Asphalt Junkies CLOSED AND GETTING OUR FIX (Page 110)

Sorry to hear about your son.  It sounds like you have a good handle on checking up on him too.  Waking him every couple of hours and not letting him sleep for a little bit sounds like you have some type of medical background in emergency medicine.  Is that the case?  You are doing the right things to make sure he doesn't have any adverse affects from the fall.

Make sure that you keep an eye on him for at least 72 hours, try to notice if he seems to struggle more with his balance a little more than usual, keep tabs on his eating habits to make sure that doesn't change as that can be an indicator that he has some type of hidden head injury. 

Obviously if he is old enough to ask questions you should do so but if my memory serves me correctly this is not the case.  A way to help determine if he is struggling with vision would be if he rubs his eye a lot or if he is attempting to open his eyes wider in an attempt clear his vision.

I am now kind of remembering that you are a Park Ranger or something of that sort?  If so I have probably just rambled on about stuff you already know.

Tracy I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your son today. I hope he is alright and that he is feeling better. I also hope you are feeling better as well. Glad to hear the run was a little better for you.

Dina if you decide to do the race this weekend weather permitting just go out there and have fun and enjoy it.

So I finally got my first swim in over a week since I crashed the bike at that sprint tri the weekend before. Since all my swim partners are recovering from their Ironman races I had to press my wife into service this evening to keep an eye on me while I went out swimming at the lake. I went the short way and did two 1/4 mile out and backs so she could see me the whole time. I normally wouldn't go solo like this but I really did not want to wait another week to swim. It was actually pretty nice out there this evening and even when I go out with the guys I swim with I am so far behind them it is almost like swimming solo anyway. One funny thing though after I finished my second out and back there were people there swimming in the lake and a lady calls over to me and asks me if I saw any snakes on the other side of the lake. I am thinking WTF? Snakes? I told her I did not see any snakes nor do I want to see any snakes. Now this topic comes up from time to time with the guys I swim with and we laugh about it but it totally freaks me out. Long Island doesn't really have any snakes and certainly not any poisonous snakes. I am not sure if there are snakes in the lake or not but honestly I don't want to know.

Oh no that is so scary. My son used to fall on his head ALL THE TIME as a toddler and 3 year old. I remember one time he climbed up on a bench at an outlet mall, I was sitting right beside him, then he promptly fell head first onto the concrete. Another time he was showing Daddy how he could dance and fell face first onto our tile floor - and we've got that one on video.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things and have a good handle on it. Keep us posted on how he is recovering!

Dang.  Little ones must have tough heads.  I also fell on my head when I was quite young. Something to do with coming down a slide, I am told.

Thank you Dirk....and everyone else.  He woke up from his nap and has been pretty normal.  He told me that he "fell a long, long ways."  He wasn't very hungry this evening but that happens to me, too, after something stressful.

BTW...I did Wilderness First Responder years ago.  Haven't kept up to date with it.  Apparently, the stuff I learned stuck with me.

We have one of those videos, too.  These things happen sooooo fast.

OK, everyone I am done licking my wounds from the race on Sunday and figured it would be a good time to share the details.  I was going to do a full RR but didn't want to make it public and honestly didn't want to put that much effort into it.  In short I experienced my 1st (hopefully last) DNF. (in hindsight the below turned into a long winded story so only read if your ready to fall asleep) 

Swim portion went as expected, extremely slow but not painfull.  I expected this because of the time I have been able to put into the swim, I had no doubt about finishing the distance but knew it would be slow.  I think I only had 2 oddities occur during the swim and both were around the last 1/4 of the distance.  1st I had some guy come up along the side of me and then swim past, I didn't know he was there and made contact.  Idiot yelled something at me about hitting him and on he went.  It caught me by surprise enough that I stopped and had to see what had happened.  Not quite sure whyhe got excited when he must have been just as slow as me!  The other oddity was a cramp I had in my left leg, it was on the lower outside portion of the leg and occurred twice.  1st time went away quickly, 2nd time the cramp went all the way down into my ankle and took a minute to clear up.  Came out of the water feeling pretty good, not exhausted and looking forward to the bike.

