"Don't Stop Believing" Journey to Ironman

Triathlon Race Secrets--Tummy and Cramping Troubles

 Knock wood and anything else I can find, but I haven't had tummy problems in a race for quite a while. But just in case, I put a couple of the Gas-X strips either in my shirt or Bento Box. They are as thin as a slip of paper, so carrying them is a non-issue. You just never know. :)

Oh yeah, unpeel them just a bit so you don't have to fuss trying to open it on the bike or on the run. If you're reaching for it, you're in enough distress as it is. :)

What has saved me from stomach and cramping troubles--and I credit this product 100%--is Succeed S!caps. Stomach and cramping issues disappeared when I began using this product. I used to have terrible problems in both areas, so I looked to the ultra-running community to see what they used to stave off the nausea and cramping beasts. Do yourself a favor, and take the time to read these articles by S!caps owner/developer Karl King, as well as the FAQ on his web site. Karl's description of their efficacy reflects my experience exactly. It's incredible how well this product works for me. Do just as he says, and you won't need the Gas-X! (Old habits and fears die hard so that's why I still carry it!)

Have That Cup of Coffee-- Caffeine Does Make You Go Faster!

We're known for years that caffeine helps with performance. Many of us who are hardly world-class athletes can feel the difference just trotting around our neighborhoods. Have some caffeine before a workout, and you feel sprightlier and better overall. No caffeine, and it can be a slog jog the whole way.

The New York Times has a great article on the effects of caffeine on athletic performance. They quote Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky of McMaster University in Canada: “There is so much data on this that it’s unbelievable...It’s just unequivocal that caffeine improves performance. It’s been shown in well-respected labs in multiple places around the world.”

They also share research that shows how much caffeine you need--as little 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight. Diminishing returns start to happen at 9 milligram per kilogram of body weight. At that level, performance actually starts to decline.

Personally, I'm a Zipfizz addict. I way prefer that to coffee before a workout. But I have a little math to do to see if, before my next bike test, I need to have a cup of coffee too!

This New Breakfast Has Rocked My World!

My marathoning friend Marcia Puryear (into racing big time) recommended I try the following barley porridge for breakfast. I like barley, so it sounded interesting. This has rocked my world! Seriously, this stuff is major good. The best thing about it is that my husband can't wait to get at it in the morning. I have been trying FOR YEARS to change his breakfast. He ate things like Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms (if you can believe it)--any sugary cereal you can find. Now he says he'll never go back.

OK--a few things. You have to used hulled barley. Hulled barley is a very slow-burning carb with one of the lowest Glycemic Indexes (GI) of any grain. Perfect before a long ride or run.The pearled barley has one of the highest GI ratings, so don't use that. Research shows that the low GI effects of barley lasts 10 hours in the human body, which protects from the crash and burn cycle of high insulin spikes.

I eat breakfast around 7:30 am, and for the past month I haven't needed lunch until about 1. It has that much staying power with a piece of fruit thrown in as snack mid-morning. It was hard to find, but it would be totally worth ordering it on line.
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This is what you do:

1.5 cups hulled barley
6 cups water

Throw it in the crock pot before you go to bed, and turn it on low. When you get up you will have this creamy, wonderful pot of health. You can cook it on the stove too--1 c barley/ 4 c water. To the boil, simmer for about 45-60 minutes. Refrigerate the leftovers and heat up to enjoy in following days.

To your bowl add nuts, fruit, maple syrup, cinnamon (my fave)--whatever you like. I sometimes sweeten it with "Z sweet"--no calories and safe to eat. You can cook it with apple juice if you like, although I've not done that. My Chinese acupuncturist friend says barley is considered very good for removing toxins from the body. That would be a nice bonus!

Hope someone tries it and enjoys it as much as we do!

Blood Doping from an Interesting Perspective--Me!

I knew that would get your attention! I’m obviously NOT blood doping. I’m not even quite sure what that is entirely, but I have resolved a physical issue that might be useful for others to know about.

I posted this about my low iron issue a few months ago. Here's an update:

A number of months ago, my lady doc did some routine blood work. She checked my iron stores (ferritin), and it had dropped to a level 29. The range of normal is 30-300. She said, “that number isn’t even adequate for someone who sits on the sofa, never mind someone like you. Get thee to a hematologist.” I got lots of resistance from my PC, but fought and eventually got a referral. The PC was awful about it. I’m switching docs.

The hematologist, who turns out to be a marathoner, said he could not imagine how I was even remotely doing what I was doing given this depletion. He said, “you are three quarts low, plus some.You need help.” After some details we had to work out re insurance, I started on iron infusions six weeks ago. I get 200x the oral dosage in each bag of iron. I’ve been going once a week. I likely have 2 infusions left. The doc wants my level to be at about 150. (I sit in the infusion center with all the chemo people—very sobering, let me tell you.)

About three weeks ago, I started to feel better. Now this week I feel SO MUCH BETTER I honestly could cry. It literally brings me to tears to think about how for the past several years, I have struggled and struggled and gotten so down on myself. I’ve fought with my PC about this before for many years, and she kept saying, “you just run low normally. This is nothing to treat.” I knew that wasn’t right, but didn’t know what to do. Not only did I feel bad training, but I was zonked in so many aspect of my life from being tired all the time. It all got translated in my head as being incapable.

