Posts from — December 2010

My high hopes of running to the pool, swimming a few thousand yards and then running another 5 or so miles home over the past couple of days was derailed due to some sort of stomach flu.  Instead I got to spend the entire day in a vertical position drifting in and out of consciousness.  I don’t get sick very often, and when I do, I am usually not completely out of commission.  However, this recent illness literally put my flat on my back and made me completely unproductive. 

This morning, my children still needed to get to school, so I managed to pull myself together and dragged myself out of the house.  On the way home I was approached by what appeared to be a harmless older lady who asked if I could buy her a cup of coffee.  I usually blow off anyone who approaches me for money, but on occasion I do succumb and dole out some pocket change.  It was a cold and windy morning, so I figured what the hell; perhaps it will be paid forward or backward at some point later on.  I also just had a feeling that perhaps this was the right thing to do, so I took her into the corner bodega to get her the coffee. 

Well my good feeling soured just a tiny bit when the woman asked if I could make it a large cup.  However, it was cold, so in for a penny in for a pound and I said sure.  Having gotten what she wanted again, the woman then had the temerity to ask if I could also spare a quarter.  I got the feeling that if I kept saying yes to her incremental add-on requests, I would soon have her ensconced in my home and wearing a new wardrobe.  At this point the proprietor of the bodega broke in and told the woman that she is not to come into his store again asking for money.  Evidently she had done this before and the owner had enough of her behavior.  My feeling of doing something good was quickly replaced with the feeling of being taken advantage.  I walked out feeling foolish and thinking that buying strangers cups of coffee is not something I should be doing, especially being out of work at this time.

Anyway, I got on with the rest of my day which included visiting my sports physician to work on my left leg which is suffering from a chronic case of shin splints and plantar fasciitis.  We also spent a fair amount of time looking at the MRI of my pelvis and discussing various exercises and therapies I could do in order to correct my chronic saddle area numbness.  We did a bunch of exercises and stretches, all of which felt good.  The increase of heart rate I achieved also helped me to cure my 48 hour headache. 

After the doctor, I picked my son up from school and took him to his first organized track workout.  He was very excited to go and worked hard throughout it.  I could see the effort on his face every time he made it around to my end of the indoor track.  I was very proud of him for his work ethic and told him so after the workout was over.  He expressed how it was hard work and that while he didn’t exactly find it enjoyable, knew he had to do it in order to be better during races.  Putting the time in to practice for an activity he enjoys has always been one of his strengths.  I wonder where he gets that from.

We talked on the way home from practice and I told him how proud I was of him.  He was sweaty and tired and I feared that he would not want to do a 15K race we have planned for this weekend.  I suggested that perhaps we shouldn’t do it if he is tired from just one track workout and that perhaps we should get some more training in.  He was emphatic though that he wanted to go through with the race, so I told him we will, but will see how it goes during the race and don’t need to finish it if he gets too tired.  He was satisfied with that, but was also sure that he would succeed in completing it.

I dropped him off at home and then headed into the city for a sales seminar.  I may start working for a friend in his mature startup company, possibly in some sort of sales capacity so I figured I ought to go.  During the seminar I got very thirsty so search out a vending machine outside the auditorium.  I found one on another floor, but I only had a $20 bill and no small change.  I asked if anyone around the machines could break the 20, when the guy just in front started to receive a bunch of coins as change for the $5 bill he placed in the machine.  He was just about to respond that he could break it, when he decided that he really didn’t want to fish $3 in coins (yes, the water/soda cost 2 bucks) out of the coin return slot.  He told me the change was mine if I wanted to retrieve it.  So I guess my good deed from earlier in the day (the older woman) not only was returned to me, but I also earned interest.  I was actually hoping that my good deed would be paid off with a winning lottery ticket (it still may be as the drawing hasn’t been held as I write this), but I guess that is a lot to ask for a good deed that only cost me $1.25. 

My soda (cherry coke) and I returned to the auditorium, where I refreshed myself with the cool tasty beverage and listened to a very interesting panel.  Hopefully, some of the content infused itself into my now caffeinated and sugar coated brain and I could make a positive business improvement with my life.  I really need to start focusing on this aspect of my life as I have been doing with my recreational/sporting pursuits.  I just need to find something work/business oriented that I love doing as much as my endurance pursuits.

So once again I have registered for the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run.  I had until July of next year to register, but I just could not stand the feeling of being without a big race planned for next year.  It is like I have no purpose in life, without something to focus on.  I feel better knowing that I have something waiting for me.  It gives me a reason to continue training and more importantly, just something to look forward to.  Life is so much more interesting when this is so.  The anticipation of a big event, the anticipation of anything really, is what adds the spice to life.

The big question surrounding this race is whether or not I will be able to get to the starting line injury free.  As much as I love ultra-running, ultra-running does not seem to agree with my body.  I keep getting injured every time I try to go mega long.  50 miles is about the longest I seem to be able to train for without getting seriously injured.  I’ll just have to take it slowly this year and not push myself too hard.

One of the main considerations of deciding to do the VT100 is the fact that I am still not fully recovered from the Furnace Creek 508.  By not recovered, I mean that I have a lingering health problem as a result of the race.  It’s a quality of life issue health issue that I am dealing with and not anything that is actually preventing me from being able to ride or do any physical activity.  Without getting too much into details, let’s just say that I’ve lost feeling in certain parts of my body… Parts which I would very much like to get the feeling back.  So until that feeling comes back, bike riding is off limits for me.

You can see the problem area that is causing my lack of feeling in my MRI.  From what I am told, both sides of the image should be symmetrical.  You can see a black spot on the right side, whereas on the left, a contiguous line appears.  I have no idea what this part of my body is called.  Perhaps if you are a neurologist or urologist stumbling upon these images you will be kind enough to offer your opinion.   So in the meantime, until I get my feeling back, I will just be grateful that I already have children.

Problem Area Photo 1