Stupid bets and dusting off your running shoes

Well before last week I haven't run a step in 6 weeks. To fill in the gap since El Scorcho, I got into the best racing shape of my life running a 50k in training every weekend and set a 5k pr of 21:30 at Run With the Bulls and ran the first 30 miles of the Mother Road course.

It's that thirty miles on the Mother Road that was the problem. The week of the training run I came down with a bad cold or flu along with vomiting and high fever. By Friday I was feeling quite a bit better and decided to continue the training run.

That night in Elk City I sneezed all night and didn't get much sleep and figured I was probably allergic to something in the hotel room (trust me it wasn't one of the nicer rooms I've stayed in). The next morning came early and started well enough. Unfortunately I made a bad decision to only carry a single handheld. With an average distance of 8 miles between fluids and scorching temperatures this was a mistake. Beyond that the ice chests didn't have any water just gatorade. Gatorade and I have a long history all of it bad where running is involved. I suffered that day. I mean I really suffered FAR worse than any other race or run I've ever done. Many thanks to Reese, Michael and Dan for dragging me through.

At the time I thought the high temps and lack of liquids did me in and I'd be fine after a day or two recovery - not so. Remember that sneezing - it was the start of a sinus infection that took three different rounds of antibiotics and 2 injections to clear up. Unreal - I just couldn't get well. And when I finally did I had a root canal and abscessed tooth to deal with. Somewhere along the way I just gave up on my hopes for the Mother Road.

Enough whining basically at about 6 weeks from my last run a friend of mine (Dave Wood from the Ok Trail Runners) was concerned about finishing his first 50 miler after not running for four weeks due to an injury. Wanting to encourage my friend and being a loud mouth by nature I told him if he could finish 50 at Heartlands I'd run 100 or die trying at the Mother Road. Well finish he did.

As my dad always said "Never let your mouth write a check you backside can't pay". Whoops dad - guess I forgot