unscheduled stop

I've been really blessed to have been healthy all through my training. No missed days because of illness or injury. I think of this as a miracle of sorts because both my daughter and wife have gone through colds and flus this winter, but not me. About a month ago I was praying/counsoling a young friend of mine and she was spraying me (not intentionally of course) with all sorts of germs from her cold (I remember thinking at the time that getting sick could just kill my training, but not willing to put myself out there, well, that would just kill who I am). So, I was feeling almost down right cocky about my health ... until Friday. About four miles into a 12-mile run I felt, as Winnie the Pooh would say, "a rumbly and my tumbly." I needed to go to the bathroom, and not in the "I'm a guy and will just sneak behind this tree" kind of way. This is the first time that's happened to me. I was in the middle of a neighboorhood, about two miles away from a public bathroom. I had no choice but to make what was meant to be a slow, work the kinks out run into a bit of speed training. (I was also reminded of the story one woman told me last year about having the same thing happen to her, except she was running on the trails in the Santa Cruz mountains, out of range of a bathroom. Without toilet paper she was forced to improvise. Her running bra has never been the same.) Well, I made it safely, although there were some stressful moments, and the rest of the run went just fine. But that night I felt a lot more sore than I should have. The next morning the stomach flu hit full on. This was the same flu that had swept through my nephews and my family the week before, after we came back from Disneyland.

Eight days away from the marathon, I don't think it's the worst time to get sick. I'm supposed to be tapering anyway. At least, that's what I'm telling myself. The worst part of the flu was over by Sunday afternoon. Now my stomach's just a little tender, I get fatigued a little easier and I'm a lot more grumpy. I'm heading to the gym right now for some easy eliptical stuff (it's going to rain any second). I'm sure I'll be fine ... really.

STORY UPDATE: Here at the Monterey County Herald we have reporters working on some of your story ideas for the Big Sur Marathon. Thanks for those. Our coverage will really kick into gear on Thursday with Donald Buraglio and Mike Dove, our running columnists, giving advice to those runners looking to beat them (my advice, don't follow their advice).

WEATHER UPDATE: It's looking like it will be sunny on race day (yah!). I'm thinking sleevless tee (w/sunscreen) on race day and I'm packing a couple of those reflective blankets to wrap around me and sit on during the wait at the starting line. Five more days, oh my.