First, Do No Harm

Less than a week to go to my first Sprint triathlon at Port Dickson (23 July 2011) and it’s not quite ‘all systems go’ for Gracie. My kidney function appears to be better, but I’m weak from the couple days of peeing away all that protein and blood.  It usually takes a month to regain my strength after a relapse like this. And I don’t have a month. Not even a week.

Funny thing is I already know I could complete the sprint, thanks to the Tri Clinic on 3 July. Where I did the 800 m swim in 30 minutes, 20 km bike in 1.5 hrs and a 4 km run in 30 minutes. The last woman in the sprint (35 yrs & above) last year took 1 hr 45 minutes. So with my time of over 2 hours, I would be solid last! After that clinic, I had started looking to better my times tee hee. Just didn’t want to have the glamorous position of being last lah.

Well, today I re-revised my target for this race. I just want to finish.

I want to cross that finish line.

But I won’t say that cliché ‘I will do whatever it takes’, because… I won’t. I’m not going to push myself at the expense of my health and recovery.

I’m going to go slow and enjoy my first sprint triathlon. Every. Single. Minute of it.

Just you watch me!

Looking forward to last place J


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xo Gracie

Can Cycling Do THIS?! The Horror

That's Hincapie's varicose vein riddled calf?

I have a phobia of cycling. The bloody carnage that I have been seeing on the Tour de France 2011 (whenever I dare watch) is making me even more afraid to get on my bike. Not only does cycling pose a danger to life and limb, it may sometimes turn your legs downright scary-looking things. George Hincapie's varicose veins are attributed by the Sock Doc to cycling and adrenal stress. I probably do not cycle enough to get this kinda problem, so much for trying to use this as an excuse tee hee. At least I have a relatively safe place to cycle at Kepong Botanical Gardens where there are no cars to run me over!

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xo Gracie

Races This Year: Help Grace Pick!

Summary of Post
Here's Grace's 2011 Race List with cost, categories, links to more info and registration. Since I currently cannot train (kidneys boycott), I instead spend my time fantasizing about what race to do next. Or rather, what race I have some small chance of being at the start line or race day. It's a bit frustrating about this uncertain health problem, but hey a gal can dream right? Note: √ are= Confirmed done or (hopefully) will finish, and * = Eye-ing it... 


What do you think, which should I go for? :)

√June 19    Hoohathlon 2011 - 150 m swim, 10 km bike, 5 km run (RM150). Success! Kow Tim 100%!
√July 23     Port Dickson International Triathlon 2011 - Sprint 800 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run (RM80)
                 I think still got chance to make it to the start on race day < 2 wk away though health not 100%.
                 Afterall, PD Race Clinic already Kow Tim.
  July 30     Shape & Men's Health Night Run 2011 - 5 km fun run or 12.3 km run (RM60)
  July 31     Segambut Charity Park Run 2011 - 5 km (RM90 Family 3 pax)
  July 31     5A Charity Run 2011, Klang - 6 or 10 km (RM25/30. Info. Reg)
*Aug 28     Hua Hin Int'l Triathlon 2011 - 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run (RM150. Info. Reg)
  Sep 10     Vietnam Int'l Triathlon 2011, Hoi An - 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run (USD135! Info. Reg)
*Sep 11     Salomon X-Trail Run 2011, UPM Serdang - 10 km (RM60. Info. Reg.)
*Sep 24    Desaru Int'l Triathlon 2011 - Sprint 750m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run (RM90, Info. Reg)
  Sep 25    The River Jungle Marathon 2011, Hulu Langat - 42 km (RM90. Info. Reg)
  Oct 1,2   Relay For Life 2011, Penang - 6pm to 10 am (RM10. Info. Reg)
*Oct 15    Putrajaya Night Marathon 2011, Putrajaya - 42 km (RM? Info. Reg)
  Nov 5      Sabah Adventure Ultra Trail Marathon, Kinabalu - only 25 km left (RM120. Info. Reg).
  Nov 13    Powerman Malaysia 2011, Perak - Sprint 5.5 km run, 32 km bike, 5 km run (RM100. Info. Reg.)
*Nov 20    Penang Bridge Int'l Marathon - Fun, 10, 21, 42 km (RM20, 45, 50, 70. Info. Reg)
  Nov 27    Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2011 - Swim 1.8 km, bike 55 km, run 12 km (> RM650! Info. Reg)


Please feel free to leave a comment at the end of this post! Peace!

Ouch I got a Stitch while Running! WHY?

Summary of Post

I sometimes get a stitch in my side while running and wondered WHY?! I DON'T LIKE! I'm sure everyone here has kena before. Here's what might help.

"The docs like to call it 'Exercise-related Transient Abdominal Pain' (ETAP) because 'side stitch' is too easy" (Pam Perdue)

The Physiology of a Stitch

A stitch is when your diaphragm (a muscle separating your lungs from your guts and organs) SPASMS. A stitch actually feels more like a hunting knife being plunged bloodthirstily into one's side. There's no blood externally, but you gotta wonder if something awful is going on in there where the sun don't shine. Good news is, nobody seems to have died from a stitch yet.

