One in the bank...

Okay.

After my horrid, painful week with a bulging disc, I feel I bounced back really well.

I did front-load the last week pretty well and tapered toward the end--or skipped workouts again, depending on how you interpret the trends. I only swam once--Tuesday--but it was the best swim all year--and this was still with tingling fingertips from the bulging disc (what an odd sensation). I was hoping to add one more swim, but things got in the way and didn't get it in. Also, hanging out with the Moxies Friday night made my Saturday miserable--my own fault, really.

Nonetheless, Sunday rolled around and the Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon was priority one. Here's the play-by-play:

I was in the second wave.

My goal for the swim was to maintain my cool and keep a good pace. Still, even in my warm-up, I felt my heart was starting to race--HR was up to 142 after just casually swimming a lap or two. I was glad to be sharing a lane for once--last year I was lucky enough to have an absent lane partner. So, in preparation for the open-water swims, I had another in the lane, the rope, and a friend swimming in the next lane. So having those visual and proximal distractions every once in a while was good to get used to. About two thirds of the way through, felt the HR racing again, so I tried to back down a little to stay steady through the entire 10 minutes. I was credited with 21 lengths--10.5 laps, 525 meters...a 30:39 mile pace. I was content with that.

The bike was frustrating, but I didn't let it get to me. I walked in and found that there was only one bike left that had Look-style pedals available. As I'm starting my set up, the guy next to it said that the computer on it was reading well. I quickly moved to another bike to remove the toe clips, couldn't, so I stuck with the first bike. The computer was sporadic; and though I held it at a consistent level MOST of the time, it was jumping around. But I didn't complain, just figured that mine wasn't the only bike to do that--it was what it was.

The run, I felt is where I unexpectedly shone. My running has been coming along, but I hadn't done any true speedwork in a couple weeks. So I wasn't planning to surpass three miles in 20 minutes. So I started by setting it up to 8.5 mph, but saw that a runner in the row ahead of me had set his at 9.3--trying to hit a 5k pace. Well, I quickly set it up to that pace as well. By looking over his shoulder, I felt like I was letting him pace me. Ten minutes into it, I was feeling a little fatigued, so I dropped back to 8.5 for five minutes, and finished at 9.3. The last five minutes was filled with "Just X more minutes/seconds to go" thoughts, and when I was done, I felt I had nothing left--perfect. Finished with 3.02 miles--good for me.

I haven't seen the final standings yet, but feel really good with the result especially with the speed bumps of the last couple of weeks.

I told Darci that after this week, I really need to keep things disciplined for about the next five weeks--thinking that I want to continue to build to Bluff Creek (May 23) and taper to IM KS 70.3 (June 6). I still want to do that, but I'm seriously considering adding the Papillion Half Marathon on May 16 as a last "long" run before KS.

One is done. I'm feeling good about it and that it is done. Now to look ahead to the rest.

Pain

Training has been sporadic for the last month...especially in the pool. First, it is hard to get motivated to do it; second, my training partner often sleeps in rather than getting there early in the morning--even when he sends an invite through Facebook, the host shows 45 minutes late. Cycling has taken an upswing with the weather--I've ridden the new bike three times, with two of those rides maintaining a 19+ mph average (CT, you didn't slow me down). Running is there, but I haven't as much as I've wanted.

Last week I wanted to make a BIG week--10 or so hours of training. However, in the first half of the week, life got in the way--too many family, etc., events took precedence over the training. I was okay with that and even finding ways to make them up.

Wednesday, though, the unexpected happened. I was eating breakfast...leftover pancakes--probably too quickly--my esophagus cramped up (which is nothing new--not choking because I can still breathe, just food won't swallow...uncomfortably stuck), and one of my body's attempts to clear that is sneezing. Because I had food in my mouth, I stifled the sneeze rather than letting it go. About 10 minutes later things went south.

Another strange thing that happens "once in a blue moon" is a sensation through my arms that feels like they've turned to lead and are being pulled out of their sockets. Usually it passes in five to ten minutes.

Nonetheless, 10 minutes after the sneeze, my arms turned to lead. The bad thing was that I was driving at the time--which I don't think mattered, I just had to handle heavy machinery at the same time. I get to school, still in pain. This persists ALL DAY!

Fortunately, I've got good friends! Stephanie--my personal PA--thought that it was a bulged disc; and the next day, when I told her my fingertips were tingling, she felt that confirmed her theory. She told me to consistently take IBU.

So, Wednesday...miserable; I still taught Centergy (hoping that will make it feel better). Thursday, still struggling; and Friday, too. Saturday, went for a bike ride, and suffered for the rest of the day, but felt better in the evening. Sunday, felt tons better! I had one intense stinger in the morning, but the rest of the day felt good--skipped swimming (Paul was playing Easter bunny anyway), went to church, went for a 21.35 mile ride and averaged 19.4! Then walked to the in-laws' for Easter lunch. Even walked with Darci and the dog yesterday evening. A good day.

Today, I feel like I did yesterday. Still some tingling in my fingertips, but I feel I can resume all parts of my training. Planning to swim tomorrow.

So now I feel like I need to front-load this week and taper toward Saturday since I have my first event of the season on Sunday--the indoor triathlon.

Injuries suck.