I started this little blog to document my "running journey" for me and maybe one day for my boys so they can read about dear old mom...the good AND the bad...
This one falls in the bad...the ugly...the let's forget this day....well wait maybe not..more like a let's learn something from this day...
I don't even know where to start....
Saturday I guess....
So I went to the Expo with my friend Sandy. She offered to drive and I cannot thank her enough. It was so nice to go to an Expo with her instead of my supporting crew...I love them to death but going to race Expo with them is not the best.
Last year at the same race, I was all set to meet another blogger friend, the one and only Patrick...and he hmmmm took a nap and forgot about our rendez-vous!....well this year he was there! Yes people he does exist for real. Patrick, I was so happy to meet you in person and I hope you had a good race yesterday!
I also saw my NUUN friends! Kim who works at NUUN and who could not be nicer..seriously what a lovely person she is and also teammate Tiffany who was working the Expo representing her Crossfit gym!
We took a few pictures at the Expo..
Saturday was also my son Jonathan's birthday. And.....I decided to have his party on his birthday..imagine that....
That meant being on my feet for 5 hours...at a mini golf place... that was not very good planning on my part...but...my son had a blast so that's all that matters...right...
I was so tired after that party and also a little worried about my race...
I went to bed early hoping for the best.
Sunday....
Got up early to get to the race because I was afraid we would get stuck in traffic on the way there..because it is not a small race..but it was fine and I got there with plenty of time to get ready..
No lines at the porta potty that was good. Got to my coral and waited for the start. The start is too late for me..7:45 for the first wave and it was pass 8:00 when I started. The sun was out already and that is never good for me. It was supposed to be OVERCAST!
I started very conservative..I was not feeling like this was going to be a good running day. And I was right....
I had planned on seeing my family around mile 5. Just before getting there 2 firemen ran by me..I thought this cannot be good...shortly after I saw a runner who was having a seizure on the side of the road...that was scary...I heard the firetruck a few times during the race, saw a few people throwing up and others cramping so bad they could not move...rough day
Mile 5: still feeling OK
Not long after that I feel apart.
My $*#$&* stomach....had a party...a pukefest kind of party.
It was not pretty.
I felt like giving up from then until the very end.
It sucked.
Every time I started running I felt like I was going to throw up and I did..
So there was a lot of walking..and it sucked.
I was so frustrated.
There is not a whole lot to say. This is not something I can control.
I think this was one of the most difficult race for me...as far as stomach issues go it was THE worst for sure.
I will say this though...I did not deserve to get a good race day. The truth is I did not put the work in to have a good race. I did not put the mileage that was needed. My long runs were not long enough. My longest run was 9 miles leading up to Surf City. That is not enough. I am not a good enough runner to just "wing it" for a half marathon. I did not put the right mileage in because I was sick or hurt and I went the safe way. Is that an excuse? well no it is a reason..but it does not change the fact that no work = no result. Not for me anyway.
I carried my phone this time...I usually don't and I don't think I will do it again (making my handheld too heavy)..but this time it was good to have it because I could let Bill know that things were not going good so that he does not worry if I am a little late....I also got that picture around mile 10.
I kept drinking water during the race because it was a lot warmer than I expected and I did not want to get dehydration...the thing is I think maybe I drank too much...
The last miles took forever to get done. My handheld felt like 20lbs I could not wait to get rid of it, mentally I was more then done...I wanted this to end.
Finally I could see the finish line..I saw Bill and gave him my handheld...
I crossed the finish line just ahead of the 2:30 pacer who was in front of me at the start. That group was one happy group, chanting as they crossed the finish line it was nice to see!
I got really sick right after I stopped...so sick..it was really embarrassing...I could not control my stomach and it was where a lot of people were ..between the finish line and where we were getting our medal...I found a spot with dirt..luckily... All the water I drank and bile..a lot of it...it was not pretty...there were no medic around...finally it stopped and I got my medal and walked out of the crowded area....
I met with my family and we headed to the car. I had to stopped a couple times and Bill decided to just get the car and I sat on the corner of the street and waited.
So there you have it. Another Surf City disaster. I do like this race. The course is pretty. The medal is nice. It is well organized. The volunteers were all super nice, lots of young people helping. They had plenty of water. Oh I almost forgot, I saw Jen on the course! So happy she yelled out my name...! I have no complain other than it starts too late.
24 comments:
You look great. You have a lot of guts. Not a disaster. A learning experience. I once ran a half with only 6 as my longest because of injury. Not fun. I ended up walking half.
Oh man! I feel so bad for you and your bely issues... (Is it wrong that I thought of you last weekend when I was a puking mess post race.. hahah. we should never race together!) Good job finishing on such a tough day- that is a really pretty medal so that makes it (almost) worth it!
