Really freakin' excited!

I have my weekly workouts from some kick butt coaches (Coach Jeff and Diane), I forgot how much I missed swimming and I've come to the realization that my butt is always going to hurt from cycling.

I started this weeks workouts in the pool and didn't realize how much I truly missed swimming until I was there.  The weather and water was perfect for swimming yesterday.  I decided to go to Gab Gab pool, its our open water pool on base, and the sun was warm and welcoming, the pool was calm and clear.  It was just a perfect set up for a little open water swimming.  I haven't seen water this calm since my Coco's swim back in May.  I'm the only person there and it was wonderful.  I entered the water via stairs, because the tide was high and I didn't want to take my chances with the ladder and my ankle.  I get to the bottom and gently glide my foot into the water, thank God its warm.  I scanned the water to see if there were any little fishes' coming up to say hi, nope all good.  I wasn't very graceful when I entered it was slippery so that is my excuse for plopping in the water.  I swam under the rope and began my workout.  It felt so awesome to be gliding through the water, watching the fish below me, practicing my sighting, drill again.  It all felt wonderful, and the best part was I had a strong freestyle stroke.  This is my weakest stroke and it felt strong yesterday.  I was able to alternate breathing, keeping my eye on the rope so I didn't drift to much and taking in how my body was feeling.  My stroke when breathing on my left felt strong, as did it feel when I was breathing on my right.  But I did notice that the arm I was not breathing on was week, its something I truly need to work on so I can conserve my energy for other things.  45 minutes after I entered the water, I came back out very carefully mind you cause like I said earlier it was very slick.  Rinse off and sat in the sun for a couple of minutes.  Ah the sheer bliss of living on a tropical island.

Now today's workout will consist of biking, hopefully on the flight line were it is nice and flat.

Well I didn't get Tuesday's workout, but I have made the decision to make to add it to tomorrows workout, and its all going to workout in my favor too.  Well the Navy decided to close Gab Gab open water pool for the next 5 days for an ammunitions on load, grrr.  Well the since the base pool doesn't open until 10am I can do my 40 minute bike ride before hitting the pool.

Alright I must get going and get my thing together for my busy morning!

Ankle Update

Since my crash I've been to medical to see the doctor to find out the verdict.  I made an appointment for my daughter, on Friday, who has been feeling sick and was having difficultly breathing but they could not make one for me.  I told my husband that after her appointment I would go to the ER and get it looked at cause I was not able to walk on my foot at all.  After hobbling into medical to check in my daughter the corpsman were asking if I was alright.  I told them about what happen, they offered me a wheelchair but my stubborn bull-headed side refused it.  I continued to hobble around medical while I noticed that the corpsman were keeping a watchful eye on me.  I think they told the doctor about my injury because after he diagnosed my daughter and started her nebulizer treatment he looked at my foot and had me 'walked' through the system.  After getting me checked in he ordered a set of x-rays I was ordered into a wheelchair, and again I refused to go into it.  But between my husband and the corpsmen, my happy ass was getting in the wheelchair wither I wanted to or not.  One of the corpsmen wheeled me down to x-ray to get those done and then back to where my daughter was.  Then I received the wonderful news that my ankle was not broken...YIPPEE!! But the doctor did say it is a severe sprained ankle with some ligament damage.  Of course I knew the answer, but I still had to ask if I could race in the Super Sprint on Sunday, yeah my husband and my doctor both looked at me like I was crazy and told me NO!  Hey, at least I tried.


Now I have to go back to my physical therapist to get my range of mobility built back up and to re-strengthen my muscles and ligaments.   I'm now seeing this as another set back in my training.  BLAH!  I have a Grade 2 sprain which is: 

• Moderate tearing of the ligament fibers.
• Some instability of the joint.
• Moderate to severe pain and difficulty walking.
• Swelling and stiffness in the ankle joint.
• Minor bruising may be evident.

