Survivors who had chemo etc and are into Complementary medicine

Anonymous

YEAH, Claire.  It is SO SO SO good to read your posts.  Inspiring is really an understatement!

What's GU gel?

Just thinking about having to take anything with elecvtrolytes makes my ankles swell.

Claire_in_Seattle

GU gel is an energy gel which is mostly sugar and fat plus a few supplements.  The purpose is to give you an extra energy boost.  It has miraculous powers in terms of making hills flatter, and distances shorter.  Seriously, what happens is that you are using up so much energy, that you need extra "boosts" to do long distances cycling.

As you are sweating (even if you don't appear to be), you lose critical salts.  You have to replace these.  I don't use electrolyte supplements for short rides of less than 25 miles.  However, for 50+ miles, absolutely critical.

If you don't use these things, you "bonk".  That is, you stop thinking clearly and get unsteady.  You can collapse if really bad.  I have learned to notice when I get the energy drop, get off and suck down this stuff.  Same deal skiing which is the time I got in serious trouble that way.

Other thing with electrolyte replacements is that you get severe leg cramps if you don't take in enough.  I mean, you wake up in agony out of a sound sleep.

None of this is for casual exercise, or short rides.  However, critical for anything 2 hours or more of vigorous activity.  At that point, your energy reserves are tapped out.

One STP, there was a rider who didn't do this.  After the first 100 miles, he collapsed and had to go to the ER where they gave him IV fluids.  That is how serious this can be.

Thanks for the congrats. - Claire

Anonymous

Claire,

I was hoping you were gonna say it was something that could be rubbed on sore muscles - which is what I thought when I saw the word gel. I am having a very hard time not smiling at your description of a "short ride" being anything less than 25 miles. TWENTY FIVE MILES...yikes....

YOU ARE AMAZING! I feel good about myself when I just get myself walking! 

kira1234

Oh how well I know how having our electrolytes being off affect us. During chemo I was gulping water, but my electrolytes were off. All the water in the world wasn't helping me. IV fluids did do the trick though.

lago

It always puts a smile on my face when I hear about Claire and her "extreme" sporting events. I truly don't like to exercise… I just love the way I feel when I'm done. That's why I do it but Claire loves it. I wish I had that passion for it.

I do love to walk. I would enjoying biking but it's a bit dangerous here in the city. I don't want to be hit or hit anyone. We won't talk about the head injury I got when I was  20 on a bike. Just want to say you don't want a doctor to give you a haircut in the ER. Stitched are fine but hair cut, no.

kira1234

lago, Do you live in chicago, or one of the suburbs?  We lived in Naperville till we moved to Florida. I would agree it isn't safe to ride a bike in he city.

elmcity69

claire, you rock. end of story!

ProudMom_Wife

Claire you are inspiring!

apple

back in the old days we only 'carried' water... and maybe a snack taped to the center bar.

Way to go Claire!

lago

Kira I am in the city by the lake. We also have the Lance Armstrong wannabe's that will run you over. They are the scariest on the bike path in the mornings. During the day just too busy. There have been some deaths of bikers in the bike lanes here in Chicago too. so sad.

kira1234

lago, What a beautiful area. We used to go down to the city on the weekends to the local restaurants. I so miss all those lovely family type places. After dinner DH and I would just walk along the beach. I so miss those days. Here there is really nothing anything even similar.

BarbaraA

Karen, you should visit St Pete sometime. Same kind of ambiance. Lovely waterfront and completely accessible.  They have art festivals, music concerts, plays in the park by the water and of course, the Dali, Fine Art, Holocaust and Chihuly Museums. Don't forget the Tampa Bay Rays, too.

kira1234

Barbara, I didn't realize they had so many things to do in St Pete. We were just in Tamp last week Friday. I think I will suggest to the DH we spend a weekend doing some of the sites before school starts.

Thanks for the ideas.

ruthbru

Great job, Claire!

I just got back from a beach vacation where I ate and drank everything I wanted (does crab count as 'healthy' when it is dipped in butter?.....does wine count as a 'fruit'? ). Time to get back on the wagon. Just skimminh through and wanted to say one word about constipation......PRUNES (also good for bone health!).

BarbaraA

Ruth, LMBO with your wine=fruit. I will use that one!

Karen, when you come, call me and we can have lunch. St Pete is very pretty downtown. Great restaurants, too. If you stay at the Hilton, it has killer water views and is across from the Salvador Dali Museum.

kira1234

Barbara I would love to get together. Maybe we can try to get together sometime in the next couple of weeks. I'm back to school August 1st. At least a class I signed up for to  teacher me how to write programs for the white board, that should be funny me a computer novice.

BarbaraA

Just PM me the dates.

I have been taking wobenzyme for my mild arthritis along with Nordic Natural fish oil and just wanted to let you all know that it is really working for me. No achy joints since about two weeks into the combo.

Anonymous

Barbara

I too love the Nordic Natural fish oil.  I get the largest bottle ( pretty blue glass) and it works out to be so much cheaper, easier, and I thikn more effective than pills.   Believe it or not, the cheapest source here seems to be Whole Foods.  Go figure...

Now, please tell me what wobenzyme is???  That's new to me.

BarbaraA

Check this out. It also aids digestive problems. It is an anti-inflammatory.

http://www.buywobenzym.com/product/WOB-100.html?gclid=CPy_3pbR_KkCFQ8j7Aod1DY0XA#page=page-1

1Athena1

Gorgeous picture, Barbara. I was in St. Pete once very briefly. I wish I had seen that museum. 

1Athena1

Claire, is GU Gel sold at regular pharmacies? Is it a drink (excuse my ignorance)?

I sweat profusely and really lose energy easily during the summer. I wonder if that is why I am having such cravings for potato crisps (in addition to Gatorade).

BarbaraA

Athena, the new museum opened in January. The old one was much smaller. This one has most of the collection on display. This collection is the largest in the world. Although I really wish they had the Last Supper (my fav at the National Gallery).  And it has has gorgeous watrerfront views.

AnneW

GU is a thinner than a gel, sold in little packs that you suck it out of. I think the main ingredient is brown rice syrup. CLaire, isn't it mostly just carb/calories? The espresso flavored one has a hit of caffeine in it.

I buy GU at bike shops and REI. I imagine some drug stores or grocery stores may carry it.

1Athena1

Thanks for the info, Anne. Will check at my local CVS.

Barbara - the building looks like an I. M. Pei work - do you know who did it? 

kira1234

What a shame the Last Supper isn't there.

BarbaraA

The firm's name is HOA but there is more info here.

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_south_pinellas/st_petersburg/New-Dali-Museum-building-is-a-work-of-art

1Athena1

Wonderful glass exterior. Off to check whether the NYT architecture critic ever gave an appraisal.... 

BarbaraA

Probably not, we are pretty podunk for them.

Claire_in_Seattle

Hi Athena.....

I think Cliff Shot Blocks are what you need more than GU gel.  I use these too.  They have a combination of energy and electrolytes.  I used them during chemo, and they were a godsend.

GU gel is really to provide an energy boost for endurance events.  So things like triathlons, marathons, or major cycling events.  I use it too when skiing for miles on end.

I keep Shot Blocks around the house for leg cramps as I tend to get them if I don't do enough electrolyte replacement.  I have a memorable story of not being able to get into position for a gyn exam just as I was preparing for surgery.  Fortunately, the (male) internist was also a cyclist so we swapped leg cramping stories as he did the exam.

He did mention it was a first. - Claire

suzieq60

Well done Claire - you are an inspiration!!!

Sue