Sad to drop out or IMAZ…but the quest continues!

After two days of painkillers, the pain persists. It comes and goes as it pleases and sleeping remains elusive. The longest single stretch I have slept this week has been less than two hours. Sometimes I fall asleep quickly, while other times I toss and turn uncomfortably only to get out of bed and walk around. My own bed is too soft, hence I have been sleeping on the floor on a blanket.

I started this blog 400+ days ago when I was travelling to Hawaii to see the Ironman World Championships in 2012. I have blogged daily since then in my quest to become an Ironman. I fully expected to realize this dream on November 17, 2013 by completing Ironman Arizona. Alas, that will not be the case. I have officially decided to drop out. After studying my x-ray in detail, the radiologist has concluded that I have possible early stage pneumonia plus inflammation of the pleura. I have been advised by doctors to rest, take antibiotics, take pain killers and definitely drop out of Ironman Arizona.

Today, I went to my primary care physician’s office and couldn’t stand the thought of taking the stairs up three floors. I took the elevator up. Imagine that! I am cooked. I am done. Usually, I look forward to blogging. Today, I don’t. I feel drained emotionally. Physically, I am already weak. But…there will be other races.

My Ironman pursuit will continue on in 2014. There will be new races to pick from; new places to visit. As painful as it will be for the next few days, I will continue to blog daily. I will definitely go to the race this Sunday to cheer on all my friends.

Today Christine Fletcher arrived from Canada. She is lovely. She and I went for a quick bite to Pita Jungle this evening. Binita was out with her office. We talked about the life of a pro triathlete. She is also a coach. It was an easy conversation. Late tonight (early tomorrow), Andrew Russell arrives. I look forward to his arrival!