Two weeks!

Step by Step . I am feeling SO much better. I wouldn't say 100 percent, but I am officially off my medication as of a few days ago. I did take one vicoden today because i was sore, but suffice it to say I don't need it to manage. . . Christmas is a few days away, and I have to say besides being greatful for my friends and family and the love that surrounds me, I am so grateful for my health and a new back. It has been two weeks as of today I was wheeled in for the surgery, and I am already looking forward to more and more activity. I have to admit, I am dying to do more than just walk, but I don't walk to take any chances as my bones heal. I am so looking forward to cycling in the coming months, and who knows, maybe the doctor will clear me for a sprint? Trust me though, I will not push it! . . I hope everyone enjoys the holidays. I am looking forward to mine, and I am optimistic for an even better 2009! . . Cheers and happy training! . . "All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness ... the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives." . Dalai Lama

Walking Works

For the past few days I have been walking and walking and walking. And by walking I literally mean putting one foot in front of another. I haven't been walking fast, because quite frankly I can't. I have however, managed to get my distance up. I began the week with a few miles, followed by days of walking four miles. Yesterday I walked a whole eight miles! . Now mind you, I'm not huffing and puffing, and I am not sure I consider the pace of my walking "working out". But I am noticing improvement. I am still sore, but as I walk I am careful to engage my abs and keep going. . I've also seen progress in my medication intake. I have widdled down my pain meds to about half, or 4 pills a day. At night things still ache, but I try to manage through the pain. . It still pains me, however, to see people run and workout. I know I will be back, but it just goes to show how we often take things like exercise for granted. I know when my back heals I will be better. . Here's to more walking! . Cheers and happy training "Rest is a good thing, but boredom is its brother." - Voltaire

Far from Seventh Heaven

A week's worth

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One week ago, just around the time I am writing this, I was being wheeled into surgery. I don't remember being knocked out. The last thing I remember was being in the pre op area, having a needle with some white looking stuff I was told was valium injected into me. Apparently, that valium was supposed to make me calm. It made me pass out a tad early, but that's alright. The sooner, the better.

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So what's the prognosis today? Progress, but slow. Last night I managed to walk a whole mile at the gym. The gym has an indoor track that measures 1/8 a mile. It took me a whole 30 minutes! I have to walk slowly, because my back still hurts, and with every step, I can feel some twinge or pang. Oh the joys of post back surgery.

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One mile in 30 minutes? How crazy does that sound?

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Taking Today off

I have spent the day indoors. I am easing off on the cleaning and house chores because it probably wasn't a great idea. Last night, we went to bed late because we stayed up watching True Blood, a new HBO series about modern day vampires who have "come out of the coffin" and are adapting to mainstream America now that a japanese made synthetic blood is available. Ha! The show is addicting, but I think it made for some pretty wacky dreams overnight.

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I dreamed I was dangling precariously from a trapeze. It felt freeing and dangerous at the same time, and I was doing it at a department store. What the dream meant I have no clue.. what kind of metaphor is that?

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Pain Threshhold Thoughts

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I used to think I had a high threshhold for pain, given my years of back problems. I think I was wrong. Case in point, getting my ironman tattoo hurt like hell. Kelly, who got one at the same time, didn't feel it as much as I did. Then I hate needles. It hurt when I got stuck at the hospital.

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Now to my "new and improved" back.

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I am still feeling a great deal of pain if I don't take the vicoden. I take two every 4 to 6 hours. I tried taking just one this mornng, but it didn't help. And when I wake up, my back hurts like crazy.

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So if I really had a high threshhold for pain, don't you think I would not need so much pain medication at this point?

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Trust me, if I could, I would get off the meds entirely!

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Dog Day Afternoons

I have to share these photos. My dogs have no idea what to do now that I am home all the time!

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. . Ally basically plops onto the couch and snores away. I now she looks depressed, but she really looks like this all the time. . .

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We recently adopted Tommy from my parents, who couldn't take care of him anymore. He has been a really sweet dog and is actually a better guard dog than ally (he barks at everything). I love that he camouflages when on the couch!.

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Cheers and happy training!

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"To err is human, to forgive, canine." - Unknown

Pain Management

A Sixth Sense . . It's hardly believable to me that it has been SIX days since my surgery. There was so much anticipation on my part for this major procedure, and now it's over and the recovery process is in progress! I am very blessed to have wonderful friends. In my house sits five incredible arrangements, lots of cards and well wishes, and I've had many wonderful visits. . .

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It's really nice to know people care. Now, I did receive two dozen red roses today, addressed from the Methodist Hospital. Am I to assume the hospital sent them, or some unknown person? Maybe the hospital was sending flowers because of the meltdown incident? I had a few people, including the nurse director, come visit me and ask me what had happened. Was this its way of saying sorry? Anyhoo, they look and smell great.

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Night Naggings

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I had a not so good night last night. Before I went to bed, I accidentally took two of my muscle relaxers instead of one, so I skipped the vicoden thinking the extra dose of musle relaxer would knock me out.

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Wrong.

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I woke up around midnight in seething pain. My legs start feeling sharp shooting pains and my lower back starts plain hurting. The vicoden have been a lifesaver, and I pretty much take them every four hours, except for when I head to bed. So instead of bearing the pain, I popped two pills and went back to sleep. Only I kept on waking up through the night. I was sweating and having the strangest dreams all night. At one point I was trying to get to the beach because it was my turn to watch the shetland pony? I did get a my little pony toy as part of my happy meal package the other day... I wonder if that had anything to do with it?

