Karma is a Bitch

I think a few of you may be with me on this one, so be warned...Mary, I'm talking to you.

I decided to run my long run (11miles) this morning in the rain. I did this not out of some sort of heightened desire to punish myself...I think training for the Ironman will be sufficient on that account. I did this because in Dover, DE in 2009, it is either raining or snowing. The rain was my window of good weather. Nevertheless, I was spurned on by the fact that a Runner's World article this month told me that I would feel 50 percent more hard-core if I ran in the rain than I would running that same course in the sunshine. I will get back to that later.

The 50-degree temperatures combined with the rain helped to melt some of the mountainous plow piles of snow overnight, thus opening up more road for me so that I could run without getting in the way of the drivers for whom that road is intended. I know my place. Typically, I run on the sidewalk when it is available, but it was part of the not-melted path this morning. On the up side, there was not a lot of traffic, and I was able to stay out of the white stuff (which has now become brownish-gray stuff) for the most part. There were a few large puddles, which is to be expected, and it was raining steadily, so keeping my feet or any other part of me dry was a lost cause from the beginning.

People have done a lot of stupid things to me while running over the years. There was the old, possibly homeless man in Saint Louis who used to spit at me while I ran down Lindell, near the Schnuck's. There have been too many people to count who honk or wave or yell something relatively profane. I will never understand the purpose of this as I have almost never asked any of them to stop their vehicles so I can comply with their requests. Nevertheless, this morning, the harassing behavior was taken to a new level. A large pickup truck (dark blue Chevy...The Heartbeat of America, if I'm not mistaken), swerved out of his perfectly good and open lane into a large, cold, dirty puddle in the adjacent lane just in time to wash a large amount of water over me a la Bridget Jones in one of those movies...except that I was not wearing a dress. Like I said, I was already wet, so I was not bothered by the water. I wasn't really bothered at all because I have no right to be bothered.

I have seen this happen to other unsuspecting people, and I have laughed. I have laughed a good, hearty laugh, and I have not thought twice about it because it is funny. I have never done that to anybody, nor would I...just want to make that clear. I have laughed in the same way that I have laughed when I have witnessed a person fall in the middle of an open area with nothing over which to trip because that is funny too. I have also fallen in that manner (Molly, I think you were there in Parkland that day...also, thanks for following! I like that I can give shout-outs to my followers!), and I know that people have laughed good, healthy laughs at me. Today, the wet chickens came home to roost, and all I can hope is that the Chevy driver and his passengers got a seriously good laugh at my expense and that a few other witnesses' days were brightened as well.

Happy Boxing Day to all and to all a happy Kwanzaa!

112 Miles, No Quads

A frustrating Monday of having to actually go to work was capped-off by a drive home filled with people in giant trucks with big exhausts driving like idiots. By "idiots" I mean people with less-than-average intelligence driving toys that overcompensate for other things that are lacking in their lives spinning their giant tires in a KFC parking lot. This is neither here nor there, but I had to vent. It is my blog (with one follower! Thanks Murph!), and I will do what I want. In any case, I need to return to a simpler time, like Saturday afternoon.

After a long morning of shoveling snow, doing Ab Ripper X, and riding my stationary bike in the basement, I settled in to watch the Ford Ironman World Championship 2009. I watch these races with a new appreciation now. I also watch with an eye for details. I look at how the athletes mount fluids on their bikes, how they transition to the bike from the swim, what kind of bikes they ride, and how the bike shoes are already attached to the cleats when they begin the ride. I will take pointers and tips wherever I can get them at this point, but this is not why I watch every year. I watch to see the stories of the age-groupers and the champions.


I watched to hear Rudy Garcia-Tolson and his mother tell his story. I was amazed, as a person and as a PT, that he could ride 112 miles using only his gluts. I was tired after just over an hour in my basement with quads, gluts, hamstrings, and every other muscle in both of my legs. He propelled himself only the with gluts and just missed the bike cutoff. I cried huge tears for him as he is comforted by Ironman volunteers.

