"Don't Stop Believing" Journey to Ironman

Ironman Training Week 1

This is week one of my 20-week IM training schedule. Except not for me!

I'm finishing up a 18 week Half Ironman training block, and expected to do a race on 7/5. Thing is, we have the chance to go up to our Maine house a few days early, and I just can't resist being in paradise. There is no doubt that the race goes. Oh well. And now this puts me betwixt and between training plans. I think I'll do this...

Finish off the HIM training, including the taper. Do an "epic" day in the hills of Maine, and call it a wrap. At Endurance Nation (EN) where I train, there is always a "transition time" between training blocks, so I'll take the next 10 days to chill, go easy, and workout as I feel before recommitting to the structure of a schedule. Sound OK? I hope so.

My EN buddies will be on their way, and I'll drop in in week 5!

Training and Low Iron Issues

Drat it all! I have a long history of battling low iron, and it looks like it's back. A recent test showed my ferritin stores at 33, with the bottom of the normal range being 30. I know I've been more tired than usual the past few months, and I guess now I know why.

But here's the good news! It was my gyn who did the blood test, and is on my side to get it corrected. Whereas my primary care doc says over and over, "you're in the low normal range," my gyn said, "To hell with the 'normal range'. With what you love to do, the 'normal range' is not good enough for YOU." Wow, a doc who gets it.

After much griping with my PC doc, I finally got a referral to a hematologist. And a hematologist who, as it turns out, is a marathoner at that! (Law of Attraction at work for sure!) He echoed the same sentiment as my gyn--for me the low normal range is not good enough. He believes I would feel much better, and am a proper candidate for iron infusions. We're talking 200x the amount of oral iron given intravenously. My body says, "aaaahhhh" just thinking about it.

The bad news--stupid insurance. You won't believe the circuitous route I have to take to get the infusions covered. In conversation with the hematologist, it's clear that I have restless leg syndrome (RLS) at night. RLS is a sure sign of low iron. Insurance WILL cover infusions for RLS if linked to low iron. (Who knew?) But before I get clearance, I have to go do a sleep study night in a lab!!!! We're talking video camera monitoring, and electrodes, the whole ball of wax.

Unfortunately, I don't see the sleep doc for another month. I have to have a consultation before I can schedule the sleep study. I wish all this could happen sooner. At this rate, I won't get any infusions until August or so. By that time, I'll be starting to get deep into the IM training. The timing could be better, but I'm going to stay positive that I'll finally get some pep and feel better.

I KNEW something was off. I KNEW I always needed help with my iron levels, and I KNEW if I were better fortified in this area, I'd just feel stronger--triathlon training or not. I'd pursue this even if I didn't have an IM in the offing. I need this help.

My take away lesson is this. If you know something is off in your body, listen to it, and fight for what you need. It's no fun going up against this mess we call health care, but finding the right help can be done. I almost walked out of the hematologist's office, sitting there surrounded by chemo patients. "What am I doing here," I worried. But the doc reassured me I needed to be there as much as anyone.

I love my triathlon lifestyle, and don't want to give it up because of one doc who is unwilling or unable to think outside the box. I'll keep you posted on how this all goes. For sure, this is going to be a new experience!

My Son Cycling Across the U.S.--Pedal for Peace 2008

R to L--Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua; Pedal for Peace Route; Son Ryan in white and friend Pete.

PEDAL FOR PEACE 2008

I wanted to share some exciting information about my son Ryan. Just today he began a cross-country bicycle adventure with his friend Pete Driscoll. They departed San Diego, and will wheel their way back to New England within the next two months. They plan on 65 days of riding. It's a completely self-supported endeavor, done on a just-graduated-from-college student budget! That means lots of open-air camping and sleeping on friend's couches when they can.

The best part of the trip is that my son took the time to build a web site--Pedal for Peace 2008--to turn the ride into a fundraiser for FINCA International and their Village Banking system of microfinance for the world's most impoverished people. The money Ryan is able to raise through Pedal for Peace 2008 will directly support microfinance loans to the very poor in Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua. Most of the loan recipients are women, and sometimes the loans are for as little as $50. $50, however, can help buy additional chickens so the women can see the eggs, or perhaps buy shoe repair equipment to launch a small business. These loans often make the difference between families eating or not.

Ryan spent six months in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the western hemisphere. (Haiti is the poorest.) He attended university in Managua, then moved with FINCA field workers to live in Nueva Guinea for several months to help establish village banks in this remote region. He saw directly the positive impact microfinance has on the very poor, particularly women. He plans to go back to Nicaragua for three months when he returns from the ride.

I'm very proud of my fine son, and hope you will check out Pedal for Peace 2008 and donate if you are so moved. The site is up in partnership with FINCA, and the donation link goes directly to that organization--no middle man. And since 98%+ of the loans are repaid, it is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Be assured the money raised goes to help those who live as the poorest of the poor through no fault of their own.

  I'll be posting updates as they come in. Here's the first! Pete and Ryan dip the bike wheels in the Pacific Ocean. They will end their ride when they are able to dip the wheels in the Atlantic when home again in New England!

Ironman Coeur d'Alene Cold Water Swimming Tips

Lots of talk over at my training place Endurance Nation (EN) about the cold lake waters at Coeur d'Alene. I heard a tip about keeping warm I want to pass on, and add a few of my own.

At past Ironman races, a few of the EN athletes used those chemical warmers in their neoprene caps, and in the toes of the swim booties to help keep warm. I'm not sure what happens when the warmers hit the water (I think they need air to work), but it might be a strategy to pre-warm before diving in.

This tip led me to thinking that you could also put a couple of warmers in your bike shoes in the early morning before the race begins. They'll heat for several hours, so you can just dump them out, and your shoes will be warm as you begin riding. I think I'd dump a handful into my transition bag, wrap my clothes around them, and change into dry, warmed togs before heading out. I notice they sell a large "body warmer" size! Might help stop the shivers a little sooner!

I think I need to buy some stock before the race...

Lake Couer D'Alene Water Temp 49 Degrees

Brrrrrr!!!!! I know all you athletes racing Coeur d'Alene in a few weeks know about the water temps. Here is a recent TV news report confirming the cold temps, and the fact that IMNA will allow neoprene caps and swim socks. They will likely require all athletes to wear a wetsuit. Best go stock up on all the neoprene you can find!