New Beginnings

Cheers to a new year. With the rough watered year of 2008 in the past, I look forward to 2009 and whatever it may hold. It has started out far better than 2008 did already, as I've yet to drop a chef's knife through my toe. Horray!

Since 2008 was a bust, I decided to wait until 2009 to resume training, for fear of another strike of whatever bad omen I had looming over me. Saturday I planned to head out on a 4 mile run, following a 7 week running haitus. Terrible, I know. Sadly, it ended around 3 miles, when I could no longer take the pain and throbbing in my teeth. You shouldnt feel teeth... and I could feel 158 beats every minute in at least 12 teeth. So, scratch the outdoor running, and back to the elliptical which, in the warmer rooms, doesn't phase my teeth nearly as much.

Sunday, I decided to go for it... time to get back on my still unnamed beautiful bike. I met up with the team for a flat ride out in Nokesville, VA for a 30 miler. Semi-fail. I was relieved that I had nearly zero fear getting back on the bike. My only fear was that someone in front of me would crash, and I'd have no choice but to hit them and go over as well. I guess this just means I need to lead the pack. Unfortunately, about 14 miles into the ride, I was having the same throbbing issues, in addition to a general soreness from holding my jaw open against the force of the rubberbands to breathe (my nose was taking charge of the running I've been missing). Luckily we had someone SAGging, and they took me back to my car. I came home and did the trainer for an hour. I must say, its a whole new ballgame on riding when you're instantly 25 pounds lighter. Unfortunately, some of that was muscle mass.. but its crazy how quick you feel. Not to mention, spandex looks better (a relative term... spandex doesn't look great on anyone).

I took Monday off to do some errands, and got back in the pool this morning. I was looking forward to being able to breathe in the water without the restriction of the jaw being wired shut. It was much easier to breathe, and I felt like I was gliding through the water. That is, until my jaw started throbbing from the vibration caused by exhaling. Sonofa.. So, I resorted to a few hundred meters of kick drills on my back. *sigh*.

Even with the past 3 workouts not going to plan, I'm still very pleased. I'm out there and working on getting better, and thats all I can ask for right now. The remainder of the wires come out on FRIDAY(!!!), and I'll start the dental work to once and for all end this saga. As soon as the teeth are capped/crowned/implanted, I won't have to deal with the throbbing/exposed nerves that I'm dealing with currently.


I don't make new years resolutions, but I do keep an ongoing list of goals. I have some on an "easily obtainable, so just do", "really, really want", and "not really important" list. I've joked around about going to Kona, being that there are only 6 people in my age group at Placid. It's just been a 'wouldn't that be funny/cool if I qualified'? I've decided to elevate the idea of Kona off of the "not really important" list. I've decided that my new goal is to be able to look back after Lake Placid if I DONT qualify, and be able to honestly say that there was absolutely nothing I wished I would have done up to 7/25/2009 to improve my chances. If someone is just flat out better than me, than they are.. but its not because I didn't train, and because I didn't push myself to do as much as I possibly could to be my best.

Kona, here's to you.


Cheers.