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Daytime Turnaround

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I woke up pretty groggy this morning, but once I was up and around I started feeling great. Of course, that's with the help of pain pills and mobility. Rob and I took a walk around the neighborhood, and I walked a whole two blocks! That's major for me. I went from shuffling to walking relatively normally, although with tightness.

So I am better, but of course in the back of my mind I have some fear that the pain, and these little sharp shooting pains, won't go away. Of course they will, right? I mean, it has only been six days? I just hate that right around the fourth hour, the pain creeps back, and I am forced to take 2 more pain pills. Two pills are all I need, but I need them. I take about 10 pills a day, and three muscle relaxer pills a day. I was hoping to wean by now, but I simply can't. The pain has not subsided and worsens at night, although my mobility is better.

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Cleaning Clutter

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I have been doing a lot of organizing around the house. I cleaned out a few kitchen drawers, organized some drawers for office supplies and threw out a bunch of junk. It's amazing to me how much crap piles up in drawers when you neglect them.

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I'm also back to obsessively cleaning. I have been keeping up with the kitchen and bathroom.

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Maybe I am overdoing it. I do a lot of kneeling, but I am careful to not bend my back. Laying around drives me crazy, but I know, I need to be careful. I just hate seeing a messy, cluttered home.

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Maybe tomorrow I'll just rest and catch up on Grey's Anatomy or Ugly Betty. I have not watched one episode this year, but did TIVO them.

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Cheers and happy training!

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The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. ~Mark Twain

Getting Back on Track

Mind Altering Mistakes

Firstly, forgive me for my many grammatical errors and missed words in my last post. Being on 2o grams of Vicoden every 4 to 6 makes me pretty loopy. Hopefully as my pain subsides, so will my use of these lifesavers. Seems like I'm taking them like candy right now, but such is the purpose. Seriously, without pain meds, I cant imagine how one possibly survives a slice and dice surgery like mine.

So it's Sunday morning and relative to post operation, I am moving around much better. I am able to walk without shuffling, kneel down to pick up things (I credit cycling to my legs abilities to carry the weight), and get in and out of the bed without too much pain. Speaking of pain....

Since this was my first ever surgery, I guess I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know that pain pills only take the pain edge off, that there is still soreness and that dull pain down your legs and that the pain feels familiar if not worse than the pain I felt before surgery. How can I describe it? Well, imagine someone taking your entire lower back and squeezing every bone and muscle as hard as they can and never letting go. The imagine that with every movement, whether it be bending or getting into a different position, that squeeze is excacerbated by a tentacles of pain shooting down both legs. Welcome to my recovery.

Notwithstanding, I do feel improvement and can sort of, in a strange way, see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe this is in my head, but the pain I used to endured by my fractured vertebrate, bad disc and slipped disc is soreness is following my surgery...this I am hopeful. I couldn't imagine living with this indefinitely.

Last night, and I don't know what I was thinking, I decided to take Rob up on his offer and head to our local sushi restaurant. Major mistake. I still cant comfortably sit, so I twisted and turned the entire time. There is a reason the doctor orders bed rest for two weeks. I learned that the hard way last night.

I have received countless well wishes from friends, many of whom are like family to me. One of whom paid me a surprise visit last night.

Ironbabe Jane, fresh from her first Ironman finish, came into town. It was so nice to see her, kinda like comfort food. Oh and earlier that day BFF Ryan and cuteface Andy came over. Ironically, Ironman Hawaii was on TV. Jane also got inked, albeit considerably smaller than mine.

Which leads me to my hope and determination to be back on training and on track for another Ironman finish. Doc is saying 6 months before running, and before that, just walking and light weights, swimming, stationary cycling, etc. It 's encouraging to me that he was confident the surgery went well, and I should be able to do the things I want to do in a year or so.

I may or may not be blogging more in the days to come, since I am homebound. I have a huge mound of magazines to thumb through, but thankfully my first semester of school and my internship have ended (more about this later).

Cheers and happy training!

The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.-- Hubert H. Humphrey

Back Blogging

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I know, I haven't blogged in a million years. But the last three days of my life are definitely blogworthy and something I'd like to reflect . Because Tuesday evening was one of the most significant things of my life. Definitely a top-tenner. I finally had my back surgery. So kinda like a race report, this will be a blog chronicles how I got here, my thoughts on the surgery, my meltdown, and finally, my release. WOO HOO! I was only hospitalized for three nights!

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Waterskiing Woes

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So ten years ago, while living in Saipan, I was out waterskiing. Only the driver of the boat took a hard right to avoid a wave, making my flex and crunch my L4, which is the one of the lower back vertebrates. The first several months following that accident were horrible. Sharp shooting pains, an inability to workout, etc. But eventually, through much physical therapy, I got through that and was able to resume running, which at that time was my only physical passion.

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Through the years, I simply sucked it up. Some days were better than other, and I tried just about every therapy out there. While they helped releived the pain, it always came back. And I refused surgery, since it was manageable.

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Fast forward to 2005. I think I was running my fifth marathon and simply couldn't do it anymore. I was taking tylenol like candy and the pain was unbearable at time. So that year I commited to diversifying my workouts by taking up triathlons. The irony.

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Of course I got bit by the ironman bug. So how did I manage the pain for the last few years? I discovered cortizone injections and vicoden. Now people give V a bad rap, but it's a godsend. Vioxx was too, but of course that was taken off the market.

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This past year, things got as worse as they had been. My vertebrate now revealed fracture lines on both sides, slippage between my L4 and L5, and my L5 disc was deteriorating. Simply put, my body took a pounding from doing triathlons. But it sure was worth it.

