Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Flat, Frustrated, Forced

Recap of the last few weeks:
I am alive.
I am still kind of injured a little.
I have not been blogging regularly.
I have been working out.
I have not been happy with how that has been going.

We've gone over the tendon in my leg already. I've been doing as much foam roller-ing as I can and that seems to be helping. Obi-Tri Kenobi suggested drinking some tea after I roll, as rolling released the built up stuff in the tendon and tea, being warm, gets into the blood volume better and quicker, which will then help carry they junk the roller released out of the problem area and into my kidney, where it can be, er, evacuated. So I've been drinking tea, which I never ever do because I hadn't found a tea I like. Tazo Zen green tea, however, isn't bad and is growing on me. I'd still rather a cup of Hawaiian coffee, but this will do. I don't know if the roller/tea combo is what is making me feel better but something is. I still feel tight after a ride, but there isn't pain during activity anymore. Big step.
Ohm
 I haven't been running at all because of the injury. I figured I would give that a few more days yet. Don't want to irritate the healing. The only foam roller issue I'm having is finding a place to do it. The place we are house-sitting/staying at has a dog. I'm allergic to dogs. She sheds all over the place. This makes activities on the floor tricky.
She can't help being so adorable though, can she?
As for swimming...I have been doing it. I have had exactly one workout since the 70.3 that I've been happy with. A lazy 3 x 200 on the 3:00 which turned into a semi-good, "Let's see how many 200s I can do before I'm faded past 3:00," which turned in to a good strong, "I'm going for 10 x 200." But that was it. Since then I haven't put more than 2,000 in, and what I do put in is low energy and crappy feeling. There is no intensity, no motivation. I mean, the North Shore Swim Series races are happening but I don't know if I'm going to be doing those. I don't think the 1.6 Chun's to Waimea this weekend will be. I could do it, even out of shape as I am. But the late registration fee is $50, and paying that much for a race I don't feel like doing is a dumb waste of money.
To motivate a longer ride this weekend I used the Grey. He and I met at Dillingham Airfield and we rode up Pineapple, though the Helemano Base neighborhood, and back down, about 35 miles in all over 2.5 hours. I knew that if I was meeting a friend I would ride. But right now Super Awesome Wife and I are staying at a friend's house in Ewa Beach, and I'm not impressed with the riding options down here. It's flat and residential. Meh.
You're thinking, "Dirtbag, register for a race. That will motivate you." And you are right. But I can't. You see, and I think this is the first time I'm mentioning this in this space, Super Awesome Wife and I are looking to move. I've applied all over Oregon in hopes of grabbing a teaching job. Rent is amazing there, and we could live on one teacher income. Which is good, because Super Awesome Wife wants to be Super Awesome Stay-At-Home Mom come December, and that just ain't happening here in Hawai'i. This unsureness is probably the major factor is all my fitness woes. I have no home, simply a place to stay until I know what will come of this school year. School here starts next week. I am waiting to hear back from an interview I had last week some time this week. I have no solid footing. I actually think that's why I haven't written in a while too. I need to write a race report for the last open water swim. I have an active.com article sitting and waiting for one more once over before I submit it. And a bunch of workouts just got condensed into three paragraphs. But I have no Writing Space. That is more important that I imagined. Upheaval isn't great for Dirtbag creativity and output.
One way or another things are going to be figured out soon and then I'll be able to move forward again, either towards moving to another state and school or towards a good, strong season and school year here in a new place.

2 comments:

  1. I share the same feeling towards Ewa. Stayed out at a friends place once and it was pretty depressing with the cookie cutter houses and lack of trees. If you're ever in town, hit me up. I'll hook you up with some better tasting green teas. In my opinion, the Zen is pretty blah.

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  2. I can totally understand looking for a more economical location to raise a child. We would miss having you here, but your priorities are in the right place. I can also relate to how family dynamics can affect training and motivation. The good news is that once things stabilize you will be training hard once again.

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