Supplements

Last year's ironman, I fell sick 2 weeks out from the race. Laid off training totally and took about 1 week odd to recover. This year while training for Japan, I was freaking out and kept telling myself that I cannot fall sick. Which I did not. And that was even despite my kids, my wife and my mum-in-law who stays with me on weekdays, fell terribly ill. I was so paranoid during that period that I did not even share the same cup - which very often I do.

It was thus very surprising that nothing happened to me. I read that with heavy work outs, the presence of free radicals in the body will tend to cause the human body to be more susceptible to illnesses. Such free radicals also speed up aging. Anti-oxidents are supposedly useful in preventing aging and help to reduce damage by these free radicals.

I read that I should take supplements and have been dutifully taking them. Now, whether my remaining relatively illness free is due to these supplements or not, I do not know. After all, I have always believe in this: what if you do not take? Ok, it's a "what if" mentality. "What if the plane crashes?", "What if the building collapses?". I cant possibly be living in a life of "what if" but I think this is the only "what if" I live with. Not much of a pessimist and always remain optimistic even when vehicles whizz pass me on the roads.

Alternate days I will take Berocca multivitamin, daily 1000mg of Vitamin C, daily 1 capsule of vegesamine (vegetarian glucosamine) and recently I just added 1 more, alternate days 1 capsule of 150mg Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). I read about the last supplement from Triathlete magazine and that Samantha McGlone consumes it. Oh well, if the pros take it, I presume as a mere mortal myself, it should be alright for me yeah? I also read that CoQ10 is found naturally in the cells of the body and is important for the health of cells and tissues. The thing is that CoQ10 diminishes as the body ages as well as high activity. Apparently a good anti-oxident too.

The reason why I take vegesamine is because I have to avoid the shellfish that is found in normal glucosamine. Fortunately for me, there is such an alternative. Otherwise, I think I would have suffered even faster degeneration of the knees. Seafood has a huge impact on my quality of life - I have gout. Only found out probably half a decade ago when the pain in the ball of my feet simply refuse to go away. And I had thought back then it was some spate of over training or over running until my doctor told me it was a result of high protein diet. After so many years of trial and error, I have a list of foods to avoid like plague.

***

Today was a good bout again. Felt good on the bike and the run. Did a 54km bike with high HR thrown in. Surprisingly I was able to push to meet them all. Did a short 4km run at 5:35/km pace thereafter the bike. Had higher HR average and found that I was still able to hold it at that pace for more if I had wanted to. As I told Coach, this might be my OD triathlon pace in future, which I think is quite good for myself. Another jump from this year's OD race I must say?

Hmm... Maybe it is the CoQ10 that is giving me the extra boost. Hope it is not some EPO similar drug...