Although the Ironman training has gone pretty well so far, I still have a hell of a long way to go.  After missing most of last week due to travel, I have felt flat and sluggish all week.  Today we ran 20.  The first 3 were at 8:30, the next 4 or so were at around 8, then back to 8:30 with the last mile at about 8 or so.

My goal this week has been to get my mileage up and not get injured so my runs have been at low intensity (10m, 11m, 20m, 5m).  I will log 45+ run miles this week, quite a few for these old legs.  I will and get in a big bike week next week,  200 miles if all goes as planned.  My swim needs a lot of work but swimming in the morning with the masters group at North County will begin to pay off this month (only 6700 yds this week).

Next week I will back down my run mileage and mix in some speed work.

 
 

Stephen Denny was injured by a boat propeller while assisting a friend before a triathlon in St. Augustine.  This picture of Steve's left leg is a partial representation of his injuries.  Steve is still hanging on to his dream of completing Ironman Florida on November 1, 2008.   The physical pain of his injuries must be substantial.  However, the psychological and spiritual pain of not doing what we love and that keeps us grounded has to be the most profound to me.  Can ya feel me?

"the staples have been out for almost four weeks.  I was released to swim about 2 1/2 weeks ago, it felt good for a few days to do something aerobic.  Unfortunately I developed an infection shortly after and am restricted from the water until the new sores are completely healed.  I also could not bike because it kept tearing the sore open."  Stephen Denny (skdfinancial@msn.com)

As an athlete, nothing can be more frustrating than to be on the sidelines.  It is just not in our nature to NOT be moving.  For myself, and I am sure many others, this sport is really a lifestyle that keeps me connected to my soul.  Maybe that sounds a little deep and at odds with the perception of outsiders that triathletes and athletes in general are superficial and more concerned with the external factors such as how we look and how we perform. However, the greatest benefits for me are: stress relief, decompressing, camaraderie, being alone with only the sound of my breathing, seeing the sun rise over the ocean  3-4 times  per week, practicing self discipline, sacrifice and commitment.

It does feel great to look in the mirror and like what you see and have the feeling of wellness and confidence that comes with being fit.  But what feels the best is knowing that I am pushing myself to the limit, setting and working towards a goal and doing workouts that only a small segment of the population can imagine. 

Steve, I believe in your dream.  Hang in there and do not give up, miracles happen and anything is possible.  Every day ordinary people like us accomplish extraordinary things.

Words of encouragement can be posted here or sent directly to Steve's email address above.

 
 

Today I was lucky.  I was riding the Sunday Cycle Science ride, just before the  RR tracks nearing Cove Rode.  There was a bottle neck in the pack and I moved left around  some slower traffic to work myself into a better position near the front.  At this point I am sure the pack is traveling 26-28mph and in the blink of an eye I touched wheels with Dave Garfield.  Dave is an excellent and experienced rider so I am not sure if I moved into him (if I did, I apologize) or he bumped me (if he did, no big deal), it happens but it can be pretty hairy.  Something on his bike, I think his wheel skewer, ripped through the spokes on my front wheel, within a second, we separated and I could tell he was going to stay up and was left to wonder about myself as my front wheel was vibrating and shaking violently.  I stayed calm  and held a line away from the pack so I didn't take anyone else out and just tried to hold it toward the grass so if I went down it might due less damage.  Luckily, I made it to the grass and the pack went sailing smoothly by.  When I got stopped I realized how damn lucky I was.  There wasn't a spoke left undamaged, the wheel would not turn and I realized I was also skidding a bit on the pavement. 

Looking at the wheel I was immediately taken back to my childhood cartoon days of Tom Slick in the Thunderbolt Grease Slapper as he battled Baron Otto Matic.  In nearly every episode the Baron would pull beside Tom and use a spear like instrument protruding from his wheel to knock dashing Tom off his course.  Good thing I can smile about it and I will be back to ride the group ride again.  I should probably slow down a bit and not worry if I am getting caught back a bit, after all, I know where the ride ends and the goal is to get there in one piece.  

By the way, thanks to Rick of Tire Kingdom.  What a great guy, he threw my bike in his truck and brought me all the way back to Jupiter when he could have just drove home to Palm City..YOU'RE THE MAN RICK!