I was racing 10-12 times per year, mostly sprint and Olympic distance triathlons, up until 2013, in my late 40's. I can remember clearly that awesome feeling of digging deep on the second 5K loop of a run, the joy of the pain and effort, the rush of invincibility after toughing through at high heart rate until the finish line. And those same feelings equally for half and full Ironman races, of which I've done 15 and 8, respectively. I say - I remember and miss it, because I've been dealing with low energy since 2013. And I miss racing triathlons.
I'm writing this to ask if anyone has had, or knows someone who had, a similar experience and can provide some advice or direction.
Here are the details, (hopefully) in brief. I had a kidney stone removed in the summer of 2012. I ran 22 miles just before that, and I've not gone over 8 miles since. I struggled mightily until the start of 2013, then had a good season of sprint triathlons only in 2013. I did lots of blood work, and nothing ever turned up except low vitamin D. Testosterone ok, no anemia, etc. etc. Family doctors gave me clean bills of health. The last race I did was Dec. 2013, and I haven't raced now for 3 years. I said in Jan. 2014 that I would never accept the feeling of low energy as normal. This post is meant to re-assert that.
I got diagnosed with sleep apnea in early 2014. I've had CPAP since. I heard that there was a good chance I'd feel 100% after 1 month on CPAP, but it didn't happen. I *did* start running again, but my energy has never been like before. Now 3 years later, I still feel about the same - low energy. This year, I tried the "mind over matter" approach and got up to 60 miles on the bike, and felt fine afterward. But, running - if I run 3x per week for 2 weeks, I will eventually feel absolutely wiped out. So, biking at distance ok, running even 3x3 mi per week, low energy kicks in. Swimming? I can't do more than 1,200 yards without feeling totally drained.
I feel sharp at work, sleep a usual 7-8 hours a night, and eat fine. Still, I don't feel that pop or twitch in my legs like I used to enjoy so much. I finally went to the Mayo Clinic and was told, as before, that I'm healthy healthy healthy - *except* for some chance (~50%) of having Sjogren's, based on gland scans and a biopsy. Venus Williams overcame Sjogren's to make the Wimbledon final recently, so I know it's possible, but then again, I don't have an absolute diagnosis of Sjogren's.
The best advice I got, from my family doctor, was to just go do it. Go go go! I tried a 1/1/1 then 2/2/2 swim/bike/run weekly plan, all at short distances, for a while, but I just don't have the energy to get out the door. That's when I *force* myself, and then it works out, I feel ok. I go to sleep at night reliving the awesome feeling of racing, saying that I will sign up for a race when I wake up in the morning - the desire burns. But after even a few weeks of short but regular training, my body always says no, while my mind wants to go so much.
Again, if any of what I said here sounds familiar, I'd love to figure this out once and for all and get back to racing. Even if I never do another Ironman, that's fine, to just enjoy training and race sprint and Olympic distances would be totally great. Thanks in advance for any replies.
____________________________________________________
Dream of racing again some day...
I'm writing this to ask if anyone has had, or knows someone who had, a similar experience and can provide some advice or direction.
Here are the details, (hopefully) in brief. I had a kidney stone removed in the summer of 2012. I ran 22 miles just before that, and I've not gone over 8 miles since. I struggled mightily until the start of 2013, then had a good season of sprint triathlons only in 2013. I did lots of blood work, and nothing ever turned up except low vitamin D. Testosterone ok, no anemia, etc. etc. Family doctors gave me clean bills of health. The last race I did was Dec. 2013, and I haven't raced now for 3 years. I said in Jan. 2014 that I would never accept the feeling of low energy as normal. This post is meant to re-assert that.
I got diagnosed with sleep apnea in early 2014. I've had CPAP since. I heard that there was a good chance I'd feel 100% after 1 month on CPAP, but it didn't happen. I *did* start running again, but my energy has never been like before. Now 3 years later, I still feel about the same - low energy. This year, I tried the "mind over matter" approach and got up to 60 miles on the bike, and felt fine afterward. But, running - if I run 3x per week for 2 weeks, I will eventually feel absolutely wiped out. So, biking at distance ok, running even 3x3 mi per week, low energy kicks in. Swimming? I can't do more than 1,200 yards without feeling totally drained.
I feel sharp at work, sleep a usual 7-8 hours a night, and eat fine. Still, I don't feel that pop or twitch in my legs like I used to enjoy so much. I finally went to the Mayo Clinic and was told, as before, that I'm healthy healthy healthy - *except* for some chance (~50%) of having Sjogren's, based on gland scans and a biopsy. Venus Williams overcame Sjogren's to make the Wimbledon final recently, so I know it's possible, but then again, I don't have an absolute diagnosis of Sjogren's.
The best advice I got, from my family doctor, was to just go do it. Go go go! I tried a 1/1/1 then 2/2/2 swim/bike/run weekly plan, all at short distances, for a while, but I just don't have the energy to get out the door. That's when I *force* myself, and then it works out, I feel ok. I go to sleep at night reliving the awesome feeling of racing, saying that I will sign up for a race when I wake up in the morning - the desire burns. But after even a few weeks of short but regular training, my body always says no, while my mind wants to go so much.
Again, if any of what I said here sounds familiar, I'd love to figure this out once and for all and get back to racing. Even if I never do another Ironman, that's fine, to just enjoy training and race sprint and Olympic distances would be totally great. Thanks in advance for any replies.
____________________________________________________
Dream of racing again some day...