Then there is Chrissie Wellington who has won the past 2 years. She seems to have a permanent smile on her face. I think I might have a huge smile on my face if I had the drive and ability to win three Ironman World Championships in a row. There is no doubt that she is working harder than anyone out there, but she makes it look as effortless at 140.6 miles of non-stop activity can look. She is truly amazing.

I like to think about the other 1800-or-so participants and their stories. I love that the course and the standard is the same for every last one of them, from the winners to those who miss the cuts on the swim, bike, or run. I can think of no other professional sport, apart from running, where amateurs compete on exactly the same surface as the best-of-the-best. It would be like your company softball team playing at Busch Stadium (or Fenway Park, if you like that sort of thing). Oh, and maybe you would be playing against Pujols and Ichiro.

Even three days later after a lot of shoveling and two semi-miserable days at work, I am inspired. I also feel honored and blessed beyond words that I have the opportunity to even attempt this feat. I may not make it past the swim cutoff. My legs might fail me on the bike. I have a feeling that if I make it to the run, I will be able to finish, but this may not be true either. Some of the greatest athletes in the world have gotten dehydrated on the bike or cramped up mid-run and not made it to the finish line. I may suffer the same fate. One thing I can guarantee is that I will keep moving toward that finish line until I cross it or they force me off the course.

On a Roll

I have now managed to complete an entry every day for the last three days! This is definitely a new record. As my work and home life continue to be full of holiday insanity, I am taking solace in the fact that my physical/exercise life is squared away.

I know what I will be doing for exercise every day of every week of every month from today until August 29, 2010. That is a plan and a deadline if ever there was one. Yahtzee!

Successful Success!

I have a program! I also have a phone date with Kayleen for tomorrow night! This week is really turning around.

The beginner Ironman training program is 20 weeks long and contains day-by-day workouts involving swimming and/or biking and/or running. This means that I will officially begin the training on April 11, 2010. I love a good deadline! I think the timing is perfect...1 week before Boston, so I will be in primo running shape. At first glance, the swimming is the most daunting which makes sense because I cannot recall the last time I actually completed a lap in a pool. Yesterday, that exact thought had my heart rate and blood pressure spiking. Today, I realize that I have just under 4 months to get in shape for the beginning phase of training! This is totally doable!

Never fear. In about 2 weeks, I will be completely freaking out again after I get in the YMCA pool for the first time, my goggles fill up with water, and I am gasping for air after 25 yards. Of this I am certain. For tonight, however, I will bask in the glow of my mini-success! Tomorrow morning, I will run 5 miles.

Argh...

None of those things I planned for last night actually happened this morning.

Actually, that is a lie. I did walk the dog, and now I am at work waiting for an update to install on my computer.

...and I'm Freaking Out A Tad!

So my 18-week training program for the Boston Marathon begins tomorrow. This is good news! I have a day-by-day program telling me exactly what I need to do. I have a specific mileage or tempo run or Yasso repeat workout every day from now until 4/19/2010. I find comfort in that. I know what I have to do, and I can do it.

Oh, how I wish that were the case for my newest insane endeavor. I have searched the Internet and sent out the beginnings of begging e-mails to those I know who have completed this task to no avail! I have been riding my bike more often (stationary trainer, but it still counts), but I have no real method to my madness. I have been trying to work in transitions to running after those bike rides, and that has actually gone rather well. I know that between now and August, I just need to increase the time and mileage. Simple, right? It would be simple if I just had a program. I don't care if it is the size of a telephone book filled with running/biking/swimming distances. I swear I will do it! I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO! Oh, and I need to start swimming. I do have a bit of a reprieve on that one because I am not joining the YMCA until January when there is no joining fee. Just because I spend what many might see as wasted money on marathons and triathlons does not mean that I am not fiscally conscious when it comes to most aspects of my life.

Deep breath...get a hold of yourself, G$! Work has been busy and help has been less than dependable. The weather has been reminiscent of the good ol' days in Graham, WA which, as I recall, were less than conducive to rational thinking at this time of year. It is the holiday season, and I fear that the shopping/cleaning/baking/happiness requirements therein are beginning to take their toll. What I need to do is regroup, refocus, and get my act together.

