socialy retarded

I gained some and lost a lot

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by Derrick.

I was faced with a decision that has put me in inner turmoil. I’ve always been goal orientated and when I’m not able to achieve that ambition, I don’t take the disappointment all too well.

3 weeks ago I went on a 12 mile run, and on the way back the last 3 miles I experienced pain in my right knee. This is the same knee that I have an audible click in when I squat down. This is also the same knee that my orthopedic surgeon pronounced to be “worthy” of an arthroscopy to partial or subtotal menisectomy and debridement.

I did my usual procedure of ice bath, ibprophen, and recovery shake. The swelling normally goes away in 3 hours and my legs feel fine in 24 hours, but this time the pain lasted 3 days. I decided to go to my Ortho (who happens to be a runner and triathlete) to get his opinion.  He said that from my initial visit in January, that the 60+ mile running weeks have created floating or displaced tissue, and that “IF” I continued for the next two months of 70-80 mile running weeks I would do enough damage to require surgery in mid to late October.

The procedure and recovery time would be dependent on how much damage I’ve done over the last 5 months of training since he gave me the initial a-o-kay in March. His estimate without having to do another MRI is that I’ve shortened the time from 5 years to within the next year  that I’ll need surgery. He did opinion that if I went ahead with my half ironman and continued to train that the floating debris may continue to make my knee inflamed and or prevent me from fully extending or contracting my right leg.

I’ve been spending countless hours training for this half ironman. It has been a goal of mine since I competed and trained last summer for my first triathlon season. Even the entrance fee for the race is non refundable and only transferable to myself for future dates. I almost feel like my blood sweat and tears is what has led to my ultimate seasons demise.

Since my visit, I’ve had to sit with friends and family to discuss my option. Continue and guarantee myself a date with the scalpel, or stop training and maybe with some cycling and low impact stuff I’ll prolong the possibility of surgery. My family and I have not had the best luck with “routine” surgeries. After talking with my little sister, I’ve decided to quit training and bow out of my first half ironman bid.

BUT! All is not lost. I’m an optimist and look at the silver lining in this situation.

When I started this project of slimming down in 08’, I weighed in at 222lbs. That was the beginning. Since that time I’ve lost 69lbs and as of writing this blog weigh in at 153lbs. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t all flab. I was a meat head that went to the gym every day, but still carried a good spare tire of fat (or beer) around my mid section. I’ve lost a ton of fat, but along with that a ton of muscle mass in my shoulders, legs and arms.

At the beginning of last season I weighed 205. I lost 20lbs last summer and in September of last year was 185lbs. I’ve lost an additional 33lbs and I feel amazing. I’m in the best shape of my life since I was 19 and feel blessed that I can still keep up with people 10 years my junior.

These are the before and after pics, same jeans.

I’m now going back to being a meat head. I like that I’ve accomplished a lot, but I’m way way to skinny for my own good right now. I’d like to be back up to 190 but maintain my level of cardio so as to not gain my muffintop again.

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T-day 9-20-09

Posted on 23. Sep, 2009 by Derrick.

“You are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you…I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower

All the training, all the sweat, all the early mornings. It was finally the day of my Triathlon. I had done everything I could do. I learned how to not only swim, but swim long distances. I learned that I suck at running. I learned that riding with Hyon up mountains helps with any ride. This summer was fun training for this tri, but its time for a bit of a break.

Floyd and I arived to the tri at about 6:45 for our body marking and to set up our bikes. Soon after our cheer squad showed up. Annika, Summer, Pet, Will, and Austin all showed up to cheer us on our first swim/bike/run.

Wetsuits make me look fat! Here are more pictures from the race.

I took John’s advice and I’m all the way on the right. Way way out of the way. Open water swimming with a bunch of people gets me all fired up. For the first 300 meters I cant catch my breath, I’m almost hyperventilating. Not till my muscles went into auto mode did I finally settle down and just swim.

Floyd had a completely different experience out on the swim. Some dude kicked him in the head. He went to the rest boat and asked to hang out for a second because he was “dizzy”. The minute he said that word they pulled him from the race and had a paramedic check him out. Floyd’s race was done for the day.

