On Inspiration, over shooting, and cutting deep

So the last two week were long. There was Passover in LA with the family, the drive there and back, the scheduled ankle surgery, the postponed ankle surgery, the ED trip, the trip back to the ED to find out what was causing the gastric distress and diagnosis of acute colitis, and then MEB WON THE BOSTON MARATHON AND THAT WAS SUPER COOL.

Now for more color. I was getting ready for what my doctor said was a simple ankle surgery on Friday morning. It was going to take about 30 minutes and I would be off crutches within a few days. It would take care of the chronic inflammation that goes away after a few weeks of rest and comes back after a week of running. Very simple he said, does them all the time he said. So I said let's do it.

On Thursday night I started my mandated fast but started feeling my stomach bubbling up.  I figured it was nerves. I didn't sleep very well, again chalking it up to nerves. But when I got to the surgery center the cramps and nausea didn't subside, and in fact got worse. I tired to power through but the pain in my gut just didn't stop. Finally I choose to go home and get some rest and liquids in my stomach.

I thought I was going to be fine and was pissed about not sucking it up; then the cramps just wouldn't stop. They were incredibly strong and were getting worse. So off to the hospital we went. The doctor thought I was a wimp and said it was most likely nerves. Now, I trust doctors most of the time and I tend to think ED folks see a lot of the same stuff so they probably would know what was up. But this wasn't nerves and I am not a wimp (an idiot sure, but not a wimp).

I came home with some tummy helper pills and some pain killers. I worked to get some liquids in and then sleep it off. It didn't work. The pain was just as bad and had moved into an area that the doctor was worried about the next day...back to the hospital we went. They took a CT and found that my colon wasn't playing well with others. Thankfully, on this day they gave me a bunch of morphine and I was able to relax and feel a bit better. The IV antibiotics got to work fast and a few days out I am feeling about 90%.

Yeah. It has been a tough few weeks and thus the break from the blog. There is one silver lining: I lost a bunch of weight. Today I was at 207lbs and I am eating again. Obviously I would have preferred to have done this in a more traditional way and to be recovering from my ankle surgery. But that is how it goes. No matter how much planning you do, you can't win them all.

See, she is my friend.

Now to the world of running. I very much enjoyed the Boston Marathon yesterday and I was very proud of my boy Meb and one of my best-friends Shalane on her American record (regardless about what she says). But it goes to my update - no matter the planning you can't win them all.

Shalane was rocking the first 18 miles and then wasn't rocking it. She went out hard and did all the work leading the pack. After nearly 20 miles, she fell off the lead pack finishing off the podium. She was on the cover of Runners World and Running Times talking about Boston. She was interviewed in every pre-race thing talking about how she had to win for her family, her hometown, and her self. I don't know if she psyched herself out or just was up against the best field of runners in the world or she bonked or a combination of all three or more.

Who knows but she was really pissed at the end after what turned out to be a really fast race for her personally. This is understandable but you got to roll with it. No matter what "it" is for you. My case it was a nasty stomach issue that further extended my ankle troubles and in Shalane's it was a spectacular 20 mile run and a six visibly painful mile run during a nationally televised marathon.

So that is my update. I lost some weight, I don't feel well, and I am re-scheduled for ankle surgery in the coming weeks. Seven months to NYC...that is scary.