Monday, July 14, 2008

sweating the small stuff

I'm glad to be home, it makes recovering a lot easier. You truly come to appreciate the power of family in bad times. The simplest things like putting on a shirt, typing on a keyboard, cutting an apple, or brushing your teeth suddenly become arduous tasks. I'm so thankful that I did not endure a single scratch on my legs, or face.
The day after, yesterday, was bad. Since waking up that morning I haven't been able to lift my neck from a lay down position. I think all my little tendons/muscles are super tight and have many little tears so they just won't function.
It takes about 15min to get out of bed since I enclose myself in a coffin like state with pillows to eliminate room to move while sleeping...one wrong turn and I'm screwed hehe. I've been getting up as usual, at 5am, to head to the pool and do some water running. I tried it without a belt but that resulted in a tighter neck and shoulders, so I'm stuck with the granny belt ;) My butt's still bruised up pretty bad and painful when sitting so I try to stand most of the day and walk around, so the trainer will have to wait for another day or two. I don't think running on ground will be an option until xrays show major calcification of the bone, because even walking briskly moves it and it hurts like hell. Ugh, kind of frustrating that a lot of exercises affect the collarbone. Water running 30mins 3X a day seems to be good because more than 30 at a time gets me tired, I'm still feeling very wiped out.
Calf raises, single leg squats and adducter lifts on the balance disk are fine to do. I'm also doing the resistance ball for forearm strength...I used that a lot when I played tennis.
Anyway, just posting an update. Every day that goes by means I'm that much closer to the next swim start :) Chicago is gonna need a miracle and would be pretty risky on the barely heeled bone, but I should be unleashed for Cancun!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

you know you're a true cyclist when...

You've broken your collar bone! At least that's my positive outlook on the situation- now I'm offically a rider :)
After spending my entire morning in the hospital (7:30am- 12pm), I've started a new plan before Chicago.
First off, it's important to note that my bike is perfect! I can be fixed, it can't. My mistake began when I decided to do my 3hr interval ride before my 1hr run. On saturdays and Sundays I always opt to ride in the afternoon after all the millions of runners have fled White Rock Lake.
But, I wanted to do my run in the heat of the day on tired legs, and I wanted my intervals done on fresh legs, and get the long workout done with. BAAAAD call.
Not even a loop into the ride, roughly 30mins from the time I left my house, I'm riding on the East side of the lake, and sure enough there's a running race about to happen along with dozens of training groups that have forgotten to preach the most fundamental rule of running: WHEN A BIKE YELLS ON YOUR LEFT, OR YOU'RE TOLD THERE'S A BIKER COMING, MOOOOVE TO THE RIIIIGGGGHHHHTTTTT!!!!!! But, no, just as they do in a car, they stay on the left side, or better yet completely cut across TO THE LEFT!
So that's what happened. A brilliant man decided to jump across to the left side of the golf cart wide path and I ran into him at roughly 25mph with zero time to break. I went flying over him and landed on my left hip/low back and some how took enough force on my right shoulder to brake my clavicle.
I lay there in horrible pain, of course the runner left before I even realized what happened, and some nice people gathered to call an ambulance and see how I was doing. Thank God I wore my helmet. IF YOU HAVEN'T LEARNED YOUR OWN LESSON, TAKE MY ACCIDENT AS ONE, AND NEVER EVER EVER EVER GO ON A RIDE WITHOUT A HELMET!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mine cracked on the back and without it that would have been adios to my skull.
The ambulance came and I was extremely worried that my pelvis or hip had been fractured. In fact, not until the x-rays did I know I had a broken collarbone. I ruled that out as a tight shoulder that just needed some ice and eventually a painful massage.
But on the contrary, my low back and butt are just bruised and swollen as hell and my shoulder is screwed for a couple of weeks. This is not great to hear a month before my A race and when swimming is my weakness. But everything happens for a reason. If anything, I'm thankful to be able to stand and heck, at least I can ride and run!!!
My plan for Chicago.....water run this afternoon (I was so pissed that I didn't even get say 2hrs at least of intervals!) and the next 2-3 days to let the swelling and bruising on my back subside. Do all my rides from here until Chicago on the trainer. This will actually work to my advantage as I believe strongly in the benefits of the trainer and now I'm forced to do it every time! Hopefully I can run on the ground without much pain to my shoulder after a couple of days, if not more water running. I'll be swimming 30mins at a time kicking, fins, or pull boey and just keeping a feel for the water, doing rotation drills, etc all with my hands to my side as I can't lift the right one. Work extra extra extra on core and back strength. Get in the gym for cord exercises, and lower body stuff is ok. Lots of stretching, ice, rest, glucosamine and chondrotin, calcium rich foods, raw vegetable juices, and sleep!!
The nurses and doctors were extremely kind and I plan on going back tomorrow with a card and some chocolates to thank them for being so amazing to me. I usually have a bad feeling toward hospitals hehe.
My mom is driving in tomorrow to come get me and I'll be with them until school resumes. Hopefully I can heal and be able to swim for Chicago.
Mind over matter-
Cheers.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Lately...

I've been out of the sun...taking the personal trainer course at the Cooper Institute here in Dallas for the past week (8am-5pm). It was a small glimpse into full-time job hours- conlusion: I don't like it ;)
But, this was actually really fun, the instructors were very knowledgeable and passionate about fitness & nutrition. Our class was lucky enough to have Dr. Kenneth Cooper (founding father of Aerobics) be in town and give us a lecture! It was remarkable. He showed slide upon slide of undeniable research of the profound effect that working out and eating right has on every part of our body. As well, he cited overwhelming evidence on children's lack of health and fitness in this country today. His life purpose is inspiring and his constant actions to carry out that purpose only made me want to help kids, teens, and adults who are overweight or struggling to get started toward a healthy lifestyle all the more! Hopfeully his Fitnessgram testing conducted in elementary through high school students will be carried out in all 50 states in the near future. Next week he's in South Carolina trying to get it established there.
Anyway, it was good that this week was still a mellow transition into what coach called "going to hell and back the next 3 months" and I was able to get away with one or two morning/evening workouts to complete the course. Today we took the exam and got out at 10am. I did my weights in the morning and then rode outside on the trainer around noon, took a nap and headed over to SMU outdoor pool for my swim after. This weekend's pretty good volume- hour run tomorrow, followed by a 3 hour interval ride and Sunday hour swim, 30mins run, 2hr ride. All rides with efforts above training pace I'll be doing based on power on my TT bike, and all others based on HR on my road bike. This should make it more interesting...I guess, ha.
I've been feeling great. After Lubbock, I drove down to San Antonio to be with my family for the week which was great. Sleep has been AMAZING. I usually have interrupted sleep where I get up once or twice and can't fall back to sleep for about30mins...UGH! But now it's continuous 9-10hrs!! I love it. Also, I discovered the power of stretching!! haha...all my life I've been told how beneficial stretching is but frankly I hated it, it was boring and stupid I thought. But now I'm addicted. Since I can't do anything in moderation, I took up stretching a lot. 15mins as soon as I wake up, 10mins before and after each workout (a little lighter on the befores) and 15mins before going to bed. OMG I can touch my toes now!!
On the racing front...I'll be doing the Irongirl sprint out in Irving next weekend. Then Rivercities at the start of August and then CHICAGO!!!! Using the law of attraction, I've been attempting to bring hot/humid weather to Chicago for race day :)
Well, off to read some book I got at Borders and then sleep.
Ciao