I Feel Your Pain

I feel your pain is an overused expression, however in this case a relevant statement.  Cathy and I both had an MRI of our left knee within a week of each other.  Mine had been bothering me since the Tri, hers a more recent manifestation during a long run.  When she told me about her knee pain I said to have it looked at sooner rather than later.  Finally I took my own advice, and saw my family doctor in order to get an MRI and determine how serious my own knee issues really were.  I could bike 50 miles in a week and felt strong, but the nagging pain finally concerned me enough to take action.  Cathy has an articular cartilage defect, and was instructed no biking or running for 4-6 weeks.  This would mean no olympic triathlon for her, which was a disappointment.. but at least she could still swim.  I have narrowing of the lateral compartment, and arthritis -  and was told by the orthopedic doctor "no exercise for 3-4 weeks".  Naturally I assumed I would be permitted to swim, but the doc said - "zero exercise".  "WHAT?"  For the past 2 years I've been working out 3-4 times a week, and really enjoyed the "me time" now what would I do with myself?  I started out with an immediate shopping binge at the mall around the corner from the doctor's office!  Then I did the mani-pedi I had been needing.  I went to the gym and did arms and abs, at least it was something!  Then more shopping.  I went with some friends to lunch at the Tomato Pie Cafe, a delicious little place in Litiz PA.  Scheduled an oil change, and did more shopping with Mom while my car was in the shop.  I've been walking Bella, my morkie, who is most disappointed that we can't ride our bike with her basket on the front.  When I told her we were going to the Railroad Bed, she ran over to the bike - only to learn that we would be taking the SUV.  It's been 2 weeks, my knee is only a little better, and I'm getting bored and grouchy.  My husband says I'm turning into a "mean girl" so I tried more shopping.  I cleaned Derrick's room, and dusted some shelves that clearly hadn't been touched since he was a freshmen in High School.  I did another arm and shoulder workout on the equipment at the office.  I made 3 trips to the Jubliee Shop with donations of old clothes, and various housewares.  I made homemade pasta sauce, roasted peppers, and blanched ears of corn to freeze for the winter.  Now what?

Being injured is never fun, unless you have a hot masseur to rub your back... or maybe a cabana boy to bring you grapes and alcohol.   Now I'm getting delirious.  Finally I've become creative and made myself a piece of theraband to use for exercise at home.  If I keep it above my knees, I can do lateral leg raises, to work my thighs with resistance while not putting any force on my knee.  It's only been 2 weeks and I'm running out of ideas to keep me occupied.  I'm planning another trip to the gym for arms and abs, and also a company picnic for early September.  That should keep me busy for now...I'll do another post before my doctor's appointment mid September, with a status report on my knee pain and mental status after 4 weeks of rest.  

Discovering While Recoverying

The Trustees of the Reservation Kayak Discovery Tour

I’m happy to say that I’ve been “checking off” my vacation To Do List.  On one hand, it could be argued that one shouldn’t have a To Do List while on vacation – I’ve done vacations both with and without them – and there is rationale for both sides of the coin.  In this case, I had had such great expectations of it being a big training week in preparation for my first Olympic triathlon so I suddenly found myself having to dramatically change those expectations and was in need of a plan.

I always had kayaking on Martha’s Vineyard Great Ponds on that mental “I want to do that someday” list.  I’ve never been that enamored with the “slowness” of kayaking but the nature discovery has its appeal.  Now that speedier pursuits aren’t options, it was the perfect time to actually do it.  Plus, it would allow Mike to have a guilt-free bike ride without me.

When Mike and I were on our hiking binge a few years ago, we had discovered many interesting spots on our bigger-than-one-would-think Island.  It’s been over twenty years since I first set foot on this approximately 40 x 20 mile land mass separated from the mainland by Vineyard Sound, and I’m continuously amazed that I can keep discovering and experiencing new things.  On one of our hikes we had explored Edgartown Great Pond but I had never been to Tisbury Great Pond.  As I looked at kayaking tours, I found one for that Pond offered by the Trustees of the Reservations that launched from their 600 acre Long Point Wildlife Refuge.

“Find Your Place” is the tagline for the Trustees of the Reservations which describe their purpose as:

“We are more than 100,000 people like you from every corner of Massachusetts. We love the outdoors. We love the distinctive charms of New England. And we believe in celebrating and protecting them – for ourselves, for our children, and for generations to come. With more than 100 special places across the state, we invite you to find your place.”