The bike was where everything fell apart, I knew going into the race the 1st 12 miles of the course would be difficult for me, not big hills but a steady climb.  Kept having to tell myself to not push the effort and save my energy.  Around mile 8 I calmed down and went into a good steady pace and effort.  This lasted until mile 18.  At this point I started to feel a twinge in my back that just grew throughout the entire course.  By mile 36ish my back felt like it was in one complete knot or cramp.  The pain at this point was so severe I stopped and stretched to see if it would release, actually stopped a total of 4 times by the end of the course.  The last 12 miles were the worse, I could not get comfortable regardless if I was in aero or upright.  I did manage to finish the bike course by constantly changing position and uttering several choice words.

Coming into transition I knew I was in trouble but didn't quite realize it until the 1st words of encouragement from my wife were, Are you OK? You dont look good?  Parked the bike and tryed putting my shoes on and fell over, at this point I decided a rest would be good and layed flat on the asphalt for the next 5 minutes.  Finally decided I had to get moving and made it to my feet.   Made it to the end of the transition probably in a position that looked more like an old man in a walker than someone ready to go run 13 miles, stumbled again at this point.  Got back up and started a shuffle out of transition, made it (According to garmin) 235ft and fell again.  Back was just not agreeing with me and doing everything it could to stop me from running.  I sat in the shade for a short time when my wife walked up and started talking with me about how I felt.  Sometime during this conversation I realized I was done and the emotions just broke free.  I am not sure if it was the pain I was in or the realization of the DNF, but I am sure it wasn't a pretty sight for a grown man to be in!  Took some time to regain composure to get up and turn in my chip and get something to drink.  After this I sat down with the family to watch the rest of the race and cheer on the junkies that were still on the course.  During this time I continued to deal with the emotions of the race, probably the worst was when my oldest son came up and gave me a hug and said, "Dad, you did really good, next time you will finish"  Had to bury my head in my hat again to cover up the emotions I couldn't control.

Not 100% sure what happened to my back, I have had discomfort before on long rides but nothing to this point and definitely not after 18 miles.  The rest of the day my back started to loosen up but was extremely sore, even on Monday there was a lot of soreness.  Today only slight soreness and I was able to run with no issues. 

So where to go from here?  I have had a bad attitude about this for 2 days, my only thought was I failed and worse failed in front of my kids!  I know these are irrational but still couldn't shake the feeling.  My 1st reaction to this was that I needed to prove myself and find another race ASAP.   By Monday morning I had found another HIM race coming up on 9-23-2012 that I felt I had to do to redeem myself.  Even talked my wife into it and had her look into finding someone to work for her so she would be off on that day.  Then came my evening run tonight, helped clear a lot of emotions and started thinking a little clearer.  Decided that everything is not as bad as I felt and that the race was just that, a race.  Not the end of the world and that there was no need to rush into something.  I have had a plan in place all year, HM run in early spring, tri's all through the summer leading up to the HIM, and then back to running for a HM in October.  I have decided it would be best to stick with this plan.  I think this will give me a chance to address a few items I am short on and come back next year and crush a HIM.

Anyway,, If your still reading this, thanks for the support over the past summer it has been extremely beneficial in my training and understanding of this sport.  Lastly I found this quote today that will help me to the next race.

I am not sure what may have happened to your back on the bike but I am wondering if it began on the swim.  If you hadn't been swimming much and, as we talked at the race, sleeping in the camper on something you aren't all that accustomed to may have contributed.  I am interested to hear if Jeff thinks there could be a fit issue on the bike or if this was a total anomaly.

Obviously I have a problem with the guy that was upset with you during the swim and he must be someone who hasn't raced many triathlons before or he wouldn't have gotten aggravated by getting bumped.  He could probably use a few lessons in swimming and open water sighting himself if he was so inclined.

To the success and failure of your race, I don't think it was a failure anyway you look at it.  Trying to complete this distance is a lot of training, both physical and mental, and that in itself is part of the race.  After all you don't get to the start line without putting a lot of time into each event.  You may have had to pull yourself out of this race but when your body reacts the way it did you have 2 choices; Attempt to complete the race and do more damage to your body and completely remove yourself from the races in your immediate future.  Or play the safe card and keep what races you have planned in the planned status.

