Archive for Thoughts on a Thursday

The Triathlon Rx | February 2, 2012
3 comments

Thoughts on a Thursday… Tag, you’re it!

You know it’s the off season when…

  • You buy three seasons each of 30 Rock and House for trainer ride entertainment.
  • The pool doesn’t seem as chilly as it used to, due to an extra subcutaneous layer of “insulation.”
  • Another blogger “tags” you to answer random questions about yourself… and actually take the time to fill it out. Kind of like those long email forwards (apparently called “memes”?) you got in junior high. (That is if the internet was invented yet when you were in junior high :P )

My buddy Jamie tagged me, along with 10 other stud athletes, to play the game.  I think I’m supposed to include the “rules” to this little… and you’re supposed to copy/paste them too if you get tagged. Here we go!

1. Post these rules
2. Post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No saying “you are tagged if you are reading this.” You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Facts About Me

This is like doing ice breakers at a team meeting. “What is something no one would know about you unless you told them…”

1. I have three tattoos. One of which I share with my dad. The second I share with my sister, mom, and dad and the man upstairs. And running. (Though I’m the only one with it inked). The last one is strictly between myself and el señor.

2. When I was 16 I dropped $1000 on a dog, that I didn’t have permission to bring home. My mom fell in love in 2 hours. I learned a good lesson. [(That you can win your mother over with anything cocoa colored and adorable.) Kidding!!]

3. I subscribe to five magazines: Runner’s World, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Sports Illustrated, and Car & Driver.

4. My favorite color is orange. Someday I will have this bike:

(Someday I will also be missing a kidney…)

5. One of my favorite snacks is beef jerky. Bonus points if it’s bison.

6. I was a vegetarian, pretty darn close to vegan, for 8 years.

7. Although I was always in sports – cross country, track, swimming, gymnastics, softball, soccer, t-ball, and tennis – I also danced for over 10 years. (I don’t mean that to be offensive by not calling it a “sport” … I just put it more in the arts category.) I went on pointe when I was 9 years old.

8. I wear a size 2-3 kids shoe. See last statement of item 7.

9. My favorite day of the year is Easter!!

10. As someone pointed out to me today (and not the first time I’ve heard it)… I suck at slowing down. Slowing down my mind, slowing down decision making, slowing down my life/lifestyle. If only that held true with my S/B/R paces!!

11. If it weren’t for my iCal… I probably wouldn’t make it to the end of the day. Wish I was kidding!!

Jamie’s 11 questions… my answers:

1. What is your proudest accomplishment? I haven’t accomplished it yet…

2. What is your biggest regret? Moving to Boston, giving up my full ride scholarship that I couldn’t get back when I transferred home. Money stresses me the heck out.

3. What was your biggest fear as a child? Driving next to semi trucks and driving over bridges.

4. What is your biggest fear as an adult? Getting divorced

5. Your most embarrassing triathlon story, using exactly 11 words. Prevent nipping in professional race photos, especially if published in print.

6. What  is the one piece of advice you’d give the 10 year old version of yourself. Ooofda… that one cuts a little deep! There are a lot of things I would have tried to tell that younger-me, though I probably would have been  too stubborn to listen. The advice I would give is: you have all your life ahead of you to be a grown up, so don’t try and be one now. It’s not as fun as it looks.

7. What is the best meal that you’ve ever made yourself? Chicken enchiladas in the slow cooker! House smelled sooo good…

8. In or out? My belly button? Do I like going in or staying out? In to the first… both, depending on the mood, to the second.

9. What is your dream car? My “realistic” dream car is a Ford F150, king cab, short bed, bench seats, MAROON. My extremely non-realistic, non-attainable dream car is an Audi R8. Phantom black exterior, Nappa leather black with Luxor beige contrast interior, Bang & Olufsen sound system, and MMI navigation. Base MSRP $114,200, price as built $126,650. (I wasn’t kidding about Car & Driver.)

10. What is the fastest you’ve ever gone on a bike? Fastest pedaling speed? Or fastest down a hill? ;) I’m happy if I hold 20 riding in the city, but I’ve seen

11. What is your least favorite part of triathlon training/racing? Honestly, I don’t have a “least favorite” part. Enough ‘milk has been spilled’ crying over missing running and the thought of not being able to run in the future that I will take what I can get and be happy about it. [Damn it!] If there needs to be a least favorite… it’s the five seconds leading up to and following jumping into the pool. ;)

My 11 questions… and answers.

