Wandering aimlessly...

nkrichards wrote:

ounce wrote:My, my, that is a whole lot of doing!  And you're still clickin' along with that ticker of yours, too!  That sure is a lot to admire.  I'll do my best to keep Freddy down here.

Well done.

Yes, please keep Freddy down there.  I'm having enough trouble keeping my pace at an easy level as it is!

Mark B wrote:That is a LOT of strength work. I suspect it's what helps the other things go so well for you. Great job!

I can tell that the strength work has really helped in my other activities but I think I need to find a better balance.  The strength work has become a social habit which is good...

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:I see that you've been very busy, that your trip was great (I would love to go to Australia, but Japan is first this year), and that you'll be a Grandma again and this time to twins.    How very cool on all counts!

Now you have all spring/summer/fall/winter to get back in tri shape so we can do one again late Spring/early Summer next year.  I was just talking with Carol and she is getting ready for Santa Rosa.  And then, she is going to tackle a 50K later this summer.   I so hope she is still biking when she gets to NY as I'll be very busy swimming, biking, and running to get ready for my big race in October.

 Maybe I should fly to Houston and visit Doug in January.   

I want an 8x10 glossy of that one.  

I can handle it.  Kevin and Miche1e came down here in 2012 and survived.  We have miles and miles of flat, down here.

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote: Maybe I should fly to Houston and visit Doug in January.   

I want an 8x10 glossy of that one.  

I can handle it.  Kevin and Miche1e came down here in 2012 and survived.  We have miles and miles of flat, down here.

 Houston is a tough marathon to register for isn't it?  I seem to remember you talking about a lottery.  January isn't the best time of year for me but it is a thought...

nkrichards wrote:

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote: Maybe I should fly to Houston and visit Doug in January.   

I want an 8x10 glossy of that one.  

I can handle it.  Kevin and Miche1e came down here in 2012 and survived.  We have miles and miles of flat, down here.

 Houston is a tough marathon to register for isn't it?  I seem to remember you talking about a lottery.  January isn't the best time of year for me but it is a thought...

It's nothing like it was a few years back, even for the Half.  You'd have until October, even November for the Full and probably August for the Half to register.  13,500 registrants for the Half and 13,500 for the Full.

It's not a good tuner for Boston, but it is a good course to BQ.

Swimming the Columbia? Brr! Hope it's late in the summer, when the water isn't full of snowmelt.

Just a quick post to apologize for dropping off the face of the earth without warning.

I am alive and well...at least for the time being.  The local GP ordered blood draws in preparation for my annual visit to Dr. B later this month.  When the results came back I got an urgent call to retest which I did.  My Potassium levels were sky high.  The second test still shows pretty high levels but not in the "let's panic" range.  Gives us some time to figure out the cause.  So...my excuse is that I've been painting on the rental house every day and spending any spare computer time doing potassium research.

On the bright side both my cholesterol and liver function numbers look good.  Shouldn't be any problem convincing Dr. B that I can stay at the lower 15 mg dose of Atorvastatin. 

Will check back in when I have a bit more time and see what you've all been up to and let you know what I've been able to squeeze in the last several days.

Deep breath...

Well, that's an interesting development (,\'thank you, thank you,' says Captain Obvious).  Back in March after my 10 day fast, my potassium level was 5.2 and I think 6.0 was the upper range.  How does that compare with your figure?

Does your research show that it's not difficult to bring it down, if you don't have low functioning kidneys?  Good luck with the follow ups.

Well I was thinking of you today as I arrived here in Boston, so hopefully it's good vibes.

Thanks for your concerns.  Still struggling to find the time to check in here.  On the bright side I've been training at a decent level.  Not fast but consistent.

So here's the Potassium/health update.  According to my information potassium should be 3.6-5.1.  

• The high potassium levels revealed themselves in Oct 2017 (5.5)  No one seemed to concerned.  
  
• In March of 2018 it was 5.7 and my GFR (kidney function) was only 61.  It appears they start watching things when GFR drops below 60 for an extended period of time.  Still no concern from my GP or Dr. B although Dr. B did mention that I shouldn't take supplements or eat to many bananas.  
  