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I also commited, or my doctor commited for me, to stop getting injections. He didn't like the V idea either, to which I concur. Best take care of this problem by no longer band aiding it, but to consider an alternative.

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As fate would have it, my neighbor and I happened to be speaking as I ran by her house. She has also finished an ironman. I told her how bad my back had gotten, to which she beckoned her husband to come outside. Turns out, he's a neurosurgeon who has performed thousands of surgeries and is considered among the top doctors in fixing bad back.

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Four or so months after that fateful meeting, here I am getting wheeled into my first ever surgery. And it was a serious one. Pardon me for my plain spoken language when it comes to what my doctor did, but it's easier to explain it this way.

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1) Shave off the fractured part of the L4

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2) remove bad disc, crunch up the shaved off L4 bone and place into disc

3) allign the slippage area and insert rods, forming a cage like concoction.

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And of course I was nervous. But I want to live my life to the fullest, I want to keep training, doing races and eventually, my lower back area would get to the point I'd have to have surgery anyhow, so why wait. And trust me, I really have tried just about every form of alternative treatment out there. There's not a whole lot doctors can do with a bad disk, fractured bones and slippage. Medication may quell the pain, but that was it.

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Surgery Summary

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The surgery, according to my doctor, lasted four hours. He told me was a perfectionist and wanted to do it right. That was comforting to know. I mean, he is my neighbor... he wouldnt want me to walk by giving him the finger or something.

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I was pretty woozy when I came to, a bit sore in the lower back area, but i was good. The first night was pretty tought, since I was still tender and couldn't get comfortable. With the help of a morphine drip , I was on my way to recovery.

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The next day was an entirely different story.

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I thought I was ready. I had confidence that two nights in the hospital were all I needed. But a series of things happened that led to my....

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MAJOR MELTDOWN

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That morning I took my first steps. I told the doctor I was feeling good. So we decided to get me off the morphine drip and switch to vicoden. Then it was suggested I remove my catheter and start urinating on my own. Major rookie mistakes on my part.

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By early afternoon, I couldnt pee. I would sit on the toilet for what seemed like forever. Then I was starting to feel more pain and it didn't register to me i needed more medication. Or maybe i wasn't vocal enough. Or maybe my nurse that day was an inexperienced BEE-OTCH.

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Anyways, by that evening, I had a bladder full of pee, I was miserable and I couldn't even move or get out of the bed. I was in so much pain that by 8:30 that even, I started bawling and getting scared. Thankfully Rob called my doctor and I was back on the morphine, not to mention my catheter was reinserted. They say that it takes 6-8 hours before one can pee again after removing that darn bad, but I guess the nurse figured I would hold it and take it. Anyhoo, it was a bad few hours. Once the morphine kicked in I was much better. It just wasn't fun.

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The following day, I got a new nurse. The doctor wouldn't allow me to leave if I was going to stay on morphine, so I took a chance and went to the vicoden instead. Only this time he doubled up my intake. I was taking pills every four hours and by last night, I managed to pee on my own again.

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So this morning, much to my excitement. I checked out. I'm very grateful to my doctor and the great nurses who nursed me back from my meltdown. Im grateful to those who stopped by to visit, and I will forever be grateful to Rob, who served as not just my partner, but my advocate through this process. He was there the entire time and hardly left my site.

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It's been less than 72 hours since my surgery. I am home, medicated, but I am walking around and ready for a speedy recovery. I'm amazed at my progress, from barely walking to now walking quite a bit. That's not to say I don't feel pain. I do. But it's under control.

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I am homebound for the next two weeks, and I am not allowed to drive or do anything strenuous. I am relegated to just walking, but it's okay. I'd rather be sacrificing this time healing than in the condition I was previously in, and that's slowly deteriorating.

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I think this is the longest blog I have written, but I wanted to chronicle my thoughts.

Cheers and happy training...or recovery on my part!

"Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it."

Tori Amos

Confessions

Half IM-less For those of you who raced in last weekends Ironstar half ironman, a major congrats. I have not gotten in any race reports from friends, but from what I remember about last Sunday, it was a chilly, crisp morning followed by a sunny, cool day. Which brings me to mmmm.... me. I did not race as I had planned. Truth be told, my back wasnt doing well, and I simply didn't put in the hours in time for the race. I mean, I did feign training for a short time, and my back paid the price. So that pretty much ended that. I wanted to end this triathlon season with a bang, but I guess it was more of a crackle. In 2008, i think i raced in abot 4 sprints. THAT'S IT. Thats compared to the numerous sprints, halfs and FULL IRONMAN in 2007. Which is why I have not been blogging. I mean, what am I going to blog about if I'm not training? So A LOT is going on in my personal life. But I'm not splashing my personal stuff into this public forum. People don't want to know about the day to day mundane. Hell, I don't even want to hear about that. That's not inspiring. I will say, however, grad school is winding down. I love the subject matter (social work is very feel goody) and I love my internship working with teens and young adults with severe or chronic disabilities. Going back to school was definitely the right move, and of course, with our economy, i'm glad to be here and not "out there"......mmm... for the time being. Austin Visit I have spent this weekend in Austin visiting my dear friend, Ironbabe Jane. Many of you know here because of her numerous appearances on this blog. Jane is doing her FIRST Ironman next weekend in Arizona, so it has been nice to taper train with her, not to mention eat at the awesome Whole Foods Concept store just next to her home. I'm proud of Jane. We met a year and half ago during a talk I gave to first time female triathletes. Now look how much our little Jane has grown up! CONGRATS JANE! GO #2225! (That's her IM Arizona bib!) cheers and happy training! "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream" C.S. Lewis