1. Where were you at in your life ten years ago? Where do you see yourself hope to be ten years from today?

2. If you could meet any one person in the world, who would it be? (Dead or alive.)

3. If you had to describe your life with a movie title, what would it be?

4. If you could be a professional in any sport for a week other than the one you already do, what sport would it be?

5. What does the title of your blog mean / where did it come from?

6. Your first kiss, in 5 words.

7. If you could go back in time and study anything different in school, or go down any other career path than the one you chose, what would it be?

8. What would choose for your last meal?

9. If you could stay one age for the rest of your life, a la Tuck Everlasting, how old would you be?

10. What is the race at the top of your bucket list?

11. Describe your ideal day:

Apparently Jamie and I have a bunch of the same amigos… cause he tagged a lot of the same people I would have! So I will tag 11 new people… You’re it!

2. Jennifer & Jason – Going Long… Together
3. Steve – Steve In A Speedo
4. Jon – SwiCycloRun
5. Holly – The Cooper Fam
6. Derek – To Be Determined
7. Betsy – Earning My M-Dot
8. Jon Vick – Jon Vick
9. Amy – Amy’s Running Around
10. Julia – Go Big Green
11. Adam – The Boring Runner

Annnnd that brings this getting-to-know-you meeting to a close. Happy Thursday! [Edit: yes... it was Thursday when I started this!]

-E

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday |
The Triathlon Rx | January 22, 2012
10 comments

Birthday Bucket: 22 x 23

YOWZA!! <- is all I really want to say about the last 10 days. There has been some good, some bad, and some ugly. Highlights from both ends of the spectrum include accepting a new job and filing a police report.

The end.

___________________________________________________________________

22 x 23 Birthday Bucket

Likely you’ve seen someone or other make a “101 in 1001″ list… I think called the “Day Zero Project” but I don’t really know why. Well not too long ago, my Hawaiian amiga Mags made a 40 by 41 list – 40 things she wants to do before her 41st birthday. Which left me sitting on my couch thinking… I’m not getting any younger. Time is not going to slow down. And I will not end up as a crazy cat lady. (I’m allergic anyways… if worse comes to worse I’ll have a really big fish tank.) Time to do what I do best and get my Martha Stewart on make a list.

We won’t call this a “bucket list,” since I’m genuinely hoping I don’t die at 23, nomsayin? So we can call it a “birthday bucket.” There were quite a few things I eliminated from the list because they seemed “not important enough” to be included in my alloted 22. So I decided to make a bigger list. :D Eventually I’ll end up with my “101 in 1001″ … but for now, this is what I’m gonna do in the next 313 days.

The List*

  • Be able to change the front/rear tire & tube in <5 min.
  • Catch fish with Grandpa Ansie
  • Get a new job
  • Go camping
  • Go out with someone I want to get to the 3rd date
  • Go to a shooting range (and shoot!)
  • Invest in a stock
  • Learn how to make Grandma’s poppyseed küchen
  • Learn how to make mom’s beef stew
  • Learn all the new players on the Twins roster
  • No meat for ALL of Lent
  • Open water 2 mile swim race
  • Read all of Corinthians
  • Ride 3 centuries
  • Ride a motorcycle
  • Run around Calhoun
  • Save $10 for each item I check off
  • Speak Spanish with a stranger
  • Start going to Connect at church
  • Start my own nacimiento

[* If you're good at counting... you will note that the list is only 20 and not 22. The administration has exercised its' authority and selectively edited where inappropriate appropriate. :mrgreen: ]

Some of these items are things that should be easily accomplished… starting the nacimiento takes all of one quick trip to E. Lake Street. Going to Connect (which, let’s be real, is really just a Christian singles group) only takes manning up and going, even if it means going solo. Others, like running around the lake and getting to that 3rd date, are things that should be easy but in reality might put up a fight. I already can check off one – getting a new job (!!) – which also means I need to put $10 into the ‘Mo Money’ jar…

So, mis amigos, this has been an entirely non-tri-related post. But I’ve had fun making the list [(it took multiple swim sessions of brain storming - only 20 days after I started making this...) haha I just made it tri-related!], and I’m looking forward to checkin’ things off one by one!

