benched

Just came from the doctor's office with the diagnosis of a "wicked ear infection". Wicked is one adjective, may I add mean, hateful, spiteful and painful to the list? My doctor actually asked me how I managed to make it to her office.

She obviously told me that swimming would be out for a while.  I asked her if I could swim with ear plugs.  She yes, but only if I don't put my head in the water.  My swim coaches might have something else to say about that.  Actually, it looks like biking and running are also on hold for now, because each time I make the slightest movement of my head I want to scream out in pain.  I am sitting in bed being very still at the moment.

I really can't afford to miss any training.  My triathlon is only nine weeks away and I am nowhere near ready.  I was having such good momentum, and now it's stopped short.

At least this didn't come the week of my trip to Italy.  There is always a bright side, even to ear infections.

To carb or not to carb?

The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing by Dr. Phil Maffetone suggests that many people are intolerant to carbohydrates without even knowing it.  The author recommends that athletes take a break from carbohydrates, as well as many other things, for two weeks. No, it doesn’t matter if the athlete is training hours every day for a major event. 

Before this hiatus the athlete is supposed to write down all of the symptoms that he or she is having.  If those symptoms are improved by refraining from carbs than the reader is most likely intolerant of carbohydrates.  I decided to try this two week test, but what were my symptoms?  Is dry skin a symptom?  I think that my skin might be because of the dry weather, but I’ll write that down.  How about that popping shoulder?  I just assumed that it popped because of the way I swam.  Is it popping because I eat carbohydrates?  I’ll write that down just in case.  The same for shin splints.

Almost immediately my back started hurting me (see last post for details). Three days into the test I began feeling tired, REALLY tired, like I’ll never make it through the workday and might fall asleep driving home tired. That stayed with me throughout the test.  Five days into it, and after a major correction to my swim stroke, my shoulder miraculously stopped popping.  What do I credit for this wonder?  Maybe it was the carbs all along.  I’m sure that my stroke was never the problem.  OH!  I do hope that the shin splints can be cured!  But the opposite started happening.  On day six my legs started aching.  Not just while I was working out, but around the house too.   I did do a heavy workout that morning, but don’t I do a heavy workout every Saturday?  Why are they suddenly aching now? 

Yesterday was day nine.  I decided to give the two week test its biggest challenge yet: the shin splints. Also, my coach told me to get my butt off the elliptical and get onto the treadmill.  I did go on the treadmill but before my shins could think about bothering me my foot started cramping.  It was a painful, can’t continue, not sure I can ever move my toes again, kind of cramping: the kind of cramping that comes from a lack of potassium, sodium and nutrients.   I got off of the tread mill, left the gym and went straight out for frozen yogurt. I added all of the fixings, especially the sugary ones.  Tonight I will buy some lotion for my dry skin.

I’m just going to assume that I am not intolerant to carbs but, on second thought, abstaining from them did cure my shoulder. Hummm…..

Updates all around

Swimming:

I think that I’ve adapted my swim stroke enough to avoid the shoulder popping.  Now if I could only improve my speed.

Biking: 

Having trouble with one of my bike cleats, but I HAVE to wait until after my trip to Italy to take it to the bike shop.  I am not spending any money before my trip.  Let’s hope that I don’t fall over when we start riding outdoors. 

Running:

My coach told me to stop training on the elliptical.  He said to use the treadmill even if I need to go really slow, so yesterday I “ran” two miles.  I actually fast walked.  My calf, well honestly,  my entire right leg, felt really tight.  I’ll have to warm up better next time. 

Fundraising:

So far I have raised almost 70%.  I know that my webpage says 62%.  I have some money that I need to send in.  I still need to raise about $1,125 dollars.  I am doing a raffle for a Kindle Fire and am hoping to host a wine party with one of my friends on the team.  We would charge $10 a head for the wine tasting, make our own hors d'oeuvres and make a profit on any wine that we sell.  It’s kind of like a Tupperware party with a cover charge, and the product is more fun.  We just need a place to host it.  She wants to have it near her.   We just need to get our act together.    

General well being:

My back has been bothering me for about a week now.  I herniated disc years ago and it’s been bothering me since.   The pain ebbs and flows.  Now it is really bothering me, but at least I am mobile.  Sometimes I am not. 

My legs hurt; the I’ve been exercising on them too much kind of hurt.  They haven’t through this entire process, but they started hurting yesterday.  I’m glad that today is a rest day. 

I’m a little scared about the fundraising.  Whatever I don’t raise I have to pay myself.  That wouldn’t be so bad, but the fundraising deadline is right before my trip to Italy and I am really worried about paying for that as it is.

On a good note I’ve lost 18 pounds since I started training.    

First shins, now shoulders

So on Saturday I had the worst swim of my life.  It all started a few weeks ago on a Tuesday evening swim.  I felt a little popping in my shoulder.  I didn’t think anything of it, maybe I should have.  The popping was worse last Tuesday and even worse on Saturday.  It was difficult to find a stroke that didn’t bother my shoulder.  I just couldn’t get comfortable in the water.  I am usually quick to get off the bike after my workout, the treadmill and elliptical too, but NEVER out of the water. I had planned to swim a mile on Saturday, but fearing that I might be doing real damage I got out after half.  Now I am afraid to swim.  

Shin Splints – The Sequel

I took to month of January off from running.  I figured that I would let the shin splints heal entirely.  On days that I was supposed to run I went on the elliptical so as to get my workout in without the constant impact.  I have to admit I really got lax with my shin splint stretches.  Not being in pain, I actually forgot all about them.  Today I went on the treadmill.  I started off slow at 3 miles per hour and increased the speed by 1/10th of a mile every minute.  In eight and a half minutes I was beginning to feel the pain.  I stayed on the treadmill for a another minute and a half and, not wanting to do any damage, I moved to the elliptical.  How am I possibly going to run in this race?