Cram training crunch

So yesterday I rode 25 and ran 10. Not long ago...mmmm.... like last year, that would have seemed like no big deal.... yesterday it felt like HELL. Save for the weather, I was totally spent. I was slow as a caterpillar, and my back was SCREAMING in pain. Which begs the question: WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING? Am I crazy to want to do a half ironman in two weeks given my back is killing me and i'm seven weeks away from MAJOR back surgery? maybe, but here's my reasoning... . . . . . . . Since I will be out of commission for at least six months, I want to do ONE more, just in case. I mean, what if the surgery doesn't go well and i cant run anymore after this, much less do triathlons? I will be triathlon deprived, training deprived and sulking in non multisport misery. . . . . One last hurrah won't hurt...that bad...will it??? . . . . . Cheers and happy training! . . . . "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too, can become great.

Race not Ready

I have fallen behind on blogging because quite frankly, last week was a big blur. I managed to get some cycling in, but not nearly enough to be race ready for a half ironman. Still, i plan to cram and hope for the best. Even if I have to walk the damn race, I'm in. I've been having dreams about the back surgery. Probably not unusual since this will be my first ever surgery. If it all goes well, I will have one lower vertebrate removed, one disc, the bone compound from that lower vertbrate will be placed into the area where the disc was removed, and I will also have my spine fused by plates that will hold it together. WHEW! Just writing that freaked me out. My internship is going well. I love the small staff, am amazed just how many chronically ill young patients are out there, and I hate the insurance hoops they have to go through just to see a doctor. Being an "intern" is like being 22 for me all over again, but it's fine. I am there to learn, and of course, file papers and answer phones. But you have to start somewhere, right? Anyhoo, I have three papers and a million things to do today Better go do them. Cheers and happy training! "Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around." Henry David Thoreau

Back to Business and Biking

It has been a long time since I have been an intern. But that's what I am again, an intern. . . . Two days a week from now until next May, I am an intern at Baylor College of Medicine's Transition Medicine Clinic, where they see teens and young adult with severe disabilities and help them transition into adult care. Case referral, management type stuff. Its amazing the chronic illnesses out there. Some I had to google. If you really think you have it hard, ask some of these kids and their families about their days. . . . . So today was a not so interesting day for me...get the badge, entered some names and addresses, read some grants, set up some BCM stuff, etc. Good intern type stuff. I am there to learn. I was distracted all day with some personal stuff on my mind, but i put on a good intern face. . . . . The best part of the day was getting to know the social worker there. A fabulous woman with three grown children who's writing a book about tools to use when journaling. . . . . I have a private journal, and it seems the only time i write in it is when i am sad. . . . . . There were NO entries for 2007. . . . . Then of course, there's this blog. I call this my fun, keep me responsible to my training, journal. . . . .. Tonight it was a mere 21 miles on the pink guru. My back still hurts and is pretty tight today so no running. . . . . I may ride in the country tomorrow morning. . . . Cheers and happy training! . . . . "Beautiful is greater than Good, for it includes the Good." Goethe . . .

A Sullen Sunday

This time last year, I think I was the happiest girl in the world. I had just completed my first ironman with my bestest friend, I was happy with my circle of friends, and I was getting set to quit, take a major leap of faith, quit my job and travel the world. . . . Of course, God had other plans for me. I met the man of my dreams, shortened the travelling, came back, settled in and took some time off. And a few months ago, I was off to graduate school for social work. . . . Today, I find myself struggling to get out there train. I don't have that natural high and enthusiasm to do it like I used to, and I wish I did. . . . Without going into detail, today was a lousy day. Probably one of the worst in my life. I was going to ride 50 in the country, but my plans changed for reasons I could not have ever imagined. . . . God doesn't put stuff in your life you can't handle, right? Adversity builds character, so I have heard. But sometimes, we don't see in when we are in the thick of it. . . . I'm pinkgurugal, but I feel awfully blue today. . . . Cheers and happy training . . . "Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret" Ambrose Bierce

Training Tribulations

It's late Saturday afternoon, and I need to get my butt off this dining room chair to TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN. I have been pretty good over the last few days (Thursday 30 minute swim and stretching, Friday 1:30 easy ride), but I still need to step things up. Still, it's just my first week of getting back into it, and I don't want to kills myself. I did that last weekend. .. .. . . . . My back is a burning sore piece of S*^!# . It felt so tight this morning, that even light massaging didn't help. Of course, I have been sitting on this chair for hours on end writing three papers for school. . . . . . . 1) How i will plan to master my practice skills (like empathy, feedback...blah blah blah) . . . . . 2) journaling on cases I can't stomach (mine happened to be one about a rape) . . . . 3) Examining Barack Obama's healthcare plan usings models of analysis.... (love Obama, but the plan falls a bit short....mmmm..and I'm biased!) . . . .

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I have been pretty productive today, but I still need to head out for my run....

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Then we are supposed to head to a 40th birthday party.

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I'm five years away.

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Cheers and happy training!

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow." Helen Keller

Ride, Run and Write Write Right?

