Sauk Centre, MN to Fergus Falls, MNStats!
Miles biked today: 78.2 (a new record!)
Total miles biked on trip so far: 1266.4
Max speed: 21 mph
# of numb fingers due to compressed ulnar nerves: 4 (2 each)
# of lakes passed today: 163
# of dragonflies we captured "en flagrante" on film: 2
We departed from Sauk Centre this morning on the Lake Wobegone trail. It was a BEAUTIFUL day for biking, so we took full advantage!
We had two new animal species firsts today -- a loon and a pelican. I saw some beautiful, bright blue dragonflies and wanted to take a photo. Only after the photo was taken did I realize what I had captured! Oops. ;)
Not too far along the trail, we met Choo Choo Charlie. At least, that's what he called
himself. He carried a train whistle to announce himself when he met other people on the trail. Apparently he biked 6 - 9 miles of the trail every day, and until recently biked 30 miles per day, but he had some herniated discs in his back, so he had to cut down. He rode with us to Alexandria, chatting the whole way, and showed us the way to the bike shop downtown, and gave us instructions on how to get to the Depot for lunch, an old train depot converted into a restaurant.We met another couple on the road and they asked about our trip. Every time I said something that the woman thought was cool, she said, "Oh, fer neat!" I guess that's a Minnesota thing? Anyone know?
It was just a great day to ride, and the trail was absolutely gorgeous. We saw a ton of wildlife and countless lakes.
Dean and I are both losing feeling in our ring fingers and pinkies a bit. Dean did some online research, and apparently it's some sort of ulnar nerve compression, and it's not uncommon in bike tourists. It should go away once we're home awhile. Anyone know anything about this?
Here's a quick video showing a bit of our ride!
I thought your blog today was totally "Fer Neat". Enjoy the beautiful lakes while you can because next week you will be on the prairie. You should watch the movie Fargo to learn Fargo speak. I searched the web and found this:
ReplyDelete"Though increasingly cosmopolitan, Fargo is at its core an outpost of Norway. Lawrence Welk is still seen every Saturday night on Prairie Public TV, Kroll's Diner has ads where two old ladies dressed as waitresses admonish you to "Sit Down Unt Eat!", and if something is good you say "Fer Neat!" and if it is bad you say, "Uff Da!". Even I, a displaced southerner, have fallen into saying "Uff da" in an unconvincing accent. And yes, some folks really do talk like the movie "Fargo" though nobody wants to admit it."
I had cubital tunnel syndrome a few years ago, which is the compression of the ulnar nerves. The best thing you can do, seeing as you are kind of stuck holding your arms in the position causing it while biking, is to keep your arms fairly straight when not biking. Sleep with your arms only very slightly bent, don't rest your arms on your elbows and keep from bending your elbows when typing, etc. These modest measures eventually brought feeling back into my fingers and prevented more serious issues. Awesome post, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new miles biked record -- Wow, that is a lot of miles! Dragonfly pic is a cool capture on film :) Teri is right on with the advice on the ulnar nerves. I would add do some hand/wrist warmups before you take off each stop and guarding your wrist position to minimize pressure on the nerve -- is there any adjustment to your handlebars to change wrist position? Love you!
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