Reader Qs:

Do you have a bucket list? A birthday list? A must-do list? What is one thing you absolutely want to do before you … um … croak? :?

-E

 

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags:
The Triathlon Rx | November 24, 2011
18 comments

Surgery: valgus producing subtrochanteric femoral osteotomy

Alternate title: “they’re cutting my leg off, taking a cheese wedge slice out, and putting me back together.”

Alternate alternate title: “about damn time.”

Enough emails have come in that I thought it was time for a bit of clarification. (FIRST clarification!! NO. They’re not amputating my leg. ;) )

Depending on how long you’ve been around DrTriRunner, you may have all // only bits and pieces // or none of my past medical history. I definitely don’t expect anyone to click on each of these links and read the entire posts, but it has ALL been documented. And what a trip for me to go back and read through them! Here is the Cliff Notes version of this entire journey since 2008…

  • Sophomore year of college – was living in Boston, MA – running xc – 4 marathons under my belt and registered for #5, Boston, the following April.
  • October 22nd, 2008 - Found out I have fibrous dysplasia (FD). Found out my femoral neck was fractured 2/3rds of the way through. Hahha love my title for this one: “Adam and Eve Played Me.”
  • November 3rd, 2008 – Surgery was discussed with treatment team in Boston. Option 1: a surgery with a shorter rehab and greater chance of returning to running, but not necessarily a “long term fix”. Option 2: surgery with a longer rehab, lesser chance of running again, but possibly more permanent. I was still hopeful that surgery would not happen at all! If I did, it would be at home in Minneapolis over Christmas break.
  • December 12th, 2008 – Written on the flight home to Minneapolis. Still praying that I wouldn’t need surgery.
  • December 13th, 2008 – Post pre-op appointment, probably written in tears. I remember how devastated I was to find out I needed surgery!! Decided on option 1 with the quicker rehab and better chances of being an “athlete” again.
  • December 17th, 2008 – Two days post-op. Hit heavy by Vistaril so I’m not sure how coherent that post was. ;) Lots of cute pictures of IVs being pulled out and “learning to crutch.”
  • December 21st, 2008 – Funny.. I remember being AMPED because I got to SHOVEL SNOW. Weight bearing activity baby!! It’s all about the little steps.
  • December 21st, 2008 – One week post-op report. Able to use the stationary bike (next to no resistance) with minimal pain.
  • December 31st, 2008 – Two weeks post-op. Able to swim and pool run once the incision had healed. I remember being amazed at how quickly [I thought] progress was happening…
  • January 25th, 2009 – First post-op follow up appointment, which led to me being…
  • February 6th, 2009 – Cleared to run!! Ohhh that joyous letter. I hung it up on my dorm room wall. Serious. Keep in mind – this was only cleared to run 2 x 10 minutes every other day. Although I’m pretty sure on that day that I had made up: I was still running Boston 09…
  • March 10th, 2009 – Progress was going well..? By March 10th, I was up to a 10K at 7:46 avg per mile. And that was my easy pace back then. :(
  • March 14th, 2009 – A memorable 9 miler doing the last part of the Boston course backwards, with my best friend riding along on her bike. Progress, but with the marathon a little over a month from then, that should have been telling me something about “race readiness”…
  • April 20th, 2009 – 113th Annual Boston Marathon. Dumb decisions were made, and lessons were learned. There’s a reason I didn’t post from April until August… Moved back to Minneapolis in the mean time and transfered back to the University of Minnesota.
  • August 15th, 2009 – [Mostly] Successfully trained for 2009 Twin Cities Marathon! Had a wonderful training group and felt fast and strong for pretty much all of training. Dropped mileage probably 25% to 30% from pre-surgery averages. Did the first 20 miler of the training block that day. I wrote in this post that the recovery process had felt “slow” … looking back, doing a 20 miler eight months after having a major hip surgery doesn’t really sound that slow…?
  • September 5th, 2009 – Did my last triathlon of the summer. Froze my ass off on the bike. Took 2nd in my AG and ?? overall. I remember not being able to feel anything knee down until the last mile of the run!
  • September 10th, 2009 – Did the double header of the Victory Memorial 10K/5K. Ran a slower than usual 10K and used the 5K as a cool down… but somehow took 2nd and 1st AG in each. So in my mind… I’m sure that meant recovery was on schedule, right? I also remember that during this photo <– right before the 10K start, I was thinking my hip felt a little “off.” #SOML.
