Last throw of the dice - 4 day fast incoming

After a good month of exercise in June, July has been something of a disappointment. Playing cricket has brought a few minor niggles, while post lockdown increased activity has meant I have never really got going. With my 2nd August target in mind I have decided a fast is now in order to see if I can finish the challenge on a high before continuing to seek improvement in the month. My weight has at least fallen below 87kg for the 1st time in a while as regular dog walks and eating less have combined. After quite a heavy red wine evening yesterday the fast has started quite well and I intend to go through until Sunday when i'll treadmill exercise before playing cricket in the afternoon. Hopefully i'll be deep in ketosis for both.

14 July 2014 blog....

My 10 day fast and the unexpected and glorious side effect

‎For those of us with McArdle's we have to accept that there are limitations that the disease imposes on us, we have to compromise and find a way despite them. Each of us is different and each must learn to listen to their body to know where those boundaries are. Daily exercise is by common acceptance a requirement, my belief is that we need to continually push cautiously at the edge of our capacity and that we can improve the quality of life through doing so. On diet, however, opinion is divided some call for carbs before exercise, while others including the specialist i have dealt with Dr Slonim suggest high protein, but more of that later.....

In short we need to find our own path and not be scared to try things. For me this has meant an annual detox for the last 9 years in order to keep my weight under control. I wrote this on Day 9 of my current Water Fast:

Day 9 of what has become an incredible fast because I seem to have stumbled across an unexpected benefit - the ability to exercise what seems like "normally". 

Feeling somewhat euphoric as today I swam 100 lengths of a 25m pool and walked around 15k all before 11am and all without the need for pause and with few M issues. (still can't get up the 3 flights of stairs to my room "normally" though). 

As context I have not swam more than 50 metres without pause in the last year. This is my 7/8th fast, on previous occasions I have taken juice drinks 5 times a day. This time decided to go hard core and just stick to water only, in hindsight a top decision. After an initial restful 2 days I started to increase exercise and on about day 6 noticed I was going from stop to walking up a 500 metre hill with no issue, while on my daily long walks hills just did not seem like hills anymore, rather than avoid them I sought them out and relished the challenge‎. 

Then yesterday came my first 100 length swim after which I was convinced something special was happening.  

I discussed with Andrew Wakelin and our working theory is that my body is in Ketosis, getting energy from fat (plenty of it), all the while. Hence when I exercise I believe I am in effect already in second wind and using the optimal energy pathway for M people. 

For me this has been a remarkable few days and I plan to experiment to see how long I need to fast to see improvement. For the moment though am not putting my genie back in its bottle. The fast goes on and I plan to test myself on the treadmill on Tuesday to see if I can see measurable improvement there!

I must add a word of caution it is not normally recommended to exercise too hard while fasting while there are often side effects for several days. 

A refresh on why keto

Will post shortly my blog from the July 2014 when I stumbled across the benefits of keto for the first time A 10 day fast had put me deep into ketosis and able to walk and swim like never before. This week I have been out walking the dogs every morning and but for a few too many glasses of red wine have been broadly ketogenic in my diet. Treadmill session upcoming.

Hot off the treadmill

and pleased to report a 6 minute jog at 5.2mph during my 50 minute session today. Decided to try and work on jogging and doing so for   longer rather than quicker. Managed 2 minutes at 17 minutes in then 3 at 19 3.5 at 22, 5 and then 5.5 at 24 and and 32 and then 6 minutes from 40. That after a disappointing week in which I managed only one session and could not get my keto monitor to work. Did do plenty of walking with the dogs, while clearly in keto this morning after lamb rissoles and cauliflower mash for dinner and fasted since. A good way to prepare for cricket!!!

Cricket - the pain and the pleasure

I think cricket has been a saviour for me and while it has always caused pain and soreness it has given me something to try and get fitter for and has kept me moving, so its return at the weekend was a source of considerable excitement. It was a source of humiliation when younger - how do you explain your legs simply would not allow you to run a three? how indeed can you yourself understand that without diagnosis? Thankfully I managed to accept what I could not understand and to move on. Twice I have been hospitalised after a game with "blood" in my urine. Of course neither time was it blood, rather it was McArdle's Disease causing my muscles to breakdown after over exertion - "rhabdomyolysis" to use the correct term. Sadly on neither occasion was my CK (Creatine Kinase) level checked, which might have led to diagnosis at a younger age. If you have such an instance after exercise always consider that McArdle's and muscle breakdown may be what you are experiencing. Every week after a game I would be stiff and sore, walking like an aged John Wayne, after a four day cross country horse trek, but by the next weekend I would just about be ready to go again

