Roommates!!

I've got a FULL HOUSE!
Yesterday I met a young man at the gym...his name is Thomas and he just flew in from The Isle of Man for six months of training at the NTC with the amazing track coach (Tyson Gay's coach!). So we got to chatting and he was very unhappy with the homestay he had and within five minutes I had sold him on my house! As soon as we were both done training, we went and picked up his stuff and he moved into the "Bamboo" room on Carroll Street.
Then, today, Kevin Collington dropped by for the weekend to stay in the "Black" room on Carroll Street. He's got a few more days of hard training before the Treasure Island race in San Fran.
Louie is making friends fast...I have to drag him out of the guys rooms and lock him in my bedroom:)
By the way, tomorrow is Halloween so get those costumes ready! I've got a really fun Master's Swimming workout in the morning...the swimmers will be 'picking' the sets! After Substitute Teaching 8th Grade Science kids all day, I'll be home to welcome my first "Trick-or-Treaters"!!

I'm BAAAAAACK...Again!!!!!

1:15pm...stitches are removed from the bottom of my foot
1:20pm...Dr. Funk explains what I can and cannot do right now
1:40pm...get in my car and drive toward Clermont
2:10pm...pull into the NTC parking lot
2:15pm...dive in the pool!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2:40pm...get out of the pool after slowly swimming 1500 yards
3:00pm...drive home, check mail, pet Louie, put on cycling clothes
3:30pm...head out on bike!!!!!!!!!!
4:30pm...arrive home after a 1 hour spin (2 x around the lake)
4:31pm...do a little DANCE in the driveway...and then quickly stop because I'm not supposed to do any 'extreme' movements with my foot:)

The Three Rules

Here is Hal's outlook...


You can't have been at Lakemont last Saturday and not have known of the horrific crash that occurred in the first group as they sped along SR 434 west of the Greeneway. An experienced and strong ASV team rider who was directly behind the leader went into a tuck position on a bike with aero bars. His front wheel touched the back wheel of the lead rider at 33+ mph sending him into the pavement face-first. Ten to twelve more riders went down; most were able to get up, dust themselves off and continue (some only discovered injuries after getting home). Unfortunately, the rider directly behind the guy who caused the accident did not fare as well. He broke four (4) ribs, chipped his scapula, has horrible road rash and, worst of all, sustained a collapsed lung. He was air-lifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center after the Winter Springs Police shut down the highway.
When something like his happens, it requires us to assess how we got here. Speed is a drug -- it's no surprise that people show up for their weekly fix and Lakemont has become the most popular ride in central Florida. Unfortunately, along with the popularity has come a large degree of danger which, when exacerbated by bad choices, results in very bad consequences. Anarchy reigns if the groups fail to police themselves. Seasoned cyclists have traditionally admonished newbies for dangerous or just plain stupid practices. That guidance has been lacking for awhile at Lakemont and cannot continue.

So that there's no question, here are the three (3) rules that have to be enforced by everyone or my association with this circus is over:

1. You must wear a helmet; this rule is violated rarely but, when it happens, it always seems to be by an "experienced" rider that I'm supposed to look up to or is regarded as "too cool" to confront;

2. You cannot wear earplugs and listen to your iPod or put one of those stupid phone thingies in your ear; we need your full attention to the task at hand; if you need more stimulation than Lakemont dishes out, you are not someone I want to ride with; and,

3. You cannot go into a tuck position on any handlebar/aero bar arrangement that limits your ability to control your bike and access your brakes; a standard road bike arrangement is the ideal; you may use a time trial/triathlon bike only so long as your hands remain spaced evenly with your shoulders and are immediately ready to access your brakes; to do less is to endanger yourself and everyone that rides behind you. Exceptions: you can go into a tuck only if (1) you find yourself at the front and must impress us; or (2) you are at the back and can only hurt yourself if you lose control.

I don't care how "good" or "safe" or "strong" you think you are. If you do not believe, in good faith, that you can adhere to these rules, you have no regard for the people that you ride with. This is not about you, it's about the group. I have no doubt that the rider who caused the crash last week was completely convinced (ignorantly so) of his superiority. I have great sympathy for him, for his injuries and for the fact that he's got to live with the terrible consequences to his teammate.

