Post 49: Race day end

Over all he had a good race. He usually has a hard time with the marathon and this time was n o exception. His time is 11:21:24 which is more than he anticipated and he is happy nevertheless as usual. He love to tell me that there is no higher excitement than going through the finish line of an Iron Man. As I am writing theses line his beaming silently reviving the race, as I blow my nose not so silently. He makes a couple of comments about the things he should have done better or differently, just the usual. Suddenly I stop mid way my nose blowing...I think I heard next race...

Post 49: Race day continue

Once the swim start I know that I have a bout an hour to find my next spot, I want to catch him at the exit of the transition area getting on his bike. I was lucky enough to find a perfect spot where I could see him in the transition area and getting out next. I am always afraid to miss him altogether, there is so much going on and you could get easily distracted. Once I yelled my " va y cheri", my job is done for now. The bike section will take about 5 hours and I need to come back for the run. Which gives me plenty of time to get a breakfast and a rest, it is exhausting to run from place to place, to find a way to get there, calculate the time he should show up, wait..., worry..., make sure I remember the shirt his wearing or the color of his helmet so I can spot him in the crowd and be supportive. This is a job I take very seriously. It's also difficult to react fast enough so you can take a picture and yell your encouragement. I also had a bell to ring to make sure to get his attention, but it was too much multitasking for me.

Post 49: Race day

We arrived at the premise at 5am, it's pitch dark and freezing cold even with my two layers of fleece jackets. Jean has to drop his special needs bags, check his bike and have his body marked.

He comes bake to say bye and go within the assigned area for athletes only, he needs to regroup. I go in the opposite direction to the swim start to find a good spot for me. While I sit there shivering, trying to control my running nose and keep my hands warm in my pockets. I can't grasp the urge to get in a freezing water before the sun has risen. But not only there is thousands of such people here today. A lot come back for another serving, or two, or even seven for that mater. And most think about the next race as soon as they passed the finished line.

Finally all the participants are in the water as the sun is about to rise I hear the National Anthem and the start shot...

Post 48: IMA D -1

Today we went to deposit the bike in a closed guarded space where they will stay over night until the race day. Only athletes are permitted on the premise, you could see about 3000 bikes side by side it's really impressive, we also deposited the transition bags in assigned ares where volunteer are keeping track of all the bags and keep them in order as they will have to hand them to the competitors. I always admire the volunteering work and the organisation of such an event there is so much to think about, yet everything runs smoothly each time.

We went back home to relax...tomorrow is the big day and it starts early.

The race itself starts at 7am but everyone should be there at 5am, which means weak up call at about 4am. Just writing it I feel suddenly an urge to rest myself...

Post 47: IMA D -2

Today we went to register and get his race bags, number and stuff. we had to wait in line for a long while in a surprisingly hot day it was about 75 degrees and sunny just as usual for Arizona climate, while in the mornings and evenings it's rather chilly around 40 degrees. We walked around the exhibit to see the latest innovative gadgets in clothing, bikes or nutrition, got the last minute things Jean needed. He also got a free; for the athletes only, massage where you can have your pains and aches relieved before the race. Jean is worried about his knee and the physical therapist concentrated on this area. After his 10 mn massage he felt much better, these guys are amazing and on top of this they are volunteering their ti9me and energy.

We went for lunch and back home to get all these transition bags ready, put all the stickers with his number on all his stuff bags, helmet, bike. This is a lot of work.

Since this is Jean's 7th Iron Man he knows what to expect and said he feel surprisingly relaxed at this point.

Post 46: IMA D -3

Today's question was; should he wear his aero helmet or the regular one. The aero helmet is shaped in a way so you keep the optimum position the entire time (up to 5 hours) he can gain precious minutes but it's also exhausting because he can't lift his head if his shoulders are stiff.

He went for a small hour ride with the race bike just to get the feel of it.

Jean told me his menu for the next three days, lean proteins and carbs.

Breakfast: Cereals with skim milk, yogurt, orange juice.

Lunch: Ham and cheese on whole wheat bread no mayo and a tomato.

Dinner: Chicken breasts and rice, tabbouleh or pasta, a banana, raspberries.

I follow the same diet with a couple of extras like vegetables or a lettuce on the side.

I am glade I will not have to follow the race day menu.

Cereals as usual at home, a power bar on site. And the rest of the day are filled with power gels, Gatorade and tons of water. My stomach screams at the sole idea.

Tomorrow morning we're going to sign in and get his race package and number.

Jean's waxed his entire legs today in anticipation of the encounter. So he can show off his hairless, muscular and tan legs to the competition.

