Electrolyte Hell

Well, doing a little reading up, my potassium needs equate to 10 bananas a day. And I've been more forgetful of my Ca/Mg supplements the past month. Getting only the 1000mg Ca typically (plus some from food). Combine that with my increase in protein to build muscle and recover more quickly from training days... Since I'm presumably using a fair amount of calcium in bone building since my hip resurfacing and osteoporosis, I'd love to think this issue'll be fixed by a little better nutrition discipline. Right calf still sore, no running this week. I rigged a bungee so I can lay in bed and stretch my calf comfortably while I watch the Olympics and tap away on my laptop.

Charlie Horse in the Desert

President's Weekend, spent in the Mojave Desert helping (along with Ken Rockwell) with noted photographer Dave Wyman's workshop "Cultural Mirages" for the 7th straight year. An outstanding trip, with an accomplished group of participants. See my gallery soon, and gallery from past years here. After the workshop, I looked forward to doing a trail run through beautiful desert mountains. Drove out to Rainbow Basin, parked in a wash, prepared, did my stretches, packed my water and powerbar, sunscreen.... and turned to head off. My run lasted exactly 1 step. One! and I got the mother of all cramps in my right calf (my strong leg). Yow! I worried I'd really pulled something, but in fact it slowly got clear that it was just a bad cramp. But that was the end of my run. Can I log it as 0.0003 miles? What happened? Was it the fact my body's used to 2 bananas (potassium!) a day and I'd had 1 on Friday and none on Saturday or Sunday? Was it the food-on-the-road syndrome making for mineral deficiency? Seems far-fetched; don't minerals last longer than that? My eating hadn't been totally nutrient-free. I'd rested for 3 days since my last workout, so that wouldn't account for it either. It's a mystery. I bought a hand massager, am OD'ing on bananas and Ca/Mg tablets, and we'll see.