The race report that won't be: Around the Bay 2017

So, my first ever DNS.

Going all out with the photoshops today

Back it up two weeks. My piriformis syndrome was acting up a bit, and after tweaking my knee during a run off the bike, I decided to pack it in on running for a few days (look at me being all smart and shit).

But I wasn't feeling great. I was getting headaches every day - nothing major, just enough to be annoying, and feeling just kind of blah. And given the minimal running, my Trainerroad workouts were feeling oddly hard. Last Saturday in fact, I woke up, looked at the 3 hour TR workout I was supposed to do, and just knew there was no way. I subbed in a 90 minute tempo/sweet spot workout instead, and had to drop the intensity by 10% when I couldn't get my heart rate and breathing under control. That's pretty unusual for me.

I just figured it was taperitis (is there an ICD-10 code for that?) and didn't think about it much. If I'd looked at my resting heart rate info on Garmin Connect, maybe I would have realized sooner what was going on. Maybe.

Monday night I was in the middle of making some baked eggs when I essentially had to flee the room because the smell was unbearable. Lying in bed, the alternating fever/chills, body aches, and pounding headache kicked in.

Yep.

Influenza.

So Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday essentially became complete writeoffs, and I got really sick of Netflix asking me if I was still there. And also the colour of my bedroom walls. Yesterday was better as the fever and aches subsided and I was able to move around the house without needing to take naps after each outing to another floor, and today I feel pretty OK other than a lingering cough and sore throat. But it's pretty obvious that running the race tomorrow would be a terrible idea and an unpleasant experience (honestly, I probably wouldn't even make it 5k).

So that sucks, But I'm not even really upset about it. This would have been my sixth ATB, so it's not like I'm missing out on my first time ever doing the race. I am going to miss getting to hang out with my running/tri friends, but there will be other chances for that. It's a little annoying to have spent the money (and I wasn't able to get the deferral option before the deadline), but sunk costs and all. I don't think I was in shape for a PB, but I got what I wanted out of training, which was to start to feel fast again. So really, it's OK. Now I can focus on resting after this stupid illness and then getting ready for Guelph Lake.

(I may look at the Mississauga half as a sort of consolation prize, if I can get in some solid workouts - might as well take advantage of my current conditioning, after all. However, not making any decisions until I'm more fully recovered from being sick)

That said, since I'm feeling much better other than the cough, I still want to support my friends and teammates in some way. So I'm going to try my hand at a bit of race photography and hopefully get some semi-decent pics of the people I know (and I won't even charge as much as the race photographers!).

(Although I reserve the right to bail out of this whole idea if it's pouring rain. In that case, y'all are on your own).

Good luck to everyone I know running, and look for me staring with puzzlement at the DSLR I only sort-of know how to use most likely somewhere between the 16-17k mark*. Give me a wave and I'll and take your picture!

*possibly the 19k mark instead if I get down there and the lighting won't work for what I have in mind at that location. One or the other.