Update on Training and Momma

The biking was officially eliminated to the barest minimum to allow more time for helping momma. That's the training that takes the most time and gives the most time to tend to parental needs. Running will continue -- even long runs take no longer than 2 hrs so I'll keep up the running and kayaking after work.

Mother: Two emergency room visits diagnosed her with an inflamed sacroiliac. They took an x-ray, gave her pain meds and oral steroids, told her to see her orthopedic doctor and sent her home. The orthropedic doctor told her yesterday, "You have a serious problem. I'm surprised the emergency room didn't admit you the last time you were there to conduct further tests." She's going for an MRI and the Orth doc actually wanted to admit her to the hospital, or get her doped up and sit at home. She opted to get doped up and sit at home because she paid $60 bucks to see CATS on Sunday and refuses to miss it. He thinks she has a fractured hip. He asked her if she was ever diagnosed with osteoporosis or smoked. No to the Osteo and yes to smoking. After a little research this morning, its common for hip fractures/vertebrae fractures even without falling for people with osteoporosis. Smoking doesn't help the deteriorating bone. More to come when I hear the results of the MRI and next Doc visit. In the meantime, its running in the early am, walking at lunch when its cool, kayaking after work, and helping the old gal with cooking/cleaning/washing clothes/etc. Poor thing. I will NEVER stop exercising or eating healthy foods. BTW, cycling and swimming and not good weight-bearing exercises to help prevent osteoporsis. Walking, jogging, running, jumping and weightlifing (free weights only) are the recommended exercises. And get your calcium! And don't smoke.

Training At a Standstill

My dear mother is having health issues again so the training is sort of at a stand still. Only got an 8.5 mile run and a 34 mile road ride in this weekend along with a short paddle on Sunday. The last half of the bike ride was with the seat post in the lowest position -- the clamp broke when I tried to raise the seat. Needless to say, it wasn't a good weekend for training. And momma? She ended up in the emergency room on Thursday from severe pain from an inflamed sacroiliac. X-rays revealed an arthritic back with the sacroiliac issues. She has an appointment with an orthopedic doctor on Thursday so hopefully they'll help her out and give some pain relief beyond the pain meds she currently taking that just ain't doing the trick. It hurts her so much she's really not doing much at home -- no cooking/cleaning/keeping things in order. So Chili to the rescue. I love my aging parents. With momma at 73 and papa at almost-80, I have a sneaky feeling I'll be spending more time with them over the next couple years. In the meantime, I'm not sure if I'll be able to continue the long hours training for the Rattling Double -- I'll have to take it day by day. My current training schedule will be good for the Cap City Challenge in September and short adventure tris; but I can't commit to anything long right now. ARGH!

Rattling Weekend Training Recap #2

Plans are made to go awry, right? Last week and this weekend were incredibly out-of-whack to the normal routine; thus, the training was screwed up too. The 9-mile trail run turned into an out-and-back 8.8 (I think) on mostly flat road with a walking climb to the top of a mountain in Marysville while Rick paddled in the Narrows. The 18 mile mountain bike turned into a 28 mile hilly road/fire road cyclocross bike ride with a dirt-road mountain climb. I guess that's ok. I'm so anal and think it just had to be on the trails in Weiser to be ready for the Rattling Double header, but that just couldn't happen with relatives in from Florida and other things going on. So I had to squeeze the training in at places it would fit. This weekend should be back on track, so I plan to be in Weiser State Forest bright and early Saturday morning for a 10-mile trail run. If the trails are dry, I think I'll do the mountain bike immediately after the run. Rick will be kayaking all day, so the day is mine. Sunday is a day of playing in the new play boat. It's SOOO fun.

Holy Wave Hopping - An All Out Playboat

Yup... it's all mine. The Jackson 2010 Allstar - an all out whitewater playboat. It could flip, spin, cartwheel, stall and squirt if I figure out how to master those tricks. Will I? I dunno. Maybe. For now, I'm happy trying surfing waves and eventually side surfing. Oh, and yes I gotta be better at rolling. Acutally, it was the roll that sold me on the boat. I took it out for a spin and when we were done, I said to Rick "let me see if I can roll" (I haven't rolled since this winter in roll sessions in a heated pool). Tuck, under, snap and up. Nary a problem with the roll. Rick said, "that's it.. let's go." And off we went to pay for our new boat. I think he's happier than me. You see, I've been looking for a new smaller boat for quite some time but they are all pretty painfully small. Every one I sat in hurt my knees because your legs and feet are sort of wedge under thigh braces. And when I sat in this one, there was no pain. Thus, I was sold. Here are some pictures from today in the Narrows.

Rattling Weekend Training Recap#1

If you read the sidebar, you'll see I have my weekend training laid out to prep for the Rattling Double -- 25K trail run on August 21 and 25Mile mountain bike on August 22. The plan is to trail run on Saturday and mountain bike on Sunday just like race weekend will unfold. Yesterday was 8.2 miles in Weiser starting from the snowmobile parking lot where the race will begin. Ouch. Climbing Ironmine Trail hurts on bike AND foot (it's an 800 ascend in 2 miles from the get go). Today, I mountain biked from home on ATV trails near my house. I was loving the ATVs today... they put in some sweet trail. There's an ATV club near my house that rides in Bear Valley -- Rausch Creek Trail riders. My ride ended up being 20 miles total with climbing and lots of trail riding with a good bit of baby heads and loose, gravely stuff to maneuver through. Only about 7 miles was hardtop road used for access to the trail. And how do I feel? Well...this morning was torture getting the joints and muscles moving from yesterday's run, but once they remembered its ok to move, life was good. The ride went well -- no pain. I think maybe I'll be able to pull this double thing off. But stay tuned!

Re-energizing Info - Rattling Weekend - Running the RCST Trails

Registration for the Rattling 50 (50 mile mountain bike marathon on trails near my home) came early this year with a discount and I signed up in January. About a month later I starting training for some running events and wasn't riding bike much. My arse has seen more time in the saddle the past few weeks and I think I'd be ready, but to be honest, I miss running! The run hours were cut back dramatically in prep for the Rattling 50 on August 22. Low and behold, my prayers were answered... the Rattling 50 promoter is offering a 1/2 marathon - 25 miles AND a 25K run the day before. I am all over that - a double! 25K run and a 25M bike ride two days in a row. Nice. I don't have to ride bike for hours on end to prepare 'cause I could do a 25-miler today. And now I can add the run miles back in the training mix since there's less saddle time. There's plenty of time to ramp up the miles each week, building to the 15 miles by August 21. The run is a tad over 15 miles on Saturday, then the mountain bike is 25 miles on Sunday, both on the Rattling Creek trails. What a perfect combo. Both include the monstrous climbs to start the race -- Ironmine trail. If you go to the registration, Kuhn will be updating the start location on the Marathon. He lists the girl scout camp, but it's now the Snowmobile parking lot. I have a sneaky suspicion he changed the course too and plans to do two loops of the 25ish mile singletrack loop for the full 50 which is actually a good idea. My original course of the Rattling 50 included a bunch of fireroad/snowmobile trail. Running the Rattling Creek trails is oh-so-nice if you're into trail running. It's typical off-road terrain with lots of rocks, roots, and tight trails. As far as I know, there's never been an organized trail run on the Rattling Creek Trail network. This will be a first.