We have already been enjoying their other Vineyard properties, in particular Norton Point Beach where we have an oversand-vehicle permit that allows us to drive on the beach and ‘find our place’ in the sand.  The Long Point property was originally settled (as much of the Island was) by the Wampanoag Indians who depended on it for agriculture, firewood, fishing and hunting / gathering.

Indeed, as I drove into the property for two miles on the dusty, bumpy, single lane road with turnouts, I was in a forest that one can imagine much hunting and gathering taking place.  I proceeded to the gate and waited along with another four-person family for our tour guide to arrive and unlock the gate to our awaited treasure.  I knew already that I had picked the right kayaking tour since the road into this public access property is purposely vehicle restricted to preserve its specialness.  Furthermore, realizing I had forgotten to inquire on the price of the two hour tour, I had conservatively brought along $80 based on the price of other advertised commercial tours.  “That will be $20 if you are a member or $25 if you are not,” said our California native guide who had recently graduated from college and had decided to spend his summer days in peaceful existence running the tours.

We lathered ourselves in sun lotion and bug spray and got our basic questions out of the way as we awaited the other tour participants, who had decided to hike their way in and were taken by surprise at the property’s mass.  The teenage daughter nearly stumped the guide with a first-time question whether or not we should be worried about sharks (I suppose there was some validity to the question given the recent photos in the media of a shark in pursuit of a kayaker on Cape Cod!).  He explained that this being a brackish pond, it was highly unlikely we would see any sharks although technically it was possible that a shark could pass from the ocean through the breach that had just been opened up in the sandbar.  The breach is often manmade to relieve the flooding that can occur to the property owners surrounding the Pond but it usually fills back in over time.

A family of five French speakers showed up, sweating after their hurried, longer-than-anticipated hike.  We sized our lifejackets, took a paddle and headed to the water, adding another half mile hike for the French couple and three teenage daughters who remained upbeat (since I speak French, I could understand them - a fact I did share to their surprise after it was clear my spying was yielding boring results).  The Tisbury Great Pond revealed itself in all its beauty living up to the tour brochure of the opportunity to explore “one of the rarest habitats in the world”.  Varying species of birds dotted the blue sky and occasionally dove into the aquamarine waters for their sustenance.  There were no shark fins in sight but the seventeen year old was still obsessed as she boarded a two-person kayak with the protection of her slightly older brother.

The Great Tisbury Pond Breach - A Natural Water Ride!

I was very excited that our first destination was the breach to the Atlantic Ocean.  A couple of years ago, Mike and I tried to hike to the breach at the Edgartown Great Pond after a realtor had described it as his favorite place on the Island.  In one of those “this Island is bigger than you think miscalculations”, we weren’t able to reach the spot before realizing that we had better turn around or face a night under the stars.

It was a good paddling warm up as we made our way across the calm waters in about 15 minutes.  It was nice to have a guide who steered us through the shallow waters as we watched an unguided group of kayakers get stuck on a sand bar and resort to pulling their kayaks to shore.  He encouraged us to explore the beach and so I headed straight for the breach and jumped in.  As advertised by the realtor, it’s a magical experience to jump in the Ocean surf and be carried by Mother Nature’s natural water ride into the Pond.

From there, we departed for one of the Pond’s long, finger-like coves.  Since this was my workout for the day and I had been inspired by the Olympic rowers, I decided to go all out and work my swimming shoulders and arms (not to mention my desire to escape the continued shark whining which was starting to get on my nerves).  Twenty minutes later I enjoyed ten minutes of solitude in the peaceful scenery and chorus of birds until the others showed up, a little surprised that the woman who claimed she hadn’t kayaked much had smoked them (Not that I’m competitive or anything.  And remember I speak French!).

I returned home thinking maybe one of those triathlons that includes a kayak leg is in my future after all.

Overcoming Triathlon Swimming Anxiety (Part 2 of 2)

What is your fear?

A. "I could never do a triathlon because I can't swim"

B.  “I’m afraid of sharks”

C. "I can swim miles in the pool but the open water freaks me out"

D. "I'm nervous about swimming with all those people"

There are many reasons behind the anxiety associated with the triathlon swim.  I've heard them all and experienced all of them myself.  And since I've had more than one friend expressing their anxiety to me lately, this seemed like the appropriate topic for my Day 6 vacation blog.  So the good news is that I can attest you can overcome your fears and actually really love swimming in open waters.  I can also tell you that you may have one fear only to discover that that fear will not affect you but something else will.  While I’m not a psychologist, I think getting to the source of the fear and having a logical plan to overcome it can help. 

