. The D-Fuse carbon seatpost working with cromoly rail and the tubeless tires does wonders for your bottom. My butt was just about the only part intact by the time I was done. I highly recommend Giant Contend SL. SL 2 at $900 would be a steal of the century.

Oregon Coast

As our expedition moved from Columbia Gorge to Oregon coast, we moved our lodging westward accordingly from Gresham to Portland, and then finally to Hillsboro. My niece lives in Beaverton, so the final location worked out well. We plugged in our car in Beaverton, had dinner with her and her husband and then checked into Courtyard Marriott in Hillsboro.

We checked out early in the morning. We had 400 miles to go and dozens of stops for sightseeing along the coastline. At the end, it still wasn't enough; we skipped all points of interest after Bandon and drove straight to Crescent city. We got there well after dark.

One could be excused for thinking Oregon coastline is an extension of California coastline. Oregon retains some ruggedness of California coastline, with bluffs and phallic rocks sticking out of the water. But it is not rugged like Big Sur. It also has more sandy beaches and streams and rivers emptying into the Pacific. Take Waldport at the mouth of Alsea River for instance. It is covered with sandy beaches, sandbars and tidepools all over. For each river emptying into the ocean there are a dozen streams splitting beaches or creating lagoons where they meet the sea.

This is a two day excursion. It will be a much more enjoyable trip if you stop at estuaries and wade the tidal pools or get baked in the sun at any of the mile long pristine beaches for a while before moving on.

View of Netarts Bay From Cape Lookout, I think

Seaside, our first stop, was a tourist town. We couldn't even find a parking space there. I figure it's just a beach with boardwalk -- been there, done that -- so we moved on after charging up the car. Cannon Beach, about 10 miles south, was a quieter and more pristine breach. It was a bit tricky to get to it. We got off the freeway, drove down a residential street and parked on the shoulder. And then we found stairs leading down to the beach, hidden between houses.

Cannon Beach

We continued on US-101 and then OR-131 to Cape Meares. We skipped Tillamook Creamery -- we had enough butter in our freezer to last another year or two -- and skirted Tillamook Bay all the way up only to find that the road to the cape was closed. We turned around and traced back to Netarts Bay to get to Cape Lookout. A few pictures of miles long sand beaches and the Netarts Bay there, and the morning was done.

Siletz Bay

We stopped at Lincoln City for charging, had in-car lunch with leftovers and hung out in the shopping mall. It was the last chance for tax-free shopping. But we didn't find anything that struck our frugal fancy and came up empty handed once again.

Shortly after Lincoln City was Siletz river and Siletz Bay Wildlife Refuge. It was yet another estuary that wasn't on the Drive #9 of the guide book; another beautiful river emptying into the Pacific with wide sandy beach and sand bars; and another place that we could've stayed over to make the trip more leisurely and enjoyable. We'll come back to it someday.

View from Cape Foulweather

22 miles south of Siletz River, past Lincoln Beach and Depoe Bay, was Cape Foulweather that claims to be 500 feet above the sea where the history of Oregon began. With rugged cliffs, it was more California than Oregon; you'd be forgiven if you mistook it for Santa Cruz or somewhere north of Big Sur.

We skipped New Port, Waldport and all other river-meets-the-Pacific estuaries on the way to the charging station in Bandon. But we did stop for the Dunes Recreational Area. It was infested with ATVs so we took a quick look and then turned around.

Gold Beach

Final charging stop in desolate Bandon. It was a good sized town but there was no soul around except for the scruffy chump on a bike who knocked on my window while charging. He went on telling me how he saw through the construction of the charging station and where to stop to charge on the way to Crescent City. He said he has a Tesla though he didn't look like the type. He sure knew a lot about Tesla though. By the time we got to Gold Beach, it was getting pretty dark. We stopped for a quick shot and then headed to Crescent City.

