Fun with Podcasts

Since I haven't been able to train as much I've been getting sucked into the wonderful new things Husband's been digging up in Podcastland.

Due to the wonky nature of iTunes I can't post direct links without an advanced degree in programming, but you can find these no problem if you just go there and search on the names.

The Onion Radio News ('nuff said. Go. Listen. Laugh until you can't breath.)

Ask a Ninja (video. hard to explain, must watch to believe, really funny in a goofy, off-beat way. rumored to be the brainchild of former Second City cast members)

Hope is Emo (video. again, hard to explain. a must see. freaking hysterical. girl is rumored to have been associated with Mad TV)

Control-Alt-Chicken (video. I've mentioned them before. still hilarious.)

This one's not iTunes, so it's easy to get to. If you're a raging Jon Stewart fan like I am, you'll enjoy this clip of him and Stephen Colbert totally losing it on camera.

After all that...

The siren-song of the sport worked its magic after all... even though she approached the race with all the enthusiam of someone facing a root canal sans anesthesia, now that SCM has had a while to digest the experience she realized she enjoyed it and told me yesterday she's planning on doing it again next summer.

And I'm still doin' my job... I've got 3 potential triathletes asking me to take them through their first race next year!

Report: The Race I Couldn't

Finally posted my report on the sprint I volunteered at 10 days ago.

Does this mean it's working?

Had my second sports massage therapy appointment Monday night. It hurt, but not quite as horribly as last time. Apparently that means the muscles are healing?

I'm catching on pretty quick - I got in the important workouts on Sunday and Monday before the appointment because I suspected I'd be too miserable on Tuesday to exercise. I was right. There's a reason she insists on allowing at least 5 days between a treatment and an event! The day after I feel like someone beat me up; I'm even sporting a few bruises.

In between inflicting various kinds of pain on me she did say that the muscles felt noticeably better, so I'll take that to mean I'm on the right track.

She's not sure I should race this weekend but understands my reasons for wanting to give it a shot. She made me promise to take it easy, to walk the run leg and to quit if it starts to hurt, which is certainly not unreasonable advice.

Not Looking This Gift Horse in the Mouth

After 3 weeks of non-activity I got into the pool today for another shoulder test and was shocked at the amazing results.

I felt pretty clunky at first and the first few laps were all about remembering how to move through the water. Even so, my worst lap times today were several seconds faster than my pre-swim-coach bests.

Of course I took it easy because this was about testing a recently healed injury, but I still managed to swim 675 yards in 20:49, which I'm pretty sure is a PR for me in that pool. And I could definitely have gone faster; in fact, had to consciously hold myself back.

I certainly felt like I could have kept going but I followed the doctor's advice and stopped there. I must say I'm happy with where I'm at given the extent of my recent injuries and am optimistic I can make it across that lake next Sunday.

I suppose I should be wondering how taking so long off I practically forgot how to swim made me faster... but I'm just going to accept it and be happy it's going this well.