Heal, Boy, Heal... Good Boy.

This has been a good week. I haven't set any personal best times, haven't once climbed onto my bike (although I have at the gym), and I've avoided the pool.

But, man, oh man, do I feel good.

When Matt Fitzgerald wrote his "training bible" that distance athletes the world over swear by, it's fair to say he never recommended taking a week off from heavy training, especially in the build phase. But he did contemplate being severely injured or sick -- and has said that the time off should be seen as an opportunity rather than a failure. You don't have to tell me twice!

You see the ear infection and back injury of the last few weeks reached their crest last Friday night -- shortly after my last blog entry, in fact. My eardrum perforated and my back tweaked one last time as I sat at the urgent care center at 6:30 am on Saturday morning.

Five days of antibiotics later, I'm not even sure I could point to the spot in my back that hurt (although every once in awhile I know EXACTLY where it is) and, while it seems slow, I know my ear is healing. But what has happened is I have been banned from the pool (obviously) and, taken in combination with my wife's four month move three hours north (yes, the kids are staying with me -- at least until the Princess is out of school), I basically took the week off. The entire family has a trip up to Alaska from tomorrow morning through Monday to see family and then I'll hit the ground running on Tuesday.

The best part is that I feel fresh, fresh, fresh. I have hit the gym bike for a couple of hour-long workouts and I feel like I have a new set of legs. An hour is not seven, to be sure, but all the muscles are healed and ready to attack. The swim? Well, as I have said, I was ahead of pace in terms of conditioning there, so I trust I could hop back in next week and feel my Wheaties there as well -- if not, I still have 14 weeks, not to mention another week off (heal, part II!) as the Lovely Wife and I head to New Zealand in late May for a long anticipated vacation alone as a couple. The two uncompromising months that are to come (June and July) will be there -- I've built a base, and will continue to, and then I'll work myself out to a silly degree.

Sound good? I'm glad you're convinced -- I'm right there with you... I think. :-)