Pins and Needles (Literally and Figuratively)

I guess I should pay attention to my training partner's oh-so-subtle nudge and write an update on the never ending knee saga. My apologies for a lengthy post!

March 13th has come and gone and I'm still not training. Yet. On Tuesday, March 10th, I got a call from Ken, telling me he and Dr. Teter (Graston) think I should forgo Ironman this year. That my knee is still too painful and they don't want me to end up permanently injured. I get it. They're looking out for my best interests. But for me it's not enough.

Ironman is the symbol of the lifestyle I want to live - pain-free, able to challenge myself, to achieve goals I set, and enjoy being active. It is my motivation to get healthy. To deal with all the bad news and keep coming back for more; never being satisfied with a "we don't know" answer.

With the help of a lot of great people - Barbara, the KCOI assistant who got me in early; Tim, who kept me company in a freezing room for 2 hours watching me as "radioactive girl" get a bone scan; Dr. Rasmussen, who recognized that telling me to find another hobby wasn't an option; Trish, for always being ready with support or a joke; Sheryl, who provided great guidance on who/what to listen to - I've received even more advice and feedback than I thought possible (you'd think everyone would be tapped by now!) and have made a decision.

My ITB syndrome is much better than it was, thanks to Graston. The pain on the inside of my knee is not attributed to an MCL tear. The bone scan spot on the top outside of my tibia, while it may have been a fracture at one point, looks to be almost healed. All of those things, while painful, are not sport-ending. Independently, Dr. Rasmussen, Dr. Teter and Dr. Albright have all said that while the pain of Ironman training might be more than I can take, training itself will not cause permanent injury.

So the choices are:

1. Train for IMOO 2009 knowing that, if I am able to manage the pain, it will mean taking most if not all of 2010 off (Dr. Rasmussen made it clear that "off" means no swimming, biking, running, lifting - even crutches are a possibility, if it comes to that).
2. Give up Ironman this year, do all the recommended rest and therapy, and hope it works so I can train for an Ironman in late 2010.

My choice is made. I start IMOO 2009 training on April 1 with the pain management of acupuncture and chiropractic, a supportive training partner, and a very patient boyfriend willing to coach me. It might might not work, and it will more than likely hurt (a lot), but I have to try. If it works, I'll cross the finish line on September 13 an Ironman. If it doesn't work, at least I'll know I gave it all I had. And really, isn't that what Ironman is about - discovering how much you have to give and how deep you can dig?

Bike test

So this morning I had 30 minutes of pain. 30 minutes of agony. 30 minutes all out on my bike. Trying to get my heart rate as high as I could get it to go. If you've never done this before, its hard. And it sucks. And it seems like its never going to end.

But then, it does. And you get a second to breathe and realize just how bad your legs BURN!!

Luckily I had Derick and Chelsea there to distract me thru the worst of it. Egging me on... telling me how I'd better push it if I want to make it up Old Sauk Pass... how I better spin fast or I'm not going to make the bike cut-off... I better suck it up so Chels isn't too far ahead of me and I can beat her on the run.

The weird part is that my max heart rate was a lot lower than it was last year. It used to be that my AT was 155 on the bike, 165 on the run. Today I found out that its 147 on the bike. I wonder if that has something to do with my breathing problems? Or am I in better shape? Not sure what it means, but I'm sure it means something.

And guess what? I get to do it all again tomorrow on the track.

I just hope the freak snowstorm they're warning of stays away!

T-Pace Test

Chels and I did our T-pace test in the pool this morning. 200 warm up, 1000 swim for time and then a cool down. To get your t-pace, you average your 100s during the long swim. I averaged 2:03. Not great, but not bad considering how long I've been swimming (just over a year). And I wasn't too surprised at my time since thats about what I usually average. Of course, Chelsea kicked my butt. No surprise there either. But hopefully, she'll get on and update everyone on her training status since she just may have news to share!

Training Update

Well, breathing has been much better. Thank goodness. Last week was an awesome week of training! I owned my workouts and it felt great to get all the time and mileage in.

I had the most amazing run of my life on Weds. I've never been so consistent thru a run before. I was on a runners high for a few days even. Hell, I get a little bit of that high now when I think about it!