Colombia River Gorge

The Coke can in Bulgogi, a Korean eatery at the SW end of NE Sandy Blvd, said 1.50. I figure that should be about $1 USD.

I keep thinking this is Canada. It may as well, with the sun laying low on the horizon. It's late August and the evening melancholy hour goes on and on. Not quite as long as in Alaska where the sun rides the ridge forever, but certainly longer than in Sacramento. Our day trip to The Dalles along Columbia River Gorge ended as such and we headed to Rodeway Inn on the other end of Sandy Blvd.

We checked out early from Days Inn in Gresham. With millions of stops along the way it was going to be a full day trip to The Dalles and back. It is the Drive #8 and #10 of the Most Scenic Drive in America. We were going up the river on the South side and then come back on the North bank.

View from Crown Point

The air was still hazy in the morning sun when we got to the Crown Point perched on the cliff overlooking Columbia river. It cleared up a bit by the time we got to Multnomah Fall. We had to take a long detour to the fall. The Historic Columbia River Highway was closed and we had to turn around and come back to Crown Point to get back on I-84.

















After the charging and in-car lunch lunch in The Dalles -- the food didn't look too appetizing in that cow-belled restaurant and we had enough in the car --, it was time to trek back to Portland.

Panorama Point in Hood River

Under the Route 197 bridge just north of The Dalles, black rock slates were climbing out of the river on top of each other and the crystalline water sparkling in the afternoon sun was lapping them energetically.  I could've stopped for it. But I was too tired by then to turn around. I'll come back for it someday.

The north shore of the river along Lewis and Clark Hwy has many streams emptying into Columbia. We were going to follow one of them, The White Salmon River, to Trout Lake. But we were running out of time and electrons by then.  So we stopped and admired the river instead.  The river was about 30 feet down and and there was steel rope tempting you to rappel down. I couldn't resist.

White Salmon River

About 20 miles west was another White Salmon River, Little one this time. It was draining into, well, Drano Lake. The lake was a man-made one with a levy on Columbia to support the road and the levy encircled the bay turning it into a lake. At the mouth of the river was a dead salmon floating belly up. And we understood why it was called White Salmon River.

White Salmon River

We were all done with streams by then and the sun was getting pretty low in a fall-like day. We made a stop at Home Valley Park, rested on the picnic table by its secluded beach for a few minutes and then continued on to Beacon Rock.

Home Valley Beach

I could've made it to the top of Beacon Rock -- it was only about 20 stories tall, so it seemed -- if I didn't leave my wallet in the car. I didn't want the car broken into, so we turned around half way up. It would've been the first completion after giving up so many times. Instead, it became another abortion.

Beacon Rock

The Cape Horn Viewpoint was our final stop. Soon after we crossed I-205 bridge with another spectacular view of the river and we were back in Portland traversing NE Sandy Blvd.

Cape Horn Viewpoint

Portland OR

After driving 700 miles to get here, I crashed early and slept 9 hours. I was feeling much better this morning. Trip is more enjoyable when you are not fatigued. Who knew?

There was nothing that piqued my interest in Top 15 Things To Do from Trip Advisor. So we checked out the neighborhoods instead to see how people live. That's what I usually do when I visit a new city anyway. Matator Network had an excellent article on Portland neighborhoods and I'd recommend it to anybody visiting Portland for the first time. We hit all 5 neighborhoods today.

In all, Portland looks like a cross between SF and Sacramento, Nob Hill and all. It hugs a river like Sacto instead of a bay. the Riverfront trail was too
bustling though. I prefer the quietude of Sacramento's river trail.




Powell Books and the Pearl District was the first order of business. Paid $8 for a used copy of In Cold Blood, had a coffee and then walked to Pioneer Court Square. Next we drove to Lan Su garden, peeked inside from outside -- we were too cheap to pay $20 to get in -- and then walked to the Riverfront Trail. We returned via Skidmore fountain, a European looking square occupied by homeless people.