  • September 24th, 2009 – Spent the day at the hospital in radiology. That little “off” feeling quickly returned to the same feelings I was having pre-surgery. I knew something was up, and that something was likely no good… At this point I was trained up to the 4th 20 miler of the 2009 Twin Cities Marathon.
  • September 25th, 2009 – That rainy, dreary photo at the start of the post set the stage for what was to come. I got a phone call from my doctor that morning saying the images taken the day prior showed positive for a fracture. The same fracture line in my femoral neck that was there way back in October of 2008. Now the question was, did it ever really heal, or did it recently refracture? Was it a matter of the intensity, distance, the fibrous dysplasia, or all three combined?
  • October 2nd, 2009 – Pulled out of the Twin Cities marathon. My mom and I watched and cheered on my fellow teammates and training partners, and it was h.a.r.d. I want to say I was just excited for them and the culmination of the many miles put into this race, but the honest thoughts in my mind were how badly I wanted to be out there racing. Back on a no-running, non-weight bearing XT prescription.
  • October 30th, 2009 – After great debate, my insurance finally cleared a bone growth stimulator, which I used 30 minutes every day. I wrote that it was a “gift from my orthopedic Santa.” :)
  • November 15h, 2009 – Somewhere in here I was cleared to run again. By the 15th I had done three half hour runs, all at easy pace, indoors on the dreadmill.
  • All of 2010 – Essentially a year with a shitton of cross training. Never got back to the “old normal” running mileage from pre-surgery days, which I justified because I was focusing more on triathlon. Lots of swimming and biking, and “medium” amounts of running. March 17th took 3rd overall in the Get Lucky 7K. Finished behind Jenny Wilcox and Amy Lyons, so I was happy to be in their speedy company. :) Raced New Bri Tri on June 5th and Manitou on June 13th - had an off race in New Brighton, but Manitou went well and took 2nd. Played a hard core game of road kill during the run and passed 68 people! That felt good, but also remember my left lower leg hurting like $#!& after the race.
  • July 7th, 2010 – Sure enough.. tibial stress fracture. A compensation injury from having a left leg that is one half inch shorter than the right. Was SO eƒƒing fed up with all these injuries creeping in due to my hip issue, but humbled at the same time that even on my worst days, I still had so much to be thankful for. Posted a bible passage that day: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12. Important one to remember… every. single. day.
  • September 22nd, 2010 – Started hitting the weights a little harder, thanks to my wonderful coach at the time, Mrs. Jodi Jones. Tibia had plans of it’s own and was taking its sweet damn time to heal. (read: it wasn’t…)
  • October & November 2010 – Ran the Monster Dash half marathon at the end of October as a “fun run” but didn’t race it. Got hit by a truck mono for over a month and really impacted training and fitness. From that point until now, I’ve honestly never run over 30 mpw.
  • January through August 2011 – stayed between 10 and 20 mpw, but running felt like it was on a slow decline. On April 22nd I %!&@#*> in a Friday Confessional that “running hated me”, and my body was definitely feeling that. Stuck with the cross training and strength, minimal swimming (oops!) and a LOT of biking. Put in more miles on the QRoo this summer than ever before.
  • August through October 2011 – The slow decline turned to big freaking decline, and there were days when I felt like I could barely put weight on my left leg at all. Got my butt back in to see my treatment team, and we knew we needed to take action. My fracture from way back in October of 2008 was STILL not healed – something called a non-union fracture. It had never healed. A second surgery was definitely in order and it was just a matter of determining what the procedure would be, who would do the surgery, and when would be the right time.
  • October through now 2011 - continued to go all over for treatment. MRIs, injections, cortisone, x-rays, CTs, you name it.

So… bringing us to the present – we finally have come to the conclusion that the best surgical procedure is a “valgus producing sub-trochanteric femoral osteotomy” … ironically, the same “option #2″ that was recommended (and decided against) way back in 2008. The option with a longer recovery time and a lesser chance of returning to running. I’m scheduled to go under the knife on December 14th, 2011 – exactly one day short of three years after my first surgery. And I’m am so excited to get. this. over. with.

