Getting Better All the Time

Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.

--Mary Kay Ash

My negative mood has lifted and things seem to be improving little by little each day. I realize I'm battling a lot of stuff right now and am trying to be patient with myself. Lab is very hectic, and I have a big talk coming up in a few weeks so I'm trying to get everything done in time to put together a nice presentation. I've been fighting a sinus infection for 4 weeks and finally convinced the doctor to prescribe antibiotics. I've never been so excited to start antibiotics before! I just want to be able to breathe, sleep through the night, talk normally, and not have a sore throat anymore. I've been playing a lot of catch-up with errands; I can't believe how much I got behind!

Finally got a short, relaxing 4-mile run in yesterday afternoon. It really lifted my mood. I felt so good afterwards. It just felt good to go out and do something for myself. And the biggest thing? My knee did NOT hurt!!!!! I hope this continues as I'm trying to do my first marathon June 3rd. Very nervous about being able to handle the long runs. I've done 13-14 miles but need to start going up. Is it too much to try a 16-miler this weekend?

I've started seeing a physical therapist in addition to my awesome but painful, deep-tissue massages. I've been doing both once a week. I think this is my only hope to get my body through the marathon. They both want me to do lots of stretching. I'm verrrry tight. The PT wants me to stretch 2x/day but I realize that's simply unrealistic with my schedule. I've decided if I can do a solid 15-20 minutes 1x a day, that's 1x a day more than I'm doing right now, so that's my compromise. The PT thinks it's my IT band that's causing all the issues, and I tend to agree. So she's also having me do lots of hip strengthening excercises.

(above: me after a physical therapy session)

Plus, I just started using the foam roller. Does anyone else think this thing originated from some sort of dark, twisted Mideval inquisition torture chamber? I've never been in so much agony! I must be secretly masochistic for putting myself through all this.

Speaking of enjoying pain, I woke up this morning more sore than I can remember (including half-IM training) from the damn PT session! You have to be kidding me! Apparently, deep stretching and a few key hip exercises that target my weak spots produce soreness akin to running 50 miles, uphill, in the snow (both ways). I could barely ride my bike in this morning. WTF?

In addition to my sinus infection, it turns out my blood pressure has been suspiciously high lately. Yup. High. With training 8-14 hours a week and eating healthfully and being borderline underweight and 29 years of age and a pulse of 50. 150/90. So I have to go BACK to the doctor again next week. Sigh. I don't know what's going on. Hopefully, the cuff was inaccurate. However, I'm concerned because they did the reading 2x (it was an automatic cuff at the dentist), and it came out the same. Plus, at the doctor's office last week, it was also abnormally high, and that was taken manually. In the meantime, I'm going to buckle down and buy my own home cuff and start monitoring my own BP. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I hope it's just a string of faulty readings and not actually high BP. 'Cause if it is, it's a red flag of something weird going on. Side effects from the thyroid meds I'm on? 4 weeks of sinus infection? Sigh.

My goal right now is try to get back into a regular schedule and maintain some balance in my life. I would love for my schedule during the week to play out something like this:
6:00 Wake
6:00 Bunny chores and small snack
6:30 AM Workout
7:40 Breakfast and coffee
8:00 Dress for lab
8:30 Bike to lab
9:00 Lab work
11:50 Snack
12:00 Lunchtime Yoga, stretching, and/or light walk
12:30 Lunch
1:00 Lab work
4:00 Snack
6:00p Evening workout
7:30p Snack
7:40p House/bunny chores
8:00p Dinner
8:30p Stretching/ice
9:00p Relaxation (e.g. play w/bunnies; drink tea)
9:45p Get ready for bed
9:30p Read in bed
10:00p Lights out

Tentative 2007 Race Season:

As far as the rest of 2007 race season goes, here's what I have planned:

4/22/07 Desert International Triathlon (La Quinta, CA (near Palm Springs))

5/6/07 Spring Sprint Triathlon (Mission Bay (San Diego))

6/3/07 San Diego Rock 'N Roll Marathon

7/14/07 Camp Pendleton International Triathlon (Oceanside, CA)

9/9/07 Big Kahuna Half-Ironman Triathlon (Santa Cruz, CA)

(above: Barbados, may he rest in peace)