Training Week 5: Hello My Old Friend

Training week 5 has come and gone. My training schedule was thus:

Sunday: off day
Monday: Strength (60 minutes) with Kent at WS Y
Tuesday: Double Eli (two cycling classes back to back, then chin ups in the free weight room)
Wednesday: Strength with Kent, nutrition and hydration work shop at Real Rehab
Thursday: off day (arrhythmia)
Friday: 10.21 miles, 148 min, 882 cal, avg heart rate = 132, max heart rate 196 (arrhythmia for the first and second mile), vertical elevation = 1721 feet (all in West Seattle).
Saturday: 32 miles, 144 min, 1620 cal, avg heart rate = 123, max heart rate = 142 (obviously, I wasn't pushing hard enough), vertical elevation gain = 1098. This training run was from Marymoor Park through Issaquah to the Cedar Grove intersection south of Poo Poo Point on the Issaquah Hobart Road.
Sunday: 02 March: 10.11 miles, 159 min, 840 cal, avg heart rate = 108, max heart rate = 132, vertical elevation gain = 2128 feet. This was 10 miles on the MIH course.

My weight is now 154, and I've begun to incorporate more carbs in the form of brown rice and whole grain cereals into my diet. I'm also faithful about having a chocolate soy milk to recover.

This week Monday and Tuesday will be max push days, but Wednesday will be a rest day this week. Death marches begin Thursday with a 5.5-miler from Lake Washington to the Red Town trailhead. Friday will be a 4-mile time trial, Saturday something on the order of 30 to 35 miles on the bike, then Sunday is the MIH at 13+ miles. I think that Monday will be a rest day....

Although I'm not happy with this, I'm back on amiodarone, which is a very strong anti-arrhythmic medication. Supposedly the heart rate suppression impacts are less than a beta blocker (like altenolol), but more than flecainide. There can be very serious liver and retinal side effects; however, I had none of these when I was on this course last time. On the other hand, it didn't work in eliminating the arrhythmia either. Amiodarone also has an enhancing affect on the blood thinner I'm taking; therefore I will have to get weekly INR blood tests until things stabilize. This will be the norm until after the STP, when we'll evaluate whether or not a fourth catheter ablation is required,. As you can see in the stats, my max heart rate is down. This is something I'll be mindful of in the next several weeks as our training rides will most likely be in the same area. I have to remember to attack the hills and push the down hills. It's beautiful when you know about your heart, and you know it's working at it's potential. I can visualize the work it's doing, and even with all this, I'm thankful that my issue is not blockage.

I get the Li-Shine on Tuesday. Li-Shine is my new road bike. Her 4-lb cobalt blue frame is Taiwanese and the other components are Italian and Japanese. Li-shine is named after my friend at work, who coincidentally (or not) is also Taiwanese. She was made at Alki Bike and Board in West Seattle, and I get my first fit on Tuesday. Her Dad is Stu and her Mutti is Eli. She'll be my first bike with clips rather than toe cages, so I'll have to practice before I do a practice ride with TNT. Go fast, Li-Shine!

Thank you to all who have donated to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on my behalf. I'm less than 10 percent with over a month until my re-commitment date. My donation website is http://www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/MamieBrouwer