GAME ON!!

I was released from my Lungs of Fury as of 8 a.m. today. Thus, it is time to train in earnest again.

Monday: Bike (93 minutes).
Tuesday: Run (46 minutes), weights.
Wednesday: Swim (Swimplan workout).
Thursday: Run (77 minutes) (or bike for 93 minutes), weights.
Friday: Swim (one mile).
Saturday: Rest day!
Sunday: Race day!

:)

Running for Auntie A.

I just got off the phone with my mother, who called to report in on my aunt's doctor's appointment today. She's been having some problems lately with fatigue, and balance, and cognitive skills, just to name a few. Naturally, this has been disturbing to us all, and we've been on pins and needles to learn the results of her recent MRIs.

Today, she met with her doctor, who diagnosed her with multiple sclerosis.

This is, as you might imagine, a double-edged sword. On the very bright side, we were all afraid of what her symptoms could mean, were scared of the unknown. Now, she knows. And now she can begin to find ways to treat herself and go about living a normal life again.

But MS isn't for sissies. It's quite a shock to the whole system, one that doctors haven't been able to wrap their arms around fully just yet. There's a lot to learn, and a lot to do. There's a lot to soak in. A ton of decisions to be made. And a lot of adjusting to do on Auntie A's behalf.

So why do I write this here?

I write here because Auntie A is one of US. She's a runner. An athlete. She and I could talk for hours about the latest issue of Runner's World, our favorite shoes, our favorite places to train, or our synopses of various Ironman races. She wanted to run a marathon with me in the next couple of years, maybe do a triathlon together sometime soon. She may have to redo the timeline a little bit, but I'm still holding her to those plans.

In the meantime, however, I'm racing on her behalf. This season belongs to her. I'm merely the conduit.

:)

This Week's Schedule.

Monday: Rest day, weights.
Tuesday: Swim (Swimplan workout).
Wednesday: Run (46 minutes), weights.
Thursday: Swim (one mile).
Friday: Rest day, weights.
Saturday: Rest day!
Sunday: Bike (93 minutes).

:)

Dragging Myself Out of Despair.

It's time to get back on the horse and get out of the doldrums. I'm not supposed to train "hard" until the doctor releases me from the Lungs of Fury, but a little workout here and there won't hurt anything! :)

Monday: Rest day, weights.
Tuesday: Rest day.
Wednesday: Swim (Swimplan workout), weights.
Thursday: Run (46 minutes).
Friday: Bike to work, weights.
Saturday: Bike (93 minutes).
Sunday: Rest day!

:)

This Year's Schedule, Updated.

Feb. 16: George Washington Birthday 10K (1:14:51).
April 13: Race to Stop the Silence (1:07:17 -- new PR!!).
April 27: Worldgate Super Sprint Triathlon (1:47:12 -- new PR!!).
June 1: ZOOMA Annapolis 10K (registered).
June 8: Spotsylvania YMCA Sprint Triathlon (registered).
Aug. 2: Broadlands Triathlon.
September: New Orleans Rebirth 5K.
Sept. 14: Parks Half-Marathon (registered).
Oct. 26: Marine Corps Marathon (registered).
Dec. 31: King Street Mile.

:)

Waiting to Train.

This is how I feel today:

That is all.

:)

No.

No.

It's such a small word, but such a hard one to hear. Especially if you have a slight stubborn streak that courses through your veins with ever-growing ferocity each time you encounter that awful little waif of a word.

No.

That's what my doctor told me this morning, following an EKG (normal) and an oxygen-level test (normal) and a breathing test (not so much). The diagnosis: My asthma has flared up with startling severity, and it is not to be messed with.

That's when she said it, that word I hate to hear. Worst of all, she said it in combination with other words, phrases that by themselves I love to hear.

No training until this clears up, she said airly over her shoulder as she prepared to leave the room at the end of our visit. It was the first time I'd heard her utter the word. Even during my bout with bronchitis, the advice was to do what I felt like but to take it easy. "Take it easy" does not equal cessation.

"But what if I'm better soon? But what if I'm fine by the weekend?" I stammered, already plotting my escape.

The doc shrugged. "When you're better, you can exercise again." She studied my face. "But you have to do so lightly until you come see me again."

That appointment is in two weeks. It cannot come fast enough.

So, meanwhile, I sit and stew. In the grand scheme, this is a mere speedbump on the road of life. But today it has put me in a foul humor. So I shall now purchase myself a present. No one can say no to that. Except for the bank, and they wouldn't dare.

:)

Ticky.

I am not pleased.

Denise and I went to Columbia this weekend to ride the course -- something I've been training for and working on for months now. This was to be just a survey ride, nothing too strenuous, just a way for us to get our legs used to the course itself. I've been looking forward to it for two weeks now, excited to put my training into practice.

Well.

The course is 25 miles long. Denise and I rode 10 before driving back to Alexandria in a fit of depression and angst.

As we sat on the side of a hill, watching other riders fly by as though they were summiting a speed bump, we could only say one word in their direction:

"Prepared."

I don't know what to do. I have been training for this season for four months, but something is wrong. Going up those hills -- challenging hills, to be sure, but certainly not out of the question for my usual level of fitness -- I felt as though I could not get a decent breath, and something in the back of my throat kept going "Wub-wub-wub-wub-wub" every time I inhaled. (This is not normal behavior.) My leggies felt great; my heart, while beating quite enthusiastically, was not off the charts. But my lungs felt like they were made of concrete.

I've had this issue for about a week now, and frankly I have had enough. I get sick twice a year, max, and this is the third bout I've had this spring with Something (first the flu, then bronchitis in short order, and now this). I don't get it, don't know what's wrong ... but I want it fixed. Now.

So meanwhile I am in a foul mood regarding my training. I feel like I'm in the best shape I've been in as an adult, and this is how my body thanks me. I want to feel better, to train in my usual manner. I don't want to be sidelined again.

I've made an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow morning. This is not natural. This is not normal. I hope she can fix me up in short order so I can get back out there on the course. I don't have the time for the pain.

:)

This Week's Schedule.

Monday: Rest day, weights.
Tuesday: Rest day.
Wednesday: Swim (Swimplan workout)-bike (74 minutes) brick, weights.
Thursday: Rest day.
Friday: Swim (one mile), weights.
Saturday: Run (62 minutes).
Sunday: Bike (124 minutes)-run (37 minutes) brick.

:)