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.
