Oddly, I was REALLY low key about the marathon. Hardly talked about it, wasn't that excited about it, yet still did all the training I needed to do and felt... ready! Everyone always asks what I was expecting, and I felt fairly confident in/around 3:45ish. I know my body and as am 2kg heavier than my glory days when I did 3:40, it is definitely not there and weight makes a bit difference. But overall, didn't have the same excitement as previously.
Well, a first time for everything, got a DNF ("Did Not Finish" for non-runner friends). YES, a DNF!!!!
To backtrack a little, have been under a bit of stress lately with doing the steps of leaving my apartment, but more so, finding a transition apartment from when my lease ends to when I leave Dubai. Now all settled! Maybe it's because I've had NO stress these past.... years (lol), somehow it was really getting to me and felt oddly higher HR and BP, really tried to meditate and do deep breathing, but overall, wasn't myself. So that's my prelude to what's to come....
Sooo... all the prep and everything was the same same for this marathon. Had my gluten free pasta with just nutritional yeast, some pepper, and sweet potatoes...
Even a selfie beforehand!
Nic, my good S. African friend, and I had this "around 3:45 (but hopefully less) plan, and just at the start we ran into Quentin, Stuart, and Jordan - all South Africans and great runners. Well, we had a great start, a nice banter and on cruise control. After 10km or so, Jordan kind of backed off, then it was me and Nic, Quentin, and Stuart.... a fab team and I was a little beside myself was running with these great athletes (but maybe was too much for me???)... but here are some of our glam shots:
After about 20km or so, Stuart and Quentin pulled ahead.... then after another 5-6km, Nic pulled ahead, bye Nic! It's been fun! .... lol
I was going along and keeping fairly steady, BUT have to say felt my heart palpitate a few times, but again, tried to control it with breathing. After Nic pulled ahead, physically I felt totally fine, legs totally fine, but... something just off physiologically. Felt like was trying to exert energy, but nothing was happening and the km couldn't have come any slower. Was doing all my positive mantra's, buuuut just felt like couldn't push anymore. Then I did what I've never done during a marathon, I walked a bit. I did a walk/jog for a bit, from .... maybe 30km'ish?? Then was just feeling more and more lightheaded, more and more out of it, and more and more dizzy. Then came the lone 'not so fresh' pics....
Okay, I guess the pics don't look THAT horrid and bad, but my head was down, which I don't like to run like that, slouched posture and.... according to some, was hardly lifting up my feet and one commented that my lips looked bright red as if I had lipstick, BUT it was just because my face was so pale and ashen.
Well, I know wasn't too far from finish, but not close enough to say was "almost there," but I think it was around the 37km mark when I was just weaving in/out of the street and.... gosh, I don't even know what happened, really felt like I passed out but didn't - completely blanked out and miraculously, our former club chairwoman, everyone's "mom" (one of those wonderful people) was just there and grabbed me. I was heavy breathing and completely out of it. Cold, but sweaty. She called over an ambulance, which, did NOT look like this....
And typical Dubai, they didn't seem to know anything, yet took my blood sugar and BP (which she told them too) and although practically was going to collapse right then and there, they were like "stats are fine, she can go" Whhhhhaaat? I literally felt faint, dizzy, nauseous, and .... just awful! So poor Margaret had her bike and she is holding me and her bike, calls our other club member Neil (via phone) that I need help and we slooowly walk to a bench, where again, I couldn't even describe what I was feeling and was talking and walking like a drunk person. Was pale and ashen and our other friend Jill came along and she looked at me and was like "whooooaaaaaa, this isnt' you." It was soooooooooo soooooooooooo weird! I just remember feeling sooo thirsty but no one having water and just parched and nauseous and .... off. Moving my hands and fingers seemed like a lot of work, couldn't buckle the seatbelt when we got in the car, like my brain and body was disconnected. So then we sit in the car and of course everything starts cramping, my legs, my abs, my calves., my feet, BUT it wasn't nearly as bad as Comrades, sooo... was able to get through it. Also, amusingly to Neil, was trying to sound normal and converse, but was making NO sense whatsoever.
Later, both Neil and Jill said that I didn't look like my normal strong self when they saw me on the course (which was a horrible loop course), that my posture was off and even from the outside looked not right. It was hot and a bit humid, but it is every year! I'm sure this all was a combination of things, my recent stress, the heat, who knows?
