Injury

I started commuting to work on a bike several months ago. From the beginning, I had trouble with my hands getting numb. I bought gloves, adusted the seat postion, and put on some bar ends, but nothing seemed to help. I even dumped the hybrid bike with the straight handlebars for a Jamis Commuter 3.0 with "city" bars. The problem eventually morphed into some serious hand pain in my left hand, and that pain would extend up my arm when I had to grab things. A little research convinced me that I was suffering from what is known as "handlebar palsy" and other names. It's the result of irritation of the ulnar nerve. One of the things that I had to quit doing was pushups--too painful. It also affects my ability to use a kettlebell to some extent.

I'm pretty sure I've eliminated the source of the problem. I traded in that new Jamis bike on a recumbent (something that's worthy of its own post later). Now I have NO pressure on my hands, and I'm much more comfortable on my commute. But the healing process is going very slow. I'm going to call for a doctor's appointment to see if there is anything I can do to speed up the recovery other than gobbling up some Motrin. The one good thing is that my left hand is feeling the brunt of the problem--I can still swing a racquetball racquet with my right hand.

Morning Weight: 209lbs
Bike: 0 miles (combination of the gym showers being closed for repair, and the forecast of 30+mph winds)