Food hangovers are real…

If you don’t believe me it’s because you’ve never had one. You’ve probably seen someone with one or heard them bellyaching – but you don’t believe us. You judge with your food hangover free past and shake your head in disbelief as you work the last half of a bologna sandwich into your face just before heading out for a run.

It’s OK.  I don’t hate.  I used to be you – in another life.  But I was *not* you this Sunday at the Anniversary Run – the final leg of the Annapolis Striders Champ Series.  (If there’s a better deal in running I couldn’t tell you what it is.  $35 Buys you entry into 8, very well organized and executed races over the course of a year.  Distances ranging from 1 mile to 26.2K.)

The race started at 10AM.  I woke up at 9:15 – mouth dry, head pounding, stomach signaling… “Did I drink last night?  No, dummy – you did not drink.  You haven’t had a drink in over 15 years.  You ate.  You ate like it was your job.  You went to a fancy holiday party featuring foods from around the world and You decided to be the Marco-friggin-Polo of food.”

I think I ate food from (in no particular order). 

• West Africa
• South America
• Asia
• Caribbean
• Middle East
• Mediterranean

I can’t be sure – everything got a little hazy after the Turkish Delight. (It’s a desert you pervs!  A delicious jelly fudge-like cube of flower flavor dusted in some kind of powdery sugar stuff.  Would eat again.)

Now I can’t blame Katie B., who was nice enough to invite me, but I will just say – she invited me.  Also, she may have encouraged me to study the party flyer and “establish a plan of attack”.  I could of said no – but here we are.  9:15 AM with an elephant on my back who is actively stuffing cotton into my mouth – and 20 minutes to get out the door.

The big difference between this hangover and one from drinking – there is no video of me “getting loose” with the reggae band or singing Karaoke.  Because I didn’t do those things. (Though I wish I had brought my trumpet.)

The Run

This was a 15k (9.4 miles) followed by a few miles after the race.  I had planned to run a couple before and a couple after – but… see above re: Food Hangover.

Annapolis Striders do a great job of keeping these races running like clockwork.  There may not be a DJ or medals and t-shirts, or a fancy expo – but the races are well marked, well supported, well attended, and your friends are there. “But I don’t know any Striders” – that’s okay.  Your friends are there.  Believe me when I say that.  After last week I am even more grateful for these people and what this club has provided.

This race is basically two loops around Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis offering great water views and some small but aggravating hills.  They get steeper on the second loop.

I went out too fast but not so much that I was wrecked for the day.  This past week was a marked improvement for me emotionally over last week.  So much so that I managed a couple strength training workouts and a run during the week prior.  I felt like I had at least “done my part”.  While not “trained”, I was prepared.

After the race I looked around for any willing runners to come with me for some more miles.  Thankfully Brian stepped up and got me moving again for a couple miles.  After about 2.5 miles he peeled of and my legs immediately felt heavier.  The wind was stronger and I swear the temperature dropped about 15 degrees.  Friends are important in this life.

All that being said – 13.1 Miles is beginning to feel like a familiar distance.

Looking Forward

Being that I’m feeling much more myself than I have in awhile – and also that I am still feeling the effects of my steady decline back into eating way more than my body needs – I’m reinvigorating my much healthier lifestyle with a quick three day reboot.  All the right serving sizes of all the right foods plus some supplemental concoctions to get my biome straight(er).

Next Week: Your guess is as good as mine!