23rd in Nob Hill looked much like Fillmore in Lower Pacific of SF with shops and eateries lined up on the both sides of the street. It was nothing new to us, so we walked back to 21st, a plebeian version of 23rd, and then back to the car parked in front of Trader Joe's. By then we got hungry so we went over to Boke Bowls for fusion Japanese.

There wasn't much to see in Central Waterfront so we drove directly to Boise, a working class neighborhood going through some gentrification. It's a workable neighborhood. Certainly is not an upscale, but there were lots of greenery and gardens in homes there.

Over all, very pleasant town full of friendly young people. Another 12,000 step day ended back in Gresham.

Portland OR Via Bend

It was only 90F in Sandy where we made the final stop for charging. But the humidity made sweat like it is 100F. It's nothing like the deep South. But it's not bone-dry Central Valley either. That explains all that lushness in Portland. And with hills around it, I could've mistaken Portland for Asheville as we entered it on I-84.

Crater Lake was a bust. The haze was so bad we could barely see the water from the rim.  It is supposed to be the clearest lake in the world but it was the color of ash in the morning sun. Not much to see, so we moved on to Portland via Bend without completing the circle around the rim.

We took this route on the back side of the Cascade for the view of the mountains. The highway is supposed to be hugging the mountains with Mt. Bachelor rising up in the distance. No nothing. It was just a grey void on the both side of the US 97.

Trillium Lake made up for all the loss. It was still hazy, but you still could see the majestic Mt. Hood rising above the water. Maybe we'll camp here the next time.

Salmon hatchery in Wildwood Park was a find. It is on Sandy River, one of many tributaries that feed into Columbia. No, we didn't see any salmon there. It probably wasn't the season and we didn't walk down to the hatchery. We took a short walk along the river and left. It was getting late and we wanted to get to the lodge in Gresham, conveniently located before Portland.

Klamath Falls

The Black Bear diner in Mt. Shasta is still there. In my memory it was a dingy place that served hamburger with dried out patty and wilted lettuce. It apparently has been remodeled and became much brighter. And the food was better this time.  I wasn't looking for it; it was conveniently located across Tesla supercharger and I had to drop in.

It was July 2006 that we stopped here, I think, on the way to backpack in Shasta-Trinity. This is what I looked like back then.

And this is what I look like now:

It was overcast in Sacramento when we left for Oregon. The smog got thicker and then the visibility dropped to half a mile by the time we got to Redding. The Carr Fire was almost extinguished but the aftermath lingered on. The smog didn't get any better as we approached Oregon. Oregon was under the assault from the fires in Washington and northern Oregon. This is the year of fire in the West coast.

We followed I-5 and Sacramento River up north and made a stop in Redding to see the Sun Dial Bridge. Then we walked down to the river and took dip. The water was icy enough to make my feet painful. Being closer to its source in Klamath Mountains makes it much colder than it is in Sacramento.

The next stop was Lower Klamath lake that wasn't. No water was visible except in the channels. It was a wetland covered with reeds. Lots of crows and white cranes and some hawks. There was supposed to be Bald Eagles there but we didn't see any. We might have if we made it to the observation deck, but was defended by swarm of mosquito so we had to turn around.

 We charged up the car and bedded down in Klamath Falls for the night. Another bed bug problem and we had to switch the hotel. The hotel had 70% rating and no mention of the bugs in the reviews, yet I was bitten the same.

Cat Food Thief

Wild turkey sightings are common around here. The other day I saw one on the sidewalk on Q street rummaging the dirt under the tree. It jumped off to the busy road at one point, I had to block the traffic and shoo it back onto the sidewalk. Someone called animal control. Then, while biking 2 days ago, I saw a whole family on the trail taking refugee from the sun in the shade under the tree. There are enough wildlife in this city to keep you entertained.