Tomorrow, I will wake up early and run my 3 miles and maybe lift a little bit. I will come home, shower, walk the dog, and get ready for work. I will spend whatever extra time I have in the morning doing one more Googling of Ironman training programs. I will send one more e-mail to each of my Ironman veteran contacts. I will also send another e-mail to the triathlon club which I have tried to contact threee times. Then I will go to work. After that, I will call Kayleen on the way home (see, Kayleen? I am making you part of my plan!), eat dinner, and check my e-mail for any responses. I am fully confident that by tomorrow evening, I will have at least the beginnings of a training program for Ironman Louisville 2010. If not, there may be another slightly panicked post on Tuesday.

For tonight, I am going to be proud that I got my Christmas cards completed with only a minor, possible corneal injury I still need stamps...add that to tomorrow's list. For now, I am going to take out my contact lenses, rinse off the glitter, and hit the sack.

This Is Bullshit!

That is what I yelled into the wind yesterday at the end of my 8-mile run when I was literally not making any forward progress. It was awesome.

On the up side, it was at the end of my first unofficial brick workout! I mounted my stationary bike trainer and rode for just over 30 minutes. This is the first real time I had spent on the bike since my little spill, and it was reassuring to know that I had almost no chance of falling off in comfort of my basement. Having said that, I thought it was a nice opportunity to get reacquainted with my Scattante and newly acquainted with my new saddle. I have been watching Ironman reruns on Universal Sports, and I have been trying to take a look at how different people have their water bottles mounted and how they adjust their balance when drinking. This seems rudimentary, but I am a newbie by all counts on the bike, so any information is valuable information. When my 30 minutes were up, I hopped off, ran up the basement steps, changed into my running shorts and shoes, and headed out the door.

This was my first true sense of how a bike-to-run transition might feel. Even with a short ride and run, I figure the more I get used to that sensation, the better. All in all, I felt slightly awkward for the first half mile or so, but then I hit my stride, and rather enjoyed my run...until the 45-55 mph wind gusts were in my face. I am not kidding in the slightest when I say that I was, at points, making no forward progress. It was awesome, but I will just count it as resistance training. I can't really complain though, because after a period of about 10 days, the sun was actually shining. I will take what I can get on the weather front...it will be thirty degrees and raining/snowing in no time.

It's the Holiday Season

It is Thanksgiving Eve in the Senkowski household (DE chapter). The stuffing has been made. The turkey is ready to go in the oven. The potatoes are sitting water waiting to be boiled and mashed. I have gifts ready to be wrapped for some deserving families, and at some point, I will begin shopping for my own. Life is good...better than deserved by most counts, and I am beginning to get into the spirit of the season.

Today after work, I worked out while watching the Ironman World Championship from 2007 because it has been a rough week and I needed a good cry and a lot of perspective. Mission accomplished there. It also got me thinking that maybe everyone else is starting to be in the giving mood, and it would be in my best interest to let everyone know how to give to my charities! Here they are, in no particular order:

Challenged Athletes Foundation: http://www.firstgiving.com/ginasenkowski1
National MS Society, Delaware Chapter: http://www.firstgiving.com/ginasenkowski2
City of Hope:
http://www.firstgiving.com/ginasenkowski3

No donation is too small. I mean that from the bottom of my cold, black heart. I am also going to figure out how to accept cash/check donations if that is the preferred giving method, and I will pass that along as soon as possible.

From this point forward, I swear my posts will have less to do with pandering for money for three very deserving charities and more to do with the insanity of the training and any resulting injuries. No better way to work off the turkey and trimmings than swimming/biking/running until my body gets angry enough to shut down.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!

New Drug = Naproxyn

13 days of rib pain later, and I have found my saving grace...Naproxyn. It is not a miracle drug or a new drug, but I can take a deep breath without that stabbing pain just to the left of my sternum, and so it is my favorite drug for now. I will not go into the slightly old, post-CVA physician who prescribed it or the long wait to see him which nearly made me late to work. Nor will I detail the not-on-time opening of the base pharmacy this morning and how I was nearly late to work because of it as well. All I will say is that when it comes to government-controlled free health care, you get what you pay for...keep that in mind those of you pushing for the public option. You will not be getting next-day appointments with the best physicians money can buy because you won't be paying. You will get passable care from adequate practitioners 4-10 days after you call to schedule the appointment, but that is enough of my soapbox.

