Return of the Healthy Sick man

Ironman Louisville training window - 678 days
Columbus Half Marathon training window - 58 days

After a very long hiatus, I am back. My absence has been due to my journey over the last few weeks to attempt to explain my running out of “steam” early in my walks. I have had a stress test (results came back OK) and have had a complete blood workup done (also came back clean). My doctor is at his wits end to explain it. He wants me to see a “Physical Medicine” doctor to see what they say.

The entire process has moved me from being concerned to now I am just pissed off. So Tuesday of this week I hit the trails at Creekside and for the first time in weeks – did the 3 miles without any problems. I followed that performance with repeats on Wednesday and yesterday. Times have gotten better and better with each walk !!!

I was at one point ready to throw in the towel for even doing the half marathon in October. Now I am at the point that I want to see how my mileage does this weekend to see if I can salvage my plans. If I can hit 4 miles this weekend with no return of the symptoms, I believe that I can still do the race. I am under no delusion that I can come close to my time from last year. After the train wreck that this spring/summer training has been, all I really want to do is finish the course.

I have several motivational quotes in my office at work. Right now there are 2 that are on the white board that I look at everyday. I placed them there back in March – before beginning training for the Marathon. They are even more appropriate now.

“He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty” Lao Tzu

“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.” William Barclay