Back in the Saddle Again

Good things happen all the time and sometimes I feel like we get caught up in the negative and forget to focus on the positive. So here is a positive story:
I was convinced Camo-Man needed surgery. We aren't sure exactly how it happened, but in May he started having a lot of pain and swelling in his right leg after working out. He tried to ignore it for a while, but shortly after the Turkey Festival Bed Races he knew he needed to see a doctor.

The good doc sent him for blood work, x-rays and an MRI. After all of the results were in, we found out that he had a "complex tear" in his meniscus. Uh-oh. I was convinced this meant surgery and several months of recovery. After a visit to the orthopedic surgeon, he suggested physical therapy to strengthen certain leg muscles. He also said Camo-Man could work out as long as the activity didn't cause him pain. The doctor advised Camo-Man to ease back into a workout routine and see how it goes. If he experiences pain, he'll need to return to the doc to see about surgery after all.

Diva Princess ready to work!

Over the weekend, he started running again. This time he had a new training partner. Our park district is holding its first youth triathlon this year on August 13th. Kids 10 & under will swim 100 yards. Kids 11 & up will swim 300 yards. Everyone will bike 4 miles and run 1 mile. Being a true Princess, my little darling asked almost immediately, "What am I going to wear for the triathlon? I can't run in a bathing suit!" Ahh, that's my girl. Always thinking.  (Should I be worried that Diva Princess is actually sucking in her gut?)

With Camo-Man's release to work out for the first time since mid-June, he was anxious to get started again. I was anxious to make sure he didn't push it too much. So we compromised. Diva Princess was so excited to get started on her triathlon training. We thought pairing her up with Camo-Man for his first steps back into training would be a great way to get them both moving.

We started out with the 3 of us riding the youth triathlon bike course. Let me tell you. That was quite an experience. Diva Princess, well, she's a talker. She talked through the whole thing. You know her every thought because she talked OUT LOUD through the entire route. She almost bit the road a couple of times because she was talking so much and kept turning her whole body from side to side instead of focusing on the road. We talked about rock on the road which can make you fall. We talked about passing kids. We talked about the importance of going for time in the triathlon. We talked about potholes in the road. She talked. We listened and smiled. Our 9-year old is growing up. It is so much fun listening to her think through all of these different topics.

We followed the bike course back to the pool where Camo-Man and Diva Princess were going for a 1 mile run. I decided to opt out of this part because after a 12 mile bike ride, 2 runs, teaching 5 Body Pump & 2 Body Flow classes in the last week my old body sure was tired. I'm a firm believer in listening to your body and my body was telling me to rest. Instead, I followed my two triathlete wanna-bees on my bike snapping some pictures and of course, listening to Princess chat through the whole thing. Finally, about halfway through the run, Camo-Man had to give Princess some tips on breathing - and not talking so much! They finished their mile while I rode my bike home. Eight easy miles on a rest day isn't so bad, right?

When they arrived back home, I thought for sure Princess would be ready to settle down for the night. Oh boy was I wrong. All she wanted to talk about was going lap swimming on Monday and meeting her friend, Ally, to train more for the triathlon. I may not ever win my age group in the triathlon, but I do believe my daughter, Diva Princess, is ready to take on the triathlon and kick some booty!