"Rest" week

One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine.

- Sir William Osler

A view of the Tetons from the Big Holes

WARNING: Text might be boring, skip and look at pictures if you don't want to read!

NO MIGRAINES THIS WEEK!!!! I'm attributing this to not taking too much time off of exercising, (I think the drastic drop in exercise may be contributing to migraines after endurance events), increasing my tyrosine intake (a precursor to serotonin, lack of causes migraines) and increasing my Magnesium intake (lack of Mg has been attributed to migraines). I'm also keeping regular sleep hours.

ADDISON'S FATIGUE. Crap, I looked at my pill cases and I put 20 mg of HC in for some stupid reason. I usually take 25 mg, good thing I've increased my HC after the race as needed and caught and fixed my screw up. I'm still pretty tired and have some unattractive circles under my eyes, could be residual fatigue or too much booze. Or both.

EXERCISE. I haven't run in a week. I just haven't felt like it. Got some new kicks though and I'm looking forward to using them. Maybe I won't get blisters from these?! Monday I unexpectedly was able to go for a real horseback ride. It was fun! My legs were sore! Wednesday Joanne and I went for a bike ride up the South Fork of Horseshoe trail, pictures below. The new trail was absolutely incredible!!! It's rideable, no more hike-a-bikes!! I also started lifitng again at my new gym that's only 2 miles from my house. I was very sore from lifting gently. I kept saying I was going to run Hurricane Pass this weekend but I don't feel like it. Maybe I'll skip the Horseshoe Challenge 20K next weekend and do HP instead. Maybe I won't do anything.

IN GENERAL. Zane's spending a lot of time at home, supervised by parents because of some recent misbehavior and he quit Cross Country Running team. I have not yet caught up on emails. I've got 80 in my inbox. I finally got caught up with bills yesterday. It took 6 hours! I'm hoping to pull myself together enough to get my personal training certification, ya know, cause I don't have enough to do.

FUTURE GOALS. I'm going to start thinking about my 2009 schedule and goals. In the mean time, I'm looking for a relatively close Fall race. Reid suggested I come down for the 24 hours of Boulder but I know I can't run through the night. Maybe I could set my own mileage goals and then go from there and sleep at night?

Any Fall race suggestions that are 50 miles-ish (running or mountain biking) and relatively close to South Eastern Idaho? If so, email me: contact@addisonssupport.com

Joanne with the Tetons in the background

Joanne on her way up to Elk Flats

Me in Elk Flats

Aftermath...

Went for a run up Pole Canyon yesterday, it turned into a brisk walk. Before leaving for the "run", I taped up my blisters. Stupid nubie mistake. I put the tape directly on the healing blisters. When I got home and removed my socks, viola, I ripped off the skin from the tops of the blisters exposing the delicate skin underneath.

I started on a project when I got home and was only able to do it for an hour or so before I had to lay down on the couch and nap (the second time this week, probably the second nap I've taken in 6 months or so. I don't nap.). The nap turned into exhaustion, nausea and aching muscles and joints. As per Wanda's voice in my head (Wanda is my Addison's mentor), I took 10 mg of hydrocortisone. I usually take only 5 when I'm not feeling well. The 10 mg made my stomach stop hurting enough to eat some soup I made and I was able to drink some water. I fell asleep at 9:30 pm and slept through the night. I never take 10 mg of HC late in the day because I'm afraid it will keep me awake - a totally groundless fear last night.

Feeling fine this morning.

I've been tired all week and I have circles and puffyness under my eyes. I wonder if this is Addison's or just the aftermath of running 50 miles? Comments?

After the 50

Overall, I am feeling pretty good. I've had 2 migraines since last Sunday. I finally got the courage to do something different with them and it seems to have worked so far. I took some (prescribed) painkillers and antinausea meds in addition to the Relpax and slept through the rest of the migraine. I woke up feeling dopey but what's new.

I am not very sore. I am taking an extra 10 - 15 mg of Hydrocortisone in the last few days for a total of 35 to 40 mg of Hydrocortisone per day. I don't think it's quite enough because staying up until 10 pm has been an impossibility. In the past, I only upped by 5, if that, per day after a big event. I'm learning slowly but surely.

Wednesday I rode for 2+ hours cleaning part of the GTR course of flagging. Thursday I went to my NEW GYM and did the elliptical for 30 minutes. The exercise after the 50 (no rest for the wicked) is part of an effort to minimize the migraines. There's a new gym in Victor and I've got myself a membership. Yahoo! Treadmills and ellipticals galore...they work and there's more than one of each!

It was 27 degrees this morning and frosty and we had snow in the mountains Sunday night. Winter is on its way. I have high hopes of doing Hurricane Pass before the snow really starts flying but we'll see. IF there's anyone out there that would like to join me, email me and let me know! I'd prefer not to do it by myself!!