Ridiculous Requests

Here is some information that I just got in an email from one of my National Governing Bodies. I feel that the demands they are making are utterly ridiculous...I've highlighted my favorite part. I would like to know if anyone else feels this way? Or am I over reacting...having to state your whereabouts, 3-months in advance, for every 60-minute window of every day is...normal???

Beginning in January 2009 athletes who do not file their Quarterly Whereabouts Filing by the established deadline will be issued a “filing failure”. A filing failure falls under the category of a “whereabouts failure”. Providing whereabouts information that is incomplete or does not provide detailed location information is also a “filing failure”.
Beginning in January 2009 athletes will be required to provide a 60 minute window, each day, specifying where they will be available for testing. This is in addition to the information currently provided. If the athlete is not available for testing during those 60 minutes a “missed test” will be issued. A “missed test” falls under the category of a “whereabouts failure”.

If an athlete is issued three “whereabouts failures” in 18 months, by any organization with Anti Doping jurisdiction, the athlete is considered to have committed a doping violation and is subject to sanctions. Sanctions for a whereabouts failure are a one to two year suspension meaning the athlete will not be eligible to compete in the next 2 Olympic Games (one Winter, one Summer).

EWWWWWW!

Facebook OOPS!

I just want to send out a mass apology to everyone on my email list that received a silly email from Facebook asking you to become a member.

Yesterday morning I was killing some time before a workout and I started to explore the world of Facebook. I have told a lot of people that I was never going to join…the last thing I need is something else to waste time online…and I was going to be the one human on this earth not a member. Well, I finally had to join to see what all the fuss was about, and in the process of understanding the site, I pushed a button that sent an email to EVERY member of my address box. (Actually, it might have been multiple emails!)

Again, I'm very sorry. I am not one who enjoys junk mail, forwards, or things like this filling my own inbox. I am very embarrassed and I promise I will not do it again.

Sincerely, SaraJ

I’m SOOOOOO Bored!

Get this thing OFF my foot! I can't do anything but sit around, watch TV, and work on the computer. I'm going into a self-induced COMA!

Although I'm happy to report that I think I'm recovering very fast…it obviously isn't FAST enough! I have done away with the crutches and I'm walking as normal as possible with this big boot on my foot. I just hope that I waited the proper length of time before putting full weight on my foot. The Doc mentioned I could walk on my toe and keeping the pressure off my heal…but I did that for the first few days and I got a major cramp in my shin and butt muscles from the awkward positions it was putting my leg.

So, I am memorizing the ABC night-time show schedule. With my ½ of a 'rabbit ear' antenna, I can pull in a fuzzy Channel 9 from Orlando…and that's IT! Combine that with my increasing frustration of not having the internet right at my fingertips…and I've made the first move to have Brighthouse come hook me up to the system. The final straw was realizing that if I want friends and training partners to come down and stay at my house…it's going to be a tough-sell when I finally tell them: "By the way, you can't watch TV at my house and you are going to have to drive somewhere to steal or use wireless!"

And the final-FINAL straw was when I charged another $10 at Blockbuster just to rent two movies. If I do that a few more times each month, I've basically paid for the cable! (Side note…when I was renting the movies, the people at Blockbuster informed me there are late fees again! I guess that didn't last long!)

My friend Koren hosted a kid's triathlon clinic at Lake Louisa today. I stopped by for an hour to talk to the kids (and parents) and regale them with stories from my career. Today, I chose the great 'sacrifice' story about how I made the Pan American Team in 2007…thanks to Laura giving up her slot.

Look at me…I'm already in a reminiscing mode of my greatest achievements. I'm like a little old lady telling stories of her youth to grandkids. I NEED to get back outside and DO something!!

Speaking of Koren, she should be here any minute to take me out to dinner. At least there's one thing I can still do…EATJ

Foot Up and Fingers Typing

I'm back to being solo in Clermont…the family visited yesterday but they went home in the afternoon.

I was happy to show my Grandmother my house for the first time. It was only with her name as a co-signer that I was able to qualify for a loan/mortgage! Don't get me wrong…I am the only one paying all the bills…but I needed her excellent financial standing to convince the Watson people that I was a qualified home-owner.

