(Art: Chest X-Rays: A belongs to a normal guy. B belongs to a guy with pneumonia. Photo: Bonnie drinking coffee through her ear. Don't try this at home! Drawing - A woman who looks like Bonnie, only totally different, doing sick-in-bed stuff.)Making a Comeback Without Making a Scene...
By Bonnie Vivify
If there's one thing I should be good at it's making a come-back to training. In fact, I should be a pro at it by now, unfortunately. As I continue to progressively heal from my lung infection, the Pulmonary Specialists are allowing me to ease into training. First let me point out that these specialists are so busy doing specialistic type things that it was necessary to explain to them what a triathlon consisted of: "Nope, there isn't any jump roping or hog tying involved, it's just swim/bike/run... No, you do the three events back to back, not over the course of the summer.... Yes, people die.... No I have not yet seen someone die in the swim and I hope that I never do... Yes, we are all crazy."
Keeping in mind that exercising minds do not always think alike, I carefully asked the specialists in front of a witness if they were absolutely sure I could commence training, repeating back to them their instructions. They confirmed it in unison and reminded me to go slow and ease back into it. I had them sign a consent form I had hidden in my pocket to give to my mother and then asked them what slow and easing into it meant to them. "Well,.... running and biking and swimming I suppose...." "Let's talk semantics" I suggested. I was emphatic to make sure they understood that a short swim was a half mile, a short bike ride 20 miles and a run around 5-10 miles. They concluded that my body would consider those short and gave me the thumbs up. So, on Mother's Day, I did what I consider pampering myself. I ran 9.6 miles.
Ah, yes, the great outdoors once again! In case you are unaware until this fatal moment, Eagan is the equivalent to the hills in Tour de France. If you doubt it, just run Diffley after you finish Cliff and Pilot Knob. Last Sunday Lebanon Hills was bedded down with a beautiful blanket of fog that stretched across Cliff Road and the early morning sun streamed down through the clouds. Mike and I jogged at a very slow pace, allowing the fog to envelope us and eventually eject us out the other side, being careful to go just barely faster than a walk. I breathed in the cool, crisp air and my very being was instantly rejuvenated as I sifted through the scents that remind me that spring is here and the rain washes everything clean and fresh.
A long time later we finished the run. Injury free. As I continue to ease back into my training I am reminded daily that exercise and health are a gift we give ourselves, not something that we should take lightly. Be kind to your body in every way. Without it, how could you run Tour de France?
