After such a fabulous Colfax Half Marathon and a great week training….on Friday night I caught the Flu Bug. 

The next 5 days were spent consuming minimal food and barely making it to work.  I was bummed and felt like my whole season was lost!

I had to miss a big ride on Saturday due to the flu and by Monday I was sure that my season was over,that  I would not be in shape for Ironman Florida.  I seriously was depressed and feeling like I’d missed the most important thing in my training!   Like missing one thing and taking the week mostly off from training meant that I was too far behind now….I mean seriously…did I not learn anything from having Adrenal Fatigue????

As the week progressed and I began to feel better my depression began to lift especially after a talk with Coach Cary!  Isn’t it the best when your coach can always put thing into perspective???? 

Today is Friday…and as the long weekend looms, I have been sidelined by coach and will not be participating in all the big training that was on my schedule.  One long run is all I will be allowed to do.  (What a waste of  the extra day off! HA)

I do now see that a revamp of the training schedule will accommodate the missed sessions… and above all, I don’t want to end up back in Adrenal Fatigue land…..

So here is to perspective and letting go of catastrophizing and having a mellow weekend…..

Happy Memorial Day everyone!  Summer has officially started!

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Right when you’re just getting goin……..bammmm….a cold gets ya!

Yeap, after the stellar week before of feeling like I was training like a real triathlete, I got the bug that’s been going around the office!  Dagnabit!  I fought it off for a few days….but it finally caught me!  

I don’t feel too bad though, as most people were out of work for a few days and all I had to do was back off on my workouts a bit.  That’s one of the benefits of being a healthy athlete!  We can fight off bugs better than the average person.  And then because we are mere mortals….we actually do get sick sometimes 

So the approach recommended by my coach was to not set my alarm, and if I woke up in time for my workout do it!  It not, don’t stress it.  I slept in until 6 the first day, 5:30 the next and 5:00 on the third day.  Well, since I had the excuse of being sick, I decided I should lie in bed a few more minutes and missed three days of workouts. 

Not to fear though….Saturday I was back with a vengeance!  Feeling awesome, rested and recovered, I entered into my run and then a swim.  Well, kinda a swim. I had another session at SwimLabs on Saturday.  Found out a few tidbits to continue to improve my swim abilities. 

I attacked Sunday with the same fervor and cranked out 2.5 hrs on my bike trainer.  After watching a cheesy chick-flick I finished the next hour with DVRed t.v. shows.  What did we ever do before DVRs???  ( I frequently ask the same thing about zip-lock plastic bags…but I’ll save that for another post).

After months of Adrenal Fatigue issues….a common cold was a piece of cake to get through.  It’s good to know my immune system is right on track and able to kick some cold bug butt!  And as for training….well BRING IT ON!!!!!  I am ready, willing and able!!!

In the mean time……

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Once again it has been along time since I’ve visited my blog and updated what has been going on and the lessons I’ve been learning.  There is so much to share and today I think I’ll start with the things I am thankful for in my life.  It’s also a hard day as it is the first holiday with out my father, and, I am surrounded by the rest of my family and friends.

The first thing I am most thankful for is my family.  We have weathered a challenging year together and have been by each others side the whole time.  I feel so blessed to have the wonderful family I was born into.  Many people say- You can’t pick who your blood relatives are.  For me, I am so grateful I am blessed to share the blood of my whole family.  Each one of us is always there for each other and supports each other any time it’s needed.  I know this is not always the case for families, and because of that I am even more deeply appreciative of what we have.

The next thing I am most thankful for is my health!  Yeap, my health is back!!!!!!!!    I have gotten through the toughest, most challenging 4 months EVER in my life and I can honestly say- I am feeling better now than I have in 1 1/2 years!  How amazing is that???????  I wake up every morning feeling completely rested and ready for the day.  No more afternoon crashes where I can barely keep my eyes open!  (I have an admission here- I’m a therapist and there were actually 2 times, before I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue, where I nodded off in a session with clients. How messed up is that?)  It feels fantastic to feel alive again and to have hope that I will be just fine.

