Thanks for the reply and links, Michelle. Taking your advice I contacted the nutritionist at Hammer Nutrition and she has suggested we start with a blood count and go from there. Going in today to
check iron, magnesium and thyroid. Will see what else the doctor suggests.
You are quite correct in saying I do not understand the importance of endurance refueling. It is all new to me. Twenty years ago I was national champion kickboxer and in those days I loaded carbs and protein and was super fit the natural every day way. Now I am 46 and my body requires a little help.
I went to the Sports Science Institute of South seeking that help, believing my problem was nutrition related. The fees quoted for the doctors, nutritionists etc were exorbitant and I simply could not afford this specialised route. Sports medicine has become big business.
I did get an appointment with a running coach who works there, Prof Andrew Bosch, (he works alongside Dr Tim Noakes) hoping he would suggest a change to my training pattern perhaps and a nutritional guideline, but he seemed to think that the amount of training I was doing, 'just walking' after all, did not warrant the fatigue I was feeling and that there must be something physically wrong with me and referred me to his expensive doctor buddies down stairs. That route was not affordable and quite frankly, I have always been a person of good health who seldom gets ill and recovers super fast from the occasional injury like braking my spine. Besides I have had plenty of ECG readings when I was in hospital last year and before that when I went for my commercial pilots exam. I can't see that being the problem.
Speaking to a tri-athlete last week, she was of the opinion that the amount of energy used on these types of walks was being underestimated and to supplement with Endurolyte caps and Perpeteum - her personal favourites. I too believe that the calorie burn is being underestimated, but then I am biased. I don't want to believe I could have a faulty organ. I want to be able to fix this fatigue by giving my body what it wants to function at the elevated activity of long term endurance. So a blood
test and more chats with the nutritionist might steer me onto the right path. At least it is a start.
I really enjoyed reading your triathlonoz articles. So much information that is digestible for the layman such as myself. Sports has become a science and I am learning so much about how the body works. Strangely enough, this all started when I broke my back and became so in tune to its recovery. It is exciting :-)
I wish you every success with the new
forum and hope it becomes as popular as exploroz. Will sign up in time. I feel I have more reading and listening to do than contributing any worthwhile information at present.