You would think that a carb-loading that started with a nice brunch with good friends would result in a semi-successful race, right? Wrong!
These otherwise innocent looking poached eggs wreaked so much havoc with my stomach that I was not able to eat anything else for the rest of the day. I was feeling weird and uncomfortable all day long despite taking anti-acids, my prescribed medicine for stomach ache, and whatever I thought would help. Nothing did…
Luckily though, I woke up relatively well. I got ready, drunk my coffee, ate a clif z bar and a banana and off I went to the race.
The race started and everything was going surprisingly well. I thought that due to my lack of training, I would face problems early on. However, nothing happened. I was happily going my merry way at a 10:30-10:50 min/mile pace, taking walking breaks for 1:00-1:30 minutes every 2 miles at the water stations.
And then… miles 9 and 10 happened. We were passing in front of a water plant, power plant, something of the sort and the smell was just unbearable. Who the heck thought of putting the turn-around point right at this horrible factory?
13.1 LA - the race course
The second time I passed in front of it, after the turnaround point, my stomach clenched, it got upset and that was it. I dry heaved time after time after time and I was not able to get over it at all. Every time I tried to run, my stomach would clench again and I would stop again. Repeat for 3 miles.
I admit that after some time of trying to run and not being able to, I just gave up. I am slightly happy that there was not a medical tent somewhere around there, because I cannot promise that I wouldn’t drop off the race. This way, at least I finished.
And got a medal…
I almost died and all I got was this lousy medal
I passed through the chute, got my medal, a couple of bottles of water and got directly for the shuttles.
Official time: 2:36:04. Average pace 11:50 min/mile
Right now, I am at home. I somehow managed to shower and get into my pajamas. I am curled under my blankets and still in pain. My stomach is still so bad, I cannot even drink water without feeling it getting upset. I hope my stomach gets over it and it will start talking to me again.
I cannot tell you how sad and frustrated I am over this fact. Never ever have I ever wanted to cry during a race. This time, I was holding back tears for at least half an hour. Never ever have I been happier to finish a race. Never ever have I felt physically ill after a race no matter how untrained or slow I was. And never ever has the thought of never running a race again passed through my mind. This time it does. I kind of don’t want to run a half marathon ever again.
So, this time, I will ask you for something. No, beg you of something. Tell me something to make me feel better. Tell me something to convince me that this horrible feeling will pass, that I will want to run again. That I somehow will go race that half marathon I have mindlessly registered for next week…
Awww, Melie! Wish I could make you feel better! Don’t beat yourself up ok? Doesn’t do any good. And those stupid people putting that thing there! And yes, that horrible feeling will pass, I promise! If it doesn’t, you can personally come down and kick my ass! Love ya girl!
thank you so much Steve! it certainly helps to hear that this will pass too! And I would never kick your ass regardless
Oh no! Sorry to hear that
What bad timing. Do you think it’s food poisoning? Hm… something to make you feel better… just think, in a few months you will be running the OC half and will hopefully be mercifully spared of any stomach problems. I hope you feel better soon!
thank you! I guess something food related is the most probable cause, because of the ways my stomach feels and how it started. But you are right. There will be better races
Oh man! I’m so sorry to hear you had to deal with a bad stomach! It really sounds like maybe you got food poisoning or something. It doesn’t really sound like it was the race. So of course you should do another one! If that doesn’t convince you, I will tell you that I threw up after a half marathon one time. And I’ve run many much better half marathons since then. Everyone has to have a crappy race every once in awhile!
I think that the only reason I didn’t throw up was the fact that my stomach was completely empty
Thank you for the kind words. I hope it works better next time 
I am so sorry you had such a bad race. I was there today and I agree that the sewage smell was HORRIBLE. I was feeling fine and even I was afraid that I would puke from that smell.
A good friend said something to me once after I had a horrible run: “the only good thing about a bad run is how GOOD a good run feels when it comes.” I hope that good run is next week! You’ll feel on top of the world when you run a strong race.
Hello and welcome to my blog! Well, at least you were fast enough to pass through the sewage smell in no time!
I hope to prove your friend right at my next race.
I was running the race today! The sewage was terrible, but I liked the weather. I found miles 9 and after to be super hard, especially with that slight incline and being able to see others on the way back and not being able to follow them to the finish.
I didn’t know you ran the race too! I will be waiting for your recap then. How did you like running it in glasses?
I don’t know if I can help… but I’ll give it a shot.
You finished! You had barely eaten the day before, you felt terrible, and you STILL FINISHED! That is awesome! Obviously, you are very tough if you can do that (even with the lack of a medical tent, you could have found a way to stop).
One other shot. You’re an engineering student, so you probably appreciate the fact that you can learn a lot more from a failure (not that this race was a failure) than from a success. At the very least, you now know not to be too adventurous with food on the day before a race. You also have a better idea about what your body feels like when you are pushing too hard, which could be huge in later races.
Whatever you do, don’t quit running and racing. Running is awesome… and racing is what makes running really, really fun.
Congrats to you! You did it. You endured & conquered…makes this one just a little more special, eh? Love the medal!