Rx: Ironman

Seriously. What Was I Thinking?

So I knew that Saturday's run would be tough given the weeklong migraine. I knew that going from sitting at work to laying on the couch for four days straight with nary a workout since my last long run would probably make me feel a little rusty. I knew that puking up the tiny bit of supper that I did choke down on Thursday night did not constitute as carbo loading, but since I kept all my food down on Friday and even tried to eat a little extra, somehow I thought I'd be fine. Cause hey, I'm a two-time Ironman, right? Right?

I failed miserably on Saturday's last long run. My attempt at 20 miles ended at 13. I walked for another 1.25, and then I called Steve to come pick me up because I honestly didn't think I'd make it walking another 1.5 miles. I was just totally spent. I've heard that after having a headache of that magnitude, people can feel like they're getting over the flu and be totally exhausted. Apparently I am not immune. From my first few steps, I knew it would be a tough run. Just a couple of miles into it, I told Steph that if we were to stop, I could lay in the grass and fall asleep in 10 seconds flat. By mile 8, I was having serious GI issues, which has never, ever happened on a run that short. We stopped for water. We stopped for ice. We even stopped for Rice Krispies Treats, which are usually my fix-all. Nothing worked, so I called it. Steve came to pick me up, I chugged my usual chocolate milk, and I showered. Then I took a 2 hour nap. I woke up still feeling crappy and had to bail on my friend Maddy's birthday party. By Sunday, I was feeling a little better, but I opted for an easy 25 mile bike ride instead of the 60 miler with hills that I had originally planned. I didn't really need a repeat performance.

I know I don't really need another 20 miler. I've done one already. I've done a couple of 17s and a couple of 18s, and since this is my 9th marathon, mentally I know I can do it. It just would have been a big confidence booster had it gone well after being sick all week, sort of a "If I could muscle through that, the race should be no problem" kind of thing. I still have no idea what my time will translate to in two weeks, but I'm sure going to give this race a run for its money!