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My anniversary was on 12/15. Don't post much anymore, but just thought I'd stop by and check in. Life's great; I'm blessed and lucky. Good luck to you all and keep the faith. Mark

Haven't posted here in a long, long time, mostly because of nothing that interesting to report. Been leading a boring life with my St. Jude valve (not a bad thing...) Plus, I've felt like I had less and less to contribute since I haven't really kept up with all the new developments since my...

Today is the 15th anniversary of my AVR. Don't hang out here much anymore, but just thought I'd stop by and say hello. I'm doing well and staying active, so I'm thankful. Best wishes to all. Mark

Actually, my anniversary was yesterday on the 15th. By this time on the 16th they had me sitting up on the side of the bed in ICU. The "highlight" of my day was the surgeon coming in to remove, i.e, yank out, my drain tubes. Without a doubt the worst part of the entire experience. I am...

Did the Longboat Key Sprint Triathlon on 10/20 and the (in)famous 25th anniversary Bill's Beer Run 5-mile road race on Casey Key the following Sunday, 10/27. Pretty pooped this week. Finished 2nd in the Men's 60-64 age group in the triathlon. Actually finished 3rd on the course, but got moved...

Twelve years today. Celebrated by getting up and running five miles this morning. Mark

Haven't been around for a while, so just wanted to check in and say "hi". I guess the good news is that I'm healthy and have gotten on with my life. I've drifted away from being a regular here mostly because my AVR is no longer a central issue in my life. I consider myself lucky in that...

Today is the tenth anniversry of my AVR (12-15-2000). Considering that I was given a life expectancy of three years without the surgery, I can't complain too much. ;) Actually, I can't complain at all. I feel very lucky and blessed. My surgery went well, as did my recovery (although it took...

I started having problems with my left Achilles back at the end of July. Went to my PCP who diagnosed it as Achillles tendonitis and prescribed ice, rest and some NSAIDs. No improvement in eight weeks and I developed a tender lump on the back of the Achilles. Saw an orthopedic surgeon this...

Semi-rant: My left Achilles felt funny after a run two weeks ago. No real sharp pain, but stiffened up for a couple of days to where I had trouble walking. Iced it and didn't run for a week (I did get in a couple of pool sessions and a 30 mile bike ride with no pain or adverse reaction)...

Racing in Englewood, FL tomorrow morning. 400M swim in the Gulf (still oil-free here), 14 mile bike and 5K run. This is a 'B' race for the me; I'm targeted my training toward the Siesta Key race in Oct as my 'A' race. Had my Coumadin tested this morning - INR is deadcenter at 3.0, so I can't...

Did my first triathlon in more than a year yesterday. Work, family and injury issues have kept me from racing over that time. I approached this race as a "C" race, mostly to gauge my fitness and plan my training for my "A" race in October. It was a 600M swim in the Gulf of Mexico, 13 mile...

Things are pretty slow around here, so thought I'd just post on what I'm up to. Have my first triathlon of the year coming up on Saturday the 12th. It's a sprint race with a 600M swim in the Gulf of Mexico, a 12.5 bike and 5K run. I haven't done a triathlon in over 12 months, so will be...

For anyone interested, here's my schedule for the week: Mon: 6AM circuit training at gym (upper body) Tue: 6AM 2 mile run 5PM 1250yd swim Wed: 6AM circuit training at gym (legs) 5PM 15 mile bike (tentative) Thu: 6AM 3 mile run 5PM 1250yd swim Fri: 6AM...

Been feeling like a slug lately, possibly related to eating & drinking too much over the Holidays and finding (lame) excuses to skip workouts. Took some decisive action to motivate myself by entering two races: 1/23/10: 4.0 mile run over & back the Ringling Bridge crossing Sarasota Bay...

After about 2 years of being rock-steady, my INR dipped to 2.1 two weeks ago. We added 2.5mg/week and it jumped to 3.9. Decided to go back to my normal weekly dose and check again in two weeks. Looking back, I suspect that the 2.1 was bogus and should have done a re-test then. My...

Nine years today. Hard to believe it's been that long. No complaints, I've been very blessed to have a good life and good health. Going to celebrate by getting my INR checked this morning. ;) Thanks to all here who have been so supportive over the years. Mark

Just wanted to report that I cut my thumb with a corkscrew while opening a bottle of wine last evening. Got some blood on the wine glass. It was a 2008 Shiraz - very good. Don't think it affected my INR. ;) Mark

Coming out of 'lurk' mode for an update: Just had my eight-year post-op annual visit with my cardiologist. All is well with my valve and BP is good (126/74). Doc strongly encouraged me to continue my triathlon training, and even suggested that I add some more weight training back into my...

I did that Sarasota half marathon last Sunday. It was my first half marathon and I trained for it starting last fall using the Galloway run/walk method. It was a beautiful course, running along the Saraota bayfront, over the the mile-long Ringling bridge and then back. There were about 1,900...