The Training Blog of Lindsey

Since the doctor put me on the inhaler my bronchitis is finally getting better.  I have about 9 more days of the inhaler but the doc said that if my cough was better by Monday I could start working out again, weaning myself back in very slowly.  My husband will make sure I take it easy.  He cracked the whip today because I was going to lift light weights because my cough has gotten so much better.  He reminded me that he doctor said one week, not almost one week of the inhaler before light workouts again.  I sulked away and said ok, I will wait until Monday.

I am very excited for Monday!!!!  It has been a full 6 weeks since I got bronchitis and since the doctor said I had to stop working out.  I am soooooo ready to get back in the swing of things.  I really miss it.   I obviously have to drastically modify my workout plan that I had for training for the sprint tri but thats ok because I will be working out at least.  Today, as a substitute for the weightlifting I wanted to do I am going to put together my new training plan that will get me back to where I was before I got sick.  My new goal is to participate in an event before the end of the year.

Whoohoo to Monday!! :) :) 

I saw the doctor for the third time on Monday for my bronchitis as this is the 6 week. :(  Thus far I have gone thru two cycles of different antibiotics, the second being pretty hard core.  During this 6 weeks, by doctors orders, I have been unable to do any exercise.  This has been really difficult as I had just completed my first 1/2 marathon 2 weeks before I got sick and had just started my sprint tri training.  Things had started off great, motivation was great, weight was dropping off (17 pounds so far), etc.  Aside from all that, I really just miss the jogs and the swims and the weight training and how I feel as a result of the exercise. 

Part of the reason I haven’t been loggin in here was because it was too sad that I couldn’t exercise and this just served as a reminder.

On Monday the doctor did chest xrays and said everything looked good and sent them to radiology just to be sure.  He determined that it is still bronchitis and it is just hanging on.  I am now on an inhaler twice daily to reduce inflammation in the airways and to give my lungs a direct dose of medication for the bronchitis.  This will be for two weeks.  If after that two weeks I am still not better I have to go in for pulmonary tests to see if maybe I developed asthma or something else.

The doc did say that if after one week my cough is better, really better, not just, “hmm…i think it is better…” I can gradually wean myself back into my exercise routine, slowly.

So in the last 3 days that I have been on the inhaler I have seen some improvement.  My cough doesn’t sound so much like a barking seal, it’s more like a cold cough, with the occasional bark. :)  I still get breathless very easily.  So I will see how things look on Sunday and hopefully I can start something up on Monday.

Depending on how all that goes, and how easily I can get back to where I was I would like to find an event to participate in maybe this late fall or early winter since I won’t be able to do the sprint tri as planned.

So, fingers crossed….my bronchitis will finally get better and the lungs/body can heal.

Yesterday I had to put my lab, Labrina down. She is the dog pictured with me on my page. It was so freakin’ hard. I balled like a baby and was very grateful to have my husband at my side and a compassionate vet to take care of it. I held her until the end so that I was the last thing she would see, hoping this would comfort her. She has been such a great friend to me since I was 12, so I know I had to do right by her by making the best choice for her so she wouldn’t suffer.

Our siberian husky, Bandit has been a comfort these last two days. I believe she knows something happened as she is much more calm than her usual spunky husky self. Snuggling me, occasionally kissing my tears, it is all very sweet. Labrina was my first canine companion, very intelligent, had a great personality and I am glad that we had so many great times together throughout my childhood and into my adult life. I am also glad that she could be a great friend to my husband for the last 8 years as well.

I will miss her and hold her memories dear. I am glad that I had a place here to share this…thank you.

I am almost fully recovered from the flu…finally!!!  On Tuesday I had to sub Kickboxing and because I was still dizzy I had the ladies do stations while I watched.  It was so depressing, I really wanted to get in there and join them!  The dizziness finally cleared up on Thursday, it felt so good to feel like my head was cleared up, that I could think straight and that I could walk a straight line…lol.  The hacking cough is also almost gone as well which is also nice, throat is a bit raw as a result.

