It’s tough to admit but I’m stuck in the three mile rut. After or during the 3 mile paddle I’m dying tired and ready to sit down and relax.
I started tracking my heart rate after feeling it going a little too fast on a previous race practice. Truth is I don’t know how far I should go but if listening to my body, I believe the three miler is my limit.
I tried again going after the three mile but was too tired to continue. My legs were shaking, my heart obviously racing and my arms couldn’t paddle anymore even sitting down on the board.
This was this Memorial Day weekend Saturday, on the New River fork in Fort Lauderdale. I took the JP racing board down the river on a beautiful morning and started quite well easily paddling the first 2 miles down the river. After stopping for a bit at what I knew would be my turning point, I measured my heart rate. The Samsung Active S7 has a great heart rate monitor that according to internet reviews is very accurate.
It said 176bpm at this point. The sun was shining bright and boats were passing by making my paddle a little rougher. The wind was also blowing this morning, kinda holding me back a bit. See I’m 39 years old and have been a bit slow the last 4 years. Just a bit. I have always biked, even if short distances but at least kept that as my only activity for a while. I joined the gym a year ago but honestly only do 20 mins cardio and 30 mins in the equipments, with several pauses in between. The thing is that in paddleboarding there are no pauses. Even when you stop paddling, your legs are trying to balance and keeping you from falling. Great core workout going on even when you are stopped.
A little background on the last weeks
I have tried to paddle everyday and that didn’t happen. On the days I have my daughter, that is not possible. It’s school, work, pick her up at school, dinner, homework and bed. Between a few other activities I have to take her to. She is only 10 so still can;t stay by herself at home. The gym is nearby but still.
Anyway, today is May 25th, and the last time I exercised was Tuesday, the 21st. It shouldn’t be that bad to exercise this much, but I need to find a way to exercise everyday to see if it makes a difference. I believe it does. It has also been at least two weeks since I have paddled. I was healing my mind from problems I caused to myself. Feeling a little low for a bad move. It stayed with me and taking the last 3 weeks to reflect on it, kept me from paddling, stopped my everyday paddle plan and overall exercising.
I need to get that long distance resistance where the heart is seemingly ok, the breathing is steady and the arms and legs are not that sore. As you can see below, my after paddle heart rate was still high after about 10 minutes driving back home and taking the board from the car.
A little more background and what I’m putting the blame on
I have been doing great for the last 5 years but between 2012 and 2014 I was not good. My ashtma was in this highest point. When I finally decided to seek for help I had only 20% of my lung capacity according to the doctor. Going up a flight of stairs was tiring. Speaking and I was in sales at this point was also really hard. Completing a sentence without gasping for air was not easy. I used to think I had a cold or something but what I had were my allergies getting the best of me every spring all the way down to autumn in Boston. The spring polen and the autumn hayfever were killing me and I didn’t identify the cause until two years later already down in Florida. This was in 2013 that I visited the doctor being forced by my ex wife that found a great allergy doctor in Fort Lauderdale.
The doctor was scared of my condition and stayed late that day to make sure I left the office ok. it was a two hour visit with tests, rest and medication. After that, I was aware of the problem, figured out it was allergies to also cats, dogs and dust in general and the best way is to keep using my control inhaler that keeps the flare ups from happening and an allergy medicine everyday to keep the allergies from showing its symptoms.
I haven’t used the allergy meds anymore. Just the control inhaler everyday. It’s a steroid (I believe) that has a low dose to just keep the flare ups from happening. I also use a nasal spray to (Mometasone Fuorate Monohydrate) to keep my nostrils clean and breathing fine. It sucks to be congested all the time and not using the spray, in five days, I’m congested like traffic in Miami at 8am.
I’m blaming my current condition on that. Besides that, on the last two years, the primary doctor found high blood pressure starting to creep up and also high cholesterol. He gave me two pills, one for each but very small doses to keep it from getting bad overtime. According to him, this is a modern day disease and even he takes that. I haven’t had any of these pills in the last 5 months. I have at least exercised more often than when these illnesses were detected. I should probably do a blood exam to check on these two things now that I’m ‘exercising more seldom’.
Concluding the morning paddle
I will try again this afternoon. Maybe an end of the day paddle will make things better a bit. If not, tomorrow morning I will do again and track it again and see what happens. On paddle boarding, I’m looking for progression: A little easier on the body. Not feeling so tired. Heart not pounding that much. Just one extra mile.
Progression is never easy. It shows itself like a monster telling it to your face you can’t do it. But it backs away, the moment you it in the eye. And backs further away, the moment you hold you body straight. And it keeps a distance, the moment you become stronger. But one thing is certain, the monster never goes away. It just watches you from afar. When you hit the highest point in your progress, it plays with your mind telling you you are still not there.