After becoming regulars on the Tuesday FWBA Rusty Chain Gang Ramble club ride, Rose and I had missed it the last two weeks, with doctor appointments and a job interview. Yesterday, we rode to the start and did the ride again. This time, we rode a longer version of the route, staying with the other riders until breaking it off to take a shortcut home at the end. We ended up with 50 miles even, our longest ride yet on the Screamer tandem.

Today, my COE annual pass got a workout. First, Rose and I took off and rode to Rocky Creek Park at Lake Benbrook on the Screamer, an easy pace recovery ride. We did a loop around the park, then rode back home. After I got back home, I hauled my boat back to Rocky Creek Park, and launched it there, to visit a few Benbrook crappie.

FWBA Rusty Chain Gang Ramble route.

At Benbrook Lake with the Screamer tandem.

Later in the day, with one of Benbrook’s nice crappie.

I was at Benbrook this morning, but only pedaled a couple of miles.

Like my other recumbents, it has pedals and a reclining seat. I haven’t found the wheels, though.

It’s a Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 Propel. The Propel pedal drive is actually built by Shimano. It is, of course, single speed. You can also pedal backwards for reverse.

Should I go with Bebops or SPD’s? Do you suppose this model is already on bikejournal’s list of recumbents to choose from?

It transports on a different rack than my other recumbents.

I bought it used from a guy who lives near Austin. It was a blast researching in the kayak forums. Can you believe a lot of these idiots end up with half a dozen kayaks, one for every purpose, and parts everywhere, cluttering their house and garage? I’m glad we recumbent riders never do anything like that.

My toes quit hurting by the weekend before last, and I finally started feeling better that Sunday evening. The best I can describe those 5 days I felt so bad is that I was so exhausted that I felt ill from it.

I didn’t ride again until last Saturday, when I did 25 miles. I felt some of the same “so exhausted I felt ill” feeling afterward. I rode 25 miles Monday, and didn’t feel bad afterward. I wanted to ride another afternoon or two this week, but the wind has just been more than I’ve been willing to battle.

My third round starts tomorrow. I’ve already decided not to ride for a week afterwards, to see if that helps keep the exhaustion away.

I’ve also done more research on adjuvant chemotherapy, trying to find out more about why some doctors use three rounds, and some four. It looks to me like, after three rounds, the toxicity of the drugs start to outweigh the benefit, so I’ve already decided to bail after three rounds. That means one 6 hour IV tomorrow, and one 2 hour IV next Friday, and I’m done.

Lung cancer chemo drugs, in the amount they’re given for lung cancer, are the most toxic of all; I’ve earned a whole new respect for those who survive 6 or more rounds. I’m not sure I would.