Training Day At Hand
It’s strange to have Ironman season upon us again. IM Arizona is this weekend and I can’t believe it. I can’t believe how much time has lapsed as I continue to be in the same place, little-to-no improvement. 
I sent a little note to Gollnick and Biscay to wish them luck, and felt an odd twinge of envy. Typically I don’t feel this when others are racing something I am not, but this time I wished I was going to be there, too… or perhaps just have the option to race if I wanted.
I also got an update email earlier in the week from Karen Holloway who told me she is 5 months pregnant! Apparently she found something else to do while nursing her stress fracture! 
Congratulations to her and her husband, Chris. That is awesome news.
So… I’m beginning to think I need to harden up. Step up to the plate.
Stop being so soft with this recovery jigsaw puzzle.
I noticed something yesterday. On Tuesday I swam 3k, biked 1.5 hours at a pathetically slow pace and walked for 20:00. On Wednesday I ran for 30:00. On Thursday (yesterday) I took a day off from activity (although still did rehab exercises) to allow my body to absorb some of this “exercise”. Here’s what I noticed: each of these nights I needed to ice my back; each of these nights the discomfort woke me from sleep and I needed to draw my knees to my chest. No day was different from any other.
Are you getting the point here?
It doesn’t seem to matter what I do or don’t do, the outcome is the same. So why not just have at it?? That’s what I’m thinking.
Next week I’ve decided I’m going for the injection. I’ve chatted with my various cohorts and everyone seems to agree it’s time to give this a try. If healing is being impeded due to inflammation, let’s see what happens when the inflammation is reduced. I’m apprehensive, as I have mentioned before, at going for the synthetic healing; the magic band-aid. If my back continues to be inflamed, something is causing it. If I take medicine (injection) simply to take away the inflammation but the root cause isn’t being treated, won’t the inflammation just return? But… what the hell… let’s give it a try.
My mood fluctuates exponentially. My fatigue level rises antithetically to my mood. If the mood is positive, the fatigue is negative. In short, since I can’t train now, this puts me either smack in the middle of a stress cyclone, or at the tail end of a put-me-to-bed-for-three days coma.
I need to be DOING SOMETHING. Damn the torpedoes and F the icebergs. This sounds more like me anyway.
Since I’m getting the injection anyway, may as well give them something to work with. Tomorrow I’m planning to ride for 2.5 hours, my longest ride since the Kona crash. I’ll report in how it goes.
I keep getting knocked down, but I’m going to continue to get up. And once I get up for good, I’m not going back down. Of this I am certain.
Cheers.
GO CAROL GO!:-) Mary
Hey Carole!It was really great to see you the other day!I think the injection is definitely the way to go! I had an injection awhile ago for carpal tunnel in my hand. Sounds like one of those wussy things that people complain about, but it can be really painful and really can keep you up at night. Inflammation was being caused by the nerves and tissues being irritated, but they could never relax due to the inflammation. So it’s like a vicious cycle if that makes sense. So I think reducing the inflammation, even if temporarily is definitely the way to go. And shout, at least it should make you feel better for a little bit if nothing else!Good luck and sending you speedy recovery thoughts your way!