• August 2018 potassium was 4.8 and GFR was 63.  No concerns.
  
• April 5th 2019 potassium level was 6.0 and GFR was 59.  Urea Nitrogen was also slightly high.  Liver function numbers were slightly high but slightly is the key word and well within acceptable limits.  We had drawn blood locally in preparation for my annual appointment with Dr. B later this month.  My GP (I should note he's new as my long time GP retired.) called and said he was concerned and asked that I retest.
  
• Retest on April 10th showed Potassium still high but down to 5.6.  GFR 60.  That seemed to ease my GP's mind.  I asked if we should figure out why potassium levels had been high for the last two years.  His response was that I could spend a lot of time and money on tests and never really figure anything out.  He stated that since I didn't have symptoms he didn't advise doing anything.  Hmmm...
  

I'm a bit frustrated because he never talked to me about symptoms.  Do I have sore muscles and leg cramps, chills and hot sweats, gastrointestinal issues, nausea, dizzy spells and general fatigue because I'm an old lady that works out to much or are these symptoms of an actual health issue??????

I don't have a good track record as far as recognizing symptoms of a problem when I have one.  But I also don't want to be paranoid every time I feel a bit off.  I just get more confused the more time I spend doing research online.  I took a quick look at the list of high potassium foods and while I do like my bananas and nuts I don't think I eat an excessive amount of potassium.   I visited with a friend of a friend who is a nurse and he mentioned that I should pay attention to my hydration...I have increased my water intake this winter so I don't think that's the issue.

So...for now I'm going to try not to panic, track my food and take a closer look at old test results and talk to Dr. B on April 25th.

AND...the reason we pulled these tests:

• Total Cholesterol 157
  
• HDL 66
  
• LDL 80
  
• VLDL 12
  
• Triglycerides 58
  

Pretty happy with those numbers and ratios.  I'm currently on 15mg of Atorvastatin and shouldn't have any trouble convincing Dr. B to leave it at that level.  He wanted me to try and go back up to 20 but I'm not comfortable sacrificing liver function numbers for cholesterol numbers.  I think this is a good compromise.  I know that, because of my history, he's more concerned about the anti-inflammatory and plaque stabilizing effects of the statin but I don't want to trade one problem for another.

We'll see how the conversation goes and then make a decision on how to move forward.

Ultreya...

I'm glad that nurse mentioned water intake.  Bananas have about 400 mg of potassium and I think 8 oz of milk was 300.  I would recommend consuming less than 4,000 mg of potassium daily.  BUT, stay focused on that GFR.  I have absolutely no information on GFR, but the fact that your number is on the low end of the scale, I would find out what to do to get that number up.

Just because the docs don't get worried until you're below 60 is no reason to not get the number up.  They're not doing anything different than when you and I look at a 5 month income statement to see if the current month's number on a particular expense is about 1/5 of the YTD figure.

You be your best advocate.  Research kidney function.  Dialysis.  I have no idea about kidneys and I don't want to scare you, but kidney function is pretty important (says Captain Obvious).  Maybe get the local GP to order the kidney function follow up blood work on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis OR the next step up in that kind of thing.  Again, I don't know anything about it.  Knowledge is power.

My potassium was 5.0 (3.5-5.2 range), GFR was 94 (>59), sodium was 144 (134-144), uric acid 9.2 (3.7-8.6) from mid-March, 2019 lab work.

Be a squeaky wheel.

And thanks for finding the 2018 Boston finishing times.

ounce wrote:I'm glad that nurse mentioned water intake.  Bananas have about 400 mg of potassium and I think 8 oz of milk was 300.  I would recommend consuming less than 4,000 mg of potassium daily.  BUT, stay focused on that GFR.  I have absolutely no information on GFR, but the fact that your number is on the low end of the scale, I would find out what to do to get that number up.

Just because the docs don't get worried until you're below 60 is no reason to not get the number up.  They're not doing anything different than when you and I look at a 5 month income statement to see if the current month's number on a particular expense is about 1/5 of the YTD figure.

