After returning from Texas, I was thinking about getting ready for Kona, and looking forward to racing in Chattanooga and the Music City Triathlon.  All of that changed Tuesday night.  I had an intense pain in my mouth Tuesday at work, and by that evening, it was so bad that I could not sleep or even focus.  I was in terrible pain that radiated from my mouth to my ears and in my neck.  I did not sleep, and by 3 in the morning Leslie was looking for an emergency dentist, but also called our dentist office.  I had already taken some Tylenol but it did not help.  She went out to buy some Extra Strength Tylenol, and that put me to sleep.  I slept for a few hours, and waited for my dentist to call back.  I had an appointment at 11, and had to hold on until then.  Diagnosis was not good.  I have a severely infected tooth that has to be removed.  I was hoping it would be taken care of immediately, but my doctor said the infection would make the numbing medication ineffective, so I need to clear that up before it can be removed.  Not good.  I was already in intense pain and really wanted it to be over, but I have to wait until next Wednesday.  This is my second day on antibiotics, and while I am feeling a little better, I am useless.  The right side of my face is swollen, and I can't close my mouth.  About 15 minutes after I take my antibiotic, I fall asleep.  I haven't really eaten actual food since Monday.

Of course, this is my fault.  I had some pain in my mouth last week when we were in Colorado, but it wasn't too bad, and I thought it was due to flying and some stress.  I thought it would improve, plus I was focused on my race at the end of the week.  I covered on the last post about how I thought it was a good opportunity to show my form.  I have connected all the dots, and can see that I was asking too much of my body to try to do a 4 hour race while fighting an infection.  My issues keeping food down were probably also related to this infection.  These were signs that I was not in the best health, but I ignored them, and not I have to deal with this.  Not that this is a good thing at all, but at least it is happening at the beginning of July.  I can have surgery, recover, and get back to training, I hope.  There are a lot of weeks until October, and I have good fitness right now.  I will lose a step in the next few weeks, but I do not think I will have to start from scratch.  Hopefully being able to train completely healthy will be a bonus out of this.  I have to see the glass as half full.