I've Missed You, Food

Hmm...I'm awake. It's Tuesday night around 2:30 AM. And I have a sharp pain in my stomach. Let's roll over and...oh...no, let's just lay still. Or as still as I can when my whole body is shivering and my teeth are chattering. Under 3 layers of blankets.

This...is not good.

Two weeks ago was my scheduled rest week. And rest I did, with a vengeance. Due to VIP Photo Booths' engagement with the Columbus Crew, we had a super busy schedule in the evenings, and my day job wasn't any lighter. I got in what I could, but a few workouts fell by the wayside. No problem, though. That's what rest weeks are for, and a couple missed recovery spins wouldn't kill me.

But then came Tuesday night. That afternoon, I had already nixed a ride because of the recurring knee pain I'd been having. I'd later get to the doctor and be diagnosed with Patellofemoral Syndrome, which I had in college. The verdict? Ice, physical therapy, and raise my bike seat (love having a triathlete as a doctor). But no break in training! That was good news indeed. I'll still have some pain to deal with, but them's the breaks.

Now, my stomach was in rebellion as well. Tuesday became Wednesday. Wednesday turned to Thursday, and then Friday. No solid food to speak of, and not a chance in the world of training. Did I say "one" rest week? Let's make that "two". Sigh. My mental state was really not good. I have a race coming up! It's really kind of long! And I felt completely beat down and unready.

Friday night, the tide finally began to turn, and on Saturday I had an appetite again. I did a 40 minute test ride, and survived, albeit with a light head when I got done. I'll chalk that one up to lack of nourishment and a headwind.

Sunday was the time to really see where I stood. It was back to the pool for a "real" workout again. 2500m of fun and drills. I could feel the lack of endurance brought on by two weeks off, but I still wanted to see where I stood, and what I had lost. I made it through the majority of the workout, and had one "hard" 150m left. Time to let it all go and see where the chips fall. I spun around after touching the wall and found the second hand on the pool clock...2:15. Holy cow, that's the same pace as my best 100m! And I found out that PRs in the pool taste surprisingly like a slice of red velvet cake roll a few hours later.

Guess we might still be on track for that pesky race in June after all.