Just swimming

Yesterday I did 1500m today I did 2000m with a bunch of that as 50's on :45's on the minute. My shoulders and neck are tight and sore..


Melissa if you are reading this Victoria passed her driving test!! NOw she can drive up to pick you up. lol....





Btw, I like you grad photos.

Yes folks my youngest girl Victoria here in the picture has passed her driving test, now she can drive on her own....CLEAR THE ROADS!!! lol congrats Victoria! : )

Victoria is on the left and her friend Jessica, who might be comming ot Disney 70.3 in May with us.

My calf and ankle are still swollen, but I'm walking better, but still can't put pressure on the calf muscle.


Have a good day.

Swim today

I swam today putting in a lazy 2000m, felt real sluggish today, maybe a result from all the Superbowl festivities. ; - )

The swelling around my leg and ankle is going down a bit, I'm able to move my foot around a bit but I can't put any pressure on my calf, so I won't, also the bottom of my ankle on the inside of my foot is all black and blue, a result of blood pooling down in my ankle and foot, I guess I should elevate my leg higher when I'm sitting.

Polor bear dip

I thought I would be a cool cat and get out of the pool and into the cold frozen tundra of the near north here in Barrie as I take the annual Barrie "POLOR BEAR DIP"
Here I am getting ready and listening to instruction from the organizer of the dip, who infact is the Barrie parks and rec pool director Brad.

This is a view of the area where we take the plunge, There was no wind and the temp was around +0C or +32F. The crowd of on lookers and participant gets bigger every year, this being the 8th year. They had Fire rescue divers in the water to help the people who take the plunge, as well as EMT's all who volunteer, as well as the lifeguard teams who all do a great job and keep everyone safe.

This is me as I went in the icey water, I was the second person to take the plunge. As I limped down to the ice hole, I had help from Brad in the picture with the fur coat on, when I was near the hole I rolled on the flooded ice area in front of the hole first, then I sat on the edge and slipped in so as not to hurt my injured calf. I then stood up in celibration with my arms up to the cheers of the crowd... every one loved how I rolled around on top of the ice before I went I slipped into the icey water, even later as I was leaving with my wife I had a few people comment to me how they liked my entry.
Do you like my swim mask?......Below is after getting out of the water limping across the ice to get my slippers on, then to go up to the shelter/washroom and change. It was a perfect plunge!! and to my surprise it wasn't cold as there was no wind and and as I said before the outside temp was warm.

Bdee bdee bdee...that's all folks!! Until next year!..... : )

Rest day and Barrie Winterfest

I didn't swim today, decided to take a day off since I slept in.

The Barrie Winterfest is on this weekend and i went down with the family to check it out. They have all sorts of things going on down at the waterfront with Ice sculptures, midway rides, lumberjack show, helocopter rides, hourse drawn wagon rides, dog sled rides, and so on. I was difficult for me to get around but I managed slowly being carefull not to strain my calf.

Tomorrow will be the best part of the winterfest! tomorrow is the polor bear dip in the lake, I'm looking forward to it!. : )

Here are some pic's from today's journey down town Barrie.

Here i am infront of the chopper ride, I don't know how much it cost? but i'm sure it was more then I could afford!

The Chopper taking off to do a circle around the bay, maybe a 10 min ride?

The chopper comming in for a landing, really cool to watch!

Dog sleds were fun to watch. it was free, but the line up to ride was over an hour wait, they take you out on a short circle over the lake.

This guy below was cutting square chunks of ice with toy's frozen in the middle for kids to take home.

Some of the ice sculptures, in a pirate theme


This is a solid sculpted ice slide

Victoria and Krissy fooling around on the lake just off the side of where the dog sled rides are.

Like they say pics or it didn't happen

A couple of pic's of my injured calf, notice the swelling?

While I'm putting up pic's, here are some from a couple of weeks ago redoing Victoria's room.

Victoria and Joanne putting up the wall paper.

NO this one below is not a test pattern!...it's the opposite side of the room looking at the corner of the two walls that I painted

Can you see me? the shirt I'm wearing is almost the exact same green as the wall.

Swim again today!

Oh! and I swam again today, put in anouther 2500m. I had the pool all to myself today, all 8 lanes!! we're getting hit with a snow storm and the schools are closed so I guess all the mommys had to stay home with there kids.....works for me!! : )

Wait! Weight!

So I weighed myself and I'm up. I know I said I was going on my 3 S diet or was it 4S's but with all that went on this month I couldn't stick with it, and with lack of my run and biking to burn the cals I just ain't going to lose weight. I'll try again this month (Feb) : )

Only 40lbs to lose by may 18...Doh!!

Swim Focus

I checked on Mom and she is doing well, she has some pain but is manageable with her meds.

Starting today I plan on focusing on my swimming while my calf heals over the next few weeks. I think I can manage swimming with the pull buoy as long as I don't try kicking. I'll swim 2500m today to bring my monthly total to 30,000m for the month. Next month I will increase my total by 10,000m to put in 40,000m for the month of Feb. as a goal, but maybe I will do more?

This afternoon I manage to put in a good 2500m arms only with pull buoy swimming today in only 41min. My calf didn't bother me much with just letting it loose draging behind me and I pushed off the wall on each end with my good/bad left foot, but I looked silly walking across the pool deck with a cane. ..what? what happened? that was the question of the day at the pool.

Here is my monthly totals for Jan. It's pretty pathatic, my biking was neer to none, and my running was off all because of the 3 surgery's on my feet over the month, Only my swim was on target, only because I could swim with sore feet, which looks to be what is on the minue for next month with my calf pull.

