A year ago I was in Lake Placid for my Ironman Training Weekend. It was a tough weekend, I won't lie about that, but it pushed me to be better, to do more and be stronger. I am sharing this post from Facebook because when it came up in my memories, it actually brought me to tears. I as hard as it all was, and as many tears as I shed that weekend and other days in between, I loved every minute of it.
I am sharing this memory because in the midst of all of this training, figuring out what I needed to succeed I was also dealing with many medical issues that were tied to one of the most important things associated with Ironman Training, how to fuel your body. I had low iron levels and needed iron infusion. I had many GI issues going on and every week I felt like I was being tested for something new. I gave away so many vials of blood to be tested and retested. I had to eliminate certain foods from my diet only to bring them back to see how my body reacted. Finally I had to have a colonoscopy about two months before the Ironman. While having this procedure they discovered polyps and the fact after ruling everything else out, that I have an intense case of IBS.
I am sharing this with you because I could go for weeks even months without a system or an attack. Then out of no where it happens, I am in pain, cramping, bloated, and other fun things. In the past couple of weeks, my IBS decided to remind me he was still around. It has affected my workouts in so many ways. And I spend hours going over what I have eaten over the last few days that could possibly set it off. Was it something I ate, am I stressed, am I overtired; stress can wreak havoc on me and being tired doesn't help.
So after dealing with this for the last two weeks I decided to pull out a few trusted friends,
Eating for IBS and other nutritional books. Sometimes I have to be reminded what foods I should be taking in and what foods I should be avoiding. The hard part is what might bother one person may not bother me and vice versa. It is all trial and error. For now I have to be a bit strict with myself until things settle down.
All of these issues also reminded me that I have set a goal for myself to lose a few pounds I gained after Ironman. I wanted to be down a few pounds by the end of this month and even more by October 10. Below is a paragraph from a previous post that I stated these goals...
From a post on April 8, 2020
"And a goal broken down into steps become a plan and then when you back that with actions it helps to make your dreams come true. So I want to lose 8 - 13 pounds and I would like to see at least 8 by June 27 when I compete in the Tupper Lake 70.3 Triathlon (I hope*) and 13 pounds by the Hartford Marathon in October (I hope*). (*I hope that the races will happen and I hope that I lose the weight)."
At this point I can pretty much guarantee I will not be down the full 8 pounds by June 27 but I am not going to give up. I will keep pushing and trying. Between quieting my friend, Mr. IBS and continuing to train for life, I plan to lose the 13 pounds by October 10.
I also decided to hold myself accountable and I am using this blog for what I intended so many years ago...I will share my journey. Reading articles and individuals posts on Facebook the Corona Virus Quarantine has not been our friend...we are facing the Covid 19 (pounds) and our mental well being is also struggling. How can I be there 100% for friends and family if I am not 100% myself. I will be posting here on a regular basis to let you know my struggles and my successes...my ups and downs. I hope I can help or inspire someone else.
Keep Moving Forward
