So far, so good

I managed to cram 11-workouts into 7-1/2 hours of training this week. This schedule is very manageable and will prevent me from overtraining. Assuming my cardiac response remains strong, I’ll definitely be heading into this season under-trained and over-motivated.

My training philosophy comes courtesy of the folks at Endurance Nation (see links on right). Right now I’m using frequent short runs to build some aerobic foundation. My cycling consists of targeted interval sessions - all on the trainer. I got in the water twice this week, with one 3x300 fitness test and one drill session.

Two months off of the bike has cost me about 10% power output. I’m hoping to reach intermediate power plateaus pretty quickly. It won’t be easy but my motivation is high.

I’m enjoying myself these days and look forward to every session. I’m committed to remaining well rested and hydrated. Those are my two primary goals. I’ve made an oath not to let the training happen if those two essential components aren’t already in place. So far, so good! Thanks for checking in…

February Update

I had a good visit with Dr. McKernan on Wednesday the 6th. I think I finally have a comprehensive understanding of my condition. In summary:

· My condition is atrial fibrillation associated with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH), otherwise known as “athlete’s heart.”
· The do nothing option – as opposed to drug therapy or having an ablation procedure – is acceptable to the doctor. The decision for further treatment is up to me and will be based upon my tolerance for the symptoms. For now my only treatment is a daily aspirin.
· My training regimen is also up to me. There aren’t any restrictions, per se, but the doctor encouraged me to avoid ultra distance training for a while. She clearly believes that detraining can have a reversing effect on the arrhythmia, as detraining will allow my heart wall to get thinner.

This is, indeed, very good news. My imagination was getting the best of me and I started to believe many other more precarious scenarios in my head. A firm diagnosis with a clear understanding has allowed me, once again, to start looking ahead – although a little more cautiously than with my “All Systems Go!” fever…

I’m now two weeks into a low volume training plan that will take me to a goal of completing a sprint distance race in late May. My hope is that I will be able to put together a quality program targeting a Half IM in early September. It will take all of that time to regain the cycling fitness lost from two months of zero riding. For now, though, I’m trying to take exercise one day at a time.

Looking over the last several months I can see how I ended up “cooking” myself. After Ironman I lost my nutritional discipline. That was probably OK for my recovery period, but in early October I started training in earnest again. I was training HARD on the bike – at intensity levels far surpassing anything I had done over the past two years. I convinced myself that a low volume/high intensity training regimen didn’t demand the same nutritional discipline as heavy long course training. I was wrong! My body was starved of electrolytes among other essentials. It rebelled and forced me into a December detraining program of walking & yoga.

With the stress of uncertainty lifted and a return to the discipline of healthy eating and daily intake of vitamins, electrolytes, and protein shakes I’ve been remarkably free of arrhythmia. It’s like I’ve found a newborn state of equilibrium. This is all very reassuring. Stay tuned for more… and thanks for the many words of encouragement!

The Pendulum Swings Hard!

At work, my colleagues and I sometimes refer to the cyclical nature of the business climate in terms of a swinging pendulum. A pendulum swings with perfect regularity. It swings from one extreme to the other – passing the averaged midpoint at its peak velocity, only to slow down again, stop at the other extreme, and begin the journey in the other direction. Go through enough of these various cycles in the business world and you learn to handle the extremes in stride, realizing that over the long haul the cyclical nature results in a predictable average.

Unfortunately my health outlook – and subsequent mental state - has been going through a vicious swinging cycle of its own. Consider this…

High point: July 22, 2007. Cashing in my life’s peak fitness at Ironman USA
Low point: December 10, 2007. Inducing ventricular tachycardia during a doctor-ordered hospital stress test.
High point: January 14, 2008. After a series of tests, getting cleared by a cardiologist to resume training as normal.
Low point: January 21, 2008. Receiving news from an electro-physiologist that my triathlon training “career” might be over unless I consider an ablation procedure (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4682). She prescribes daily aspirin to prevent stroke.

So much for “All Systems Go!” Potentially compromising my family’s welfare through surgical complications (i.e. death), however low they might be, is serious business. With a family to feed, is surgical risk worth taking for the sake of personal satisfaction through triathlon training? It actually sounds silly to read it out loud.

My outlook has had its own highs and lows…

High thoughts: This is an opportunity. Good thing we caught this before it became more dangerous. I’m being called to do something new. I can still lead a healthy life. More time on my hands to coach sports, develop musical abilities, etc.
Low thoughts: Lots of whining, jealousy, and envy at the loss of my unique lifestyle. A lost sense of purpose.

Powerful lessons can be learned through painful or extreme circumstances. The most thankful folks I know – those with the best perspective on life – have generally lived and learned through personally traumatic events. In my case, could there be a better way for me to overcome my desire to control than to completely lose it over my chosen lifestyle? I try to tell myself – the pain, the anxiety – they’re necessary variables in the growth equation.

I’ll be meeting with the E-P again this coming week. I have a lot of questions. I hope she has some answers.