DNF = Did Not Finish.
There’s a first time for everything, right?
Let’s go back in time to recap this week a bit…
Tuesday: Wake up brutally early to run seven miles before flying to L.A. for work. Embark on a 6+ hour flight aboard the always-pleasant JetBlue, and touch down in sunny and chilly Los Angeles around 11 AM. Time changes are a beautiful thing…sometimes. Spend the afternoon walking around Santa Monica. Crash in hotel bed with some room service by 10 PM. OK, by 9 PM. Maybe 8 PM. It’s hard to remember.
Wednesday: Wake up brutally early to squeeze in a 5-miler on the hotel treadmill. Sweat a ton. Spend entire day running around a photo shoot.
Feet begin to hurt. Crash in hotel bed by 10 PM. Again, maybe earlier.
Thursday: Another day of the “brutally early” wake-up, this time to bang out 7 speedy miles on the treadmill. Feel sad about not having time to run on the beach. Get over it. Spend entire day running around two more photo shoots.
Go out to dinner with coworker. Eat magical sushi in downtown L.A. Pack suitcase. Fall asleep in hotel bed after reading a whopping four pages of my book (Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling — hilarious).
Friday: 4 AM wake-up call to make it to the airport in time for a 7 AM departure. Don’t have time to buy breakfast. Don’t sleep on the plane. Don’t like being in a middle seat. Don’t like my broken TV. Don’t like the guy next to me thinking my foot space is a shared area. Land in NYC around 3:15 PM. Dislike time change now. Try not to puke in cab to Upper East Side. Try not to fall asleep immediately upon returning to my apartment. Have headache. See Brian. Cry happy tears because he showed up with flowers. Go to dinner. Headache tries to ruin my life. Asleep by midnight. Probably earlier.
And that brings us to today.
Saturday.
This week is a step-back week, or a small week, or a cutback week, or whatever you people call it. It’s a week where my long run isn’t quite as long. That probably means something scary is on the way next weekend (20 miles, Coach?!).
Normally 14 miles — a 2-mile warm-up, 10 miles at marathon goal pace (8:45–8:50) and a 2-mile cool-down — is hardly something to make me break a sweat. Easy, right? OK, not easy, but surely manageable, especially after last week’s delightful 18-miler.
I woke up this morning in a really nice pool of my own sweat. Hope you liked that, Brian.
I dragged myself to the bathroom to check my temperature, which clocked in at a sweet 100.6 degrees.
Not terrible, but definitely high enough to constitute a fever.
Brian immediately morphed into nurse mode and took excellent care of me: He slapped a cold washcloth on my forehead and went to Duane Reade to buy Tylenol, and also returned with a handful of chocolate chip-filled treats. I didn’t eat them at the time, but I appreciate the gesture.
I took the Tylenol and proceeded to sleep for two more hours.
I woke up around 10 feeling better. OR SO I THOUGHT.
So I’m all, “Hey Brian, I think I’m feeling OK, that fever was probably just from being run down after all that travel this week. I’m ready to run! My fever is gone!”
We did the requested 2-mile warm-up toward the park and I felt OK. Not great, but OK. Then, we hit up the extended Bridle Path (my least favorite route in all of NYC — Brian got to pick, and he loves it) and I attempted to speed up to my marathon goal pace.
Yeah, that wasn’t happening. I held onto it for about a mile, and then realized that I couldn’t breathe very well (you know that feeling where you just can’t get a good deep breath because your chest hurts?) and that I felt oh-so-weak. I drank some water, hoping that would help, and tried to power through. My new goal was to get through the 14 miles and not be crazy about my pace. I thought I could finish the miles if I didn’t go too fast.
Faaaaail.
I had to walk up Cat Hill, and when I got to the top, I met the lovely Nina and her boyfriend. I was in rough shape, I tried to talk with them, and as soon as Nina told me she was training for her first marathon (Boston!), Nina suddenly appeared to have nine heads, and everything went black. I honestly don’t even know if I said bye to her, but I’m pretty sure my departure was less than graceful.
So sorry, Nina. It was lovely to meet you, and I’d like a re-do, please!
From there, I called it. I was done, and I’m OK with it. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have run at all today, but I thought the fever was a fluke. It’s not! Surprise! And it’s funny: I can stare down Crohn’s disease and the worst of its symptoms without blinking an eye, but slap me with a stuffy nose, dizzy brain or fever and I’m pathetic.
I made my way home after rocking out a sweet five miles, and stood in the shower all shaky and stuff for about 20 minutes. I felt scarily woozy in the shower, at which point my true beauty came out, as I proceeded to vomit wildly all over myself.
Sorry that my sexiness intimidates you, but I really can’t help it.
Now I’m back in bed, where I’ve been for the last three hours. I took more Tylenol, but my fever just rang in at 102 degrees. The upside is that I wasn’t this sick while I was in L.A. I felt great in L.A. I friggin’ loved L.A.
Long run, you win today. But I’ll be back. Just gotta kick this thing…and kick it hard.
I hope you’re having a great weekend, friends! Yay running! Yay rest!
37 Responses
Ali – I hope you’re feeling better by now. You’re awesome! Yours is one of the blogs I read when I’m feeling lazy and don’t want to work out. You always inspire me to get off my booty.
Also, I love Twitch and am very super jealous that you got to hang with him. But then I’m also super jealous that he got to hang with you.
I’m done now.