Yesterday was also my Mother's first visit in over a month. She hadn't been back since we finished painting all the walls. That was pre-kitchen, pre-gas plumbing, and pre-furniture installation. Basically, the last time she was here it wasn't really 'livable'. I was happy to offer her a seat on the couch, or a glass of water from the kitchen, or a nap on one of four beds!

My Dad caught a ride home with the ladies after he drove me over on Tuesday night. After shuttling me to the Master's swim practice on Wednesday morning, we stopped by Lowes for a quick purchase to fix my shower faucet (when the water does NOT shut off…it's time to replace something)! He also helped me do some grocery shopping so that I am set for a few days, carried in all my Bed, Bath & Beyond purchases (I now have a toaster and one pot for cooking on the stove!), and wore Louie out with the feather-on-a-stick toy!

Can you believe that I have Louie again? I know that I promised to stop writing about the silly cat a few weeks ago, but that was back when I thought he was here to stay! Basically, you are going to have to deal with a few more "Louie Posts" because it's kinda like I have a new cat…the same cat, but new. So here are some photos of my 'new' cat and pretty soon he's going to have a collar around his neck with some identification numbers so no one ever mistakes him for a stray again!

Did someone fall in the sink when it was full of water and soap?...and then get scrubbed from top to bottom?...and then get all dried off in a warm and fuzzy towel?

Ummmmmm…Excuse me…don't freak out, but, I think there is something in your laundry basket!!

No Hope for Louie

After a pet is missing for 2 weeks, especially if you only owned that pet for 2 weeks, I'm pretty sure you can give up all hope. So, that was where I stood on the Louie issue: no hope. I was going to make myself happy with the image that he had been mistaken for a stray and picked up by a loving family who was keeping him inside.
Amazingly enough, that is EXACTLY what happened!
As I was pulling into my garage last night (Dad and I drove over from DeLand) at 9pm, my next-door-neighbor, Monica, came running over with a huge smile on her face. She asked "Where have you been?" (The answer was obvious as soon as she saw me on crutches and a boot on my foot.) Then she launched into a great story about how she went down the street, over the weekend, to visit some friends of hers. When she walked inside their house and noticed a very familiar and friendly grey cat, she asked, "Where did you get that cat?"
The people down the street had been out for a walk and spotted a very friendly cat (without a collar) and just took Louie home!
Monica graciously kept Louie at her house until I got home last night (I will be picking up a 'thank you' gift on my way home from the pool today).
I just can't believe it! I had to keep looking at him last night and reaching down to pet him just to believe that he was there! All his toys and food was boxed up and in a closet. I was more than happy to pull everything down and strew all the cat junk all over the living room.
Louie was a bit hesitant at first...I wasn't surprised that he barely recognized me and the house...but by the end of the evening, his motor was purring and he was jumping 4 feet in the air to chase the feathers!

I'm Recovering...Very Quick

My foot surgery on Monday morning went very well. I was checked in at 6am, on the table at 7am, and out the door a little after 8am! Dr. Funk reported that he took care of all the problem-causing elements in my foot...he was even surprised by the severity of some things. (And, somehow, that just makes me so proud...I think I am too much of a competitor!!)
Big thanks to my Dad for waking up early to drive me to and from Orlando...he was even able to install a shutter job while I was in surgery, talk about multi-tasking!
I was still completely numb from the ankle down (local anesthesia) for the whole drive home and it only started wearing off around noon. I attempted to 'manage' the pain but it was able to get the best of me for most of the evening. I was popping the pills like crazy and watching the numbers on my watch slowly changing until I could take another pill!
I spent the whole day on the couch in front of the TV and I realized that the fewer the commercials, the less I was in pain. As soon as my mind was easily distracted, my foot was aching...as long as I was focusing on whatever silly movie/show I was watching, I barely noticed it. By the way, A Mighty Wind is hilarious! If you liked Best in Show...I think you'll like this one too.
So 9pm rolled around and I was getting tired and cranky. My Mom suggested I head downstairs to bed (big thanks to Mom for running around all day bringing me things...she doesn't want to climb the stairs anymore). Here's a suggestion: after 10 hours with your legs propped up OVER your head, don't just jump up and start walking down some stairs with crutches and a bad foot!!!
Yep, I nearly fainted in the middle of the trek down, slid on my butt for the last few steps and then took a nice long lie-down on the floor at the foot of the staircase! The tile floor was nice and cold and helped me get blood back to my head.
After that, all I wanted to do was brush my teeth and climb into bed. I didn't know I was going to fare through the night...and I was pleasantly surprised to sleep soundly from 10pm to 7am! The only times I woke up were when my Mom or Dad came in to check and make sure I was still alive (they were slightly concerned with the number of pain pills I had popped:).
And now it is almost noon on Tuesday. I am thrilled to report minimal pain coming from my left foot and even more thrilled to report I haven't taken any more pain pills! My first activity this morning was a refreshing shower where I employed the towel/trash-bag/rubber-band method perfected by my Mother after her surgery.
I've been sitting in a lounge chair on the front porch since breakfast. The weather is beautiful outside and I've got wireless Internet, a good book, a bottle of Gatorade, and a cat keeping me company. The birds are chirping, the bugs are buzzing, and the wind is blowing!


