Thursday, February 10, 2011

Rites of Passage

Thursday is a 30-45 minute run day, and specifically has been about sprinting. After lazing about with the dogs and listening to the rain in bed with my husband I finally headed for the treadmill. After a few sprints I was dripping with sweat and longing for fresh air. My husband came and opened the window for me and put on a fan. I backed off the sprints and decided to run the last half of my time at a slow pace. As I was coming around to 29 minutes I was feeling very uncomfortable. The feeling magnified when my, sweet, husband came in to ask if I would like him to make an egg and cheese sandwich for me. I waved him off frantically and tried to swallow down my lurching stomach. If I could just hold on for one more minute I would complete my 30 minutes. I made it another 20 seconds before my body decided that things clearly called for drastic measures. Something would not stop chasing us, and the best thing to do now was puke and keep moving. I sprinted to the bathroom and heaved up nothing. I had drank an inadequate amount of water and let myself get ravenously hungry.

So, I'll be honest; the "dedicated" part of me sees this as a rite of passage. It's not just about running, it's about unwavering commitment to a goal. I suppose it could just as easily be about stupidity or some type of personality shortcoming. A discussion on Runner's World last summer talked about rites of passage.

I don't want to do this again. After pushing myself with an extra pound in each hand yesterday during Jillian, I am very sore. The sore throat and headache aren't helping, but there is a bottle of Nyquil waiting right here for me as soon as I finish up this post. The vomiting is not a rite of passage, but the dedication and commitment that I displayed are a milestone.

In my bathroom I have a motivation poster and one of the things it says is, 'I Used to Run With Doubt, But Now She Can't Keep Up'. I was thinking that around minute 27 today and the feeling stuck with me all day. I am becoming a runner...

3 comments:

  1. My faithful followers are indicating that they are having trouble posting comments. I checked my settings, and all appears well. Let's see if this posts...

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  2. A few weeks ago I tried to do my Bikram in an insufficiently hydrated state, and the stomach cramps afterward were nigh to childbirth-level intensity. Since then, I've been drinking a packet of Emergen-C in 20 oz water about 30 minutes prior to starting my practice.

    But if you're actually sick underneath, doesn't that change your goals and guidelines? Isn't there a place for being gentle with yourself in those circumstances?

    Training to run is a marathon, not a sprint - keep your eyes on the long-term goal.

    ~whit
    (I can only post as an anonymous profile, otherwise the page doesn't accept it).

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  3. Being gentle with myself is something I am working on, and continue to struggle with. It really is amazing what happens when you don't give your body enough food and water; it's simple and too often overlooked. Going beyond that point was good for me to help learn when I really can push myself and when I need to back off.

    It's nice to see you around these parts. :) xo

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