2009 DH season. check out my profile.

thanks very much to my sponsors for an awsome season.

wait... and yet i dont want it to end.!!

just posted my results and a little info about our DH scene .

Keppoch, Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Sept 19-20. I cant wait
Thanks to SMX and INNERCOOLER for the new Sponsorship offers, I am looking forward to an even better season next year.

Ok so here we are after 2 events, I could not participate in the first due to the shoulder issue, however the second event was definitly a learning curve.
 Day 1 Practice.
It was a hot as hell day, the humidity was waaayyy up, making it difficult to breath. Overall it was a good practice day, it gives you a chance to see the course in bright light and with no obstruction. it was a very slippery course to start with, lots of roots and wet rocks. I walked down the course eyeballing some different lines and some obstacles to avoid. This was followed by a few runs, the runs went pretty smooth but i did suffer some pain in my shoulder it was like a belt was tightening around the armpit area. this was something that bothered me for the day, but did not prevent me from riding. I was unable to really get a timed run in but i figured that i would fall in a time around 2:50: or so. I also took a helmet cam and watched that a few times in the evening. All in all it was a great practice day.
 Day 2 Race
Well overnight it clouded over and poured it cleared by morning but was still misty. We got to the course and registered and tried to get 1-2 runs in before hand. It was slippery before but now it was treacherous. had a couple of good runs in .. stayed upright , mostly just trying to get the lines right. The race started around noon, it was starting to dry a bit by this time, and the course was starting to get worked in. I managed to get the final shuttel up the hill and have one last look at the course before the race. All things were GO.
 My first run
Went pretty much as good as i could do i think, perhaps i could have made up an additional 7-8 seconds in dry conditions but mostly what it was is what it will be. The whole time i am thinking i cant fall due to my shoulder, so this is playing on my mind as well. i am sure this had an effect.  while waiting for the shuttle back up the hill... it poured. so the track is back to a slippery mess. i was quite happy with my first run, and felt "why push it and get hurt again".
 My second run
Honestly i dont think there was too many riders that had a faster 2nd time, it was super slippery. I fell twice on this run, at the top, i made it over the first drop with out any issue but at the turn at the bottom of the section i slipped on a root. then while trying to get back on the bike slipped again myself. after proceeding on through the most of the course i fell again at the bottom. there is a rooty steep section that crosses a brook, or ditch. after comming out of the ditch my front wheel got caught on a root and slid, bringing myself for a nice kiss of earth for the 2nd time.
Conclusion
I finished 13th in a field of about 23 with a time of 2:40 this was quite close to what i had speculated. It was a great weekend and i learned alot. The next race is this upcomming weekend July 11/12/09 at Middleton Nova Scotia. I have seen this course and it is going to be a fast pedally course. i am not too sure about my fitness for this type of course, however i am sure to take my all to it.

Thanks for reading
Sheldon
 

Well i got out this evening for a short freeride since my dislocation, kelby and I went to the Bedford gun range.I have been biking all along doing some light road riding and some crusher stone trails with my xc, that is quite comfortable.

This is however, my first time on the big bike. Believe me there was nothing fast at all, very conservative, I am still extreemly tentative of alot of things, but most importantly no pain at all. My muscles are tight though they are getting a good workout from the little riding ive been doing. I was, at first concerned with my muscles just giving out, however, this did not happen at all.

I am not sure if many here know the severity of my injury. To sum it up i guess.. it was a total anterior dislocation. my shoulder was completly removed from the socket and was down and infront of my armpit. According to the GP I got off quite lucky there was no serious ligament damage or muscle damage, also the emerg doctor who reset my dislocation did it in the best mannor possable, also making sure that the ball was completly back in the socket.

All in all the physio and the GP both feel that I should have 100% recovery. I have annother physio visit on the 22 of this month and I am expecting to be cleared for the race at Keppoch the  following weekend.

I stil have a long way for total recovery and i still have some discomfort, however I am totally glad this is is not going to be a perminant issue in my life.

Here is looking into the future, and thank god for safety equipment.

well been into the doctor and had more xrays.. everything is looking great. ive not had too many issues with mobility, i am probably at about 95% there is still alot of muscle soreness. i have been out on the xc bike for some liesure riding.. just crusher stone trails. my shoulder has held up to this just fine. i am starting my physio monday june 8 2009 hopefully this will give me a better idea of how things will look in a week or 2... our local events are starting this weekend june 6-7 and the next race is 2 weeks after that.. so i should be able to get down the hill by then, i hope. ;) 

update: little over 1 week old now.

all things considered i am not doing too bad i guess... ive been going without the sling quite a bit now... "shhhh" *dont tell on me. 
ive been trying to keep my mobility in the elbow and a little in the shoulder. ive got suprising movement in my shoulder already, but it is extreamly weak.
i can lift it up under its own power to about chest hight, and a little over my shoulder with the help of my other arm. the joint still feels as if it is poping out though or loose feeling, under normal movements and if i lean to my right side while standing, it probably needs much more strength to keep it in.
now that it is not so tender i have been checking it out a little more and i dont seem to feel any broken bones in the area and i dont have any brusing to my shoulder at all. there doesnt seem to be any overly tender areas either. there is no ab-normal deformations either (no bumps or indents anywhere). i do,though, have a drop on my right side shoulder but that may go away with some muscle rehab.

so sitting around all weekend has got me itching to get back on the bike, not to mention the bad rash that i have under my arm from having it in the sling for almost a week straight.
x-rays and consultation next tuesday, 26th.