So last night I did my usual swim, but it felt nothing like usual. The difference was stark and not in a good way.
This is my first week on the Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) protocol—basically three 36-hour fasts back-to-back. Fast Monday, eat Tuesday, fast Wednesday, eat Thursday, fast Friday, eat Saturday. Because of the pool schedule, my swims always land on the evening of a fasting day. Last night was my first Wednesday swim after two fasts in a row. Throw in a Monday swim and a Tuesday run, and the fatigue was starting to stack up.
Physiologically, I was running on fumes. Fasting while exercising depletes your glycogen stores much more rapidly, and I was definitely feeling that lack of “fuel” on top of the accumulated tiredness from the week’s miles.
Of course, none of that stopped me. I still powered through my planned sets of 5 x 250m. I’d told myself to listen to my body and that if I felt done at 4 x 250m, I’d call it quits. But despite feeling low on energy, I felt good enough to push through those final ten lengths.
It wasn’t without consequences, though nothing too major. I felt a little more lightheaded than usual afterwards and even the walk back to the car felt like a slog. I’ve often dealt with fatigue and lightheadedness since my diagnosis, and my blood pressure medication is known for adding to those symptoms, but this felt different.
This felt earned.
I’ve been pushing myself because I’m determined to get my fitness back while losing the weight I need to get my diabetes under control once and for all. So, all in all, I feel pretty good about myself right now!
I’m also sensible enough to know when NOT to keep pushing. While I might have wanted to go for another run today, I won’t. Instead, I’m about to take a leisurely walk up the river to the local Sainsbury’s to grab a few essentials for my refeed. By the time I get back, I’ll have completed the full 36 hours and I can finally refuel the overworked machine! 😁
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