Another long day...

Yes, today was another long day dealing with the illness. This time though, it was at the hospital. I am feeling better, finally able to eat a meal today, but Orlanda had another long night of vomiting. When we got up this morning we headed to urgent care at the hospital. They gave her a couple of IV's and some drugs to help ease her stomach. The doctors ran a few tests and we found out it was a virus which we caught. This was good to finally know, as I just couldn't believe how bad things went, and trying to figure out how it happened was really bothering me.

Thanks again to many of you for your emails, calls, texts, etc. Some of you have encouraged me to find a marathon to race, or go to Ironman Western Australia, etc. As much as that sounds like a good idea, there are a few problems...

1. Flying to Western Australia is NOT cheap. I can't afford that. Sponsors aren't helping me like that. In fact, no sponsor gives me a single penny, unless I do well.

2. I am still reeling physically from this illness, and can't just show up to race a marathon and expect it to go well in the next week or so. The same can be said for switching to Ironman Western Australia.

3. As much I understand the illness was not my fault and just bad luck, it doesn't extinguish the disappointment of months of hard work to perform at this race that are wasted. To do another race like a marathon, however intriguing, is rather anti-climatic. I think you have to be clearly focused on the start-line to perform near your potential. My focus has not been there, and it's tough to turn your focus that quickly. I've seen it a lot in the past, where guys drop out of Kona and try to salvage months of hard work with a different Ironman a few weeks later. Most times it doesn't work out well for them.

I think the best use of my efforts would be to do an early season Ironman, but that means Australia or New Zeland, and again, those are not cheap trips. Honestly, I can't afford those trips. The other choice is Ironman Coeur d'Alene again, but that's nearly 8 months away, and I don't know if I want to do that. There is a lot to still decide, and I need to think it thru, not just making decisions entirely on emotion.

Vance