And looks wonderful and a lot like this (at least mine does):

My right foot is the one I sprained, yeah I guess its a give away

seeing as its twice the size of my left foot :)

I did a good job with one (outside of my right foot)

I have lost my ankle bone all together from the swelling

The inside of my right ankle

Now I'm looking at 4-8 week recovery time, assuming everything goes well with my physical therapist on Monday I'm hoping for the shorter of the recovery time.  I just need to get back on my bike, its looking quite pitiful sitting here in my house I didn't even have it 24 hours before crashing.  I'm sure I will have more accidents while learning how to clip in and out and while learning more about the mechanics of my cycling.  I will get the hang of it soon.

ROAD BLOCK!

In May I was training for a 2.5 mile open water swim, my body was in getting into wonderful shape, I had a killer training regiment down, I had a goal.  I accomplished my goal.  Now I am seeing that even though I am doing things, competing in races, taking classes, and doing what I need to I do not have the same drive in my heart that I did back in May.


I coming to the conclusion I need to have circle on the calender to achieve towards, something to aim for.  My new goal, and yes its circled on the calender, is to do the Ironman 70.3 in Providence July 10, 2011.

Now I know I'm going to have other triathlons to do in the process but I have to have a huge goal to attain to.  And this is my huge goal a Half Ironman.  I honestly believe that I will be able to get back into the right frame of mind and condition properly with this goal on my calender.

Oh yeah and this other wonderful things that is an actual bump in my plans..So Godric came home yesterday, I was so excited to have him I couldn't wait to take him out. Samantha dropped by to lend me her Mag Trainer. I sat in my living room and practiced for about 15 min, I decided to take my new toy out for a spin around the neighborhood. I took off just fine, I clipped in great no issues. I became comfortable with how the mechanics of my legs now operated even though it still feels weird. Then things turned to yuck!

Hello Lover! This is my new baby Godric!

I was coming to a stop in front of my house, I had my left foot unclipped just fine, came up one the grass fell to my right (still clipped), I started to fall and I tried to unclip on my way down I fell on right ankle cause it was stuck in my cleat, my ankle popped and I unclipped all the same time. The neighbor was outside and saw it happen, asked if I was ok..it took about 5 minutes for me to get up...my ankle is wicked swollen and tender, I've already done a 10 minute ice massage and I'm elevating it right now. If its still crazy bad tomorrow, I'm going to get it looked at, I need to make sure there is no ligament or tendon damage. I can't believe I put myself into such bad situation 1) I came up on my drive way 2) only had one cleat out 3) I was trying to avoid the truck 4)I went into wet grass on slicks ...it was just bad all around.

Why Tri?

'Michelle, why are you doing triathlons?'  My answer is simple 'Why not?!' 

 I have fallen in love with the sport of triathlon and its wonderful.  Plus I'm using this new wonderful sport to lose weight.  I am not the type of person who can commit to video workout, spending long hours in the gym, oh commit to workout programs that bore me.  I enjoy being outside, I enjoy swimming, cycling and running, so why not do them all at the same time.

Now granted the sexy skin tight lycra is something less to be desired with someone who is on the heavier side, but whatever, I'm out there doing something that I am throughly enjoying.  I have found a sport that I love and can take with me where ever my husband may move us too.

Using the sport of triathlon to lose weight almost seem counterproductive.  What do I mean?  With the amount of food one has to intake when taking up a endurance sport would make any person who is trying to lose weight make them go hmmm.

The biggest problem right now, well really there are two.  The first problem is this nagging foot injury, plantar fasciitis to be exact.  The second problem, highly related to the first, I can't run. Funny thing is I was learning to run when I developed this injury and now I have redeveloped my love for swimming and cycling.

The thing that needs to happen next is I'm waiting for the weight to fall off.  With all of the swimming, cycling, weight training and yoga I'm doing I am expecting to see results, hopefully, in no time flat.  I have a crazy race schedule already set up here in Guam before we leave for Rhode Island.  I know as sure as I type this that when we get back to the states its going to be winter so I'm going to have to jump right into my off season training.  Its going to be weird have an actual season.  I'm blessed here in Guam to train all year along, but it is going to be a shocker to know I'm back into seasons.  But the BEST part of having 'season' is actual SEASONS!! It has been 4 years since I've seen fall, winter, and spring...SO EXCITED.  But more about that later