A bit of a ramble

There comes a point where all of the thinking and research must stop, if you want to retain your sanity. That point came to me a few weeks ago. I have been in this sort of holding pattern as I wait for my radiation treatments to begin. So in the meantime I am determined to keep my training up for this coming summer race season. It has my entire focus. I have this fear, as everyone who does endurance sports, that we are somehow going to lose our fitness. That just missing one day means you're going to wake up in morning, and like some kind of weird Twilight Zone you've gained hundred pounds overnight. So I have this fear that when my treatments begin I will slip further away from my workout regiment, and gain back the weight I worked so hard to lose.



I never want to return to how my lifestyle was seven years ago. I would go out of my way avoiding mirrors, or anything that would reflect my image. But that wouldn't disguise the fact that I was simply fat. So when two friends of mine decided that we would do a triathlon together, little did I know where this was heading. I am so glad that I found this sport. I haven't as yet found anything that is so rewarding as competing in triathlons.



Now, I have become somewhat of a freak when it comes to keeping track of my workouts. Everyday I write down what I did, how long it took, how many calories I lost, and more. I love keeping records. I love printing out a month of workouts and see what I did. I love looking at the amount of calories I lost for a given week, or for the month. I love seeing how many miles I put in for the bike, or the run. I think that having my records give that sense of accomplishment. But sometimes I do finding myself getting into a rut doing the same exercises on the same day every week.



But I have found a program that I would like to share with everyone that I have found to be a great addition to my workout regiment. The DVD set from cyclo-zen.com, is produced by Graeme Street, a cyclist and personal trainer who has put together a great program. What I like about this workout is that it utalizes Yoga along with some simple, but intense weights and conditioning routines. And as an added bonus some wonderful audio CD's which Street interviews a sports medicine doctor, a naturopathic physician, and Fred Matheny from roadbikerider.com. The information is great, and I know that I will listen to these again and again. But too is the workout that Street has on the CD's. They cover everything from core strength, and flexibility, something that I really need to work on, to both aerobic and anaerobic endurence. Now, I don't don't work for Graeme Street, but when I do find something that I think really works then I like to tell others about it. So if you're looking for something to mix up your workouts then I highly recommend that you check out this web site.

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Part Two

Since my last post a lot has happened as far as what I'm going to do with my prostate cancer.  After talking to both my oncologist and radiologist I had two choices.  One is to have surgery and have my prostate removed.  The second involves having 25 sessions of radiation and then have a high dose of a radioactive seed implanted directly into my prostate.  I've chosen the ladder. The biggest reason for this choice is that there is a strong possibility that my cancer has spread beyond my prostate and has entered my lymphoid and my bones.  Now, I had scans for both those areas and they both showed up negative.  But because I have such an aggressive type of cancer the odds that the cancer has broken through is around 30 to 40 percent.  More the reason to have the radiation to aggressively attack the cancer that has spread beyond my prostate.

But I have to say that the one thing that has kept my sanity through this thing is my working out and thinking about skiing this winter and next summer's race season.  I truly believe that exercising has helped tremendously, not only physically, but mentally as well.  It is the best and cheapest form of therapy that I’ve found. I also have found it overwhelming the amount of support I’ve had through family and friends.  Many people have sent me emails, or have called.  And the power it has given me to know that there are others who are supporting me, gives a much needed boost of confidence that I will beat this disease.

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