I woke up feeling perfectly normal on Tuesday. With the rain, I cancelled Stroller Fitness and headed to the gym where I had a great workout on the bike. It was a little tough to start because my body was still a little fatigued from all that non-movement, but I took Eric Harr's advice and made assessments every 5 minutes. I said, "I'm going to continue for another 5 minutes to see how I feel then." By about the 3rd time I did that, I felt much better. In fact, I felt strong enough to do a good upper body workout, as well. I felt normal again.
I had decent workouts throughout the week, in part because I took advantage of going to the gym with the rain. However, I felt fatigued earlier in the evening than normal and fought stomach cramps most of the week.
I headed to my chiropractor on Friday and while getting my adjustment, I confessed that I was having a difficult time getting rid of the flu. He recommended drinking a LOT of water. I started drinking and realized that I was slightly dehydrated. Fighting sickness uses a lot of resources, and water aids in transporting nutrients to different areas of your body. Dehydration impedes your body's ability to effectively heal.
After my adjustment, I was pretty amped for my long Saturday workout, but instead, I still felt really lethargic when I woke up. I motivated, ate a really good breakfast, and made it about 1/3 of the way through my swim before I was kaputt. I had a small snack and a lot of water in the locker room and tried out the treadmill. I walked briskly for about 20 minutes and felt good, not great. The flu just seemed to be lingering.
I drank no other beverages except water on Sunday. The second my water bottle was empty, I refilled it. No surprise, I woke up on Monday morning feeling great, and as of this writing, I'm still feeling great. I think it's gone.
What Sapped My Motivation:
- Rainy and cold and no time to play outside
- Residual tummy and fatigue issues from my lingering flu
- Dana at my gym. I saw her getting on the treadmill with wet hair and post-goggle eyes. Generally, triathletes are the only ones nutty enough to finish a swim and only be halfway done with the workout. I asked if she did triathlons. She did. We had an amazing conversation and she's doing Wildflower (1/2 Ironman) too! She does one Ironman a year! It was great to talk to somebody else working for similar goals and not be all gushy about it. It felt good.
- Dr. Ito's quiet confidence that water and rest were the answer. I love when following doctor's orders works.
- I worked through fatigue and sapped motivation to keep blood flowing and muscles moving. I fought the flu with a lot of water and a heavy dose of positive thinking. Each time I come across a potential setback, I know that my brain makes or breaks my success.
