North Coast 24 Hour training weekend = FAIL! and the I2P fundraiser kicks off!

Impossible2Possible

My Impossible2Possible fundraiser has now begun! My goal is $500 and I have reached $150 of that goal so far. Please help by going to the following link to donate:

http://www.active.com/donate/laurieI2P

Special thanks goes to those that have donated so far! The following have been so generous in helping out, thank you!

Ron Kageyama - California
Cyrus Taylor - Ohio
Pam Rickard - Virginia
Kelly Matter - Ohio

Impossible2Possible is an incredible organization that reaches out to inspire youth everywhere. Please join us in donating to this wonderful organization!

North Coast 24 Training weekend = FAIL

This week started like all others have been. Running. Running. Running some more. This past weekend called for a big long run, and I was pumped. I've put in the hours I was scheduled to run before during this training period, and it was fast becoming my new favorite training distance/time. I had all my gear set out by Thursday, my potatoes boiled and I was ready for Saturday's run!

***DISCLOSURE!!***
Possible TMI for some people, but I feel I need to share it. One day it could be helpful to someone out there.

Saturday started out like any other. I woke up very early to get my long run in. Scarfed down my oatmeal and coffee and headed out the door. It was extremely humid and pretty warm out. I got to my starting location and off I went. By a mile I was drenched. Other than that I felt fine, except for this horrible feeling that I needed to go to the bathroom REALLY bad. And I did. Again. And again. And again. There are port a potty's and a gas station along my early a.m. route - the route I run before the rest of the group trickles in. They became my new home on Saturday. I was frustrated. Mostly because when I would go - I would STILL feel like I needed to go. I couldn't figure out why I felt this way. It was uncomfortable, but I could still run. Not fast, but I was doing it. It was more like - well it just pissed me off, basically. A couple hours into my run is when I started to feel somewhat concerned. It was still dark, but I could tell what little I was going was very very dark. And getting darker each time. All I could think of is the news clip on CNN that flashed up images of Badwater: urine cups all in a row, doctors checking them over and over. I started questioning myself. "Am I drinking too much? Am I drinking too little? Did I over do it with the electrolytes? WHAT THE HELL!" I met up with some NERC runners (thankfully) around 6:00. By then it was even worse. I told a couple of the runners that I didn't know what was going on - that something just wasn't right. I just had to watch, and if it got worse I (1/4 jokingly, 3/4 seriously) said at least I was close to the hospital. All this time in my head I'm still trying to figure out what the heck I was doing wrong. Well the run with the group didn't last long! We reached a turning point but I was close to the bathroom (about .20 miles away) I ran to the bathroom and most everyone ran on. I got to the bathroom on the path and there it was. Blood in the urine. Freakin awesome. It wasn't too bad yet, but that has never happened to me so I was pretty worried. I came out of the bathroom and told a couple running buds that had waited at the turning point to just run ahead, I had my cell. And that was it. I was pretty scared at that point. I can't even say how many times I called my son - waking him up telling him to check the internet for some sort of clues to what was going on. NADA. Husband was at work, where it's almost impossible to get ahold of him. I wanted in every way to call Ray, but didn't want to wake up him or his family, so I held off.

It seemed like it took forever to get down that bike path, uncomfortable and just worrying, not understanding, and just being plain pissed off. I had a time goal to fulfill - but I also had a goal within a goal - was really gunning for a certain mileage within my first goal (being time). Funny I was still thinking about running after what was happening. I'm such a stubborn ass (yes husband, I admit). I can never stop on my own. I always need someone to tell me to stop, or tell me I can't run. Hell last year I had pneumonia and still got my miles in! (Stupidly, yes I admit.) Pneumonia had me down for 2 days and I tacked the extra miles that I missed onto the first few days that I started running again. Also ran one day until my treadmill caught fire. NO JOKE. The poor thing started smoking, stinking, and here's me like an idiot: "I'm only on mile 5 I am not stopping!" Broke out the fire extinguisher soon after. All this being said I just shake my head and wonder what in the world's wrong with me. Still I can't stop on my own. Even if I have to walk, crawl, limp my way through - I'm NOT stopping. Sometimes it's not something I'm all that proud of, because it winds up being completely irresponsible.

Ok back to the run. Finally! The path ends and I'm on the road, and get to the gas station I had visited many times earlier in the morning. It was 7 o'clock ish. I ran into the bathroom and that was it. I cannot even begin to describe the amount of blood. I almost started crying right there. Headed out the door, I dialed Ray's number. Hung up though, because I decided it was still too early. I walked to my car faced with an important decision. Should I give up for the first time ever? Telling myself not too be so stupid - I still couldn't help contemplating continuing my run. I knew I could not tell myself to stop. So again I called Ray. I wasn't sure if he'd answer because #1 - it was freakin early. #2 He was out of town with his family. Thankfully he answered! I could tell it was at breakfast time too and felt really bad about that. Like a smart runner though (not me!) He told me "Obviously you have to stop running, go to the doctor - and if you can't go to the doctor go to the E.R." By that time I was in tears (trying to hold it back) but I think he could tell, because he said it was most likely no big deal and not to worry - but was something that cannot be ignored. Feeling a little better, a little more calm (but STILL bummed about my run - seriously?) I left for home and called the doctor.

Fast forward to the doctor: Even the receptionist knew what was wrong! Oh it sounds like UTI to me. What? Never had that before. Nurse - same thing. Sounds like UTI. Really? I started to tell the nurse everything fell apart during my run and got the typical "How far were you going" question. I told her and she whipped around and said "WHAT?" So I lied and said a couple hours. (Did tell the doctor the truth though, since he pretty much knows how I am) Took tests and for sure: UTI. The doctor called it by a different name, hemorrhage something or the other but said: "It's not worse than regular UTI, just more dramatic looking." Dramatic is right! Sheesh! Freaked me out just a little! He gave me some meds and made me tell him I would not run Sunday. He just said "I know it's hard for you, and you run all this crazy amount of mileage, but please take off tomorrow. Can you just give me that?" Again - bummed. He also said if things don't get better, if what happened Saturday happened again to come in, and they'd check out my kidneys just because I run so much. That being said I'm feeling so much better now, the meds are working fast and I'm ready to go!

This is why, sometimes, I'm STUPID

I told my good friend Daniel what happened since I couldn't make it to the North Coast training run. Daniel knows tons, and he's heard of this happening before with worse consequences. I did a little research, too, and here's what I found:

#1 UTI's) are of particular concern to women runners, UTI's can involve the lower urinary tract or, in more severe cases, the kidneys. Antibiotics generally resolve the problem in short order, keeping after-effects at bay can be summed up in a word: hydrate.

#2 Untreated UTI's can lead to acute or chronic kidney infections (pyelonephritis), which could permanently damage your kidneys.


All I can say is thank goodness Ray answered his phone at a time when really, he should have just ignored my call. He continues to amaze me every day. I know damn well I would've kept running if I would have not gotten ahold of him (again, not something I'm really proud to admit). Sometimes I sit back and wonder how he does all that he does. HUGE Kudos to Ray for being there, and to his family for putting up with my early a.m. phone call! I am SO appreciative!

Check Ray out on CTV - good piece on hydration!
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/news/top-picks/drink-up/#clip337843