You be your best advocate.  Research kidney function.  Dialysis.  I have no idea about kidneys and I don't want to scare you, but kidney function is pretty important (says Captain Obvious).  Maybe get the local GP to order the kidney function follow up blood work on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis OR the next step up in that kind of thing.  Again, I don't know anything about it.  Knowledge is power.

My potassium was 5.0 (3.5-5.2 range), GFR was 94 (>59), sodium was 144 (134-144), uric acid 9.2 (3.7-8.6) from mid-March, 2019 lab work.

Be a squeaky wheel.

And thanks for finding the 2018 Boston finishing times.

Thanks Doug.  Your comments pretty much reflect my concerns.  Why isn't my body discarding excess potassium like it should?  My plan is to visit with Dr. B on Thursday and see what he thinks.  I trust him but he may not be willing to go outside his specialty to far.  I will at least find out if those numbers are a concern as far as my heart health goes.

My tentative plan is to find a good, user friendly nutrition tracker...any recommendations...and figure out how much potassium I'm actually getting in my diet.  Looking at the list of high potassium foods I don't think I'm getting an excessive amount but maybe those lower potassium foods are adding up to more than I realize.  It's a time consuming calculation but one I think I need to do.

In spite of the lack of concern expressed by my GP I'm considering making an appointment with a nephrologist to discuss the GFR and potassium numbers.  My insurance doesn't require a referral and if nothing else it will ease my mind a bit...or start appropriate treatment.

I don't want to panic at every turn but in all honesty I haven't been feeling well.  I'm still running, biking, and swimming but I'm struggling and just generally feeling yucky most of the time.  If this is normal aging then I don't like it!!!!!!

***
So speaking of running, biking and swimming...
The monthly Eagle Bakery Run was last Saturday.  I enjoyed a 4 mile jog with a couple good friends followed by a fun conversation about Boston at the bakery.  It was a nice social event.  Running in general has been a bit sporadic but I've been getting in 2-3 moderately paced runs most weeks.

I went out for my first bike ride of the season last Thursday.  I got in 12 miles.  I couldn't avoid the one big hill but did skip the hill to the pool.  It was a pleasant early season ride.

We're still swimming 2-3 times per week.  We lost our masters coach...long story...so our workouts aren't as long/hard/productive but we're managing.  I've been trying to work on breathing on the other side and also alternating sides in preparation for the cross channel swim in September.  It's slow and awkward at this point.

I've decide to drop Tai Chi for the summer when I can do more outside.  I'm still trying to get to Pilates twice a week when I can.  Marty and I are hoping to keep up with our Beachbody strength and core work.  Our plan is to drop back to 3 days a week.  We'll see how that goes as we get busy with farming.  We'll have to get up early...as in 4:30...to get it in.

***

We started planting carrots yesterday!  Finally!  We should be finished by now.  I spent most of yesterday in the tractor but did manage to fit in a short swim.  I have a meeting this morning and then will be back at it.  My brother is staying with us and giving us a hand and we have a good crew.  Our first day went well.  Should be finished in 8-10 days.

And life goes on...

I use myfitnessplan.com to track meals/calorie consumption - but it doesn't track individual items to my knowledge - however, I could be wrong.  There must be ones out there that due as I'm sure people keep track of sodium.

I'm sure you can get a handle on this.

I'm sure you saw this, but....  You might play like you had kidney disease and maybe target 2,500 - 3,000 mg and see what happens to your kidney function number.  Just a thought until you see the nephrologist.  Of course, I'll be curious about how this plays out.

"emia" means in the blood, e.g. bacteremia means bacteria in the blood (a bad thing), anemia means lack of blood, and leukemia means a shitload of white blood cells (another bad thing).

Is potassium bad for kidneys?
When kidneys fail they can no longer remove excess potassium, so the level builds up in the body. High potassium in the blood is called hyperkalemia, which may occur in people with advanced stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Some of the effects of high potassium are nausea, weakness, numbness and slow pulse.