My blog is keeping me honest when it comes to my commitment to do a half ironman in 4 1/2 weeks, despite the fact that I had not been training. . . . My blog is keeping me honest because when I know I have to answer to my blog and would feel like a loser if I wrote tonight that I did not train, I will do it. . . So I trained. . . Note to self. Running seven miles after taking a hiatus leaves mighty sore legs. . . . So tonight I rode 18 miles and ran 3. And it hurt. With every step my thighs were burning in pain. I think it hurt so much my back forgot to remind me it hurts too. . . . Someone once said pain moves when you run. Mine stayed in my thighs the ENTIRE time I ran. . . . This is what I get for getting out of the training loop. . . . Pain is good. Eye on the prize. . . And thank you Jesus for IPODS. . . Had another paper to write tonight about the social work profession. I still can't believe sometimes that soon, I too will be a social worker. . . Still makes me smile. . . . . Cheers and happy training!! . . "Work is effort applied toward some end. The most satisfying work involves directing our efforts toward achieving ends that we ourselves endorse as worthy expressions of our talent and character." Wlliam J. Bennett

Muscle Memory

Running Rumination . . I have not run in weeks. In fact, the last time I remembered running was a couple of weeks ago, and I ran 4 miles at best. . . . A big part of the reason I have not been runnning has to do with my bad back. I've got fracture lines, herniation, deterioration, complications..blah blah blah. . . . This december, I've decided that ten years of pain is enough. I'm done with band aiding the problem. I'm going to have spinal fusion surgery. Plus removal of a vertebrate and a disc. Fun. . . Mmm... I digressed my point. ADD moment. Sorry...that's me. . . So anyhoo, since I am committing to a half ironman November 9th, and since I am cram training, I am hitting things as hard as a can. . . . 123 miles of riding over the weekend. ... Yesterday I took off. . . . Tonight: Seven miles. . . . I was slow as molasses, but surprisingly, I made it. Sure I was tired. Sure it hurt my back. But I ran without stopping, and that's what I needed to know, that I could run. . . . So my commitment to myself is to continue throwing together workouts for the next four weeks to be ready for the half. I will probably be slow. I will probably be in pain. Heck, I may even regret it. . . . But I need to get into the spirit of triathlon again. I won't be doing any for at least a year after my surgery...so this last one will be the big shi-bang. . . . In fact, I am SO SAD I will not be running my sixth consecutive Houston Marathon in January. I am selling my race entry to a girlfriend. Boo hoo. . . .

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I'm glad I'm back at all this. Training is not the same. I'm doing it alone again.

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But I need it.

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One footnote: I started my social work internship. Office environments are such a departure from a TV news room... talk about some serious career culture shock!! . . . Cheers and happy training! . . Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves. ~Henry David Thoreau

School stuff

Graduate School Grunts . . . I'm a student again. A graduate student that is. Eight plus weeks ago I started the first semester in a two year program to get my masters in SOCIAL WORK. . . . At first I was so nervous about going to school. I mean, it had been 14 years since I was a student. And this is total career change, not to mention a life change for me. I mean, I went from being a blow and go reporter to graduate student. From high profile to no profile. And I love it. . . Not that there had been some questionable days. . . I could talk about the day I got lost on campus after orientation and cried in the pouring rain. Then there was that first week of school, when I lugged my books, parked a million miles away, and suffered the worst back pain ever. I rectified that by buying a nerdy rolling backpack. . . It's pink of course. . . .

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Overall, it has so far been a positive experience. I like my professors, love my classmates (all but 3 of whom are women), and I especially enjoy the subject matter. Social work is in the business of helping people, particularly the poor and underserved. We help in crisis, counsel, aid, advocate... anything that has to do with helping people who otherwise might not be able to help themselves. Tomorrow I begin my yearlong internship at Baylor College of Medicine working with severely disabled teens and young adults. I'm pretty nervous. And it will be the first time this year that I have gone to "work". I suspect it will be a humbling experience.

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I know, I need to run if I want to make that half ironman in five weeks.

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But I have homework. And Rob's making steak and okra.

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And it smells so yum.

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Cheers and happy training! "You're happiest when you're making the greatest contribution." Robert F. Kennedy

Blog...is this you?

Even though I took a blog break for some time, and even though I should be writing one of four papers for school (more on that in a moment), I am back to my blog, compelled to write. I mean, blogging was such a part of my life in 2007, then I sort of dropped it like a hot potato in 2008. As I became more involved with my personal life and the changes surrounding it, I became less involved with triathlons and thus, blogging. But I must admit, I just plain miss it. My blog kept me self inspired, and in many ways, it's therapeutic. My blog is just a part of who I am, however egocentric that sounds. Anyhoo, in life, sometimes to you have to be look for signs. Mine came over the weekend. 1) As I was packing for a weekend trip to the country for some self reflection and for some hard core, much needed cycling, my ironman wisconsin swim cap reappeared, even though I thought I lost it. It made me smile and think about that very happy day of my life. And it was just a year ago. 2) Rob sent me a text and encouraged me to blog again, just as I was thinking about my blog. 3) My best friend's mother sent me the sweetest card and embroidered cross to carry in my wallet. Thank you Edie! Ryan is lucky to have you as his mother! 4) Today, while out on my bike, I received the kindest blog comment from a reader. MIND YOU I have not received a comment in MONTHS. Who reads blogs that are on hiatus, much less comments? Now if this isn't a sign, I'm not sure what is. Here's an excerpt: "I think reading your blog helped me find that person I always was. Take care and God Bless" To that blog reader, thank you for your kind comment. I am deeply humbled and I will have you know, it gave the emotional lift I needed to get through the latter half of my 50 mile ride today. I teared up. Really, you have no idea how touched I was. Things happen for a reason. There are no accidents in life. And thank God there were no pinkgurugal style accidents over the weekend.

I have not been training lately. I have not been running. And I have hardly been swimming. But this weekend, I needed to ride. And ride I did.

