So I can't talk so I may as well write a race report. It is so weird not talking but the effort of doing so brings me to a fit of coughing so I have chosen to be silent. It is awful. I must say. Not sure why anyone would want to be quiet when there is so much to say
Regardless I have decided I am done with bad racing juju. We all know Boston was not the experience I hoped and leading up to and after I was dealing with a variety of injuries. I was more than ready to throw in the towel and was so over it all. It was just too much. I had decided to give one more push and let this race at cedars be a turning point or at least I hoped. It wasn't easy. I had missed about 25 days of running total before and after the marathon and yes lost some fitness. Running was hard, I was feeling out of shape, I had to concentrate on getting my leg to do the correct motion, and it hurt. I also was spending tons of time in PT. I decided I really hated running and when a run popped up on the schedule I dreaded it. I just wanted to swim. That should tell you how bad running was going but I decided to fight. I was going to do this race and was hoping to do well
So I went to Chattanooga to see my beautiful daughter which is great fun but Dallas and I have a love/hate relationship. Love him and hate his hair. I was there maybe 5 minutes when my eyes were itching and I was loading up on allergy meds. Came home late Sunday and by Tuesday morning I knew something was not right in the asthma department. This does happen quite often after a visit with Dallas. Tuesday night after my bike and run, I felt like a semi had run over me twice. I slept none Tuesday night but slept all day Wednesday and most of Thursday. Headed to the doc on Thursday for breathing treatment and a steroid shot. Thursday night I felt great. I even hit up a Lausanne baseball game and completed my swim workout. I didn't work Wed/Thursday but felt fine for Friday. By the afternoon, I began to feel a sore throat, tightness in chest returning. By the time we hit packet pick up, I felt awful again. I chose to ignore it because this was my turn around race. I had a 50 minute bike ride to do and we figured we ride the course for part. I have become completely reliable on Stewart for all things pertaining to travel. I thought he knew the course and he thought o knew the course as I raced this race many years ago on a different course. We set out and then realized we were nowhere near the course. And we continued to get lost again. I began to feel a little stressed as my 50 min ride was hitting the 1:30 mark. And we were riding super hilly roads although the names were comical. At one point we were on the corner of Chicken Rd and Tater Picker. I was more than ready to be done so when we happened upon a Dollar General, I decided to wait for Stewart to find his way back and get me in the car. Sitting on the sidewalk of a dollar general parking lot on A Friday night in a town with Tater Picker as a street is quite amusing. We finally made it to dinner where due to sickness or tiredness I fell off and knocked over the bar stool after one drink and found myself asleep on the hotel room floor while Stewart showered. I was beginning to doubt my ability to race the next day. I did get a great night sleep but woke up feeling like hell. Decided o would warm up and see how I felt. I ran for 10 minutes and the great thing was my leg was feeling normal!!! The bad was I think I had a fever I was so overheated and the running killed my throat. I decided to forgo the swim warm up as the water was 76 and it was beginning to rain I did not want to stand there and be cold.
I decided I was racing because it was short and I would at least finish even if it wasn't pretty. The swim was short and sweet but cold. I hit that water and it was Cold ! It was wetsuit legal but I had no wetsuit After momentarily taking my breath, I began to swim and felt fine. Actually I felt fine the whole race. Could I have been faster if I wasn't sick, who knows? But never at any moment did I feel like I was racing poorly due to being unwell. The great thing was my bike computer fell off at the start of the ride so I had no idea how fast I was riding. I just rode and chased and did the same on the run. Endorphins are an amazing thing because as soon as I finished I began majorly coughing and having breathing difficulties. As of now I feel like hell but have chosen to ignore it. I also chose to start my antibiotics. I got a spark today and it was great! I wanted to be racing, I want to be faster I am ready to see improvements. So come hell or high water, I am getting in a solid three weeks of training before I leave on vacay. The floods may come but I am pushing on. Feels good to have some spark back! If only my voice would come back!!!
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