After all that training… I can still remember every mile of my last couple of 5 hour rides under rain and wind in the last few weeks, determined not to miss one single key training in my preparation to IM Austria. Hotel booked, travel tickets, car rented, etc., almost everything ready and just 4 weeks to go.

Unfortunately, everything seems to converge to this single dot, volcano shaped zit on my butt. It started with a discomforting rash which I decided to leave alone and let it heal by itself, just paying more attention to the hygene and improving my Vitamin C intake. It didn't help… that little f&%*ng bastard turned into an unbearable, painful abscess in just a couple of days. In the process to stop its course, I tried some heavy NSAIDs, obviously to no avail.

Barely being able to seat - and even walk - with this excruciating pain in my butt, I decided it was finally time to go to the hospital. To cut it short, the nice doctor there decided it was better to drain the biatch. Gee… I cannot even touch it and now you are saying you are going to squeeze it!!!!! Off we go… everything ready, I lay down, area cleaned, and after a few seconds of apprehensive moments she picks this scalpel and starts to work my butt…. Holly mother of lord JC….Then the real deal starts… she starts to squeeze the bejesus out of my butt… Screamed like a biatch, bit whatever was at hand, regardless she wouldn't care… when I thought it was over, she would start it all over again… It took her about 30-40 minutes to finish the job. Man, I was never in such pain - no kidney stones, no broken bones, nothing compares to this.

Now I'm on antibiotics, maybe needing to squeeze this f#$@er a few more times, NSAIDs, pain killers, etc.

Anyway, here I am - with another hole drilled in my butt (just a little bit over to the left) - but still wondering what on earth am I going to do. Does IM Austria stand a chance? Will I heal soon enough to seat in my bike for 180Km? When will I be able to train again (currently I feel like I was violated…)? Should I throw the towel and try to register for Louisville instead?

Any thoughts guys? Has anyone gone through that in such a short timeframe before a race? Is 4 weeks time enough to heal albeit at the cost of (not/ reduced) training? Any ideas to improve the healing process?

Thanks!

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