Dealing with Setbacks

It's been a rough month. July has been filled with illness and injury and I have struggled with how to deal with these setbacks lately. Admittedly, I'm sensitive around my health status. I deplore being sick but I've had to learn to preemptively take myself to the doctor or hospital at times to avoid even bigger health disasters. If you didn't catch my health history in my first blog, I've had a couple open heart surgeries and have a pacemaker. I take Coumadin (a blood thinner) because I have an artificial heart valve and it helps prevent strokes but I've also had a history of GI bleeding. It's a problem.

 Earlier this month, I developed another (my 3rd) GI bleed and being on Coumadin complicates that as I will just continue to bleed since my blood doesn't clot to help prevent strokes (which I've had in the past, so doctors are hesitant to adjust my medicine). Basically, I get stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can't stop my blood thinner medication because it puts me at risk of a stroke, but being on the medication means I continue to bleed with the possibility of needing a blood transfusion (which I've also had in the past). Bah! Just typing it frustrates me. Anyway, I ended up in the hospital overnight for observation and 2 weeks of follow up appointments and restricted activity because I was actively bleeding. My bleeding did eventually stop, but I'm still waiting to meet with a surgeon, so I'm not fully cleared yet.

It really threw off my training to be sidelined to very minimal activity for 2 weeks when the race was less than 2 months away. I knew I could modify my schedule and 5-6 weeks is still a good amount of time to make up some training, but it also took some of my motivation. I found it really hard to get back to my regular workouts and as soon as I was getting back into the swing of things, THIS HAPPENED:

My very FIRST bicycle crash. My first time back out on the bike in a couple weeks and I had a collision with a runner who stepped into my lane (he had headphones on and was looking in the opposite direction and didn't see or hear me in time; he at least felt really bad about it and gave me cash for the damage to my bike and he seemed uninjured). I however, flew off my bike and landed on the concrete with my knee, then chest, then helmet (Always wear a helmet!!) and the front of the bike hit the pavement and landed on me. It hurt. A LOT. My bike will survive, but needs some work. The reflector was shattered and the gears are messed up. At least the frame seems ok. I will also survive, but this definitely left me feeling a bit defeated with my training. I'm banged up pretty good and my only bike is out of commission. 4 weeks until the race seems a lot closer than 2 months and suddenly I feel very unprepared.

Thankfully, I have a great training group and everyone has been very positive and optimistic and had lots of good advice to help me feel less defeated and on track with training. My bike is at the shop and I'll have it back in a few days; plus, I'm also going to step into the world of clipless petals to improve my cycling (and my run once I get off the bike!)

 This definitely hasn't been an ideal training season, but I have 4 weeks to do everything I can to be as prepared as possible for race day. I'm excited to get my bike back all tuned up and with some new gear to make these last few brick workouts really count. And just like that, I have my motivation back!