In terms of outcomes for…

  • time in hospital
  • time on crutches
  • rehab  time
  • prospects for returning to running
  • prospects for returning to distance running
  • prospects for returning to racing

… a lot of that is still up in the air. It would be awesome if my recovery went as quickly as the first surgery, but that will be a day-by-day process. And covered in a post to come! :)

Aaaahhhhhh. I feel better. You might not if you read that whole thing… but I give you mad props if you made it all the way through.

This post is beyond long enough, but I just wanted to bring everyone up to speed. (And it was a good project I could do while in a post-turkey coma!) The prayers and good wishes many of you have sent this way, and the support you all provide? You all are my angels, and on this day of thanksgiving, I want to let you know how THANKFUL I am for all of you. :)

Reader Qs:

Have you ever dealt with an ongoing injury or illness? How did it affect your training/racing/life, and how do you deal with it now? Did you have a good thanksgiving, and what is your favorite kind of pie? ;)

Happy thanksgiving!!

-Erika

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | November 14, 2011
14 comments

Train on Top: Morning Workouts

And by “morning” … we are subjected to a little individual interpretation here. To some people early morning could mean 8am. When I say early morning I mean like before the @$$crack of dawn. 4am. 5am. 3am? However, it was brought to my attention that not everyone likes this early morning business.

He did not much like this early morning business, but the idea of forgoing it, even for one morning, never crossed his mind.
-Once A Runner

Love that quote!!!

I have received several tweets/emails/questions regarding morning workouts, and “becoming a morning person.” These may or may not have been in response to 4am foursquare check-ins at Lifetime Fitness. I can’t claim that I can make anyone into a morning person, but hopefully some of these suggestions can make mornings (and morning workouts) a little more tolerable.

Downtown Minneapolis sunrise

Dome inflated… Downtown Minneapolis edited sunrise! Still pretty!

1. PACK YOUR BAG THE NIGHT BEFORE

This includes laying out your workout clothes and whatever else you may need for that morning’s workout. Shorts, sports bras, which SHOES you’ll need, swim cap, pull buoy, HEED for your water bottle – whatever. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten out of the shower after practice, only to find I don’t have underwear. Or didn’t bring spin shoes. Or ______.

2. SET UP YOUR COFFEE THE NIGHT BEFORE

If you’re a coffee drinker. If the blaring alarm playing Good Feeling isn’t enough to get me out of bed, the smell of fresh brewed coffee and knowing it’s hot and ready waiting for me will do the trick. If you’re not a coffee drinker… that’s unfortunate one less step for you.

3. TURN LIGHTS ON RIGHT AWAY

It’s probably one of the last things you want to do. You’re in your warm, cozy bed. Your eyes are only half open. You want a nice gentle awakening, right? Wrong. Get your butt out of bed and turn your lights on bright to signal your brain that it’s time to WAKE UP!!

4. MOTIVATION

Play your pre-game playlist or something upbeat. If you are in a situation where you need to be cognizant of others (hmm.. Dear upstairs neighbors, can you hear me in the morning?) you could listen to an iPod, dance around your kitchen, get the RW Quote of the Day, do SOMETHING to trick your brain into thinking WOOOH it’s 4am let’s DO this!

5. NUTRITION

This one is pretty individual. Some people can’t fathom a workout without something in their stomachs. Some people can’t fathom the idea of something in their stomachs before a workout. I tend to fall into the latter camp, but after working for a long time with a sports nutritionist, have finally bent a little on that. I typically mix a Carnation Instant Breakfast into my coffee (don’t knock it till you try it…) and that’s my “topper” to the fuel stores. I also tend to eat a pretty late dinner, so rarely ever wake up feeling “hungry.” Long story short: do what works for you. It’s worth experimenting and playing with…

(Side note: there are definitely benefits of doing the occasional fasted wko. Enough material there for a separate post, so I won’t get into it now.)

6. GET YOUR SLEEP

If you rolled in at 1am, and are planning on getting up at 5, your chances of actually abiding by that alarm are diminishing quickly. I will absolutely admit to being a 22 year old granny and going to bed ridiculously early. I take my wake-up time, subtract 8 hours, and make sure I go to sleep by that. There are definitely occasions where I’ve had to pull off above-mentioned situation on 4 hours of sleep, and it’s usually not a very productive or beneficial workout.