So we of course park miles away from the bag pick-up, which even when the discussion came if I needed a hospital, I realized I had NOTHING on me... no emergency contact, no ID, nothing! Just the equivalent of say 30USD in Dh. Soooo silly of me! So am hanging on to Neil, we go to the baggage pick-up, again, must have looked soo out of it because the lady immediately offered me a chair. So I get my bag, and literally, went to get my phone and was soo soo out of it, stared at it for a good 5 minutes as it looked different! Something was off and then I was thinking of someone replaced it? Kept on staring at it, couldn't register if it was mine or not (don't know whose else it would be), was soo bizarre! The icons looked a lot smaller to me as well as the print. So we walk to go back to the car and then I remember that my colleague and good friend Anil was there to support me and after my last runs he stretches me and we go for a burger (hehe). So I somehow recognize my phone again, and was in fact waiting for me and took the reigns from Neil to support me. Once he saw me he right away looked shocked. I guess I did look that bad. Anyway, got some more fluids, was still out of it but helped to walk. We did go to the burger place, but had nooooooooooooooooooooo appetite and basically took it home with me. I get home, take a quick shower, and then practically did a nose dive to the bed... where I just stayed for the rest of the afternoon/night.... except for a few bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. Had a massive headache and even when was trying to nap, could feel my heart pounding. Again, tried to calm it down with breathing, buuuut don't think I slept slept until later that night.
Sigh.
Then today had a headache waking up and still felt my heart rate was going faster than usual, not super fast, just beating more, but headache finally disappeared and slowly my appetite has come back. Called in sick from work and thank gawd I did as had a FULL on schedule and really wouldn't have made it as still feel a smidge lightheaded and just... 'off.' Don't know how else to describe it. Went to see my good Serbian friend, Dr. Dejan, and we did ECG and checked stats and overall it looked okay, a super minor blip (ST?), but overall okay. Tomorrow have another checkup with a GP that covers my insurance so will get things checked out. He was confident all was okay, BUT considering I'm an endurance athlete and we're known to have enlarged hearts, just better to get these things checked out.
Am feeling MUCH better now (the day after). Ego and mentally a bit deflated have to admit, BUT 110% think I made the right decision to stop. Well, I don't think I had a choice as literally was going to faint. Thank GAWD I didn't fall. AND, well, if there is an angel out there looking over me, this was the time to show it. Out of ALL the people, really, out of ALL the people I know in Dubai, I couldn't have asked for a better person than Margaret to just be there. She really is a saving grace anyway, but for her to just be there and help me as she did, can't even describe how meaningful that was. Someone else would have panicked or been excessively worried, but she was calm, direct to get help and get to the right people, and also reassuring that I was going to be okay... that was most important. Likewise, with Neil, he whisked me away in his fancy jaguar and even though was a sweaty mess, was more than reassuring as well. It means sooo much to have such a great group. My phone has been off the hook with people checking in on me, so sweet and I really love this group! Will REALLY miss them!!!!
Will add some pics (1st half of the race, lol) in a bit.
So there you have it, a first for everything - a DNF!
Now need to recover mentally and physically and.... just move forward! #1 - Ensure health is okay and then #2 - Train for other races!
UPDATE: Thanks to ALL for their concern. Just when you are feeling your lowest, there is nothing like some love from close and afar. VERY touching! Not only have enjoyed some sympathy meals, such as my fave K6 with friend Kay, but also got back to back Serbian invites for delish Serbian foods!
House #1 (at Mirjana and Micki):
Okay, on to more important things, my health!!! Got blood tests results and ALL cleared. Got ECG and .... looked 'fairly clear' BUT as both docs I went to were a bit unnerved, again, that an experienced runner like myself had the s*** hit the fan so badly, wanted to get the 'ol heart checked out so ECHO is to come next week. Still felt had heart palpitations and heavier breathing even doing simple things for a good 3 days after, and finally today, 4th day, feel normal - physically and even mentally. Physically, legs feel more or less okay (considering nearly ran the full mara), but heart just hasn't felt right (the inc thumping), but think it was taxed so much it just needed a few days to get to an equilibrium state again. Mentally, again, the love from so many people has helped and.... as people have said, "it happens to the best of us," which is true... another long time runner got a DNF and heard others fainting and having horrid races (or maybe am just tuning it to them because my race was so bad, lol!).
Now that I've had a few days to think about it, really can't pinpoint anything in particular and it's been more or less entertaining to hear everyone's analysis. Nic was actually feeling bad that he lead me to a faster pace than I wanted and that that was what did it, I went out to fast. Ram, on the other hand, said that he saw me lagging behind them, which wasn't usually me, and that something was off even from the beginning. Others said the usual dehydration and the heat got to me. Others said the flu was going around and maybe got some wind of it. As for me, the aftermath symptoms were similar to the heat stroke symptoms I have had a recent history of, could very well have been electrolyte deficiency in that although I took one -etab right before the run, another one about 10-15km in, somehow I think I dropped my little e-tab baggie because then later when i wanted to take it, it wasn't there. Grrr. But probably that and of course dehydration although was putting water on my head and drinking. Who knows? What was the most 'off' for me personally was the heart thumping, was calm and then not, calm and then not.... it has been like that with the recent stress, but i guess probably taxed the heart too much during the 'race.' Feel ZERO remorse for NOT finishing, am actually sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo thankful I did, have put it behind me as a learning experience and will be more sensible and aware, and ..... Belgrade marathon, ready or not, here we come!!! (won't gun it with a best time or anything, now just want under 4 hours to be with my chums at the Comrades start, which, yes, still plan to do!)