This weekend I did a tough but awesome 45 mile ride with the best chiropractor in KC and on Sunday, ran 8 miles at Shawnee Mission Park. I did 7 of them with Pete and the last mile pretty much all out on my own. Then Derick and I met his dad for some quality time at the dog park while the boys got to swim and be dogs. It was a great weekend.

This week I have heart rate testing. Weds I do my swim test; Thurs, bike; and Fri, run. These are basically all out efforts for 30 minutes, trying to get my heart rate as high as it will go. Luckily the rest of the week is pretty easy so I should be able to suffer thru.

On Saturday, I'll be out at the Olathe Marathon running the Girls on the Run booth and trying to raise money for my Ironman fundraiser. If you're out there, be sure to stop by!

Sweat Equity

I'm really starting to put it in. Last night on the bike, I got sweatier than I have in a while. Well, I take that back. Running in 83 degrees in Dallas last Friday, I got REALLY sweaty. I love the heat. Hopefully it will be in KC for good soon.

Luckily breathing has been going OK. I'm hoping that will continue. I've been trying to really get at it this week. Healthy eating and getting in all my workouts as dictated by Ken.

Tonight, I do BIA testing with Sheryl. News to come...

A much-needed update

So I've been a big slacker on the blog side of things. Life has gotten a little crazy. Here's a little update for the IMOO side of life.

My Health
Yikes. This is the main reason I haven't been posting. I haven't been doing a ton of training, because I've been seeing tons of doctors trying to figure out why I can't breathe when I exercise. And I still have no real news. I have no blood clots, it's not asthma, and my heart is just fine. Yesterday I did an exercise echocardiogram - basically a sonogram of my heart. And I came out as a finely tuned athlete, with wonderful heart function. My lung function is also great. I do have mild asthma, but the doctors don't think that is what is causing my trouble. When I spoke to the pulmonologist this morning, he cleared me to push myself as hard as I can in my training. He told me to stop taking all asthma meds, and to listen to music as I train. A way to sort of trick my mind into not hearing my breathing, thereby making it better. So, we'll see how it goes. I touch base with the doc in a few weeks to report how training is going. It better be going well!

My Fundraiser
I've committed to raising $10,000 for Girls on the Run as I train for Ironman Wisconsin. If you enjoy "Adventure to IMOO" I hope you'll make a donation to this amazing organization! To donate, simply click here. Not only do I thank you for your support - but so do all the girls who are learning about healthy lifestyles, self-esteem, and the importance of exercise!

My Training Partner
Chelsea is going to start training with me soon! We are already swimming together, and in about a week we get to start biking and running. This is much needed for me, as she will push me to do what I need to do to be ready for this race!

My Race Calendar
Upcoming races include:
St Patricks Day Race in Westport - Should I do this one? Or just go to the KCM party??
Brew to Brew
Lawrence Half Marathon
Trolley Run - Still undecided on this one
Heritage Park Tri/Du - Also still undecided
Kansas City Triathlon
Ironman Kansas 70.3
Crew at Ironman CDA where Tim will race

My Man
Derick and I took vacation to Colorado and SE Utah. It was a great trip. If you've never been to Moab - GO! This was one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been!

Believe in the Run

Nike has a new promotion: "Running never takes more than it gives back. Believe in the run."

It's time for me to start believing in the run. For those of you who haven't heard yet, I've been cleared to start my Ironman training March 13! Which is great... except for my fear that once I start training, the pain will return and I'll be right back where I started. Yes, I know the power of positive thinking. And it's one thing to hear that... it's another thing to believe it. However, while I might not be the biggest proponent of Nike over other athletic gear providers, I can absolutely believe in the truth of this new promotion.


"Running never takes more than it gives back..." Running essentially took my entertainment, my stress outlet, and my health to a lower point than it's ever been. But, I believe there's a reason for that. The time off, the worry, the rehab will all give me more drive, more motivation, and more mental toughness - all things I need to train for and cross the finish line of Ironman Wisconsin. In that way, running might not just give back the amount it took. I can't speak from experience, yet, but I imagine crossing the finish line of your first Ironman is an unequalled experience - one running will help me achieve.