Horror Stories

After yesterday's post, I got to the gym and ran 5 miles in 51:45. I was going to take it really easy and just lock the treadmill in at 5.8 mph, but I got bored and played with my speed. Thankfully I had Kathy Lee and Hoda to keep me somewhat distracted. When I was at the gym, one of the guys was working out with this funky mask on, think Fava beans and Chianti. I know he's looking to join the service in January, so I thought he was training with a sort of gas mask on, getting acclimated to wearing one. Turns out it's an elevation training mask.

This thing restricts air flow to your mouth and nose, mimicking high altitude training, which helps increase lung capacity and stamina. Interesting, but I'm pretty sure I won't be running the streets of my neighborhood in that contraption, although I wonder if it would at least warm the air you breathe, making winter running a little easier? It's $80, in case you were wondering, so a scarf will do.

After the gym, I made myself lunch- grilled mozzarella cheese on whole wheat bread with some garlic powder added into the melting butter and tomato sauce for dipping. It was delicious. Then I went to the oral surgeon's. Got there at 3:30 pm, promptly had x-rays taken, brought into an exam room, read consent forms, and waited. And waited. The dr. finally came in at 4:30 pm and numbed me, then left. Finally, ten minutes later she started. Holy crap. I was sure after reading the list of things that cold possibly go wrong that I would suffer at least one or two. I swear one of the instruments she was using, possibly pliers, (I couldn't tell you what since I had my eyes squeezed shut, with maybe a tear or two rolling out, the entire time), was going to slip off and impale the roof of my mouth, after taking out one or two healthy teeth along the way. I just kept asking God for it to be over soon. Horrific.

I got out of there and had to fill the three prescriptions she gave me- an extra-strength ibuprofen, the "do not operate heavy machinery" kind, and ANOTHER antibiotic, taken four times a day. I don't know if any of you read Drazil's Blog, but she just posted about the agony she endured after being on several strong antibiotics for some ear pain. Let me just say it included the desperate notion of a vaginectomy (PLEASE, do NOT Google that word. Save yourself from the images that are now burned in my brain forever more.) and a bag of frozen peas. We can now all agree where the term "Fire Crotch" originated.

After getting home I just laid around and caught up with 'Flipping Out' and 'Little People, Big World.' When the bleeding finally stopped, after the disgusting tea bag compress, I could take my antibiotic and a pain pill. I slept like a log. Now I just have to wait until the clock hits 24 hours since the extraction so I can run my mile.   That'll bring me to around 5 pm. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to handle anything else at the gym, but I have to make sure I'm home to watch the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree!