I knew that jumping into a marathon training regime on the heals of a methadone detox wasn’t gonna be easy, and boy was I right. These first few weeks have been really tough and I haven’t even gotten into the longer distances yet. It’s bad enough that Ive had to shorten my training schedule to accommodate my crappy lungs, but now I’m dealing with some GI problems which complicates matters ( more about that later).

This past Saturday I did my first 20 km (12.2 miles) training walk in a year. My lungs held up pretty good during the 3 hour workout with only some minimal delayed asthma flaring the following day, but somehow I managed to get myself majorly over-heated and dehydrated. My heart rate, which is normally in the 70’s after I finish this type of walk, was in the 130’s when I got home. And when I weighed myself, I was down 2.5 lbs just from fluid loss. How stupid can I get. I just wasn’t prepared for the warmer than expected temperatures in San Francisco that day ( 72 degree at the end of the walk). I was way over-dressed and didn’t carry enough water.

To add to the fun, about 15 km into the walk ,my Metatarsalgia starting kicking in big time and I was forced to walk on the outer edge of my foot for the last 5 kilometers. I had this same type foot pain last year, but back then it didn’t start bothering me until after 30kms, so this is not an encouraging sign.

But wait! It’s not all doom and gloom. I must be doing something right, because so far this training season, Ive had no knee, IT band, hip flexor, calf muscle or shoulder pain during or after any of my walks. That’s a huge improvement over last year and the only thing I can attribute it to is a healthier diet .

The bulk of my long distance training walks (which is the core of my endurance building and the most critical part of marathon preparation ), is still ahead of me and won’t occur until the end of this month and into March. That’s when I’ll have a better sense as to whether I’ll be able to finish all of the training and /or the actual race itself. If I’m not “feelin it” by mid March, I’d probably be better off withdrawing from the race. I get sick at the drop of a hat now, and if I push myself too much, that’s exactly what will happen.

In the meantime I have a bunch of medical appointments I have to work around, including an ultrasound of my abdomen tomorrow to figure out what’s going on with my gut and all the bloating Ive been having. I also have to figure out a way to prevent my foot pain from getting worse, while at the same time still being able to use it to walk on it. (Ahh.. the joys of training for a marathon) .

I leave you with a couple phone pics I took during my walk this weekend. I’m so lucky to have this place as my workout gym.



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8 thoughts on “Boston training… off to a rough start

  1. Tammy says:

    Nice pics! You're fortunate indeed. This morning we had a couple inches of snow and ice, plus 23F and windy, so RW outside was not really an option.

    You really inspire me! Good luck and hope your various aches and pains will calm down in time…

    1. Likewise Tammy. I know you\’ve had a rough time as well with the flu and all.

  2. mymusicallungs says:

    Aside from all the marathon training stuff you've just written about-I'm as intirigued as you to learn what may be up with your GI tract. I didn't know you had stomach troubles-especially with your new organic diet and whatnot.
    I hope it's nothing more than a bit of IBS that we all get from time to time-or no doubt something the pred may be responsible for. Let us know, wont you.
    Good luck with the training. xx

    1. Hi Sus, The GI thing popped up about 2 weeks ago ,out of the blue along with sudden weight gain. My abdomen would get so distended after eating (even the smallest amount of food), that I couldnt breath. You can imagine how that feels when you already have bad lungs and are air-trapping. Abdominal bloating is very common in people with lung disease, but actual abdominal distention and weight gain that come on suddenly, are not.

      Anyway , theyre checking for the usual suspects, i.e. thyroid problems, parasites, cancer tumors, IBS, food allergies, ulcers, etc. It could also be happening because of the transition off of methadone and a recent pred taper. (Notorious for screwing up your intestines).

      Ironically, eating organic vegetables, though healthier overall, can actually increase your risk for ingesting parasites, as these food are not treated with pesticides. (Especially produce grown in countries such as Mexico).

      I don't think I had a parasite, as I didn't have diarrhea and cramping, but I'll know for sure tomorrow when I get my lab results back. It will probably turn out to be one of those things that they cant figure out.

      1. mymusicallungs says:

        Steve, I'm crossing my fingers and saying a few extra little prayers for you with all this. I have had plenty of GI investigation. I have coeliac as well and have rotten reflux so I'm on a shed load of stomach meds and anti sickness. I too know what the pain and discomfort of a bloated stomach is like on top of the dyspneia. I really hope this settles and sorts itself and they get to the root of the problem without too many invasive tests and hopefully not the barium, ack! Hugs xx

        1. Sus, My GI problems are no where severe as yours. I think my problems had something to do with my recent detox off methadone, steroids and possible a food allergy or a parasite . I also think that chronic lung disease makes you more susceptible to GI problems. I\’ll have a better idea later today when we discuss my lab findings.
          In the last 6 days I\’m actually feeling less bloated and have lost almost all the extra weight I gained. Weird

      2. HeatherK says:

        Interesting factoid: IBS and asthma often flare together. I know if I have a prob with one, it seems to aggravate the other. Make them check it out thoroughly. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC28418

        1. Thanks for the factoid Heather. I had never had IBS problems before, so I pretty much ruled that out.

          The bloating mystery has been at least partially solved (though it raises even more questions.) Turns out I have pancreatitis and some liver problems as well. Not sure of the causes yet, but both can cause abd bloating. It’s always something eh

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