Post 45: Iron man Arizona

This week I will be blogging from Arizona reporting on the week before Jean's race on Sunday.

As much as I want to cheer my husband and be supportive of his passion for this very demanding sport. I have to admit that I never look forward to these couple of days before the big day.

We can't do much as everything could be dangerous.

We can't be in crowds as they could be sick.

And we can't eat anything to fancy that could disturb his digestive system. He has a specific list of menus he tried which are safe and he sticks to it.

Last year the Iron man of his choice was in a small town in Canada and they had a wonderful food feast with local fruits, pastries and all kind of delicious looking food. But we had non of it.

I actually got a hand full of sweet plums and he didn't even try one. I gladly finished the whole thing by myself only to be sick in my stomach in the evening, maybe his right to stick to safe diet.

The conversation revolve for 99% around the event.

He might ask, do you think I am ready? And my job is to reply cheerfully. Ready as can be.

Of course the tension will raise as the days go by.

Today is my first day in Arizona and he is in good shape and spirit, we will see what tomorrow will hold.

Post 44: Fall cleaning

Those last two weeks I was fall cleaning, My son said that he never heard of fall cleaning. Spring cleaning OK, but fall cleaning really...! But there is a lot to do to get your house ready for winter.
You need to check the furnace and the roof, we have a slate roof and every year we have a couple of slates replaced. You need to shut down the sprinkler system. I had to clean up the garage so I can park my car since it's getting chilly. We have professionals do a yard cleaning, blow the leaves, fertilize the grass, the same company will do the snow removal when the time comes. But I do my own cleaning too, remove plants, put away pots and my swings until nest spring. I also need to cut some dead branches and bamboos to close to the house. Some are scraping against the house as it's windy tonight. I tried all kind of tools but these are really hard and to difficult problems we need extreme solutions. I am now a proud owner of a chain saw, it's small and light perfect for pruning and cleaning like mine. When I was worried that it might not be powerful enough, the guy at the store said that if it doesn't do the job I can always bring it back. This is the beauty of American store exchange policy as long as you have the receipt they will take anything back. So I already told Adrien that I will be hiring him over the week end to help me with the job. His reply was that since he's not getting paid this is not hiring but "slavering"
We are not going to start chopping stuff around today as it's Friday the 13...

Post 43: My lucky day

First thing in the morning I had to book my air ticket for Arizona next week for Jean's Iron man race. I got on the web site to redeem my points, select the day, time and click on the check out button. I had a pot out saying that since I use my miles there will be no way to make changes or get a refund. I accept the policy and click on purchase. But instead the screen cancel it all and I have to redo the whole process, but the same thing happen again. I blame the computer, but when I replace my order for the third time I realise that I was bocking the wrong week and make the correction. This time everything works perfectly.
Later during the day I went to home depot and see Christmas light that are energy efficient, since the one I have are not in such good shape I decide to get two or three sets. While I am debating a guy walk to me and offer me his gift card with $32 for half the cash. But how do I know what is on the card. We walk to a cash register and he has it checked. It does have $32 and he wants $15 in cash, I generously give him a twenty dollar bill, please keep the change I say generously.
I got my third set of lights for free.
I met with a friend for a bit of shopping and we went to an upscale brand store I seldom go to , first it to conservative and way too expensive. My girl friend get exited with a discounted rack of tee shirts from $49 there are now on sale for $29. I go through the stuff half heartily, when I pull out a lilac embroidered tee shirt my size and it's on clearance sale for $10. There was only one.
Next I decided that I wanted a second stool in the kitchen for a while and since the store is right here I get one. But when I get back home the color doesn't match so I want to return it. The sales person explain to me that this is a collection from two years ago and they don't do that color anymore, in addition they changed the vendor and the new stools are not quite the same. But I insiste that a couple of week ago I saw the old version on display. She goes in the loft to check and comes back with to floor sample. Not only I got my stool but I had $20 cash back for the floor sample. Some days I love my life...

