No Happy Ankle Here :(

Head spinning....

Ever had a couple of weeks where the head spins, and you feel like you are stuck in a revolving door.  My revolving door has consisted of Dr, Physio, Xray, repeat, and yep lets repeat that again, and ok CT scan time now.  No, specialist now and an MRI.  Man can I get off this revolving door now.

That's a long story short.  Yesterday, was the final head spinning moment where I got told by the Orthopedic surgeon; "you don't have a happy ankle".  Really; wondering what gave that away the swelling that is still there after 6 1/2 weeks, the fact you nearly sent me sky high when you hit the mark pressing into my ankle or maybe that I'm still stuck in a fabbo boot, or well, enough of the sarcasm now, yep.

Anyways the 70.3 Ironman goal is over for this year. :( End result and final conclusion; fractured my fibula near ankle (that is nearly repaired woot woo).  But and herein lies the kicker, MRI revealed; I have badly bruised bones around said ankle, and extensive soft tissue damage.  Again with the words you did "a good job and my you have a high pain threshold," remarked as putting in the long pointy thing containing local anesthetic and cortisone directly into X marks the spot on the ankle.  Yeah, baby. 

Another 2 months rehab getting from boot to ankle brace, then see what happens.  No improvement back to surgeon.  Bike and running not for probably 6 months.  Bruised bones and soft tissue damage take a very, very long time to heal, apparently. Alright.

So this is well and truly my mental fitness months of training in preparation for me to do 70.3 Ironman one day because it's going to happen.  I hope the first one will be Cairns but as this has taught me who knows what is around the corner.  And really it's about having a go.  So it is just meant to be later that I have my go.  Looks like the mental fitness is coming first.  Plus guns from swimming.

Head slowly coming to stop...

Bonus:  No surgery....I can still swim with pool buoy, I can still travel (very happy days), have camera in hand makes a happy camper, and I think I'm about to get creative with one leg exercise so stick around that could be well worth a laugh. 

Train safe, avoid tennis balls and 

have awesome day.

Yours, my head is going stop spinning

Shell xox :)

70.3 Cairns Course Change

(18th March)

Last year the swim leg was in Trinity Inlet.  Off the wharf of the marina in the heart of the city, where boats head out to the reef, sea planes lay anchor oh and the occasionally a snappy hand bag is seen.  But hey, they are further up the inlet, apparently. 

The whispers that were filtering through the tri world, ironman land, and local cairns channels where confirmed.  The course has changed.  Dant Dan Dahhhhhhh.

Change; some people embrace it, some people it scares the shite out of.  Depending on what it is.  The later is generally me.  However; at the moment, I’ll be happy just too bloody compete.

Oh the drag of swimming in waters off Palm Cove.  Yeah, sure there are still snappy hand bags, it’s the tropics.  But the probability of one snapping at your heals, is lower.  Gotta love odds.  It is going to be a bit rougher and more head winds on the bike.  Everyone will be in the same boat, so maybe it is a solider on moment.

At this stage like I said, I’ll be happy to just compete and I like the new course changes.  But I’m no expert so will see what happens there.

Embrace the change

Shell xoxo :)

Kinky Boot

(17 March update)

Yeah, it’s not what you think, but at least I got you reading. :)

The roller coaster continues and the last visit to the doctor whilst official report from x-ray number three had yet to reach the office.  It was yahoo, because the boot was coming off and getting to the physio.  Bone mending and ligament; ok.  Get swimming and physio and start building up.  How awesome.

Then in a space of 24 hours the world of training crash and burns again with call from Dr with official written report; bone is going really well, mending.  Ligament, you are not paying the game. So the long and short of that; can swim with pool buoy only, but if hurts stop.  Can start physio, but if it hurts stop, oh and back in the boot for another 1 to 2 weeks.  For next two weeks if hurts stop and rest.  How awesome is that.

my fabbo boot..might need sparkles soon :)

It appears my fabbo moon boot doesn’t want to depart this curvy girl and wants to hang around for another couple of weeks.  Well, bless my cotton socks isn’t that amazing. 

No there isn’t any sarcasm in my voice whatsoever. :)

Again it’s a tiny setback but man it makes me all the more determined to get back into what I use to whinge about most; training.  Isn’t it funny when things get taken away, you appreciate them more and something not to be taken for granted.  

Time is ticking away and cannot deny that little gem, but hoping that the ‘fourth’ x-ray will be nothing but good news.  In meantime, I want it to get better and no permanent damage from doing something stupid.  Already did that hee hee, so swimming with pool buoy it is woot woo.  For a person that loves breathstroke and swims most of the time breathstroke, it is the universes way of saying get that freestyle working girlfriend.  So, freestyle it is.

Puss in boot still…

Shell xo :)

Waiting...mind games...waiting...hmmm

Two weeks of being puss in boot (plus the week before without) it is amazing how doing no training, sitting on ones butt can send the mind into overdrive.

Dream a little distant at moment :(

Two weeks 'immobilised' to start with were docs orders for my fabulous boot.  Together with a "if you must" you can swim with a pool buoy.  But I've done the 'listening' to my body this week and so far the aching ankle/leg has won out, no swimming either.  At the end of the day I figure it is better to get this thing fixed well and truly.  So down the track don't have further problems to put me out permanently.

