110% lecture.

I got a lecture from Dr B (about 2 weeks ago now, as this post has been sitting in the post section for bit).

Not a normal lecture..

It was 6 words and a "you bes' listen up look".

 I  could have just handled the "look" but it came with the specific words of  "No swim, no bike, no run". 

I searched for the "gray" in the black and white and it just wasn't there.

My eyes filled. 

I asked if I was done racing. 

I didn't get an answer.

My eyes became blurry.

 

You see, I give 110%.  In sport, in life, in work, in relationships.  I may not be perfect, but I sure try to be the best I can be in each moment.  If you add that up that's 440% and that is not balance.  I was told I have 110% to give and that was it.  Nearly ALL of which needed to go to healing.

My UC flare comes as no little surprise. We caught it early...this is just part of the process, in reality I had been pretty healthy for a year and a few months. And I did have some doubts at Danskin if it would be my last race.....for a short time, a long time, or ever....time will tell!

 I'm bummed...it could be better, it could be worse.  I will get through, as it is literally a one day at a time thing.

Take that UC!

There really is a whole other world outside of triathlon, but I miss that bubble. It is "known" to me and the "unknown" can be scary, but rewarding as well. I can already see such great improvements in other areas.

 

The good things: My pinterest is account is getting organized, along with my closets, details on our business are coming together, additional stressors eliminated and each moment of each day has a bit more calmness and collectiveness to it.  Healing feels good, well, actually it hurts and sucks, but it is getting better, so bad is better than the worst.

Take the time out and ask yourself where your 110% falls, choose it wisely, choose moderation, and be happy.  Life is short and so can your time be in sport.  Cherish your moments, surround yourself by good people and hang onto those special moments.  There are lots of mountains to climb, not just physically, but mentally too! Good luck to everyone with fun races left in their 2012 season.  We are SO ready to track your success and jump through the live feed with cheers!!

UC and Triathlon

A few requests is all I need to put some UC (ulcerative colitis) information out there for those of you googling "UC and triathlon" over and over! I've been there trying to decide if I could or could not race and in search of people I could relate too.I am covering several topics briefly to outline what I have found works for me, in hopes that readers can find some hope in understanding that they are not alone. I am happy to answer any questions via my personal email listed at end of post.  Never hesitate to reach out!

I am not a medical professional on this topic. And I am only speak from my experience and how I have dealt and felt since the age of 24. Here are some blunt facts on my life.

On Flare-Ups:

*I have had 3 flare ups.  Each one gets worse and worse and worse. 

*Remissions tend to last 2-ish years.

*Stress is what ultimately will send me in a downward spiral to a flare.

*Daily there are minor issues but these can be dealt with, it is the flares that are beyond life changing.

On Food:

*The nutrition books are guidelines, but I have had no success with them.

*My findings are that during a flare vegetables, dairy, and fruit are the worst things I can give my body. 

*Chicken broth and jello are my foods of choice during a flare.

*Sometimes all my body needs is a big hamburger or a giant cookie and I feel much better (yep, against all nutrition books). My thoughts on this is that I haven't "eaten" for days and it does not make my gut worse at all, in fact, I feel better.

*Food does not cause a flare, no evidence, but when sick some foods can make it worse.  I find each flare up responds to different foods and studies find that this is the case with many. Ie: Oatmeal may effect you now, but not when in remission or during another flare

On Medicines:

*First flare up- Prednisone, Asacol, Canasa (hair loss, no weight gain)

*Second flare up- Prednisone, asacol and some liquid suppository, imuran (sorry, it grosses me out too!), anti-nausea medicine (hair loss, nausea, puffy face)

*Third flare up-Remicade (6 months), Humira (following Remicade), imuran, prednisone, anti-nausea medicine, vicodine, maxalt (vomiting, nausea, puffy face, hair loss, fatigue, headaches)

*Currently- Humira every 2 weeks, 200 mg imuran, maxalt as needed

*Even when feeling great you must take your medicines. I struggle with this because I do feel side effects of them. BUT, I am not sure I can handle a flare up worse than the previous one.

On training:

*Training is a huge stressor.

*I have to do as much as I can to limit it as a stressor by keeping a balance between sleep, work, and training.

*I sleep a min of 9 hours a night and typically take 1-2 hour naps three or more times a week.

*I train 12-16 hours a week now (far less than before)

*Hydration is a key component in my gut letting me train.  Make sure you are ALWAYS drinking. I get hydration IV's from my doc to help with this

*A missed workout is a missed workout...no makeups...your body is telling you something.

*Running....oh the anxiety!!!  I've found I can only do intervals and even tempo runs (z2+) no more than 1x/week.  I COULD do more but I spend more time looking for restrooms than I do actually running.

Tips:

*You are the biggest advocate of your body.

*Find a coach that will listen to you and work "with" you.  If you know your body can not handle "x" then let them know.
*Never expect anyone to understand what you are truly dealing with.  Trust that you do know what is best for your body and listen to yourself. Being type-A I often find myslef thinking I am being lazy, or "talking" myself down from hard training. This is NOT the case.  Trust in YOU!

*The people that matter are the ones that you can talk with and who will not judge you or make you feel "less" because of your disease. Those are the people that matter....keep them close by!

Teresa@tnmultisports.com