That is what “Coach” Di told me while we were doing cool-down laps around UB stadium after six 800 meter (3 miles total). And I am not the only one who got the “directive”. A bunch of us…call us the Group 27ers….were doing our paces when a couple of them decided to break around and “race” each other. So “Coach” Di got in their faces and told them “YOU WERE RACING! YOU WERE RACING!”. Looks like the first day of track practice got off to a good start…and it didn’t snow, either.

Oh yea…and Steph even completed the workout which should be considered a milestone after all the injuries she went through last year. Ehhhh Pat….were you talking to me when you told me she is “gonna kick my ass”?

For those of you who don’t run because you have “bad knees” but are still interesting in my cochlear implant experiences, yesterday’s aural rehabilitation session went well. Aural rehabilitation is a form of speech therapy with listening exercises where I learn the different speech patterns so that when I hear them, the brain can associate them with the intended word.

Right now, I can hear human voices but I really cannot discriminate. The brain hears what you are saying but it doesn’t understand it. In essence, from a hearing perspective, my brain is really only 2 months old. Aural rehabilitation is designed to provide repetitive exercises much like when one memorizes something to a point that it becomes routine.

For example, take the words goat and coat. They sound similar but they aren’t. If you pronounce it correctly, goat is much louder; the “g” has more emphasis. Coat is “softer”; the “c” kinds of fades into the “oat”. Try it! The same can be said for bat and pat. The b is “louder”; the p is “softer”.

At the going rate, it probably will be the end of the summer before there are any noticeable improvements but I am ready and looking forward to it! Andl, I do have homework before next week’s session. The therapist suggested two things. Firstly, get some books on tape. Read the book while listening. Secondly, record myself reading something like a newspaper article. Then listen the next day and see how much I understand. So off to the library I go…this weekend. I’ll be looking for some Ernest Hemingway novels although my co-worker, and good friend Dan, suggested War and Peace. Thanks Dan…I knew I could count on you for DEstructive suggestions.