I came into today's run with the Dirtbag Trail Club in what I thought was good shape. Yes I was tired and stressed due to having to get back in school/teaching mode. Yes I had run hard the past two days, but I felt great after each run. Then tonight hit. I had planned on two loops of 'red'. I was at my local trails in Percy Warner Park on the Warner Woods Trail, which everyone calls the 'red trail' because it is blazed with red paint. The first loop was great, cruising right along just as I had planned. I get back and get ready to head out with the club, I knew I was going to go slower but dang. Between loops I had eaten some potato chips, a spring energy and water so I thought I would be okay. About a mile in after two decent climbs I realized I was in trouble. I began to lose steam. By the end of mile 2, I was going 'What is wrong with me?' Not long after I felt I had to apologize to my Gavin, who was getting ready for his first trail race, because I wasn't moving that well. By the time I was back at the car I had through a bit of 'drunk walk', a bit of shivers and a bit of 'foggy brain'. Man was I glad that loop was over! Sucked down a bunch more chips, bummed another spring energy and consumed a bunch of water. I got to the point to which I was good enough to drive to the pub for some food.
So what the heck happened out there? As I began to ponder the question as I ran I realized a couple of key things that lead to this bonk. Some serious work stressors was one part; according to some coaches the body can't tell the difference between stressors, it's all stress, which fatigues the body. Then sleep or the lack there of played another part, just being tired had taken its toll. Food, since Tuesday I hadn't eaten enough for what I was doing. Lastly was hydration, I had run out of Electro+ride from spring energy, so I didn't have any for this run plus I just hadn't been taking in enough water over the past 3 days to keep up with what I was doing. All of these things worked together to kill me on my last loop tonight. I would like to think that it won't happen again, but it probably will when I get to focused on something else such that I forget to look at my nutrition and hydration and make sure those are on track.
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