1 Month Already?

Another action-packed week. Here are some highlights (albeit a bit wordy!) ...

Saturday - Bard on the Beach. A Vancouver institution for 20 years and a tradition of mine for about 4 now. It is a bit ironic, considering that I think I slept through Shakespeare in high school ... nevertheless, I have developed an appreciation, nay love, for the productions. I saw A Comedy of Errors with Carly & Steve (mom decided that the seats wouldn't work with the current state of her elbow - or lack of elbow). The production was excellent, the acting superb and you simply can't ask for a better setting than Vanier Park at sunset. I don't think I would have discovered how entertaining Shakespeare can actually be if it weren't for Bard (Vancouver lingo for Bard on the Beach). NB - if you are thinking about going, you MUST buy tickets in advance!

Sunday - Dinner for 16. I can't take all the credit for this soiree ... today was time for the "kids" to provide dinner for our parents, aunts, uncles, in-laws etc. We've done this for a couple of years now instead of having separate Mother's and Father's Day dinners. Family dinners have always been important for us and I am grateful to have such a wonderful group of people to call my family! Us kids pulled off a great dinner - appies by Heather; flank steak prepared by yours truly and grilled by Paul; cole slaw by Jeff; caesar salad and rolls by Carly & Steve; Asian pasta salad by me; and dessert by Toireasa & Paul. Wine by everyone!

Monday - alarm at 5:20, alarm turned off at 5:21. Clean-up from last night's event had me up past a reasonable hour to get up for a swim. Honestly, my motivation to swim is at an all-time low right now. Time off in the spring has me swimming way at the back of the pod and lack of progress with my feet continues to wear me down. I had great workout with Chelsea at Innovative Fitness. These guys have done a great job adapting my workouts depending on my pain and mobility.

Tuesday - Harry Potter. I admit it, I'm a huge fan. Not only do I love the stories, but I am truly amazed at how someone (in the case J.K. Rowling) comes up with stories like this. She really is a master at intricate details. I think a reread of the books and a rewatch of the movies is in order.

Wednesday - alarm at 5:20 ... up this time to get mom to the hospital for her elbow replacement. (It went well and she is now on the long road to recovery.) No swimming, again! Meyrick rescued me from a third day on public transportation by giving me a lift to where my car had been in for repairs. Another great workout at IF with Dylan.

Thursday - Prolotherapy round 3. I'm not sure how to best explain what it does, but here's a non-medical description: they inject a solution of dextrose and alcohol into my plantar fascia, more precisely my heels, with the purpose of irritating the soft tissue that is deteriorating. The irritation causes inflammation which is the first step in the healing process. I think I'm getting the hang of the routine:
Day 1: Injections. Try to stay off my feet as much as possible; even though they freeze my heels, there is still bruising and tenderness around the injection site. Feet start swelling.
Days 2 & 3: More swelling, stay off feet. My gait is totally off at this point (heels hurt!) which causes a host of other problems.
Days 4 - 10: Swelling starts to come down and am allowed to do very light activity. After this point things feel pretty much like they did before (which is not great at present). Unfortunately I can't take any anti-inflammatories or ice as this is counterproductive.
6 weeks after injections: Start all over again. Nobody is sure how many times we'll have to do this, but it may take up to 8 or 9 injections, so about a year. If all goes well, I may start to feel an improvement in the fall.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday - Penticton.

Friday I had a much needed day to myself. Karen & I were planning on going for a swim in Skaha, but it was just a little too windy & rough for it to be safe without support. So she went off on her ride & run and I did a little touring. This day turned out to be a huge success as I discovered several "new favourite places". Summerland Sweets makes some of the best fruit jams & syrups out there. The Vinegar Works makes, well, you guessed it, vinegars. They don't just make it, they grow everything that goes in the bottle. The Bench is my "new favourite" market cafe. They serve up great paninis, salads, baked goods and awesome coffee. I also discovered a few other places that I want to visit in August.

Saturday & Sunday was CMS Coaching's Ninth Annual Ironman Prep Camp. Given my state of "disrepair" I was a member of the support crew. Friday night's dinner was highlighted by a talk from the "Voice of Ironman Canada" (and numerous other races) Steve King. Not only is Steve an amazing race commentator, he is also an athlete, clinical counsellor and motivational speaker. He has a special interest in energy medicine and how our thoughts influence the flow of energy in our bodies. Follow the link to his site for more information. Saturday was swim & bike - I got in for the swim and managed around 3.5 - 4 km in a little over an hour. The rest of the day was spent out on the bike course making sure everyone was well hydrated and doing OK. Karen pulled the boys back into Penticton and had her best IMC bike course time EVER - 5 hrs 39 mins despite a wicked storm that produced torrential rains, lightning strikes and winds that brought down trees & power lines. Sunday was on the run course. Nice and sunny instead of the bizarre weather on Saturday. It was great to be out supporting my friends as they get ready for IMC, but it is bittersweet as I can't help but think about the activities I haven't been able to do for a long time.

The final "new favourite" find for the weekend was Sanderson Farm Market just outside of Keremeos. I came home with cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and apples!

All in all it was a busy and somewhat stressful week, but it ended on a good note which is the best way to start the next week!