7. MAKE IT EXCITING!

If you have any say in your weekly workout schedule, make it something to look forward to. Take a spin class. Try Zumba. If you’re looking forward to whatever workout you have ahead of you, the temptation to hit snooze will likely diminish.

8. FIND A COMMITMENT BUDDY

Were there not people expecting me to show up every morning… would I? OK, probably. I’m one of the people that enjoys and prefers 5ams over anything else. BUT there have definitely been occasions where I have had to convince myself, “Tom is expecting you to be there today” or “You told Michelle you’d meet her on the mats at 5:30!!” If you have committed to meet someone else for your early morning sweat session, you probably won’t leave them hanging.

9. REMIND YOURSELF WHY YOU DO THIS

Because it’s your quiet time. Because it’s your natural “energy drink” to keep you going the rest of the day. Because you have meetings until 8pm. Because you want to see the sun rise. To take advantage of the early morning light (now that it gets dark at 5pm). To get it out of the way. Because the gym is less crowded. To stay consistent (because you never know what the day will bring). To clear your mind. To refocus. To regulate your sleep. To jump start your metabolism (not sure I believe this one, but if it gets you goin…).

10. SAFETY PLEASE!

This one isn’t exactly a tip to help you get in your morning workout, but just a friendly PSA. If you’re going out on your own in the still-dark morning hours, be smart. Where something reflective. Let someone know your usual routes. Consider carrying a phone. Consider carrying mase. ;) Consider bringing your dog. Run with one earbud out or no music at all.

Annnd that seems like a good place to stop. Morning workouts might not be for everyone, but if your schedule requires it or you think it’s something you’d like to try, these ideas might make it a little more enjoyable.

Reader Qs:

Anything I’m missing? Do you workout in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Without limitations of schedule, when would you work out?

-E

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | October 26, 2011
10 comments

Three Thoughts Thursday // 10.26.11

Ahhhhh… the little bear has awaken. :)

First of all, THANK YOU for all of the comments, texts, facebook messages, and emails that were sent regarding the last post. It’s either a really simple subject to talk about (with doctors, God, and um.. that’s it) or a kind of difficult subject to talk about (anybody not included in in category #1). The other day I realized… one of the things that puts it in that “difficult to talk about” category is that other than my doctors, no one really knows much about fibrous dysplasia. My doctors are great, but I can’t call them at 3am when I’m freaking out because I rolled onto my left side and woke up from pain. I can’t call them when I’m stressed about the amount of time this is taking to decide on a surgical procedure. And I definitely can’t call them and cry about missing practice or racing or my team. (p.s. If you want to know a little about it, I sent this article to my dad, mom, and sister. It’s an inanutshell kind of article about fibrous dysplasia. Short and simple.)

But please believe me dear friends and family, the support you are giving me is something that I appreciate beyond words.

Updates and such to be continued…

Secondly No – I didn’t accidentally OD on pamidronte. I know it’s Wednesday. But we’re going to pretend this is a Three Thoughts Thursday, because that’s really all I got for you right now. (Plus, tomorrow has other plans. ;) )

1 // Giveaway tomorrow!!

2 // Pinterest. Nuff said. You can follow my pins (is that even how that works…?) or just check em out. I know Mrs. Lindsey Cotter found me somehow. The other three followers? One is a TC blogger, one is the saviour who sent me a new iPod, and one is myself. Total of 4. Balllller.

3 // Please answer poll below. Topic of upcoming post…

What do you think of Kinesio Tape?

View Results

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Again –  I don’t know how to put into words the appreciation I have for all the support you guys have given. I kind of feel like this…

 Bear hug. ^_^

I don’t know where this little animal love came from. Sorry little critters… not going back to being a vegetarian!

Take care, make sure to come back tomorrow for the giveaway, and remember: Life is too short for bad coffee.

-E

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | October 20, 2011
9 comments

One thought for this Thursday: Mayo Clinic

I’ve never been equally as inspired and comforted as I am terrified and disquieted by a single institution.

I have let myself become far too familiar with their Orthopedic Oncology department. I shouldn’t be able to tell you the first and last names of the three doctors there with that specialty, I shouldn’t have let myself get sucked in to the research they’ve done and the studies they’ve published, or get emotional over the testimonials from Mayo patients around the world. But I can, I did, and I did again.

