To Be Continued

Yesterday signaled the beginning of my new coaching experience with Scott.  The objective for our meeting was for Scott to gain a more complete picture of my goals, achievements, and anticipated obstacles.  Scott is a good listener and I have the gift of gab so things went fairly well.

We talked about the pending race schedule beginning in June and culminating with the IronMan Wisconsin race in September.  I am currently scheduled to participate in 4 other triathlons which will be local to my home in Denver, Colorado.  I reiterated my goal of achieving a time of 11:30 in Wisconsin.  The goal is a bit arbitrary and lofty for someone with my level of athleticism but I figure that without a defined destination, I will never get there.  Scott indicated that he thought the goal could be achieved with the right training.

The next thing on the agenda was to talk about my athletic past or lack there of.  Something told me that he didn’t want to hear about my junior high basketball experiences.  However, I will admit that there are some great stories to be told.  If I had stuck with basketball, I think I could have eventually elevated my stature to alternate water-boy for local pickup basketball games at the YMCA.  I think Scott got the picture that I had never been an “athlete” until I got involved in endurance sports.  Prior to that, I was what some might identify as overindulgent and lacking the motivation to pursue anything outside my comfort zone/lazy boy.

Finally, we started the obstacle discussion.  I assured Scott that I was committed to the challenge and that little would stand in my way of following the prescribed method of training.  It is important to me that my goals do not overshadow the goals of my family but I am usually able to make things work.  It might involve an occasional night swim or a run before the sun comes up.  That’s okay.  After I got done talking the talk, we got into physical limitations.  We discussed my health record.  I didn’t think there was much to discuss here as most of the issues I have encountered have been remedied some time ago.  The only thing that was current is a problem I have had with my shoulder.   Scott called a physical therapist over to take a quick examination.

I did not hear what I wanted to hear.  The physical therapist indicated that there was most likely a significant issue with the rotator cuff.  It is my understanding that there is a range of significance and that an orthopedic doctor would be best able to assess the situation.  The idea of going to see an orthopedic doctor is not exactly what I want to do.  It’s like going to see a chiropractor for your back.  He will tell you that you need an adjustment.  The acupuncturist will tell you that you need acupuncture and the orthopedic surgeon will tell you that you need surgery.  Everyone wants to help with the tools they have in their bag.

Anyway, I called the orthopedic department at the hospital and they ordered x-rays to be reviewed next week.  I had the pictures taken and will be anxious to hear their spin on things.  Until then, I will not buy any trouble.  Instead, I will swim, bike, and run.