I’m pretty tired today. I was up a couple times during the night with my son Alexander who has bronchitis again, combined with my regular MS fatigue that I am working at overcoming and I’m pretty lethargic.
Last week I went to see my MS doctor (who is probably one of the best in the world) and asked him what I could do for my fatigue, and whether or not diet and exercise could help. I was surprised that he actually said no, which was not the answer I was hoping for. He suggested I try to manage my energy by practising the four P’s (Pacing, Planning, Prioritization, and Patience). I read one of his articles where he says:
The trick is to pace yourself. “I tell patients to imagine that they’re an auto-mobile,” says Dr. O’Connor. “But unlike everyone else who has a full tank of gas, they only have half a tank. So they have to really think about where they want to drive to.”
I tend to think that at this point there is still at least a small component of the fatigue that is effected by mood and cardiovascular endurance for which exercise can improve. I’m going to do my own test and then think about how I can incorporate the four P’s in my life.
Sorry, that was a little divergence on MS. Getting back to my training log, I’m going to ask my wife if she might be able to watch over Alexander for an hour while he is sleeping tonight so I can get out for a swim.
Best of luck with your training. Until next time...
Update: It’s now 11:00 PM and I’m home after my longest swim ever! (750m - not continuous yet of course, but pretty close with only a few breaks). I’m pretty sure I’m going to take a rest day tomorrow. Perhaps I can get my first stretching session of the year in.
Cheers.
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