Post-skiing Struggle Returns

 It's the same story every year. For about a month, I can ski hard and then recover in a day or two of post-exercise fatigue. Then it gets gradually worse turning into multi-day post-exertional struggle for the rest of the season. If I continue to push, I end up with multi-month struggle after the season. (See 2020 and 2021 analysis).

After the skiing #9 on 2/3, I crapped out totally and struggled for 2 days. And #9 was for only one session of 8 runs. (Granted, it was hard off-piste skiing on black slopes). Doing that twice a week means that I'm now constantly struggling. That's just not sustainable; I'll have to quit skiing so frequently. I may do a few more skiing -- the season still has left 2 months left in it --, but no more of the bi-weekly skiing that is too disruptive to normal living.

All this means is that I may not have made as much progress after the second cross-country trip as I would like to have. As far as skiing is concerned, at least. But I've been skiing a lot more frequently, at half the amount. And I've been mostly on off-piste black runs that are much harder. So, it's an apple to orange comparison. I'll have to go back to weekly skiing to make the comparison more valid. I'll give it a rest for a week, and then try a few weekly skiing and then compare. Then I'll call it a season.

2021-2022 Skiing Season

 

Skiing #7 yesterday on the way back from Sacramento. I only skied for one session in the afternoon, good for 8 runs in 1.5 hours. I couldn't make it in the morning; I was still struggling after the skiing #6 last Friday on the way to Sacramento, and a fast walk the day after. The afternoon skiing put the end to the struggle; I'm comfortably resting this morning.

The skiing season actually began in late December, a few weeks later than usual, delayed by the December drought, and then the storm that resulted in the record snow in the Sierras. And I've been skiing twice a week to make up for the late start, for the total of 7 times since then.  Moving to Reno obviously paying dividend as far as skiing is concerned. Soda Springs is only 40 miles away from Reno and is on the way to Sacramento. I've been stopping for skiing on the way to and from Sacramento. 

I struggled for 2 days after the skiing #5 which was spent mostly on black runs. So, I tried two sessions of 12 green runs instead on 1/21. That also resulted in 2 days of struggle -- 12 runs apparently were too many. I'll have to go back to 2 sessions of 8 runs on blue and black runs equally mixed. If that doesn't get rid of the post-skiing struggle, I'll have to go back to skiing once a week.

Anyway, I'm getting bored with this two-lifts resort named Soda Springs. I've been skiing the same runs so many times by now, I'm no longer getting enough dopamine surge, even at the beginning of the season. I'll have to get a multi-resort pass next year and ski Utah and Colorado. That means I'll have to get a van to live in, preferably an electric one. If none is available, I'll get a gas-powered one for the time being.  Hopefully the vehicle shortage will end, and car prices will come down by the second half of this year. Then I'll turn into four-season nomad and camp out all year long.

Back out of CFS

 I have stabilized a few weeks ago and now I can do 4 x 1 block jogging without triggering PEM. I can walk 3 miles at 100 steps per min, nonstop, too. Then, 2 weeks ago, I hiked Hunter Creek Trail for about 6 miles, almost nonstop in less than 3 hours. 

The exercise limit still exists though. I struggle all day with shitty fatigue and ache if I do 2x8 pushup the night before. Or walk 6 blocks at 104 steps per min. But the PEM is shorter and fewer in between while I can walk further and faster. So, I'm now classifying myself as "substantially recovered".

I moved to Reno and that may have created a Novelty Effect. Or, my dopamine system could've been exhausted after the trip and now recovered. I have  no idea, but time will tell. If I slip back in a few weeks, the bounce-back must be a temporary Novelty Effect from the move. If I continue to stay substantially recovered, the temporary relapse must've been from the dopamine exhaustion.

Back in CFS

 Now it appears I'm giving back all gains from the trip. 4 block jogging is now reliably putting me back in PEM struggle for 2 days.  Fast walking appears to be putting the pressure too. I may have to give up and go back back to the old way -- walk at 90 steps per minute, no jogging -- if the PEM struggle continues.  Bummer. Skiing will get me out of the hole, except that there is no snow on the mountains. November has been dry since the storm at the beginning of the month. I'll have to figure something out to get me out of this CFS hole if snow doesn't come soon. Maybe explore Nevada, now that I moved to Reno. Something, anything, to bridge me  over till the snow accumulates.

Aftermath

 For a few days, I stayed energetic. Then my condition descended with fatigue and sluggishness increasing as days go by. That lasted for about a week. Now it seems to have stabilized and I can jog 4 blocks or bike fast for 3 miles without triggering PEM. I'll increase the distance in upcoming days and see how much I can get away with. 

