Going slow to go fast...

So my coach Phil constantly repeats - the mantra to my building a stronger me. Well, now it appears it may be stopping to go slow, so that eventually we can go fast.

Somewhere in a time-warp between last Friday morning feeling really great and going through a progressive work out in Session 5 since back from India, and racing Sublimity circuit road race (Saturday - photo above as I roll out in search of my lung - maybe I should have noticed the arrow on the ground pointed the other way?) and the Jack Frost TT on tandem with Hammer (Sunday morning) I managed to do some damage to my lungs/ribs (??) it appears. Severe enough I ended up in the local ER at 2 AM Monday morning having trouble breathing with one of the worst pains imaginable drilling into my left ribs just about the base of the heart... yes, that alone scared the shit out of me! (and Jenn)

After over 6 hours in ER which included EKGs, x-rays, CAT scans, full blood tests,, other tests, and a whole lot of some cousin to morphine (thank you chemistry!), I was able to breath with reasonable comfort and eventually wheelchair it into a car to go home - and here I sit or partially lie down - which ever position let's me dodge the pain.

So what they think they know is this -

Pleurisy is swelling (inflammation) of the thin layers of tissue (pleura) covering the lungs and the chest wall. (according to WebMD)

Appointment with a pulmonary specialist tomorrow - hopefully pleurisy is all it is, a week or so to heal and back to going slow, but well know more later.

It appears I may have pushed the lungs and body too hard too fast trying to get into race shape. In other words, didn't go slow enough to go fast (later). The price is no Banana Belt series opener this weekend - with any luck a nice long pain free walk with Jenn.

Congrats to friend Jeff Otto for the win in Mstrs 40+ and to teammate Matt Slater for a great 3rd!

Weekend results (besides the pain): Sublimity Road Race and Jack Frost TT
Photo: Jenn Loren