1 Year Anniversary
// May 7th, 2008 // Sup
Today, May 8th 2008 marks exactly 1 year since I started racing again after just coming off of a blood thinner, Coumadin (essentially the rat poison known as Warfarin) that I needed to help dissolve blood clots in my right lung.
Long story short, the clots were present on account of me being genetically prone to getting them (Factor V Leiden), a surgery on my saddle area to remove a wretched saddle sore, and a long journey just after the surgery from Colorado Springs to Pittsburgh.
The crazy thing is, Coumadin affects the vitamin K cycle in the liver and last year before this very race (4 Jours de Dunkerque) I had to eat loads of spinich and leafy green vegetables that contain vitamin K to offset the Coumadin in my system.
It’s been a long year haha, with many ups and downs. Various lung pains from built scar tissue in the early stages of racing, eventually fading away to a few minor results here and there last season, and growing into this year with races such as Het Volk, Kurne, Milan, De Panne, Flanders, Roubaix and back again to Dunkerque.
It’s ironic, but last year, May 8th was a rainy hell hole of a day. I crashed going into 1 km to go while in 10th position. Prentice Stephen told me, “Friedman, just 4 days ago you probably would have died from that crash”.
It’s a beautiful day here this May 8th. A tad windy, but not a cloud in the sky.
There is no Fate, but what we make.
No more riding with the Flag.
6 Responses to “1 Year Anniversary”
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- mikefriedman2: The nacho isn't feeling so hot after 6 hard hours in the saddle. The low back too, now that I'm thinking about. Also @TheDPate is a nacho. March 14, 2010
- mikefriedman2: stonecup in Lyons is awesome, esp at 830 am when u rolled out at 7. ugh, back home, gotta get ready for the fun part of the day. March 7, 2010
- mikefriedman2: taking my bro david motoing for his 21st Birthday. he lands at 1130 riding by 1. March 7, 2010
- mikefriedman2: is tired of Fake people, why cant people truly just be themselves? hmm maybe being fake is being themselves. March 3, 2010
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Happy Anniversary!!! Very happy you’re back and hope this is a great year for you. Not sure on you and Brad having a shared site. That could be dangerous. LOL!
Glad you stuck it out. The bunch just wouldn’t be the same without you. Now if you’d just come back and race in the U.S….
You’ve had such a great year! I hope I get to see you again at Downer’s, or at least the Tour of MO!!!!
Mike, you should bring the Flag back just for the fun of it. I think that it would match the meatball vanity plate on you bike well.
I hope you reach the podium. I was impressed with you and Brad’s accomplishments last year, and I wish you have the chance to do some great things again. GOOD LUCK!!
Dude, I have a similar clotting problem. It clotted my main left leg vein. I had done the same, eating lots of spinach and veggies and a long plane trip/ car trip. But because of years of running and cycling my colateral circulation kept getting around the clot, I just ignored the leg pain thinking it was a pulled muscle. Several clots broke off and I got 4 pulmonary embolisms. I was still doing my long bike rides with some chest pain. Hang in there. I was off my bike just long enough to get the Warfarin level right. My doctor thinks I’m crazy. I’m happy that you beat the bastard clot and got back on that bike doing what you love.