Last night I saw a raccoon grooming himself in the middle of our backyard. That made me think, maybe it's the raccoon that's been cleaning up the cat food over night. We've been feeding a homeless cat that has been coming to our door since we moved in. He comes almost everyday in the evening. On the days that he doesn't show up, we leave out the cat cereal outside. In the morning it is usually gone. I'll have to install a camera outside and see who's getting fed.

10 Mile Ride

The weather cooled off for a week or so. Then it shot up to 100F again yesterday. It must the summer barking out loud for the last time. 

I didn't count on it. I didn't bother to check the weather before I left and I got dehydrated half way to Paradise. I aborted the trip when I got the Expo Parkway. I found a Subway next REI there and gulped down a few cups. I knew Subway gives refill -- we've bought a cup and two of us soaked ourselves at one in Worthington, MN. While REI, I checked out Synapse bike in size 54. The size was workable -- I could put the zero offset seatpost and 80mm stem and could ride it comfortably. But the bike was not as lively as my Contend SL. I'll spring for a second when I find a stiff 54 under 16 lbs. with low stand-over.

The river trail disappeared at N 12th. The road turned into Hwy 162 in North direction and the bridge going over the river had a narrow sidewalk. It didn't seem like a good idea to ride on it, in the wrong direction no less. I didn't know where that led to anyway. So I rode down the 12th, crossed over to the other side and the stopped at CubeSmart to ask. She told me that the street between Ford and Casino will lead to my salvation. As such I got back on the Northern Bike trail, only to find that the river trail became a dirt track from there on. I wasn't going to ride for 3 miles on the dirt road. I crossed the river to get on to Jedediah-Smith trail that led me to Expo Parkway shopping center.

It was good for 10 miles round trip starting from Matsui Waterfront Park. I left my car there and ended up with a ticket. I didn't know there was a time limit there. Parking at Tiscornia as I originally planned and paying $5 would've been a better deal.  The car was boiling in the sun too when I got back. 

I'm fatigued today, but ok otherwise. It's a normal post-exercise fatigue, not sickness. And I'm ready to believe that I'm recovering, for good this time around. I'll shoot for 20 miles in the Fall. If I make it, I'll declare that I'm recovered. For now, we are travelling to Oregon next week. 

Trip Write-up

Oh, I forgot to link our cross-country trip write-up. It was published on Health Rising website  back in June.

Cycling Begins

Cycling is working out better than I imagined. I rode 5.5 miles along the river on Saturday. I took one day recuperating and I was back on saddle again for 4 miles today. And I rode at a decent clip too, at least twice as fast as the ride in 2010 that made me sick for a week. It's now as if I'm only extremely out of shape rather than sick. I'm going to do 10 miles this week and see if I can get away with it without getting sick. If I can, oh boy, I could really start believing that I'm recovering.

So, I was in SF  last week to pick up the bike. In the morning I went back to the old neighborhood around the Rincon Hill  where I walked around like a zombie, sitting down wherever I could. Portico at 1st and Mission. 201 Mission where I draped myself on a patio chair outside of Angus Burger, now gone, during a desolate walk on the thanksgiving of 2009. Starbucks on Drumm where I camped with my legs up on the chair to relieve the ache. Starbucks on Howard and Spear. How I struggled to walk a few blocks back then. And how anticlimactic it would be to recover from all that as if nothing happened.

In the evening, I picked up a Giant Contend SL 1 from Bike Connection. I was gonna buy Giant Contend SL 2 from an LA bike shop -- they were selling a red one that I was looking for $899, almost 25% off -- and see my nephew and his new bride while there.  The one from the SF bike shop for 15% off instead. But going down to LA was too much a work and SF is nearer in case I need to get the bike serviced. (Turned out, I needed 80mm stem and they will swap it out for free.) So now I'm finally done with the bike shopping. For now and happy with it -- it is an aluminium bike, but it is very responsive and comfortable at the same time. And it fits me every well. Next week I'll go to Mike's Bike and see what they have on sale. If they have a Tarmac comp or S-Works at 25% off, I may get tempted.