Anyway, today I can return to my workouts, yay yay yay!!!!!  I have missed the Sweat365 community so much!  I didn’t realize how much it helped to motivate me and just generally how much I enjoyed reading about others workouts and blogs.  This was my first full week back to work and it was very draining but I am so happy to be back to normal.  I have really missed working out.  I have a 5k a week from Sunday that I wont be ready for since I have missed about 2 weeks of training from being sick.  But I am going to do what I can this week and then come Sunday just give it my best!  I am still very excited for it! 

I got my Total Immersion book in the mail so I am going to read as much as I can by Monday when I will get back into my swimming.  I am hoping to start applying what I learn as soon as possible.

Also great news is that I found out after seeing my doctor that the meds I was on for my migraines and the sleep aide was keeping me from loosing weight, making me forget things and making my overeating issue worse.  So I am on a new med for my migraines, off the sleep aides and have dropped four pounds since.  YAY!   It was really frustrating that I was swimming 2 or 3 times a week, jogging 2 or 3 times a week, strengthing training 1 or 2 times a week and not loosing any weight.  I was toning just a little but given that I am over weight I should have been loosing weight.  So in the week that I have changed my meds I have lost 4 pounds so that is very motivating for me.  Most of my flu didn’t have to do with throwing up and nasuea so I am hopeful that it was mainly the med change.  So we’ll see what adding back the training does.

I am going to have to get used to sleeping without the sleep aides again because I am back to 4 hours of sleep on work nights which isn’t good because that leads to more migraines.  So I am thinking about adding in some yoga at night and trying really really hard to force myself to atleast get into the bed by 9:30 or 10pm instead of 11 or 12pm and read because that helps me relax, and no tv!

 The plan is to do strength training today and then a two mile walk/jog interval that I will take it easy on.  Rest Sunday.  And then start my sprint tri training on Monday!!!  Yippeee!!!! Time to get back on track!!! :)

So…. I have the freakin’ flu!!!  Grrraarrrgghhh.  And it is summer!!!!  Never have I had the flu in the summer!!!! 

I had a bit of a sore throat for a couple days and didn’t think much of it until Monday and Tuesday when suddenly I am blowing my nose, hacking, nauseous, throwing up, dizzy and just the simple task of taking a shower practically puts me into a coma.  I missed 3 days of work…3!!  I came in on Friday and by the time I got here the act of getting ready had worn me out and they sent me home…my husband drove me home since I was really dizzy again and I crashed on the couch.  It makes me so angry when I get so motivated and I am in the groove working out and this happens.  I haven’t worked out since last Saturday!!  My 5K is around the corner and I want to be able to run all of it and get a good time.

The mucus (I know…ewwww) is starting to clear up.  No more sore throat and I am coughing less.  I am still dizzy and a bit nauseous though. I am sooooo hoping that by Monday I can get back into it even if I have to take it a bit easy.  I am also scheduled to sub for a kickboxing class on Tuesday and Thursday and I don’t want to miss out on that!!

 Anyway, this post was purely to bitch and moan…..whaaaaahhhhhhggggrrrraaarrrggggghhhh.

Finally, I was able to buy the Total Immersion book by Terry Laughlin. I ordered it on Amazon and hope that it takes less than 14 days to get here!!

Swimming is my most favorite of sports but I really suck at it!!! I am sure I said this in another post but I have always thought that if I was an animal it would be a fish or a dolphin because I have always loved to be in the water and grew up swimming in lakes off the beach, speed boats and docks. I could be floating on my back in a pool full of splashing screaming kids and be relaxed and grinning like a fool.

Anyway, this is the first time that I have ever technically focused on swimming as a sport and not for fun. As a result I can float just fine, do side stroke, breast stroke, etc…(I am sure to the expert it looks like flapping around rather than a good breast stroke) but never have I really done much freestyle.

I have been swimming 1-3 times a week now and really have only done a few laps of it freestyle. Each time I did swim freestyle I swear the lifeguard was watching me, in anticipation, ready to dive in because I looked like I was voluntarily drowning myself.

