Back to my nemesis

I don’t know what is with that course in Longwood. Last year my body was in ‘braking stage’ so my time there was bad. Just wanted to get better time. Knew that could be a problem with IBS. But you have to try, right? So, came back. Needed to get there in the morning… Just over 30 minutes drive from home. On the way down stopped at Liffey Valley to pick up Dominika, another mad person. Was chatting all the time when we were driving down but inside I was terrified. IBS, form, no power to run whole distance…

Parked in the GAA club. All bad memories from the last marathon there came back to me. Legs started to hurt and in my mind I was fighting my war. War with the body, with my IBS. Tried to calm myself, stop thinking about… colon issue. Walked around the parking lot, ‘visited’ couple of times toilet. All to get my mind of pit-stops and ‘bad’ head. Registered, got my number, went with all runners to starting line… And started to fast. Way too fast. Again, don’t know why. Lost focus on my main goal – try to relax, run slowly, avoid toilet stops. Why it is always happening… Why I cannot stop myself? Keep calm and jog… At least till you will be 100% ok. That course had to be really daunting… I have forgotten that there are 8 loops there, not 4.

I started fast. Wasn’t trying to catch up with fastest runners but still was running too fast… I knew running that pace will get me in trouble. One way or another. Better case scenario was me running out of steam. Worse case me running towards bushes. Ok, I was really comfortable running like I did. ‘Checking’ my body, trying to listening to it. Cool as a cat… until colon started to acting up. Was trying to ‘pull myself together’ but it is not so easy in that situation. 11 km in and first pit-stop. Still over 6 laps to go but should be ok now. Ye, what else could go wrong? Hmmm, let me think. Two more stops and loss of energy. Time over 3:45.

Three toilets which meant new medications still or yet not working.