Chest pain ahoy!

This past week, I had my annual physical and mentioned to the doctor that I've been having trouble breathing when running or swimming hard (totally fine on the bike) - I feel like I've got a band around my upper chest and I start to wheeze, and then I have to stop for a few seconds before I can breathe normally again.

Using an informal poll of other runners and swimmers, I managed to diagnose myself with Exercise Induced Asthma, and figured that the doctor would just write me a prescription for an inhaler and then all would be sunshine and rainbows.

Except it didn't work like that. The doctor actually looked alarmed and insisted that I see a cardiologist, which, frankly, I thought was a bit much but I suppose that if one has a middle-aged patient complaining of chest tightness when running, it's probably better to rule out anything really life-threatening.

So, Tuesday I'm off to the Cardiologist to have them check my heart for worms. Or something. I was a bit unclear on what, exactly might be wrong with me.

Hopefully nothing, and I'll get the inhaler* and then I'll be able to breathe normally when running, so I'll win the race at Vineman!

*Inhaler does not produce stated effects.

If only...

This afternoon, I spent a few hours bartending at a wedding which took place at an incredible house high in the hills above Malibu. The wedding and reception were wonderful and filled with very nice, sweet people who I wish nothing but the best.

Near the end of the party, I wandered into the master bath and took this:

That would be a whirlpool tub with a view of the amazing sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

What I really wanted to do tonight was sit in that tub, filled with bubbles and getting a water jet massage while I watched the last of the sunlight fade over the ocean.

However, what I did was drive back to my tiny apartment with a tub I can't actually stretch out in and have a glass of wine.

Someday I'll have the 3.3 mil it would take to buy this view.

If only that damned lottery would come through for me.

Speaking of Bike Shorts

I finally bit the bullet and put the hated pair of DeSoto 400 mile shorts up on Ebay.

The pad's great, I just can't stand that drawstring waist. Waste of a hundred bucks, if you ask me.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110895970645?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

As of right now, they're only at 99 cents! Which is more than I'd pay to wear those bastards again, but hey, swoop in and pick up a deal!

Oh, anxiety, I haven't missed you. Not at all.

The race-related anxiety dreams have started a bit earlier than usual, but Vineman is a longer race than I've done before, so I guess it makes sense.

This round of anxiety dreams are centering around the race's split transition area. T1 and T2 are miles apart. So  if I drive to the start of the race, I have to leave my car there, about 20 miles away from the finish line and T2.

Vineman provides shuttles, of course, but then I have to finish the race, find someplace to lock my bike up (since I doubt they'll babysit it for me and they don't allow bikes on the shuttles), sit on the damned shuttle for 20 minutes, get back to my car (and I'll have to carry my car keys with me for the entire race), then drive my stinky exhausted ass 20 miles back to T2, load up my  bike (if someone hasn't stolen it), then drive another half an hour to my  hotel.

I'm not happy about this. Not at all.

I'll have a large group of friends doing the race so I've got a reasonable expectation of having someone give me a lift to the start line, and failing that I'm sure someone will be more than willing to accompany me from LA and use the free hotel room in Napa in exchange for sherpa duties,  but right now my brain is assuming that I'm going to be on my own the whole time and is, of course, imagining the worst.

Hence the anxiety dreams.  In addition to the standard 'sleeping past my start time' dream, now I'm having 'finishing the race after the shuttles have stopped and not being able to get to my car' dreams, with 'OMG my bike's been stolen while I got my car' dreams.

For good measure, last night my brain threw in a 'guy I don't know well but have a very mild crush on is somehow in my hotel room making out with my best friend' dream.

I don't know where that one came from.

In the interest of some good news - my run's doing very well. I'm still struggling to maintain race pace runs (and I'm aiming for a race pace of a 9 minute mile), but I'm cruising along at a 10 and change without breathing hard, which is a HUGE improvement over last year, when I was struggling to maintain an 11 minute mile.

Also - I have a new bike!  I bought it used,  and it's a TT bike, not a road bike, so I'm not going to retire Gary just yet :)

Complete bike story next post!