Thought bubbles

Here in lies my current thoughts, whether they are right or wrong, this is what I am currently feeling about the heart situation that I have written about over the last couple of days. Call it thinking out loud if you will. In no particular order, here we go:

The heart is beating funny but it isn't actually dangerous, just feels weird, so I think I will keep training. I can't really imagine life without exercise, so no matter what I think I will do that and just put up with it.

On the flip side, exercise with this current funny heart rhythm really isn't all that fun. In fact it kind of sucks a little. It is hard to get out the door knowing that what you are about to do isn't going to be enjoyable.

If training with this current heart rhythm is the new normal, I wonder how I will go. From what I have seen exercise is manageable as long as I keep the intensity down. That would mean going slow all the time. I wonder if I could cope with that or whether I would go just a little bit crazy.

I am not sure I can race as in the pro ranks with this going on. From what I have seen I do everything slower at the moment for the same level of exertion. The reduction in speed would make me noncompetitive. I am not really ready to give it up though, this year was looking so bright, besides I just paid my annual Ironman Pro Membership fee. Then again perhaps the extra exertion has nothing to do with my heart and I am just unfit.

I wonder if my heart would improve if I rested for a while. Just stopped training and let the body come to a complete stop, then rebuilt fitness. It would suck, but I have done it before. I would do it in a second if it was going to solve my issues. I will be seeing a cardiologist later this week and it is a question I will be asking.

I worry that this has come about because I didn't recover enough post Ironman WA. I was so pumped after the race that I couldn't wait to get going again. Perhaps I trained too much too soon and bought this on. I am not even sure that is possible, but I worry that I bought this upon myself. Once again it is a question for the cardiologist.

I wonder too if stress could be a contributor. As far as I am aware it shouldn't be, but what if it is. I have always been proud of how I handle stress, but for the last 6 weeks I have been pretty stressed out. What if that is contributing. Yet another question for the cardiologist. If it is, I wonder if I can reduce the stress levels back to what I had before.

I wonder too if this is related to being really ill a few weeks ago. That was a really nasty cold I had, what if the stress of that cold is what has made this heart condition worse. I don't really know if that is possible, but it is something that occurs to me. Does that mean further rest would improve it? Once again a question for the cardiologist.

So that is where I am currently at. Not really closer to a direction, but then again I am not sure I was going to be tonight. Really the next step is to talk to a cardiologist and see if I can get an idea of what is going on and what my options are going forward.

Until then, I think I am going to go for a run in the morning. I just sort of feel like I would like to. A very easy run.