Potassium and Chronic Kidney Disease - DaVita

https://www.davita.com/diet-nutrition/articles/.../potassium-and-chronic-kidney-disease



How much potassium should you have if you have kidney disease?
In general, experts recommend eating a diet that contains at least 4700 mg ofpotassium per day [1]. However, most people with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease or acute kidney injury should eat less than 2000 mg of potassiumper day.Oct 17, 2017

Patient education: Low-potassium diet (Beyond the Basics ...

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/low-potassium-diet-beyond-the-basics

Hm. I get caught in the vortex of my own life for a bit and this is what happens? 

I wish I knew more about kidneys, potassium and whatnot, but I do wonder if potassium buildup and kidney function correlates at all with the use of a new medication in the past couple of years. Maybe it would be a good idea to dig deep into the side effects of everything you're taking -- and then talk with your pharmacist about the side effects when your different medications are being taken together. Sometimes, 1+1= 50. 

In general, going back to where the numbers were normal and finding the point in time when they started to change might be a good first step in solving the mystery. It could have been a long, slow process, which would say more about your kidneys than something external, but if it wasn't, you might be able to find a reason -- and be able to develop a more targeted strategy for turning it around.

Also, are you taking any NSAIDs on a regular basis? Ibuprofen is processed through the kidneys, and long-term or high-level use can have an impact. Hydration is important, too.

Thanks for all you suggestions! 

My appointment with Dr. B went well.  The quick summary is that the high potassium is not affecting my heart.  My ECG looked good.  He recommended I get more info but not panic in the meantime.

So...before I went over I took the time to look up some of my old pre-cardiac event blood tests.  Low and behold I found several high results as far back as 2000 and a 5.7 in 2009.  It's not the statins. or the aspirin or the fish oil.

I also took the time to dig out a log of the foods I ate for a week a couple months ago...it was something I did for Beachbody but we were looking at macro-nutrients.  I looked up as many things as I could and ended up with a very rough estimate of the potassium I'm getting in my diet.  It ranged from 3500-5000mg.  Not excessive if my body is functioning normally.

He doesn't think it's kidney function as even though I think the GFR seems low he said the overall numbers are fine.  

Another possibility is Addison's disease (adrenal gland).  He doesn't suspect that either.  He said he didn't think I could successfully train for and complete a Half IM if I had Addison's disease.  

He did say I shouldn't panic but he understood my concerns and need to find an explanation.  He suggested I contact a specialist...he recommended starting with an Endocrinologist...just so that I could put my mind at ease.  

Then we talked about my finish in his Half.  He shared that he placed third in his AG in the 5K and received his first medal ever.  We then talked about his Ultra.  He said that he hydrated poorly...remember how HOT it was Mark...and that the last 13 miles were pure misery.  I mentioned that he stayed with his wife the entire race and he admitted that he actually slowed her down.  She was feeling better than he was.

So he sent me away feeling less stressed but still wanting answers.  My plan it to help finish up carrot planting and then pack my bags and head to Utah for a week of hiking with Katie and a couple friends from Australia.  When I get back I'll look into booking with a specialist(s).  I also still want to calculate the potassium I'm getting in my diet more accurately.  I have a couple leads on apps that will help me get a more accurate picture.  It's not to complicated to get data for single foods but it's items like soup, stew, stir fry, even salads that are tough to figure out.  I need one where you enter the recipe and it gives info per serving.  (Katie reminded me that I'll also have to measure things rather than just throw in what I have on hand...)

Oh...I forgot to mention...I rarely take NSAIDs anymore.  Gave them up after my heart attack.  And one of the Beachbody challenges has been to drink more water so I've improved my hydration this winter.

Feeling much less stressed out.  Thanks for listening.

Life goes on...

My daughter tells me that you can enter recipes into myfitnesspal - so that might indeed help you.

Glad the doc has eased your mind some.  On soups, I just take the total calories and divide it by the number of servings I think are there.