Because cricket has given me far more pleasure than pain. The ability to compete- I remember my House Master at school, Mr Perry, who wrote on my report that  cricket in the summer term had brought out a confidence in me not before witnessed. I had made the school team, having been hopeless at all other sport. I suddenly had a standing, and a place, a group of team mates, a degree of respect - Captaincy of the House team, a place where I could catch better than most. Recently, at an Old Boys dinner one of my team mates from that era recalled my fielding at silly point, or short leg, 40 plus years on. At University too I scraped into the XI and enjoyed the camaraderie that team sport brings. M would not allow any other team sport to  entice me, as in no other sport would my lack of strength, or of explosive power, allow me to hold my own. A good eye, sharp reflexes and judicious  running between the wickets have always enabled me to compete at a reasonable level on the field and thereby to enjoy all that goes with our glorious game.

So it was a real pleasure after lockdown to be back on the field on Saturday, to take charge of hand sanitiser breaks and then to keep wicket, pretty averagely, for 30 overs. My son would say I dropped a catch of his bowling - had he managed to bowl it a little quicker it would have reached me would be my response. There were byes, too many, but at 58 I consider anything down the legside a wide - umpires it seems are never keepers! yesterday I was far less sore than in prior years,  18 hours fasting before the match I am sure helped, as I was in ketosis, and my body was thus not seeking to get its energy from glycogen, (which by the age of 58 you would have hoped it would have worked out for itself that it can't!) plus the work I have been doing to get fitter. Cricket has been a reason to keep trying to do that. Soon I fear I will have to find another reason. But for this year there will be more matches to play, catches to take, and hopefully I'll get the wield the willow soon, rather than just the hand sanitiser bottle. Equally  we will hopefully soon be back to post match beers and a social tea between innings. That will be the icing on the cake.

Cricket ready

Fasting has helped get me back to a 6.15km session but clearly will now need to exercise every day to see further progress. Looking forward to 1st cricket match for nearly 9 months this afternoon - perfect weather and keto enabled should be an enjoyable afternoon.

Fasting in Koh Samui so much easier than at home

My venue of choice for a fast where I am able to  comfortably put food out of my mind and focus on fasting and exercise. At home there is bread being made, meals being cooked and full cupboards. That said I did reasonably yesterday and my food intake was low, some  cheese, some natural yoghurt and a couple of small cubes of chicken were the limit. 36 hours in am now going on until this evening. 1st cricket match of the summer tomorrow so added incentive. Bacon and eggs this evening and then back to fasting, as I do before every game to make sure M wise I am in as good a position to perform as possible.

No warm up not great session - need to be stricter on diet side

After a busy day I went for an evening exercise session but was disappointed that I managed only 5.6km in the 50 minutes. Felt ok but had no pre-session long walk so was clearly not quite ready. Equally my diet has not been sufficiently keto so am determined to now follow it strictly starting with a 36 hour fast from dinner this evening. Thankfully there's a few handy videos I can follow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIrmq0Yy2-o&list=PLy6jQMknTeiGPuiUBmDofBH_2EGs7_KkP

3 years ago and weight even after losing 4 kilos is now 87.9kg so weight loss remains a target.

Consolidating

Have never really been able to jog, now I am thinking I may need to learn breathing...managing up to 200m jogs now between walks but finish breathless. Today post a couple of butter enhanced coffees managed to stay above 6km - a long way to go though.

https://strava.app.link/bwKmDnOFT7 

Not feeling it this morning - will try again later

Despite a long early morning walk just could not get going this morning. Phone battery came to my rescue and died. 50 min session attempt no 2 for the day later this afternoon. Not sure if red wine last night or toast this morning stymied my efforts....

Progress never linear

Longer early morning walk but a slightly less successful session just crept above 6km, did though manage a longer jog and to keep pace with my 20 year old for 200m of his last 500m of a 10k. Better news is that I seem to have no niggles post exercise presently. Long may that continue!!

Pleased to be contacted by a fellow M patient on Twitter so clearly reaching some people through this process.

Season's best

After a rest day yesterday  brought on by meeting friends for lunch and too many glasses of Rose I awoke early this morning. Jumped out of bed and was straight out with the dogs. It was only 1/2 mile into the walk I realised it was still only 5:30am - was rewarded with the sight of a fawn laying down in a freshly harvested field before it bounded off. Also rewarded by a  season's best session, shortening the circuit and running/jogging more regularly today meant I covered 6.28km in 50 minutes and recorded a best 5km of 39 minutes. Just a cup of coffee with butter pre run and am fasting today - may try another session late this afternoon. All in all a great start to the https://www.iamgsd.org/moving-my-muscles-month