Taboo

Taboo - something you do not talk about, think about, you don't even want to mention the idea of it, it is simply not allowed. That's what getting sick the week of your first Ironman is (or any Ironman, for that matter). What a horrific bummer it would be to get sick and 1. not be able to compete, or 2. compete with a less than perfect bill of health, and suffer the consequences. I really hope I am being too pessimistic at this point. I am hoping with all hope that I am ready to go and feeling great come Saturday morning. The thought of almost a year of training ruined by a stomach bug makes me truly want to cry.

Saturday my 3 year old complained of stomach pains and threw up everything she ate from 2pm-9pm, by Sunday morning she was fine. Yesterday at 2pm, my children's elementary school called to let me know that my 5 year old was in the office curled up with stomach pains. She came home early, with the same bug, threw up a couple of times, and woke up this morning still aching a bit. By noon she was bouncing off the walls feeling great. I went to bed last night feeling less than great, but nothing horrid. I woke up the same way. And it has continued all day. I can eat, food stays down, no throwing up, so that's good, I guess. But I am wondering when my 24 hrs will be up, it should be by about now, and it's not. I actually feel worse.

I am 4 days out. 4 days until the most demanding physical feat I have ever attempted to complete is at my door. I guess this is when the reevaluation of goals takes place. I had a "perfect race" scenario set in my mind, with minor allowances for various things to go wrong, or slower than planned, here and there. When does anyone really have a perfect race?! Never. I had allowed for that. My perfect race was to finish strong, running the whole marathon and finishing in 11 hours 30 min. Sometimes I think it's taboo to state a perfect race goal too, because in reality it will never play out that way. I guess I can say it now. My "I'd be absolutely thrilled with results" were to finish under 12 hours. Now . . . I don't know. I just don't know. If I feel great come Saturday, will the effects of a stomach bug 4 days earlier create weaknesses in my body that would not have been there otherwise? I DON'T KNOW. and I hate not knowing.

I am not a passive, lay down and take it, kind of girl. NEVER have been. I am doing all the things I have always done to avoid and prevent illness. And really, I hardly ever get sick, I haven't been sick in months. I'm even doing some things I've never done because friends I trust have made recommendations. It can't hurt, right!? Well - I will continue to fight this thing with all I've got and hope for the best. I am still optimistic. (it may not sound that way, but truly, I am). We leave for Florida early tomorrow morning, I will get on that airplane so loaded up on vitamin c, anti-oxidants, and probiotics that Germs will run the other direction when they see me coming.

Here's to hope, prayers (yes, there will be LOTS of those. and that is for sure my best defense.), and a body that can complete an ironman saying to stomach bugs, "You are NO match for me!"