Tackling Fear A

If you have Fear A, go back to the start of my blog history, and begin reading!  I once said this and I'm now regularly doing one mile open water swims.

Tackling Fear B

Many people who fear the ocean, fear not the little fish but the big ones with big teeth, much I think is sometimes due to our childhood remembrance of the movie Jaws or some other recent “entertainment”.  I’m surprised at how many people have Fear B, although given a lot of recent media coverage and some real threats, it’s not something to take too lightly.  But it also shouldn’t keep you out of the water when and where there is not a true threat.  I'm happy to report that Jaws truly was a mechanical shark - and not a very sophisticated special effect!  He currently resides around the corner from my Martha’s Vineyard house at the restaurant Sharkys so that is one less barrier for you to worry about.  That said, there have been recent shark sightings and attacks in Cape Cod and Western US waters.  I wouldn't recommend swimming too far offshore where they reside (as the Cape Cod victim did) and avoid areas where there are seals, who really are their preferred food over us humans.  But if your destined beach hasn't had any sightings, you should take that off your worry list.  And, with all the prep that goes into setting up and manning the swim course, have faith in your race organizers that they will be doing the shark sighting for you and would not permit a race to be held in dangerous waters.

Tackling Fear C

If you have Fear C, you are clearly ready for a triathlon -- you just need to get yourself in the open water and get comfortable getting salt or lake water in your mouth and swimming amongst seaweed, fish, and critters.  Besides the advice in my previous blog post, here are some tips:

·         Don't wait for the perfect sunny calm water day (this is a do as I say not as I did piece of advice -- if you read about my first open water swims, I waited for the "perfect day").  Of course, your first attempts should not be when the surf is up and you should never swim in a thunderstorm, but I now don't let a rain shower or some amount of waves stop me -- after all, we can't choose our race day weather.

·         Practice swimming out and off shore against the current for those triangular and rectangular swims.  But for everyday endurance training, it's best to swim parallel to shore so you stay within swim zones and close to shore, and it helps you to swim straight if you can spot the shore.

·         Bilateral breathing is an important skill to have in open water so you can avoid getting a mouthful of water from another swimmer or waves coming at you in one direction.  Bilateral breathing can also help you swim straight and sight.  Practice breathing from your "wrong side" every 2 strokes as well as bilateral breathing every 3rd stroke when in the pool and open water.

·         Try to swim in the same waters (or at least same type such as salt water or fresh water) in which your open water swim event will be at least once.  You will then get accustomed to the exact situation - plant foliage, rocks, shells, types of critters, etc.  I didn't have that option for my first race and the lake seaweed surprised and freaked me out a bit.  For my third race I did have the opportunity and was subjected to a different type of plant foliage and it made a huge difference just expecting it to be there.

·         Likewise, the first time I swam in the ocean with my goggles on, I was surprised to see crabs - I shouldn't have been, of course!  And to think they were there all those times I didn't wear goggles!  The best way to overcome your surprise and fear of our sea habitants is to get friendly with them and take joy in sighting them.

Tackling Fear D

Being afraid of the "swim mob" (Fear D) is completely normal and a situation that will be unique to race day.  In a pool or open water, try to swim closely to others to simulate it.  Purposely bump into one another in multiple ways and create waves and splash.  Some open water clinics will also create mock situations and trial swims.

For your first open water swim, start at the back of your wave and to one side of the wave (I recommend the side closest to the buoys you have to round so you have a shorter course but then you must be sure to sight often so you don’t go off course) and let everyone get in front of you.  Some races will also have a first timer / beginner wave you can voluntarily sign up for rather than being placed in your age category wave.

Note that shorter distance swims (e.g. .25 miles) have the benefit of less time in the water but they can also cause swimmers to be much more bunched up in the race.  Both my husband and I felt rather beat up from the swim mob after our first open water swim, which was .25 miles.  He actually enjoyed his next half mile swim much more.

Preparing for Your First Event

While you can't anticipate and simulate every situation you may encounter, have a plan to mentally and physically deal with anxiety on event day.  My first race I had no such plan and I suffered as a result.  By my second race, I had practiced just flipping over on my back and doing the elementary back stroke while taking deep breaths.  It made a world of difference. 

