Learning more

Today was an interesting double whammy day of learning stuffs.

First learning event of the day was a trip to see fellow triathlete and super runner David Bryant at Catalyst Nutrition and Dietetics. Going and seeing a dietitian is something I have been considering for a while. It is not that I think we eat particularly badly (we really don't), but I have long wondered if there were some little 1%ers that I could be doing to go from eating well, to eating really well. A few eating habits that I have suspected weren't a good idea, but wasn't sure about. Perhaps get those last couple of kgs off for race week. That is what led me head to David.

I have known David for a little while and known of him for longer. Around the traps in Perth he is a very well respected dietitian.

I have to say I wasn't disappointed. Really thorough but sensible advice. No ridiculous fad dieting ideas, just good tips on properly applying a healthy eating balance. Ideas on how to actually get the 2 fruit and 5 veg balance that we all know we are supposed to eat, but really struggle with. What the right amount of carbohydrate is, and when you should be eating it. Ways to cut down on wasteful snacking, but not just making yourself hungry. That sort of thing. Not earth shattering stuff, but then it doesn't really need to be. and the best thing was that the advice was all tailored for the requirements of an athlete, which is a really big deal, since a lot of diet advice isn't.

All the information was good, but to be honest a lot of it is stuff that deep down I have known I should be doing. The doing is the tricky part though and that is where the real value of seeing David has come in. I now have an eating plan that I need to follow for the next three weeks (until my next appointment). Following it may a bit of an adjustment, but following a program is one of the things that athletes do best. So knowing exactly what I need to do and when I need to do it is perfect. The other challenge is the fact that I have to weigh myself at the beginning of the eating plan and then not step on the scales until the end in three weeks time. This will be a big challenge for me, given I currently weigh myself every day usually. Still I am very keen to see how it goes. David has promised that if I stick to the plan I will like the results. We shall see.

The other bit of learning today was my appointment with Doctor Gary Couanis. I have known Gary for a couple of years, but I have never gone to see him before professionally. He is also another triathlete and a specialist sports Doctor with a great reputation here in Perth. Far out is that reputation justified. I may never go and see another Doctor again (Gary is also a GP). 15 minutes with him I learned more about what is going on with my heart that I have in a week and a half of reading Google (common Interweb don't let me down). Still not entirely sure why the heart is causing me issues. It sounds like the issue I have is very common and is generally benign. However, even though it is benign in some people it seems to cause problems, whilst in others it causes no problems at all. The why of it isn't really understood. Whilst the why is uncertain, Gary was able to explain what it is that I am feeling when my heart skips a beat and knowing that how makes a big difference. The biggest difference though is having somebody that you trust, confidently tell you that you can keep training. That is worth more than you can put a price on.

So coming out from seeing Gary, I now have another test to do, this time a stress-test, which is basically wearing an ECG on a treadmill. This is probably the last piece of the testing puzzle. All the other tests have come back nice and clear up until now and this stress-test should hopefully complete the picture. That test will be on Friday. After that it will be off to see the specialist on Monday and then back to Gary next Friday. Hopefully things will be returning to normal by then. 

It wasn't all sunshine and cotton candy at the Doctor's though. Off the back of seeing Gary, I now have another, very tough challenge ahead. Possibly my toughest challenge yet. I now am faced with the challenge of having to reduce my caffiene intake. One thing I have now been told a few times now (again today) is that palpitations can be bought on by caffeine. Now I don't really drink much coffee or tea and I wouldn't have thought I drink enough to make a difference, but I don't know that for a fact. I do know that different amounts of caffiene effect people differently, so perhaps I have a very low tolerance. All I know is that if what I am feeling can be got rid of simply by cutting down the amount of caffeine I consume, then I would feel pretty silly for not at least giving it a try.

If you see me over the next few days, probably best to just stay away.