I came **this close** to dropping out this triathlon season entirely, including bagging my IM coming up in November. In March I could barely run 45’ without stopping. I kid you not. Now fortified, I am doing so, so well in my training, and feeling much better. For years I felt I had more in there I just “couldn’t get at.” I just knew it.

My message is, what we do here asks a lot of us body and soul. But sometimes, if you think something is off physically in your training, it may NOT be in your head. We owe it to our bodies to be as fit as we can be on every level. Get yourself checked out thoroughly, and fight for what you need. Not only am I training better, but I am just have more to give everywhere in my life.

PS—I joke that now I can understand why the pros dope. If I feel this good just training in a “normal range,” those guys must feel like Superman!

Hope this helps a person or three out there struggling with the same issue.

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!

Riding and Running with Infinit Nutrition

I've now used Infinit Nutrition on about six long rides, and I can say it lives up to all it's billing! It rocks! I've never had a sports drink product I've been so happy with. Just as a number of my other triathlete buddies have claimed, when you dial in the right formula there is no need for any other nutrition--no bars, gels, or beans--and (so far) no additional salt. (Although when it gets hotter, I bet I'll use some.)  So far I've done 3+ hour rides with only the liquid nutrition and have not needed anything in addition.

The first time I used Infinit for a long ride, I used 200 calories/hour. I have decided I feel better at a number closer to 250/hour. I have water in my aerobottle, and a "feed bottle" on my down tube. For a three hour ride, I fill the feed bottle with 750 calories and chug that down at regular intervals together with some water. So easy.

Here is my Endurance Formulation for long rides:

2 scoops-- 252 calories
Fat 0
Sodium 358 mg
Potassium 104 mg
Carbos 60g
Sugars 18g
Protein 2.96 g (This little bit of protein really keeps me from getting hungry on the bike. In the past I always felt like I could eat pancakes on that thing!)

I am also happy using a slightly different formulation for the long runs. No stomach upset, and a nice boost every time I take a drink. It has also eliminated the need for gels. This Infinit cocktail also has a tad of caffeine, which I like. I'm still dialing in the calories I need on the long runs. I think I've been a little shy on nutrition. I'm going to up the calories tomorrow and see how that feels.

Run/Shorter Race Formulation:

2 scoops-- 223 calories
Fat 0
Sodium 348 mg
Potassium 161 mg
Carbos 56g
Sugars 19g
Protein 0 g

As I posted before, the service was amazing, and now I can happily report so is the product.

How to Make A Customer for Life--Infinit Nutrition and Foot Solutions

As consumers, we often we struggle to get good service, and hope the products we choose to buy are even remotely as good as the claims that precede them. Skepticism has become a way of life. Recently, however, I had two experiences that have turned me from a customer to a customer for life.

Michael Folan, owner of Infinit Nutrition is one of my two new my poster boys for customer service. Many triathletes I know swear by the Infinit products, and I thought I would give the sports drink a try. If you are not familiar with Infinit, they offer pre-mixed formulas OR the option to customize a brew just for you--more electrolytes or less, caffeine or not, higher or lower calories, lots of flavor or a little--it can all be made to order.

I had visited the Infinit site a number of times in th past, and was never quite sure what I wanted. I finally dropped Michael an email asking for some additional direction. Know what?  He actually called me! On the phone. Talking person to person. Not only did Michael call me once to review my needs, he followed-up (unheard of!) and called again to review his suggestions! He also helped me figure out what my swimmer boys might need. That's it. I'm sold. I'll tweak the Infinit product till the end of my days to get it right, and stick with a guy who puts himself out there to that degree to stand behind his product and make customers happy.

My second poster boy for customer service is Abe Hirsch at Foot Solutions. I have terrible feet--flat, bunioned, pronating disasters. I have had orthotics for years, and couldn't do all that I do without them. You name the foot doctor/podiatrist of note in the Boston area, and I've seen them. Probably got orthotics from all of them too through the years.

About a year ago, I stopped into Foot Solutions on a whim to look for shoes. My orthotics were beyond worn out, and Abe showed me his system for making custom orthotics. I was skeptical--so conditioned was I to thinking only podiatrists could help me and provide the proper orthotic. But I took a chance (I mean, I was already in the store and time is precious), and I got my orthotics from Abe. Truly, I have NEVER had a better pair.

Now here's the customer service part. I went back to see Abe last week to get a new pair of orthotics since I'm training for Ironman. Abe took a look at the ones I got from him about a year ago, and said, "These are perfectly fine. They'll hold up to your training without a problem." I was stunned. Think about it. I was standing there willing to plunk down my credit card for a new pair on the spot. Instead of taking my money, he sent me home with the reassurance that my orthotics were fine. That saved me $300. $300!!!! I could not be more grateful.

So thank you Michael and Abe. The least I can do is give you both a blog nod, and hope others make their way to you.

You can find Michael Folan and Infinit nutrition here, and Abe Hirsch at Foot Solutions here.

