Duckie The Grouch!! (and Pictures!)

So I am benched from training, or should I say couched, sitting in a blanket, surrounded by tissue carnage and generally feeling a little murderous.  WHY???  Because all sleep and no training makes Duckie a DULL BIRD!!

See what living in FL does for your tan?  I'm all pasty white now!

So to temper my evil... and trust me, as of this morning, it is full blown  ("Duck a la Sarcasm", "Crispy Duck in Evil Sauce", "Roast Duck with Bitter Vegetables"...   You get my drift)....  I decided to look through some old photos of taken on race days.  Admittedly, the smile I am sporting is likely nerves or possibly stomach cramps, I choose to remember them as happy days, illustrated by the light in my eyes.  (I dare you to argue.)

I thought I would share them with you.  Apparently, this makes me feel better.. or at the very least kills twenty minutes, which is also important right now.

Exiting the swim flanked by guys from the previous wave.  I was hoping I had swum to the right spot.

See, I look happy! ( and tan.  and I got a medal!)

After the half last Feb.  Never met these guys before this moment.

OK, so feelin' a little pain here!

Once out of the water, I remembered.. It's a RACE!!

One of my faves.  Honestly don't belong in this company.  These two elites are over the top!

 DW has passed down the edict that I cannot train until the last cough or other symptom has been history for at least 24 hours, and I have to phone in before I start back.  Since I get laryngitis first and it is often the last thing to leave, my voice will absolutely rat me out if I try to start back to soon.  I suspect he knows this.  He knows me well.  Too well.  Hmmmm... I may not be able to let him live.

Yup.  There's that pain, again.

Oh!  Haha.  Just kidding.  (Evil Genius Duck apparently has been watching too many Pinky & the Brain episodes again.)

The fact of the matter is... I love to train.  I love to race.  That is totally evident in these pics.

And don't worry... DW is quite safe.  He's an incredible coach who manages my strong, turbulent, obsessive personality very well and not only has he helped me to avoid re-injury, but he has helped me to start integrating my work and my training into one livable life.  Up until now, training happened when the horse show was over and was always at odds with my work life.  Both things wanted a piece of me and I tended to feel like I was torn in two.  Now we are trying to find a sustainable balance where I can work, train, have a social life and be fully successful for the long term.  If it works, I will finally be able to break through the glass ceiling I have, up till now, just been decorating with glow in the dark stars.