Yahoo! I'm Healthy!!!!

Next I am thankful for my friends.  Through this past year and especially the past 4 months, many friends have reached out and helped get me through this time.  It means so much when I’ve gotten a phone call or an invite to do something.  Unfortunately in the beginning I had no energy to participate in anything, and luckily now, I am able to do just about any social activity I’m invited to!

Ya just can't make it without friends!

Next I am thankful for my companion and pup Kai.  We have had 15 glorious years together exploring the country, rock climbing, and hiking/running many a high country trail together.  One reason I’m not as bummed about getting Adrenal Fatigue is I’ve had so much more time to spend with him, as opposed to if I was training.  Now we take out 15 minute walks around the neighborhood twice a day.  That is the extent of what his ol’ hips will allow him to do.  I treasure each day with him as I know he is getting close to the end of his time here.

I could continue to write many a things I’m thankful for, and these are the ones I am focusing on today.  There is much more to share with you all, and I will save that for another time.

Today I wish you all a wonderful day with family and friends and all that you have to be thankful for.

Friends are the best!

Last night I reached out and stopped isolating and went out to dinner with my 3 closest friends.  We went out to Little India and had the best dinner and conversation that I’ve had in months.

You see, I’ve really isolated myself since getting Adrenal Fatigue.  First because I had no energy for anything but work…and then because of the weight gain.  I felt uncomfortable to be around people I know because I was no longer the fit, athlete I’ve been for many years. 

Well, my friends quickly kicked my butt out of that frame of mind!  In a nutshell, they made it known that they didn’t even notice; they were not cady and going to be comparing me to before; and they loved me any way no matter what!  Now how could I ask for anything more than that.  And to be honest- being out last night was exactly what I needed. 

Today I feel as if the sun is a bit brighter and the weight is a little less on my shoulders.  It’s amazing when I reach out and spend time with friends how much that can change things for me.  After months of isolating I am making an effort to stay in touch with my friends and be more social.  

Another nice thing is everyone is done with  their season now…so they can join me on my very easy 1 hour workouts…..There are some advantages to Fall…..

Life can take us in many different directions.  We also get opportunities to decide which directions we might take.

I was thinking about this a lot last week.  I decided to post a “direction” question on Facebook each day and see what people responded.
The questions where: left or right; up or down; forward or backward; yes or no.

Lately with having to stop being an athlete I feel as if I’m headed in a direction I didn’t decide on. What I DO get to decide on is what direction(s) I take from here.
Do I decide to go left or right? Do I go left and follow the path of no training and lots of rest? Or do I go right and just keep training and rest a bit more than I use to?

Do I decide to go up or down? Do I stay up and keep a positive attitude and trust that at the end of this I will be in a better place? That something good will come out of this time? Or do I get down and wallow in self pity? Do I think life sucks and why me, my life is over?

Do I decide forward or backward?  Do I look forward and believe in what lies before me is exactly what I need to do and where I need to be?  Or do I look backwards and kick myself in the @$$ for not realizing that something was wrong sooner?  For not taking more time off after the Ironman, for not……the list goes on?

Do I decide yes or no?  Do I say yes to what is being suggested I do? Do I say yes to the new and different adventure I’m on as my body heals?  Or do I say NO!  I’m not going to listen to anyone and I’m going to do it MY way and the heck with you all!     Or….. is it that I say No to exercise and Yes to resting and recovery?

There are so many moments in life, both big and small, where we get to choose the direction we will take.  We are constantly deciding the ups and downs, yes and nos, left and rights, forwards and backwards.  They come at us, and we don’t even know they’re there.  We just decide.  And then there are the times when life leads us in the direction we didn’t really want, and we take some time to think, and then make the decision on how we are going to be.

