All Systems On Go

I had a good training week this week.  Training for Ironman #2 = so far so good!  Of course one would expect this after only 2 or 3 weeks.  Talk to me in another 5 or 6 weeks and I might be crying uncle (I'm sure I will be). 

It helps that our weather is amazing right now.  Running in 55 or 60 degree temps automatically gives you 20-30 seconds per mile without working any harder when compared to running in the 80s or 90s.  At least for me.  I love it.  I didn't even mind that I was shivering a bit on my ride this morning!  :)  I do feel as if fall is the reward us Pittsburghers get for enduring the stifling heat and humidity in the summer and then the ice/wind/snow/frigid temps in the winter.  Fall will always be my favorite.

I did have a little blip this week when I had to go to the dentist for more mouth "stuff".  If only I knew that what started as needing 2 little crowns would turn into root canals, crown lengthenings and skin grafts on my gums - I never would have started the process in the first place!  (or at least would have waited until the end of the season :)  Anyway, on Tuesday I got 2 crown lengthening procedures (they essentially expose more tooth so that a crown will actually have something to grab onto) and 2 skin grafts on my gums (something about a receding gum line...I stopped listening after a while).  All I have to say is - OUCH!  I'm not someone who gets anxious or scared at the dentist but let me tell you - I had to go to my happy place a couple times on Tuesday.  I kept my eyes closed for much of it.  And then the one thing I did want to watch - when the dentist was stitching the grafts in - I was told I needed to keep my eyes shut!  I kept sneaking peaks.  He looked like a seamstress.  :) 

When he was done, the dentist told me no training the next day because he was worried the grafts would bleed.  (I didn't tell him I was a triathlete, by the way, but my t-shirt gave me away - doh!)  I was all set to ignore him and carry on with my normal training plan but Dirk stopped me in my tracks.  Double doh!  Dirk was actually trained as a dentist (little known fact!) and told me an easy spin only.  Bummer.  But it was fine and actually a very good call because I woke up very, very sore, very swollen and a little black and blue.  And really hungry because it was too hard to get my mouth open wide enough for eating the night before.  :)

By Thursday morning I was back on track though.  The mouth is still sore but workable.  I get my stitches out on Tuesday (maybe the dentist will let me watch this time! :)  The part that hurts the worst is the roof of my mouth where they took the skin for the grafts.  It's like a big open wound in your mouth and sort of feels like a really bad pizza burn x 10,000.  :)

Otherwise, life is good.  Oscar's training for the Columbus Marathon is going quite well and I'm humming along too.  This morning we even got to run together.  Of all the amazing training partners I've had through the years, he is definitely my favorite.  He talks about the Pirates, I sometimes listen, and we run stride for stride.  Perfect.  :)

And because everybody knows a post without pictures is boring, here are two.

She never fails to find a sunny spot.  (she looks dead but she's fine)

My friend after Tuesday's visit to the dentist.  He gave me a script for Vicodin and I filled it but I never take it.  For this reason alone, I have a bunch of bottles of Vicodin in our medicine box.  This is probably not a good thing.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  :)