199.75 KM

9:01:43 HOURS

That is the actual reading on my Mavic from 3 days of riding. Don't ask me to do the math, but I'm guessing it's somewhere around 120 miles or more? As for the hours, give or take 30 minutes, and I think it's the actual time I spent riding. Because I have not been riding, I am really slow right now!

Some people escape through drugs, drinking or partying or heck, even shopping! I escape by heading to the country, finding a fabulous bed and breakfast, and getting on my bike each morning. Because on my bike I pray. I cry. I whine. I smile. I hurt. I process.

I think.

Riding in the country is my therapy. It's familiar to me. It reminds me of good times. And bad ones.

There is nothing better for my soul than gliding through those gently rolling hills with just me, nature and my thoughts.

Mine are all over the place these days.

One thought I had in mind was crash training for the local Ironstar Half Ironman. It's exactly FIVE WEEKS from today. I have not been training, but I can do it... mmmm.. I think.

Well, there is this major back surgery I have scheduled for December, but hey what's one more half ironman a month before that surgery? So what if my lower back shrills in pain every time I run. Nothing a cortisone shot won't do to band aid the problem one more time, right?

AM I CRAZY?

Yes I am. But riding in the country over the weekend made me realize how much I miss training, how much I miss blogging, and how much I needed to get back to both, even at the expense of some serious lower back pain.

I need to get inspired again. I'll talk about school the next time.

Cheers and happy training (to me) !

The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller

Blog Bye Bye

Reflections

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Over the last several months, I have blogged about anything and everything, but mostly about my triathlon misadventures. This blog started as a way to track my first Ironman, but then evolved to recording the end of my television news career and eventually tracking my personal life, including some travelling I did shortly after my career departure.

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Looking at my past posts, I realized that 2007 proved to be some of the happiest times of my life. Finishing an Ironman was a wonderful accomplishment, but the journey was far better. Especially with friends.

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But over the last several months, I have found that while I still enjoy triathlons, I do very little training, choosing my personal life over triathlons.

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Therefore, I am taking a BLOG BREAK.

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I am not going to be posting for some time, if ever at all anymore.

I have other reasons for not blogging, but suffice it to say I'll be turning my attention to other things.

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So I'll still see you out at the local sprint and short distance races, I hope. And perhaps when the time comes I sign up for my next Ironman, Pinkgurugal will return.

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In the meantime, I big my fellow bloggers adieu, and of course, blog on. I'll be reading.

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. Cheers and happy training!

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around every once in a while you will miss it."

John Hughes

IM CDA!!!!

CDA PSYCHED! I still get the chills watching folks finish an Ironman. . . After all, we are talking about that esoteric blood sweat, tears and emotions that go into finishing one of those seemingly impossible feats. Tonight, I had the privilege of watching fellow blogger and local friend Trigreyhound finish!!!

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I was elated and inspired watching Trigreyhound finish his second IM hand in hand with his daughter.... I have tears in my eyes. I know, I'm a sap. . . Don't laugh because i am talking throughout his finish... . . CONGRATS TGH! See you in houston! THANK YOU FOR INSPIRING ALL OF US!! . . . I know i don't train much these days, but i am still exhilarated about the whole experience. If you have finished an ironman, you know what i mean.

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If you are on the road, you WILL know.

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TGH... YOU ARE AN IRONMAN !!!!

Cheers and happy training!!!

Cougar Contemplations

Ironbabe Jane has been nagging me to post something, even though not a whole lot has been going on in my life Training Update Mmmmm...what's that? I have to put myself in the "working out" category these days, though I must admit to that Ironman itch after watching IM CDA online (see previous blog...where i am mmmmm... a bit too happy to watch Trigreyhound finish... let's just say some late night spirits were involved) . . . . . Anyhoo, I did sign up for another sprint tri this weekend, the Eastside sprint triathlon. Kelly and I raced in this one a few years ago. All I can remember is much roadkill and lots of sun during the swim. . . . Hopefully for this one pinkgurugal will go to bed early and refrain for those spirits (also see previous blog for this insider's reference) . . . So what have I been doing? Outside of waking up, working out and running errands, during this life of leisure I did manage to get accepted to graduate school. . . . Career Coming out . . . You might recall that late last year when I quit my career with no real plans other than to take some time off and travel, I had no idea what I was going to do next. . . I just knew and trusted that everything would work itself out. . . So ten or so months after that leap of faith, I ave a new career game plan. . . Social Workings . . The do gooder in me has decided that what makes this gal happiest is helping others. As ironic as it may seem, the most memorable reporter moments for me involved families in need getting help, or providing a voice to the poor or underprivileged. . . So come August 21st, I will officially be a social work graduate student . . And to be honest, making this decision wasn't something that was even well thought out. I actually feel it was inspired. . . I mean, I literally woke up one morning, looked online and noticed the application deadline had passed!

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. So there I was, scurrying to get everything together: application , 3 essays, transcripts, letters of reccommendation... take the GRE test.... I was able to get my application into the school within three days.

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I only share that portion of that story because that seems to be a consistent theme yet blessing in my life, and that is acting on impulse, yet knowing it's the right decision.

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I'm really looking forward to learning again, to doing something completely different from what I had been doing.

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It's not glamorous. And I certainly am not doing this for the money. But I think the rewards reaped when one can help others are priceless.

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And that means something. Cheers and happy training!

Tejas Race not so Ready

. Over the weekend Pinkgurugal got back into the tri spirit to race in the Tejas triathlon. . . This is a special race for me for plenty of reasons. . . . 1) I like this race course. . . . 2) It was my first triathlon race EVER three year agos, so reflecting on my "progress" is a neat feeling..... . . you know.... stuff like: how nervous I was because it was my first ever open water swim, how I rode a kids trek bike back then (really!) how I watched others in the transition area to figure out what the hell i was doing...and blah blah blah.... . . 3) My buddy Christine raced with me. . . .