It’s not always easy.  It’s not always pretty.  And sometimes we might decide one thing and then switch our minds….but the beauty of life is, that we do have the chance to choose.  We do have the chance to be.

Just be-ing

I’ve got a confession.  I’m kinda embarrassed about publicizing this, yet I will in the hopes that it may help someone in the future. 

I’ve decided not to do Ironman Loiusville this year.  I have canceled the race, flight and lodging.  There is no turning back and changing my mind. 

Why you may ask……and here is the why….

Remember back in April when I wrote the postabout my first race of the season?  Well, looking back I think that was an indicator of how things would go this season. 

This whole season, since April I have just NOT felt “right”.  At first I chalked it up to being depressed following my Dad’s passing.  But as the months went on things got worse.  My workouts got worse, my zest for life got worse, my energy got worse….

I went from having good workouts that I felt stellar in to barely making it through one.  And afterwards I would be exhausted.  And if I did a “big” workout..forget about it. I was wiped out for a few days!  Not only did my workouts suffer, but I started putting on weight.  Well, fat really.  And I was eating “clean” and not pigging out! 

As the weeks went on I finally had that intuitive thought that “somethings not right.  This isn’t just mental, but something physical is not right with me.”  My guess was that something was going on hormonally (I’m officially through menopause a few months back) and I began asking people for referrals. 

I found a nutritionist and a Dr who specializes in hormones and promptly went to work with them to get to the bottom of things.  Well, it turns out that my adrenal glands are not functioning at full capacity and therefore my hormones (which where already low) are all screwy.  Plus my cortisol levels are wacky hence all the abdominal fat that has appeared without the benefit of eating tons of ice cream or something fun like that!

By the time I met with these professionals, I was barely able to get through a work day, let alone a workout….I just knew that an Ironman this year would put me in a much worse deficit….so, see ya later Louisville!  This was not an easy choice.  I mean it was hard to let go of doing another Ironman.  I really wanted to do it, but knew my body would be in worse condition if I did. From what these professionals I’m paying good money told me, I made the right decision.

So what does all that me for Go Doreen???  Well,  I immediately started a hormone protocol with Bio-identical hormones.  The very next day I was feeling better…no $HIT!  Not fabulous, but I felt rested for the first time in months.  I’m also starting to work with the nutritionist on how to support my glands using food to do so.  It will be a process, but hey, it’s better than the alternative of NOTHING.

What else this means is that Ironman Louisville has  been substituted for Coeur d’Alene!!!!!  Yeap, I’m signed up for IMCDA 2011!  I am so psyched about that. 

So the game plan is, to take the next few months to do things that are fun for me.  Keep my base with the swim, bike, run, but scale things down a bit to let my body heal.  I hiked a 13er a few weeks ago and this past weekend rode the Boulder 70.3 bike course and felt great!  I have not felt that good in a workout in months! 

I’m also going to be doing the Harvest Moon Long Course in Sept and Nationals Long Course in Oct.  This is all dependent though on how I’m feeling and how the tests come back.  But if all goes well these will send me into my training for IMCDA.  I feel hopeful that I will come out of this strong and feeling like myself again.  It helps a lot knowing that CDA is on the books for next year, since I’m out of IM this year.

What I’ve learned during this process, is it’s hard as a dedicated triathlete to listen.  To really listen to our bodies and hear what it’s telling us.  The signs are always there.  I know they were for me, I’d just kept hoping they would go away!  After a few months though I just knew I had to listen and find out what was going on.  I am really glad I did.  It’s not easy to do so.  It’s wasn’t easy to say “I can’t do Louisville this year”.  I mean that was REALLY tough! I wrestled with it for  a long time.  I kept hoping I’d feel better.  But I didn’t…but now I do.  I am starting to feel better.  And I know, I will feel great at some point in the future.  I am glad I’m taking care of myself now, so I can have more fun later!