I know you made the right call!  I have no doubt in my mind that you made an extremely difficult decision but made the right one nonetheless.  Failure to me would be to hang up your hat right now, and you are not doing that.  I say congratulations on defeating a giant!  The giant of "I can't do it" was beaten yesterday when you ran 4.4 miles and yo committed to run the HM in October.

Here's also what I think your kids will see too;  "My dad was in so much pain that he had to stop racing but he hasn't given up.  He's going to do another half marathon in a month and a half.  That's how tough my dad is!"   And by getting back into the training they can see that you can face the giants in your life and that you are committed to what you say you're committed too.  "My Dad used to smoke and he committed to quit.  My dad was overweight and he committed to lose weight.  My dad wanted to get in shape and started running.  My dad was so committed to his health that he started racing.  When my dad says what he's going to do, he does it!  That's who my dad is!"

BTW, I am not so tough either if being emotional removes any toughness from me.  I was brought to tears when I considered the family of the gentleman that died and the race.  I was also touched when Brenda described how I made her feel when I ran with her toward the chute.  I'll take not being tough sometimes if that's what it means.  And if tough means staying out of the med tent then I guess I was proven a wimp at this race too.

What Dirk said!

Matt thanks for sharing about your race. I was wondering how things went for you. I think Dirk summed it up pretty good.

My 2 cents about the back - swimming sets my back off more than cycling or running. That is one of the reasons I have stuck with sprints this year. I feel like I can't do that much damage in a 400 yd swim.

You are no doubt a hero to your kids. One of the biggest lessons they can learn from your experience is how you pick yourself up, brush yourself off and move on. That you don't have to be perfect and run the perfect race every time. What is important is that you tried your very best and your family will love you in all of your successes and all of your struggles. 

Sorry to hear about the fall but glad it worked out ok.  You sound like you know what is going on, and concussions are serious stuff.

Sickness can really play havoc on our bodies, so also glad to hear you are starting to recover.

Matt, I second and third everything that’s been said, and because I’m a windbag, I’ll add some of my own comments which I hope helps.

First, a half iron is a serious event for people like us.  You have a family, a job, friends, and an active life outside triathlon.  It’s tough work and takes a lot of discipline and sacrifice to prepare yourself to take on such an event.  Getting to the start line prepared is an enormous victory, and should always be your first goal in such an event.

Second, I want to address your kids being at the event, and the impact it will have on them.  We sometimes forget they are always watching us, and they understand a lot more than we think.  I’m sure they saw you getting ready to run/bike/swim a lot in the past 8 months, and they understand how hard you’ve worked to completely change yourself over the past year.  Of course they don’t totally understand it all, but they see the dedication and discipline, and the day in day out grind part of your race will leave an impression.

In terms of making the CORRECT choice in ending the race and breaking down afterwards, that will also have an incredible impact.  As Dirk said, the key is that you haven’t thrown in the towel and given up – you were thrown an obstacle, you handled it, and now you’re back on the path.  It would take a robot to not show some emotion in that situation, and you are most definitely not a robot to your family.

My own dad was a tough Texas pipefitter/welder type.  A man’s man for sure.  But the one thing he always did for me is let me see his human side, and to expose himself as “just” a man.  Life threw a lot of crap in his direction, as it does to all of us.  But he always let me in on his struggles, and he showed me that you make an assessment, handle it best you can, take the time you need to deal with it in your own way and not pretend it didn’t happen, dust off, do whatever you can in your power to prevent it from happening again, and move on.

He invested a lot of time and effort in me and my brothers and sisters, and though the world remembers a tough guy in the cowboy hat, my memories will always be of a real man who failed plenty, felt defeated and showed his emotions at times, but in the final analysis was a success not because he never stumbled or had some super human shield, but because he simply got up and did the next right thing every day no matter what happened the day before.

I personally get as much or more out of reading your story on a day like you had, and how you overcame for 56 miles on the bike, and you’re back on the trails 3 days later, than reading about a PR with tailwinds and shady trails.

