Beer Drinkers Appreciation Society (BDAS) 2023 Mentor Group - ALWAYS OPEN (Page 134)

Good you decided to go ahead with surgery, it will be so much better after recovery.

The achilles is ok, still tight but better. Went interval training with the running club yesterday and it doesn’t feel worse today. I did take it easy mind you, it was long intervals so that was doable at a slower speed than I would have done them if 100% injury free.

Next run will be on Saturday or Sunday (the run course of my race on the 31st) then no running until race day.
Off to ride the bike course now and I will swim the swim tomorrow.

Mike, that all sounds AMAZING! Very jealous of that adventure!

Gretchen, less jealous of your most recent adventure. Definitely glad it happened in recon and not the race. So nice they have a team mechanic there also!

Andrew, dodgy knee and still crushing the bike! How's it feeling?

As for my surgery, I emailed them yesterday asking if I could get it scheduled, so hope to hear soon. I'd like to do it around Thanksgiving. I think if I go into the surgery otherwise healthy and strong, recovery should be about 3 months. I'm less active in the winter anyway (read: pretty dang lazy) so figured this is the perfect time. I have some vacations scheduled for January, so hoping to at least be off crutches by then, and hopefully able to walk long distances. Sounds like PT can start pretty much right away, so I think it should be okay!

I'm talking to a friend of a friend Sunday who had this recently and should learn more then, though obviously everyone is different. I think she and I are similar in that we are similar ages, both overall healthy, and are both really active (though she's mostly a runner), so think it should hopefully be a good example of what I should expect.

I am definitely eager to be able to race again! I'm so jealous of you all. Probably won't commit to anything until ~February as I see how the recovery is going.

I've taken it easy the last 2 days to let my knee and hip rest. I went on a walk yesterday, to the library and then to find some food, but otherwise easy peasy. Gonna do some yoga tonight, and my knee exercises and PT.

Oh, I missed that! Glad you enjoyed the concert! Tell us more, what made it so WOW? Also, you’ve been to Live Aid? That’s cool

Okay...so let me see if I have the rundown correct...

Mike--back is acting up again

Nicole--hip surgery in the future, but also knee and ankle issues of late

Andrew, Robert, and Nat--Achilles shenanigans...

I feel left out!!

So...I'll add in my current issue (among many in this devil's trip!). I've been feeling dizzy/lightheaded since we arrived in Australia. I haven't really given it a ton of thought, as I figure it was a bit of dehydration, coupled with exhaustion from a 140.6/50 hours of travel combo. Problem being, of course, that it has now lasted more than a week. I finally went to see the team doctor yesterday while my bike chain was being replaced by the team mechanic (side note: I will not about the TeamUSA participation fee ever again. So handy to have both of these services available free of charge!!). We were both at the doctors at the same time! Anyway, the doctor diagnosed labyernthitis, an inflammation of the inner ear usually caused by a viral infection. My wife has been fighting a pretty nasty cough and feeling generally cruddy since we arrived. She has been sleeping about 12 hours a day, which is abnormal for her, who survives very well on about 6 hours of sleep a night (*shudder*). There was a guy coughing up a lung on our flight to Australia, so maybe that is where we got it. Who knows. Anyway, the treatment is a double dose of antihistimines, some decongestant, and gargling to clear out the Eustatian tubes (drains fluids from ears down throat). He said the dreaded words of if you don't feel better, you shouldn't race. Umm...excuse me sir? You know not who you are talking to! I'd race with one limb chewed off by a tiger shark if I had to! (another side note: there is apparently a tiger shark breeding ground between the swim beach and Magnetic Island, which is about 15 miles away. Tour guide let that slip to a friend on an eco tour of MI a couple of days ago.)

Anyway, unless it feels like I would crash on the bike and take out someone else, I'm going to race on Sunday. I won't do anything that would put someone else in danger. Fortunately, I haven't had any dizziness/lightheadedness during any of my training sessions on foot or pedal. That gives me a bit of confidence.

Bike chain is all fixed, or I should say replaced. This race can't come soon enough!!

Bright side today: Our AirB&B hostess brought us warm croissants for breakfast. Delicious!

Well technically Robert and Nat are Achilles shenanigans, I am Patella Tendon playing up.

@Gretchen, As the old cliché goes, if you didn't have bad luck you'd have no luck at all
I'm hoping you come 100% right over the next 24 hours or so and there's no tough decision needed, but damn. I know you already know, but inner ear stuff is not great for balance. And that's not a good look for getting on a bike. I also know the machine does not accept obstacles in her way, and everything will be overcome. And that's even before thinking about the time and expense to come to a race on the other side of the world.
I do not envy you having to make that call.
I know you're going to do everything you can to race. But please take care of yourself. Not putting others in danger is good, but don't put yourself in danger either.

@Mike, Glad you enjoyed London. My sisters partner used to work at London Zoo in Regents park, and they lived in the zoo keepers lodge on site. So I know the area well. You were at live aid? You know what, I don't feel so old today. haha.

@Me, Actually, I do feel old. Struggling with the 2 workouts a day plan this week. I'll get back there eventually, but I remember it being much easier at 38 than it feels at 40 :/ Getting enough sleep for a 5 am start is tough. I did manage an early start today though, and got 1,000m in the pool. Not much, but something.

Have a good weekend everyone, and good luck Gretchen. I'm sure you'll be feeling 100% by race morning.