The diaphragm moves down when you take a breath, and moves up when you exhale. Your guts and organs are attached to the diaphragm. When I am running, it's all a big jostling mess inside, even though on the outside I look quite cool ahem. The Liver – a heavyweight hitched to the right side of the diaphragm – is what you can blame for the Right Side Stitch, the side most runners get it. As you breathe out, your diaphragm moves up, but those pesky guts (what are they good for anyway) pull down on it. Even worse if you are The Type (like me) that breathes out while the right foot hits the ground. I received enlightenment today that my breathing actually synchronizes with my stride, that is, I always exhale on the same right leg. It's amazing what nuggets of wisdom pick-up-able from surfing the World Wide Web.

Formula for Right Side Stitch = Exhale while landing on right foot = Diaphragm moves up + Liver on right side of body moves down = Right Side Stitch.

Un-Stitch Me!

I found these tips from J. Johnson extremely useful:

1. Belly breathe instead of taking shallow breaths. So the diaphragm lowers right down and the ligaments (that attach your guts to the diaphragm) can relax.
2. Switch up your 'footedness' and exhale as the left foot hits the ground instead of favoring the right foot. Give chance to the left foot la. There are less weighty guts stuck to the diaphragm on the left side.
3. Don’t run on a full tummy. Heavy stomach from that large super supreme pizza, nasi lemak and char koay teow equals more strain on your diaphragm. 

Here's to stitch-free running y'all! Please feel free to leave a comment and/or additional tips on preventing stitches at the end of this post. Peace!

Exercising with Illness: Can?

Summary of Post

I love exercising but can get sick if I push too hard. What kind of sick? My kidneys signal their protest by going on strike, leading to relapse of a chronic autoimmune disease that afflicts me (Henoch Schonlein Purpura). Yet, exercise is good for me, so I continue to do it. I need it! For now, I have to do it in moderation. This post outlines my exercise routine. 

Just what is my problem? Can I exercise?

Good question. I google 'Henoch Schonlein Purpura and Exercise’ and come up with just about zilch. Not surprising since only 5 people per million are diagnosed every year. HSP is quite rare. Last I heard I am one of less than 10 people in Malaysia who have this. So, can I exercise? I guess I will have to figure this out myself. 

There’s information on exercise for a more common autoimmune disease Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) or Lupus. Lupus sufferers can have joint pains (like me), skin rash (like me), fatigue (like me), sometimes kidney problems (like me), and sometimes their immune system attacks their own blood and brain (thank god, not me!). Some have debilitating joint pains that really limit their mobility and ability to live a normal life. And some die from complications involving the kidneys, blood and brain. There is no cure.... yet. 

One difference between my friends with lupus and myself, is that I get hit with everything, plus gastrointestinal problems - my insides bleed. I know, I know, I’m just

Kepong Botanical Gardens KBG FRIM

Summary of Post
Short blurb on what to do and see in this lovely spot in FRIM just 20 minutes north of the heart of Kuala Lumpur. And how it is the perfect place for bike-run bricks for a triathlete wannabe (yours truly). :)

Waterlily in full bloom in July at the Kepong Botanical Gardens

Kepong Botanical Gardens (KBG)
The serious/real purpose of KBG is 'ex situ conservation', that is, as a collection of living plants from all over Malaysia (read more on FRIM website). These plants have been thoughtfully incorporated into various themed gardens, which themselves were designed to blend harmoniously into the Gardens' landscape. The result is a breathtaking oasis accented by precious and beautiful plants with the verdant green-cloaked hills of Bukit Lagong as its backdrop.

Ginger Garden, one of the many themed gardens in the Kepong Botanical Gardens 

What to do
Entrance fees are RM1 per person and a few bucks more for mountain bikes (Rates here). Visitors can jog, cycle,

PD Triathlon Race Clinic 3 July 2011

Summary of Post

Insider information on race route and some great tips from Uncle Chan. I did the Sprint distance (800 m swim, 20 km bike, almost 5 km run) today!!

So far so good

I signed up for the PD Tri on the very last day (1 July), after I was 51% sure of making it to the start line on Race Day (see also 'PD Tri - in my dreams only?'). Kidneys working? Check. Joints working? Check. Overall health status: alive and can move? Check. ALL SYSTEMS GO! Then I found out about the free Tri Clinic (Thanks Reza!) and almost fell over myself signing up for that too. I was afraid of swimming in the open sea by myself, so this clinic would be the perfect opportunity to do so.

Uncle Chan gathering tri clinic participants for the briefing

The Clinic – Uncle Chan’s Briefing

The briefing started 8.40 am with about 50 attendees. Uncle Chan informed us that

Templer's Park Natural Swimming Pool

The Taman Rimba Templer Swimming Pool is a great place to practice swimming laps in semi open-water type conditions. Excellent pool close to Kuala Lumpur for folks who want to practice for the swim leg of upcoming triathlons. The pool is about 50 m long and 20 m wide, and is fed by refreshingly cold water from the Templer Waterfalls further upstream.

