Sunday, October 30, 2011

Sickness, chemicals, 2012+

In the past two months I have been sick an unprecedented number of three times, once with bronchitis for three weeks, which I took for a fluke that my daughter had brought home from preschool. I reckoned it was a fall-time illness brought on by school stress and end of season racing fatigue, and subsequently tried to get over it and race on.

I raced UROC, which I bombed, then started to feel better for two weeks, jumping into Firetrails 50, thinking I was over the hump and on the upswing into a stellar fall season of fall classics. Post FT, a common cold set in, which once again I counted as a fluke, so I got over the cold during my October week off from school. This past week I’d run a nice Sunday three hour run with Geoff, Topher, Galen, and friends, but I felt unusually fatigued during and after this mellow effort. Years ago a student of mine from Lichtenstein said, “Jamais deux sans trois, never two without three.” True to Liechtensteinian philosophy, another cold set in solidly this past week.

Post FT 50, I had been running about every day, not long but an hour to hour and half, anticipating speed work being the basis of my training until JFK 50 on Nov 19, then tailing off that to the North Face 50 two weeks later. I’d counted on calling it a 2011 at TNF, then pick up with Bandera 100K in January. As of now, I am reading the writing on the wall that my 14 solid months of straight cycles through races and training have taken their toll, and the cumulative wearing effect has kicked in. Maybe the combination of the running, combined with school and family obligations is the cause. I am on somewhat foreign terrain with so much of life happening combined with races every 6 weeks, that I may have reached my plateau this summer and am now headed towards the edge. That said, I am pretty solidly committed to taking the rest of the year off from racing. I will run most every day for the next month with some days off, but just easy to keep metabolism up and to keep my head straight on my shoulders. I am in no way burned out on running (“mental fatigue”?) but physically I may be more tired than I realize.

Another variable that may have shot my immune system this fall is fleas. Yes, fleas. We have a solid trail and house mutt named Tanker, who I am guessing brought them home from a walk, as Novato is notorious for flea infestations. Our apartment then became infested in September, and we had to treat the place twice with permethrin-based sprays, which is known to cause immune-system depression . When I’d sprayed the apartment, I don’t think I vacated soon enough and inhaled the vapors for two hours. We were at a tough place in choosing to spray, given we have little kids and hate unnecessary toxin exposure. But moving was the alternative, so I sprayed and aired the place out while we slept elsewhere for a couple days, and I may have paid the price. Hopefully I didn’t cut my lifespan by a few years too, as many American's suffer the ill-health brunt of chemically-induced and chronic disease in our everyone-for-themselves country. I made my own choice though and mostly regret it.

All this said, 2012 is coming up quick! And I want to run some different stuff next year, including longer “gold standard” ultra-races of that distance through 2013, and then take on something even longer the next year than will involve many nights out and long days, for which I have a tentative plan. I am super-excited for the next couple years of running and practicing as a PA, which I think will be as successful as my prior fifteen years of trail, adventure, and ultrarunning. To top it off, we will be back in Colorado next year, to which my family and I look eagerly.

15 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear that I might not be seeing you out at TNF EC, but glad to hear that you're listening to your body. I'm sure I'll see you at the gold standards next year. Rest up and enjoy your runs.

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  2. Fleas suck, don't they? Time to strap that flea collar on before bed.

    Hope you rest well and heal soon.

    SD

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  3. Bryon and Scott, I may spectate on the NF carnage, so see you there with my flea collar on.

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  4. Seems like you've earned a bit of rest (understatement). Maybe I'll see you roaming around at nf50. Get healthy for those big plans!

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  5. You are likely onto something with the chemical exposure. I left the coatings industry years ago for that reason only to become exposed to mold at my school. That left my immune system compromised for three years. I wish you well as you nurse your system back to homeostasis.

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  6. Congrats on an incredibly successful season. It takes a smart runner to know when enough is enough. But you will be missed at TNF50 this year...

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  7. I've heard about this "rule of three", just glad it isn't four.

    I know you will be totally recovered and winning in no time. Bandera is 9 weeks away, not too close, but not that far away either!

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  8. Dave, perhaps one perspective would be to see it as protecting the gift? Know that you inspire many, from back of the packers to front runners, with your dedication and excellence. Looking forward to learning more about your planned epic adventure. Cheers.

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  9. I bet even Wardian slows down a bit when he reaches your age. Maybe you should race once a year like Carpenter, seems to work well for him. Come to think of it, if you raced just Pikes next year, you could dethrone him?

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  10. Dave,

    Love the Hokas, been wearing the Mafates for about 6 months and legs never felt better. Couple of questions: do you think the Bondi's climb better?, I live in Southern Apps (Asheville,NC) relatively dry but rocky and rooted technical trails- can I wear the Bondi's? thanks- enjoy some rest!

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  11. I hope you are feeling one hundred percent again soon.I believe I saw your name on the Hardrock entry list. With any luck I'll see you at the starting line. That will be the only place I see you, as I'm guessing you'll put about twenty hours on me by the finish! Get healthy, and get out of that flea infested California and back to the Promised Land!

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  12. Quick Q about the Bondi: What's the arch structure like inside the shoe? As a lower arched (but still totally neutral) runner, I find the arch supports in most shoes way too high for my comfort.

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  13. Sorry for the untimely response..went a whole month without blogging .. just got real busy I guess.
    Hey anonymous, I think the bondi's would do fine in the appalachians. I grew up in the northern terminus (ME, NH) and they should run well. The rockiness may wear them down a bit more than the Mafates though. I recommend trying them on in a store to make sure you get the right size; runners have different preferences for fit.
    Drew; we got rid of the fleas but I didnt get into HR.. next year! Hope you got your ticket pulled..
    Alex.. like anonymous I would try the bondi on to make sure it suits you. The arch I find a bit low, which I prefer. I also take the footbed out and race without it, which enables me to drop down a 1/2 size. I train with the footbed and go 1/2 size larger, for the extra cushion and less impact and weight. Hope you like em..
    Oh and the Stinson EVO will be in stores in mid February!

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  14. It sounds like you need to rest to recover for the tire from previous race and your sickness.

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