Thanks to EVERYONE who sent me emails, left me phone messages, and directed positive thoughts my way. I really, really appreciate it and I look forward to making you all very proud when I get back on the starting line!

A Little Bit of EVERYTHING

The thought of being 'side-lined' for the next two weeks with a boot on my foot has prompted me to do a flurry of activities that I will not be able to do after Monday morning.
I got in one last swim practice with the Fast Land kids on Thursday night.
I coached my awesome Master's group on Friday morning (new attendance record: 21!).
I worked my first day as a Lake County Substitute Teacher at Windy Hill Middle (thanks, Kerri, for the opportunity!).
I did my laundry (I have officially used the dryer now), ran my dishwasher, took out the trash, cleaned my room, packed up some perishables from the fridge, packed clothes and toiletries for the weekend, loaded my bike in the car.
Friday night I drove back to the Farm in DeLand.
This morning, my Dad and I met up with Mike and Chad for a beautiful 65 mile ride (thanks to the guys for pulling me around the loop!).
I totally conked out after the ride for a mid-day nap.
Nancy invited my Mom and I over to the lake for a sail (the winds were perfect!).
I drove over to Daytona to the Bed, Bath & Beyond to pick up some household items (hosting a dinner party and asking the guests to bring a POT is slightly embarrassing!).
On the way home, I dropped by the grocery store for some kitchen staples.
Dad and I just pulled a pizza out of the oven for dinner.
Tomorrow I am planning to go horse-back-riding on Buddy or Peyton with my Mom, spend some time with my Grandma, get my pain-pill-prescription filled, and anything else I can think of!
I have been contacted by the outpatient surgery center in Orlando and they are requesting my presence at 5:30am...that puts us leaving the house a 4:30am!! At least it will be easy to skip breakfast at that time...I can't have anything in my stomach after 11pm on Sunday night!
Right now, I'm off to dig into some homemade pizza and watch the Gators STOMP on the LSU Tigers...we've already scored 90 seconds into the game! GO GATORS!

Sara McLarty’s Press Release

To all my Family, Friends, Supporters, and Fans:

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement over the past 14 months as I have struggled with the biggest set-back of my athletic career: a painful and aggravating foot injury. It was extremely unlucky that I was in pain and unable to train and race at such a critical time in an Olympic quad. Not qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games was disappointing but just not being able to train for a decent finish at the Trials races was extremely frustrating.

During the past year, I have reasonably attempted all the popular (and unpopular) treatment methods for my condition. Nothing was able to cure the injury or alleviate the symptoms. Eventually, I decided to take a mental and physical break for two months to allow my mind and body to rest, heal, and recover.

At the end of August, I was eager to start training and I even went for a couple of short jogs. I very disappointed when my foot started hurting after just four short runs on the grass. I finally realized that it was time to take the next step and research an invasive procedure to remedy my foot pain.

A few days later, I was on the pool deck when my swim coach introduced me to the father of a swim-team-mate. Dr. Funk is a Foot and Ankle Orthopedic surgeon in Orlando. He sat down with me on the pool deck for 30 minutes and gave me more information and better answers than I had ever received. Not only is he a specialist for my specific injury, he's a triathlete and marathoner!

