Routine Is My Friend.

Today I had my official post-hospital visit with the doctor. He is quite confident that my issues are related to various effects of my medication, and that they're easily remedied. He made a few additional changes to my prescriptions, which included removing one, thank God (and noted my 12-pound weight gain since I've been training less frequently. Good times.) With that out of the way, it is time to climb back on board the Training Wagon this week. With several weeks to think about this, the consent of the Doc and my support crew behind me, I'm ready to return to my old routines.

Routine, I am learning the hard way, is my friend. Getting into regular habits is a neccesity with my new medicine requirements, which have me taking pills now in both morning and afternoon. Before, I could just choke 'em all down at one time of day. Now, I've got to measure out my morning and afternoon meds once or twice weekly and stay aware of the time every single day so I don't miss critical doses. This extends to my training, of course: if I get in the habit of measuring out my nutrition supplements, doing laundry, marking up my workout schedule, etc., I will be more successful at staying consistent.

As far as my race schedule goes, of course, some analysis is due. I cannot defer St. Anthony's - nor would I want to. I will skip a spring duathlon this year, but I will NOT remove FL HIM from my schedule. You might find this a bit crazy, but I'm going to go for it. I don't want to lose the money or the goal. A lot of people will disagree with this decision, but they're not me, they're not triathletes, and they're not physicians.

The truth is, there are going to be days when I don't feel so great, but that's just a part of life. I've come to accept that my life will be filled with slightly more of those 'not so great' days than the average person - and that it is what I do with the remaining days that will make a difference. And there are disabled athletes far more fit and experienced than I, with many more health problems - even a double-amputee Ironman finisher. If someone with the same goals as mine can succeed them despite greater odds than those I face, the odds are not as against me as I feel they are.

My doctors (non-ER docs, that is) unanimously agree that training, even intensely, does nothing but help my various conditions - and it can't hurt me to get back to my usual weight or lower my cholesterol, either. So, FL HIM HERE I COME!! I may make it, and I may not, but I'm damn sure gonna try. (And I definitely know now that I need one more year of 70.3 racing before I make the leap to 140.6).

3 tidbits of wizdom:

Duane said...

Go for it girl!

Tea said...

As hard as it might be, you've got your team of sherpas on hand for all of those tough times.

Let's see:
1.) Mental toughness....check
2.) A Plan....check
3.) Cool Tri gear...check
4.) Cool Sherpas...check

You sound ready to me. :)

CCP said...

You're going to do great. Having that goal in place will only help you focus on what needs to be done.

As my coworker put it, "triathletes are not human. They are super human. Borne of steel and concrete. Once they set their mind to it, anything can be accomplished"