Racing/Whining Post
OK, I don't know what's wrong with me anymore. I just can't run. Last year I did great, setting personal records for every race. This year, every race is a struggle. I just don't feel good. Take today for example. Me and the Mrs. headed out for the Race For The Cure Seattle, me running the 5K race and she doing the 1 mile walk (go Mrs!).There's this little ditty that we sang as kids that goes something like this:
Get up in the morning, put my feet on the floor;I woke up at 5:50 and basically spent the next 2 hours and 40 mins on the crapper. I somehow survived the drive downtown (no traffic thankfully) but ran out of the car looking for a place. This shit is getting old. It happens every race day like clockwork. On top of that I forgot to take my inhaler so my lungs weren't clean. So basically about half way through the race, I'm wheezing and I feel like puking. And my pace isn't anywhere close to what I did last year. I did set a personal course record but I wasn't even close to my best time of this year.
50 yard dash to the bathroom door.
Next week I'm running a half marathon. 13.1 miles. Ten miles farther than today. I'm really nervous about it...it may be my worst HM ever.
I don't know if I have what it takes anymore...too many nagging injuries and resurgent asthma is really killing me, not to mention my IBS.
Once I'm done with the races in my race calendar I'm really going to start rethinking this whole thing. Right now it's not very enjoyable, I'm not getting a sense of achievement from running, just a lot of pain and disappointment.
A few years ago I trained for climbing Mt. Rainier, and that gave me a lot of purpose and satisfaction. It's probably too late to train for a major climb this year but I'd like to get into it again.
I certainly know where you are coming from. Running was a passion of mine for seven years (including triathlon). But about a year ago, it stopped being something I enjoyed. It started to feel more like an obligation than anything fun. Now after several injuries I'm just not into running for anything other than fitness. In the end, we all have jobs. Anything outside of work that we do is supposed to be fun. If it isn't, then it's time to find something else to do.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm not interested in climbing a mountain, I love reading about it. I've read "In to Thin Air," and "Seven Summits." I have "Dark Summit" on my self waiting to be read. I would love to read about your climbing sometime.
Well I have to say it's not that it's not fun anymore...it is. It's as if I went skiing but there were no lifts. I mean the skiing part is still fun, but hiking up the hill to do it isn't really.
ReplyDeleteThat's what this year has felt like...no lifts and crappy snow. I get the most satisfaction from doing something I haven't done before. At the end of last year I had improved so much and I really anticipated doing really well this year but instead I'm just going backwards.
I don't know if it's age or what but a lot of my life seems like that...I've peaked in a lot of ways.
I think I'll get over the hump and start running as well as last year but it's definitely a rough patch right now.
If I find my Rainier report I'll repost it here.
Quite a few people on the paleo diet report relief from IBS symptoms. I follow a modified version that has helped me kick migraines. You could have a look at www.cavemanforum.com
ReplyDeleteThey have a lot of info. You might be surprised how much effect seemingly innocuous foodstuffs like wheat have on us.
Yeah I stopped eating wheat a few years back. I think I ate too much fiber or something the day before (cherries are in season now ;)
ReplyDeleteAlso this seems to happen before every race so it's probably more nerves than anything.
Man I love cherries. My favorites are the red and yellow ones (Mount Rainier maybe?)
ReplyDeleteYeah those are good too. To me they taste a little like peaches. This is definitely my favorite time of year around here.
ReplyDelete