RIP to a Grande Dame of Triathlon

Today is a sad day in the world of triathlon. One of the best known Master's athletes passed away at the (very young) age of 65.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080829/ap_on_re_us/obit_warren

"Barbara Warren, one of the world's elite endurance athletes in her age group and one-half of a well-known pair of triathlete twins, has died after breaking her neck in a bike crash at the Santa Barbara Triathlon. She was 65.

"Warren, of San Diego, died Tuesday at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital when her family told doctors to take her off a ventilator, her twin sister Angelika Drake told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

"Warren crashed her bike on a downhill road about halfway through the 34-mile cycling section of the race on Saturday, race director Joe Coito said. Warren was paralyzed from the neck down and was breathing with the aid of theventilator. Drake said her sister told the family by blinking and nodding that she wanted to die.

""I talked to her and she nodded over and over and over again. She wanted to leave," Drake said. "No athlete would like to have a life with only their eyes talking.""

I heartily concur.

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In my own news.....

As you probably know, Kona hit his leg on the stairs at my brother's house before Ileft for Mom's. I took him to the vet after I returned, once I saw that he was still not putting full weight on it. The vet sent me to an orthopedist and told me they should get me in within the week - if not, I was to call the vet back and have HIM make the appointment. The next day, I sent the ortho Kona's information. On Tuesday I made an appointment, and didn't think it was a big deal, as the vet told me to get him in some time this week. The ortho told me to come in Friday. I still did not know with 100% certainty the leg was broken. The vet indicated that it may have been a growth plate injury, possibly broken but wanted a second opinion.

I went this morning to the ortho. The leg is DEFINITELY broken - right along the growth plate. I got a ROYAL rash of shit from the ortho about why I hadn't brought Kona in sooner. The visit alone will cost me almost a week's pay and, if HAD needed surgery, that would have cost me over a month's salary. And the additional absences I'm racking up with all of this? I'd be lucky if they don't cost me a job.

The surgeons told me it's pretty much my fault for not bringing him in sooner, but that his leg will definitely heal at a wonky angle, which may mean nothing as he matures, OR he may have one leg shorter than the other for the rest of his life and be predisposed to tearing his cruciate ligament. So, no running partner for at least 6 weeks and I have to try to make him run in the grass after that I guess.

It seems really frivolous under these circumstances to report that I successfully repaired my tire and never forgot how. Even with over a year of no-tire-repairing and the animals running around me, I did it in about 10-15 minutes. Then I tried to get my remote hooked up to my Mag+ trainer. (I've been too lazy to do it.) After maybe 5 minutes of spinning, hopping on and off to adjust tension and try to install the remote, I collapsed on the floor in tears. It was 7pm and I'd been at my plan since 5:15. My thought was while I was waiting for the meat in the oven I could be fixing the tire and hopping on the bike - but I didn't even eat till almost 8. I finally got about 5 loads of my 8 loads of laundry folded - very half-assedly - and now all I have left is the stuff that needs to be hung and my kitchen full of dishes.

I'm hard-pressed not to believe that I'm jinxed. Everything I touch seems to fall apart. Today is a day when I really need some positive psychology.

I'm also starting to wonder if I can defer Miami Man to next year and just focus on a half, and then full, marathon that is farther out before I dive back into triathlon full-time.