Bike from Bikesdirect.com

I sold my old Trek bike about 8 years ago after a leisurely riding of 7 km put me in bed for a week. This summer I am getting another false recovery and I am getting ambitious. So I bought a used bike that weighs 40 lbs for pennies and I was able to ride 4-5 miles without getting sick. And I figured I can ride further on a lighter road bike.

I spent months searching for a new bike --  I can't help, I get obsessive on this kind of things -- and settled with Motobecane Le Champion CF SL Di2. I didn't need such an expensive one; I'll ride 10 miles a week at the most. But I figured I'll future-proof it just in case I make a fully recovery, so I wanted a light weight climbing bike. This Motobecane bike was a real deal, at first anyhow. Just the groupset and the wheelset alone was worth more than the bike price. Then they switched the spec after I pre-paid for it. Now it is slightly cheaper than a name brand bike would be, not a gang buster deal I thought it was at first. It may have been an honest mistake on their part, but the effect was the still the same: it was a bait-and-switch.

I could've cancelled it  and go with Giant TCR Advanced SL 2-KOM that I found on sale in a local bike shop last week. I saw this shop while I was driving through East Sacramento, dropped in, and they conveniently happened to have one in my size on sale for $3200. That was a kick-ass price for a bike of this caliber. At the end though, I decided to stay with Motobecane. It still comes with decent parts and the electronic shifting will make it easier for me as I plan to ride with my hands on the top of the handlebar at a walking speed.

If you price them out though, Giant was a better value:

	Motobecane Le Champ CF SL Di2	Giant TCR Advanced TCR SL 2
Frame	1000	2500
Wheels	500	1400
Groupset	1300	700
Other	200	200
Total Value	3000	4800
Price+Tax	2200	3500
Savings	800	1300

The discount on the value of the bike is $800 for Motobecane and $1300 for Giant. If you take into account the cost of replacing the stem and handlebar on Motobecane -- the crank also came with one size too big for a small bike, but I'm not going to bother with it since that's too expensive -- the gap gets even bigger.

One could argue that Motobecane frame is worth more than $1000. I came up with $1000 because: 1)  it is open-mold (generic) frame, not a highly engineered, brand-specific frame, and 2) the material is one or two grades below Giant's SL 2 frame which is ligthter, stiffer and just about the best frame on the market. A well received Chinese-made generic frame that is lighter than Motobecane's sells for $700. And Canyon's highly acclaimed CF SL frame, made in Taiwan, sells for $1400. I think $1000 is a generous price for a Taiwanese-made generic frame.

If you are a hardcore cyclist, the frame and the wheels are the most important thing. And Giant TCR Advanced SL 2 has much better frame/wheels, hands down, so it comes out at the top on that account as well. You'd be a fool not to choose Giant hence.

Then why did I choose Motobecane? Well, for one thing, I'm not a hardcore cyclist. And, as I said, electronic shifting was the deciding factor as I needed something I can sit up straight and shift by pressing buttons rather than hunch down to twist the lever. Giant TCR is a full blown race bike and it wasn't too comfortable for me at the moment. I also got additional $100 off for ordering the Motobecane early and a carbon seat post worth $200 for their spec mistake, so that partially made up the value difference. I kinda regret not getting Giant though. I could truly future-proof with it and therefore it could've been the last bike I would ever buy.

I did the same pricing exercise comparing Motobecane Le Champion Pro and Canyon's CF SL 8.0, and Canyon was a better value too. And it was full price comparison, not sales price:

	Motobecane Le Champion CF Pro	Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8.0
Frame	600	1400
Wheels	400	735
Groupset	700	700
Other	200	500
Total Value	1900	3335
Price+Tax	1700	2500
Savings	200	835

The frame on Le Champion CF Pro is a mediocre one that is heavier than its CF SL version and you can buy it from bikesdirect.com for $600. Here, the value difference is whopping $635 in favor of Canyon.

