Pronouncing The Death of NJM: Sidelined by the Flu

So maybe taunting the marathon gods with a pseudonym for an imaginary illness at the start of race week wasn't the smartest move. I suspect that some supernatural being noticed my sarcasm and decided to unleash vengeance on me. Within 24 hours after publishing my last post, I was humbled and humiliated by a real viral infection: A superbug that has left me with fever, chills, malaise and exhaustion for the past two days. I've lost my appetite, I've lost weight, and almost fainted on the subway coming home from work last night. And in case you are still wondering, running has been out of the question since just walking down the block to the grocery store and back feels like a marathon in and of itself. Sad, I know.

As I've been spending a lot of time in bed the past few days, holding on to a pipe dream that I'll recover in time to run the marathon this weekend, I've been thinking about how it came to be that I've been transformed overnight from a healthy and active marathon runner to a giant puddle of glob stuck in the fetal position underneath two layers of heavy blankets unable to move. It'd be easy to blame this latest travesty on a stroke of bad luck. After all, everyone gets sick (just like everyone poops) at one time or another, right? But what if I told you I voluntarily got up at 4am on Sunday to volunteer at the More Half Marathon which required me to stand in the cold and rain for 4 hours while handing out cups of water and Gatorade? What if I told you that after some lunch that same day, I was so inspired by all the women runners braving the terrible weather for 13.1 miles that I ran the same distance in a constant drizzle as a tribute to the ladies? (BTW, someone commented on FB that running 13.1 in 1:33 that day after handing out water for 4 hrs wasn't enough of a tribute. I needed to run for 2:20. Seriously?)

Yeah, I realize in retrospect what a dumb decision that was. I forgot that I have the innate immunity of a SCID baby and I get sick easy, early, and often (and not the kind of sick that can be used to describe Lebron James on the basketball court either!) The funniest thing was that I was just talking to my mom Sunday night and telling her how proud I was that I haven't been sick in 4 or 5 months. Boy, was I way off the mark.

So there you have it. Although I doubted I'd be ever seeing the light of day again after hunkering in bed for 3 days, I am actually feeling a little better today, at least enough to let you all know that I'm still alive. As for my prospects for the New Jersey Marathon...sigh...I think it's safe to say that it is beyond resuscitation at this point. Besides, is there any reason for me to hurt and struggle just to complete another 26.2? I'll just be risking further damage to my body to try for a goal that is no longer attainable. So as much as it saddens, disappoints and pains me to say...

Time of (NJ Marathon) Death - 12:18PM. (Actually, Ms.V did the honors for me last night on twitter, but I'm re-creating it here just in case no one else heard...)

The wake will take place on Sunday, May 2nd. Details of funeral arrangements will be distributed to interested party members at a later date.

R.I.P. my friend.

Counting down to Race Day:Self Infliction with A Nonmedical Infection

After conquering my fear of impending dread all weekend and rocking out a 13.1 mile run in the late afternoon yesterday in a steady 7:05 min/mi pace, I think I'm finally ready to activate myself off the disabled list. So, that's the good news. The bad news is that I'm starting to show signs and symptoms of an acute infection. Now, before you start sending your get-well comments or flood my e-mail with coupons for Emergent-C, let me tell you that the etiology of this infection is strictly nonmedical. It is not caused by a bacterial agent, a parasite, a virus, or fungi or yeast. It is not even caused by anything that can be visible to the naked or magnified eye. Rather it is an infection that is well-known to most runners in the week leading up to their goal event. Perhaps you've heard of it, it's called taperitis.

Now, for those of not in the know, taperitis is the nonmedical condition where the prospective runner cannot stop thinking, obsessing and detailing every aspect of their goal event. It is totally unnecessarily but it is the right of passage for every aspiring marathoner. For example, I've already checked the course map 4 times, the weather forecast 6 times and visualizing every mile of the 26.2 mile course twice just today. This is rather excessive, even for a worried wart such as myself.

