Day: 18 November 2013

I have now found a new way to celebrate birthdays.

Who would have thought running through mud, icy water and climbing ridiculously high walls could be so much fun!

This so beats getting hammered and threatening to be sick on my presents or falling out with my mate and having a screaming match on the bus…(previous birthday stories I will save for another day….)

Well done to everyone who took part in the race on Sat and especially to Harvey who came 3rd in our wave! I can’t wait to see the photos of us all on that 10ft wall (particularly the one of Caroline giving her poor supportive husband the finger as he encouraged her to smile for the camera…has to be my favorite story of the night…..)

What really made it was the camaraderie and everyone helping each other through the obstacles. No way I could have managed some of those walls on my own!

After the event all I heard were requests of when can we do the next one? (which must sound really weird to all the normal people out there!)

So I’m on the lookout for a challenge for Feb next year. Email me if you have any ideas!

John’s challenge coming up next. It’s his big fight in Scotland this Friday. I know you will all be wishing him luck. After that we are booked into a spa hotel for massages, chill out time and sleep (please!!)

There’s my tip for today. Set aside some ‘me time’

Whether it’s a massage, a treatment or just a few hours in a coffee shop with the papers or a good book. So important for de-stressing.

I’m the worst for not doing this. Will need to tell John Bryson to confiscate my ipad next weekend or I will likely be writing an email from the massage bed….

Kat (I’m a workaholic) Bryson

You may have noticed my posts have started to slide this week. To be honest my week has been a bit of a disaster. After weeks of running around at full speed, this last week I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus!

This is adrenal exhaustion.

For the last 3 or 4 weeks I was buzzing around with so much energy. I hardly slept more than 6 hours a night, generally waking several times throughout the night. I’d wake up early with my mind is instantly racing.

Now I’m someone who really needs my sleep, yet at this point I didn’t feel tired just constantly wired.

stage 1 adrenal fatigue.

Usually the adrenal glands release adrenalin and cortisol and certain times. To get us out of danger, to wake us up in the morning. However if your under prolonged periods of stress they basically go a bit haywire. What’s been happening with me is that my adrenals have been releasing a contract stream of cortisol.

What comes next? Burn out.

Stage 2 is not so much fun

Fatigue, exhaustion, digestive problems and weight gain

Stress hormones override all other hormonal functions (as there basic function is to get us out of danger) so everything else is compromised. You get sick as your immune system is not functioning, your more susectable to digestive problems as the gut wall starts to become permeable and let in all sorts of bugs…Sex hormones are put on hold too which also compromises fertility.

So what can you do about it?

Rest. Eat well and support the adrenal glands as much as possible with supplements. Stages 3 and 4 get even worse and can lead to chronic fatigue.

After the 5k run on Sat I think it may be time to wind down for a bit!

If anyone else feels like this you can get your adrenals tested with a simple saliva test. Anna Marsh at annamarshnutrition.co.uk offers this service. She can also prescribe the right supplements to get you back on track. I’ll be buying mine in bulk!

Kat (tired but wired) Bryson