Monday, October 12, 2009

While You're Away

Taking a break from training was tough. I was very bitter for a long time and then gradually gave into the fact that I have to be patient and hopefully my time to run, bike and swim would come again. I was given a taste of that time last summer only to be sidelined in August for 6 more weeks.

Well, shortly after Louisville, I was given the thumbs up from my doc and started training again. It was tough. I think it was harder starting up again after the sinus thing than it was from the thyroid stuff. I was determined though to start out slow and work my way back.

It's funny when you take a break from something you love, you're determined that you will never miss a beat now that you have a "2nd" chance to get out there again. Nothing will stand in your way, you will find the time and there is no excuse that can keep you away.

That's the way I felt, until Sunday morning ....

I responded to an email thread that I would be out there Sunday morning, warmly dressed and ready to ride. Saturday night I prepared for the cold that I knew would greet me once I opened the garage door. Got to bed early (around 9:30) and I couldn't wait to get out there and ride with the cold. Yup, the cold was going to be just one of my training buddies. If wind wanted to join us, fine. The more the merrier. My attitude was polished perfect and nothing was going to get in my way of doing what I love to do.

Well, I didn't plan on Gracie needing a breathing treatment at 11:00. Fell back to sleep around 12. (I ended up breaking down and buying a watch, cause it was only $16 at Penny's, how could I not buy a new one for that price - but I'm not back to timing everything, thankfully, that obsessive part of me has not returned.) How do I know that, well, I remember 12 being the last time I looked at my watch. Was awakened by her coughing around 3:30. Scott was kind enough to get out of bed to give her a treatment. Unfortunately, he couldn't find the medicine, so I was up, in the cold of our house, getting the med. I snapped at him to go back to sleep and he was more than happy to crawl under the warm blankets. I gave my little one her breathing treatment. I found myself drifting back to sleep from the hum of the machine. Only to be awakened by the choking sound of the medicine cup emptying. I have a huge fear (this won't surprise any of you) of the nebulizer tube rapping around one of the kids necks and choking them while sleeping so I do my best not to fall a sleep when they take a treatment. Ok, so I shut of the machine and tuck it way so no one is strangled. It's just after 4:15 now, good, I have an hour and a half of good sleep time left. I take my thyroid meds now, because they have to be taken on an empty stomach and I need to eat when I get up .... blah, blah blah .... take the meds and try to fall back to sleep. Keep checking the time and it's now 5:15. CRAP! Ok, at 5:30 I'm getting up. So of course I fall asleep.

The alarm wakes me up at 6. Now, I feel sleep deprived (although I'm not really). I kick off the blankets to get out of bed and it's freezing! FREEZING!!! I pull the covers back on and whine to myself that I'm not going. NOPE. Not gettin out of bed.

While laying there, I'm thinking how I wrote I would be there. I thought about how I prepared to ride just 9 hours earlier and how I teased Randich a couple days earlier and if I didn't show up I would be subject to endless needling from him.

I got up, ate. Yoga'd. Dressed. Scott helped me duck tape my booties to my feet. I had to drive to the ride because of my procrastinating at 6. Made it to the start with minutes to spare.

We rode just about 28 miles. I held onto the draft almost the entire time. My heart rate stayed pretty steady and for the most part my hands and feet stayed warm. There were 5 of us out there braving the cold. We all thought it wasn't quite as cold as we thought it was going to be but it was cold none the less.

And, right now,

Life

is

Good :)

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