I’m sick and out of shape, but at least I’m still hot looking

[Anya]

Ok I think I will keep my first online training/nutrition/health log in about 5 years.

A wee biography:

My name is Anabella Reina, and I’ll be 25 in May. My middle name is Sulma and that’s the one to which I normally answer (cuz it’s more purtier). Most of the screen names I’ve used on various and sundry fitness boards include Anya and/or Rottenwillow. Anya goes back to early ’03, RW more recent. Before that I used a different one on the ancient T-Mag forum and others in ’01. (I think T-Mag is the one everybody here is calling Testosterone Nation now?) I was one of like 2 chicks on T-Mag back then…not much chick specific info yo. My first log was my HST forum from Fall ’03 on another board. Nothing since then.

Some issues pertinent to my training:

I’ve got a progressive case of Lyme Disease which hit me like a truck the first week of Jan ’06. I limped along with my training until May of that year and had to stop. I started again in Nov ’06, and actually improved my strength nicely until May of last year when the symptoms again forced a long layoff. The symptoms list is long, but the ones that have precluded training in the past include: tachycardia and/or arrhythmia, poor energy level, severe insomnia, and now progressive arthritis.

My poundages will have to stay light I think, particularly on legs. Due to the cardiovascular demands they place on the body my squats will have to remain very light. One of my infections is a protozoan one called Babesia Microti that can reduce the pumping power of the ticker so mine oftentimes will beat quite fast for no reason and I’ll get out of breath under light exercise. Past PR’s were 335lb squat below parallel and 170 or so bench, no lifting bologna, but I have no desire to even attempt to recoup that strength level again.

Summary of first 4 weeks of training:

I started training again on 1/19/08 and can only train on Saturday and Sunday, hitting each muscle group just once every seven days, one set per exercise. I am unable to recover any faster than that. The first two weeks were strictly experimental to see how (if) my body could recover. The results seemed encouraging so the last 3 weekends I’ve stepped it up, and I do appear to be gaining some strength. For this log I’ll be going back to the Feb 2 and 3 workouts and transcribing them from my handwritten journal to this one since those were my first real workouts.


To end my first entry, a statement of my goals:.

I’m interested in just trying to gain back some strength and stamina, and to see if regular exercise can maybe stave off the progression of my symptoms. LD is a often a disease that progresses very slowly and after enough years can pretty substantially reduce a person’s mobility and quality of life overtime. After 25 months sick I have to admit that it’s starting to do that to me as well. At the very least I know that getting active again will improve my mental health and self-image.



So that’s the scenario. Here we go yo.

[*Bunny*]

Well if it isn't ole girl up in here.

I am so glad to see you around!!!!

LD flare ups, dang, I am happy to see you doing your best to take control of what you can.

Welcome to our family.

Youd be so proud of me doing squats, deads, pendlays, Push Press etc

Well I WAS....

[Beverly McD.]

Nice to "meet" you, Anya.

[sassy69]

Hey girl -- I'm curious... what protocols are the docs recommending for you w/ the Lyme Disease -both as far as medication and lifestyle / activity / preventative maintenance type stuff?

Does stuff like yoga / pilates help maintain mobility? Or even use of a foam roller or anything like that?

And was also wondering about stuff for joints --- I've heard of this miracle joint stuff called adequan for animals (e.g. a friend's older dog w/ bad hips) and the human version - alflutop... has that ever been mentioned by your docs?

[T-Cake]

Welcome to AF, sunshine

[navalgazer]

Hey Chicka!!!!

Nice to run into you in these parts.

(it's vel)

[Tweak]

I'm in, and I love you. xo

[Big Sky Guy]

Hi Anya! Wow girl, I had no idea what had been going on over the past 2 years...

But I am certainly glad you are back to logging and seeing what your body can handle

[Hidngod]

Hello, Sunshine. I'm glad to see you here.

[claire]

Welcome to AF! I'm in

[~peaches~]

Good to see you over here

About time you made it over here!

[Anya]

Originally Posted by T-Cake

Welcome to AF, sunshine

I supposed you'd call me an old member who keeps forgetting her screennames and/or passwords. I joined the first time when we had to request membership and wait for approval via email. That's been a while I think.

Nice to meet you, mija.

[Anya]

Originally Posted by sassy69

Hey girl -- I'm curious... what protocols are the docs recommending for you w/ the Lyme Disease -both as far as medication and lifestyle / activity / preventative maintenance type stuff?

Does stuff like yoga / pilates help maintain mobility? Or even use of a foam roller or anything like that?

And was also wondering about stuff for joints --- I've heard of this miracle joint stuff called adequan for animals (e.g. a friend's older dog w/ bad hips) and the human version - alflutop... has that ever been mentioned by your docs?

Once you get into the chronic, disseminated phase antibiotics may be effective, but only via a "pic" line in grams dosages for 6 months or more. Insurance wont pay more than about 40% for that, so that protocol is not even a consideration for me, especially since at this stage of the infection they generally dont have a good track record anyway.

I've got at least 3 different infections, two bacterial and one protozoan. Right now I'm under the care of an ND (naturopath) who's prescribed 6 different herbal extracts that have shown toxicity for borrelia in vitro. No guarantee of effectiveness in the body of course, but I'm trying it right now. I do that twice daily.

I do therapeutic/detox baths which help pull gunk out of my lymphatic system and put magnesium and oxygen into my bloodstream and nervous system, which can both help symtpoms and be toxic to the borrelia.

Also, I take a bunch of minerals, vitamins, and Chlorellla, which is an algae very good at detoxing the body.

As for moblility I do full body stretches frequently throughout the day. It does seem to reduce the muscular aches and tightness, which seem to mostly affect my upper body.

[Anya]

The workout is split into two days, primarily for purposes of energy expenditure. Squats have to be segregated because they place such heavy demands on the CV system and are all-around ass kickers. I'm not doing any other leg exercises right now. Calf raises are out because my feet are in some ways the most effected by symptoms, and SLDL's are another compound movement requiring too much energy and I think would just be too taxing for my recovery system in addition to squats. The workouts will be one day for squats and biceps only. (Since Bis are a small muscle group requiring relatively little energy to work). The other day will be everything else, but spread out across 3-4 hours, with breaks between larger groups like chest and back. I wont be notating the breaks though. (EDIT: I changed my mind about that last part)

I may list some symptoms here and there, but only when pertinent to explaining why some exercises may have had to be skipped or modified in terms of intensity.

	ASS Nelson Montana

[Anya]

First real workouts following some conditioning exercises for a few weeks.

SATURDAY 2/2/08

Bench Press 105 x 6 + 2

Lat Pulldowns 45 x 16

Standing OHP 55 x 8

Bent Barbell Rows 55 x 7 + 1


SUNDAY 2/3/08

Full Squats 105 x 6 + 2

Barbell Curls 55 x 6



Only one set per all exercises, the (+) is how I've always notated rest/pause reps in my training journals. I'm not listing any warmup sets, but they are usually either just 1 or 2lbers or bodyweight only to warm the joints.