As far as the GFR, since you've increased water intake, maybe when you see the endocrinologist, ask him to piggyback a GFR onto the blood tests he/she is ordering.  Did your old blood work results show a GFR number?  If it was a low number in 2000, you may just be low functioning (a first to be low functioning in SOMETHING!) in that realm, which is not bad if that's YOUR normal.

Have fun in Utah!

I'm home.  We had an absolutely fantastic trip!  Flew into Vegas and picked up a rental car and met up with our Australian friends.  Katie was our driver, Cathy, Wendy and I are all 20+ years older than Katie but we held our own on the trail.

• First stop Zion NP where we stayed in a cabin in the park and got an early start up the trail to Angels Landing.  Wendy waited at the top of Walters Wiggles while the three of us navigated the cables to the top.  Well worth the effort!
  
• Next stop a cabin in Bryce Canyon NP. Our cabin was a 2 minute walk to the rim...we were there to see the sunrise and then hiked down into the amphitheater.  WOW
  
• On to Lake Powell Marina near Page for two nights.  First full day was a leisurely float through Glen Canyon and a short hike to Horseshoe Bend overlook.  The next day was spent visiting three slot canyons with a guide who helped us get some awesome photos.  Antelope Canyon (upper) was the last canyon...our first two were private canyons where we saw one other small group but essentially had the canyon to ourselves.
  
• The next night was at Grand Canyon Caverns on Route 66.  I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life.  The Aussies were quite impressed with all the silliness.  I had booked dinner in the cavern which was...an experience...  
  
• We decided we'd seen enough of the cave so we skipped our free tour and headed to the Grand Canyon glass walkway.  Katie and I both thought it was a very expensive not so impressive view but our friends enjoyed it.  We walked across Hoover Dam but it was quite hot so we decided to skip the hike to the bridge and come back later after it cooled down...we ended up dawdling over dinner and missed the bridge hike as it got dark but oh well.  We were in Boulder City for the evening.  What a cool little town.  Well worth going out of your way to stay in if you're nearby.
  
• Our last full day together was spent on a guided Desert Adventure.  Our guide met us at the trailhead.  We hiked 3 miles into Black Canyon, soaked in a hot spring, and then kayaked 8 miles down river.  (Our guide had towed our kayaks up the river and hiked up the trail to meet us!)  Perfect day!
  
• Our last night was in a hotel on the outskirts of Vegas.  We enjoyed a nice meal and had a good sleep.  Katie had organized massages for us in the morning before we headed to the airport.  What a perfect way to finish the trip!
  

***
I guess this is a running blog but I haven't been running.  I was to busy helping on the farm before I left and then didn't have any time while we were traveling.  I arrived home in time to tidy the house and prepare lunch for 3 farmers from Tasmania who dropped in on their way to an international forage conference in Corvallis.  We're hosting a group of environmentalists next Saturday...the goal is the allow them to mingle with farmers and learn more about what we're doing to use our irrigation water wisely.  Doesn't look like I'll get much running in next week as I'll be busy preparing for that event...and my knee has been a bit swollen for a couple weeks.  I thought it would get better when I took time off from running but it hasn't.  Hmmm...  Of course I have been hiking so that may have been enough keep it slightly aggravated.  This is something new for me so not sure what the issue is.

Once life settles down I'll pursue an explanation for my high potassium and see if I can slowly get myself back on track running, biking, and swimming.

Ultreya...

That sounded like a perfectly splendid and extremely busy vacation.  I'm glad there was no mention of flu or sickness of any kind.  

There will be time for running, when you need to train for something.  I guess the renovation of the future rent house is coming to a close?

Fluid in/on the knee, eh?  Just do the usual icing and pseudo-resting.  Keep having that fun.

OK...time for an update I guess.

Knee...still not right yet.  It was quite swollen Saturday evening after being on my feet all day and kept me awake.  Marty reminded me that when he had similar problems with his knee the orthopedist told him to take Advil to get the swelling down and to use it/strengthen it.  So...I took an Advil before bed on Sunday night and we worked out Monday morning.  It's not 100% but it's definitely better. It's been bugging me for 6 weeks and I haven't been running for the last 4 weeks.  Thinking I'll go back to using it and taking Advil when needed...cautiously as I don't like taking Advil...and give it a couple weeks and then reevaluate.