But you’re still on for another HIM contest next year!  J

Matt, so sorry to hear about the race.  Sometimes the toughest part is knowing when to call it quits, and that you should call it quits.  I also think it was the right decision from what you are describing.  I also know the feeling of wanting redemption.  My HIM didn't turn out as I was expecting, and I immediately tried to find another race to do.  Well, it does turn out that wouldn't have been the best thing to do, and it took some time to accept that what happened happened, and I would move forward from it.  Well for me it took 1.5 years to get back to triathlons (mostly due to the fact that an injury had to do with it, but I'm sure there was some mental mindset that had to do with it), and I'm glad this won't be the case for you.

Anyway while it is tough to accept the DNF, it's good to hear that you are moving onwards and sticking with your plan!  Good luck with your October half marathon

Thanks for letting me in on your experience Matt.

The bike fit is something to consider, but I doubt that's the issue.  This was a unique experience and was likely not BECAUSE of the bike fit.  I have had back problems since college.  I've also had some races where I get to T2 and realize my back won't straighten.  It HURTS!

Like Dirk said, if your back is picky then sleeping in a camper or any different bed could be a problem.  I used to have a hard time for many years sleeping in a tent.  If I were camping, I was in pain all day.  Camping then racing was out of the question for me when I was in my 30s.

And swimming is a source of back trouble for a lot of people.  We tend to swim with our back arched and there's no movement of the spine or stretching of the spinal muscles so they shorten/tighten.  When swimming in a pool this is usually avoided by the turns.  Whether it's a flip turn or open turn we draw our knees up and 'crunch' at the waist allowing a natural movement/stretch every 30 seconds or so.  But in open water no such luck.  So you spent over 30 minutes, perhaps 45+ minutes in a position that tightens the back muscles.

But whether swimming contributed or not, it was a random, uncontrollable, unforeseeable issue. 

As for the failure in front of your kids...You know what's been the hardest thing for me to teach my kids? And also one of the most urgently needed lessons for them?  Nobody is born having mastered anything.  Therefore we are guaranteed to fail when we first try.  But my kids always want to give up in frustration after their first failed attempt to do something.  Whenever they say: "I can't", I say "yet".   So here's a perfect opportunity for you.  There's no hurry.  It's almost less courageous to jump back in right away.  I think it shows an intellectual approach, one based in character, to methodically attack it again.  You will prove your son right.  You will succeed next time.

Matt....I think you made the right decision.  I've had two DNFs.  They are hard.  I think it's important to teach our kids that it's ok to not finish things sometimes.  Evaluating a situation at all times is a lesson that can be really difficult for young people to grasp.

Now, get that back issue figured out and attack your next HIM with gusto!

Glad the munchkin is OK and hope you get better soon.

I threw a race report together for this passed weekend's race.  It's no surprise, I fell apart on the run.

I really need to learn to suffer through the run.  I feel like I basically quit.  Sucky ending to the tri season.

I promise I will catch up with everyone this weekend.  I have 3 days off in a row and only one of those days is dedicated to wedding stuff!

My next move is to read your RR but I just wanted to say that I'm glad to see your thug mug in the forum after it's been a while since you checked in.

BTW, when is your wedding?  You know you can only milk this "wedding planning" excuse so long.

I just looked back to the beginning of this mentor thread and realized I DO KNOW YOU!  You are that guy we used to have in the group that's a good swimmer and is on that cool team...

Running well in triathlon is the last thing that comes when you've gained great fitness...and the first thing to go when losing fitness. 

And what you call 'basically quit'ing may not be so cut and dry.  It may be possible to overcome the pain and continue running well but that pain as well as the desire to overcome it are functions of your central nervous system.  There is a governor there carefully designed to save us from killing ourselves.  You may be left with the impression you quit when there was no real way that you were going to will yourself beyond your brain's attempts to make you slow down.

The good thing is that in addition to your body getting fitter with training, this system (governor) gets trained too.  Ever notice that something hurts a lot the first time you experience it then eventually it doesn't?  (things like the hot water in the jacuzzi, taking a punch, football tackle)

For whatever reason it was all you could do.  So run more! 

(I haven't read your RR yet)

Oh no!  Blessings and well wishes to Laiken and mommy an daddy.