I think I'll quit!

Yes that's right! I think I'll just quit all sports all together!!!

I'm out of commission untill April now, Just as my left foot was starting to get better and I was starting my run training I tear my right calf muscle!! Grrrrrrr!!!

Yes, that is right! I tore my right calf muscle today while at the rec center diving today. I was doing an inward dive. (An inward dive is where you stand at the end of the board with your back to the water looking back at the diving board, standing with your ball of your foot and toes on the end of the board, then you push off and dive inward towards the board.)

Well I did everything right for my dive, but as I went to push off something popped and snapped in my right calf as I took off, I finished the dive alright, but while in the water I knew something was wrong. I got to the side of the pool and instead of jumping up out of the water as usual, I sat up on the edge of the pool and got up slowly using my good foot to stand, then I tried to put weight on my right foot but couldn't, so I told the lifeguard I pulled my calf on the last dive so the show is over for today. lol

I got some help from her to walk across the deck to the other side, then she got me some ice to put on it. I sat on the pool deck icing for about a half hour, then decided it was time to go. I got up slowly and hobbled to the change room to change, then drove myself to the hospital.

Sitting in Emerg for 5 hours!!!.... I finally see a doctor, only to tell me, "yes i tore the calf" and "i'll be out of commission until at least April".

I then asked him how long until I can start running? He looked at me and said; April!! ... he said i will need physio and if I'm lucky I will be good to go by April. I said April?? He said Yes April!! ...Did you hit your head or something??? maybe I should take a look??. LOL....

So there you have it! ..... Looks like Disney 70.3 may not happen. :-(

Shock Wave strike 3...

WHAT IS SHOCK WAVE THERAPY??.... Here's a link

http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/eswt.htm


Today was the 3rd and last installment of my shockwave noninvasive surgical procedure.....DAMN IT HURT!!

Now that is done, all I have to do is recover from the initial pain today and wait until the healing takes affect.

So far the overall result from my right foot with the PF is good almost all the pain from standing and walking was gone as of before today's treatment, so I suspect after today's treatment and in a few weeks I should be 100% pain free in that foot. Yay!

My bad foot, the left one, I would say I'm at about 70% pain free as of before today's treatment, and if all goes well in a few weeks I feel I'll be at up to 85% pain free or hopefully better, I don't think I'll ever be pain free in this foot, but small miracles happen sometimes.

The PT said it will take at least 3 more months for my feet to fully heal and I should check in in 6 weeks to see my progress plus I have an appointment in 3 months to see Him if more treatment is needed.

So what now? What do I do with my training? .... Will I make it to Lake Placid?

I am really teetering on the concept of just giving up because I want to do well in my Next IM, but if I'm going to struggle with the run I'm thinking I should just put it off until next year when I can be 100% for my training, plus be in a better place financially. ..OR ...On the other hand? I am training and will continue to train and do as much running as I can bare, be it only half as intense as I want it to be. I can still do LP knowing my swim will be great, my bike will be awesome and I can walk the marathon? but do I want to do it knowing I will only be a MOP and finishing at 13 1/2 hr - 14 1/2hrs if my foot breaks down?? been there done that!..

I don't know? .....I'll have to wait and see? .....I still have Disney 70.3 to do in May and if I have poor result there I can decide whether to pull out of Lake Placid then.

TO DO LAKE PLACID? or ...NOT TO DO LAKE PLACID????.......

Round 2 of Shock Wave

What is shockwave Therapy? ....http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/eswt.htm

Have I seen any improvement from my first treatment?....I have to say yes, my Planter Fasciitis of my right foot was dramatically improved, but still some tightness and a little pain. My left foot has less pain then before but still moderate pain when standing on it for any length of time, but feels better then it did.

I had my second of 3 installments of shockewave therapy done on my 2 feet today, I came more prepared this time and took 3 extra strength Tylenol before going to my treatment. Did it help? I don't know? because it still hurt like hell!!! Again for the rest of today I will be taking it easy. My feet are both puffy and swollen again from the treatment.

I haven't been doing much training since last week, matter of fact my training is at a halt or near stand still, my motivation is at a all time low because I can't do what I want or need to do training wise while I'm getting my shock wave treatments. So now I'm waiting until I finish my 3rd shockwave treatment next week, then give myself another week of recovery before I can really get my training started, in the mean time unless I stop eating, I'm gaining pounds and will never meet my weight goal for LP.

I did finally get to talk with the rec director at holly wood pool about teaching the dive program. She was all impressed with me and my credentials. I told her I couldn't do any teaching until the fall/Winter because of my training for Lake Placid and summer tri races, she said that's great because she wouldn't be able to get the program listed in the rec book until the fall/Winter session anyway. So all looks good.


Hey! it was my moms birthday yesterday the 16th. She turned 71. My brothers family and my family took mom out to the Mandarin to celebrate her birthday Last Sunday, minus a few people and kids, Melissa being up at University in North Bay, Victoria had to work, and my brothers daughter is also in collage in Toronto and couldn't make it, and my sister and her family couldn't make it because they were to busy? ( something about a dart tournament ) Oi !!

Here are some pictures...


This is the entrance looking into the Mandarin restaurant
This is the buffet area, I'm telling you it is the best food!

Here we are at the table, at left is My brothers wife Adele, my brother Mike, my mom, me, Joanne, Chris, and my brothers son Mathue

Hey John F - Thanks : )