To recap the last 13 days, Neil and I finished the Chicago Marathon. Neil finished in an impressive 3:39:57...pretty fantastic for a first marathon. I amended my goal of sub-3:20 and finished in 3:24:57. It was 33 degrees at the start of the race, and I am glad that I didn't talk myself out of the long-sleeved-shirt and vest. 5 days and one massage later, my legs are not sore, and I am looking forward to my next training challenge. Now that Chicago is over, I turn my focus to the Ironman which is terrifying yet thrilling. The Ironman World Championships were the day before the marathon, and Chrissie Wellington won her third straight...impressive to put it mildly.

To be honest, I can't wait to get started, but I am apprehensive that I have no formal training plan. I am not worried about being able to follow-through, but I just need it laid out in front of me. I need a list/pie chart/PowerPoint presentation of exactly what I need to do, and I will do it...as soon as I get my bike fixed and find somewhere to swim.

Ouch

I spent part of yesterday and today volunteering at the Delaware MS Society's Bike to the Bay. I was feeling fairly inspired, so I decided to take my bike for a spin this afternoon. I almost did the same yesterday but opted instead for a nap and a beer. Today the weather was just too perfect...low 70s, not a cloud in the sky, and only a light breeze. The Chicago Marathon is in a week, so I didn't go to crazy. There is a nice loop of approximately 3.5 miles near my house which seemed appropriate...just enough to whet my bike appetite. I was feeling good after one lap, so I decided to go for two. All was well when a car pulled/served into the shoulder not too far in front of me, requiring a fairly quick direction change, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I am a relative newbie to biking, and although it is true that you never forget how to ride a bike, I think you do lose a bit of your finesse when you haven't done much riding in a while. I overcorrected and fell resulting in a not-at-all-graceful skid into a concrete barrier. Did I mention that I am a huge fan of helmets, even though they are not required in Delaware? I am. A silver lining in all of this is that the branches and leaves and gravel on the shoulder slowed my pace so that by the time my head hit the barrier, I was barely moving.

As I gave myself a quick once-over, hoping that no one had seen me, a nice woman pulled over to ensure that I was alright. I assured her that it was primarily my ego that had sustained injury, and I tried to gather myself to finish the ride home. My shiny new bike was relatively unscathed except for a 90 degree bend in the left handlebar. Fortunately, the bike was still drivable and brakeable, and I made it home without further incident. The hands/wrists are a bit scraped, and there is a nice bruise/lump on my left shin. I am fairly certain that I have not sustained a major head injury, but I fear I may have cracked or bruised a rib. Running over the next week and in particular next Sunday should be awesome.

All in all, it could have been much worse. A man fell during the MS ride yesterday and broke his jaw while another was hit by a car. A gentleman who stopped at the rest area today had taken a spill which, it appeared, was mainly absorbed by his face. The riders today had to be detoured an extra 2 miles because of police searching for a suspect in a stabbing nearby. I am lucky to be alert and typing and only slightly sore/stiff. Now, I am going to pop a few Advil and watch some football...if only I had been so inclined this afternoon.

In Unrelated News

I love the Saint Louis Cardinals. I am a huge Pujols/Carpenter/Molina fan, although I confess that I like Molina mainly because his first name is Yadier. Having said that, I think baseball is completely ridiculous, and a disturbing new trend is developing wherein teams celebrate every tiny milestone as though it is the World Series.

Don't get me wrong. I am all in favor of embracing the wonderful things that happen in life as it seems that the messages we see most often involve doom and gloom. However, can we put away the cases of champagne until you win a game that actually means something? I do not have a photographic memory by any means, but I cannot recall an NFL team or even an NBA team having an all-out party just for making the playoffs. If ever there was a group of professional athletes with an exaggerated sense of self-importance and diva-esque behavior, it is the NBA, and even they have the self-respect to save the confetti for when they actually achieve something worthy of a t-shirt on QVC.

