Why Fantasy Prevailed: A Dose of Reality

Pain is a nebulous concept; it differs from person to person, can last an hour or years, and it is so hard to quantify. In December, I wrote about my experience with pain directly following the crash. What I did not anticipate was the transformation from an acute pain to chronic pain.

Fantasy vs. Reality

Yesterday’s race did not unfold as planned. Who really ever plans not to finish? But, if I am being honest with myself and to you, the outcome was not entirely surprising. I have been battling lingering rib issues since the crash in November. The exact nature of the problem is still to be determined, but my rib cage is rotated and is therefore protruding and perhaps pressing on my diaphragm. I have not ignored this and have been seeking continued treatment. Biking and swimming have been going quite well with running lagging behind due to the breathing difficulties the ribs have caused. However, I have had to make changes to my bike position to accommodate my ribs.

Packing Anxiety

We all have pre-race rituals. Some border on strange, while others are superstitions. Mine: I pack my bags the Sunday before I leave. That means, yesterday, I was packed (except for my bike) for my Friday departure for Galveston.

Princess and the Pea Syndrome

On my 10th birthday my grandparents presented me with a gift that I found offensive even though it uncannily captured one my exasperating personality traits. Picture this. A tiny bed with 4 tiny mattresses and underneath the mattresses is a pea; tucked into this bed is a tiny doll with a tiny pillow and a tiny blanket with “Joanna” delicately embroidered onto it.  How insulting, thought my 10 year old self, where is the humor in this? Could they really insinuate that I was the Princess and the Pea? As the years have passed, I have come to appreciate the symbolism of this offering and refer to it nostalgically (it still resides in my San Diego bedroom).

Lessons from Golf

Triathlon on TV. That statement is contradictory. Twice a year triathlon hits the big time and can be viewed on NBC. Repeats of various Kona races are shown on Universal Sports and here and there a race shows up on Vs. The claim: triathlon is not spectator friendly and people do not have the attention span to sit through races that last as long as an Ironman (or even a 70.3). I believe that claim is erroneous. I, along with millions of Americans, watched the final round of the Masters Golf tournament. Golf, seriously?

It's Not Psychological!!

Over the last few weeks, I have been conversing with a friend (also a professional triathlete) about the difficulties he has been experiencing in his training. He had stagnated. His solution: train even harder. The daily floggings coupled with poor nutrition took its toll not only in performance, but in health. His new coach recognized this and set about undoing the damage. Doctors were consulted and the results revealed some significant issues that would need time and patience to overcome. His reaction was one of relief. Not the relief you would expect, though. His relief was not that there was a solution to his issues. His relief was that what he feeling was not in his head and he could justify his training lull to himself and those around him.

8 Minutes and Counting

I woke up at my normal time today, 6:15. I was full of hope and energy for a solid training day. The forecast was WINDY, which meant the trees would be bent over and with swirling dust clouds everywhere, and the occasional tumbleweed somersaulting across the road. I decided that I would run long at Magnolia Road, a popular place to run that starts at 8000 feet and goes up from there, and save my long ride for Sunday.