I know you and I have communicated a bit thru PM on this as while I haven't gone to Pre-OS levels I have taken a huge hit also in FTP. 15-20 watts lower than December as best I can tell.
Thanks for the share and keep the thoughts coming because "work only works if there is adequate absorbtion/recovery". Being that we do not have a metric to measure to determine absorbtion/recovery as of yet...maybe we can find it. WKO doesn't predict it. Even looking back over my 2008 year where I imploded I cannot find a predictor only guess that 12 wks is my limit of pushing before negative returns start to show up.
Personally, allergy season starts for me in Feb and I'm almost a shoe-in for bronchitis in March. That takes months for me to recover from it seems.
As a variable to consider: Mike, are you a heavy sputum producer? What I mean, relative to others on a group ride are you the one that is blow snot rockets and coughing, spitting stuff up moreso?
I'm an allergy guy. I've got seasonal allergies (which last year, for the first time without pills, I had under control, using Flonase), as well as environmental allergies, which I keep under control pretty well. In college, I used to get sick a lot and have a really hard time kicking it, which was how I ended up at an allergist. For the most part, allergies are under control.
I was also diagnosed with a deviated septum in late December. In general, it makes me very aware of my nasal cycle, and 75% of the day, I can only breathe out of one nostril. Never seemed to affect my endurance sports hobbies before, but I'm considering getting the surgery done later this year for lifestyle reasons.
As for the sputum question, I'd say yes, I'm the snot-rocket guy on the ride. On a longer ride, a few times per ride, I've gotta clear my throat and spit. Wondering what you're thinking...
I was suffering the same FTP issues as Michael but I've been here before. 2008 did me in.
I had blood work done and I'm STELLAR with even a 1% higher hematocrit than normal range but my testosterone is 333 on a 300-900 range. Basically, I have the testosterone levels of an 80 y/o doode. This explains why I have had zero ability to "gut out" an FTP test or even a workout. My numbers have continued to drop along with my libido since December's last FTP were I PR'd @ 290 on the trainer.
So, I realize this is interesting territory for a guy that philosophically believes that the body should make everything that is necessary to stay healthy if: exercise, eating right, adequate sleep, low stress levels, proper neurological function, GI flora, etc are optimal. Here's the kicker: my body must think endurance training or intensityis too much stress along with 7 kids, self-employment....
I began testosterone injections last week to bring me up to 800 on the 300-900 range with it tapering to about 600 by weeks end prior to anothe injection. I am working with my MD, who is also an Anti-Aging guy. He is serious about regular blood work for early detection of issues but in his clinical experience he has seen too many benefits of normalizing hormones to ignore it. He states that the medical profession thinks nothing of prescribing many things with very serious side-effects for depression, pain but somehow hormones have been given a very dark stigma.
So there you have it...I'm juicing...but within normal-physiological ranges vs supra like bodybuilders or athletes trying to gain a very significant unfair advantage. Full disclosure is my deal.
Now I will see if that 14 lbs of lard I've been towing around will decide to go away as my Test to estrogen levels might favor Test for once.
On another note: I have been "on the sauce" for 1 week now and had the balls to ride hard today with a buddy who gapped me by 300 yards on the rollers (guy has FTP of 320ish and weights 170 to my 270ish and 190+) but I reeled him in. 2 wks ago I would have caved after he went by as I just didn't have the competitive fire. It's starting to return....and YES...my new bride is much happier with the "changes" also as she was starting to wonder what happened to her "man" in the bedroom. I had zero interest, which for those of you that have never experienced low libido...just imagine life where sex doesn't even cross your mind...never. Not cool for a spouse.
Email me privately if you have questions as many people are not as open as I am but I realize that this is more prevalent in endurance athletes than most other sports.
I'm an allergy guy. I've got seasonal allergies (which last year, for the first time without pills, I had under control, using Flonase), as well as environmental allergies, which I keep under control pretty well. In college, I used to get sick a lot and have a really hard time kicking it, which was how I ended up at an allergist. For the most part, allergies are under control.
