This week was 44 miles of running, 9 "miles" of pool-running, and 500 yards of swimming -- training log is here.
Last Sunday I started a very small dose of Lexapro (5mg - usual dose is 10-20 mg). Lexapro is generally prescribed for anxiety/depression, but it can also be used off label. I struggle with an exaggerated startle reflex - meaning that my body jumps any time there is an unexpected noise or something moves unexpectedly near me. I'm not actually nervous or scared of any of these noises - this is just an annoying thing where my body uses any excuse to act like I've just touched an electric fence. This has made congested track workouts and chaotic race starts or water stations challenging, and so the hope was that a very small dose of Lexapro would reduce that reaction.
The good news is that the Lexapro seems to be working. The bad news is that even this very small dose came with side effects. Even 8.5 hours doesn't seem like enough sleep each night, and the workouts and races that I've done on it so far have been sluggish and slow.
From what I can tell, some runners are unaffected by this medication, some are slowed at first and then are back to normal, while others are slowed and remain that way as long as they are on the Lexapro.
Since the Lexapro is already working well for its intended purpose, I'm going to give it a few weeks to see if the side effects (mainly the slowness and sleepiness) ease up. If they don't improve, then I'll probably go off of it, as I prefer the startle reflex to this sluggish feeling.
In other news, this was a cutback week - I raced the Rothman 8K (poorly) as a rustbuster and then hung out in Philly the rest of the weekend to cheer for friends in the marathon. Next week will be a return to marathon training.
Monday: 9 "miles" pool-running and streaming yoga. Foam rolling in evening.
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