13 hours to go....slight setback

I think I've approached both dieting and training for this triathlon very intelligently. I was careful not to overdo things, I consulted professionals, I listened to my body. And I haven't had even the tiniest stomach cramp until this evening.

The training website for the Tri for the Cure triathlon recommended nothing more than a 30-minute workout the day before the race (which is today). So, this afternoon I took a 30 minute bike ride and then tried to run around the block (less than a 1/4 mile) just to see what it would feel like to go straight from the biking into the running. And I immediately had stomach cramps - big ones. So, I'm no idiot - I stopped running and walked the rest of the way. I took my shower and prepared to eat dinner.

The day before a big race, one is supposed to eat their last substantial meal no less than 12-14 hours before the race starts, so I needed to be done eating by 7pm. I've been drinking watered down gatorade throughout the day and eating regular foods in small amounts to ease digestion. But no more than 2 bites into my dinner, without any warning whatsoever, my digestive system went into reverse. So, there I was, 14 hours before my start time with a completely empty stomach.

I only felt sick for about 30 seconds beforehand, and other than being slightly dizzy, I haven't felt sick since. And I just finished a big bowl of chicken noodle soup. So far, so good. All this is great. It means I'm probably just nervous or something stupid like that, rather than actually sick, which would just be unfair. Still, I could have lived without the drama.

If I could only read ahead and see what tomorrow's blog post would look like! But I suppose that takes the fun out of it, huh?