A few days ago, the Boston Red Sox lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. Later that day, the Texas Rangers lost to someone and, in so doing, clinched Boston's place in the post-season. Certainly, there would be a sense of relief at having backed their way in to the playoffs, but certainly, they would not have a champagne shower-fest, right? Wrong. After waiting around hoping for the Rangers to lose, the 9-games-behind-the-Yankees Sox partied like it was 2007. To their credit, they didn't let the media in to capture the festivities on film because that might make them look silly. Maybe it is a tree-falling-in-the-forest thing, but I think that the coverage of your contrived party does not make you appear like a 5-year-old getting a participation trophy. You look like that whether the cameras are there or not.

Sadly, I think this reflects a disturbing trend in America in general. I am talking about everybody needing to feel important and special all of the time. I don't bust out the streamers every time I see a new patient. Do you know why? Because it is my job...the thing that I get paid to do well. The sad truth is that these grown men who make too much money to play a game that involves more standing and sitting than actual movement apparently need more validation that they are awesome. If the regular season division winners get a gala held in their honor, I think it only appropriate that the 100-game losers get to be stoned as they leave the stadium by season-ticket holders who pay money earned at jobs where if their performance is sub-par they get fired.

Also disturbing is the plastic tarping of the locker rooms and goggles worn as they break into spontaneous and emotionally-driven revelry. GIVE ME A BREAK! If you are going to party like Pacman Jones in a Vegas strip club, just do it Take the protective eye wear off. You aren't weed eating or welding for crying out loud. You are taking a beer/wine bath to celebrate the fact that you still haven't won anything. Put the booze down, finish out the season, and call me when you win a pennant.

If the reality is that MLB is doing its part to sustain the struggling sparkling wine/goggle/plastic sheeting industry, I sincerely apologize and withdraw my criticism.

Four Times One Minus One

The great thing about running is that it gives one time to think. I have been struggling to come up with a good cause for which to swim/bike/run until I realized that the true struggle is trying to narrow the list from thousands to one. As of today mid-run, I have given up on that. I figure that since the Ironman involves three events, I only have to narrow it down to three charities! Yipee!

I have been beyond blessed in my life with health, freedom, family, and friends. I want for nothing (except, perhaps, a Snuggie), and I thank God every day that I have the ability and opportunity to enjoy everything that this world has to offer. I try to make sure that I take advantage of every possibility because I never want to look back and say, "Man, I wish I would have..." These three groups strive to make sure that no one ever has to complete that sentence.

• The first is City of Hope (http://www.cityofhope.org/Pages/default.aspx), an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. City of Hope is an independent research and medical institution working to find treatments and cures for cancer, diabetes, HIV-AIDS, and other life-threatening diseases.
• The second is the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Delaware Chapter (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/DED/index.aspx). There are approximately 1500 people in Delaware living with MS, many of whom are my patients. The MS Society helps to fund research and develop programs to assist those individuals and their families to live more full and rewarding lives.
• The third is the Challenged Athletes Foundation (http://www.challengedathletes.org/) ...thanks for the tip Stacy! CAF raises funds to assist challenged athletes in all 50 states and overseas live active and competitive lives. They help to provide athletic equipment such as prosthetics, handcycles, and racing wheelchairs as well as arranging meetings with a mentor who has overcome a similar injury or ailment.

I think that is a pretty fantastic trio, but what I think is irrelevant. The fact is that these three groups provide much needed services to deserving individuals and communities. Charitable giving is down as a result of the tough economy, and while I cannot offer a free ticket to a Disney park, I hope you will consider giving what you can, even if it is only a dollar or two.

The Greater Good

I have often thought about running a marathon for charity. I have to admit that a part of that was because it would get me into a race that was otherwise closed-out. That makes me sound like a total heel, so I have to point out that there was also the aspect of wanting to run for something more than my own personal satisfaction...to take an individual accomplishment and turn it into something that could benefit several others. See? I am not a colossal jerk...just maybe a tiny jerk.

I always had an excuse not to raise the money. "I just moved, and I don't want to ask people I don't know for money...what with this economy and people falling on hard times...yadda, yadda, yadda..." Truth be told, asking for money for any reason is a slightly uncomfortable situation, whether it be to buy a house or a soda or to save the lives of countless, untold children/animals/rainforests.

