Ups and downs of my week..

Life in Iron training has it's ups and downs.

Ups: I was really up when I ran 11:30 min miles in my tempo run the other day. First time ever with my HR being under 135. I rode 44 miles in less than 3 hours yesterday..up Jemez Damn, which has a pretty good hill. I am clearly, for some reason after all these years, getting in better shape. I am figuring it is because of pushing myself a bit harder this IM trip training around. I feel good, especially now that they got infected tooth out.

Downs: I guess I have had this tooth infection for awhile now. Remember the tooth fiasco in Mexico? They had to pull a tooth. I opted out of the dental implant route..something about the words sinus lift surgery just didn't sound good or safe. So I opted for the permanent bridge route. While in between the temporary and permanent, the infection of the bordering tooth got worse and to make a long story short, I ended up with a root canal on one of the attached teeth to the bridge before they had put the permanent one on. In this I was lucky. The Doctor who did the RC was special and young and cute, with no real communication skills.

Seems he is also a mechanical engineer and invented this:

Take your practice to its full
potential—with Guidance.
The V-Taper™ Rotary System is a series of three (3)
variable taper NiTi rotary files. The V-Taper™ Rotary
System will allow you to complete most molar and
premolar root canals using 2-3 files and anterior root
canals using 1-2 files. This performance-enhanced
system is easier, safer, more efficient, and less
expensive than any other NiTi rotary file system.
With the V-Taper™ Rotary System, you will perform
your best root canals.
V-Taper™ 3-File Rotary System

Which means that a. Every endodontist in the world uses this now. b. He is very rich-does not have to work but just does cause he likes it and c. The whole thing was done in about 15 minutes after the numbing stuff kicked in. Amazing!

It was all kind of strange though. I walked into the dental office yesterday and the first thing I noticed was the shh. quietness..of the office. Very dark, very Zen looking in the waiting room. Then they led me into the procedure room where I proceeded to stare out a window at a fountain stream with fish in it for about 30 min while the Novocaine set it. The Dr. came in and very softly said hello there.. I told him he looked way too young to have invented anything-what did he invent? (this was before I researched it). He told me in very few words what it was. Probably spoke about 10 words the whole visit-not rude, just friendly and quiet. His assistant said not one word to me. It wasn't a mean vibe-just weird. Plus the Doc was so damn cute it was hard to be too upset by his lack of communication skills. This endodontist came on good recommendation from my dentist, who I trust implicitly. So I went along and poof it was over! Last time I had a root canal it was 2 very long trips to Columbus Ohio as a teenager and painful. This time it was over in a flash. I had some pain last night but feel fine this AM. What a difference! As I was leaving and paying (this very rich Dr. is still getting richer), I remarked how quiet everyone was in this office. The woman said this was on purpose because most people are totally freaked out by root canals and need calming..Ohhh, this explains alot! OK, whatever, I woke up this AM totally pain free except a little soreness..

Ups: Seven more weeks of IM training. YEA!!! Off to swim and do weights today.. Gosh I feel so teeth Zen today!