Coming to pieces

I'm feeling my age. This morning I pulled two white hairs from my beard, and when I arrived at the office today and noticed a sharp pain in my jaw, it was because one of my molars had disintegrated. Perhaps this is the week I start falling apart.

I felt the tooth crunch yesterday, but I was eating risotto at the time, which didn't seem a likely thing to cause dental damage. But this is a tooth that's already had problems; about two years ago it fell apart, with a similar lack of warning, and then had to be stuck together again with plenty of medical wizardry. This time, I'm less hopeful that what remains can be rescued. I've got an appointment tomorrow where a man will look into my mouth, and then probably make a dread pronouncement. Will it have to go?

In the meantime, it's not so bad. Ok, I can't chew on the left side of my mouth, and cold water sends a lancing pain up into my skull, but if I avoid eating and drinking and talking then it's hardly noticeable. Perhaps this is why I felt so tired yesterday (and tired again today) - the background hum of toothache, too low for me to notice consciously, was wearing me down. I might not have been checking the post, but the cheque was in the mail.

It also makes me feel worried about Sunday's race, but I suppose I'll have to see what happens. Right now I'm aiming for a 4 hour finish: half an hour slower than I'd like, but I hope close enough to realism. I get a free t-shirt and a medal, after all. The least I can do is jog for four hours.