Too hot to trot

You know how I'm always saying weird stuff happens to me, and while it makes entertaining stories, it also embarrasses me?

That happened again over the weekend.

As you likely know I'm training for my second marathon (my first since stress fractures). I'm very excited b/c I love doing this stuff, and b/c it is something I can focus on that isn't work.

And it's fun!

So, I'm doing this one with friend Mike and another friend of his that I just met that seems very nice.

Saturday was my first run with them - 10 miles. Not a huge deal. I love that distance.


For those of you living in the Chicago area, you know it is freaking hot. Like record breaking.

That's cool though b/c we started at 6:30 a.m. and really, while annoying, the heat doesn't usually get to me.

So off we go.

After about six miles (a normal distance for me) I start to feel really weird and bad.

I had to walk.

At this point I'm thinking no big deal I'll walk for just a little bit and I'll be fine. I was drinking water, so I figured it will all work out.

Not so.

I felt worse and worse and worse.

Meanwhile, Mike has to stop and walk with me.

At this point, I actually sit down on the running path in this forest preserve. I felt really dizzy.

Things did not look good.

Now, I have to say that everyone running or biking by was so, so nice. A lot were part of Team in Training which is an awesome organization. People were offering me their gels (you eat this goo stuff while running to consume calories). They were genuinely worried about me. Just an example of the great camaraderie among runners.

Anyway, so a guy Mike has trained with and is some sort of leader in Team In Training runs up to us. He says he'll go get his car, drive it to the closest clearing/parking lot in the preserve and drive us back to our cars.

I am so grateful b/c the thought of walking six miles back to my car was not doable at this point.

He runs off and Mike and I walk to said location and sit down on a picnic bench.

I at one point realize there is a bathroom there and think oh I'll splash cold water on my face.

I get up..then I faint.

Those of you who know me know I sometimes randomly faint. In Jewel, in high school hallway,...in a forest preserve...

Luckily, I put my hand in front of me while falling so I didn't hit my head or anything. (that's what Mike said, I have no recollection). I did scrape my knee and it was bloody. I swear I've scraped my knees more in my 20s than I think I did when I was learning to ride a bike at age 6 or whatever. (I've tripped while running-oops.)

After fainting, I felt better actually. Weird. Could it be like throwing up? (still vomit free since June '98 by the way.)

I hypothesize that the fainting (should it be called fainting if I was only out for like two seconds?) was a result of the following:

1. I did not eat b4 run (but I wasn't hungry so early and 10 miles is a distance I've done before without eating as long as I have a reasonable dinner.)

2. Clearly, although I was hydrating, I did not do so enough.

3. It was in the 90s...plus the humidity, oh the humidity.

4. I've just gotten over being pretty sick.

While one or two of these things by themselves likely wouldn't have resulted in me passing out, the entire combination equaled disaster.

This was all very annoying and a little embarrassing. It's like I'd never run before or something.

Thank goodness I wasn't alone. (Thanks again Mike for being my personal paramedic! Again, sorry I ruined your run.)

It was not a good start to marathon training '06, but I'll make a come back next weekend.

Again, can you believe the crap that happens to me?