I was close

Twasn't my ACL, 'tis my MCL. (Medial as opposed to anterior) The doc said it didn't look serious so it should have healed up by now on its own. He said it may not have healed yet because it's being re-exacerbated. I said, "Hmmm, maybe by going to karate twice a week? After which it always feels even more sore?" (Hey doctor, it hurts when I move my arm like this.) So he told me what any schlub on the street could have told me for 5 cents. Take a break from karate! I'm going to stop going for about two weeks, and if my knee doesn't start to improve, they'll take a closer look. But the good news is that I can still start training for the triathlon with some gentle biking because it will keep my knee moving in a nice, straight plane. So I tried, Karen, but I guess I'm not backing out after all!

Well, maybe not...

So as some of you may or may not know, I threw my back out the other week. By coughing. (Lame!) Well, I was out for over a week, went to the doctor, got some meds, and slowly healed up. So now I'm all better, right?

Except... my stupid knee got injured in karate a month ago and it's still giving me trouble. So even though I just went to the doctor and just got attitude from a nurse for my "narcotic" meds, now I'm going back to the doctor to say, "Uhhh, yeah.... now my knee hurts this time." I'm so getting red-flagged.

Well, I wouldn't be too worried about my knee since it doesn't really hurt that much, but it seems to be in my ACL area. And according to WebMD, if I leave any ACL injury untreated, I'll be a cripple for life. So I figure it's worth the $20 copay to get it checked. I'm just worried... if this really is one of those nasty, slow-healing joint things, I could be out of karate for a long time, and forget the triathlon. :(

I just got an appt for this morning, so I'll report back and let you know if the doctor said, "Bed rest for six months" or "Walk it off, you attention grubbing wuss." I'm hoping for the last one, even if it does mean I won't get a lollipop....

What have I done??

Yesterday I promised Karen I would enter the Danskin Triathlon with her next July. Yes, me. Slugsly McGee. But I was intrigued because it sounded like something I could actually do. 5k run, 1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike. I already know I can run 5k, though I might not enjoy it, and I can probably ride 12 miles, though I'll need a better bike. As for the swim, I've never tried that kind of distance before, but with gigantic feet like mine, how can I fail?

I suppose this means I have to start training now. Heh, training... cool. Makes me sound like an athlete. "Sorry, no refined sugar for me. I'm in training." "Excuse me while I hit the gym. I'm in training, you know."

I'll keep you posted on my progress. So far the only thing I know is I've run 2 miles in 20 minutes. Don't laugh... I can probably run it faster; I've just never tried. But now I suppose that time has come.