ADHD and Me

I have had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) all of my life but only discovered this fact when I was 45. When I was a boy, children didn’t get labeled as ADHD or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). They were simply hyperactive or a discipline problem. I was both. In third grade, my teacher sent me home with a note to my parents that I was going to grow up and become a menace to society. She has no idea how close she came!

Discovering ADHD explained so many things about my life that it was, in the truest sense of the word, an epiphany. It was as though a light had been turned in my life illuminating things that had long frustrated and mystified me. It explained my constant state of activity, even to the toe tapping that I do when trying to sit still and the tics that have always been a part of me; the fact that I can pretty much burn energy just sitting down; my distractedness that for years drove my poor wife to distraction herself; and my occasional laser-like focus which, at time, made me oblivious to the world around me when reading, or during surgery. All this, and much more. I was finding out who I truly was.

Many individuals with ADHD who successfully navigate the early academic years to make it to medical school become surgeons. The specialty is ideal for those, like me, who do best with tasks that are both cerebral and physical. It is more than just liking to work with one’s hands; it is a total absorption in any task that interests one. Give me something that truly occupies my attention and you can set off fireworks around me and I won’t notice.

Having ADHD means that I am easily distracted. A humorous but true ADHDism is “They say I have ADHD but I think they are full of…..oh, look at the kitty!”. It is absolutely true. I am also very disorganized. I start things multiple things but rarely finish any one thing (right now I am simultaneously writing two articles; it took me 10 years to finish writing my book). I procrastinate. Yes, I know everyone procrastinates at times but I am an elite level procrastinator. I have elevated this to an art form. I could go on and on.

In the context of trying to train for something as complex and demanding as an ironman triathlon while simultaneously engaged in a busy clinical practice and trying to fulfill the myriad other obligations that are simply a part of life, ADHD becomes, not a gorilla, but King Kong. Planning, organizing, and budgeting my time, while absolutely critical to this task, are also the things I do worst. This will probably be, after medical school and my surgical residencies, the hardest thing I have ever done. More on ADHD at some later time.

Florida Ironman Training Log

296 days to go to the Ironman. That sounds like a pretty reasonable time frame to train. It is 42 weeks, which doesn’t sound like so long, which means that I have to make each of the next 42 weeks count toward getting me ready. The good news is that the right knee seems fine. I did another run this week and no problems whatsoever. I have no idea what in the world causes that pain. The other good news is that I am getting back into the swing of a regular workout schedule. The bad news is that the ADHD is kicking in big time with disorganization and procrastination in putting together a plan. I just haven’t put together a training schedule in any real sense and this will have to be done.

Training summary:

Swimming- none, back in the pool next week, though

Running-

            1/5- 3.5 mile run. Felt sluggish but still average 8:34/mi. Right knee felt fine

Bike-

            1/1- 8.66 mile fun ride with family at 13.5 mph average

Next week, the training begins in earnest. ………..