The Pool fed by icy cold water from the Waterfalls further upstream (steps to Falls rear left)

I’ve played in the Pool before, but never tried swimming laps in it, until today. After work I drove there from FRIM where I work (about 10 minute drive). I parked at the carpark (there are public toilets and changing rooms there). The Pool is a 500 m walk gentle uphill walk into the park, on paved

PD Triathlon 2011: In My Dreams Only?

Summary of Post

Struggling with kidney problems, all I can do is wait and see if I can recover before registration closes for the PD Tri (July 1). At the moment, it looks unlikely (Note: 23 July 2011, I did it! Race report here.). Nice thing though is, in my dreams, I am strong and whole, and running free!

Recurring Dream

It’s pretty cool that even when my real body is sick and weak, sometimes in my dreams Avatar Grace is whole and strong. I love my flying dreams, where I soar above the green fields and dodge the occasional power line.  My current favorite is my running dream. I am running lightfooted as a deer along a forest trail. Although I am going fast as can be, I don’t feel like I will ever get tired. Every breath I suck into my lungs revitalizes me. My body feels powerful. In this running dream of mine, I don’t have kidney problems bothering me… don’t feel weak from losing protein and blood in my pee ... don't have sharp arthritic pains shooting through my joints … I just … feel … good…  

OCD, Me?

“Don’t be so obsessive!”, my wonderful doctor of 12 years lectures when I tell her that I test my pee (with a dipstick)  for proteinuria every morning. I smile as I remember her kind-hearted scoldings, and I am still smiling as I journal the results of this morning’s dipstick test: “Trace” proteinuria, the dipstick says. Muuuuch better than the 4+ (ridiculous) reading on 18 June (which was the day before the Hoohathlon). Once I get down to “negative” proteinuria, and feel settled, I can again start tapering off the dratted meds (corticosteroids) that I take for my illness (Henoch Schonlein Purpura). Hopefully that happens in the next few days, so I can sign up for the PD Tri! If not? Well, if not, I’ll just go to PD and do the triathlon distances there whenever I am good and ready. There’s much to be said about ‘Mind Over Matter’, but if I push mindlessly when I am ill, it will indeed matter – it will kill me. :p . Don’t even get me started on ‘What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger’…

The Week Past

Didn’t do a whole lot of training this week but put in some time every day after work. Just enough to break a sweat, which is 30 minutes on my elliptical machine. My body is limited to gentle namby pamby exercise, however, my mind seems to have gone into Quantum Hyperdrive Fantasy Mode. I imagine myself swimming the 800 m (sprint distance) with the salty waves lapping against me… the transitions … the 20 km bike ride on my trusty road-slick-tyred mountain bike, wind against my face … my legs pumping through the 5 k run. I am grateful that I have memories of my past life (before and between bouts of illness) that I can draw on for my imaginings. We'll know by next week's post if the PD Triathlon is 'Only in my dreams'...

“A healthy man has many wishes, but a sick man has only one…”

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xo Gracie

Hoohathlon 2011 Race Report: A Taste of Tri

As I sat down to write this race report, a plethora of emotions washed over me. The Hoohathlon that I participated in yesterday, 19 June 2011, was incredibly meaningful to me because I had always wanted to do a triathlon, and this was my first taste of a tri, an 'appetizer'. My journey to this point has been derailed so many times because of illness, and this flicker of hope almost snuffed out in 2009, that I barely dared to hope again to tri. A few years ago, I had thought my illness conquered, and had planned to do my first tri ('Tri-ing for Me: Triathlon after Illness). It never happened. A family crisis brought on the worst relapse that I had had since diagnosed with the rare illness (Henoch Schonlein Purpura) ten years ago. Instead of triathlon training and brick workouts, in a desperate bid to get better I ended up camped in the Florida Everglades with alligators, rattlesnakes and other friendly wildlife as my companions!

Humbled... and grateful. That is how I feel right now. Because I know I could never have gotten here without the support of the people in my life… my devoted husband, also my biggest cheerleader … my family and friends … my employer, FRIM, who accommodated for my illness… and my God.

Pre-Race Prep
For months I had been slowly tapering my medications under my doctor’s supervision, while preparing for the race. When I first started training I was very weak but I faithfully put in time on my elliptical machine every evening after work, increasing from 10 minutes to an hour a day, over two months. After I signed up for the race, I started training in earnest. The week before, I had successfully completed the Hoohathlon distances: 150 m swim in my apartment pool, 10 km bike and 5 km run at the scenic Kepong Botanical Gardens in FRIM. Unfortunately, I relapsed from food poisoning two days before the race. I wasn’t sure if I should/could/would do the race at all.

Race Day
I woke up 5.30 am, felt 'okay' (as much as a relapsing person with protein and blood in the pee could feel, which in the early stages