Sorry it took so long to get my update in. I have been fighting a cold/flu since September 23rd.
I had a great long run on the 19th and did some exploring. I started at home, threw on my Nathan hydration pack and told my wife I would be in the hills somewhere. I took off down Butterfield Ranch Road and headed into the hills across from Hunter's Hill. This area is still an active cattle ranch (not the stinky dairy farms) with wide open spaces and an abundance of trails. I chose to stay on the main road knowing it would eventually lead me to the state park. At the first valley, the eeriness of the run began as I ran past a loan generator running on one side of the road and a trailer that obviously was not lived in on the other side of the road. As I continued up the road, I came to a plateau that was covered with cattle bones. This was obviously where the cows that did not make it ended up. Continueing on up the hill, I came to the crest and was greeted by a hawk circling overhead and squawking while off in the distance a pack of coyotes was yelping. At this point, I began to wonder if I should continue on. I quickly rationalized that it was still daylight, I felt strong, and the state park must not be that far away. Now running downhill into a valley, the eeriness continued. I saw to the left some old work vehicles and scattered abandoned oil rigs (or grasshoppers as I like to call them). As I reached the valley floor, I came across a small group of cattle that were more surprised to see me than I was to see them. They split up with three heading up the hill and the rest moving through the valley. As I ran up the trail, the cows would run off in front until they turned the corner, once I turned the corner, they took off running again. This went on for nearly two miles and kept me occupied trying to just get past them. Ultimately I reached the gate that stopped them from heading into the state park and we parted ways. Now in the state park, I contemplated going out further, but the sun was getting low in the sky and I really did not want to be out in the dark, so I headed towards home. Total mileage was 14.
The rest of the week was to be easy as I had another trail marathon scheduled for Saturday. I ran 6 on Tuesday the 21st and felt good. On the 22nd, I began to feel a little tired. On the 23rd, I barely made it out of bed. I had a fever, felt like a could barely move, and my body ached everywhere. At the urging of my wife, I went to the doctor after work. The doctor checked me out and told me I was run down and needed to rest Friday and not go to work. Of course, I asked if I could run the marathon on Saturday, to which she looked at me like "are you serious?" When she saw that I was, she quickly said "I don't think so."
I took her advice and rested for the next few days. Unfortunately, fatigue developed into the flu and knocked me out. I tried running a few times, but my heart rate was through the roof. This past Sunday, I ran and felt much better. The plan is to slowly resume my training starting today, but really listen to my body. I will use the "above the neck rule" which is if it is a head cold, you are OK to run. All in all, I think with the amount of hours I have been putting in at work, the busyness of the weekends, and my training took a toll. I believe this was God's way of saying slow down and rest. I have taken that to heart and have been more conscience of my work hours, especially if I am awaken at night with it.
I am looking forward to a good week and will come back slowly until I feel 100%. There is no use getting sick again or even worse, getting injured by coming back too quick.