Inspired, because they are a worldwide leader in medical care, research, and education. They have more than 56,000 scientists, physicians, students, and allied health staff.

Comforted, because they have a philosophy that the patient comes first, and they live by it. Reading their Value Statements is like sipping a pumpkin spice latte in front of a crackling fire. Because after reading different patients’ stories, I know I will be taken care of.

Terrified, because reading those same patients’ stories puts me in their shoes. Terrified because it makes me a patient who will be telling a story. Terrified because only good stories are turned into testimonials. Terrified because not all stories are fairy tails.

Disquieted, because I have never been in this situation before. Because I don’t know what the outcome will be. Because I feel selfish for being scared, when it could still be so much worse. Because I feel like I have no control over any single part of the situation. Because yeah, they change lives, but they can’t change things back to the way they used to be.

Sorry if this seems like a big downer post… and especially one that came out of nowhere. I tried for a long time to not talk about this at all on the blog, but I realized that writing about it and being honest is some of my best therapy. Especially when running is out. I’m not sure if I want sympathy or validation or just to simply get it out of my system… but what you get right now is pretty much just raw, unedited, me.

There’s still a lot up in the air about procedures and dates and first vs. second vs. third opinions. The only opinion I currently have is that I want to get it over and done with and move on. Right now I’m left with way too much free time to ponder the what ifs, the could bes, and the used to bes.

It is also effing with my sleeping schedule… which is why I’m writing this at 3am. Going to try to fall back asleep now.

-E

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | October 6, 2011
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Thoughts on a Thursday // Marcaine + Cortisone Injection

Well… this is my way of “breaking the news” – part 1. There will definitely be more to come, so you can expect a lot more Medical Mondays. And probably Friday Confessionals.

Started my Thursday with this:

     

Top L: Disinfecting. Keepin’ it PG. Top R: Needle going into the hip joint. If you enlarge the photo, you can see the cointrast running through the joint. Bottom center: Closer up – doctor explaining the procedure. The two screws you see are two of these three. The third one is directly behind the upper one. Haha my first reaction was “um… isn’t there supposed to be one more in there?” The thing that looks like a little sperm swimming into the joint is actually the head of the needle. On the bone. ♪ Blue on Black ♪

Post injection, they wanted me to go for a test run. So I did. And because I was afraid my leg might fall off 4 miles from home, I brought my phone.

And in a moment of delirium… I made you a video. Fair warning – this might leave you feeling like you just watched the Blaire Witch Project. It made me dizzy!! This would have been much easier taken with a Go Pro HD Camera… just sayin. ;)

“Hey hunnies…”

Ohhhh wow.

If you’ve ever wondered what a “friend” blogger sounds like in real life? Here you go. This is me! Susan – do I actually sound like this in conversation? I [hopefully] promise I’m not that easily distracted in person. Example: (46 sec.) ”That’s a pretty tree.” Start a new sentence… (49 sec.) “That’s a pretty house!!” Hahah and I keep talking about how Minneapolis is really nice in the fall. (Note that I stated nothing about months December through March.) And how I’m going to get hit by a car.

Well I didn’t get hit by a car, and my leg didn’t fall off. Success! And I DID get a longer run than I thought … that’s what I get for leaving the Garmin at home! Good ol’ fashioned Gmaps Pedometer. 7.11 miles in 57 minutes.

The reason I haven’t brought any of this up yet (which you may or may not have caught in the video) is that I just don’t see any need to jump the gun. There are too many uncertainties right now (which surgical procedure, when the surgery will actually happen, the extent of the labral tear, etc.) to go into too much detail. But I also didn’t want to wait until the day before surgery, and then say… SURPRISE!! And I will say it has been hard to avoid the subject – it’s been on my mind. A lot!! Will keep everyone updated, but will hopefully also maintain the upbeat attitude of Dr.TriRunner going strong. :)

Reader Qs:

Have any of the readers out there ever had a labral tear? What was surgery and recovery like? Where was your tear? Where did you have surgery? While were talking about surgery – give me anything! What was the injury, what was the rehab, and how long was it before you were back to doin’ you?

-E

 

 

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | August 11, 2011
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Thoughts on a Thursday // Poison Ivy…

… really blows.

