Another day, some more fluids, some more calories and I am almost back to normal. I went into my office today. That was good because it forced me out of the house. I think TZ had about enough of me working from home this week. It probably does not help that I was pretty much sitting in the office in Queen of Hearts boxers all day and occasionally breaking into tears for no good reason.
I went to bed after back to school night around 8:30. Yup. After weeks and months of blogging about training runs and travel, you will now get to read about my naps, work and following of my children to their parent teacher conferences where I ask questions about constructivist pedagogy to throw the educators off balance.
I was beat and had a head ache building. Put the fan blasting on me as I passed out and then half an hour later I was freezing. So the fan went off. And then half an hour later I was hot. So the fan went on. This went on a bunch of times through the night. So maybe I am fighting some sort of fever. The funky dreams borderline night mares seem to indicate so.
There is also the part where I went to the bathroom four times in the middle of the night. I am not sure if that is a function of me catching up on hydration or if I have done something to put my kidneys into overdrive (or alternatively if they are just open doors at this point and everything just passes through).
Wait – I woke up at 7AM. How exciting is that?! And I had a head ache.
The legs are a bit weak still of course, but as my job requires me to sit at a desk and type, that is not a big deal until I stand up to go to … the bathroom. No stairs for this guy this week – it will be all elevator.
Pic by JT heading out of Twin as he offered me a beer. I declined. Apparently I could still lift my knees.
Apparently because I am having a wuss of a time with my recovery I have misrepresented my experience at Leadville. Let me be clear:
It was pretty flipping awesome. It was a great capstone to an amazing summer. I had already had enjoyed an amazing summer of family, friends, burros, running, mountains, laughs, travel around the globe … had I not even done this race it would be a summer that represent a string in time of amazing love, luck, and levity. But I did do this race. And I did pretty well for me. More specifically, I did very well for me for the first seventy five miles and then I struggled for the last 25. In fact as this only the second time I ever have gone more than 50 miles, I ran probably my best segment from 55 to 75 … and yeah, I had a pretty damn good melt down in the last 25 miles, but I was able to keep it glued together enough to get it done. It was an awesome race with awesome experiences and lovely family and friends, inspiring runners and community and the host of grit and introspection that a hundred miler gives a newbie like me that thinks too much.
Side note – I certainly was not at Leadville in the past years but I have to say this year just seemed very well run as I compare it to other races. The staff were professional. The course was well marked. The results were apparently up very quickly. The aid stations were pretty comprehensive. I don’t have a depth of looking across hundreds, but this one seemed just fine to me. And yeah, I am fine without Leadville having a qualifier … it worked for me. Basically if a race wants to have a qualifier, that is fine. But if a race wants to be like Leadville and says, “it’s a free country moron. Lay down your entry fee and you can try this!” I respect that too. And yeah, if you are dumb enough to get killed (or set yourself to be in the bathroom five times a night) that ain’t the races fault.
Already the question has come up if I will return. I won’t say I am done, but I am certainly not committing to that now or in the near term. While there is a draw to the race, and of course the question if I can improve on this year’s effort, I find it hard to ignore what this thing is doing to me now. It is not the race I don’t want to do … it is this part that I am pretty sure is not right.
And besides, a mile might be a lot more fun.
(PS – WTF is up with that aid station at the top of the Powerline?!)
Puts in perspective how Wardian races huh. Like BS where he ran a 2:21 or some crap at the olympic marathon trials and then the next day ran 2:31 in the regular marathon. Or those stupid 5:15 mile races he does on the Auburn track the morning after WS100. Not human.
ReplyDeleteClearly there are guys whose ability to recover is amazing. He has to be one of them. Bernie B is a guy that comes to mind ... he used to race something like a 100 times a year, often winning 2 races in the mountains ... on the same weekend.
DeleteIt gets easier after a few. I learned quickly to develop a recovery program that starts 12" after the finish line. That post 100 fever / flu-like symptoms sucks.
ReplyDeleteInterested in your perspective on that. I sort of think my issue is a combo of the altitude, craptastic legs (over prep, under prep), lack of cals on the back half, muscle imbalance ... all magnified by a 100 miler. I could barely eat on Sunday too which really did not help.
DeleteI've seen the same thing as Tim. I've done probably 15 races 50 miles or longer now. 3 100s. After my first road marathon, I couldn't walk down stairs and was extremely sore for several days. I've played tennis with my wife after a couple 24 hour events. Your body just gets more and more used to it. But in all cases I'm talking about physical recovery - I've never had any immune or endocrine system crater like what it seems with you.
DeleteI have had nausea problems with a lot of races that are in the range of 100s...to the point they are not as interesting to me anymore. I will probably only sparingly do 100s, but for marathons, 50ks, 50 milers, etc., no issues.
Brett - it dawned on me this is sort of like offering a kid his first beer or cigarette and telling him "be cool dude, it gets better if you do it more."
DeleteAlso like the first beer/cigarette -- and Tim's rare candor and satire on the sport -- it gets easier, but perhaps diminishing rewards. That first one (or whichever dream race/course someone does) really can't be replicated!
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I'm guessing you'll pull incredible luck in the HR lottery with one ticket, and will have trouble keeping those boxers clean! ;)
Is Leadville now reinstated as a hardrock qualifier?
DeleteJust looked. Nope.
DeleteOh, somehow forgot about that whole thing!
Delete(Wonder if they will reinstate)
Not sure. I'm in charge of one race as a new qualifier, which is on the table for the Hardrock board, currently. No mention of Leadville. My gut feeling is it won't be on the list for a while.
DeleteRumor ... but I heard pitter patter that both the LT and the Fairplay races were being considered as quals for the HR100.
DeleteSpace camp is amazing at that point in the race. I saw three absolutely wasted mountain bikers making their way there from the Mayqueen side of Power Line, I wonder if they made it alive. I also wonder how many, if any runners utilized the non-traditional aid station goodies...
ReplyDeleteIs this the Joel I spoke with on the trail (who if I recall correctly smoked past me up Hope)? and after the race?
DeleteI'd say you had a good 80-85, not just 75.
ReplyDeleteHave you felt swollen the last few days? I would guess the excess urination is probably due to water retention. I have had this on occasion, and it seems like all of a sudden it goes away in a day by peeing it all out.
The slow recovery is partly due to the fact that you essentially went to the point of absolute failure. If you were still moving well at the end the recovery would be quicker (more damage = longer recovery). Diet definitely helps, so if you didn't eat much on Sunday that would certainly slow things down.
I thought about the water retention too Nick but I was not sure as my weight was pretty low (although it seems to about back to normal now, maybe up a couple pounds but I am eating like a hound). Thanks again for the help out there.
DeleteI actually admire how crushed you are. I seem to have the opposite problem and finish with way too much left in the tank, bouncing back for a ~50 mile week after the race for the past 2 years. I would rather run a faster time and be completely demolished. I don't do a very good job of finding that absolute edge and holding on. I usually go all the way over the edge, then shuffle - so it's like a 70 mile run with a 30 mile cooldown.
ReplyDeleteI dunno Chris. You look pretty freaking worked to me in that video where you are mumbling at the top of the Powerline.
Delete"I was pretty much sitting in the office in Queen of Hearts boxers all day and occasionally breaking into tears for no good reason" > How is that not the average runner's work day?
ReplyDeleteWell I make the cake as a corporate weenie. Not a runner.
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