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This is really special, because Christine and I started doing triathlons together three years ago...

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She took a few years off, and I went on to continue racing over the last few years.

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But for the Tejas tri, we were reunited...."and it feels so good..."

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. . . Okay, peaches and herb moment aside (get yer mind outta that gutter), Tejas proved to be another first for me....

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Racing after after THREE hours sleep and drinking mucho bloody mary's and vodka grapefruits. . . . .

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I present you the culprit and enabler of my social drinking problem. . . .

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Not that Rob and I partied on the eve before Tejas, but it's just so hard to turn down another drink after the first...and second...and third...especially in the comfort of your own home.

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I think I even drunk blog commented Tarabay at 1 am. (Great to also finally meet you btw and CONGRATS on your bling!)

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Oh and the prior post was also the product of pinkgurugal gets tipsy and gets type happy.

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So when the alarm went off at 5:20am, somehow, I stumbled out of bed. It would be around 6:10am that Christine, Rob and I all depart homebase. Oh and the race starts at 7am.

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Still in a fog, I manage to get Christine and me into transition area SIX MINUTES before it closes.

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WHEW!

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Since our wave didn't start immediately, Christine and I had a few minutes to decompress from the morning mayhem. . . . I was too tired and too hungover to really think about the race. But other than, I'd figure I'd do it. Really, I felt no nerves, after all it was only a 600 meter swim, a 9 mile ride and a 3 mile run, right?

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Well, I have to say the race went fine. For the first few minutes of the swim, I thought maybe I'd tire out, but I never did.

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Total swim time: 14:18

and 2:23 minutes (per whatever meters avg.)

. . . Here I am hustling outta that duck crap pond!

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T1 was fine, I was in and out quickly in 1:32

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As for the biking, I decided just to give it my best and go as hard as I could.

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Total bike time: 28:27 19mph average

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T2 I felt a bit tired getting off the bike, but I still managed to do it in 1:27. . . As for the run, there is no question my lack of running in TWO WEEKS (hey, i was on vacation and I hate running in this heat!) hurt me. I still gave it my all though

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Total run time 28:02

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and 9:20avg

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Total race time 1:13:49

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I placed 14th out of 46 in my age group. Sure I could have trained more, slept more and drank a whole hell of a lot less, but then this race wouldn't be so memorable, right?

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By this point, you're probably thinking, Wow, how'd she do that and feel fine?

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Well, I'm not positive, but maybe the three midol, two tylenol and one vicoden (it's for my bad back in case you'r wondering) helped?

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I will say, however, my temporary burst of energy and might all went downhill after we left the race and went to eat.

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I wound up yacking my entire everything just as we were pulling away from breakfast.

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And I suffered all day by sleeping it off.

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Oh, enabling aside, thanks to sherpa Rob for being our cheerleader and photographer. It's nice to have your own personal everything on race day!

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Cheers and happy training!

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On reeking relationships

For those of you who come here to read about triathlons and my meager life, STOP NOW! . . . Tonight, admittedly after a few drinks, I am writing about relationships, and one a friend of mine finds herself recently toiling over. So this post is my way of not only venting, but sticking up for my friend. . . . . The Infidelity Ickies . . . . I'm mad for my friend. I'm mad that a boy has gotten her into a downward emotional mess, that in a a tearful eye, she comes undone when talking about him. . . . . And I'm mad that this boy blogs like everything is perfect in his life, but in truth, he has cheated on his wife and had been stringing my friend on for the last several months...sending her nice emails, presents, etc. . . . . She met him through blogging. He first began commenting on her blog. Then she, his. Then comments turned into emails, then phone calls, then... well you get it. . . . . My friend had been so sad and depressed she's having a hard time functioning. I know, it takes two to tango, but if hers is heartache.... what are his consequences? . . . She's the one who has to peel herself off the floor, while he goes back to his life with his wife and kids. . . . . So there is this part of me that wants to expose Mr. Cheater for the sake of my friend. It would be very easy. She has pictures. She has some of his stuff. She has emails. It wouldn't be hard to figure out where he lives. . . . . If you are thinking fatal attraction by now, I get that. But these are just thoughts after all. We all have thoughts... doesn't mean we act on them. . . . . . . . I just hate seeing her, or anyone else for that matter, so unhappy. . . . Oh and to make matters worse, just around the time this boy was breaking up with my friend, he started leaving flirtatious comments on another woman's blog, just like he had started doing with my friend!! . . . . For now, I spend time with my friend and listen. That's all I can do, be a shoulder to cry on and listen, even if it's ad nauseum (in her words). . . . . I know, I'm throwing stones at Mr. Cheater. Maybe he's battling his own demons but has to mask them for the sake of his family. . . . . But this is about my upset friend. And i'm on her side. . . . . Again, I'm just venting. Of course, I'm dying to play psycho friend on him and expose him, but writing this is good enough.

Swim Stinkies and Blog Worthies

TWIN LAKES LAMENT . . . Since I am signed up for a sprint tri this weekend, and since my girlfriend Christine has decided to race in it as well, she invited Jane and me to head to Twin Lakes for an open water swim. I was looking forward to it, until we showed up. . . .

