Asleep at the handlebars

darraghsherwin

Some preamble, I am a 35 year old male, been cycling in and out of work, 23km each way 3-4 days a week for the last 3 years.
Last year went to give blood but got refused which led down a path of hospital visits and lots of test. Was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and hypothyroidism which means I should have no energy, be fat and asleep all of the time. I was 102kgs with a BMI of 30.
After all the tests, etc decided it was time to get fit, loss the weight and do a triathlon and a marathon.
In 2014, I did the following races: Samsung Night Run - 1.02, DCM Series 10k - 58mins, DCM Half - 1.58, DCT Olympic - 3.06, DCM Marathon - 4.15, Guinness Sprint Tri - 1.20, Clontarf Half - 1.41.

I made a lot of mistakes last year, eating too much, not fuelling right, etc.
This year I want to learn from my mistakes and push myself more.

My races for this year are:
Hell and Back (not really a race)
Samsung Night Run - Sub 45mins
DCM Series 10k - Sub 45 Mins
DCT Olympic - Sub 2.30
DCM Half - Sub 1.40
DCM Marathon - 3.30
Gunniness Sprint Tri - 1.10.

Going to try log my training here and maybe get some inspiration so that I can keep it up.

Thanks
Darragh

tunney

darraghsherwin wrote: »

Some preamble, I am a 35 year old male, been cycling in and out of work, 23km each way 3-4 days a week for the last 3 years.
Last year went to give blood but got refused which led down a path of hospital visits and lots of test. Was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and hypothyroidism which means I should have no energy, be fat and asleep all of the time. I was 102kgs with a BMI of 30.
After all the tests, etc decided it was time to get fit, loss the weight and do a triathlon and a marathon.
In 2014, I did the following races: Samsung Night Run - 1.02, DCM Series 10k - 58mins, DCM Half - 1.58, DCT Olympic - 3.06, DCM Marathon - 4.15, Guinness Sprint Tri - 1.20, Clontarf Half - 1.41.

I made a lot of mistakes last year, eating too much, not fuelling right, etc.
This year I want to learn from my mistakes and push myself more.

My races for this year are:
Hell and Back (not really a race)
Samsung Night Run - Sub 45mins
DCM Series 10k - Sub 45 Mins
DCT Olympic - Sub 2.30
DCM Half - Sub 1.40
DCM Marathon - 3.30
Gunniness Sprint Tri - 1.10.

Going to try log my training here and maybe get some inspiration so that I can keep it up.

Thanks
Darragh

Well done and welcome.

Big goal on the marathon. Wish you the best on that. Will be following closely.

dited

Fair play Darragh, the results are certainly moving in the right direction. Drop me a pm if you fancy going for a spin at the weekend.

Cian

darraghsherwin

Last weeks load was
184km bike commuting
2x 5km runs
3km swim ( rotation is getting better but still need to get more pull through the stroke )
2 x core strengthening sessions and a judo class

Getting pain my right foot when running/walking from a possible stress fracture, still waiting to see specialist.

All was good til Friday night when got a call to say there was a death in partner's family, so the last few days have been a diet of hang sandwichs, Heineken and cadburys milk tray.

MojoMaker

Food for champions :pac:

darraghsherwin

230km commuting to work
7km speed run, 5.20 km/min pace, still needs improvement
1.25km in the pool, rotation getting better, not really getting the time in the pool this week.

No core work this week, way to busy in work to get anything at lunchtime.
Just one judo class.

Weight is starting to come down again

MojoMaker

Are you following the "Swimming for Tri beginners" thread? Could be a good resource for you and the feedback in-thread is pretty positive.

darraghsherwin

Well last week was a f***ing waste, spent most of week exhausted with a chest infection. Didn't eat healthy at all i.e. KFC mighty bucket for one, big macs and pick 'n' mix.
In the good news category, my TSH (thyroid) levels are the normal range that means I can no longer blame my thyroid for my weight.
Also have an appointment with rheumatologist for this week, so hopefully will get the foot looked at and be back at distance running in a few weeks.
Only managed one day commuting on the bike for 46km, 750 metres in the pool and a judo session.
Hopefully this week, I can bring up the training load, the aim is to get to
5 days commuting to work
3 swims
2 gym/core sessions
1 judo sessions
1 x speed/HIIT run
1 x hill run
1 x distance run

I'll also start to follow Kurt's Swimming for Tri beginners thread

darraghsherwin

Very slow on the bike to work on Monday morning 1hr 10 mins for 23km.
Did 750 metres in the pool and nearly coughed up a lung in the pool with this chest infection.
Then got caught towing a guy home from UCD to Bray, swapping around every few minutes, towing each other, doing a pace my legs didn't want. Haven't felt that sort of muscle burn in my quads for a long time.