Definitely thought the picture of your thermometer was a picture of a pregnancy test— woof! Hope you feel better 🙂
Feel better Ali. Just let the flu pass before you go out for a run. And I’m being totally selfish when I tell you to stay in until you’re all better because nothing is more gross than seeing vomit in the middle CP East Drive . It would be doubly worse on the Rez. Yuck! 🙂
You’ll be fine. Still plenty of time before Oregon. You totally caught something from your flight. Next time, you’ll have to be the person that wipes down the table and hand rests with hand sanitizer and pops Airborne every 20 minutes.
I too felt sick towards the end of this week. When I went out for my long run on Friday, my body totally said no way and I was running back after a mile looking for a bathroom. Of course I totally did it to myself by not getting enough sleep during the week. I pretty much just slept all day yesterday and today and I feel better. I’m a little concerned about missing my long run before the NYC Half in 2 weeks, but I figured, I can run a little longer tomorrow.
Feel better. I hope Brian is being a good nurse AND you should totally rearrange your TV to face the bed until you’re better. How can you not be watching some 90210 while sick in bed.
I ran my 1st half with a puking stomach bug and a 102 fever–I feel your pain. Lol.
Feel better Ali! You have so many wonderful runs that I think you’re allowed to have a DNF when you have 102 fever! You really are inspirational (like the Fitness award you’re nominated for), so own it! You’re a beast! In a beautifully feminine way…
Feel better!!! I feel like I’m coming down with something but not all out sickness. But I really need some fresh air in my lungs so I’m going to run a couple miles. And like your other runners, I thought the thermometer was a preggers test. I forget that normal people own thermometers… my mom doesn’t really believe in them (er something), so we never had one growing up. Thus, I don’t own one. Note to self: I should invest in one. FEEL BETTER!!!
oh no! I hope you’re resting and hydrating, my friend. Running with a fever is probably not a good idea (and impossible?). Also, I thought that thermometer picture was a pregnancy test at first too… PHEW. hehe.
Feel better!!
Speedy recovery!
I loved Mindy Kaling’s book! You’ll like it too, I think. THough you probably don’t click through links in comments, here’s what I think about Mindy Kaling (in 2 parts
http://wellreadfish.blogspot.com/2011/12/brilliance-that-is-mindy-kaling.html
http://wellreadfish.blogspot.com/2012/01/another-reason-i-should-be-friends-with.html
When I first saw the thermometer I thought it was a pregnancy test! Sorry to hear to aren’t feeling well, at least you aren’t pregnant though!
Hope you feel better! Glad you decided to stop and not be mrs.-tough-guy to knock out the long run.
I love that you feel like poo, yet maintain your sense of humor 🙂 Feel better soon!
Being sick sucks! I am glad you have someone cute to take care of you 😉 Get better soon.
I think we all have days where we know deep down we shouldn’t run, but it’s just too hard to say no. Ego and Pride get in the way, but of course our love of running, too! 🙂
Hope you feel better soon. I feel a cold starting for me, too.
Oh my goodness is that Twitch??!! I freakin love him. I’m uber jealous.
Feel better soon!
It happen’s Ali! Believe me, I have a feeling you have a lot more long runs in your future, this one doesn’t matter!
I imagine thinking about Twitch in a jumpsuit will have you feeling better soon.
Hope you’re feeling better (aka ready for chocolate chip filled treats) and back on your running feet again soon!
I think NYC is one of the best places to be sick. There’s almost always a Duane Reade across the street. Also, you can have anything delivered to you. (Even better when you have a significant other who doesn’t need to be paid tips!)
Feel better !! Sleep lots, drink gatorade, get some soup. Don’t get frozen yogurt because if you get sick after eating it you won’t like it as much in the future, and that would be very sad. And please stop with this “I’m pathetic because I couldn’t run 14 miles with a fever” thing.
Haha. For some reason, when I wrote this post, I KNEW I was going to get a little Amy lecture 🙂 Love you too?
Oh jeez! Say in bed and let Brian take care of you 🙂
When you read things about how some people are so in love with running that they’ll try to bang out 14 miles with a fever (which will inevitably not work), and you recognize yourself in such craziness, at least you know you’re not alone.
Feel better soon!!
I think you and your legs deserve a break!
I just happened to come across your blog randomly, and I’m glad I did! Ok, I must admit that I’m not even CLOSE to being a runner. In fact, I’d pretty much do anything else besides run. But I give you tons of credit, and part of me is even a little jealous. I love your outlook on life! I’ll definitely be your newest follower. (Ok, I’ll stop, I’m sounding weird now). Hope you feel better!
That sound positively miserable. I had a sick for a week, two weeks ago. It turns me into a big baby, too. Drink water and sleep more!
Hope you feel better soon! At least you got to blog on the weekend, like you are always planing to do ;).
UGH! Feel better, Ali!
Ugh. That kind of sick is the worst. Rest up, get better, kick ass next week!
true story – i know nina and her boyfriend (sam). sam is my friend from college and immediately texted me about their celebrity siting in CP. i think you made an okay impression 🙂
FEEL BETTER SOON.
OJ + Rest >>> 14 miles, ok?
I still want a re-do with the happy running couple. So embarrassing… I asked Brian afterward if I was rude and he was just like “It’s OK…”
Please don’t apologize! It was great to meet someone who’s inspired so many of my miles. And you used garrulous when you said goodbye, so I think that’s pretty graceful. Feel better soon!
You are still a rock star no matter what.. Get your rest and you’ll be back at it in no time. xoxo
aww! feel better!!! sounds like a whirlwind week!