When you check out a swim course, know the placement and number of buoys you will pass and/or round.    I was grateful my last race that a fellow athlete had done that and told me how many there were -- even on a point to point swim it helps you know where you are in the race and pace yourself.

You should also know that most races will permit you to hold onto a buoy or kayak provided you do not advance forward.  Keep in mind that swimmers can really crowd around the buoy so that may or may not be a good option.  Also, if you require too much attention from a lifeguard on a kayak, they may disqualify you.  I think the buoy or kayak options are good for dealing with any equipment malfunctions and just knowing they are there for you if you need them should ease your anxiety.  For actually lowering your anxiety, I recommend the flip over on your back option and breathe deeply.  You will keep moving and not further raise your anxiety dealing with a concerned lifeguard.

One of the drills you can do in the pool to prepare for and deal with anxiety is to raise your heart rate by doing jumping jacks before getting in and / or swimming all out for 25-50 yards and then practice flipping over on your back and getting your heart rate down (my swim coach had me practice this).  During your open water swims, also practice this, particularly when you do feel an elevated heart rate.

In summary, there are 2 major things you can do to tackle anxiety:

1)     Just get in practice in open water

2)     Have a plan – know what you will do to tackle anxiety and practice it!

The rewards can be tremendous!  Once you become a fish in water, you will enjoy your beach days so much more and find a great source of exercise.  Becoming a competent and confident open water swimmer may also just save your life, or someone else’s, someday.

Open Water Swimming (Part 1 of 2)

As I talk to people, the swim is what prevents many people from trying the sport.  This doesn’t have to be and both my husband and I and many triathletes are living proof of that.  Many of us triathletes never swam competitively before triathlons.  (By the way, I wrote this while I was sitting on the beach and my husband and I did a three quarter mile swim with waves as a break from writing!)

Swimming is the one sport of the three that does really require technique to be competent so you should find a group adult swimming class or take private lessons, as I did, to first become a competent swimmer.  From there, you need to do two things:

1)     Build your fitness level

2)     Gain experience in open water

3)     Mentally prepare and gain the confidence and plan you need

To build your fitness level, I highly recommend a group or masters program but you can also do it by building your own training plan which I’ll have to save for another blog post (or a book!).  This blog post will focus on open water swimming and the next blog post will focus on how to mentally prepare, gain the confidence you need and tackle anxiety.

Open Water Swimming Attire Tips

·         Open water swims are a great time to practice in your wetsuit.  I typically use mine when the water temperature is 68 degrees or less.  Given the hassle of putting them on (and the heat on hot summer days) and rinsing them out, I don't use them for every swim.

·         Doing a trial run in your race day Tri suit is a good idea but I typically don't wear my more expensive attire for everyday training so they will last longer.

·         Your pool swimsuit is fine.

·         Other types of suits such as shorts or bikinis can be fine for training but of course have their limitations so if you want a serious workout, go with your serious swim gear.

·         A pair of shaded goggles is a good idea.  Just like sunglasses, they come with different levels of light protection so you may want to buy and have a couple different kinds on hand.  It's always a good idea to have an extra pair on hand in the event the goggles break.

·         A bright or neon colored swim cap will help lifeguards and your swim partner to keep an eye on you, and boaters to spot you.

·         Swim socks (neoprene booties) can help keep your feet warm if you are subjected to raynaud’s syndrome (your feet easily lose circulation) and protected from cutting your feet on shells.  Some races are permitting them and others are not.  Barb got special permission ton use them for one race due to her raynaud’s condition.  I highly encourage them when there are sharp rocks or shells, or wooden stairs to navigate to prevent cuts or splinters.  I've started wearing them for some races when they are permitted - I think I make up the few extra seconds it takes to get them off by a faster run and transition out of the water.

·         A water resistant watch is extremely helpful for judging your distance / workout.  When I first started, I was surprised at how slowly time passed (“what, it seems like I’ve been swimming for 30 minutes not 5 minutes!”).  For some reason, I lost all sense of time.  A watch helps me judge my distance paced on my typical pace when I can’t measure the distance.

