I've got another physical therapy appointment tomorrow morning.  Stupid me, though, I scheduled it during the Tour de France team time trial.  They didn't even have a TTT last year.  Grrrrrr.  This is an exciting enough of a stage where I might have to go find a sports bar somewhere and commandeer a TV and have them put on the VS network.  But I digress.

I've been doing my core exercises every other day and I think I can tell the difference a little at least.  They're easier now than they were two weeks ago.  I am also working out regularly again.  Though I'm not at the intensity nor duration that I would ideally like to be at, simply training again feels pretty good.  My bike rides are up to 45 minutes now and my ride tonight and a couple days ago were at a higher intensity than they've been in quite a while.  I know I'm not where I was this time last year, though.  During my ride tonight, I climbed a short hill and I definitely don't have the climbing legs I usually have by this time in the summer.  I miss the Gears, Tears, and Fears ride.  Maybe in a few weeks I'll be back to multiple-hour long rides.

While Sarah and I were up north last weekend, I went for a short swim with Lindsey.  I gave her a few pointers on the start of the race and exiting the water.  Then we talked about transition set up as well.  Though I am no expert, by any means, I do enjoy sharing what I do know.  I am really excited to be doing a race with her this weekend.  I will have to share sweaty post-race pictures with the two of us.  I hope she gets hooked like I am.  We talked too, about trying to convince Matt and Molly to do a race with us some time too.  That would be a heckuva lot of fun.  I don't think that would take too much convincing.  If nothing else, maybe Molly would do Burrito Union with Lindsey and I next year.

Ah, that was a good post-ride beer.  Thank you Sierra Nevada.

Simple pleasure - climbing hills
Peace

I went in for physical therapy again this morning.  The guy I saw recommended a couple minor bike fit adjustments.  Aside from core strength (which I will talk about in a moment) one problem he saw with my bike is that one of the shifter/brakes is a little higher on the handlebars than the other causing one shoulder to be higher than the other and twisting my back slightly.  Though that in and of itself may not be enough to account for my back pain, that combined with very little winter riding then suddenly a lot of riding in the spring as well as a relatively weak core together probably did it.

This means there are some solutions.

1.  Adjust the placement of my brakes
2.  Don't neglect riding the trainer this coming winter (assuming I have any energy at all)
3.  Start some core-strengthening exercises.

I know my core isn't very strong.  I've never liked working on strength.  That goes back to high school where the weight room was dominated by football players.  Without rehashing high school politics (and nobody wants to hear that), we'll just say that I just couldn't stand the weight room so I avoided it at all costs.  That distaste for lifting and being in weight room carried over to college and beyond.  Now I know that core fitness is an important part of training for triathlon and that there are plenty of ways to go about taking care of my core fitness... but since I've never really stuck to any designed plan I've pretty much ignored strength exercises.

Now I'm paying for it.  So I've got a slate of exercises I need to do here at home.  If I want to get back out there and pound away on the bike, I need to take care of my core.  The physical therapist said I could start going on short rides (short is better than none, I guess), so that is good, but I need to be good about these exercises.  Hopefully this will get me back on the road to training regularly again.  That would sure be nice.

Simple pleasure - the wonders of air conditioning
Peace

I got home after work today not knowing what to make for dinner.  Tabbouleh was definitely on the menu because we have a bunch of fresh parsley that needed to be used, but I wanted something else as well.  Then I decided to make pico de gallo since we also had some cilantro that needed to be used too.  I went to the Co-op (I love you, Mississippi Market), and spent most of my time in the produce section (I love you produce).  Tomorrow I will make vegetable pasties (I love you food that comes from our mining history), but first things first.

My recipe for pico de gallo
~6 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 halapenos, minced
1/2 can black beans, rinsed
1/2 can corn, rinsed
a whole bunch of finely chopped cilantro
~2  tablespoons of lemon juice
a few teaspoons of salt to taste
~1 teaspoon of Lizano Salsa
~1 tablespoon dry oregano
~1 teaspoon cumin

Mix it all up real good.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Try not to eat too much all at once.  I'd be willing to bet that this will taste better after a night in the refridgerator.  Yum!

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I made an appointment to see a doctor tomorrow about my continually sore back.  It's a little worse today than it was the last couple days.  It's not as bad as it was a few weeks ago when I was hobbling around and almost forced to lay down, but it is keeping me from bending and moving naturally.  I think I am so tight that my posture is a little funny too.  It's been enough of a bother that I really havn't trained regularly in about a month.  Though my race schedule isn't super demanding this summer, I was intending on seriously competing in my races.  Not training is bad news.  So no, I am not incapacitated by this nagging soreness, but it is enough of a concern that I am ready to see a doctor.

I'm not sure what he'll tell me tomorrow, but I need something.  Maybe all I need is a core-strengthening program to follow.  Maybe there is more to it than that, but I need something.  Not training has really gotten frustrating.  5 days to my first oly of the season and though I know I'll be able to finish, I'm not happy with my overall fitness right now.

