Hitting The Wall

Bethesda Fountain, 72nd Street Transverse in Central Park

Saturday was a perfect day for running. Cool, breezy and sunny. I met the team at the usual spot in Central Park (see photo) and soon found several people I could run with. The beginners were given the choice of running 5 or 6 miles. I was feeling good, so I opted to go for the six, as did the two women I found to run with. So off we went.

The first two miles are always a bit hard, I’m finding. Your body isn’t into it yet and your mind isn’t into it at all. But then, you reach a point where everything just seems to click (on the good days), and it feels so good. (Must be the endolphins.)

Just after the Great Hill, it all clicked – physically and mentally -- so I took off ahead of my running partners and ran the rest of the loop at a good clip (probably still only at an 11-minute-mile, but good for me). I felt fast and strong, and I even had the energy to walk the mile and a half home afterwards.

And then I hit a wall. It wasn’t until the next day, but I hit it, and I hit it hard. Swollen glands, sinus pain and pressure, stuffy nose, aches and pains – the works. I was just plain exhausted.



I felt like this.

I should have seen it coming. I had been running on empty since Japan, but I pushed myself to follow the team workout schedule and go to every team training session. Between the jet lag, the training and every day life, I was wiped out. And then I had a business trip. And then I had that terrible treadmill run. And then I ran six miles with the team. And then I cleaned and did laundry. And then I crashed.

But I’ve learned my lesson. I know where I went wrong.

Moral of the story: Never clean and do laundry. It’ll make you sick.