Health Trumps All

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Health is the one thing that we shouldn't take for granted but so many do. When everything is going great, we don't even think about what might be lurking around the corner. All it takes is one bug, one bad meal or a mistimed sneeze to turn it all sideways. I learned that the hard way....

After a great weekend in Salida, I was all primed up for a final hard few days before 24 Hours in the Sage. A few hard workouts, some long runs and a long ride. Big plans for some hard days and a nice boost to my fitness. Or so I though. The rumbling in my stomach started Tueday on my run. Wednesday wasn't much better on my long run, but I chalked it up to the heat. Then Thursday hit - I barely made though work. The workout I had planned for Thursday didn't happen as the couch and bathroom were far more appealing. Same thing on Friday - I never strayed from the couch. Called off Saturday since I still wasn't moving from the couch or bathroom. Having not kept a thing down since Thursday, it was amazing how quickly I lost energy. Even climbing the stairs from the basement was a workout. So much for that nice long and hard weekend I had planned. 

Eight pounds - that's a pretty good percentage of my weight. And something I didn't want to loose due to dehydration and not eating. Yet that's what happened thanks to the nastiest stomach bug I've had in a while. I didn't even have the energy to get the computer stuff I needed to get done while not doing anything useful. Ugh. A waste of a weekend and my chance for a final long ride. An hour easy pedaling was all I could manage on Sunday - and that a struggle. I knew the weekend was a wash and focused on just getting healthy. Trying to eat some high electrolyte and easy to digest meal so I could prevent any further damage to my system. It took three days to start getting weight back on - and I'm still not quite there. At least it happened this weekend - and not during Sage. That would have been a nightmare! 

So don't take health for granted. Be smart and take the steps needed to stay healthy - but without going overboard. A little dirt is good sometimes. 

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