Any finally, here is the most apple-to-apple comparison between Motobecane CF SL and Canyon's CF SL:

	Motobecane CF SL	Canyon CF SL
Frame	1000	1400
Wheels	800	735
Groupset	700	700
Other	500	500
Total Value	3000	3335
Price+Tax	2000	2500
savings	1000	835

Motobecane has a carbon crank while Canyon has carbon stem/handlebar and better saddle. So the price for "other" parts add up to about the same. The net saving is also about the same, meaning you don't get much more value by buying Motobecane. You get a similar result if you compare it with Canyon CF SL 8.0 Disc which is available in the US.

The conclusion: The price difference comes down to the frame. If a generic frame will do, you could go with bikesdirect.com and save on the frame and tax. But don't get fooled by bikesdirect.com's price. You get a better deal with major brands at the year end sale. That is especially true when you account for the intangibles like warranty and service at your local bike shop. 

Here is a review of bikesdirect.com by a owner of a major bike shop. It is writtten in 2014, but I think it is still spot on. You should read it first if you are considering bikesdirect.com for your next purchase.

Update: Bikesdirect.com fail to deliver the good. They notify me with the tracking number, but for a week nothing happened. Turned out, they only created the label to create an impression that they were shipping without actually shipping. So I cancelled the order and I'm back to square one. Maybe I'll try them later when they actually have the bikes in stock. Not sure if I trust them though. They may not be an outright scam, but they certainly are a shady operation.

False Recovery, Again?

Last Friday, I meandered through the Grid all the way up to H Street. It was 100F weather and I felt like keep walking. I logged 3 miles in 3 hours at the end of the day.

Two days later, I biked 4.3 miles. I went to the Tower Bridge, napped for a while and then worked on my computer for an hour. Then off to my wife's work in downtown to keep her company. Business was slow and she was bored. I had a cold drink, left my phone with her so that she could surf the Net, and came back. It was a super slow biking practically at a walking speed, putting the pressure on the pedal only occasionally.

I had trouble sleeping on both days despite all that walking/biking, just like in the summer of 2016. I woke up in the dawn after 5 hours sleep and I was wide awake. Still, I was functioning fine the next days.

Yesterday I went to a local bike shop and tested a bike for half a mile. I did pedal most of the way and I pooped out by the time afternoon rolled in today. Pedaling half a mile puts a lot more stress on my body than rolling at half the speed for 4.3 miles apparently. That's the proof that I'm still a way off from the recovery.

It's an improvement nonetheless. I remember biking 7km back in 2011 and crashing for a week.  That was an easier ride too: the trail along Han-gang river had no stop signs and I took more breaks along the way. I sold the bike shortly after that and never rode till now. But chances are, this improvement will also fade by the autumn just like the last one. I'll enjoy it while it last.

Trip Analysis

I finally got around to charting my activities during the trip. Here it is the trip route and the 7 day rolling sum of the number of steps taken.

The bad days, with the condition level 4 or less, are overlaid on the activity chart as the red vertical lines:

Here are some observations:

1. There is no red line in late March and April. This is when I was on the move.  
2. Thick lines appear in early May when we stopped in Virginia. 
3. The lines disappear again till we settled in NYC in June.
4. Then the lines get denser as we approach July. This is the post-trip struggle in NYC.
5. Lines disappear in August as we got back on the road. 
6. Thick lines in the middle of September when we stopped for  a week in Mesquite.
7. Once we got back home, the lines became regular as before.
8. Similar pattern appears while we traveled to Paris in Oct and Nov. It was less conclusive though, because it was only for a month.
9. Ignore thick lines in Dec and Jan. This is when I was having flu.

These observations agrees with what I observed before:

• The novelty of taveling elevates the crash threshold
• When the novelty fades, so does the elevation effect
• When the elevation effect dissipates, post-trip struggle sets in.
• The post-trip struggle ends quickly when traveling resumes.