RFTH 22 Scouting Trip

[Fierofool]

I rose at 5:30 this morning and got back home tonight at 8 pm.  We made the trip in 7 hours, including gas stops and lunch.  The roads were a real workout for the drivers and the cars.  My old back is sore. 

Pat and Linda stayed at a hotel at the end of the run and Scott and I returned home.  With the approval of TopNotch and Ron678, I will be changing some of the roads at the end and it will take us to a different ending destination.  At the end of what  we drove today, there was lots of State 4-lane road, suitable for just sightseeing. 

We will probably be going back in June, taking some short cuts to eliminate the first half, and run the new second half, just for mileage and time.  Scott has already said he's ready to go. 

[GTRS Fiero]

Will an additional scouting trip be done for the new second half?  It would seem that the new second half will be the run.

[Fierofool]

Because Google mapping will only allow so many waypoints when laying out a trip, I broke the route sheet down to 2 sections.  The first section ending at our lunch restaurant.   The first section will stay and only part of the second section will be modified.  Both parts will be combined into one and will become the entire route. 

[GTRS Fiero]

Is your back better?  I'm sure you know all the tricks, like BioFreeze, hot water massage (I use the shower head on pulse), and doing a gentle chin-up with a ”pop”.  Of coirse, this would need to have been done last night.

Is this normal for you to have a sore back after the run?  If you can identify the cause, it may be preventable.

[TopNotch]

There are some very nice twisties on the first part of the run. A few places are rough, but at least it's all paved. I think RFTH fans will love it.

[TopNotch]

Is this normal for you to have a sore back after the run?  If you can identify the cause, it may be preventable.

We're old. That's the problem.

[Fierofool]

Is this normal for you to have a sore back after the run?  If you can identify the cause, it may be preventable.

We're old. That's the problem.

That, and the older you get the more periodic injuries you acquire and they all add up.  Bracing yourself for a half hour to an hour straight puts a lot of exertion on the back, sides and ribs.  Some of the switchbacks are so sharp that the roadway is less than 50 yards apart as it turns back in the opposite direction.  I remember one of the Michigan members last year saying that the sides of his legs and knees were sore from bracing against the console and door. 

I am better this morning.  Walking upright again. 

[GTRS Fiero]

Fountain of Youth

Seriously, I found that the pain was a good thing.  Some things were caused by stupid things from years ago, but I've learned to live with that.  Other things can be fixed with small adjustments.  For example, I changed a few things about the seat in one vehicle.  The back of the seat bottom was at the wrong height for me.  Sometimes (since you're both small), there isn't enough bolster.  Steering wheels that are off-center to the seat cause me problems.  If you're moving around to keep the sun out of your eyes, that can cause problems.  The angle of the seat back is important.  The Fiero doesn't recline very far, and I can't personally handle straight up, so I go with a little lean.  Too much lean is hard on the spine.  Far be it from me to give FieroFool any advise on where to place his hands on the wheel, but relax the arms and shoulders.  Then too, taking an anti-inflammatory like Aleve before the run can help.

Maybe Melanie would give him a back massage, the night before.  I recommend laying face down and straight for the massage, after drinking some herbal tea.  The massage shoild go from the neck and shoulders to the tailbone.  If the massage suggestion is offensive, I'm sorry.  I know some wives won't do this.  Still, a massage is prefferable to a sore back.

My mother's back was bothering her, and we found that it was because she wasn't walking correctly.  The physical therapist in the family corrected my mother's walk, and provided exercises.  Issue resolved.

[scottb]

What a ride! Other than the road in South Carolina being a bit rough it was an awesome day. I do agree that the second half needs to be re-thought. It was also interesting seeing the result of the fires around Gatlinburg. I feel sorry for the people that had to endure that event. I also noticed some charred forest going in to South Carolina. A good day will be had by all who participate come September.

[Raydar]

....
My mother's back was bothering her, and we foind that it was because she wasn't walking correctly.  The physical therapost in the family corrected my mother's walk, and provided exercises.  Issue resolved.

A bit of a tangent, but useful,  nonetheless...
I corrected a longtime low back pain problem by moving my wallet from my back pocket to my front pocket.
I also had corrected a longtime (15 years or so) stiff neck problem by having my teeth ground on one side (aka "bite adjustment") because my mouth wasn't closing evenly. Was causing me to tense up the muscles on one side.
I was amazed at the difference.

[Fierofool]

My back problem is caused by collapsed disks.  As long as I'm careful, they give no problems.  I also remove my wallet, especially in the Fiero.  The bolsters on my seats fit me very well and even they're leather, I don't slide around much.  It's the legs that have to be braced and that exerts pressure and twist on the lower back.  It's just never a problem in everyday driving or in the truck.   

[GrannyLinda]

My Problem Was Pain In My Ankles From Bracing Against The Floor,
And My Hips From The Turns. Still I Found The Ride A LOT Of Fun.
However I Will Never Stay At The Spirit Of The Smokies, In Pigeon Forge Tn.  Again.
Nor Will I Recommend It To Anyone.
It Is Over Priced And The Rooms Are Not Worth The Money.
I Was Treated Better And With More Respect At The Quality Inn, Mt. Chalet
The Night Before In Clayton, Ga.       

[GTRS Fiero]

I think some hotels forgot that their job is hospitality.

I prefer to stay at the Residence Inn.

[Fierofool]

Sometimes there aren't many choices, especially in the small towns where we might stay.  Some of the smaller chains and private hotels, but nothing like Raddison, Hampton, etc. 

Last year our Friday night hotel,  the Days Inn, Clayton, Ga., wouldn't give us a group discount.  We paid the going rate and this is in a small town with not a lot of tourist attractions.  Some of our group had reservations but were turned away when they tried to check in.  Continental breakfast was coffee, juice, and some small pastries.

Our Saturday night hotel, the Edgewater Inn in Downtown Gatlinburg, Tn. gave us a 1/3 discount from $150 down to $100 for a double queen room.  All rooms had balconies.  We had in-hotel parking and a free breakfast that included eggs, biscuits, toast, bagles, english muffins, pastries, jellies, waffles, gravy, sausage, bacon, cereals, coffee, milk, juices, and it was all you could eat. 

[Roger]

The America's Best in Clayton was, I thought, a better place than the Days Inn. That's where we got sent when the Days Inn said they were full after I had a reservation there.
The Edgewater Inn in downtown Gatlinburg was a nice place and the breakfast VERY good (except they didn't have STEAK and eggs or pork chops) and even in a Fiero you almost needed a shoehorn and can of Crisco to get into the parking spaces but still a very nice place to stay. Everything was within walking distance and the shuttle was nearby.
We're definitely going back to that restaurant we went to tho! OUTSTANDING fare! Yum yum! (or  Yummo!)