CDC Disaster

So, where do I even begin?

On Saturday, I felt only what I could describe as a deep fatigue. I was in bed multiple times on Saturday trying to catch naps. I can't explain it. I didn't want to do anything. We went to lunch at Panera and that was it. No chores. I didn't feel like mowing the lawn. I even found myself looking up mononucleosis on Webmd.com to see if that was a possibility.

I felt fine enough early Sunday morning. I drove down with a neighbor friend who was also running the race. The weather was truly perfect, which makes this story all the more frustrating.

The race start was jam packed. The first mile was a dodge 'em. No seeding meant slow people all over the front of the corral.

I ran 6:50's for the first four miles. However, all along, something just didn't feel right. I just felt zapped.

When I saw 7:08 on the 5th mile, I knew I was going to struggle mightily. I did not know I would barely be able to hold 8's toward the end of the race.

Although I somehow managed a 6:50 mile 6, I felt my body want to slow. Inexplicably, the 7th mile showed 8:39. I'm not sure how this happened, but that's what my watch said. I was exhausted. I just didn't have energy, it seemed. How I could I feel so tired on such a cool morning?

I rested on Saturday. I ran an easy six recovery pace on Friday. And I rested on Thursday prior to that. I should have been ready to go, right?

The rest of the way was a disappointing mix of miles in the 7:45-8:00 range, including a couple of walks at water stops. I couldn't race. I was spent. What had happened? Was I sick?

It was one of the most humbling experiences I have had in a long time. I wanted to quit mid-way, to be honest.

The point of a race is to give your best. For whatever reason, my body was unable to allow me to give my best on Sunday. End of story.

I've been considered a "glass half full" kind of guy, but I am struggling to come up with positives on this one. Some days are better than others. And some days you shouldn't even get out of bed.

When I finally crossed, my watch said 1:38:35. Worse yet, the results posted later showed me at 1:39+. Go figure - even my watch was slow on this day. It doesn't matter.

I spent more time on the couch in the evening on Sunday. I went to bed early hoping I would feel better and regain some energy.

I don't have much more to say about this disappointing day. I need to put it behind me.

It does not matter what happened yesterday. What matters is how I respond. I need to figure out how to get rested up and recovered. Then I will decide how I will bounce back.