Can't See But At Least No pain!

What a difference a year makes!

Even if it was crazy weekend of hosting a high school track & field meet (20 schools/780 athletes) and my teams competing at Bucknell University over two days, I  will take the insanity of this weekend over what I was putting up with last year. This weekend last year, I had the 2nd operation on my right eye in 3 weeks to try and correct a retinal occlusion that for lack of better diagnosis turned into an Acute Angle Glaucoma. The condition cause the pressure to rise to over 3 times the normal eye pressure. It was so painful that I actually agreed for the doctors to remove the eye before we decided on another procedure that has kept me pain free for a year now. The procedure has done nothing to help the vision (basically blind in that eye) but I will take being pain free. Now, my team likes to poke humor at me and stand on my right side where they know I can't see them and they try to see how long they can stand there until I realize it.Trust me....I think it is pretty funny when they do that!

Other than the month off from swimming after the 2nd surgery, I have been lucky that the issue has never been a hindrance on my training. It has been more of a motivator as I returned to triathlons and set my goal to qualify for Kona in 2013! I know it may be so cliche to say but something like this does make you appreciate things and take advantage of every opportunity you have. At the same time, it has made my teams wonder if I am human.We joke about how in the past 3 years I have been through skin cancer, the eye surgeries and hit by a car coming down a hill about 25-30 miles (and not break a bone), so they wonder what it will take to keep me down.......Hmmmmmm?? 

New Training Totals:
Week
Bike - 5 rides/ 170 miles/ 7.96 hours/ 21.4 mph
Run - 3 runs/ 21.5 miles/ 2.61 hours/ 7:17 per mile
Swim - 3 swims/ 2.75 miles/ 1.35 hours
Total - 11 workouts/ 194.25 miles/ 11.92 hours

2013
Bike - 83 rides/ 2517 miles/ 113.19 hours/ 22.2 mph
Run - 48 runs/ 264.25 miles/ 32.31 hours/ 7:20 per mile
Swim - 49 swims/ 47 miles/ 22.9 hours
Total - 180 workouts/ 2828.25 miles/ 168.4 hours

Goals This Week
Bike - 5 rides/ 160-175 miles
Run - 3-4 runs/ 22-26 miles
Swim - 3-4 swims/ 3 miles

People will often ask what am I on to complete my training? 

 

What am I am on? 

 

I am on my bike 7-8 hours a week, in the pool 1.5-2 hours a week and on the roads running 2-3 hours a week......and of course caffeine,moose tracks and beer for recovery! (Oh yeah, can't forget the eye drops 2x's a day)

 

That's what I am on!

Kona 2013