Silly Season

This is the time of year where my intense training takes a back seat. I enjoy late October through November when I don't have to work too hard when it comes to swim/bike/run and just enjoy getting out and running or riding. The real work picks up again come December/January. That mindset came in handy when I was sick last week. I hadn't had a cold in about 2 years and then last week I was sidelined with a cold. I left work early on a Friday to come home and rest. I had to skip a race the next day as I wasn't even close to 100%. With the holidays coming the following week, I had to rest up. So that weekend I spent it home taking it easy then it was back to work Monday for a shortened (sort of) week.

Thursday I ran a 'turkey trot' and knew as soon as the gun went off I had nothing to give. My chest felt heavy and so did my legs. I had been completely inactive for over a week and a 5k was a tough effort. But I took it easy and just planned on enjoying the exercise. I was coughing a bit about halfway through and finished feeling a little horse, but I was glad I ran it.

Thanksgiving dinner was spent at Dolores' house with Big Lou making dinner. We always do our group shot at some point, but this year I decided since it was nice out I setup the camera and gathered everyone outside for a quick shot. With two small kids added to the mix, I was nervous we would not get the shot with them looking forward. I would set the 10-sec timer on the camera and then run into the group so there is no one behind the camera to get the attention of the little ones. Needless to say these two are true professionals and we nailed the picture on the first shot.

La famiglia (the italian crew)

Dinner as always was wonderful. And more importantly, Louie and Lily were wonderful new additions to the family dynamic. 

Friday was back to the grind at work. Too bad many of my patients didn't remember their appointments, and some that remembered canceled which makes for a sloooooow day. 

Saturday was a fun day. First I went out and did a long run. I just ran with a regular watch, not my garmin, and just run for time. It was a nice to not be focused on splits or how fast/slow I was going. I just had to run for time - distance was not important. I was laboring towards the end, but that was no real surprise since it was the longest I had run in a while. Then it was me and the Wingman off to Newark for the NJ Devils game. I love ice hockey and enjoy watching it live. Hopefully this season we'll get to a few more games.

Sunday we went for a longer ride. I hadn't been outside for a ride in a month so today was an effort for me. The last few rides were on the trainer so I had no wind to contend with. Today was a different story. There was a slight wind to contend with but I just kept it comfortable. When we got home, I took a quick shower and then a nap!! Been a while since I took a post-workout nap. My folks came out for a visit and we went out for an early dinner.

I will be able to dedicate more mentally to my training next season without the stress of school/studies. The time management aspect of working will be interesting, but I might make some changes that would benefit me. I am eager to take that next step in my training and racing. While the 2nd half of my season was not as good as the first, I am pleased with how my racing mindset has changed. What I am thinking during a race has evolved over the last year. I think I got a big boost from my late 2010 surge that catapulted me into 2011. My attitude going into each race was different that it ever was. I am looking forward to seeing what I can do in 2012 and hopefully springboard into a huge 2013 when I plan on going long again.

What a week.......and I have a plan

I'm sitting here wiping my nose and sniffling. Haven't experienced a cold in over two years. This is pure misery. Today was the final straw. I had to take a generic brand of Nyquil to help me sleep last night. I finally managed to sleep through the night. It was the first night this week that I was able to sleep. I went to work as usual, but I had a tough time trying to talk. I decided early on to pack it in. I made it through the morning, finished my paperwork and left at lunchtime.

As soon as I got home I put on some 'couch clothes' and made myself comfy on the couch. It wasn't long before I was out like a light. I had a great nap and before I knew it the Wingman came home. We had dinner and he took me out to get a little ice cream to speed my recovery. What a guy!!

While home this afternoon, sniffling, I was thinking about how I am doing at work so far and what I need to improve on. I look at what other PT's at work write in their notes and compare my notes to see what else I could be looking for or testing. I have also decided I need an accent. Patient's seem to respond to Sinead's accent so I figure I will work on one. Obviously I cannot use an Irish accent since she has the market on that one, and I think an English accent is too close. Instead, I will hire Ian as my 'coach' and learn how to speak like an Aussie. I'll be like Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. I promise to be a good student and work hard. I think if I can develop a good Aussie accent it will also translate to a faster swim/bike/run split. We all know how fast they are. In Kona, Australian men won the last 5 world champion titles and an Australian female won last year and was runner up twice. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. Hey Ian, let's make this happen!!

Tomorrow morning we're heading out to Lynbrook for a race and then having breakfast with our good friend Jennifer. The race won't be pretty since I havent' run all week, but I will get through it and then enjoy catching up with Jennifer. Every week we watch Modern Family together via Facebook. Hopefully soon we'll have a Modern Family viewing marathon of season 1. That would be awesome!!

A brief update

What a whirlwind the last few weeks have been. Almost two weeks ago, I left on Friday night for DC for a race with the Wingman. We flew down and settled into the hotel. The race was Sunday and I had a fast turnaround as I had to be back at work Monday morning. My flight back was 10p and I landed at 11p in Islip. By the time I got home it was close to midnight and I had to be at work for 8:30am. Needless to say when that alarm went off at 6a I was completely wiped out. I managed to get through the day, but when I got home I wanted to do nothing but sleep. I waited for the Wingman to come home (he flew home Monday evening with his cousin) and then I went to sleep.

I was constantly on the go with work all week. I was working in two different offices so I had to keep track of what days I was working in what office. This is hard to do when you are sleep deprived. And to make it worse, I had my first patient conflict to deal with on Tuesday. I won't go into details, but basically there was a patient that walked in and was having a meltdown in the reception area. Being the 'Supervising PT' in the office, I stepped in to deal with this person. By the time the whole situation was done and they left the building, I was mentally wiped out. This situation reared it's ugly head again on Thursday and, once again, I had to handle this person.

Friday I was back in Sag Harbor with my regular caseload. That evening I had to leave for NJ for a Foot Disorder: Biomechanics course. The Wingman was staying home. I made the drive Friday night and got to the hotel pretty late. I got some sleep and drove to the medical center for day one of a two day course. Within the first hour or two, I realized I learned that most of what I was taught in school was a bit outdated. The instructor for the course was outstanding and I was able to re-learn so much about the foot. The day went well and for dinner I was meeting up with a friend from school. We spent several hours chatting and before I knew it, it was late. Once again I was going to be sleep deprived. Day two of the course went well and by 5p I was back on the road home. I made it home at a reasonable hour (sort of) and somehow coasted my way through work on Monday.

I am so looking forward to not setting my alarm clock Saturday. It will be so nice to sleep in a little bit and not travel all over the place. Sunday we have a race, but it's a local one. Thank goodness!! I have so much to do.