I'm off to pack, keep checking in....
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The games are coming!
The fact that the World Transplant Games are on the other side of the world make things a little complicated, and a lot awesome. I hope that all the people who want updates are able to check my blog for updates, along with stuff on Facebook. I am going to make a concerted effort to document this trip of a life time. In terms of communication, I won't have much access to phones, and will not have texting or data on my phone. The only time I can communicate is with wi-fi. We will also be 9 hours ahead of California. We are leaving for Dubai on July 24, and will arrive in Durban, South Africa on the 27th. My competition will be July 31 and August 1. So be sure to tune in around then for the most exciting updates. I am very busy the next couple days wrapping things up here and packing. So the real posts will start once we head out, but I wanted to get people started and prepped....
Hell Week, in training and the hospital....
I feel so bad that i have not posted. The day that i posted about training, i ended up back in the hospital that evening with a THIRD bowel blockage. I was so upset about it, we demanded that the Transplant team get the GI team on board and try to figure out what is wrong with me. I had a colonoscopy, 2 gallons of golytely, gastrographin, and more CF bomb enemas. They cleared me out completely this time, and the colonoscopy results showed no cancer, infection or inflammation. They finally started me on a new drug that will work on my gut, called Amitiza. It seems to be working wonders as i have been out of the hospital for over 2 weeks! I have no signs of discomfort or indication i am heading back in any time soon. Keeping hydrated like crazy and trying to eat well, with less fiber in my diet. Other than that my lungs feel fantastic. So that is my health update.
So to my workout Hell Week. With all the craziness that is July, i had this week as free as i was gonna get, so i decided to dedicate it to working out. Here is my workout schedule
Monday -- Swim 1550 yards (100 yards less than a mile)
Tuesday -- swim 1050 yards and 1 hour Ujam fitness
Wednesday -- 4th of July break
Thursday -- swim 1150 yards and 1 hour Ujam fitness
Friday -- swim 1650 (ONE MILE)
I have been practicing my Butterfly the most. For the 4th of july i went back to my old neighborhood, and at the pool i still have my record from when i was 6 years old, i was faster then than i am now! 21.56 seconds for 25 yards Butterfly. I thought it was going to be motivational to see, but it turned out to depress me, but i have rallied, and i am just focusing on what i can do, and the fact that i only have about 6 weeks to train. So i am focusing on what i have, not what i dont. It is hard to gain the muscle needed in this quick of a period, so i am doing the most i can by swimming every day. Next week i have a few appointments and a birthday so things won't be as easy to get in the water every day, but i will do my best. The other thing i have been doing to help my training is looking up some good workouts, and calling up my old coaching skills. I have been doing drills, kicking, and different intervals of swimming to help me gain speed and muscle.
I will try to do a better job updating from now on. I will post my workout for tomorrow... i gotta make it up tonight. ONE MILE. I don't know if i ever swam that much as a kid, so this may be a first for me, to actually complete and entire mile! Wish me luck!
So to my workout Hell Week. With all the craziness that is July, i had this week as free as i was gonna get, so i decided to dedicate it to working out. Here is my workout schedule
Monday -- Swim 1550 yards (100 yards less than a mile)
Tuesday -- swim 1050 yards and 1 hour Ujam fitness
Wednesday -- 4th of July break
Thursday -- swim 1150 yards and 1 hour Ujam fitness
Friday -- swim 1650 (ONE MILE)
I have been practicing my Butterfly the most. For the 4th of july i went back to my old neighborhood, and at the pool i still have my record from when i was 6 years old, i was faster then than i am now! 21.56 seconds for 25 yards Butterfly. I thought it was going to be motivational to see, but it turned out to depress me, but i have rallied, and i am just focusing on what i can do, and the fact that i only have about 6 weeks to train. So i am focusing on what i have, not what i dont. It is hard to gain the muscle needed in this quick of a period, so i am doing the most i can by swimming every day. Next week i have a few appointments and a birthday so things won't be as easy to get in the water every day, but i will do my best. The other thing i have been doing to help my training is looking up some good workouts, and calling up my old coaching skills. I have been doing drills, kicking, and different intervals of swimming to help me gain speed and muscle.
I will try to do a better job updating from now on. I will post my workout for tomorrow... i gotta make it up tonight. ONE MILE. I don't know if i ever swam that much as a kid, so this may be a first for me, to actually complete and entire mile! Wish me luck!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Training has begun...