Simple pleasure - throwing a dish together without any guidance and having it turn out really well
Peace

At the rate that I've been injuring myself these past few days, it wouldn't be long before I started dropping limbs.

My lower back has been really sore for a few weeks, and has gotten to the point where even walking and stairs have been painful these last couple days.
Out of nowhere yesterday, my neck started feeling a bit wonky.
I burned my hand while pulling pizza out of the oven.
I've repeatedly chomped my lip - hard enough the first time for a crunching sound.
I bashed my elbow on the futon.

Sarah is starting to wonder if I am going to survive the week.  Aussie Rules is on TV right now and when I said "ouch" to a collision between a couple of the ruckmen, Sarah looked over and wondered what I had done to myself this time.

Where's the heating pad?

Simple pleasure - a belly full of pizza
Peace

Only a couple weeks ago I was concerned that I may have to give up running... and therefore give up triathlon.  Well, I've had my orthotics for about a week and a half now and have done four short runs.  I haven't done anything significantly longer than three miles, but it is a start.  Tonight, I tested myself a little bit and decided to push my pace. 

3 miles
21:30

That's 7:10 miles!  I've not run that fast since the middle of last summer.  Time aside, I now have confidence again.  Next step is to push the distance.  My first race only has a 5k run, but later races will be farther.  Time to build up the running stamina again.

I needed this run pretty bad and couldn't be happier with how it went.

Simple pleasure - reading All Things Bright and Beautiful with Sarah
Peace

I've had foot pain while running recently. I haven't been able to go more than about a mile before I start feeling the pain. I could keep running, but if I do the pain gets worse and I wind up hobbling about for a few days. So I haven't been running regularly in quite a while since this started up shortly after I started running this winter.

I went to a podiatrist this afternoon. He pushed, pulled, twisted, and prodded my feet before sending me in for x-rays. Upon examining the x-rays, the doctor says to me, "There's good news and there's bad news." He goes on to say that he doesn't see any major problems that should keep me from running but that he also didn't know just what was causing my pain. Prescription: shoe inserts.

Even though running has become my least-liked leg, I am starting to get pretty bored riding the trainer in the basement. I want to get outside, but it looks like I won't even be able to try to run again for at the very least a week assuming the inserts help.

Not happy. *sigh* Just when I actually want to go out on a run, I cant. Time for some aqua-jogging perhaps.

I am not happy.  I went to Lake Calhoun to meet up with a few guys from beginnertriathlete.com for an easy run.  Halfway around the lake I had to bail on them 'cause my foot started to hurt again.  Damn.  I was having fun talking with them, but more than that I am just getting really frustrated that I can't seem to do any running at all.  This can not continue.  I have races to train for.

I guess it's time to find a doctor to look at my foot.

At least Isles Buns was open and Sarah and I are now both eating really good cinnamon rolls... not that I need to eat one, but they're darn good.

Simple pleasure - meeting other triathletes
Peace

I tried to go out for my first run since my foot started hurting.  I got about four and a half minutes out before I started just feeling the pain again so I stopped and walked back home.  I guess I'll take a shower and go to the grocery store.  I really hope this doesn't turn into a real problem requiring a visit to the doctor.

Simple pleasure - Women Folk on KFAI
Peace

I'm not happy right now.  I was feeling very good on my run, but about a mile into it I started feeling the same foot pain that I felt that resulted in my hobbling around for a while last fall.  One mile further and I had to stop running.  It is a dull pain in the top middle of the foot down to the outside.  It's my metatarsels or something like that.  Walking around hurts enough that I just don't want to do it.  It'll be cold enough in the next few days where I won't want to go running, so I'll be taking a break, but I really hope this isn't an indication of something that will require some kind of medical attention.

So it's swimming and riding for a few days I guess.  Grrr.

Skis were waxed, it was time for Sarah and I to get out and go skiing.  I don't know when Sarah last went skiing, but it's been about six years for me.  The winter after I graduated college, I had a job so I had money and I bought a very nice air of skate skis.  I also had a vehicle and I was living in Duluth.  The only thing I didn't have that year as far as skiing goes was snow.  I went out once that year.  I had a heck of a time staying upright.  Since then I have either had no snow, no wheels, or no time.

Well tonight, Sarah and I went skiing.  It was dark at Como Park, and we had no idea where the trials went, but we set out anyway.  We wound up splitting up, and each skied for about a half hour.  Neither of us landed on our butt, but it wasn't exactly a graceful affair either.  I was happy to find that there were a few times that I got into a good rhythm and moved along at a pretty good pace.  I also found that that cross country skiing stuff is hard work.  It felt great, but dang I got tired quickly.  Further I am discovering that the same sore back I got from when I was speed skating in a tuck.  Ouch.

Verdict - I'm can't wait to go skiing again!

Simple pleasure - watching a show about that awesome crazy radical, Ralph Nader
Peace