Race Sherpa Returns

 I know the whole point of this blog is to capture what I hope to be a comeback; a story of years of frustration and disappointment, finally overcome, resulting in a triumphant conclusion. Like in all stories, other events happen that break the plot line; a twist that threatens to shut the whole project down early.  The plot twist for me was my mom being found unresponsive just hours after I published the first post, and her subsequent passing two weeks later. Honestly, the story of her end is brutal and raw, but that's not what this particular story is about, so I am resisting the urge to go too far in that direction. How all of that plays in to this story is the repetitive theme of interruption and disruption. It has happened so many times on this journey that it's sometime a wonder I still carry the torch of the original goal. I have spent much of the last three weeks in Omaha, without access to a gym, or a mountain, and seem to be falling further and further in to the land...

 At this point, I should just continue to expect obstacles. They have been emerging during this whole 16 month situation, and apparently they aren't dialing back yet. Just hours after I posted my first post, the one that publicly announced this attempted comeback, I received a call from my brother that my mother was found unresponsive in the bathroom of her skilled nursing facility.  She was there for a few weeks following an ablation and pace maker installation to control her years of a-fib. And this was all post a heart valve replacement in early February and an attempt to figure out her ongoing breathing issues (which involved lung taps every 2-3 weeks now).  As of May 1st, she was doing pretty well, and was on pace to get back home before Memorial Day. Now, she has been unresponsive in the medical ICU for the last week.  So I was back on Omaha all last week, I am back in Boulder for this weekend, then I go back to Omaha on Monday. In the larger scheme of things, ...

 What you should know....or at least what might be insightful....is that I started typing the first post of this "comeback story" in November of 2023. And if I am being honest, it was little bit of a set up. After dealing with a mysterious breathing issue for 12+ years, I had just received confirmation from an ENT that a good deal of my problem was likely coming from my vocal cords. In particular, my left one, which seemed stubborn and didn't want to move. This news was bittersweet. On one hand, I was possibly on the verge of a real solution. On the other hand, I was a little pissed off, because I had mentioned this vocal cord possibility to numerous people as far back as 11 years ago and everyone just kind of shrugged it off.  But here I was, with a real possible answer to the issue (and one that seemed to corroborate many of my symptoms), about to start up some sessions with a speech pathologist.  And that was going to be my beginning. In November 2023. It was like how ...