Race Aftermath

First off ... yesterday the Olympic torch came through our town.  The Olympics are being held here this year and while I'm not exactly wrapped up in the whole Olympics thing, the torch relay came right down the street in front of my office yesterday afternoon.  So you can't really miss out on something like that.

We went outside to watch it go by and things were fairly quiet compared to some of the other areas it goes through.  This was nice as we got to be quite up close to the whole thing.

A bunch of Olympic vehicles went by, including a big Coke truck.  They were handing out special bottles of Coke Zero.  While I was taking this pic, my boss grabbed a bottle.  Then I grabbed a flag. 

Afterwards I was bugging him about not getting me a bottle too, so he gave me his (he really likes me).  When we got back to the office I drank it and he was like WHAT????  Those are special.  Turns out you can easily get the offiicial Olympic Coke bottles, but the Coke Zero is near impossible to get and people are seeking them out.  Oops!  Oh well, I was thirsty!

Then he suggested I get my picture taken with the torch bearer as he was waiting for the pass off.  At first I thought it was kind of corny so I took my bosses picture with him. 

But then I decided to do it too....

 (my boss is fired as a photographer, he got me yakking with the guy).

Turns out the torch bearer was a tv personality (Jeff Hutcheson from Canada AM) and the clip they showed on the TV this morning there was a glimpse of me.  Hey, a moment of fame!

The flame pass off was kind of cool!

So ... on to the aftermath of Sunday's race!

Often after a race I am just spent.  My usual routine is to have a good breakfast/meal and a hot shower and then a couple hours later it is not unusual for me to need a little nap.  I guess that proves I put everything I have into it.

But this race I could already feel the need to nap as we were driving home.  However, my husband needed help putting up drywall so I had to put it off. 

A couple hours after the race I started getting a massive headache and I felt a bit queasy.  I figured maybe I was a bit dehydrated so I chugged as much water as I could, then continued to drink water frequently through the afternoon.

By dinnertime I thought my brains were going to burst.  I was preparing dinner for the kids and every noise and smell was sending me over the edge.  To top it off I seriously thought I was going to hurl.  My stomach was churning and rising over and over.  Finally I MADE the opportunity to go lie down for a while and I literally laid there praying I wouldn't get sick on the couch.  Eventually I fell asleep and about half an hour later when I woke up, I felt 100% (well...OK...maybe 98%).

I've never been hit like that after a run.  And I can only think that it was associated with the run, I really don't think it was anything I ate.

It bothers me that I can't pinpoint what may have caused it.  I was hydrated before the race and I made sure to drink lots afterwards and throughout the day.  The water they provide at the races has an electrolyte added (which I've had before without incident).   I refueled well afterwards and with a typical meal.  I just can't figure it out and I wonder if this is normal???  Do others have this reaction?  I felt awesome during and directly after the run - but 30 minutes later the troubles began.

I said to my husband that the difference in running 10K in 59 minutes and running it in 55 minutes is night and day.  You wouldn't think that 4 minutes is a big deal, but for me it is.  59 minutes is easy running for me and I can run that any day and continue on like nothing.  Bumping it up that little bit just wipes me out completely.
Anyone encounter a situation like this?  Is it normal to be completely drained like that after a race?  Any solutions for preventing it in the future?

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Heidi

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