A Gentle PSA About Getting Your Dang Vitamins and Minerals In.

I know, I know. It seems trop obvi.: get the right nutrients to fuel your body. Right? Wrong.

Right after Christmas, I started feeling lousy. All. the. time. allthetime. Legs always swelling, grumpy, weight out of control, appetite out of control, sleeping terribly, waking up at 4:00 am starving. And then, as January became February, and my training began to really ramp up for spring races, came the most debilitating exhaustion I have experienced since Hobbes passed the six month mark, heart palpitations/PVCs popping up like dandelions in my yard in spring, and legs that constantly felt like I had just finished a century, even with a couple of weeks rest. I was struggling to get out of bed, much less hit numbers on the bike.

I thought I was overtraining, but my hours on the bike indicated otherwise... and if I was overtraining, a couple of weeks of rest should have put a lot of change in my energy bank. And it didn't. My nutrition was off, for sure. I was trying to lose weight (see my previous post), and I was consuming massive amounts of caffeine because I was so exhausted. I know I have a serious caffeine sensitivity, and really should have been smarter. On the other hand, I was in a serious brain fog in which I could barely remember my own name; I can't say I blame myself.

Where am I going with this? Get your blood panels done regularly, especially if you're an athlete. Mineral and vitamin deficiencies often mimic the signs of overtraining, and if you're killing it on the bike, in the gym, or on foot, you're more at risk than the general population. If you're overdue for a wellness check, go as soon as possible. I found out I was seriously iron deficient/anemic, deficient in vitamin D, and a laundry list of other issues. While sure, it's better to glean all nutrition from whole foods, there is no shame in supplementing. The hit to my fitness is troublesome, but deficiencies are also bad for overall health, and can be dangerous. Not only do I want to be insanely fit and fast, I also want to be the healthiest, best me I can be. That is at the root of what I do for fun: the adventure is secondary to what has always been a health booster for me.

My legs and body are slowly coming back to life from being oxygen- and nutrient-starved. I have good days and bad days. I have a long way to go to being race-ready, but I'm enjoying the more relaxed atmosphere I've been able to create for myself under these conditions. I have no expectations for any ride, or long term expectations. I hope in the end I can come back with a stronger body, mind, and soul for this experience, and I'm sure I will with the freedom I'm giving myself.