It's a substantial improvement even if not a full recovery. I no longer have to limit my pace: I can walk, jog and bike at a normal speed. I'm fully recovered on the road already. If I can sprint 4x400 meter or bike 20 miles without getting sick, I'll declare full recovery at home also.

Grand Canyon, Day 4

The sun is up and the tent is warming. I'm done with my morning coffee and serial. I'll enjoy the morning in this final day in Grand Canyon, and the final day of my 4 months long expedition, before packing up. 

Who knew Grand Canyon was so beautiful in the morning? Probably everybody except me. It's a shame that all my cameras; I'm down to my cellphone camera. I've been saying that Grand Canyon is not as visceral as Yosemite or Alabama Hill. That is because it is so big, it becomes hazy and flat everywhere you look. It doesn't give you the sense of depth. Go up to Glacier Point in Yosemite, on the other hand, you can feel the height and depth on your skin, it makes you feel like a Mountain Bashee that soars above the cliff and then swoop  down to the valley. In the orange glow of morning light, however, the Grand Canyon turns into 3D in its full glory.

I was going to skip Bright Angel Trail after the struggle on Kaibab Trail with cold and all. But I didn't want my Grand Canyon end in a defeat. So I got up at 5:45 AM and got ready. The elks and deer were out on the road for breakfast and stopping for them, and the view of Grand Canyon in the morning light, impeded the travel. But I was finally on the trail at 7:50.

There is a reason why this trail is top rated in Grand Canyon. On the way down, the red rock cliffs will remind you of Zion, all the way to Indian Garden at 4.5 mile mark. Then you come to the Indian Garden,  an oasis in rocky desert, fed by spring water. It is a very good place for a rest and I took a nap there on the way back. At Plateau Point, the inner canyon looks just like the Black Canyon of Gunnison. Colorado river meanders at the bottom and the black canyons stands 3000 feet tall on either side. If you were to hike all they way to the river, that would be equivalent to hiking to Scout's Lookout in Zion and then tack on Gunnison Route at end, for the total of 16 miles of round trip. I'll come back for it someday.

By the time I went past Indian Garden, the cold took over the control. I was feeling drained and dehydrated despite eating and drinking along the way. I almost turned back, thinking that the rest of the way is a boring walk through desert to get to the rim of the inner canyon. And the view from there wouldn't be much different from the outer rim. I'm glad I didn't. The view from the Plateau Point was nothing like that from the outer rim. Up close, it was more like the Black Canyon of Gunnison instead. I had my lunch there, took 15 minute break and turned back. It was past 12 by then and I didn't have enough daylight to make it back to the outer rim which would take much longer than it took to coming down, no doubt. I did make it back surprisingly fast, however, at 4:10PM with plenty of daylight left. The final mile felt as if it would going on forever though. In all, it took me 8 hours and 20 minutes for 12 miles. That is a substantial improvement over 9.5 hours it took in Chesler Park Loop which was 9.5 miles long. And that is despite suffering from cold. 

Today, the drive back to Sacramento begins. I don't need to stop at Death Valley and do 4.5 mile loop through Zabriskie Point; Bright Angels Trail is more than satisfactory finale. I'll drive straight back, stopping at Crest Ridge for the night.

Grand Canyon

The day is getting shorter, the weather is getting colder and my cold is lingering. Yeah, it's a good time to go home. I go back to Sacramento and start looking for a place in Reno for December.

The monsoon season is supposed to be over long ago here in the Southwest. But the storm last night was worse than the monsoon storm. The wind was, at least. My tent almost collapsed by the gale from the west. It didn't help that I collapsed the rain fly on the west side and put the space blanket over it to block out the cold wind. Little did I know the storm was coming with much stronger wind. The forecast called for a few hours of rain over night, so I didn't think much of it. The collapsed rain fly, and the tarp  over it, effectively served as a sail that almost launched the tent. Luckily the tent stood but the west wall got soaking wet -- collapsed rain fly means no roof to keep the rain water off the wall. I sleep on that side and my sleeping bag also got soaked. I slept well though, at least after I gave up and resigned to that there is nothing I could do till the morning when the rain and wind stops. The sleeping bag was wet, but the electric blanket kept me warm enough. Without it, It could've been a wet, cold and super miserable night.

I'll still have to wait till the sun come up and things dry up before packing out. Looks like that won't happen till tomorrow. Which means I'll have to endure 18F weather tonight. The wind will die down this evening, so I'll be fine if I stay inside my electric blanket till the sun comes and and the air warms up. Then I'll be off the the long march to Sacramento. Not sure yet if I'll stop at Death Valley or go directly to Sacramento. I still prefer to go back via Sierra, but I may get snowed in there like Donner Party. So I may forego Death Valley and Sierra and take SoCal route.  We'll see.