More On Eating Better and How It's Going

I'm the first to admit I sometimes have an unconventional slant on things, but I also know that after decades of dealing with eating issues (i.e. sweets), things like will power, deprivation, diets, guilt, negative self-talk, et al DOES NOT WORK! So I have been on the search for what does.

I read Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" a couple of years ago, and it has been a guiding force to such a positive degree I cannot even express it. In fact, I think it's possibly one of the best athletic mental-training books you could ever read--that, and "The Power of Now." It can help you pull together a LOT of mental threads that lead to powerfully positive places in life and training. But I digress.

On Oprah's special webcast with Eckhart this week, they talked again about overeating, and eating things you shouldn't. (I posted about their previous eating discussion here.) Eckhart revealed how this kind of eating really is about the unconscious part of each of us that is always restless--seeking, seeking, and never satisfied. That energy can get transferred to the body, and it can manifest in overeating. The Mind wants it, but if you CONSCIOUSLY listen to the Body, it often doesn't.

They talked about how if you do eat the "bad stuff," make it very, very conscious. Feel it, sense it, enjoy it, but when the pleasure of it stops, just let it go. Stop. That's the body saying, "no more." It works.

I'm telling you, this shift in thinking has made HUGE, positive changes in my life feel relatively effortless. We are all works in progress, and I never really applied this mindfulness to my eating until this year, (AHA moment) and my relationship with food is now getting to where I know it needs to be. I'm doing better and better.

A New Relationship with Food

I read Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" a couple of years ago, and loved the book. I recommend it to anyone who wants a deeper--and kinder--understanding of themselves and those around you. While the read can feel somewhat ethereal, I have found that once you internalize the concepts, it leads to a much more content way of being. I also found the precepts in the book very helpful to me in business and training by teaching me to be in the moment and clear. There's lots of power that comes from that state of being, whether it be trying to influence a colleague or take that run up another notch.

As you may know, Oprah is doing a 10-week series with Eckhart on "A New Earth." It's every Monday night at 8 (EST), and it runs for 90 minutes. (I download it and listen to it the next day.) I absolutely love it. To hear Eckhart expound on his thoughts has been incredibly illuminating for me. You can find out more at the Oprah web site.

On the latest program, Eckhart, Oprah, and a caller had a discussion about weight loss, which I was able to apply directly to my sugar addiction. In brief, they talked about how dealing with such things are actually spiritual at the core. If you "allow yourself to be fed by the energy in your body"--the good energy, the powerful energy, the real core energy--then you are more likely to give your body what it needs. Overeating or stuffing bad foods is actually a substitute for the sense of "aliveness" that is basic to who we are. By being truly conscious and in touch with your body, you almost don't have to think about what to choose to eat. It can be a treat or an apple, but it will be what it needs to fortify you body and soul--no more, no less.

The whole idea of using your energy as a guide really resonated with me, and this week has proved it works. By being tuned in to my energy and how I want it to support me in my athletic and personal goals, it has naturally led me to better eating. There have been some treats, but they have been eaten without angst or guilt. The salad rather than the pizza has been eaten without feelings of deprivation. I have lost 2.5 pounds of those stubborn 5 I haven't been able to shed in 18 months. Seriously, I think I might be onto a new life-long relationship with food.

One other thing...Eckhart Tolle, who doesn't exactly look like an athlete, mentioned several times how understands and values intense physical activity. He feels the kind of training we do helps people learn the power of "being in the moment," which gets you in touch with the part of yourself that is very, very powerful. The part that cannot be accessed by thinking and ideas. I know for myself, once you learn that power, there's no going back. The guy has the soul of an Ironman, for sure.

Where's The Real Food?

I wish I could walk into a regular grocery or convenience store and find only "real" food. By "real" food I mean foods made with whole grains, proper fats, no additives or artificial colorings, and with healthy levels of sodium and sugar. I wish for aisles full of food that's actually good for us that we could just pluck off the shelf with confidence and peace of mind--without the specialty food price tags! When I go shopping these days I feel as if I'm picking around, over, and under the selections thrust at me to find the "real" food. Or I'm spending a fortune at the organic market for food that should be the norm and readily available.

Ever look at the ingredients in a jar of mass-marketed peanut butter? Touted as a healthy spread, most of the regular brands like Skippy, Jiff, et al are loaded with hydrogenated oils. Those oils are, um, not good for you to say the least. Sure, the Teddie Natural peanut butter takes a little stirring, but there's nothing but peanuts and a little salt in the jar. Take a look at the amount of sugar in your mass-marketed yogurt. It's up there, making most yogurts high in calories for the amount of real nutrition you actually get.

Today I had to go into a gas station convenience store, which I rarely do. I took a moment to look around at what was for sale, and I thought, "most of this isn't even food." Save for some milk and cheese, the "food" choices were just fat-, salt-, sugar-and additive-laden processed junk.  I could not find one loaf of 100% whole wheat bread, but there was plenty of Wonder.

Sometimes I am stunned at how many of us don't even know what "real" food is anymore. Don't even get me started about our kids. It's so sad, and so bad for us as individuals, our community, and our planet.