Patience

August is almost over!  Yikes, I'm surprised at how fast it has gone.  Especially since sometimes it feels like the days just drag on.  Training for Kona in just 2 out of the 3 disciplines leaves a little bit more time on the schedule.  Not much mind you but just enough that a few times this month I looked around and thought - wow, I wish I could run.  OK, that actually happens daily.  The last couple of weeks the Dirkinator has kept me quite busy though with just the swim and bike.  Oh, and we added the elliptical in too.  Swimming is finally coming along and the last few weeks have seen 18k+ yards in the pool.  I haven't done that kind of volume since high school.  My shoulders are holding up great and I finally feel like I have my mojo back in the pool.  Same with the bike, I'm feeling strong although a bit tired (to be expected).

As for the stress fractured foot?  It's also coming along!!!  This injury has really tested my patience.  I'm not a good injured person.  Or sick person.  It's like I can put up with it for about a day and then I just want to be back to normal (like most type-A athletes).  I don't like to be left on the porch feeling like I am missing out.  In the past that has also been my undoing - lack of patience and hurrying my recovery faster than it needed.  But I seem to be getting smarter the longer I stay in this sport (and the older I get).  There are too many athletes that rush an injury by not being honest with themselves......no, I feel FINE, there's nothing wrong with my (insert body part here), I'm sure I can run/swim/bike through this.  And with that mindset, the injury gets worse and may take you out of the game longer than if you had treated it seriously from the onset.

With this stress fracture, I only had about a week of questioning myself but it didn't really matter because I was physically unable to run - my foot said no way.   So I didn't run.  I could bike and swim but had to be careful out of the saddle and pushing off the wall.  I wore my boot.  Even while it was 100 degrees.  I have done exactly what the doctor/PT/coach has ordered.  And I counted the weeks.  5 weeks, still not ready.  6 weeks, I know it's getting close but not yet ready.  

Now it was time to make a tough decision.  Coach had said I needed to be running 4 weeks before Vegas to make a go of it.  I wasn't running yet.  Do I push my recovery, start running and possibly jeopardize Kona?  I knew what I needed to do but like a stubborn child, I was also crossing my arms over my chest, pouting, and stomping my foot - NO, I WANT TO GO TO VEGAS.  My original goal for this season was singularly focused and I had to remember that: Kona.  Vegas was a nice bonus when I qualified in NOLA and there was that possibility that I wouldn't punch my Kona ticket in CDA.  It just didn't make sense for me to start running when I wasn't ready.........so I'm not going to Vegas.   It's the right call, but I'm not gonna lie......I WANNA GO TO VEGAS!

Don't know whose child this is but that pretty much describes how I feel!

Coach has added in the elliptical trainer the last couple of weeks and that has been going well.  The boot is off and last week I started walking (Kona-dog is very happy about the walking).  This week brought my first test.....1 minute running, 2 minutes walking for 20 minutes.  And I passed the test!  Tomorrow I'll try another test.  Funny thing is, I still have to be patient.  I can't rush the mileage back cuz that'll just bring more problems.  Patience.  Patience.  Patience.  My new mantra.