Friday was the hottest day of the year here so far. I'm not sure whether the actual temperature quite made it up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but the heat index value was up around 110.
That morning I went out for my usual around-the-block run, and then did a gym session. Just after noon I reported to the orthopedic/spinal surgery clinic for my nerve block injection. Such a procedure is fairly simple, and from what I understand it's supposed to make impinged nerves contract so they're not getting pinched so bad anymore. The injection hurt some, but not too bad, largely because I was sedated. They didn't put me completely under, but the anesthesia they gave me did mess with my mind a bit. I have only a cloudy recollection of what happened between the procedure and my release from the clinic. I was required to have a driver (my good old mom) to take me home.
The doctor told me I should be able to resume normal activities by the next day. But instead of paddling yesterday, I had something else to do. My first cousin is retiring from service in the U.S. Army, and his family and friends were throwing him a party yesterday on a rural property up near Columbia, Tennessee, and so my mom and I drove up there to join in the celebration.
And so by this morning I hadn't paddled in several days, and hadn't paddled my surfski since Tuesday. And there was a part of me thinking "GAAH!!!! I've got this big long open-water race coming up in just two weeks! My training should be reaching its crescendo right now, and instead I'm just lallygagging around!!"
But the measured part of me knows that this is not the most ordinary chapter of my athletic career. I've been on an Odyssey in search of a way to get my body right again, and while I've been able to keep doing some paddling and some racing, right now I should just be glad to participate, bring some competitive spirit, and enjoy the camaraderie. If I end up having a really good race too, that's just gravy.
Adding to the challenge this morning is that I didn't have the best night of sleep and I was feeling sort of sluggish and cloudy-headed as I readied my boat and gear on the dock. But my muscles were fresh, and once I was in the boat it didn't take long for my mood and energy level to come around. My plan was a calm 90-minute paddle, and I tried to make it as high-quality as possible by searching for good precise strokes and grasping for that playfully elusive feeling of utter efficiency in the transfer of energy from my paddle blades through my arms and my torso and my legs all the way to my feet that actually push the boat forward. Out on the Mississippi there was a pretty strong southwest wind blowing that kept me cool in the hot weather. My body felt good and my mood was upbeat as I worked to keep the boat gliding over the choppy water, and I thought that if I can feel the same way paddling around Cape Ann in a couple of weeks, I'll be happy with that.
I think it'll be some time before I'll know for sure if the nerve block has done me any good. The good news right now is that I've experienced no pain in the two days since I got it. Apparently some people do have pain--sometimes even enough that the doctor has to prescribe some narcotic pain medication. (I had to sign a form promising not to misuse such substances if they are prescribed to me.) But I've been feeling perfectly fine.
My departure date is a week from tomorrow, so the coming week is my last for training at home. Hopefully I can get some good work done and leave town feeling some confidence.
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