I am back, as i figure the best way to begin training for the Transplant Games of America is to be held accountable for what i am doing. Also, chronicling this experience, is the icing on the cake, since it was so apart of my fight when i was in recovery.
I have been extremely busy with living life since the last time i posted on my blog. It is amazing how once you get healthy, sitting in front of the computer to explain what is going on isn't a priority, it is more a priority to go out and LIVE it. Since i last posted i have traveled to New Mexico, San Diego, LA, and Oregon. We have had great success with The Power of Two film, which is now available to rent on itunes and other digital sources, like comcast and amazon, so please rent the film!
My next adventure is to go to the Transplant Games of America in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Followed by a trip to Jacksonville Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, and possibly Dallas, Texas. So i got some things up my sleeve.
Not to mention we just bought a house, and I am still working on all the boxes... i got two more emptied today... I will work on more later.
The other thing that has been a bit of a set back was I was struck with 2 bowel obstructions in two weeks. I went to the ER for one, came back home 3.5 days later, then ended up back in the hospital for another week. It was miserable. I lost 12lbs from the beginning of the first one... now i fit in all my old swim suits :)
Now i am doing better... a little scared to eat food, but i am working on it. It is hard to know what is a good thing and what is a bad thing to eat... i just don't know anymore... But beyond that i am getting in calories so i can begin training for the games!
I swam 3 times last week, and plan to swim on Wed. with BOTH of the Stenzel girls. It is gonna be a good workout. It is so interesting to be swimming again. I have very good technique, but getting the muscles to really pull it off in my arms is gonna be the trick :) I guess as i keep practicing it will get better, but man i was wiped after this week. Swimming takes a lot out of you, plus it makes you super hungry, and i need to be careful not to eat all the gross things one craves after swimming... but i will find balance. I have found that peanut butter and jelly open face after swimming works pretty well.
Oh, i should probably tell you what it is that i am training for in the first place... I signed up to swim
50yards, Backstroke
50yards, Free
50yards, Butterfly
100yards, Free
and Medley Relay (with Ana and Isa)
I think i might drop out of the 100 Free, but we will see how fit i get before i get there... So, hopefully i will be able to keep you up to date on the goings on before the games. Also, if you haven't seen it already I am trying to raise money to go to the Games... here is our blurb for fundraising. If you wouldn't mind, it would be super helpful if you could donate any bit you have to help me get there. Thanks in advance!
I have been extremely busy with living life since the last time i posted on my blog. It is amazing how once you get healthy, sitting in front of the computer to explain what is going on isn't a priority, it is more a priority to go out and LIVE it. Since i last posted i have traveled to New Mexico, San Diego, LA, and Oregon. We have had great success with The Power of Two film, which is now available to rent on itunes and other digital sources, like comcast and amazon, so please rent the film!
My next adventure is to go to the Transplant Games of America in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Followed by a trip to Jacksonville Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, and possibly Dallas, Texas. So i got some things up my sleeve.
Not to mention we just bought a house, and I am still working on all the boxes... i got two more emptied today... I will work on more later.
The other thing that has been a bit of a set back was I was struck with 2 bowel obstructions in two weeks. I went to the ER for one, came back home 3.5 days later, then ended up back in the hospital for another week. It was miserable. I lost 12lbs from the beginning of the first one... now i fit in all my old swim suits :)
Now i am doing better... a little scared to eat food, but i am working on it. It is hard to know what is a good thing and what is a bad thing to eat... i just don't know anymore... But beyond that i am getting in calories so i can begin training for the games!
I swam 3 times last week, and plan to swim on Wed. with BOTH of the Stenzel girls. It is gonna be a good workout. It is so interesting to be swimming again. I have very good technique, but getting the muscles to really pull it off in my arms is gonna be the trick :) I guess as i keep practicing it will get better, but man i was wiped after this week. Swimming takes a lot out of you, plus it makes you super hungry, and i need to be careful not to eat all the gross things one craves after swimming... but i will find balance. I have found that peanut butter and jelly open face after swimming works pretty well.
Oh, i should probably tell you what it is that i am training for in the first place... I signed up to swim
50yards, Backstroke
50yards, Free
50yards, Butterfly
100yards, Free
and Medley Relay (with Ana and Isa)
I think i might drop out of the 100 Free, but we will see how fit i get before i get there... So, hopefully i will be able to keep you up to date on the goings on before the games. Also, if you haven't seen it already I am trying to raise money to go to the Games... here is our blurb for fundraising. If you wouldn't mind, it would be super helpful if you could donate any bit you have to help me get there. Thanks in advance!
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