Diarrhea and running don't mix

I had a very interesting experience during my running today. My wakeup HR was 55, so I knew I was tired. However, I felt about the same as I did on Wednesday, so I went running for my 10 miles. The temperature was in the mid 40s, the sky was cloudy, and there was a cold 20 mph headwind when I left.

I did fine for the first four miles. Then I had an attack of diarrhea, fortunately a small attack! It didn't run down my legs, but it did get all over my underwear and all over the skin in my groin and crotch. I tried to keep it in, but it slowly came out. There wasn't anywhere I could go to relieve myself and not be in sight of a house. I should have turned around and headed for home, but I was only a mile from my turn-around, so I kept on going. After I had turned around and gone about a mile towards home, I ran out of energy and walked the remaining four miles. I only had on a thick T-shirt and a nylon jacket and a baseball cap, sufficient for running, but not sufficient for walking. I got really cold on the way back, although I didn't get into the first stage of hypothermia, which was surprising since my normal body temperature is 96+, only two degrees above the threshold for hypothermia.

As soon as I got home I headed for a hot shower to warm up and wash off. My skin that had contact with the feces was sore, and I learned the lesson that all new parents learn: change diapers ASAP so the baby doesn't get sore skin.

Another sign from my body that I ignored in going out running today was that I didn't sleep very well last night. And, to make matters worse I developed a cough and sore throat during the run.

Training Graphs

Tired today but made the 10

I could tell during my situps that my body was tired. However, my wakeup HR was 51, and that was a good sign. I left home realizing that I might abort the run due to being tired. I ran at a slower pace than I did on Monday and made it through the 10.2 miles without walking. It took me about 16 minutes longer than on Monday. The temperature was in the mid 40s F, but there was a 10-15 mph headwind on the way out. I was looking forward to a tailwind on the way back, but the wind had mostly died down by the time I turned around.

Training Graphs

Nice 10 miles today

My wakeup HR was 52 again this morning. I ran 10.2 miles and felt fine. No stopping except one time to take off my wind breaker and tie it around my waist. The temperature was in the high 40s, and it was a cloudy and nice day for running. I finished the 10 miles in 2 hours 8 minutes, about 5 minutes longer than I did the 9 miles on Saturday.

I can tell my body is getting stronger, because my comfortable pace is faster, and I'm beginning to feel like I did 25 years ago during my marathon training -- going mile after mile and feeling great. I plan to run my 3 x 10 miles during January, and then in February and March extending my Saturday long run up to 15 miles. That will give me two 10 miles and one 15 miles per week. I'm thinking of running a half-marathon in May or June. By then I will have run my weekly 15 milers for a couple of months, and I should be able to do the 13.1 miles ok. It would be great if I could do it under 2 1/2 hours...

Training Graphs

Finished a nice week of 9

I ran the 9 miles again, running the canal road. We're having daytime temperatures in to 50s, and that has dried up the road. I've had good sleep for the past several days, and that really is making a difference in my performance. My wakeup HR was 52 on Saturday, and I ran a bit faster due to feeling more energetic.

Training Graphs

Continued with the 9 miles

I ran the 9 miles again. I just ran along a city street due to the canal road being muddy. I felt about the same that I did on Tuesday.

Training Graphs

Doing 9 this week as a recovery

I ran 9.2 miles this morning. During the run out, I felt pretty good and ran a bit faster. On the way back, I started getting tired but made it with no walking. The canal road was muddy from melted snow and rain, and I ran out and back on a city street. My legs didn't tighten up and felt fine.

Training Graphs

Bad week for sleep

Today was another ok run for 8 miles. I felt a little stronger than I did on Wednesday, even though this week was a terrible week for sleep. I got home late from work (around midnight) and didn't get to bed immediately after arriving home. I wake up around 7-7:30 regardless of the time I go to sleep.

My wakeup HR was 57. The temperature was in the mid 20s when I left and was 30F when I returned after an hour 54 minutes. This has been my first week of running since my surgery, and it has been a fine week.

Training Graphs

My body likes 8

I just returned from another ok 8 mile run. I was a bit more tired than I was on Monday. I didn't get enough sleep the past two nights, and that always reduces my energy level. My wakeup HR, though, was down to 55.

I left later in the morning, and the temperature when I left was 35F. Another nice, sunny day.

It's been interesting to run the canal trail with snow on it and to see the human, dog, and bird tracks in the snow. It brought back memories of my childhood. My parents gave me a 22 single shot rifle for my 12th birthday, and I did a lot of rabbit hunting during my teenage years. My dad and his brothers had a farm outside of town, and I used to walk there with my 22 and hunt rabbits. I had to walk through the local airport, across the runway, with my rifle. If I did that today, I'd be in jail, but back then, no big deal.

I remember one winter Saturday. I hunted for several hours on the farm, walking through a foot of snow. Back then, we didn't have insulated winter boots, only thin rubber galoshes over our gym shoes. On the way home, I met a friend who had his rifle, so I turned around and went hunting with him. I was in the snow for about 8 hours. When I got home, my big toe on my right foot was all blue, and a few days later the toenail came off. I was too dumb to know about frost bite, but I had a good case of it. No permanent damage was done, and my toenail grew back.

Training Graphs

Doing 8 this week as a recovery

I ran 8 miles this morning and felt fine. Not a great run but an ok run. My wakeup HR was 57 -- still high, indicating I'm not fully recovered from my gall bladder surgery. I felt better today after the 8 than I did on Saturday after the 8. So that is a good sign.

The temperature when I left was 17F, a nice, sunny day.

Training Graphs

Started 10 finished 8 and walked 2

I has been two weeks plus two days since I came home from my gall bladder operation. I ran 8 miles this morning and walked the last 2 miles for a total of 10 miles.

On Wednesday I had my two-week checkup from the doctor who removed my gall bladder, and he said I was cleared to do anything I wanted, i.e. no restrictions. My wakeup HR went up to 60 after the surgery, and it has been up there ever since. This morning it was 58. I could tell from that and from my situps this morning (I did 20 instead of my usual 30) that my body was tired. After 4.3 miles into the run, I had my first faint indication that I was getting tired, so I went to 5 miles and then turned around. I felt ok until 8 miles, and by then I could tell I was getting tired and was slowing down, so I walked the last 2 miles. I think that next week I will run 8 miles three times. If that goes ok, I'll add a mile the week after and another mile the week after that. If my body doesn't handle that very well, I'll reduce the miles or go for two weeks before I increase, depending how I feel at the beginning of each week.

There was about 2 inches of powdery snow on the canal road, but the snow didn't make it harder to run. Snow mobilers had used most of the road, and I ran in the wide track left by the machines. I saw lots of dog tracks in the snow (and human tracks accompaning the dogs) and a few bird tracks.

The temperature was 19F when I left and was in the mid 20s when I returned. I wore 3 layers for most of the run, two layers for part of the run in the middle. The picture of me in my profile, with the orange knit hat, was taken this morning after I returned from the run. My three layers were a regular T-shirt, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and my wind breaker jacket.

Training Graphs

First run since gall bladder surgery

I ran 3/4 mile yesterday, the first running I've done since my gall bladder surgery. I felt fine during and afterwards. I could have gone farther, but I just wanted to get out and loosen up. I'll go farther later in the week.