·         Make sure you don't have any loose clothing.  I've heard more than one story of someone who got freaked out by "some fish" who was trying to feed on them only to discover that it was their wetsuit zipper cord (which usually can be attached to your Velcro collar so that it is also easy to find as you get out of the water)

Picking Your Venue

Before heading out for an open water swim, you should check 2 things (I haven’t in the past and have had disappointing moments showing up for an open water swim only to have to turn around):

1)     Check the status of the beach/lake/pond. Your biggest health concern should be focused on the everyday kind -- pollution of waters, often caused by everyday pesticides.  The good news is that most town health departments have become vigilant about testing the water and they err on the side of closing beaches if there is any concern so be sure to verify in advance the status of your intended swim destination.

2)     Check the tide charts.  Depending on the beach, low tide may make swimming within a safe zone from shore impossible, or high tide may make for too wavy of an experience for your desired conditions.  A quick google search for your body of water and “tide charts” should help you find the right source.    

Of course all of my open water advice comes with the never swim alone and ideally swim when a lifeguard is on duty.  When lifeguards are on duty, they can be helpful sources of information (water temp, tidal conditions, swimming versus boat zones) and they will always appreciate you checking in and letting them your intended swim course. 

Jellyfish do reside in warmer waters so they are more prevalent later in the season on the Eastern US Coast where they are the type that typically just cause discomfort so they shouldn't be something that keeps you out of the water unless you are allergic to their stings, there is a plethora of them in the water, or you are vacationing somewhere with the fatal type, as I was warned about in Australia.  Wearing a wetsuit can also protect you from them.  Lifeguards also typically have treatments on hand for things like jellyfish stings.  Web MD provides this guidance -- http://firstaid.webmd.com/jellyfish-stings-treatment

In the Water

When you get in the water, get a sense for the current.  If there is seaweed or plant matter, you can see which way it’s being carried as one indicator.  Plan your swim and workout accordingly.  If the tide and current are going out, you may need to adjust your planned course so as to not get pulled out pass the swimming area.  If it’s coming in, likewise, you’ll need to make sure you don’t get pulled inland too much.  And, if you are swimming with the current parallel to shore, remember that coming back will be much harder!

The need for "sighting" is one of the differences between pool and open water.  In the open water of course there is no dark line to follow and stay in your lane and it can be easy to go off course.  You may or may not be able to see the bottom at all, depending on the clarity and depth of the water.  To simulate this in the pool, close your eyes when they are in the water.  To sight, keep your eye on the next buoy by frequently lifting your head forward as you complete your stroke or take a quick breast stroke.  If you are going parallel to shore and breathing to the shore side, you can easily track if you are staying a parallel distance from shore.  When you are headed toward shore or there is a dock or rock barrier ahead of you, pick a notable object or shape to spot.

You should know what to do in the event of a riptide, which can occur in a beach but also even some lakes.  The following link gives good advice on that:  http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-Riptide

While all of this may sound like a lot to consider, I wish someone had given me these tips!  I did it all with trial and error.  Ideally, find a swim partner who has experience in open water or attend a clinic as you are just getting started.  But, if you can’t, just get started with a good, calm venue that has a lifeguard on duty.  Soon you will feel like a fish out of water when you are not in it!

The couple who tris together, stays together

After being my triathlon lackey for 3 events, Mike joined me

Today is my 18^th wedding anniversary!  I am so happy to be married to a fellow multi-sport enthusiast.  While my husband and I only recently discovered triathlons, we’ve always enjoyed exercising and doing sport adventures together.

The earliest activities I remember us doing together ranged from mild fun, adventure and then there was the golf phase.  The golf phase began with just having fun with miniature golf, graduating to a par 3 golf course, and then taking some lessons and seeing if we wanted to take it seriously.  The problem with golf, however, was that it took a long time and really wasn’t great exercise.

We’ve bungee jumped, snorkeled, and parasailed.  I decided to be the photographer for his surfing and kite surfing adventures.  While they looked like fun and I was tempted, somehow I didn’t envision myself actually having fun doing them.  We’ve made a pact to downhill ski every year of our adult life for as long as we can.  God willing, we hope to be doing this well into our 80s and perhaps beyond.

One of the great things about us being addicted to exercise is that when we are on vacation and the weather is crappy, we are quite content to make it a gym day.

