Bring the Pain!

Jan 2012

I'm standing in front of the gym mirror, my back and shoulders are throbbing from the workout I just put them through.  The burn is so intense that all I can do is stand still for a few minutes until it subsides.  It's a familiar pain that I've missed and all I can think is that "I'm back!"

That's right, the old me is coming back!  The girl that thrives on muscles burning and sweat dripping down my face is finally starting to feel like herself again- and it feels great! 

Back & shoulders:

• 3 sets: neutral grip pull ups, 10 reps each (unassisted)
• 3 sets: wide pull downs super set with heavy shoulder press (6-8 reps)
• 3 sets: incline dumbbell rows (8 reps) super set with incline 1 arm lateral raises and 2 arm lateral burnouts with static holds (shoulder height hold until failure)
• 3 sets: bent over barbell rows (8 reps) super set with pec dec rear delt drop sets
• "Cardio finisher": 3 sets: renegade rows (10 ea side) super set with military press (20 reps)

That's the type of workout I would normally put myself through and not having been able to do that for the past few months really put me into a serious funk.  I've spent the last few months "working on me" and doing that has been a huge challenge.  As a personal trainer and competition coach, I spend my days motivating clients and helping them push past those barriers that are holding them back from getting to their goals.  Having been so tired and sluggish for so long has made my job difficult to do.  How do you motivate someone when you aren't motivated yourself?

I've had to go against what seems burned into my brain and just listen to my body.  If you've ever had a weight loss goal or ever been on a challenging journey, then you understand how hard it can be to tone down the ignorant voices in your head.  There's a super fine line between over training and doing just enough.  I've probably been over training for years now, but I never chose to listen to what my body was telling me.  Instead of letting myself rest and recover, I pushed through the pain, the zomie-like symptoms, and ignored the irritability I was constantly showing to my family.  Finally ending up with Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome gave me the wake up call I really needed.


Feb 2013

I must say that taking some time off to heal my body and toning down my workouts for that relatively short amount of time has made all the difference in my recovery process.   I am now looking forward taking 2013 off of competing and really focusing on our clients' success.  For so many years I've been consumed with my own fitness journey.  I knew that I was neglecting my husband and step-kids, but I was somehow able to push my feelings of guilt to the side.  Admitting that I was selfish and self-absorbed is hard, but necessary for me to become a better wife and mom.  The stage will still be there in 2014 and I intend to rock it...but turning the spotlight off of me and onto some of our clients may be just what the doctor ordered!  The best is yet to come!

Who's Elmer Fudd?

Comp season prep 2011

If you've been following my blog at all for the last couple of months, then you know how I've been feeling lately.  I waited weeks for my saliva test to come back (after having to redo a sample due to it not having enough saliva on it) and, not surprisingly, I have Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome.  My cortisol levels are extremely low in the morning and at night which (from what I understand) is keeping me from getting recuperative sleep.  Put those cortisol levels with a low thyroid, high liver enzymes, and you've just got a mess!  So I'm now armed with vitamins and supplements to aid in my "recovery".  From what I've read, it can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to feel better!  Not cool!

Despite my AFS, I've still been weightlifting 4-5 days per week.  I focus on lifting heavy, but if I don't feel well or am just too tired, I now opt to take a nap instead.  What scares me most is losing all the muscle that I've worked so hard to build naturally...and that I won't be able to step on stage again.  When you have such a huge passion for something and it suddenly feels totally out of reach, your spirit begins to crack.  That's what I'm going through right now.  My husband and I train competitors every day.  I've always prided myself on being in their shoes and empathizing with their struggles.  But now, I'm learning to take the focus off of my own competition journey and am instead focusing on getting them to "the next level".   My husband willingly gave up competing back in 2009.  He simply stopped wanting to do it and never had the desire to step on stage again.  But I feel like I've been forced out of competing and am now struggling with feeling "broken".  It seems like I went from the Energizer Bunny to Elmer Fudd overnight! 

I've been on my vitamins and supplements for about a week now.  The vitamins range from Complex B vitamins and Vitamin C to Biotin and Progesterone.  At least feel like I've started a plan of attack for this "syndrome", but I'm sure I'll be emailing my doc this week for some more guidance and suggestions.  I plan to take up yoga again to help deal with my stress since meditation is supposed to be a good place to start this healing process.



Off season 2011

I will say that after I posted my last blog, I was surprised by how many people have also suffered from Adrenal Fatigue.  It really doesn't surprise me in our sport or in this fitness lifestyle.  We tend to push our bodies to the limit; never taking a rest or break from the weightlifting/cardio/diet regimen.  What I'm learning now is that our bodies speak to us every day about what's going on with our "insides".  What we need to do though, is start listening to what it's telling us!

Here is a larger list of symptoms for Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome.  My advice is to start listening to your body before you get to the point where all you want to do is sleep...

Signs and Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue:
■Tendency to gain weight and unable to lose it, especially around the waist.
■High frequency of getting the flu and other respiratory diseases and these symptoms tend to last longer than usual.
■Tendency to tremble when under pressure.
■Reduced sex drive.
■Lightheaded when rising from a horizontal position.
■Unable to remember things.
■Lack of energy in the mornings and in the afternoon between 3 to 5 pm.
■Feel better suddenly for a brief period after a meal.
■Often feel tired from 9 - 10 pm, but resist going to bed.
■Need coffee or stimulants to get going in the morning.
■Cravings for salty, fatty, and high protein food such as meat and cheese.
■Increased symptoms of PMS for women; periods are heavy and then stop, or are almost stopped on the 4th day, only to start flow again on the 5th or 6th day.
■Pain in the upper back or neck with no apparent reason.
■Feels better when stress is relieved, such as on a vacation.
■Difficulties in getting up in the morning.
■Lightheaded.

Other signs and symptoms include:
■Mild depression
■Food and or inhalant allergies
■Lethargy and lack of energy
■Increased effort to perform daily tasks
■Decreased ability to handle stress
■Dry and thin skin
■Hypoglycemia
■Low body temperature
■Nervousness
■Palpitation
■Unexplained hair loss
■Alternating constipation and diarrhea
■Dyspepsia