Yesterday I ran my last long run, some 17 miles The temperature was relatively hot and humid and 30 degrees warmer than it had been last week. This sudden increase in temperature makes things a little more difficult for the body. All day I didn’t drink enough. With five days left before the start my awareness of the body’s condition is increasing and maintaining a higher fluid intake over the next few days will help the body adjust. During the race eating and drinking are functions that need balancing very carefully. The course is a loop of .5488 mile long so we are usually not more than 10 minutes from the aid station so the runners are in an ideal situation to regulate input. Getting that balance right is a little tricky and requires experimenting. Food will not digest properly if the stomach is continually diluted with water. The acid that helps break down food is a vital part of the digestive process. A little water often and then holding off before eating will help the body enormously. And again eating small amounts of food often will not overload the stomach. After a big meal the body wants to shut down for a while and digest. We don’t really have that luxury.
I ran by the course tonight and it’s all starting to come back – the vans, the tables, the chairs. the worn out shoes, the 6 a.m. start, the thunderstorms, the high humidity, the screaming kids in the playground, the interminable ice-cream van jingle. These last few days are really just that: by the time its all over, we will have been through an amazing amount of issues, problems challenges and found solutions, answers and gained an experience that we bring to a new perspective on our daily lives.