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UW High School Invite - Warm-up & Cool-down

February 3, 2018 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: drizzly, but not cold

Comments:
Long day. Got up not-too-early. Slept like crap because it was so bright.

CA ran to the meet from our airbnb to get in some good mileage and I drove Maddy to the UW indoor facility.

She was nervous, but it didn't seem too bad. Her friend Abby, a freshman at Thurston HS in Springfield (she knows from her church), joined us on the warm-up. They were racing in the same heat. We ran around the athletic facilities, across a bridge and did a small loop before hitting the IM fields for some strides.

We talked about the Process: to execute a plan, The "3 C's" (Composure, Confidence, Compete), and about Perspective: do execute your best and have fun. That seemed to go well.

Once back inside, it was a big meet on a 309-meter indoor track with 5 lanes. Big infield for "camp", filled with HS kids. There were about 8 total heats of boys and girls miles (with the two fastest happening in the afternoon). She did some drills and strides and it was ready to go.

She....ran like crap. Just 1000% flat. Never had any pop.

As it turns out:

- she didn't eat ANY dinner. She told us she had, but when I texted her dad, he said she hadn't, claiming she'd eat with us
- she had, like, a half-teaspoon of peanutbutter for "breakfast"

So that, on top of nerves, on top of still having a cold-illness = flat, uninspired run. Oh well. Bummer.

Post-race: she and I jogged solo, about 12 minutes, then back to the car.

PM:
- Callie had a couple mini-stops to see things, like "The Gas Works" and "The Fremont Troll"
- but once back at the airbnb, Maddy like crashed out:

As has happened before (I heard, last spring), when she doesn't eat, she basically gets into this ultrarunner-like hypoglycemic nausea, which is then a viscious cycle of:

- I have no energy
- I feel like crap
- I'm naseous
- I try to eat
- I'm naseous
- I vomit
- I have no energy
- I feel like crap...

And so it was. We went for breakfast, after having to convince her to come along and not stay back. Once there she looked like death and essenitally puked in the bathroom, twice.

Once home, she retreated to her room and (as far as we know) slept for a couple hours. I did, too, since I felt exhausted, too. This all frustrated Callie, who wanted to see the city.

Around 4:30, I got up, and had Callie wake up Maddy. She hardly felt better, but had to essentially "crew her" back to a modicum of health, forcing water and small bits of calories in.

By the time she got going, it was nearly 6. We were determined to not let her wallow, yet still be respectful and sensitive of her needs. We drove down to Pike Place Market...and it was all closed up. Damn. And down there, there's nothing to eat that's not super-expensive (or garbagey -- which I found out, the hard way).

So...we drove back toward our place and stopped at a mediocre "natural" sandwich shop for food to go.

While there, Callie began to talk to Maddy: her thoughts on her race, and starting a discussion on a LOT of things.

Once back at the airbnb, we all talked for a couple hours:

- Maddy mentioned a couple key elements, including:

1. "My dad puts a lot of pressure on me"
2. "I think if I don't eat, I'll run better"
3. "When I'm super-nervous, I can't eat"

That's an awful 1-2-3 punch.

Both Callie and I gave our perspective, without judging or lecturing. But she's beyond borderline for disordered eating behaviors:

- admitting a perceived connection between eating and performance (/acceptance)
- being inconsistent (/dishonest) about eating
- letting eating disrupt her life and health (/performance)

Ugh. Just so sad, and frustrating. I feel like we got to a decent place, but by no means did it solve anything: all we have is more perspective.

We all went to be at 9:30ish.

Long, but...well, "OK" day...