As I sit here, trying not to itch, I thought I’d share my post from today over at Groucho Sports. I’m sure you’ll understand why there are no personal photos. ;) This is definitely good for any athletes who spend the majority of their sweating-hours outside of a gym!

Check it out HERE.

Happy Thursday!!

-E

p.s. Sorry for the little absence. I finally finished up my month long physics class, and have definitely taken the last seven days to RELAX! Including a weekend getaway to Duluth, a race, lots of riding, and lots of BBQ. Summer is going too fast!

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags:
The Triathlon Rx | August 4, 2011
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Thoughts on a Thursday // Bikes & Baseball

(For those of you that follow my Groucho Sports posts on Thursdays… you get a week off! Hope no one minds the crossover posting, but I definitely felt like this one was worth sharing in both places. Check over there next week for something new. LET’S GO TWINS!!)

There is one thing in this world (/state) that I love with a burning passion. One thing I’m willing to buy fan-gear for, put on body paint, cheer until I lose my voice, and maybe even lose my temper over. (If you want to argue with me, claiming we lost the first series against the Royals, make sure you know your stats first. For the record, we beat them in all 4 games in June.)

Yeah – I can get a little emotional.

So imagine my response when I went to my first game of the season, to see the bike racks surrounding Twins stadium OVERLFLOWING with bikes. Big bikes. Little bikes. Bikes with a tag-a-long attached. I even saw one really sweet bike with race wheels on it (note that I am not commenting on the stupidity lack of thought on the part of the owner…). There were so many bikes that people were locking up on railings, trees, and light posts! It was AWESOME.

(Target Field Bicycle Routes & Parking Map – click for full size!)

Although that might make it sound like Target Field doesn’t have enough racks, I definitely want to commend them on their support and encouragement for human-powered transportation to the games. Truthfully, there is a lot of bike parking, which just means that there are a lot of people riding to the game! The Twins’ MLB site even has a page dedicated to “Getting to Target Field by Bike or Foot” which not only has this sweet bike route/parking map, but also information about walking routes, the downtown Skyway system, and the Cedar Lake Trail.

And speaking of the Cedar Lake Trail, please tell me you’ve ridden the new extension!! It runs underneath Target Field, connecting the existing Cedar Lake Trail with the Mississippi River! No more wandering your way through downtown, questioning whether you’re going left or east or on your way to Wisconsin. Ignore the ugly white stuff in the photo below… but YES that trail goes right under the stadium!!

Much unlike last year, I’m slacking on my home-game attendance this season. I’ve been to only four games so far, compared with over three times as many in 2010. But mark my words – I will be attending at least three more games, and I will bike to the stadium. I don’t know if I could imagine a more perfect day…

What about you? Have you ever biked to a Twins Game? Do you frequently ride for transportation, or is it just for fitness? Either way, it can definitely help you towards your weekly 100 miles!

Ride on!

-E

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | June 16, 2011
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Thoughts on a Thursday // Goal Setting

Thursday… which means it’s time for some thoughts! Unfortunately, I am still sick, and putting together such things in a coherent manner has proven to be difficult in the past week. Never ever did I think I’d be saying “I ❤ my health insurance company” … but in comparison to the Student Health FML Benefits program I was on before, my current health insurance company is a godsend! In and out of urgent care, two prescription in hand, and asleep on the couch in 90 minutes flat. Bam.

Anywho.

Sickness aside, and pretending that this is not a “too sick to train” moment, I want to talk about something important that I feel like has been missing in my current training program. And that would be…

GOALS.

(Does that look familiar? It might… it’s been with me since my 2010 New Years Goals!) Luckily, I already wrote the post, and it just went up this morning for my weekly Thursday contribution to Team Groucho Sports. I would really appreciate if you would check it out (LINK HERE)… because you will be seeing a follow up from me in one week!

I will leave you with the same Reader Qs – feel free to answer here, there, or just think on it and keep it to yourself. ;)

What are your goals, my fellow sports enthusiasts? What is it that motivates you, and drives you each and every morning to remain committed? If you don’t have a current goal, do you think you could make one? Did you have one of those intro classes in college that has really stuck with you since?

Keep on keepin’ on! Take care,

-E

p.s. – if you have any free time, go check out my bestbloggerbuddy in NY, Susan, and leave a comment on her video entry to be a part of Team NUUN in the Hood to Coast Relay!

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: ,
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