I was also diagnosed with a deviated septum in late December. In general, it makes me very aware of my nasal cycle, and 75% of the day, I can only breathe out of one nostril. Never seemed to affect my endurance sports hobbies before, but I'm considering getting the surgery done later this year for lifestyle reasons.
As for the sputum question, I'd say yes, I'm the snot-rocket guy on the ride. On a longer ride, a few times per ride, I've gotta clear my throat and spit. Wondering what you're thinking...
Mike
In early 2006, my first IM season, I started going to an allergist out here in Dallas. Seriously, the guy looks like a mad scientist with his crazy Einstein-like hair and lab coat - but he knows what he's doing! I grew up, my whole childhood, getting 3 allergy shots per week, so that's what i was expecting. Well, after the "let's prick your back with 90 needle holes and see what you're allergic to", he asks me if I plan on moving out of TX any time soon. I told him NO, and he continues to tell me that I should think about it. I was BAD! 4/4 for most of the allergens.
Any way, he sets me up on this 'rush' treatment, which gives me several months of shots in a single day (which happened to be Valentines Day 2006 - which my gf at the time didn't care for too much). Since then, I've been getting 1 shot/month and I'm SO much better.
Also, leading up to IMFL2006, I started getting throat soreness and a little bit of acid reflux. So I went to several docs, and ended up an ear/nose/throat guy who stuck a scope down my throat. He says he saw a little acid reflux, but didn't understand how I could do all the triathlon training I did with such a badly deviated septum. I responded in shock..."what deviated septum?". He sticks the probe down my nose again and shows me the damage - no more than 25% open on the right and no more than 10% in my left.
Keep in mind, this was about 3 weeks before IMFL. I'm in shock with this new diagnosis. I ask my E/N/T guy if I can have the repair surgery done before IMFL, he says no - understandably.
I go do IMFL, finish it, and come back the following week for the surgery. I have it, wake up from anesthesia all bloodied and swollen. What do I do first thing...start sneezing! With all the guaze and blood in my nose, I start sneezing! HAHA. We both attribute it to me getting in much more oxygen than I was used to.
I asked him how bad it was in the nose, he said his original diagnosis was nothing compared to how bad it was in there. He said I wasn't getting more than 10% in the right and closer to 0% in the left. This had been this way my WHOLE life, I never knew any different.
After two weeks, he removes the 1"x4" splints from each nostril (for those of you that think you couldn't possibly stick something so large up each nostril - you'd be wrong). I felt like the scene from Total Recall, when Arnold is removing that probe from his head through his nose.
ANY way, after that surgery I started really knowing what it was like to breath. I started sleeping better. I started dreaming again (couldn't tell you the last time I recalled a dream I had). I stopped snoring. My next tri season I made the biggest jumps in fitness ever - that's what oxygen will do for you.
Good thing I got the surgery done in 2006 too, because my company changed benefits in 2007 that would have made MOST of the cost out of pocket for me. As it was, I still ended up paying about $2k for it.
Moral of the story, don't underestimate what lack of allergies and proper oxygen intake can do for you, personally and sporting-wise. Do whatever you can to get those issues resolved, it's SO worth it!
@Vince, I'd be interested in knowing what formal tests you had done. I've got my annual physical coming up soon, and would like to talk to my doc about them.
I was told to get a vitamin D test, both Iron tests (can't remember the names off the top of my head), and I have wanted to get the testosterone one done too.
@Vince, I'd be interested in knowing what formal tests you had done. I've got my annual physical coming up soon, and would like to talk to my doc about them.
I was told to get a vitamin D test, both Iron tests (can't remember the names off the top of my head), and I have wanted to get the testosterone one done too.
My new mantra--make sure they check your thyroid--all three levels TSH, T3 and T4. Make them do it. It will rule out a lot of funky things if your normal.