. . . The lake was at least two feet below its normal water levels, and since it's already shallow, swimming the perimeter was out of the question. Sand could be seen jutting out of the water all around this tiny 900 meter perimeter lake. . . . This was a real bummer, because that meant we could only swim out and back in the middle of it. Oh, and low lake level waters exposed some questionable stuff. . . . . . . . INSERT BITCH SESSION HERE . . . There are many things I like about living in Houston, like the cost of living, the friendliness of the people, the good eats and my great network of friends and family....and blah blah blah.... But a town for the fitness enthusiast Houston is NOT. . . . Training for triathlons in Houston really blows, and Twin Lakes is a perfect example. , , , . . . It's the only open water swim location in the entire Houston area. It's at an RV park about 30 minutes south of the city.

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There is a submerged bus in the lake's bottom, among other things I suspect. To swim you gotta pay five bucks.

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And these tadpole looking things freakishly take a nip at you when you get in. And did I mention the questionable stuff around the lake?? . . . So why swim here? Because, ITS THE ONLY OPEN WATER SWIM LOCATION IN THE HOUSTON AREA! . . . Oh, and I won't even get started on the lack of bike lanes, the unfriendly drivers, the oppressive summer heat.... and I really could go on and on about how my fellow triathletes and me suffer. . . . But yes, I call Houston home...for now... and we here in Houston make the most of it, even if we don't have a lot to from which to make. . . . Friends make things so much better. . . .

. . . Okay, back to being positive me. . . . . Blog Buddies . . . And finally, here's a quick toast to fellow blog buddies Trigreyhound and Ironbabe Jane. . . .

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Jane is recovering from injuries sustained after she was struck by a car while riding in the country. It was quite a scare for her, her bike was totaled, and the accident has forced her to bow out of Ironman Austria. In spite of it all, she is in good spirits.

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Then there's uber studly fellow blogger Trigreyhound.

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In a few weeks, we will all be watching from our internet to watch him finish Ironman CDA.

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I first met Kendall at IM Wisconsin and have been an avid reader of his blog

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His posts are witty, inspiring, and thoughtful, and it was really good to catch up with him.

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You go TGH! You're going to do GREAT!

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Cheers and happy training!

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"The sun is always shining behind the clouds"

Leo Buscaglia

Excursions

What I have been doing the past few weeks:

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EATING FISH EYEBALLS

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HANGING OUT IN SAN FRANCISCO WITH SEA LIONS....

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AND WITH MY BEAU AND BUDDIES.....

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HIKING WITH GALPAL SUSAN IN NAPA

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PRIVATE WINE TASTING TOUR WITH SUSAN

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SWIMMING WITH ALLY

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NURSING IRONBABE JANE BACK TO HEALTH

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SHARING A MOMENT WITH MY BFF RYAN

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TRIATHLON TRAINING.... NOT!

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Cheers and happy training!

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"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love."

Sophocles

Triathlon Transition No No's

Fodder for any budding triathlete! Cheers and happy training!

Spectating Spectacle Part Two

Crit Cred . . . . So on Sunday, I not only watched a triathlon... but after the race, Rob and I rode into the city to watch the Houston Grand Crit races. . . .

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Now i'm not a roadie, but I think in criterium races, cyclists go all out for forty minutes to an hour? . . . .

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In downtown, the riders did loops around Allen Parkway for an hour. We were there to support our friend Philip . . . .

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We weren't the only ones in the Philip fan club.

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Rob was tired from the morning's race. . . . .

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Congrats to Phil and all the racers out there. Ya'll are animals!

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Cheers and happy training! . . . "If you always give, you will always have" Chinese proverb

Spectating Spectacle

I've raced in dozens of triathlon races, but I have never watched one as a spectator. That changed on Sunday, when I headed south to the ....

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Silverlake Sprint Triathlon

. . . . Contrary to belief, I don't always have to be the center of attention. I am glad to let someone else take that reign. For the Silverlake Sprint triathlon (comprised of a 400 meter swim, a 10 mile bike ride and a 3 mile run), that would be Rob. . . . .

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What a fan club he had for this race: his two sons, our friend Joe and me. And lucky him for having me help him pack all his race stuff the prior night. Heck, when I first started in triathlons I had no clue what I was doing! . . . . . . . . . Rob's Race Report . . . . . Since Rob swam throughout his life and in college, swimming is his strongest suit. He proved his swimming worth by coming first out of the water in his age group. We all watched and cheered him on as he got out of the water in 6:31. Not bad for a 44 year old! . . . .

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Now his transitions are another thing.

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Still new to the sport, Rob enjoys taking his time. More on Rob's transitions in a moment, but first. let's talk about the ...

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Bike

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This is where Rob's work in progress kicks in. He is very new to biking. He just started cycling a month ago, and just yesterday, did we finally put a computer on his bike. Happy to report though, he is getting stronger and may finally beat this 11 year old boy at the next race. I'm kidding of course! Rob finished the bike in a 31:38. Running Robbie Rob is a solid runner. I told him to go all out, since it was a short course race, to which it appeared he listened. Of course, leave it up to me to run out of memory on my camera at the last minute. This is the only shot of Rob I have of him coming through the finish chute. He's on the far right in the blue spandex. total run time: 23:01 . . . .

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Rob's Total time: 1:05:42

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Okay, back to those transitions: T1 : 2:42 / T2: 1:53

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.So Rob probably could have shave about 3 minutes off his time had he hustled a little bit more in the transition area. But hey, it was just his second race.

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Anyhoo, I am very proud of him. Rob came in 5th in his age group and the most important thing...he liked it.

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I'm also very proud of my BFF Ryan, who finished in 56 minutes!!!

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. Congrats to the two best looking men at the race!!!

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. Cheers and happy training!

"A light heart lives strong."

Wiliam Shakespeare