Nevertheless, given this new endeavor, I thought it would be a good time to turn over a new leaf as it pertains to my fundraising habits. I will, henceforth, be pandering and begging for money from all of my favorite family members, friends, co-workers, and total strangers. Yahoo! Good decision, if I do say so myself. So please prepare to open your hearts and wallets (had to slip that cliché in...apologies)...charitable cause to be determined.

If there was any question...

So, in addition to signing up for the Louisville Ironman 2010 earlier this week, running 20 miles this morning after being sick and not running all week, this afternoon I am jumping out of an airplane.

Seriously, What Is Wrong With People?

Apparently, others share the view that doing an Ironman is insane. I get it. I really do. Most people think running a marathon is insane, and this is tacking a good bit on to that. What I fail to understand is why said people feel compelled to make horribly inappropriate comments.

When someone asked me why I bought a bike this weekend, I told that someone about my plans to train for an Ironman. An appropriate response would be, "Hmmm, interesting," or "Wow, that's crazy," or even "What the hell are you thinking?" What I got was, "Why don't you just have kids?" I was speechless. I'm still speechless. I searched my brain for the rest of the day, and I still can't think of a response that would have been appropriate. The only thing that comes to mind involves profanity and asking in return why that person doesn't lose 100 pounds so maybe his or her back wouldn't hurt anymore.

Another someone told me I needed to get a hobby. I asked what sort of hobby they thought would be better than the three-in-one hobby I have planned. The suggestions included scrapbooking*, video games, and crocheting.

My favorite was the person who told me I had too much time on my hands. This may very well be true, but the fact of the matter is that I live in the middle of Delaware. There isn't a lot going on most of the time. The line from Wayne's World sums it up pretty well..."Hi. I'm in Delaware." It is lovely and flat, and as it turns out, one of the 10 most bike-friendly states in the country. Short of growing corn or taking up scrapbooking, I think this is a fairly good use of what free time I have.

I am picking up my new bike tomorrow! I will also be buying a nice pair of padded shorts and perhaps a slightly cushier seat...bum still sore.


*I am not anti-scrapbooking. I think other people's scrapbooks are awesome. I have neither the
fine motor skills nor the creativity nor the patience to scrapbook. I have a box, purchased for $6.99 at Target, where I keep my non-digital pictures in no particular order. The box matches my furniture and sits inconspicuously on a shelf in my living room.

Because I Probably Won't Ever Play "Hole in One...or Two!"

I don't remember the first time I saw or heard of the Ironman triathlon. I think it was sometime after college but before I had run my first marathon. I do remember thinking, "I have to do that someday." I should begin by saying that I have said that about numerous things in my thirty years on this planet...going to the Olympics, winning a showcase on The Price is Right, playing professional football (American or European version), and the list could go on.

Nevertheless, every year when NBC airs the 90 minute recap of the Ironman World Championships from Kona, HI, I sit and watch breathlessly. I am amazed by the elite athletes who run a marathon faster after a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike ride than I ever will outright. I am in tears as they show the age-groupers from all over the world cross the finish line. Some of them cross in the heat of the afternoon while others run into the night, finishing just before the midnight cutoff. Some skip or jump across the finish line while others collapse into the arms of volunteers. I am awestruck and inspired just thinking about it.

The breaking point came one week ago. I was watching the 2005 championships on Universal Sports for the fourth time (I guess Comcast is good for something), and it hit me. I don't like to think/talk about doing things. I like to do things. So I went on the Ironman website and picked 2 potential locations (Louisville, KY or Madison, WI) for 2010. August 31 of this year is when I can apply for Louisville, so that is D-day. I am hopeful that 2 weeks from tomorrow I will officially be training for an Ironman.

So why bother with the blog? It is for completely selfish reasons. I think when I am finished, it will be amusing at the very least to look back to today. At present I know a lot about running and almost nothing about biking or swimming. I imagine that I will marvel at my naivete to think that I had any business trying this. Nevertheless, I bought a bike on Saturday so now I have to do it. Nevermind that my bum is still sore over 24 hours later.