Post 42: New Bed

Our mattress is also built using the newest Space technology it's called Tempur-Pedic and it's made of a memory foam. Claims to give you therapeutic support, in a pressure relieving material. We bought it about a year ago and, I HATE IT. It has a spongy consistency and you can't bounce on it. When you lie down you feel your body sink, I actually had nightmares being swallowed by the damn thing. But Jean said it was fantastic, his back feels better and stands buy it. So after the 30 days trial period we decided to keep it. It also comes with a pillow from the same texture I couldn't stand and returned to the regular pillow. I recently realised that I slept better on any other bed other that my own and finally convinced Jean to get a new bed. I went first to try them all, it's really difficult to decide which mattress is the best for you.
In that store they had a computerised bed, you enter different data like you weight and height any pains and aches, then lie down and the computer tells you which mattress softness is the best for you. There is four levels from extremely soft to rock hard. Mine was the softest one, and since I always heard that when you back hurt you should get a hard mattress I was surprised. But I tried both and the fact is that on a soft mattress the heaviest parts sink in and you are in contact and have better support. But it didn't feel comfortable and I went with the last from hardest one, we both did. The computer told Jean to go with the version up from mine. Oh I forget, the beauty of this bed (other than the fact that you can bounce on it) is the that you can have two different softness, so we both get what we like.
They delivered the bed yesterday and...I didn't sleep a wink the mattress is so hard it's painful.
I couldn't wait for the night to be over. For me that like to linger in bed, just that five extra minutes, I was up and about first thing in the morning and knocking on the showroom door for an exchange. The new bed will be delivered only on Friday. Two more days on the rock...

Post 41: New phones

First my son wanted a new phone, or should we say a better phone. The upgraded version of the one he already has. When I asked him what was the difference, he doesn't really know but it's definitely better his friend got one. The thing is that when you are eligible for an upgrade with your wireless service provider at a discount price, you automatically subscribe for another two years contract, so you better think twice about it. In addition he is eligible for the upgrade only in January.
A week later my daughter's phone breaks down and she needs a new phone. The company will automatically replace your phone for free (we have an insurance), but she wants an upgrade too. She had her phone for a long time and we agree with my husband to give in. She gets a new touch phone it's really beautiful.
Next my husband tells me that there is this new phone he likes, he was thinking about the iPhone for a while but didn't like the fact that it's a touch phone only. He likes to have a regular keyboard as an option. We went to see the newest Verizon phone today and it's really amazing.
You can send and read you emails, watch the news, make pictures, upload and listen to music, text message, many games to chose from, a GPS feature and more. His eyes sparkle with envy. For an instant I want to be that phone. We walk out of the store with this technology marvel and my husband has literally been glued to it ever since. He could very possibly bring it to the bedroom as it also has a digital alarm clock feature too.
Before we left the sales person, ever helpful, mentioned that my phone is due for an upgrade too. I don't need an upgrade because the only thing I actually do with my phone is call...
But he generously mentioned that I could us the upgrade for another family member, I guess Adrien will get his new phone after all.

Post 40: Massage

Today I went to see my Physical therapist and at the end of the stretching session and electrical muscle stimulation with heating pads, he rewarded me with a therapeutical massage, after all the physical pain this was a welcome softness. He has the most amazing healing hands and he uses just the right amount of pressure so it feels great yet it's effective on my sore muscles.
This make me think about another massage, actually the first I tried in Ridgewood. I arrived for my appointment, was installed in a small yet comfortable room with aromatic candles and soft music. I undressed slipped under the cover face down, it was a heating table and since it was in a cold winter afternoon I instantly relaxed. When the front desk lady comes back to see if I am ready she ask me if I don't mind if it was a male masseuse. It made me pose, I never anticipated being touched by a man, but nothing will make me leave this warm comfortable nest and I agreed reluctantly.
When I heard a soft knock on the door I let him know that I am ready, when he entered the room I didn't lift my head. Maybe if I don't see him it will be easier I though...
But when he started the massage he was so gentle and professional that I let myself relax instantly. He has the softest hands and his touch was perfection, heaven really. At the end of the session he came to give me water, he was a not very attractive Asian guy, with crooked teeth and the smallest hands I ever seen. So much for the image of the god like male masseuse you get in the movies...
When later on I relate this story to a friend of mine telling her how amazing the guy is, adding that the fact that it was a man touching you makes it even more enjoyable, almost sensual.
Then she asked me if I said it to my husband. "I didn't know I had to confess", I answered laughing hysterically.

Post 39: Act of kindness

I also have random people who crossed my life and left ...memories and won a place in my hart for ever. One of them is a taxi driver.
When my son was about 3 years old he got invited to a birthday party we lived in Singapore at the time. He spent all afternoon running and plying with his friends. when the party ended and the time came to go home he was so exhausted that he fell asleep in my arm while I was saying good bye and thank you.
Carrying Adrien in my arms I went outside to catch a taxi, we didn't own a car then. But this family lived in a remote part of the city far from the center and any big street. There was no taxi in sight and not a single car for that mater. I started walking in the general direction of the main street but it was still a long trek and my sleeping son was getting heavier by the minute.
Suddenly I heard before I even saw the taxi, it was blasting Indian music. I started gesticulating for him to notice me. My excitement was short lived as I told him my address he said that his shift was over and he was actually heading to the station in the opposite direction, but he offered to give me a hike to the main road where I will have no trouble finding another taxi. I sat in the taxi and not the motion, neither the volume awaken my son. At destination the driver refused t get paid and drove off smiling, munching a snack in a twirl of Indian music. I stayed transfixed as he disappeared at the next intersection but never from my thoughts.

