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Disaster Run Part II-The Morning After the Night Before

June 9, 2012 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 85 Sunny

Comments:
Downtown Run over to Cedar Point Causeway to Pipe Creek Nature Area, back same way-

Last night, I took a laxative, ate conservatively, and planned to get up this morning and run so I would have an empty stomach and it would be cooler.

First of all, I slept in too late for it to actually be cooler out. Second of all, I was so dehydrated I created another disastrous run.

I felt decent enough for the first three miles, though I had a final flash of bowel clearing out to do, so I stopped at Shoreline Park to use the bathroom. It was really hot in there and I was sweating a ton. I took my shirt off and left it next to a tree outside. From this point on, I went in two mile spurts of running and stopping for water. I stopped for water 5 times and was still extremely dehydrated. I tried to drink enough to keep me on my feet but little enough that it wouldn't upset my stomach. Without any of those drinking fountains, there was a good chance I would have had to walk back at the very least and quite possibly have ended up in the hospital.

On my way back, my tongue was starting to stick to mouth and I was having dizzy spells. With 2.5 miles to go I came to the realization that I was either going to have to find yet another drinking fountain or simply walk home. So, I cut over a block to a park with a basketball court in the 'hood I never go to and was very lucky to find a drinking fountain. I sat down under a tree for a while and tried to collect myself to run home. My stomach was pretty angry by now because of how much water I put in it.

From that point on, the wheels REALLY came off the cart for this run. I got bit by a spider as I ran. I stopped another time a mile later with no water just because I was dizzy and needed to stop. I layed down and stared up at the leaves on the trees against the bright blue sky, by now somewhat delirious. Eventually, I said a quick prayer that I could have the strength to make it back home, stood up, and ran the rest of the way (though I use the word "run" very loosely for what I was doing by that point).

Lesson: Never, never, never, take a laxative the night before doing a 15 mile long run in the heat. Your body will not operate normally.