The anticlimax

It was all going so well that something had to go wrong.

Early October sun on a long run in the forest
After Ultra Tour Monte Rosa, I gave myself time to recover and then busily set about preparing for the final running goal of the season. With the six weeks I had available, I wanted to see how fast I could run at the 10K. Specifically, Hytteplanmila (billed as Norway's fastest 10K) was on October 21.

The training went unbelievably well. My three day sojourn in the Alpes seemed to have kicked me up to a new fitness level, and I was hitting (for me) unheard splits in all of my interval sessions. Although publicly my goal was just to beat my 10K PR (42:58) with as much as possible, privately I was starting to wonder just how close to the 40 minute mark I could get.

Then, on the Wednesday before the race, I woke up with a sore throat. That's OK, I told myself, It should clear up quickly, you never get sick. I went for a short run, and felt awful and sluggish.

The next day I barely left the couch, lying in a delirium of the worst sore throat I've ever had, so sore that it propagated up into my ear and head and made me dizzy every time I stood. Looking back, I don't think I have been this sick since 2012. I began to realize I was not going to being running any 10Ks on Saturday, and frankly, I was deeply disappointed. The ultimate anticlimax: being in great shape, and not begin able to use it.

A week later, I'm still not quite myself. I'm starting to feel like my off-season has kick-started itself. Just like last year, I don't seem to have a choice in the matter. I'm done, on temporary hiatus until I start to feel that indescribable itch to run again.

In the mean time, let's eat apple cinnamon rolls.


Has sickness every gotten in the way of a big goal for you? What other tasty treats should I bake?

- The Wild Bazilchuk

Comments

  1. NAM, det så godt ut! Skjønner godt skuffelsen. Jeg var så skuffa da jeg måtte bryte halvmaraton i september at jeg brast ut i gråt midt i folkemengden. Flævvt.. Det er jo ikke verdens undergang å stå over et løp, men når man har trent masse, gleda seg, og veit at man er i god form, er det kjipt å miste muligheten til å prøve seg! (Var forresten ganske lei meg etter Drammen-fadesen også). Jeg syns du skal lage fudge som du kan spise mens du ser på terminlista til kondis og plukker deg ut et spennende løp å se fram til. :)

    Urd

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