This week’s stats:
45 miles
1 day off, 2 days basically off due to stomach bug
13.7 miles with 2 x (1000m @ 335-340, 45s jog, 1000m @ 327-330, 1:40 jog)
1 lift day
2 chiro sessions ( Graston / Shockwave)
1 PT session
Right when I finally felt like my leg was getting better and that I’d be able to FINALLY do a long run, I got a stomach bug. So, my mileage was effectively the same as what it was last week. It’s been a rough marathon cycle, full of two back-to-back setbacks.
I kicked off the week finally feeling pretty normal. I woke up earlier each day to get in my glute activation and low back mobility drills before my runs. The runs were going well. I felt improvement in my leg and was confident enough to even try a workout on Wednesday. The workout went great; I hit the time Terry had prescribed before he knew I’d miss a week due to my a tight glute the week before. I came away feeling confident and that there was still hope to do well at Boston, or at least to run alongside my friends on race day.
But then Thursday came around. I tried to eat lunch, and felt nauseous trying to eat the same food I’d devoured the night before. I shrugged it off. The rest of the day, my stomach started churning. I was able to eat a protein bar, but that was it. By the time evening rolled around, I couldn’t sleep and I finally was woken up by the main symptoms of a stomach bug. This continued into Friday. I did not run. I did not eat. Barely moved more than from the bed to the couch and back. Since Peter was in China for work, I asked Jenna to get me some pedialyte and sourdough bread at the store. By Friday night, I’d munched on some saltines and tried a slice of bread. I was running very low on energy.
On Saturday, I tried running with Rachel at 9AM. That was basically a disaster. From the first few steps, I could tell my body just wasn’t quite right. I felt lightheaded and it was difficult to breathe and talk. I stopped at 3.5 miles and walked the rest of the way to my car, downed some Pedialyte and tea, and felt sorry for myself.
I rarely get sick. But when I do, it takes practically everything out of me. After the failed run, I began reaching out to other runner friends who have gotten a stomach bug in the middle of marathon training. Their shared main advice? Don’t try to overdo it. If you try to run through it, it will set you back even further. Oh, and drink as much nuun, gatorade, pedialyte or homemade electrolyte drinks as you possibly can. After hearing all that, I realized that I needed to treat this as though I just ran a marathon in hot conditions. Shoot, I was fueling like I’d just done a hot marathon; I’ve had more sugary and salty drinks in the last 3 days than I have in the last 3 years. I’m doing all of this in an effort to speed up the recovery process so that when I do finally run, my body isn’t as wrecked.
So for today, Sunday, I was supposed to complete a time on feet long run of 2:40-2:50 in duration. I had coordinated for a bunch of friends to start at my house, do a loop through the rolling Los Altos Hills and then hit up the flat Baylands Trail. I knew I couldn’t try to do a long run. So, I didn’t. I ran 2.5 miles and then called it a day. I’m hoping tomorrow I can at least muster 6-8 miles and then build back from there. As I write this, I’m feeling better in that for the first time in 72 hours, my stomach is NOT churning.
This certainly isn’t the training plan I’d envisioned for my first Boston. I could decide to bag it and do Grandma’s. But I don’t want to. I committed to Boston and I’m still excited to toe the line. Assuming my leg is finally better and I don’t get hit with anymore random sicknesses, I plan on going to Boston and running this damn race. Wish me luck, I need all that I can get right now.