Potassium/health...per Dr B's advice I'm not in a panic mode.  Things have been hectic but I'm going to try and make some calls and see who I can get in to see to get some answers.  Cramping at night has been worse the last few days(???).  I haven't been feeling great.  I'll be honest in saying that while I don't believe I actually have full blown depression I have been feeling a bit down in the dumps.  I need to make a commitment to some general healthy habits...cut down on my coffee intake (said as a cup of coffee sits by my computer), and just plain eating healthy.   I need to remember that as important as family and farm are I need to take time for myself.

Farming...busy...raining...  It was a mad rush to get the carrots, spinach, and Catmint (new crop more details later) planted before I left for my hiking trip.  The boys got everything irrigated once and then the rain started.  We've been able to step back and get a few other things caught up so we're ready for the next big push.  Crops are looking OK considering the late spring.

Rental house...it's renovated and rented.  We ended up with a single man that knows Gary.  So far so good.  We had the inside of the house ready for move in by May 1st.  He's been patient while we clean out the detached garage for him.  We still need to paint the outside of the house but have decided to hire that done when the weather improves.  We also need to do a bit of landscaping/yardwork and fence the area we want the renter to maintain/enjoy separate from the farmland so we all understand our boundaries.  

Family...doing well and keeping us busy being good grandparents!

Training...

• I needed a mental as well as a physical break.  I'd been putting in 10+ hours most weeks for most of the last year...when I wasn't traveling.
  
• I'm signed up for the cross channel swim in September and will also participate in the MAC Dash if it happens this year.  
  
• Running...nothing in the last 4 weeks.  Ready to ease back into building a decent base and prepping for the MAC Dash.
  
• Biking...don't plan on training much but want to get back on the bike so that I'm ready for the MAC Dash.  I'll bike to/from the pool which is on the race route and put in a couple training rides later in the summer.
  
• Swimming...this will be the focus this summer.  The swim across the Columbia is over a mile (They are adjusting the course so I'm not exactly sure of the distance...1.2-1.3 I think.)  It's obviously open water and cross current which will be a challenge.  Fortunately it's not a race!  I've been working on alternate breathing on both my good and bad sides.  It's still awkward but getting better.  We lost Tim, our masters coach...it's a long story and the pool management is melting down.  Sara stepped up to coach the kids but doesn't have time to help us much.  She was kind enough to email some workouts to me and offer the use of the swim team's paddles and arrow boards.  Getting in a practice swim in the open water is going to be tough.  There is a local open water event in July but it conflicts with our local fair and the grandkids are involved in fair.  My open water swim friends have all moved away or stopped swimming for some reason.  I may be able to do a solo swim if I can find someone to paddle along with me in a kayak or SUP.  It's not safe to go completely solo.
  
• Strength/core...Marty and I took some time off after completing the last 8 week program.  We got busy planting carrots and then I was away.  We started a new program yesterday.  It's supposed to be 30 minutes daily for 21 days but we don't want to commit to working out daily.  Our plan is to try and workout Tue/Thur/Sun and just stretch the program out.  It's going to require us to set the alarm for 4:30 during the week so we'll see how it goes.  We do have flexibility with our days but it does have to be done early during the week.  Oh...and I'm still doing Pilates two days a week.  Not sure what the time schedule will be once summer holidays start but I'll try to make it there as often as possible.
  

So that's life...

Zowie. What with the farm (especially this time of year), the adventures, the remodeling project and the grandkids, I can't fathom how you'd have time to do anything but collapse on the sofa in exhaustion! That you're feeling beat up and run down should probably come as no surprise. Your body might be trying to tell you something about your cumulative stress load.

You might want to ease in to whatever running you do, and keep the intensity level low and Fast Freddy locked away for a while.

Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS to Kevin! Looks like he got 52.97 percent of the vote in a three-way race for the school board yesterday! Now, was this just the primary, or the whole deal? Either way, it's a great showing. Well done!