Bicycling is one sport that wasn’t a fly by the night adventure for us, but something we both really took to and have grown in our seriousness.  You can tell in the progression my birthday presents:  1997 – Specialized Hybrid;  2008 – Raleigh Road Bike; 2012 – Specialized Amira Elite Road Bike.  It’s no surprise that in 2007, his birthday present was a Felt Road Bike.  My own bike envy took over so that a year later, I was in new wheels.  It’s also no surprise that he now has bike envy!  I wonder what a future present holds for him?!

I had the first inspiration to do triathlons.  Like me, Mike couldn’t swim seriously.  I think it’s safe to say that if I hadn’t learned, we probably wouldn’t be doing triathlons today.  Once Mike saw I could do it, he decided to give swimming a try so he could give it a tri.  Now, one of our favorite couple activities is to go out for open water swims together.

All married couples find there way into domestic chore harmony based on their strengths or their least dislikes.  He takes the garbage to the dump and I do the laundry.  Deviations to that routine have resulted in a smelly car and shrunken blouses.  And, for everything else there is outsourcing!  I’ve always enjoyed getting out and helping my husband with the lawn, but cleaning toilets I’ll leave to house cleaner! 

Mike is the household bike mechanic

In the world of triathlons, it’s no different.  Mike is our household bike mechanic based on his high school days working in a bike shop.  He insures our tires are pumped up, that computers are properly installed and working, and switches my pedals as I need to.  About once a month, there is some new box that magically appears at our doorstop from Bike Nashbar.  I insure that our wetsuits are clean and properly stored and magically I pull out extra goggles, swim caps and ear plugs when they are most needed.

Mike is out for a ride around the national forest trail as I write this.  I have of course told him that my injury should not stop both of us.  The vow of “in sickness and in health” for us means we encourage each other to follow a healthy lifestyle.  And my injury just means “you go ride and run for the both of us!”

Wahoo – The Olympics are Here!

The 2012 US Olympic Triathletes

The Olympics came at the perfect time.  Being sidelined with my knee injury coupled with a rainy weekend last weekend when I had mostly outdoor activities planned for my visiting parents, we tuned into the Olympics.  While I’ve always loved the winter Olympics, I didn’t always find as much enjoyment in the summer Olympics – typically just tuning it in for the gymnastics.  Since falling in love with swimming, cycling and running competitively, I’m viewing this 30th Olympics through a whole new lens.  Here’s what I’ve been following during the first week:

Cycling – Both the mens’ and womens’ Road Races had thrilling conclusions.  It’s hard to believe after 5h45 for the men and 3h35 for the women that it can still come down to a photo finish.

Swimming – Of course, it’s hard to resist the Phelps medal mania and the showdowns with Lochte, but for the first year, I was really interested in analyzing their stroke and off the wall techniques.  And the women having been rocking too!

Gymnastics – We all have stories of a sports star who inspired us at a young age.  For me, it was Nadia Comaneci and her graceful and perfect 10s in 1976.  Soon after, I begged my Mom to enroll me in gymnastics.  I never got very good at it but I loved it and am still inspired seeing them dance, jump, flip, and spin.

Beach Volleyball – My friend Tim posted on Facebook, “Is this inappropriate?  I love beach volleyball at the Olympics.”  Of course the snarky comments ensued, including from his wife, and Tim went on to say, “Good sport, great atmosphere and amazing venue”.  I have to agree on all that, plus I just find the 2 person volleyball more exciting in its technique and action than team volleyball.



Gwen Jorgensen is both a professional tax accountant and triathlete



Triathlon – Given the races’ early Eastern times, we had to watch via video replay.  Mike and I huddled around a computer at our local coffee shop and tried not to have too many loud outbursts as we cheered on the women triathletes.  We were of course partial to our American athletes, especially Gwen Jorgensen who works for Mike’s firm, Ernst & Young.  The announcers were commenting how amazing the women are in this sport – well educated and many who have serious careers, although of course are taking some time off to pursue their Olympic dreams.

The Olympics are a gift to the world and to humankind.  The athletes prove to us time and time again that just when we thought that humans have achieved their potential that we can still get better.  A world record is a just a tease for the next person to break it.  There is a story behind every athlete – how they got there, what drives them, how they overcame barriers.  You don’t have to be an Olympian or even an athlete to be inspired by them.