Anyway, the Total Immersion book was recommended and I can’t wait for it to arrive so that I can try it out. I am sure, from other accounts that I can expect improvement and at the very least the lifeguards won’t be on the verge of a heart attack everytime I jump into the lap lanes.

I have posted countdown clocks for 3 events.  The first is the 5K Donor Dash, I want to participate in this to get more experience in events and my goal is to run the entire distance and challenge myself for a great average time.  This one also is personal for me as my Mom had a liver transplant 15+ years ago…so this is a great event for me to support.

The second is the Dip and Dash which is a 750 or 1500 yard swim and 5K run, I want to participate in this for experience in more than one sport during an event in preparation for the Sprint Triathlon I would like to do in September.  I have signed up and paid for the Donor Dash and depending on what cash flow looks like at the end of July, beginning of August will determine whether or not I sign up and pay for the Sprint Tri and Duathlon or just the Sprint Tri.  The Sprint Tri is most important to me because that is my long term goal.

Now I am trying to find a good 12 week Sprint Tri training program.  The ones I have found so far on the web and on sweat365 all instruct for times like 20 min. swim or 20 min. run gradually increasing on the time.  I feel like because my runs are usually 45 min. or more and my swim is 60 min. that 20 min. or the times they programs list aren’t enough.  Does that make sense?  So anyway, I think I will choose a 12 week program that works good with my schedule and then increase the times to where I am at right now, or a little less since I would be doing “block training” (I think that is what it is called).

I was also thinking that maybe 20 min. runs, etc is good because that would be jogging the entire time, whereas I do intervals (jog/walk) right now and I am up to 10-11 min. of jogging at one time and 2 min. power walking.  Or maybe I should stick with the interval training and also work on the distances for the Sprint Tri and get to the point where I can do the full distances without walking or having to take breaks??  I don’t know.  But I do know that I enjoy swimming for the full hour and doing my 45 min. + interval runs.

Any input and advise you can give would be fantastic!!

I am happy to see that I haven’t gained any weight back!  I went just 100 above my calorie range  today so that is good.  Tonight (6/13/08) I will do my last run before the race, 2 miles…yipee!

Health:

• Date: 06/12/2008
• Weight: 188.8
• Mood: Happier than Normal
• Sleep Hours: 5
• Sleep Pattern: Insufficient
• Calories: 1800

Well I got off work 2.5 hours late so I wasn’t able to run since I had to get up at 5am this morning.  I am hoping for nice weather so that I can do it tonight.  If the weather is bad I will just have to go to the Rec. Center.  First choice is definitly to run outdoors, running on the treadmill feels like twice as long and boring to get in the same distance outside.  (probably because on the treadmill I am always looking down at the clock/time and when I run outdoors I only listen for my watch to beep for intervals until I get home.)

Anyway, eitherway I have to run tonight so that I can start tapering down for next Sunday.  I just found out yesterday that my parents might be in town to watch me cross the finish line!  YAY!

I went over my calories yesterday by 41, but that isn’t too bad.  Can’t wait to watch the scale go down further and for those jeans to fit better!

Health:

• Date: 06/06/2008
• Weight: 188
• Mood: Normal
• Sleep Hours: 7
• Sleep Pattern: Better than Normal
• Calories: 1741

Much much better day with my calories, about 1200 less than the 4th!!  I am just barely under 190 which is motivating.  I slept in 1 hour past my alarm…woops!  If Brian hadn’t called to ask where I was (should have been at work), who knows how long I would have slept.  But I feel pretty good with 7 hours, I am going to try and get to bed early enough to get that much each night.  It will be hard because it means going to bed by 9:30pm and I don’t get home until 6:30 or 7pm.  So we’ll see.

Health:

• Date: 06/05/2008
• Weight: 189.8
• Mood: Normal
• Sleep Hours: 7
• Sleep Pattern: Better than Normal
• Calories: 1615