We got Roo a nice little GPS watch. About the price of 2 weeks worth of cigarettes (I think, it's been a while). The greatest thing about running with one of these, other than the useful data you end up with, is that it eliminates the need to plan your run. Long runs especially, would typically require mapping decisions that get you back home with the right distance, but just as importantly that need to take wind, weather and road conditions into consideration.
When you got one of these....you just go outside and run! You can make on the fly decisions about how far from home you want to venture, which roads to take, plus if and when you want to battle the wind. Nice!!
Anyway the funny part happened while I was getting it set up for her. Because she likes to keep track of each kilometre as she runs, I was trying to get the alert tones set up. The manual really sucks, and I was having a bit of trouble figuring it out. Of course unless I went out and actually ran with it for a kilometre, I wasn't gonna know for sure if it worked. However it had another feature called key tones, and I figured if this worked, the kilometre tones would probably work as well. Alas, no matter what I tried and how many buttons I pushed, I couldn't get it to function. When I do something like this I am always cognizant of my high frequency hearing loss, so I made sure to hold it up to my ear, but still nothing! Frustrating! Finally I called Roo in from the other room and told her I was gonna have to take it back because the tones wouldn't work. After about a half second of confusion, she burst out laughing!
And I knew right away!!
I didn't have to wait for her to stop laughing to ask me what the hell she'd been hearing for the last 15 minutes!
In case anyone doesn't know, hearing loss is one of the small side effects of Cisblatin, my chemo drug of choice. I just didn't realize how bad it's actually gotten. After she confirmed that it was working, and could hear it from the other room, I tried again. I held it tight to my ear....and I heard absolutely nothing!
And yes, it was funny. I know I whine and bitch a bit about the long term side effects, but in truth I don't really resent it. The positive things that came out of that experience outweigh the negative by about a thousand to one! I ain't kidding! Besides, I hope to offset the continuing deterioration of my hearing ability, by improvement in my listening skills
Speaking of whining my workout was a bitch today. I really don't know how I got through these workouts a year ago, other than one day at a time I suppose. I will try to use the same approach this time around, so as not to talk myself out of it.
Computrainer intervals, week 4, day 1.
"There's none so deaf as they that will not hear"---Anon
Love
Peter
I'm with ya, Dad, with the hearing loss! It's what I experience all the time. I once had my watch alarm go off during class once, and I completely did not hear it. Eventually the whole class turned to me and someone said "Your watch is beeping." Embarrassing to say the least!!
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Michael
Opportunity to improve your other senses for sure. I think the biggest challenge, because it is so subconscious, is to realize that your other senses are improving and being able to properly use the different input as an alternative to what has been lost.
ReplyDeleteLove happy odd john
As a person who can only hear with the aid of mechanical devices, I will remind you that sometimes it is a blessing NOT to be able to hear. I have a neat little remote control for my hearing aids which allows me to turn them up when necessary. It also allow me to turn the down or off when I simply can't stand the noise (excessive whining by students comes immediately to mind). And at night, I hear nothing. I would never wake to an alarm. It's much better to be awaked by your husband who smiles and says he loves you! Love, gail
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