Wow so if any of you read the race recap for Xterra Waco Texas you know that was not my best race. Mainly due to some pesky cramps that haunted me from start to finish. When I returned home from that race I decided I was going to do anything and everything in my power to stop that from happening again. The answer, not that easy. No one seems to know exactly what causes cramping in certain muscles. We know it could be from electrolyte deficiency also muscle fatigue and sweat loss. I'm sure Texas for me was a combination of all the above plus being in warmer conditions than I have been exposed to in the past 8 months. My attack . . .
So the bottles on the outside are Electrolyte Fuel System drink mix that are packed full of the good stuff. I'll be using these anytime I train or race (they are tasty). The two blue bottles, Stress-X and the Electrolyte Concentrate are now a daily part of my diet. This will help me get the dosages of certain minerals that have been linked to cramping that I feel as if I may not be getting in my regular diet. Then there is the Co-enzyme Q10 and the B-Complex which has b1,b5 and b6 all of which have been proven to aid in anti cramping. The Co-enzyme Q10 has had recent studies show that it potentially increases aerobic capacity as well as aiding in reducing muscle injuries. The question is will all or any of this actually work ? I'm not solely relying on these supplements to help with the cramping. I have decided to add once a week yoga to my workouts in order to stay flexible and keep the muscles stretched as much as I can. On top of all that I have added some weight room workouts that I feel will help strengthen certain muscles. I am also making a more concentrated effort to stretch both before and after workouts.
My next race is only a few weeks away, May 15th in Santa Cruz and again its another Championship race which means its a qualifier for me. I don't expect not to cramp at all but I hope that my efforts will show some kind of improvements. If I do cramp at least make them bearable to where I can be competitive. For now I'm going to keep on the supplements and work on everything I talked about. May 15th will be here before I know it, hopefully I'll be reporting back with some good news !!!
