Ted's Health Updates

Friends,

I wanted to give a quick update on what is going on. As I mentioned in the last update, I had signed up to be a mentor in the San Diego Tri Classic program. We started our training a couple of weeks ago, and I am very busy helping the participants with their training. As part of my program, as I said, I have to raise about $1000.00 or so. Some friends have already committed to a fair part of that total, but any help that you can give would really be appreciated. The link to the web site is:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sd/sdtrcla10/twilcoxzdf

On that site you can make a credit card donation.

The training is going really well. Our first track workout was last Tuesday, and we started with a 1 mile time trial. My last time trial in the Lavaman program was completed in 12:43. I did the time trial on 11:00 Tuesday! I was so jazzed!!! I am feeling stronger and stronger on the bike too, powering up hills faster than I ever remember going on the same hills. It is so amazing to be feeling strong again. Our swim workouts have been good too. Instead of working to get up to a mile swim, I can now work to go faster on the mile swim, so I have really been working on my speed and efficiency for the swim. Yesterday, I ran 4.2 miles on a local trail. It was a slow base building run, but I finished in a little over an hour. For the Lavaman program, I walked the same route. It is so amazing to compare my abilities now with what they were just 6 months ago. It is also amazing to feel well instead of feeling like I am just functional but still sick.

I love not feeling sick. It is so tiring to feel sick all the time. I still have problems, of course, but I am working to overcome or ignore them. For example, I have started walking around bare foot to try to toughen up my feet a little. It is VERY painful, but it seems to be working. If I can swim and walk without debilitating foot pain, it will really help. I am also practicing balancing on one foot. One of my challenges for Lavaman was putting my shoes and socks on. I had to use a little stool to sit on in the transition area. I am practicing putting my socks on while standing now, to try to eliminate that requirement. I am also learning to swim with my teeth in my mouth. This will also help my transition times, because I need my teeth while riding and running so that I can eat. If my teeth are already in place, I don’t need to worry about that. I found some long solar swimming pants, so I don’t need to apply as much sun block to my legs. Another huge time savings.

I recruited a girl on to our team the other day. She started out saying she couldn’t possibly do a Triathlon, because she wasn’t strong and fit like me. Big mistake to be talking to me! It was hard to keep from howling with laughter. I told her what I have been through and where I was just a little over a year ago, and how our training program got me to the finish line. She then asked me how she could sign up. When the team coordinator asked why she was signing up, she stated that I was so inspirational she couldn’t help it. That was gratifying on one hand, and it was also a little strange to be seen as a person who is strong and physically capable. I guess it just shows how we can overcome huge adversity if we put our minds to it.

I hope this letter finds you well, and living your life to it’s fullest potential.

Ted
http://www.wilcoxent.com
http://www.wilcoxent.com/mzima/health.php
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sd/sdtrcla10/twilcoxzdf