One week

Saturday, July 3rd is next week.  It felt SO far away back in February.

One week from tomorrow is the Triathlon.

EEKS!

I'm nervous, excited, anxious, ready, not-ready, thrilled, scared and everything in between.

I think my hip is healed.  Mostly.  Enough.

I went for a short run this morning and felt pretty good.

I feel a little out of shape and I'm still not back to normal after the course of Prednisone I was on (not only am I 6-pounds heavier than I was two-weeks ago, but I still get funny "revving" of my heart rate and bouts of "fight or flight" feelings occasionally).

But... all-in-all, I think I'm ready.

My goal for next week has returned to:  
I just want to finish.

Prior to May 12th I was hoping for a time under 2-hours (maybe 2-1/2), but now I just want to finish in a healthy way (injury free).

That will make me happy.

A million THANK YOUS to everyone who has sent words of encouragement.  Your comments have helped me more than you could ever know.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Pain. No gain.

So, I'm tooling around the interwebs visiting blogs I frequent and then "blondering" (blog-wandering) to new ones that look interesting.  I land on Hip Mountain Mama's and read her most recent entry entitled "Truthful Tuesday" where she posts about the less-than-pretty-and-perfect side of life, then encourages other to do so.

I have been pondering this entry all day today.  Mountain Mama (and some of the bloggers who commented on her post) convinced me to do so.

I'm in pain.  Physical pain, which is causing me mental pain.
The triathlon is less than three weeks away and I am "sidelined" for the moment with nasty hip pain.  This is a type of pain that I don't know if it's just a muscle issue or something more serious like a stress fracture.

This past Saturday (the 12th) I ran my first 5K race.  I pushed myself hard (and had a friend pushing, too, for good measure).  I finished in 36:10 minutes... a personal best.   I felt pretty good that day, but then Sunday the pain got serious.

These last two days I've downed a bunch of Advil & Tylenol so that I could walk relatively pain-free.
I can walk, and that's about it.

I want to run.
I want to bike.
I want to work-out.
The TRI is coming!
I want to be ready.... but I can't do anything because I worry that if I do anything it will make my hip/leg worse.

GRRRRRRRRrrrrrr - this is frustrating!

Okay, deep breath time.  It will be okay.
I just have to think of this as a "light duty" week, a rest week.
By resting my muscles, they will have a chance to recover.
I will be stronger next week because of it.

I'm going to be fine for the Tri.
I will.
I have to believe that.

Tho maybe the reality is that I won't be... maybe this is something that must wait till next year.
I don't know.
Fingers crossed that I can still do the event.

We'll know in 18 days.


UPDATE - 6/19:  Went to the doctor, got x-rays, no fractures noticed.  In fact, the x-ray report says I'm "unremarkable".  This probably isn't the word I need to hear right now about myself... but I take it as a positive report.  Now I'm on Prednisone for a couple days and got a script for some big-daddy ibuprofen.  Wednesday is when I'll try easing back into my workouts.

12-of-12: June 2010

What an amazing, incredible, exciting day!  

A perfect day for the 12-of-12.

Thanks to Chad Darnell for starting this project - 12 photos, on the 12th day, of each of the 12 months.  Check on his and the other 12ers' photos at his website, then join in next month!

8am:  Off to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Buffalo, NY.  

This year is the 10th anniversary of the 5K run/fun walk.  As I left my driveway I was hoping and hoping and hoping for no rain.  The weather folks said 50% chance starting late morning, 80% chance starting around 1pm.  YIKES!

Lots of PINK!

9am:  Arrival at Delaware Park, Buffalo, NY

Here I am with my teammates - we are Althea's Army! (that's me on the far left)

My first timing chip (the circular thing on my shoe)! I'm officially official.   Yes, my shoes are pink - they are also officially official - Susan G. Komen New Balance Shoes!

9:45am:

At this point, I turned all my stuff over to my friend and first "guest photographer" for the 12-of-12, Phyllis.  She offered to snap a bunch of shots along the race route since she was walking and I was running.   

Thanks a million, Phyllis!  You took some great shots, really capturing the events of the day!

10am:  The Race begins!

I'm off and running... hoping to set a personal best (it's gotta be, since it's my first race.  Right?)  During training, my best 5K was 37 minutes.

Cheerleaders at every mile...

... and almost 8,000 runners, walkers, strollers, dogs, and wheelchairs.

