Two BIG Pre-Race Developments

[In case you're WAY out of the loop, this weekend is the Gear West Duathlon. Pro triathlete Devon Palmer challenged Pete and I to a relay showdown at the race. We've been trash-talking for weeks.]

FIRST OF ALL, my arch-nemesis Devon is trying to change the rules about the race. We agreed on an "equalizer" format over a month ago. I did a lot of math that Devon agreed to, and we set a time difference of 15:42. The timing company dealing with the race was all set to have me go off in the first wave and to have Ben (Devon's elite runner) start 15:42 behind me - 42 seconds after the 6th wave.

Devon sent me a note on Thursday (just 3 days before the race) saying "Ben and I rethinking starting arrangements. Basically he has ADD and does not want to wait around to start just wants to get to it."

OK. Fine. I can deal with that.

Then later that day, I get this text:

I think my "Final Pre-Race Thoughts" post on Thursday morning (featuring Celine Dion) scared Devon.

I don't know where things stand for the race tomorrow. Are we starting 15:42 in front of Team Gold Guys? Are we starting together and seeing if we can finish within 15:42 of them? Is Devon going to bitch and moan the entire time? I guess time will tell.

SECONDLY, on Thursday morning I majorly strained a muscle in my back / neck. I had been up for about 30 minutes and I'd literally just posted the "Celine Dion" pre-race post. I stood up to stretch my back in front of my wife, and ZINGGGGGGG!! It was like 50 charley horses all at once. I tried to "walk it off." No dice. I tired to lay on the foam roller, but I just collapsed onto it in pain. When I put on my pants (yes, I was doing all of this pantless up to this point), I nearly fell over. Driving was hell because I couldn't turn my neck - I had to stay unbuckled so I could awkwardly shift my entire body from the hips up to check my blind spot or turn. My back and neck would tense up and ZING worse every 2 minutes.

I went to the chiropractor a few hours later, and he told me to be icing a LOT. So that's what I did. He said running in 3 days would hurt, but I'd live. I slept poorly but not horribly that night. The next day (yesterday), I went for an acupuncture appointment. I got about 17 needles in my neck and back (mostly on the left) and 2 at the base of my pinkies on the side of my palm:

You can see the 2 needles in my hands at the top edges of this photo.

It's feeling better and better. Thursday, EVERYONE could tell by how I was moving that something was wrong. Yesterday (Friday) I was just moving a little awkward. I'm hoping for "normalcy" today. And we'll see what racing is like tomorrow. Running is going to be FAR from painless.

OH THE DRAMA!!!!!!!!!

As I mentioned on Thursday, If anyone is planning to be at the Gear West Duathlon tomorrow, use the hashtag #GearWestDu on twitter to keep others in the loop regarding the race! (Click here to search "GearWestDu" on twitter to see all tweets using that hashtag.) And you know that I'll be tweeting from the race. So check for updates on Sunday morning. Race starts at 8 a.m. HERE GOES NOTHING!!!