Fhat the wuck!

So, a glance at my race calendar will show that I have finally taken the plunge and signed up for the Headlands Hundred race in August (I also singed up for Firetrails 50 in October). As fate would have it, the very afternoon I signed up, I started feeling ill. It is way too early for pre-race hypochondria. Besides, I am actually more worried right now about running the TRT50 than about HH100. I have never run a race at altitude and have no idea how I will adapt. At first I just passed off the "illness" as my being tired from four days in a row of not getting enough sleep. It was a bit of a mystery, though, as I had run a little over 8 miles at lunch and while it was warm out, it was nothing that felt taxing; in fact, I thoroughly enjoyed the run and felt great afterwards. I tried to get to bed early that night, but waking up the next morning it was clear that this was neither just residual tiredness nor was it simply in my head. I was sick. I tried going to work, but ended up leaving early to spend the afternoon back in bed. The only thing I could figure was that I must have contracted something over the weekend while working at my son's basketball tournament. See, that's what I get for spending the entire weekend indoors with no running! It was a little odd in terms of illness as there was no head or nasal congestion, my chest felt fine and while I felt warm I didn't really have a fever. It was simply total fatigue and some muscle aches. At any rate, an indication that my body was fighting something off.

I stayed home the next day both to get some extra rest and because I had to pick a car up in Hayward for my older son. I drove to BART in Fremont, took the train to Hayward and then walked the 1.5 miles to the car place. I felt pretty good walking which made me happy. When I got home, I forced myself back to bed for more rest. I felt much better after another nap. I ate and felt strong. I was originally planning to ride my bike the 8+ miles back to BART, but I felt so good I decided I could actually run it...

Yes, I know.
What was I thinking?
How many times does one person need to learn the same lesson.

Repeat after me:
"Running when you aren't feeling well is dumb"
I've done this before....and, apparently, need reminding again...

Running with bronchitis does not simulate running at altitude with reduced oxygen!

Running with a fever does not equate to heat training!

Running when your body is fatigued does not give you the experience of pushing yourself late in a race when you are tired. It does give you the experience of having your body revolt against the effort as it slows down of its own accord and increases its production of stomach acid.

I started feeling bad after about 4 miles. I made it to Lake Elizabeth in central Fremont, about 7 miles, before the contents of my belly decided that they needed to be deposited into the dirt next to the sidewalk. The next 1.2 miles to the BART station was a long and slow walk. I called my wife at work to remind her that she is married to an idiot. I stopped and sat down on some steps and watched as the muscles in my calves involuntarily twitched off and on. Fascinating stuff. The funny thing is that, as I walked, I didn't feel too bad. I could tell that my body just wasn't ready to be pushed.

Went to bed early last night and slept well. Feel really good this morning. I'll probably try another run this afternoon. I was planning to do Mission Peak today, but I'm thinking that maybe (just maybe) something a bit less strenuous and less committing might be in order.