chapter 3 - the training ride

The next morning Jessica woke and ate one of her nutrition bars. Feeling bloated, she decided she should get a long ride in. She got on her cycling gear, threw some bars in the back of her cycling jersey and set off on her time trial bike.

Within a few minutes she was feeling shaky and weak and had to eat another nutrition bar. A few minutes later, the same, shaky and weak so she ate another bar. 15 minutes later, another bar. At this point she only had one left, so she turned to head back towards her house. Within a few minutes, she had to eat her last bar. A few minutes after that, she was shaking again, and stoped at a gas station where she bought 3 king sized snicker's bars. The clerk commented "must have been a long ride" when he saw her with 3 huge candy bars. She ate those bars and rode back to her house. As soon as she carried her bike in, she was feeling weak and shaky again and had to get another bar.

She looked at herself before she got into the shower. Her defined abs were less defined. She could even pinch a little skin. "Oh my God, this is not going to happen." she said to herself. Jessica quickly showered and then called Dr. Everett. She did not even say hello when he answered, instead she just started "I tried riding today but quickly ran out of nutrition bars. Does this mean I can't train? I have to train. This is my job."

Dr. Everett calmly responded "We were worried about this. When you train, you are quickly burning through the glucose / glycogen stored in your body, thus your body craves sugar and carbs more often. Because of this, you may find training more difficult."

Jessica yelled into the phone "That is not acceptable. This is my job. I think I am already gaining weight."

Again, Dr. Everett calmly responded "You have Athletes Insurance. You won't have to worry about money because of that."

Jessica becoming very upset now "This is my life."

Dr. Everett "I know, but we can't do anything other than what we are doing right now. Hopefully soon there will be a treatment. In the meantime, just focus on you, and don't weigh yourself. It will worry you too much. We are doing everything we can."

Jessica "I need to get off the phone, I am shaking and I need another bar." She hung up and tore into another nutrition bar.