Not So Performance Enhancing?

DEX:

Now several days after the first dose of dexamethasone (dex) (see previous post March 8) I have a better feel for the effect that it has on my body. I was especially “peppy” on Saturday, the day after taking the dex. It felt like I had taken a couple of No-Doz, which of course are legal. I’m not sure just why dex is banned during competition (though not “out of competition”) because it doesn’t build muscle. I assume that it is banned because it is a stimulant like caffeine.

I am part of a study that will help to determine whether a drug called CC-4047, taken with the dex, will be of benefit to people with myeloma. I don’t want to mess up the study. But I may do as Kel suggests and ask the doctors if I can slide the regimen just two days to take the dex Sunday night instead of Friday. The trial is divided into four-week “cycles” - I’ll probably wait for the completion of the first full cycle before making that change.

In any case I’m just going to forget about the issue of dex as a performance-enhancing drug, at least for now. I don’t actually think that it will help my performance, certainly not more than extra caffeine might help. I have notified the proper people about the dex, and if anyone thinks that it is an issue then we’ll deal with it.

Today’s run:

61 minutes at the N St Paul Community Center. I forgot to wear my watch, but according to several time checks using the clock on the wall, the pace was about 8:30, so the distance would be a little over seven miles. Lovely run, no pains worth mentioning. Longest run since mid-January - it’s a masterpiece! Hopefully seven more miles on Thursday.



This morning's post-run breakfast: Irish oatmeal with organic flame raisins, dried dragon fruit, Don's nut/fruit/berry mix, organic walnuts, organic blueberries, banana, Dove dark chocolate, organic nonfat milk.


Recent dinner: Free-range no-hormone no-antibiotic bison, organic carrots, onions, parsnips baked in a little grape seed oil, pure organic pomegranate juice.


Another recent dinner: Curried turkey with organic peas, organic brown rice, organic wild rice, and organic cauliflower, all with mango. Downed with a delightful dark ale. :-)