I have gone into races under trained, I know kinda how you feel, lessons are learned, you still finished, it shows your mental toughness side of you. Congrats on finishing the race
Surf City has not been good to you or me either :( Sorry things turned out the way that they did but hey it is what it is! I think our opinions are the same about the race and I think I was not properly prepared either. The last long run for me was mid January so I kind of deserved what I got out of it. See you in a couple of weeks!
I wish there was some good God of the Stomachs that I could send your way that would rid you of all that crud you have to worry about when you run! I feel so bad for you friend. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll go away one of these days. That Surf City Half is one that I've always wanted to run. Maybe one day, California is a long way away :)
I went into every race last year undertrained so I feel your pain and frustration there. The stomach thing has got to be so annoying - I hope you're able to figure that out. Onward and upward to better races for 2013, my friend!!! Loving the medal and you look adorable in your strip top and skirt at least :).
I'm sorry it didn't work out as well as you'd hoped. You look adorable, though!
I'm sorry it didn't work out as well as you'd hoped. You look adorable, though!
I'm so sorry you had a rough race. That course looks gorgeous!
I, for one, appreciate when my bloggy friends blog about the "bad". I think a well written, thoughtful post about the "why it went wrong" is as valuable as an "I PR'd, aren't I amazing" post.
Thanks for the perspective.
High five for sticking in there to the bitter end... sick tummy and all. You get extra "tough woman" points in my book.
So sorry to hear about your sickly day! But overall, not a bad timing, all things considered!
Hopefully the next time I run in CA I'll get to meet both you and Sandy! :)
I definitely agree with Kim - I think reflecting on what went wrong, determining if there's anything different you can control for next time, is just as important as sharing victories.
That said, not every race needs to be a strong effot - some, especially when you know you're unprepared, can just be about enjoying the time, and the experience. Maybe a run/walk plan for these types of conditions would be helpful?
I'm so sorry you had such a tough day :(
There's so much to learn from a bad race. But, it totally sucks to have a bad day.
I totally get how hard it is to balance running and family time. You can't put the rest of your life on hold for a race, but it does make the race so much harder.
Congrats on finishing.
The stomach thing must be so frustrating! I wish there was some magic answer so it wouldn't happen.
That is a real bummer that you had such a rough day. Though in terms of preparation, seems like if you did maybe a couple 10-11 mile runs you would be good for raceday. Though you know your required preparation better than anyone else.
On the throwing up issue, I'm assuming that you have discussed it with your doctor. I was curious enough that I just read a bunch of random articles on dry heaving, people seem to give varying reasons/solutions for it. Might be worth looking into or trying these possibilities:
-ulcer or heartburn causing the problem?
-taking a TUMS half hour before the race to see if excess stomach acid is provoking the upset stomach.
-allergies or medications causing it?
-it could be like acid reflux.
-coffee? might be related to acid reflux or heartburn
-allergic to dairy?
-too much fluids?
-heat giving your body problems?
-do you have undiagnosed asthma?
-low electrolytes?
That is about all the possibilities that I found out there, maybe look into some or all of them.
good article:
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2532781
I'm so sorry you didn't have a good time out there :( I hope you're feeling better by now! Thinking of you!
I'm amazed you kept going and finished! Congrats on the metal toughness.
No disaster. We all have good races and bad races. The way I look at it you finished the race, which is more than a lot of runners would have done when they felt bad. So great job!! You pushed through. I hope you are feeling better.
I am sorry for the troubles but you did it and now you have another half under your belt.
I hope that now you feel good.
You looked great when I saw you - and seeing you put a smile on my face for at least a mile!! I was soooo happy to see you. Congrats again on another even if it wasn't perfect.
Oh no, soo sorry you had such a rough race! Do you know what causes your stomach issues? I have a sensitive stomach as well, but mine is more diarrhea and not puking. I start to tale some pro-biotics and so far so good. Knock o wood. I hope you feel better by now!
Ouf...ce doit être tellement difficile quand ton estomac décide qu'il se rebelle comme ça! Je crois que sans ces problèmes d'estomac, même avec ton manque d'entraînement, ça aurait été moins difficile. Tu as beaucoup d'expérience...surtout avec la distance du demi! Soupir...mais quand ton estomac décide qu'il n'est pas content...rien à faire :( Je t'envoi en gros câlin et je te trouve très forte et déterminée d'avoir terminé cette course malgré tout! xox
Oh you poor thing. I'm so sorry you felt so rotten. I'm sure the heat only made it all worse. Way stay the course and finish that sucker!
Oh you poor thing. I'm so sorry you felt so rotten. I'm sure the heat only made it all worse. Way stay the course and finish that sucker!
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