Also forgot to mention, I did Hell and Back at the weekend with my colleagues, shivered very badly over the 2nd half of the course. It seemed harder than last year as you couldn't get the heat back into your body at any point.

darraghsherwin

Haven't updated this in a few weeks, probably should.
Finally got my foot sorted out, steroids injected and no running for a few weeks, so it's back to doing some longer runs.
Trying to do some intervals at lunchtime in the Phoenix Park but my run feels awful, can't seem to get that nice rhythm.
Trying to cut down on the carbs at the moment but it backfired me on yesterday when I hit the wall after 4km on my commute home, sometimes it happens it the last 4km where I struggle through it and get home.

Swimming has taken a bit of a back seat as well at the moment, only getting to the pool once a week.
My sleep has been crap over the last few weeks, going to bed at 11.30pm and getting up at 6 am is not enough sleep.
Getting enough sleep is my biggest struggle at the moment, if I can sort that out , I shouldn't be having these issues with hitting walls, lack of motivation, etc.

Plan over the next few weeks is
1. More sleep
2. Build up the running distance > 10km.

tunney

darraghsherwin wrote: »

Haven't updated this in a few weeks, probably should.
Finally got my foot sorted out, steroids injected and no running for a few weeks, so it's back to doing some longer runs.
Trying to do some intervals at lunchtime in the Phoenix Park but my run feels awful, can't seem to get that nice rhythm.
Trying to cut down on the carbs at the moment but it backfired me on yesterday when I hit the wall after 4km on my commute home, sometimes it happens it the last 4km where I struggle through it and get home.

Swimming has taken a bit of a back seat as well at the moment, only getting to the pool once a week.
My sleep has been crap over the last few weeks, going to bed at 11.30pm and getting up at 6 am is not enough sleep.
Getting enough sleep is my biggest struggle at the moment, if I can sort that out , I shouldn't be having these issues with hitting walls, lack of motivation, etc.

Plan over the next few weeks is
1. More sleep
2. Build up the running distance > 10km.

1130-0600 of unbroken sleep. Hands up if you would kill for this!

Always always run with a gel. Especially if cutting.

ToTriOrNot

tunney wrote: »

1130-0600 of unbroken sleep. Hands up if you would kill for this!
.

Me me me !!!!

Darraghsherwin, how are your thyroid levels and your medication? I am quite forgetful taking me, hence I am tired, cold, miserable all the time..but exercise seems to help, so sometimes I wonder do I really have a thyroid, or this is "my normal"? My levels were just a bit off normal after not taking any meds for at least 6 months....symptoms didn't improve after going back to meds....
Anyway, glad to hear foot is better...and that weight was starting to come down..I am not really looking after the diet side of things as much as I should...but I think I am putting an honest effort (not on my blog obviously, as it hasn't been updated in ages) for my level....slowly but sure!! keep it up!

darraghsherwin

tunney wrote: »

1130-0600 of unbroken sleep. Hands up if you would kill for this!

Points to top of thread

darraghsherwin wrote:

Was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and hypothyroidism which means I should have no energy, be fat and asleep all of the time.

tunney wrote: »

Always always run with a gel. Especially if cutting.

Will stick a few in the saddle bag for emergencies

darraghsherwin

ToTriOrNot wrote: »

Me me me !!!!

Darraghsherwin, how are your thyroid levels and your medication? I am quite forgetful taking me, hence I am tired, cold, miserable all the time..but exercise seems to help, so sometimes I wonder do I really have a thyroid, or this is "my normal"? My levels were just a bit off normal after not taking any meds for at least 6 months....symptoms didn't improve after going back to meds....

When I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism, my TSH was 29.1, finally in January after months of blood tests, my TSH is down to 3.89 (normal range is less than 4). I am on 175mg of Levothyroxine. Have you got your T3 and T4 levels tested and also your iron levels?
Exercise helps with offsetting the fatigue but I am not sure if the fatigue is from thyroid or sleep apnea.
Have you tried the pig-extract thyroid? Some people seem to respond better to it than the synthetic thyroid.
I have been very careful to take my meds everyday because hypothyroidism increases the level of sleep apnea so I can't really say if there is any difference between being on or off meds. I reckon though with thyroid, symptoms are very subtle and that it takes so long for the effects of the meds to kick in so it's worth staying on them and seeing after 4-6 weeks if your symptoms change.

darraghsherwin

Finally getting the running distances up, did 11km run at the weekend.
I forgot how bad long distance running is on the bowels and nipples.
New shoes, pedals and bottom bracket on the bike and it feels like a brand new bike that makes me want to get out of the saddle and climb on.
Getting a bike fitting done as well so hopefully that will help as well.
Still lacking the motivation to do more than 30 laps in the pool but doing form drills in those 30 laps.
Have to plan some time at the weekends to take in a few longer spins and doing some interval training on the bike.
Doing interval sessions on my commute rides doesn't seem like a good idea.