Week Five and counting

Thursday I celebrate my somewhat intact sanity by getting to (exactly) week five with no running. Psychologically, my ass is 3 times as big as it was a month ago , I'm for sure moving right into a plus size and my night guard is sporting some more than normal grinding wear. Do you think they are still accepting applications to audition for The Biggest Loser? I'm feeling adventurous.
April 10th I will return to see Dr. Hester for a follow up. I must remember not to bring any
sharp objects into the exam room with me in case I hear him utter, " we need to give it a few more weeks, TGP"



Good luck to my friend Rob traveling to race in Clermont Fla. this coming weekend. Why take the time to mention this on my blog? He's the only person from Maine on the participants list! An anomaly for sure. He'll be EASY to pick out,transparently ghost-white standing out among the crowd of supple tanned Floridians and brave enough to expose flesh that has been covered in fleece for the past 7 month. Eeeeeks...... Woops! I almost forgot the Oceanside folks! Jen Marit and Dede, Rock the house!!!
Don't forget the sunscreeeeeen.

No Swim. No bike. No run post. Violins Instead

I have a new room mate. He was born in 1911. Do the math. You'd never know it and probably wouldn't believe it unless you saw it yourself. An anomaly for sure. Speaks 6 languages. A world renown violinist. A professor for 40 years at Boston University and still teaching. A very busy social schedule that puts mine to shame. We eat with cloth napkins and usually have wine with dinner along with very engaging conversation about many things I have never seen in the world or known about music. Quick witted and very funny. We share meals and Polish heritage. I am enjoying my new living situation, one that requires me to do nothing but live in a house with a very self sufficient ( with housekeepers massage therapists, and grad students who come to learn ) and one who still drives better than most in Massachusetts. A unique and special person that triggers my natural ability to nurture as if he was my own family. He reminds me of my Polish grandfather I lost while in college.

Things happen for a reason as strangely as they may appear. I am enjoying this. It softens the edges of the hard reality of a stress fracture in a foot on the cusp of a triathlon season.

Here are a few images of my companion, housemate, surrogate grandfather. Featured in many publications, including this most recent one.
An artistic portrait

Often I hear this playing from the music room

A book he is featured inside as a teacher

A sample of what's in the library

walls filled with memorabilia

I am a water jogger extraordinaire..I think

Back into a groove after a week of trying to absorb my latest and greatest injury. One week down and 3 to go before my foot can be looked at again and a radiograph exposed to see if the
bone is healing.

After a few days of my own personal pink pity party, I slapped myself into the here and now and started back to some decent, consistent training. I even managed 4:45 of outdoor saddle time this past weekend and I'm on a water jogging streak. Saturday, Sunday, Monday
and even today after Masters swimming. Yeee haw.

I'm keenly aware of every little thing going on around me while water running. What else
do you have to do with your head bobbing up and down a 25 yard lane of chlorinated water?

I found my calling.
I am a speedy water jogger without even trying. I can lap other sad looking runners forced to
do this humiliating simulation of running through blue tinted liquid with me.

I've secretly critiqued many a male and female body composition as well as swimming apparel choices upon exiting or entering the pool deck. They even get a TGP rating.

30 minutes seems to be the max for the non-masters, non structured swimmer.

I frequently find this urge in wanting to get out or at least yell over to the next lane some pointers to my fellow water mate to help them actually make it to the wall doing freestyle before the water jogger girl makes it there before them. eeeeeks.. sometimes just watching a swimmer fight though the water exhausts me.

Did you know they still make these? I witnessed a wearer of one yesterday.
There is a sparrow stuck flying around the Alumni pool trying to get out the plate glass windows.

I've counted how many red tile squares are on the opposite wall at the MIT Zeiger 50 meter pool (4)

The alumni Pool (at MIT) has warmer water ( 80)than the Zeiger pool ( 79) but not as warm as the Atkinson Pool in Sudbury (83) where I zip around a diving well with the older ladies and their pool noodles and can actually break a sweat.

With every aqua stride, I'm counting down the days to feel some pavement under foot. Until then, my water adventure-running simulation continues dreaming of the day I can run (like below) with a foot that doesn't feel stiff, achey, swollen and numb. (sigh)

Snow Day!

I've been waiting for one of these all season! Ahhhhhhhhh... nothing like waking up to blizzard like conditions on a Monday morning and having a free day!

Really not much to blog about other than I've got big changes in store for me on a personal note which I won't elaborate on at the moment but stay tuned for "As TGP's World Turns" for bits and pieces.
This is a triathlon/cyclocross sports related blog (I must remind myself) so will try and stick with it's main purpose. training woes, saddle discomfort, endless desire to shovel food..stuff like that.

My training has been going very well.

Or should I say was.

Some of you know this already but I had an MRI on my foot and I have a stress "reaction" in the cuboid bone in my left foot. What is the difference between a stress fracture and a stress reaction?
Not much other than I don't have to wear that stupid walking boot. (Thanks Amanda R. for offering up yours) 4 solid weeks of no running which could turn into 6-8 weeks.
I contribute this latest issue to on going PF and also a Morton's neuroma I've been diagnosed with in conjunction.
As much as I've been great about taking care of myself, not increasing my run volume, wearing proper shoes, stretching and doing core/functional training a minimum
of 2x week, I am left with a semi permanent dazed and confused look about me.

Your F-ing kidding me, right????

Injured again.
At first I was in shock. So much I actually didn't say one word as I was being told by my physician as I sat on the table staring at the MRI.
Not a word.
I couldn't or the flood gates would have opened right there.

Lucky for me, my sister has a neighbor who is an ortho surgery guy and answered
all my questions (except why) post my mini breakdown.

The good news is, I'm on the mend. ( I hope)
I"ve got my own Aqua Jogger set up with those little feet thingys and I'm already
in the water tricking my brain into thinking I'm actually running. I think I will have to wear the foot things when I swim at masters because I can feel discomfort when I push off the wall when flip turning. Should be interesting and I'll be fair game in Lane Three come tomorrow morning with my new fashion statement. Ha!
Also I bought myself some sturdy, not-so-sure-about-stylish, Dansko shoe/clogs in which I will eat, sleep and work in for the next four weeks. Here's hoping Zappo's delivers in a snow storm.

Send me some water workouts if you have any to share. I find if I try and trick my gray matter into thinking I am doing a workout in the diving well with the other silver headed ladies, I might just be able to save some of that MAF base I worked so hard on.

eeeeeeks