Mrs. C would be proud

When I was in the 5th and 6th grade I had a science teacher named Mrs. C--few could pronounce her very long, proud polish name. You received extra credit if you could spell her last name which may be the only thing I mastered in her class. Science was not my forte. Despite much effort, I had SLD--science learning disorder. The only bright spot in my efforts to achieve a low C or high D was the early ability to cross a medical career off of future career possibilities.

Today, Mrs. C would be extremely proud of me and perhaps a bit shocked. Science, as I've come to realize, is at the core of the sport of triathlon. There is the science that goes into triathlon gear--the geometry of the bike, the streamline of aero position, the material and thickness of a wet suit, the fabric in a swimsuit, the technology in a running shoe. That is the science you can buy. There is also the science that we live--the science of our body.

I am susceptible to over-training injuries--yes, I am a little type A...or some would argue a lot type A. I know that high arches, over pronation and and intense workouts equals plantar fascitis. I now know that cortizone shots really don't help with the inflamation of plantar fascitis as the podiatrist advised and that it is best to reduce my miles and get good orthotics. I know that there is a tendon called the iliotibial band that runs just below the knee (connecting to the tibia) to the hip (the ilia). This is knowledge gained through a painful hip and knee. I know that endurance athletes need a constant supply of carbohydrate and sugar to replenish depleted muscle and liver glycogen stores or else they start burning muscle which leads to a major bonk or worse. I know that not enough water, salt, potassium and liquids leads to dehydration, cramps or worse. I know that too much water leads to hyponatremia which is a low concentration of sodium in the blood.

A shout out to Mrs. C--this old dog has learned some new science tricks.