I broke down today. My body was under nourished and I was barely able to make it back home.
I only ran 15 miles, but I failed to prepare before I left for my run. I ate a big dinner yesterday and thought that I would not need to eat anything this morning before I went to run. Not only did I not eat before I left, but I did not drink anything either. I carried 24 ounces of liquids with me, but that proved to be too little for the run that I was on.
I wanted to quit and never run again. Somehow, I found the energy to keep going, but when I got home I was nearly passed out.
I knew what was happening. All the signs were there, but I was focused on my goal and I was too far away from home to really do anything about it except walk and I was not going to do that. It nearly cost me. It was all I could do to make it home and the more I ran, the more I felt like I was being sucked down a giant drain with no way to fight back. My energy levels kept crashing.
I think some people have the same thing happen to them only at work. The work themselves into a system overload. They keep going at work at the expense of their family and personal life. Sometimes it is too late to do anything about it and they crash. They lose family and friends and their personal lives suffer.
My near tragedy and the tragedies described above can and should be avoided. All it takes is a little bit of planning and a focus on the things that matter most. Like my experience this morning, we often see the signs of deterioration and turn a deaf ear.
We must be willing to see the signs and make corrections or we will find ourselves in trouble. Sometimes we can crash and still be OK, but other times, the damage may be fatal.
Pay attention!
See you on the road!
Andrew