Mark B wrote:Zowie. What with the farm (especially this time of year), the adventures, the remodeling project and the grandkids, I can't fathom how you'd have time to do anything but collapse on the sofa in exhaustion! That you're feeling beat up and run down should probably come as no surprise. Your body might be trying to tell you something about your cumulative stress load.

You might want to ease in to whatever running you do, and keep the intensity level low and Fast Freddy locked away for a while.

Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS to Kevin! Looks like he got 52.97 percent of the vote in a three-way race for the school board yesterday! Now, was this just the primary, or the whole deal? Either way, it's a great showing. Well done!

Yes, life has been busy and it's not really a surprise that I was feeling like I needed a break.  But I'm also feeling like I need to get back to a reasonable level of activity if I'm going to feel better.  Marty and I started back up on the Beachbody workouts but switched to a slightly less intense program.  The workouts are only 30 minutes and even though it's supposed to be every day we're aiming for 3 days a week.  I'm also doing Pilates twice a week.  It's pretty low level as far as intensity goes but is really good core work...and a nice social outing.  Not sure what her schedule will be once school is out...hoping I can continue over the summer.  I've been swimming this week as well but I'm holding off on running and biking for a few days.  I don't want to go from the couch to 10+ hours in the first week!  Will definitely ease back in to running.  Hopefully I can contain my competitive nature and enjoy the events I'm participating in.

Kevin is in!  We were pretty impressed with his results in the election yesterday.  It's been fun to hear the positive comments from folks around town...some from the people that I expected to support him but several from folks I didn't expect.  It's a big time commitment but I do think Kevin will be a good addition to the board.  He's replacing an older farmer on the board.  It's a good mix of young/old, male/female, tribal/non-tribal, liberal/conservative.  I think it's a good thing for all views to have a voice.  

***

Marty and I did a leg workout this morning.  Off to the pool later...

As far as your cramping, if it's the legs, you might see if you're getting the 100% daily amount of Niacin, it's a B vitamin.  Also, potassium will help on the cramping.  I know you probably decreased it some.  So, I'd keep tabs on how your cramping is and if it continues to up your potassium intake some, until it stops.  If it's a female cramping...I don't know nuffin 'bout that.

As far as the depression-like symptoms, don't let that be pushed aside.  I appreciate you bringing that up.  

Work on smelling more and doing less, otherwise.

ounce wrote:As far as your cramping, if it's the legs, you might see if you're getting the 100% daily amount of Niacin, it's a B vitamin.  Also, potassium will help on the cramping.  I know you probably decreased it some.  So, I'd keep tabs on how your cramping is and if it continues to up your potassium intake some, until it stops.  If it's a female cramping...I don't know nuffin 'bout that.

As far as the depression-like symptoms, don't let that be pushed aside.  I appreciate you bringing that up.  

Work on smelling more and doing less, otherwise.

Definitely leg cramps...and my arches(???)  I haven't altered my diet as far as the potassium is concerned yet.  I found a couple doctors in Bend but haven't made an appointment yet.  Life is SO busy!  I just need to quit worrying about everything else, make the appointment and take the time to go.

I am frustrated with life at the moment...I need a goal that I can really concentrate on so that I'm motivated to train, eat healthy and feel like I'm taking time for myself.  I'm hoping the cross channel swim will be that goal.  They moved the event from Hood River to Cascade Locks but it's still pretty much the same event...maybe slightly longer 1.3 or 1.4 miles instead of 1.2.  Still doable I think.  The problem is I've lost our masters swim coach and also my last open water swim buddy.  But I found a couple good websites with good training programs that are geared toward OWS.  Janice is willing to work through those workouts with me.  We'll see how it goes.

I think I mentioned that the pool is in a bit of turmoil.  The director got caught stealing money and the new director is making a lot of unpopular changes...that's how we lost our swim coaches.  The MAC Dash is also in peril.  Last I heard a new volunteer had stepped up and they picked a date (Sept 14) so we'll see.  I'll bike and run enough to participate if it happens but will make swimming a priority.

