Veg

April 22 Vegetables are good for you.  So today I went to the orthopedic doctor for my right knee. It has been very bad the last 3 days. I barely made it thru work this weekend. Sore and swollen. Took X-rays (nothing bad seen). Doc shot some cortisone into the knee.  Synovosis (??) I guess was the diagnosis. See doc in two weeks.  It is such a nice day and after the appointment I just sat in the truck and vegetated. Watched squirrels playing, listen to the radio. Read. Ate some snacks. Drove to the Y but then just sat and figured out my mpg for the last few months. Read some more. Listened to the radio.  I came to the Y to swim, but this vedging thing is nice. But I need to exercise some. Heck I signed up to do a century early June. I could just be a volunteer.  I'm not feeling sorry for myself. I am grateful to be able to walk, that I got into see the doc on short notice, that I can swim. Thankful I don't have arthritis (yet).  I could go on.  I guess Kobi Bryant was tweeting recently how down and out he is. He can't play basketball. He is bummed and worried he may have to retire. He has a few dollars that may get him by.  Over 3 hours after I was done at the Dr. I guess I will step out and head into the pool. But I'm not excited about it. Not one bit. Yawn. I want to take a nap. Vegetables are good for you, but being one is nice too. 

1st Quarter finish

End of march So I'm sitting here in the parking lot of Bi-lo and I just got done shopping. Hungry. A block of sharp cheddar cheese stared me down. I nearly never buy blocks of cheese but I had to have it. Anyway this will not help me achieve a lower "race weight". I did choose the reduced fat version. I'm am sure Dr. Oz would approve.  Training over the last couple of weeks has been ok. Right knee has been the focus of concern. Went to Indiana on 3/15 and ran the treadmill a few times in mom's basement. On the 19th I was in downtown Chicago overnight and I jogged the sidewalks/streets for about 4 miles at night. Ran the stairs in the hotel (a tower). Anyhow after all that my knee was sore and stiff. Off of running for a good while to help it heal. Torn cartilage or tendinitis not sure. Pain is low. Dr. Visit if it persists.  A MTB ride in the woods prior to Indiana/Chicago trip may have been where the knee stress peaked; climbing a very steep little hill and I felt something.  Doing the Cooper River Bridge run was a goal a year ago but it is April 6 and I work Fri/S/Sun. So I would have had to take vacation. The knee is not good and my training has been weak too. So maybe next year.  So swimming all I want and a gradual buildup on the bike. By the end of April I hope to peak on swimming with a sustained effort of 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 miles in the pool. My PR in distance was a few years ago at about 3.3 miles in like 2-1/2 hours. I've been doing 500 yards to 1700 yard timed efforts within larger swims, but no days over 2500 yds (1-1/2 miles).  Easter weekend rode 30, 20, and 56 miles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Right knee seems ok. Friday took the QR TT bike out with a new cassette and gave normal 22 mile (1500 feet vert) loop a good effort. 1 hour 18 minutes. Oh yea, forgot to inflate  tires (23c) and they were 70 and 55 psi !! Dumb. A lot better than a recent 1 hour 36 minute effort on the heavy Allez.  Sunday ride towards Saluda, but rain started and I chickened out; turn back at Mine Mtn. Road. Drizzle off/on whole way back. It was 65 to 70 degrees so it was ok. 3550 feet vertical. Beautiful flowers and a greening up going on.  Spring has sprung.  Well I ate over half the cheese block (360 calories, 200 fat calories) with a bunch of  pretzels to go with. Yogurt and a big navel orange. Dinner is over.  April 1st 2013