Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Journey to Kona Day 63: Reality

I saw my chiropractor today.  He said that I'd sprained my 8th rib on the left side of my chest.  He also said that it would take 6-8 weeks to fully heal. I'm doing Ironman boulder in 8 weeks and Kona in 26 weeks.  Hmm, what matters the most here?  The answer to that question is pretty easy, taking the long view.  From the perspective of "the moment," my shorter journey to Boulder has been something that I'm really looking forward to.  So, it kind of sucks.  It doesn't mean that I can't do Boulder, it just means that I have to set more rational expectations of what I can do there.  And, I can also hope.  Hope that my body recovers faster than my chiropractor said.  Hope that I can manage to put in more training despite some discomfort.  Hope that I don't mess anything up by pushing too hard too soon.

And so reality confronts me.  I've never been one to pay much attention to reality.  But this reality gives me a constant reminder in the form of pain.  Moreover, it's pain associated with breathing.  That truly does suck.  At the same time, as I always say, maybe my body's trying to tell me something.  I'm not sure what, other than the fact that maybe I should stay away from trail running when I have an important event on the horizon.  I guess I just made my decision about doing the Bulldog 25K in August, which has been one of my favorite trail races.  But, it's just 7 weeks from Kona, so that won't do.

As always, I'll play things by ear.  Each day can be a little better than the one before, and I can adjust my goals and my training accordingly.  There are other things to focus on, although unpacking and moving boxes around our new house also don't fit into my rib rehabilitation. I can write, and I can read.  I know that my daughter won't mind watching some television shows with me.  And I have to be a little careful around my rambunctious grandson.  Then again, what would life be like without reality?

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