Bike/Run 7/2 and Arthritis this AM

I had easily one of the scariest biking experiences of my training. Yesterday, I was coming back from 1:35 minute ride and I was traveling on Whalen, one of the main straight aways of the IMWI course which has a lot of bikers on it. I attached a map with where it happened outlined in red. Yesterday, there were a lot less bikers on the course because the weather wasn't ideal. Not to mention the road isn't idea, on the sides there are huge chunks of the road that are missing, which makes staying out of the lane of traffic even more difficult.

Defensive biking is mandatory because just by probability with how long I spend on the bike an accident may happen. I heard a dump trunk coming behind me, when I looked back I could see that he was traveling very fast with no intention of slowing down. As I turned my head forward, I could also hear another car coming over the hill and I knew that they were going to meet at the crest of the hill and I was going to be caught between them. The dump truck didn't slow down, in fact I think he sped up and before I knew it I was caught between them with two options 1) get plowed over by dump truck or 2) head for the ditch. I veered off to the right down into the ditch and unclipped. I managed to keep my bike in control and stay upright. Moral of the story: Please be aware of other cyclists/bikers on the road. We are 1,000x more vulnerable out there, especially when we are clipped in. I was definitely a little shaken up but I had nothing left to do but press on and finish the bike. I was grateful to be running with both feet on the group after that for about an hour.

Arthritis: Today my right elbow is giving me trouble. Interesting that it is asymmetrical but I have a feeling it was from the way I slept last night. Lots of stretching to hopefully get it feel better and increase my range of motion. I also took some NSAIDs to help. I feel like most people who hear that I am doing an IM and I have arthritis don't understand how that is possible. To them I say, arthritis is a part of who I am and it's something I live with every day. I feel like most people don't know what arthritis actually looks like and that is what's tricky. To someone who has never had it, you can't really see it unless my joints are actually swollen. My elbow is a little tender and it does have some fluid in it but that is my training as a medical student that allows me to see it. For patients like me with RA, we feel some sort of pain or fatigue almost every, single, day. I attached pictures showing the limit in my range of motion on my right side of almost 25 degrees this morning. I also have pain with movement, particularly flexion/extension or any type of exertion (e.g., carrying groceries, washing my back in the shower). Arthritis sucks sometimes and there is no and if or buts about it. Hopefully it clears before the holiday weekend!



I leave with my motivational quote for this week: "Pain is weakness leaving the body"