Plans Derailed

So, I'm alive. And I made it through the half-marathon, more on that below. But I spent the entirety of last week prostrate with an awful flu. AN AWFUL, TERRIBLE, NO-GOOD FLU, just to make sure we're clear. I haven't been that sick in years. I had lots of time to think about it while holding very still in bed, and the last time I felt so totally shitty was 2002. And that was just a 36-hour stomach bug – I can't remember the last time I was laid up for a full week. It was back when my mommy would bring me OJ and cold washcloths. I'm still nowhere near one-hundred percent, but at least I'm bathed and out of my PJs.

I didn't run at all last week. Not once. In fact if you add up the steps I took around the house (and occasionally to the mailbox) you probably don't even get a tenth of a mile. Now luckily last week was my mid-training recovery week, where I was scheduled to drop down in mileage. The longest run I missed was eight miles. But. A week of forced immobility is not the same as a recovery week. Today I tried to get back on schedule and ran five miles on the treadmill. Correction: ran most of five miles. I stopped at 2.75 and 4 miles to take cough breaks (sorry everyone near me – I'm not contagious anymore, promise) and get my HR down. At this point the last thing I want to do is drag out my recovery by pushing too hard. (I'm sure it doesn't help that I ate approximately nothing last week.) But I don't feel like I can take another week off and catch back up. So I'm going to take as many walk breaks as I need, but hit the mileage. I still have six weeks to convalesce fully. Unless I get to feeling really good really fast, I'm throwing my time goals for the marathon out the window. New goal will just be to beat the current PR.

Speaking of PRs, I did manage to wrest one from Race for the Roses, despite feeling distinctly wilted. 1:50:05, and if you think that :05 haunts me, you are correct. I did decide to race without my watch and paid the terrible price. Damn five seconds. I stuck with the 8:30 pace group for the first eight miles or so, until we turned on to the out-and-back section on Naito. The pace leader (who otherwise did a fantastic job) had a tendency to hurry through water stops. I think that's fine when you’re spread out like most of the mass of runners, but there were quite a few people sticking with him, and when we came to an aid station we overwhelmed them. Since I wasn't carrying anything I was careful to get enough liquids which meant having to hustle and catch up with the group afterward. I wanted to build up a little lead on him so that I could take my sweet time at the stops. Plus I was feeling okay, like I could go faster. So I pulled away and spent the final five miles (once again) trying to outrun annoying talkers behind me. They have every right to talk on the course, good for them, whatever. It's still annoying.

I didn't finish much ahead of the pace group, maybe 90 seconds. But it was enough for a PR, so I'm happy-ish. Still bummed that I was sick, because I know I have more in me. But what are ya gonna do? After finishing I met up with Tina and Dan, who'd run the 5k (and placed in their age groups – woohoo! spinny medals!). I was feeling progressively worse and developing a fever so I headed home. Or would've headed home if the Max was running. Instead I waited on the platform for an hour until an accident was cleared. Then I headed home. After a shower I parked myself on the couch, and pretty much didn't move for six days. All-in-all, not my best race.

PS - I did race in the new Mizunos. No problemos.