Challenges

Lately I have had some running challenges (besides the running poops, but related). Last week, I woke up feeling bloated, kind of gassy, and I had the rotten egg burps. It was not pleasant. At first I chalked it up to a bad reaction to dinner the night before and decided I should probably work from home. I texted my boss and sat down at the computer, but before long, the belly rumbles began, and then the volcano began erupting.

It was bad news. At that point, I texted the boss again and let him know I was going to be out for the rest of the day. I logged off, went to my room, and I slept for a good 4 hours.

When I woke up, I still felt off. I was clammy, a little cold, and I just didn’t feel great. I probably had a fever, but I couldn’t find the thermometer to check (thanks a lot, Hubby or whoever moved it from its drawer!).

I decided it was a great night to rest and recover.

Needless to say, I didn’t run that day.

Then yesterday happened.

I thought the day would be great. I got up bright and early, ready to meet up with some friends for breakfast. We met, ate, and had a great time, visiting over a delicious meal. Then I came home with a gluten-free cupcake to share with the Hubby over coffee. (One of my friends brought us cupcakes, and she brought me a gluten-free one because she knows I can’t eat wheat and she’s amazing.)

I ate my cupcake and chatted with him over the weekend plans, and all of a sudden, I had to run to the restroom for one of my worst IBS episodes in recent memory. I know I have a gluten sensitivity, and I had avoided gluten, but apparently I’m sensitive to something else.

Whatever my digestive tract didn’t like, it left me sweating profusely, writhing in pain, and barely able to tell Hubs that I needed my anti-spasmodic meds. The attacks only last maybe 10 minutes at most, but a bad one will leave me utterly wiped out for the rest of the day.

After the attack yesterday, I was as limp as one of those inflatable flailing arm men, about a third as cheerful, and nowhere near as motivated to do anything. I took a long nap, and I didn’t do much else for the rest of the day.

I’m not telling you about this to complain.

Oh no. I’m absolutely not belly aching about my (literal) belly aches. I’m just telling you about my issues because they happen, even to the most determined runner people. I have goals, but this week my body didn’t want to go with the program. And you know what? It’s ok! It’s part of being human. I ran today, and everything worked out just fine.

Once I ran a half marathon sick.

I had been preparing very carefully for months, ever since my OBGYN cleared me to exercise after my younger son was born. I would run 4 times a week or so, and I was actually following a half marathon training program pretty carefully. Every weekend I would run a long run to prepare, and I felt good about my progress.

And then the Monday before Race Day came along.

I woke up to a slight tickle in my throat and a bit of a stuffy nose. At first, I thought it was just allergies, no big deal. I’m allergic to literally everything that blooms along the Texas Gulf Coast and in the Hill Country (and therefore might conceivably be blown in by a good thunderstorm), so this isn’t news for me. I took an allergy med and moved on with my life. But, as the day went on, the tickle evolved into a full sore throat, and the stuffy nose became a full drip, and then a fire hose.

Oh no, I thought. Not only was I planning to run a half marathon that Sunday, but my family, including my in-laws, were planning to do a camping trip in Galveston with their RV as part of the festivities! I couldn’t back out now! What could I do?

I did what any Millennial would do.

I asked Doctor Google.

Luckily for me, Doctor Google reassured me that I would be okay as long as the cold didn’t move down to my chest. I immediately started my get better regimen of chicken soup, orange juice, vitamin C, Sudafed, and Mucinex, and I prayed as hard as I could that the cold would stay in my head.

This time, God was on my side. I survived the race on Mucinex and Sudafed, but I most definitely did not get a PR. I did, however, get a very sparkly medal the size of my head AND a pink tiara!

I guess there’s a moral to all of this.

Getting sick happens. Feeling terrible is part of life. Give yourself grace and pick up where you left off when you feel better. Your body will thank you.