Running, Airports and a Feedbags…

Yesterday was one of those days, not enough time to train.

Meetings started early, I woke up early, was dressing my running gear and ready to go. It was on the wire in terms of would I finish in time or not? John thought it was cutting it too tight based on yesterday’s traffic. So I didn’t go, I postponed. It was a bit of a bummer I much prefer to get it out of the way before work. After work I’m more tired and less motivated.

Meeting started early and we had a break were I drove John to the airport and thought I’d be able to slip out for my run. Unfortunately John left his suitcase at the office and didn’t find out until we got close to the airport. Doh. The result was no time to run, it was going to have to be after work.

On the way back to the airport for the second time we stopped by In-n and Out Burger. Even though I’ve been on the eating healthy kick, I just had a craving. I went for the hamburger and John and I shared the fries.

Unfortunately that’s all it takes to kick you off your game for the day, one unhealthy meal. After that I stopped on the way back to pick up some 40 calorie per cup healthy popcorn. Not so low in calories after 13 cups. Then I had a few chocolates that are in bowls around the office, typical Silicon Valley company stuff, free snacks and drinks lying around the office.

By the time I got back to the hotel I was tired. I ordered some room service. I figured I’ve been getting ragged on from my Ironman buddies about not eating enough calories and carbs, so I loaded up. Went for the salad, Linguine, bread and even had sorbet for dessert.

I definitely went over my calorie allowance, it was the bread and butter that did me in. It’s so hard to stop eating refined sugars. Actually it was the in-n and out burger that started the damage. The sugar high kept pushing me to eat throughout the afternoon and more than I wanted for dinner.

All that eating and 2-days of focused meetings tired me out and I fell asleep around 8 pm. No run. I figured that Friday was going to be a travel rest day so I’ll just swap the two days and give my pelvis another day to heal.

This morning I woke up early knowing I had to get my run in, I wasn’t looking forward to it. Not because I’m not motivated to run, I love running. I wasn’t looking forward to it because my pelvis area, specifically all the muscles hurt when I run. It’s the weirdest thing I’ve never had before.

Before I got outside to run I had to get there and I did it in stinky style. I wore the same shirt I did my speed bike workout in on Wednesday and it STUNK, big time. It was hard for me to take. It never fails I get into the elevator and it starts stopping at every floor and person after person start coming on. It's near squished and I stink to high heaven. I'm embarrassed and laughing to myself at the same time. It was the longest elevator ride of all time. It seemed it stopped at every floor from 6 down to the lobby, even the atrium. I'm sure some of the people must have been holding their breath. It was worse than a cab driver bad. 

My first step hurt so much I almost stopped. It felt worse than ever. I thought for a moment to stop. Then I thought, “it looks like rest is not going to cure this, in fact is seems that it’s seized up and gotten worse with rest, maybe I just need to keep training regardless to keep it loose”.

The other thoughts I had once I got running were “can you get cancer in that area? I wonder if it’s cancer? I can’t find anything on the Internet. I need to see a doctor. This half Ironman race I’m doing the weekend following is going to be interesting. Looks like I’ve went from competitor to finisher. Starting Picaboo Yearbooks has been tough, first I gained about 20 lbs and trained far less than normal and now I’m paying the price. Damn this hurts, when are those endorphins going to kick in to mask the pain”.

I was shuffling along for the first 10 minutes as part of my warm up. Today’s session was to be speed work. I did 4 x 100 meters to get warmed up more and my speed was a joke. It wasn’t speed, it was an injured guy trying to do speed work but it wasn’t even close.

I then started off with 4 x 400 and within 20 meters I was thinking to myself, “it feels like it’s getting worse, are you sure you should go hard, is it going to make it worse? Normally I’d throw caution to the wind and go for it, then injure myself more and say I won’t do that again and then the next time I’m in a similar circumstance I forget about my pledge “not to do that again” and do it all over. This time was different.

I decided to play it safe. I’d like to say it’s because I’ve become smarter but the reality is I did it because I realized I won’t get any benefit, I’m here to get to the start line of Ironman Mont Tremblant in one piece and to finish, no PB’s are going to be set. So I just jogged it out at the fastest pace I could go, a blistering 6 min per km. My sore pelvis wouldn’t let me go faster.

Strangest part of this injury is it doesn’t hurt when I walk or bike, only when I run, swim or sleep on my back.

This weeks training was successful, I got the training I needed to do in, other than swimming. This weekend will the next test I need to get a long bike in on Saturday and run Sunday morning because I’m on my way to the Boy Scouts National Jamboree Sunday evening. Then it’s a full day meeting when I get back and on my way to Racine for the half Ironman.

I spoke to Al this morning and he heard I was doing Racine 70.3, he knows I’m injured and asked, “why are you doing that”. I didn’t have a great answer other than I need it for prep for IMMT. However after thinking about it my Ironman wardrobe needs a refresh, so I guess I could say I’m going for the clothing.

Glad to be heading home. I’m writing this as I’m on the plane. I lucked out kinda. Most every flight I go on nowadays is full and even oversold. Today’s plane was full except for the middle seat between me and the other person. It was poor man’s first class.

The only problem was my window mate, she couldn’t sit still and couldn’t stop eating and drinking and going to the bathroom. She was quite nice, I said hello to her before we took off and had some small talk. I did notice a shopping bag with her but didn’t think much of it.

Turns out it was food and LOTS of it. She started with two scotches and then dug into what turned out to be a feedbag. First it was a sandwich in the plastic tray, I thought “okay, she picked up some food before boarding the plane” and thought no more.

Then I look over and she done that sandwich and she’s on to cookies. No big deal. Then I look over again and she’s into another sandwich and then pop and then a chocolate bar and then more scotch and then ask for the duty free menu and then order some food off the tray and then get up to go to the bathroom and then eat some more and then get her duty free stuff and then fifteen minutes later ask to see the duty free menu again and then ask to see a sample of one of the items and then after it’s delivered she buys it and then it’s the credit card over me and then she has more to drink and then another bathroom visit. She couldn’t sit still.

Now I look over and she’s asleep, I did check to see if she was breathing. Looks like she’s in a nice sugar coma. Been there.