I could not be any happier and confident about the procedures that Dr. Funk is going to perform on my left foot at 7:00am on the morning of Monday, October 13^th. I honestly believe that my career as a triathlete would be over if I could not find a solution for the pain. This has given me hope that I will be back on the starting line to give some of the best athletes in the world a 'run for their money'!

The recovery time is very short…after just two weeks I can get back in the pool and walk in sneakers! Around six weeks I should be able to start jogging lightly and all the reports say that full activity is allowed at just three months! Perfect timing for the 2009 season!

I will continue to post updates on my blog and I promise to write a great story about my surgery experience (the Doc tells me I'm getting 'happy drugs') as soon as I am awake and coherent! If anyone has any questions, I will answer the best I can. Thank you all for your continuing support!

Later, Gators,

Sara McLarty:)

Daily Grind

Life has changed so much for me. I'm in a world where my daily activities don't change very much from day-to-day. That results in much less fodder for me to blog about...I mean, how many times do you want to read about me waking up at 5:30am and driving to the pool to coach the Master's Swim group? I'm going to be doing it every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning...so just use your imagination!
In the house news...I finally have a working Natural Gas range in my kitchen. I celebrated by making myself a delicious omelet for lunch after the guy came and installed my meter and turned on the gas. I'm looking forward to my first load of laundry that I can dry in the Natural Gas heated dryer....boy, won't that make for a really exciting blog post!?!
Cat news is a bit depressing. After two weeks of owing a great cat, named Louie, he has failed to show up for over 5 days now. I've done quite a bit of searching around the neighborhood, talked to local people, and called all the animal hospitals and Humane Societies in the area...no luck. I'm a bit sad but I am just sticking with the belief that he was picked up by a loving person that thought he was a stray in the neighborhood. I'll always wish I had put a collar on him when he was outside...but you live and you learn.
My job at the NTC is moving along at 100 miles a minute. I've got three events sanctioned with USAT and all the info is up online for two Festival Days and one BASE training camp. I've added a women's weekend in March and I'm recruiting some World Champ medalists and Olympic athletes to show up to my "Train with the Pros" camp in February. I'm contacting every triathlon/multi-sport related company that has supported me over the years and offering a way to return the favor...free advertising to the people that attend my NTC camps.
Every now and then I get outside, off the computer, and work up a sweat. This morning, for example, I rode for 90 minutes among the lovely hills of Clermont. I've been attending the afternoon swim practices with Fast Lane (most days) and loving being back in the pool without feeling like I'm going to fall apart after 1000 yards!
Tonight I'm hosting my first 'dinner party'. I convinced two friends to come over for dinner at my place. And then after I talked them into the dinner party, I got home and realized that I don't have enough cooking equipment to MAKE dinner! So I'm off to the store for a cooking pot, a colander and some important ingredients!

1st Day of WORK!

Wednesday was my first day (okay, 90 minutes) of that thing called 'work'. I actually got to swipe my employee ID card to 'clock in'...that was fun!
Then I headed to the pool deck to coach my first day as the paid Masters Swim Coach at the NTC. I had about 16 people in the water...and about the same number of people have signed up and paid at the front desk (fortunately, I don't have to spend time billing and keeping track of all that).
My group is really fun and I am relying on them to spread the word to their other swimmer friends to keep the participant numbers growing. I'm not sure we have a real 'competitive' group just yet (lots of people who are just competitive in triathlon) so I'm going to hold off on registering as a Masters Swim Team until I get an overwhelming request...and then we'll either host some meets here in Clermont or go to other pools and kick butt:).
The rest of the hours in my day are filled up with writing details for the NTC camps that are scheduled for this winter. I'm emailing everyone I know in the triathlon world to get product/promotional items for our camper's goodie-bag (I want to fill them up!)...so if you know anyone that is involved in the million-dollar multi-sport industry, please pass the word that I am willing to promote their products!
In the evenings I am getting to the pool to swim with the Fast Lane team...and get my butt kicked by 14 year-olds. So far, I have not been able (or maybe the correct word should be 'motivated') to complete an entire practice. Last night, I got up to 6500 yards and my arms were hanging on by a thread! I'm back to struggling up and flying down all the lovely hills in Clermont (I was waiting for new chains on both my bikes before getting back on the roads). As for that third sport that is involved with triathlon...I'm going to leave that update for an entirely different post in the future. I'm not ready to drop that big bomb just yet!