The Buzzzz

This weekend was the finale to the BLue Ridge Rides - aka the TRIgirl Torturous Triple!
With a route 50 miles long, Coach Blake has the day planned for us.
Everything goes smoothly.
Nutrition is packed. Post ride beer is packed.
show up on time and TG40 and I hop on it with TRIboy Jeff nd we are on our merry way.
Zzzzz
Wake up - we're there!
Streeeeeetch.
Tires pumped up.
Water bottles on.
Shoes on.
Group Picture.
(note how increasingly small this time was) We begin the route up the mountain. The first out and back is roughly 23 miles. As I am curled up in aero with the tears streaming rom my eyes, I begin thinking "hmm we have been going downhill for quite some time now". We all gather at the trun around where Mary had a bee stuck down her top and has blessed with 7 boobs!
As we begin to turn around...
drip.
drop.
drip.
drop.
time to head back up those hills we just flew down.
and the heavens open.
we'r eshivering.
we're wet.
I don't think I am ever getting back to the cars. I try to tell myself that riding in the rain is etter than riding in 110 degrees and no shade. but damn these rain drop feel like hail when going downhill!
Finally get to the cars and jump on it. I wrap up in the towel I brought as a picnic blanket! Coach B undersands and he is even about to cancel the 2nd half of the ride. but as we wait...
the clouds part and the sun shines on us.
We begin the 2nd half - teeth still chattering. socks are drenched.
but it felt good.
then...
BAM!
a bee nails me on my ear (where it attaches to your face) and i have to stop. MY cheek and jaw begin to swell. I can barely chew my shot blok.
but I must continue on!
we get back to the cars and there's cyndi with the ice pack on her head.
A bee nailed her forehead!
what the F! (or should I say what the B?!)

To be continued...
(have to go into a meeting)

Shew. Ok I'm back. I know you were all on the edge of your seats.

Now...where was I...

Sunday was not too eventful. I ran 5 miles - which stunk.

Then moved the rest of my things in with IronGreg. That's like aother workout right there! So I should put that on my training report. (b/c I love excel and track my training in a FAVulous spreadsheet)

Monday...

Monday was eventful. I have been having a lot of shin tightness and inflammation since White Lake Half back in May. After the race I ran a 10k. Walked would be more like it - it wasn't pretty. I had to walk parts of it b/c I got "floppy foot" - where the muscle in your shin is so tight you can pick up your foot - it just draaaags along. I ended p with shin splints - changed me shoes and did elliptical training. It's always been tighter muscle for as long as I could remember so I didn't hink too much of it. Well I mentioned this in passing to my knee doctor. Uh-oh! After ruling out a stress fracture there was one more thing to rule out - Compartment Syndrome.

Now traditionally this test requires sticking a large needle into the muscle and taking the pressure and then going for a run and then afterwards sticking another large needle in and taking the pressure again. If the pressure is over 30 - then it's compartment syndrome. Well, lucky for me - she got a new machine in for this. you only get pricked once! I had heard horror stories aboutthe pain before so I was quite anxious all morning before the test. Relieved to hear only one needle! See the way this one works is they put the needle in your muscle and then pull the needle out and leave a catheter in there that is attached to the pressure gauge box that you attach to your leg. This was problem #1 - how does it attach to leg? after "jerry-rigging" it with gauze and tape about 8 different ways from being too tight, too loose, covering up the screen, etc. Fianlly it was on my leg and I wsa on my merry way to go run around the parking lot for 15 minutes. The ASPHALT parking lot in the 95 degree HEAT with NO shade. I begin walking and it hurts so bad I want to scream cry and hit something at the same time. I suck it up, put my big girlpanties on and begin running. The pain begins to subsie and I keep at it. I come back in and my pressure is zero! although everyone has some pressure after running, I was relieved to find out I did not have compartment syndrome. As she begins taking the machine off my leg we find problem #2 - the catheter fell out of my leg. no wonder my pressure was zero. Ugh. Back to the traditional method. And off to run for 30 minutes outside. Now her office is in a business park and it is during the week, so don't mind me stripping my shirt off and running in my sports bra b/c it was so freaking hot out there! I come back in and we re-tes my pressure. 45. :( I have compartment syndrome. So now I wear a very fashionable pressure sleeve on my calf when working out. This is going to cuase for a bad T2 time next weekend at Timberman. bummer. Tomorrow I have a MRI to rule out any other issues in the muscle and then from there we will see about the fasciotomy. I will let you google pictures of that procedure. Just don't do it on your lunch break or shortly thereafter.

so needless to say I have taken some running of this week due to the fact i have two holes in my leg form the needles. (oh! they gave me a great mag on Matthew M's baby so I wouldn't even look at the needle it is so big)

Hmm...well back to these deadlines....