The knee is still not 100% but it's been better since I increased my activity.  A couple easy effort runs last week.

• Thursday 3 miles @ 12:17 HR 141  I struggled to settle in and feel comfortable but was careful not to push to hard.
  
• Saturday 3 miles @ 11:42 HR 142  Kept this at what still felt like a pretty easy effort.  It felt a bit better than my Thursday run.  Definitely not ready for speed yet!
  
• I got in three good swim workouts averaging 2000 yards each last week.  I'm learning some new drills and working on easy/moderate effort endurance in this early part of training.
  
• Marty and I are back to our Beachbody workouts 3 days a week.  We've switched to the 30 minute workouts but they are still challenging.  Getting up at 4:30 is the biggest challenge!
  
• Pilates is still happening twice a week but I'm expecting it to stop soon.  Sara's position at the pool ends this week and I don't expect her to continue the Pilates after that.  I may know more after class later this morning.
  

My computer is giving me fits so I'm going to drop it off after Pilates and let an expert try and sort out the issues.  And then I'm going to tackle my long to-do list.  Speaking of my to-do list I think I need to add calling and getting my doctor appointment scheduled on the list!!

Summer has been slow to arrive but we're looking at the weather and I expect we'll be cutting hay later in the week...life will get even busier!

Ultreya...

My computer is back...hope it functions better now!

So...

• I have an appointment to see a nephrologist on June 19th.  I'm going to dig out my old records and create a spreadsheet so she can see my trends at a glance.
  
• We lost Sara...no masters swim coach...no Pilates...  Very frustrating.  When she told me goodbye she commented that this time last year we were heading off to race our Half IMs and loving life.  I won't say we didn't shed a few tears.  I encouraged her to stay in touch but I won't be surprised if she makes a clean break with her Madras friends.  It's been a tough couple months for the family.  We're all VERY frustrated and concerned about the future of the pool.
  
• I got a couple 5 mile runs in.  Saturday 5 mi @ 11:45 HR 146  Monday 5 mi @ 11:19 HR 148  Warm both days so I'm pleased with both runs.
  
• Hilly 12 mile bike ride yesterday but I was tired and it was HOT.  Significantly slower than last week but that's OK.  It was time in the saddle.
  
• Today was the first day at the pool this week.  We're raking and baling hay during lap swim time.  We got done early today and Janice was free.  I was tired and stiff at the start but eventually warmed up well.  We only did 1500 yards but got in some really good speed work.
  
• Marty and I are still doing our Beachbody workouts but the early alarm is tough!
  

Life is good at Fox Hollow Ranch.  All the kids are excited to be finishing up school.  Natalie is surviving and growing TWO healthy babies.  Marty and I decided to hire a housekeeper for Natalie for this summer and fall.  We don't do Christmas/Birthday presents preferring to give experiences instead.  In this case we decided keeping her healthy and sane is a priority.  I'll try and help out a bit more to free Kevin up as well...both before and after the babies arrive.

Threat of rain tonight and we have hay on the ground.  Here's hoping it misses us!

Life goes on...

Farming is going well.  We dodged the rain showers and got the alfalfa baled in good shape.  We'll start grass hay in a day or two.  We did have to make an emergency run to Pasco yesterday.  8+ hour drive to pick up a $5000 replacement for the VFD (variable frequency drive) that burnt up on the main irrigation pump Saturday morning.  We're up and going again.

***

Struggling to find motivation and get in a good schedule with training.  I feel guilty when I don't get my 3 runs, 3 bike rides, 3 swims, and 3+ core/strength workouts in...even though I've made a decision not to do quite so much this year!  Still getting in a reasonable amount of training...

• Only one swim last week.
  
• Got in two 12 mile bike rides...one dreadfully slow and the other at a nice pace.
  
• Three runs...5 miles @ 11:19 HR 148, 5 miles @ 12:12 HR 142 (Nasty wind), 3 miles @ 11:48 HR 135  I'm OK with those efforts.
  
• 4 sessions of core/strength including one Yoga.  
  

Ultreya...