11am:  Relaxing and listening to the awards ceremony.

What a gorgeous place to celebrate... the Delaware Park Rose Garden.
My time?  36:10 minutes.  I did it, bested my 5K personal record.  It was a tough run - hot, humid - but it was a great challenge.  I have to thank my friend Melissa's boyfriend, Dave, for the coaching/motivation/jokes along the way.  I would have succumbed to walking around the 2.5 mile mark if it wasn't for him.

Noon:  Spit for the Cure

WHAT?!?!
Yep, you're reading correctly.
I shared some of my DNA with Roswell Park Cancer Institute before I left today's event.  RPCI's research group is collecting samples to investigate the differences between cancer patients, cancer survivors, and non-cancer patients - to see if there's a genetic link to the disease.  I have no idea what will happen with my "donation", but at least I know I'm helping with science!

4pm:  Home, a berry nice thing!

Strawberries are fresh - just picked today - so it's jam-making time!
First batch is done, I can't wait to have toast tomorrow morning.  (Hmmm, do I really need to wait till morning?)

A View from the Porch:

The gardens and the lawn have grown and grown.  The leaves have really filled in, too.  Check out the Trumpet Vine on the tree, it's gone crazy!!  No flowers yet, but soon.  In the meantime, I should probably mow the lawn, it needs it.

Happy June!  Enjoy the summer!  

Oh, if you're interested in the rest of the set that didn't make the "officially official" June 12-of-12, click here.

P.S.  Next time I post here, I hope to be able to call myself a TRIATHLETE!  
(July 3rd, here I come!)

Bicycle! Bicycle!

I want to ride my bicycle.

I want to ride my bike.

I want to ride my bicycle.

I want to ride it where I like.

* thank you, Queen *

A few weeks ago, I got quite a surprise.

 
The hubby got home from work, starts doing something in the house, then says "oh, I left my phone in the car... could you go get it for me?"  No problem, I say, and head to the garage.
What's waiting for me there? ...a cool new road bike.

I freaked.  (and NOT in a good way)
I've looked at new bikes.  They're expensive, and I wasn't ready to plunk down a big wad of cash just to have the "latest and greatest" in bikes.
I was FINE with my 20+ year old hybrid.  In fact, that same day I had just picked it up from the bike shop after getting a tune up.
I was mad.  I wanted him to take it back.
But I didn't.
After hours of back and forth, I decided it could stay.

This past Saturday I rode in the Tour de Cure (a bike ride to support the ADA in its fight against Diabetes).
30-miles, on the new bike.
I completed the route in 2-hours, 20-minutes with 2 rest-stops in between.

I must admit.
This bike is sweet.
Faster, lighter, totally kick-ass compared to the old one.

But, I still love my 1st bike.
It did its job well and took me many places... we completed a century together, many a "Ride for Roswell", and hours and hours tooling around town.
It has a new "owner" now
... my husband!

Turn the Page... Tuesday

One book?
ONE stinkin' lousy book?
How could that be?

Wait, wait!
I'm wrong.
I read two!

I bet you can guess them both (especially if you seen any of my past TTP... T posts).

I'll give you a hint... (It works for both books)
- I was on vacation the first week of May, so I wanted something light that I didn't have to think too hard about.
- The rest of the month was spent either swimming, biking, or running - or recovering from the previously mentioned activities (and I pretty much fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow) - so my mind was in no shape for anything too complex.

Didjya guess?

Yep... Sookie strikes again!

In May I read Books 6 & 7 in Charlaine Harris' vampire series where we meet a new supernatural creature... Quinn, the were-tiger.  He and Sookie are drawn to each other in Book 6, Definitely Dead, but you don't learn if they become a couple till Book 7, All Together Dead (and even then, you're not sure).

Now I'm stuck.  Book 7 is the last one book I have.  There's 8, 9, and NOW 10!  I just don't have time to goto the library or the bookstore to look for used copies.  I'll buy new if I have to, but these seem to be novels I'd like get used.  I'm not sure why.

Anyway... those are my two for May.  Not sure if June will be much different.  The "big show" is July 3rd.  After that, I'm lowering the intensity a bit.

Have a great month!

Happy reading (and playing outside, and gardening, and cycling... and, and...

Oh, I almost forgot... go visit Some of a Kind to read more or play along.  (Thanks, Adrienne, for keeping this going!)