News from the battlefield...

Here I thought I'd be up and running, working a full day's work and keeping up with the blog, and training my little heart out... Well, there have been a few small changes.

I went to the Doctor's on Tuesday and found out that the little fracture is still a little fracture, so the cast cannot come off just yet. That is okay, given my previous expectation that I would be sidelined with this until the 17th... However, I was a little curious before I heard the results and proceeded to take the cast off. Well, I got almost to the full "unveiling" when I started to try to move my thumb. And then, as if I had just been poked with a cattle prod, a shot of pain went right from my thumb and up my arm. It was absolute agony... And I couldn't stop it and all, so I immediately did whatever I could to secure the cast in place and immobilize my thumb. I wrapped a tensor bandage around the cast and just tried to make it as comfortable as possible. The radiating pain began, slowly, to subside, and come back to normal, but stuck with me for the remainder of the afternoon... I popped a T-3 to help me function.
That was Tuesday afternoon. I have felt a dulling pain ever since then. I am told by a few that I essentially was trying to move a thumb that has two issues: 1) it hasn't moved at all in 4 weeks and 2) it has two skewer-like wires in it that are designed to immobilize it. I was, in essence, using the bone of my thumb to pull on the wires, and that was sending my nerves into an absolute terror.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo.... No more of that! After hearing that I would probably have to wait until the 17th AND this aformentioned pain, I have decided it is in my best interests to shut down the majority of my "impact training" (i.e. running and outdoor cycling) until the wires are removed (again, hopefully on the 17th). What does this leave me with? Physio ball, stretch cords and indoor cycling... Yup, that's it...

Last week, this would have been more of a concern. I felt as though I still needed to get some high volume training in. But, as we get closer to the race, I am more concerned with GETTING to the race than anything else, and I am going to play it very safe from this point on. Since we are tapering anyway, I am going to do whatever I can to make sure I get at least a 45 minute ride in on the trainer every day and do some core work. I can handle the extra rest...

I am taking control of my training program right now, as I need to listen to how my arm responds. I think a week of little-no impact on my thumb may help it heal just a bit more steadily.

We're starting to cut things a little close, though... I have a 6-day window from the time I see the Doctor until I leave for Ironman, so if it isn't fixed enough by next Thursday, then I will have to re-evaluate everything. And that is not a scenario that I want to deal with...

I never imagined, when I started this story and journey, that I'd be writing about the possibility of not starting the race. I knew I'd have some tests and challenges to overcome, but I never presumed I'd be questioning the very thought of actually being able to compete...

All I know is how much more the start line means to me now than it did a year ago...