[Vettezuki]

Howdy ya'lls.

I'm raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through their Team in Training program. Naturally I selected their most difficult and competitive program, the Triathlon. Here's how it works. I get awesome training from experienced volunteer coaches in exchange for raising money . . . kind of a lot of it. And that's where you come in. You can give any amount. You can give anonymously and/or hide the amount. Every bit truly helps. A minimum of 75% of your donation goes to fundamental research and treatment of these brutal and merciless diseases.

Anyway, it's easy to help. Just clcik HERE to donate quickly and easily online. (Gotta update the pic, this isn't current.) No personal information is kept. If you prefer to donate by check, PM me and I'll let you know how to do that.

If you represent a company, you may be interested in some branding opportunities, such as getting your company name and logo on wetsuits and jerseys, websites, etc. If interested PM and I'll arrange to send you the packet.

How's it going for me?

The event I'll be doing is Nautica. It is a sprint Triathlon: half mile swim, 18 miles bike, 4 miles run, more or less full tilt, hence the "sprint" part.

SWIM
In my younger years I was pretty athletic, with some background in biking. However, I had very little background in swimming. This has been the biggest challenge. On the first day of swim practice just a few months ago, I was exhausted just flailing my way through 50 meters at a time, and I honestly had my doubts about being able to do this. Now, with coaching and practice I can cruise my way through about a mile of open ocean swim. Not fast, but having fun and coming out of the water feeling fresh and ready to get on the bike.

BIKE
Clearly my best event. Depending on the terrain and distance, I can ride at what is considered a somewhat advanced amateur pace. Think 30 miles in 90 minutes with a handful of brutal hills thrown-in for fun. If I tried the kind of rides I'm doing now when I started training back in May I'd be convulsing in a pile of, well, you get the picture.

RUN
My biggest problem with the run is that I have chondromalacia patella, sometimes called jumpers knee. It's a tracking problem with the tendons around the knee cap and hurts like a mother sometimes. When it doesn't I can move out at a fair pace (6-7 minute miles). Sadly it hurts most of the time, putting me at 10 minute miles.

Anyway, the training has been difficult and long at times, workouts can go for hours. But with proper diet and rest, a good workout can be one of the best natural highs you can ever have. Right up there with giving money to a good cause.


Even if the timing isn't good for you to give, maybe you'll be interested in doing something like this yourself in the future. Check it out: Team in Training

[CorruptCulture]

Have you thought about a well-timed cortisone shot for you knee and the running part? Coming from the wrestling community I can tell you they work wonders. It'll get you through that part no problem. But they again, I don't know how you feel about giant ass needles.

[Vettezuki]

Originally Posted by CorruptCulture

Have you thought about a well-timed cortisone shot for you knee and the running part? Coming from the wrestling community I can tell you they work wonders. It'll get you through that part no problem. But they again, I don't know how you feel about giant ass needles.

I took some anti inflammatory steroids (never and injection) before and they made me feel very strange, like super tired and disoriented. Advil before and after helps, and I've got this knee strap that helps too, but I don't think I want to go to doing injections. . .