@Mike and @Scott...so I went to an acupuncturist who does the NAET protocol 2x. They use a muscle testing procedure that I'm familiar with and question only when I see clinicians abuse it. She found I was allergic to most everything (which I know to be true with the scratch test). I have not taken my allergy meds in 5 days and we have had some horrible days here with pollen. All my buddies were congested yesterday am at Starbucks before our rides. I felt great. Much less mucous production from my lungs...much less. I usually cough 2-3x more than anyone in the group and produce many rockets during a ride. I wasn't that guy anymore, which I think made it easier for my lungs to exchange air. I held some 176 hr and lots of 170 bpm during a hammer/climb for 17 mins. I never could hold that HR for more than 2-3 mins before and never 176 unless it was 90+ degrees and yesterday it was in the low 50's.
For the 2x $85 office visits I'm very pleased with the results thus far.
As for my initial assumption of my allergy season trashing my FTP...hard to say as I've confoundered my n=1 case study with hormonal supplementation BUT I know how crappy I felt during Allergy season year after year and 5-6 months of my year was irritable and fatigued. That cannot help recovery or training.
@Scott...I had a standard panel with PSA, iron, hematocrit, liver enzymes, lipids, etc. Also ordered were testosterone and thyroid. I agree with Linda on the TSH, T3 and T4 also because the conversion by the liver is essential and depending on what TSH is doing plays a big role in interpreting what the body is doing there.
Comments
I know you and I have communicated a bit thru PM on this as while I haven't gone to Pre-OS levels I have taken a huge hit also in FTP. 15-20 watts lower than December as best I can tell.
Thanks for the share and keep the thoughts coming because "work only works if there is adequate absorbtion/recovery". Being that we do not have a metric to measure to determine absorbtion/recovery as of yet...maybe we can find it. WKO doesn't predict it. Even looking back over my 2008 year where I imploded I cannot find a predictor only guess that 12 wks is my limit of pushing before negative returns start to show up.
Personally, allergy season starts for me in Feb and I'm almost a shoe-in for bronchitis in March. That takes months for me to recover from it seems.
As a variable to consider: Mike, are you a heavy sputum producer? What I mean, relative to others on a group ride are you the one that is blow snot rockets and coughing, spitting stuff up moreso?
Vince
Vince,
I'm an allergy guy. I've got seasonal allergies (which last year, for the first time without pills, I had under control, using Flonase), as well as environmental allergies, which I keep under control pretty well. In college, I used to get sick a lot and have a really hard time kicking it, which was how I ended up at an allergist. For the most part, allergies are under control.
I was also diagnosed with a deviated septum in late December. In general, it makes me very aware of my nasal cycle, and 75% of the day, I can only breathe out of one nostril. Never seemed to affect my endurance sports hobbies before, but I'm considering getting the surgery done later this year for lifestyle reasons.
As for the sputum question, I'd say yes, I'm the snot-rocket guy on the ride. On a longer ride, a few times per ride, I've gotta clear my throat and spit. Wondering what you're thinking...
Mike
I was suffering the same FTP issues as Michael but I've been here before. 2008 did me in.
I had blood work done and I'm STELLAR with even a 1% higher hematocrit than normal range but my testosterone is 333 on a 300-900 range. Basically, I have the testosterone levels of an 80 y/o doode. This explains why I have had zero ability to "gut out" an FTP test or even a workout. My numbers have continued to drop along with my libido since December's last FTP were I PR'd @ 290 on the trainer.
So, I realize this is interesting territory for a guy that philosophically believes that the body should make everything that is necessary to stay healthy if: exercise, eating right, adequate sleep, low stress levels, proper neurological function, GI flora, etc are optimal. Here's the kicker: my body must think endurance training or intensityis too much stress along with 7 kids, self-employment....
I began testosterone injections last week to bring me up to 800 on the 300-900 range with it tapering to about 600 by weeks end prior to anothe injection. I am working with my MD, who is also an Anti-Aging guy. He is serious about regular blood work for early detection of issues but in his clinical experience he has seen too many benefits of normalizing hormones to ignore it. He states that the medical profession thinks nothing of prescribing many things with very serious side-effects for depression, pain but somehow hormones have been given a very dark stigma.
So there you have it...I'm juicing...but within normal-physiological ranges vs supra like bodybuilders or athletes trying to gain a very significant unfair advantage. Full disclosure is my deal.
Now I will see if that 14 lbs of lard I've been towing around will decide to go away as my Test to estrogen levels might favor Test for once.