You may not be able to see from this picture but people are still going out to the closed 4 mile course when I was coming in from finishing that leg. That fact didn’t register in  my brain until my third lap when wave 4 was just entering the bike course as I was trying desperately to keep my bike times low. I had managed to do the first 8 miles in 20 minutes. Then out came the parachute. Wave 4 consisted of all the slower people who were going to finish the race nearly an hour after me, they mostly rode mountain bikes, or comfort bikes. I honestly don’t have any issue with people like that doing a triathlon. I have a problem when the don’t understand proper trail/biking etiquette. “On your left” does not mean “Go left”. I almost drilled grandma bunn several times because she decided to play bumper bikes. My 3rd lap was 15 minutes long. UGH!

Yay, cheer squad!

I don’t know why I’m such a snotty person. I have to farmers blow my nose at least 8-10 times when I train. Any bike ride, any run, even under the water. I get snot everywhere. Even Snowboarding/Skiing I get snot on my pants, gloves, and jacket.

I had a ton of fun on the race. It was a new experience that no mater the amount of training you do, nothing will prepare you for open water swimming with 40 other people. I was disapointed with my time as I came in 10 minutes slower than my fastest time trial, but since this was my first “official” tri, I can’t complain.

Now that I’m done, its on to my next goal. Brandon made the suggestion that, since my run times are like a hippopotamus on xanex, that I try for a half marathon in San Diego in January. So I’m now going be training on running, crossfit, and lifting.

Joy!

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Octoberfest Triathlon

Posted on 19. Aug, 2009 by Derrick.

I’ve finally signed up and I’m  an official member of USAT.  I had to be to an official Triathlete to participate in withoutlimits.com’s Oktoberfest triathlon at union reservoir.

I’m super stoked. So much so that I’m actually looking forward to running tonight.

Hope to see you guys on September 20th to cheer me on!

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Tri-time trial

Posted on 12. Aug, 2009 by Derrick.

Last Saturday. I decided to time trial and see how fast I could do the sprint distance. One hour, twenty five minutes!

Wasn’t all that bad. Here are my splits.

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No toenail, no cry

Posted on 27. Jul, 2009 by Derrick.

I’m serious when I say this. Running without a toanail doesn’t hurt. Swimming without one hurts like a bitch.

Over the weekend I was horsing around, when I jammed my pinkie toe. I looked down to see the nail just hanging off winking at me. Like “Hello, I’m going to fuck up your training” grrrrr. I was able to use some liquid skin to cover my toe, the antiseptic in it made me about jump out of my skin.

I wanted to run first today instead of swimming then running. I finished my 5k and my toe was throbing a bit. I ran into the locker room to get my trunks on, and jumped in the pool. ZING. The chlorine, the water, the temprature change, whatever it was, it was like I just shot my toe off.

I got 1500 meters before they closed the pool due to lightning. But all the while I was finding my happy place, my toe fuckin hurt every single kick.

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Lap Swimming Etiquette 101

Posted on 23. Jul, 2009 by Derrick.

I got to the pool early yesterday to hit a short hard 750m swim. When I got there, all the lanes were full. I looked at the lane markings and absolutely NO ONE was following the “slow lap” “medium lap” and “fast lap” signs. To further my frustration, no one was circle lap swimming either, which was also clearly posted.

I don’t know if it was because it was predominantly older folks, and they simply didn’t give a shit, or all of theme were illiterate. I do know that it was a cluster fuck of people swimming everything from doggy paddle to brest stroke. So I picked what looked like the safest lane with the two most experienced looking swimmers.

I hopped in the lane and talked to the first guy and he said that he had no problem with me joining their lane. I asked him if it would be OK if we swam with a circle lap, and he said that would be fine, but the other guy in that lane had been sticking to one side. I then waited for the other gentleman to join us at the end of the pool. When I asked him if we could “circle lap swim” he looked at me with an odd look. I then drew a circle with my finger in the water indicating a clockwise lap and he simply stated “yeah, I’m not stupid, i know what a circle is”. I thought to myself, well you may know your shapes but your a fuckin idiot because you cant read for shit. He then jumped out and said “I’m done anyways”. Well then, why the hell did you take the time to be an asshole?

I wish he had stayed in the pool, I would liked to have peed right in front of him just for him to swim through it. I did see him later mackin on some grandma bun, and I wanted to walk up to her and say “This guy has a tiny dick” and walk off. Old fuckers like that annoy me.

So later that day I decided to take Floyd and Hyon up lookout mountain for some hill climbing on our bikes. I love that ride late at night. Perfect temperature, and its fun as shit to bomb down the mountain roads with just a bike light. We all timed ourselves on the way up. Hyon made it up in 33 minutes, I made it up in 37, and Floyd took 43 minutes.

Good fun, tonight is running night with Guinness and Summer.

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