Mid-Week 7 Update - "It's not an adventure until something goes wrong"

An intermediate update

"It's not an adventure until something goes wrong..." -- Yvon Chouinard.

Ugh!  Monday and Tuesday were harsh days.  Monday, I ran out of time to complete my workouts.  My son had a swim meet and when I got home at 9pm, I could not muster the enthusiasm to workout.  Instead, I crawled into bed and had a restless night sleep.  Tuesday morning, I awoke exhausted and my spO2 reading was an all-time low (88%; any level below 90% is dangerous).  Damn!  Just when I thought things were going well with my acclimation, I have a setback.  Kathy even registered a low spO2 level (89%).  Misery does like company but not this type of shared misery.   We both felt crappy.  Our resting heart rates were very high too (10-15 bpm higher than usual).  Now the important part....we did not change the O2 levels in the tent; we remained at 9,000 feet for the past 10 days.  My brother (Sean) recommended we sleep at normoxia (20.9%) on Tuesday night.  He said we were probably battling a summer virus and that battle compromises our oxygen transport and resting heart rate.  Bummer!  I am tired.

To make matters worse, I bruised my foot running during my Sunday run on a rocky trail.  A bruised foot is not much worry.  I incur minor injuries all the time doing fun activities - bruised, blistered, and bloody is the norm but I bruised my left foot that was surgically repaired in 2006.  I run in really lightweight running shoes and the soles are so thin that I feel every stone.  

Usually, the trail is not terribly rocky but the folks who keep up the trail replaced some gravel after the recent heavy rains.  I now have an aching left foot and feel exhausted.   Last night was hell.  Kathy and I both sweat pools and awoke several times throughout the night.  We slept in an opened tent but the ambient room temperature remained high (94 degrees).  I think we are both battling some virus.  Sean was right I fear.  

I am writing this update on Wednesday morning while sipping a cup of tea at Starbucks and enjoying my favorite cinnamon scone.  Am I down?  Heck no!  I'm sailing this afternoon and that outing will help me shake this bump in the road.  Chouinard was right; adventure requires adversity.  My preparation for Everest will present me with many setbacks.  What matters most is how I deal with these setbacks.  The past few days were troubling but trivial in the long run.  

Have a great day.  Time for my day off.  Ice, rest, and beer heal all ills.