I know the prevailing opinion is to trust the training, trust the run, relax and just let the body do what it's meant to do on race day. But that strategy doesn't quite work for me because apparently I haven't quite learned how not to give up in the later miles of the marathon. Every time out in the recent past, I've lost the battle and given up precious minutes and seconds just trying to make it through to the finish line. That's why this time, I'm hoping to arrive at mile 20 a little more prepared, both physically (from a little higher mileage in training) and psychologically (from practicing a positive mental visualization). Emotionally too, I'm trying to remember a few key quotes, sayings, songs and names that will keep me fighting hard until the end. (Because they are still in formulation, there are no specific details yet but come back later in the week and maybe things will change!)

To be honest, I didn't expect this onslaught of taperitis given that New Jersey will be my 10th marathon and all. But given that I've never had such an aggressive time goal before and had never trained so hard for it, I think it may be justifiable. Because after all, the head and the legs will carry me through 20 miles, but I'll need some heart to make it through the final 10K.

Did I mention I'm getting new Saucony shoes to use for this marathon? My regular trainers has 250+ miles on it already and I don't think it'd be smart for me to run this marathon in racing flats either (since they place such a heavy strain on my knees and Achilles). So it's just another thing for me to freak out and be excited about as the week progresses. Oh man, if it's anything like it was today, it's gonna be a doozie.

Finally, An Injury Update

Yes, boys and girls, I know I've been MIA from blogging for a week, and yes, I know you all were wanting for an update about the knee. But honestly, while the rest of the running world were buzzing from the fantastic elite finishes and great individual performances at Boston, I was trying hard to go the other way, and not talk or think at all about running, racing, or marathons because there was a real possibility (earlier this week) that I would not be participating in such activities for a while. You see, my friends, after the last time we spoke, my R knee absolutely blew up the next day and caused me such excruciating pain both walking and running that I surrendered my professional ego and paid a visit to the orthopedist yesterday. Prior to my ortho visit, the curbside advice I got from others who took interest and looked at my knee was to set my sights on the half or not run at all. "Why risk further injuring your knee and be out for several months for a shot at a time that you likely will not get anyway? Wouldn't it be better to rest and recovery and get faster at the shorter races during the summer?" Since I was walking with pain as late as Wednesday, I was in no position to argue with their assessment.

However, after Wednesday, when I subconsciously accepted the prospect that DNS or DNF might be a real possibility and the safer option in a week, my knee suddenly began to feel incrementally better. I ran some slow miles with a friend on Thurday and by the time I went to the ortho doc on Friday, there was no limp, there was no pain and all I wanted to do more than anything was run away. But more for my own curiosity than anything, I stayed. He prodded my knee and told me that I was overtraining and overracing (Duh!). He also told me that my bicep tendons in my hamstrings were way sore. But most importantly, he gave me permission to run the marathon and told me I was in no danger of reaggravating or damaging the knee just by running. I was so happy coming out of that office that I was willing to kiss everybody and anybody who offered their well wishes and support. Woohoo!

So that's about how it stands now. My knee has remained relatively quiet and we're back on for the New Jersey Marathon. I will do my last long run of 12 miles tomorrow and hope that it will be enough to carry me to the finish line in a week. I'm not sure about my sub-3 goal anymore since I haven't had quality speedwork or tempo run in a week or two and I'm hesitant to try faster paced workout in this last week before race day (less I get more injured again!) So pacing for me will strictly be a game time decision. Let me get through this final week of taper first!

Thanks to all of you who took time to be concerned about my knee. I think the positive vibes you all sent likely contributed to its quick and speedy recovery. Now if you can get the weather gods to cooperate and give us racers a beautiful sunny day with no precipitation in a week, that would be super!

At any rate, congrats to the racers racing this weekend and those who went to Boston and came back with a blue commemorative medal with a unicorn on the front. You are all individually and collectively very inspiring! Congrats again!