Friday, June 3, 2011

How to get that post race feeling without racing

I emailed my wife a very simple message last Wednesday evening at 9:59 PM.  I typically don't email her when she is in the same house but I wasn't sure how else to get her a message.

The email read:

Subject:  Vomit
Message:  I just barfed but made it to the bathroom

I had already has some "discomfort" that evening but this email kicked off my marathon bathroom sessions for the rest of the night and next morning.

My wife is wonderful and so she joined the party.  We both had good timing and shared the bathroom well but neither had much left to give to the world in the morning.  We also had a great topic to discuss, what did we eat that the girls didn't.

Our girls didn't get sick and were ready to jump on the bed at 6 AM but one look at their green imaciated parents let them know it wasn't a jumping day.

A couple funny things.  First, I really wanted to weigh myself before I started to recover so I could figure out what I weigh without any fluid or crud in my body.  I'm not sure what I would do with that number but it would be interesting.  I was too tired to move the scale to the hard floor so I never weighed myself.

Second, it felt just like I had finished a very long, unprepared for, and pitifully run race.  My hips, legs, muscles and brain hurt.  I don't mind this feeling after a race because it lets me know I gave my all but on Thursday, it was less than satisfying.

So for those that want to know what it feels like to run a half ironman (70.3) race or a marathon without ever running a race, I have a receipt for you.
1.  Eat a egg salad sandwich that has sat on your patio in the hot sun for 4 hours. 
2.  Get a really bad sunburn in the areas you can't reach with your hand.
3. Rub your feet and sit bones raw.

Now you can relate to any endurance athlete.  You know how it feels.  You have truly suffered.

I race Boise 70.3 in a little over a week.  I know I will be feeling bad again, but I can't wait.  Clock will be running and so will I!

No comments:

Post a Comment