Well, I had the shittiest run on Saturday thanks to ongoing gut issues. I sound like a broken record with this nonsense. But it’s really getting in the way of my training. I had to stop THREE times along my run. At one point I stopped at a port-a-john and the scene was grisly.
Ladies and gents: ALWAYS carry a tiny bit of toilet paper with you on long runs. I have heard this bit of advice before, but I haven’t yet done it. That stops today.
What a disaster.
So, yeah. Not a good run. I finally gave up at mile 7 and walked home. I was supposed to do 11. I ended up with about 8 very slow miles. And it nearly ruined my day. I contemplated trying again on Sunday morning but I read that sometimes you simply have bad runs. I decided I should just wait until the following week and shoot for 12.
But I do have to get to the bottom of this problem. I can’t continue running long distances until I fix it. So, after I showered and doused myself off with bleach, I took to Facebook and made a semiprivate post, tagging 15 women runners. I was in search of some camaraderie and/or answers. I got a bit of both.
I have hesitated to write about this at all. It’s personal and gross and I am (what some might consider) a lady. But opening up to a select few on Facebook made me feel worlds better. They were very eager to help. Granted, they are runners as well. To a non-runner, I probably come off as the most disgusting human being alive. And maybe I am.
Almost all of the people I tagged on Facebook decided this was due to diet. Some suggested it was from what I eat morning of, others thought it could be what I ate the night before. I’m thinking the former might be true. So, I am going to start by cutting out all coffee. It wasn’t an issue in the past; I have always consumed coffee before running. But every pregnancy changes your body to some degree. So maybe things have changed since having Walter. Monday’s short run was better. But I won’t know for sure until Saturday.
NOTES
Left the house at 6:34 AM. Temperature: Upper 60s/Lower 70s. Overcast/Cloudy.
Pre-run fuel: Plain oatmeal. Homemade orange and basil cookie. Coffee with sugar and whole milk. Water.
Route: Down past the Duck Pond into South Orange, sharp right through neighborhood, and up past Mountain Station. Down Valley to Milburn Avenue. Up past Trader Joe’s, sharp right onto Wyoming Avenue (very long hill). Wyoming Avenue down into neighborhood heading home. Gave up. Brutal.
Time and distance: I don’t know. I stopped so many times and paused it so many times. I also forgot to resume at Wyoming Ave after fiddling with my iPod. So, yeah. No idea. It was an awful run.
Post-run recovery meal: Two Morninstar Veggie Chicken Patties.
Personal Stuff: Terrible gut issues. A terrible run overall. Stopped three times, finally gave up entirely at mile 7. I am hoping this is fixable with diet. But I can’t help but wonder if it has to do with my thyroid. I suffered from postpartum thyroiditis with the last two pregnancies, and a side effect is often what I’m dealing with. (Along with other things, like losing my hair; milk supply reduction and weight loss.)
Pros: No injuries to report. Felt pretty solid.
Cons: The obvious.
Upward and onward!
Mihow 
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