On another note: I have been "on the sauce" for 1 week now and had the balls to ride hard today with a buddy who gapped me by 300 yards on the rollers (guy has FTP of 320ish and weights 170 to my 270ish and 190+) but I reeled him in. 2 wks ago I would have caved after he went by as I just didn't have the competitive fire. It's starting to return....and YES...my new bride is much happier with the "changes" also as she was starting to wonder what happened to her "man" in the bedroom. I had zero interest, which for those of you that have never experienced low libido...just imagine life where sex doesn't even cross your mind...never. Not cool for a spouse.
Email me privately if you have questions as many people are not as open as I am but I realize that this is more prevalent in endurance athletes than most other sports.
drhoffart@gmail.com
Vince
In early 2006, my first IM season, I started going to an allergist out here in Dallas. Seriously, the guy looks like a mad scientist with his crazy Einstein-like hair and lab coat - but he knows what he's doing! I grew up, my whole childhood, getting 3 allergy shots per week, so that's what i was expecting. Well, after the "let's prick your back with 90 needle holes and see what you're allergic to", he asks me if I plan on moving out of TX any time soon. I told him NO, and he continues to tell me that I should think about it. I was BAD! 4/4 for most of the allergens.
Any way, he sets me up on this 'rush' treatment, which gives me several months of shots in a single day (which happened to be Valentines Day 2006 - which my gf at the time didn't care for too much). Since then, I've been getting 1 shot/month and I'm SO much better.
Also, leading up to IMFL2006, I started getting throat soreness and a little bit of acid reflux. So I went to several docs, and ended up an ear/nose/throat guy who stuck a scope down my throat. He says he saw a little acid reflux, but didn't understand how I could do all the triathlon training I did with such a badly deviated septum. I responded in shock..."what deviated septum?". He sticks the probe down my nose again and shows me the damage - no more than 25% open on the right and no more than 10% in my left.
Keep in mind, this was about 3 weeks before IMFL. I'm in shock with this new diagnosis. I ask my E/N/T guy if I can have the repair surgery done before IMFL, he says no - understandably.
I go do IMFL, finish it, and come back the following week for the surgery. I have it, wake up from anesthesia all bloodied and swollen. What do I do first thing...start sneezing! With all the guaze and blood in my nose, I start sneezing! HAHA. We both attribute it to me getting in much more oxygen than I was used to.
I asked him how bad it was in the nose, he said his original diagnosis was nothing compared to how bad it was in there. He said I wasn't getting more than 10% in the right and closer to 0% in the left. This had been this way my WHOLE life, I never knew any different.
After two weeks, he removes the 1"x4" splints from each nostril (for those of you that think you couldn't possibly stick something so large up each nostril - you'd be wrong). I felt like the scene from Total Recall, when Arnold is removing that probe from his head through his nose.
ANY way, after that surgery I started really knowing what it was like to breath. I started sleeping better. I started dreaming again (couldn't tell you the last time I recalled a dream I had). I stopped snoring. My next tri season I made the biggest jumps in fitness ever - that's what oxygen will do for you.
Good thing I got the surgery done in 2006 too, because my company changed benefits in 2007 that would have made MOST of the cost out of pocket for me. As it was, I still ended up paying about $2k for it.
Moral of the story, don't underestimate what lack of allergies and proper oxygen intake can do for you, personally and sporting-wise. Do whatever you can to get those issues resolved, it's SO worth it!
I was told to get a vitamin D test, both Iron tests (can't remember the names off the top of my head), and I have wanted to get the testosterone one done too.
My new mantra--make sure they check your thyroid--all three levels TSH, T3 and T4. Make them do it. It will rule out a lot of funky things if your normal.
For the 2x $85 office visits I'm very pleased with the results thus far.
As for my initial assumption of my allergy season trashing my FTP...hard to say as I've confoundered my n=1 case study with hormonal supplementation BUT I know how crappy I felt during Allergy season year after year and 5-6 months of my year was irritable and fatigued. That cannot help recovery or training.
Vince
Keep me informed.
Vince