Top 10 Vacation To Do’s

This week was supposed to be a strong training week of swimming, biking and running on Martha’s Vineyard in preparation for my first Olympic Distance race in September.  Given the injury, I must now change course.  So here’s what planned:

1.       Swimming – Since this needs to be my primary form of exercise for the next month or so, I’ll be swimming most days.   And, Martha’s Vineyard is the perfect place for open water practice as I have a great swimming beach a mile from my house.  My swim coach Matt thinks I should be able to swim every day – that said, I’ll be listening to my body to make sure I don’t overdo it.

2.       Writing (hopefully Inspiring) – I’ve made a goal of a blog a day for the next week….whether readers are interested in what I have to say or not!  It will force me to look for inspiration and be creative.

3.       Reading – I went to the library yesterday and stocked up on books about running, cycling, and swimming techniques.

4.       Cheering – I told Mike that my injury is no excuse – we made a goal at the beginning of the summer to do as many 5Ks on the Island as we could so it’s up to him to keep it up.

5.       Entertaining – We’re looking forward to having friends join us next weekend.  Not being able to do our typical cycling routines with them is forcing us to think creatively of new activities.

6.       Kayaking – I’ve always wanted to explore some of our great ponds here and it seems like the perfect upper body, doctor approved exercise.

7.       Researching – What to do about my knee injury.

8.       Searching – For new athletic events and goals this fall into winter.  I won’t know what I can do for another month but just looking at the options gets me excited.

9.       Recruiting – A relay team to join me for the Martha’s Vineyard Triathlon.  With all this swimming, I’ll be ready to tackle the mile long ocean swim – I just need some able bodied legs for the other portions.

10.   Watching – Olympians strive to reach their potential.  It doesn’t get any more inspiring than that!

I’ll have what she’s having (a left knee MRI)

You would think Barb and I are twins feeling each other’s body pains.  I’ll let her tell her left knee woe story but here’s mine.  Two weeks ago after giving my body 5 days of rest other than some recovery swimming after the Montauk triathlon, I set out for a run with Mike.  Since we were on flat surface, the weather was comfortable and I knew I needed to start picking up distance for my first Olympic distance triathlon in September, I encouraged him to join me for a longer run.  After having done the 10K a month ago, I figured I could handle a 6 – 6.5 mile run.  Mid-way through my knees starting not feeling great.  Three quarters of the way through, I was walking.

Upon returning home, going up and down stairs was painful so I knew I needed to take it easy.  I swam the next day, and the day after I thought I was starting to feel better and reasoned I could still bicycle.  While the ride started out fine, 3 miles into the ride I felt a pain in my left knee as I started on a very small incline.  I turned around for home and told Mike to go on.  Once I got home, I could see the inner side of my knee was swollen so I iced it.

As I hobbled around work the next day, my triathlete friend, Diane, advised me to see a sports medicine doctor sooner rather than later since she herself had waited too long to treat an injury and was finding relief in physical therapy.  I started researching doctors in my insurance network and by Friday, since I was still experiencing pain and vacation was a week away, I made the appointment for Monday.  The doctor sent me for an x-ray and MRI.

“Oh, that’s not good,” said Barb’s husband and physical therapist upon seeing the results of my MRI.  A story of a patient with a similar problem and surgery involving drilling holes into your knee bone ensued.  But “DON’T PANIC”, said Barb’s email....Hmmm…..

So back to the doctor on Thursday.  He explained in plain English what I had been trying to understand through my google searches – a piece of cartilage had broken off in my knee and cartilage is what helps keep your bones from having friction when your joints move.  He had me put my finger into his knee joint model as he bent the knee as a demonstration of the pressure that is typically put on the cartilage as it flexes.  He said while there are surgical options to fill in cartilage, he wouldn’t recommend it at this time - mine is fortunately very small and it's possible I've had it for a long time.  The real diagnosis was more simply, "runners knee" -- the doctor said I had been running too much.  He has recommended I avoid exercise that puts pressure on the knee joint while we give it 4-6 weeks to see if it will heal. 

So that means no running or serious cycling for at least the next month.  I may be able to handle some light, flat riding but certainly not the kind of training I would need to train over the next month for my first Olympic race.  Yes, sadly, I won’t be doing my first Olympic race on Martha’s Vineyard as I had hoped.  I can swim to heart’s my content so in that regard I’m reminded of the benefits of living the multi-sport life style.

As Barb told me, if you are going to be an athlete, you have to expect injuries.  We all try our best to avoid them and to find that happy balance of pushing ourselves to reach our next goal and yet not overdo it.  Inevitably, most of us aren’t immune to injury.