BUT there in enters the waiting game....as she taps her fingers up and down on the desk.  In the past week, I've scanned the internet and truly if you took on board everything you read happening in the world, you'd be in the corner rocking backwards and forwards.  (I was seriously trying to avoid that before reading all the doom and gloom.)  Holy dooly people what is going on? 

By far the most disturbing for me was attack in China, in beautiful city of Kunming (Spring city).  I've

Bird and flower market of Kunming.

been there several times with charity that does summer camps for orphans.   I've danced with elderly in the People's park, doing their daily exercise with smiles.   Have friends live there.  Caught buses outside the very train station where 160 people were stabbed in cold blooded attacks by northern militant group (30 are now dead).  It is so sad that our tolerance for each other's beliefs, idealism, and need to use brutal violence is apparently only way (for some in their eyes) to be heard and point put across.  Or just do random things for no apparent reason.  It's that split second moment that changes hundreds of people's lives forever. 

With what positive thoughts I've been struggling to hold on to these past couple of weeks I send it to the families that have lost loved ones there.  It puts things into perspective and I know things are all relative. 

I may be injured, however, I still have my life, beautiful hubby, family, friends, house, food etc.  So I figure might be out six weeks maybe longer of my training schedule, next week I'll have more of an idea.  At the end of the day it's a dream, goal and my chasing a rainbow, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.  I do know there is one determined little vegemite keen to get back to training and make that finish line happen.

Which is funny because I used to be the chickeebabe that could sit for hours and watch tv, movies one after the other, stuff my face with food and thought, wow, isn't this cool.  Now (and I really don't know where this other chick has been hiding)  I see the sunshine or the rain outside and think where can I chase my rainbow today. Plus I'm looking at options of where else I can travel and do 70.3's if I can't do Cairns this year (and I haven't even completed one full one yet...totally nutter). 

When I train it makes me happy and also makes me feel great, even if get smashed during the session.  (yep, again with the nutter and OMG I think I've turned to the dark side of wanting to be all fitter and healthy because it is a great feeling..hee hee) I really miss that at the moment.   (I know, lay off the pain meds ha ha).

That old brain and I have been having a roller coaster over the past couple of weeks.  Frustration,

Flower from Hubby, called cat whiskers :)

happy, sad, etc.   Then this morning my amazing hubby leaves a beautiful flower for me on kitchen bench.    Everything turns to rainbows again.  Although, when you have idle time, that brain goes into overdrive..  Man, it is one powerful organ in the body ticking away there.  That if you don't get a control over it instead of chasing rainbows, dark clouds can hover and consume.  I might be hovering in-between some days at the moment but I'm really trying to aim for the rainbows.  Maybe this is the part where I mental prepare for my 70.3 ahead.  Maybe....

Aiming for happy days..and searching for good news stories. :)

Shell xoxo

Grounded by kryptonite....

So, can't say it hasn't been an adventure this past 10 days; visiting physio, x-ray, doctor.   I'm not going to bore you with the details of all that totally thrilling maze; the end result and final diagnosis....drum roll; 

•    Small fracture in fibula near ankle
•  Avulsion to ligament from said fibula to ankle bone.  (In English, means I stretched my ligament that much it pulled a flake of bone off - yippee) 
•   Grade 2 damage to both middle and back tendon.  Which isn't so bad in big scheme of things.  :)

Yep, think that is about it.

Everybody keeps telling me I did a good job.  So I'm going to take pride, ownership and say thanks.  When I do things, I like to do them well.  I have this annoying trait everything has to be perfect when done well.  Although, this time I didn't quite have to take it to this level.  It kinda puts a different angle on training.   

Training, yes, well where does it leave me?  Good question. For the next two weeks (at least) I have a very fashionable boot on.  I could now be known as "Puss in Boot"  As everything is happening on the high end of the ankle, my said boot extends all the way to the knee.  Just need my sixties dress now with sparkles and will be rockin'.

My new fashion accessory...pretty cool hey :)  With dark and stormy clouds or days ahead maybe?

Anyway, as to where this all leaves me for training and my 70.3 Ironman Cairns.  Not sure.  I'm just going to take to day by day, see what happens.  I've had the why me, water works and the absolute shites about it all in the last ten days.  In-between the laughter of what an idiot super girl was at not sticking the landing.  So time will tell.  Remain positive, take pain killers, listen to your body (that one courtesy of Coach M).

At the end of the day I can't change what has happened, and things could be worse.  Am I a tad disappointed, at this stage of the game.  That would be, yep.  But need to focus forward not backwards and get on with making it better, is the first step.  

I'm a firm believer of what will be, will be. ( Oh dear so many cliches yet here we go again..) So if the universe really wants me to nut this year's 70.3 Ironman Cairns, out it will happen.  I wish I could fast forward to see if that is going to happen but have to wait.....  Kinda thinking I'll be in for one hell of a test of mind, body, and spirit.  Good thing I have some amazing people around me.

Yours Puss in Boot

Shell xoxo :)

PS: the one bonus is that swimming is first thing I can do, how awesome is that considering live in the tropics and its summer.  Woot woo. :)  Safe training everyone xoxo :)