Post 38: People to remember

Honestly, how many individuals, doctors, teachers or other special people crossed your life?
I can count mine on the fingers of one hand. In first place comes my Gynecologist/Obstetrician in Paris. When I went to his office I knew I will wait for one hour or more. He was running between two clinics where babies were born daily and his practice.
He followed me for my pregnancy with my daughter. When I was about three month pregnant I had contractions and none of the medicine he gave me stopped it. I was hospitalised and spent the next four month lying in a bed with an IV, not even allowed to go to the bathroom.
I certainly was a difficult time in my life, but he came to visit me every single time he was at the clinic always patient smiling, comforting. I was looking forward to those couple of minutes he spared for me in his hectic schedule, and it meant the world to me.
I actually went in labor when I was six month pregnant, but the nurse followed his instruction over the phone while he was driving to the hospital and at the last moment everything went back to normal just like that.
When I delivered a perfectly healthy baby just a couple weeks early he came to my room and said, "so we did it". He confessed later that he had his doubts, but it certainly never showed.
Later, when I went back for check ups and waited hours for him I never complained...

Post 37: Rheumatologist

In my quest for a healthy back I went to see a rheumatologist.
This a second one I am investigating since the first one was beyond incompetent. I didn't like him at first sign but he did give me 30mn of his undivided attention, answered all my questions and mentioned himself that I should get a second opinion. But when I went back to get my blood work and Xrays results, he didn't have them. I was so aggravated that didn't think he deserve a second chance. After a full year of bad doctors, incompetent doctors, doctors in hurry I didn't have time or energy to wast, no patience either.
My Chiropractor referred me to my second opinion rheumatologist. I went to see him today at 3pm, left the office at 5:30pm. First he performed all kind of tests, poked me around, read my previous results and look at the existing Xrays. Then we went to his office and he ask me all kind of questions. Some were asked before, some were not. Some felt related, others didn't seem to be relevant to my back/neck problem. He asked me if I sleep through the night, have night apnea, night sweat...it went on and on. When he was done with his never ending list of questions,
he gave me some more blood work to be performed in a Californian lab, another MRI aimed at the base of my skull and a prescription medicine for an anti inflamatory I should try for three weeks until we meet again. I also got some articles related to different problems I have to investigate. I usualy complain not having enough informations, this was the opposit, how refreshing. I want to understand what's going on and I am relieved that the doctor feels that way too. During almost a full hour he was shooting all this questions at me without even taking a breath. I got out from his office brain washed and exhausted, but I know that this time I found a doctor I could trust.

Post 36: Full moon

I drove my son to the train station, he had a portfolio review with School of visual art in New York this morning. We got there early so he could get a bagel for breakfast. Between two bites he mention that for the photo shoot he had that evening he needed a collar shirt with tie. I know for a fact that the one collar shirt he has is too small and get upset about it. This is not something you mention the very last morning when you had the whole week to think about the dress code.
He get "pissed off" and storm out of the car forgetting his coffee in the process.

Then my daughter get upset about her phone not working. Her busy schedules doesn't let her time to go and exchange it. I offer to go for her, but she needs her phone all her numbers are in it. She wants to take mine and when I refuse she storm out the door.

I spend my day running from store to store to get a shirt for my son, with a new tie.
When I get back home and give him four different shirts to choose from and two ties, we have no room for mistake and I will return the left over stuff tomorrow. I get rewarded for my trouble by missing button on his suit vest to sew.

While I drive him to school for the photo shoot he tells me that it will take a while and for me to drive home. I had just time to get my daughter on the phone to ask if she will be home for dinner.
I just hung up telling my daughter that I will pick up a roasted chicken on the way home when my phone vibrate with a text message from my son. ' No one there it shouldn't take long'
I turn around back to school to pick up my son. Drop him home and go get my chicken.
I guess today the whole town decided to have roasted chicken for dinner because there is none left. I get a sad looking meat loaf instead and there better not complain about the menu.

On my way home I realise it's a full moon...