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Happy March! My races are right around the corner and things aren’t going very smoothly at all. I have been feeling not-so-great lately and it has really been hampering my training. I have had stomach issues for years now (you could probably find plenty of posts about it right here on my blog!) and I’m finally taking more steps to get it under control. Last summer, I went to my primary care doctor to ask her help but I didn’t really feel like she knew much. She wrote me a prescription and sent me on my way. I found out later through my research and talking with my sister pharmacist that what she prescribed me wouldn’t help with the symptoms I had described to her at all. After they made me crazy dehydrated and I was still having pains, I gave up on the pills.
Fast forward a few more months, my summer symptoms had subsided for the most part, but different symptoms started to arise. After a week of feeling pretty darn awful, I decided to finally cold call a specialist and make an appointment. They were very friendly and I have an appointment at the end of the month with one of their doctors. The practice came recommended from a family member and they have a good reputation so I have high hopes they can help me solve my issues.
In the meantime, I am doing everything I can to help my system operate better. I’m taking supplements like probiotics, enzymes, and l-glutamine (I’ve read it helps to heal your gut lining). I’m also trying to clean up my diet during my normal meals. Eating out has still been tough and with Atlantic City Restaurant Week happening this week, it is going to be interesting to see how I feel. But I will do my best to listen to my body!
As for fitness, I joined a new gym! I really liked my group training gym and I love the girls in the afternoon class but I need something more low-key right now while I fix my system. I also needed something with a treadmill, since those races are looming in the near future. I’m not sure what kind of strength training I’ll pick up now but the new gym is centered around barbell training so I’m leaning toward a heavy lifting program like The New Rules of Lifting or StrongLifts. I’m also a member of the Nerd Fitness Academy so I have those workouts at my fingertips as well. Oh the decisions to make! I need to just pick one and do it!
This week’s goals:
- Track every day (21 days and going strong!)
- Drink 64 ounces of water every day
- Hit the gym 4 times
- Hit my step goal 5 days