Relax. Digest.

    Today has been a bit odd. Work was stressful and frustrating. My stomach has been giving me grief all day. I felt disjointed and dysfunctional all day. I almost thought I was going to have to pull over and puke on my way home from work. I would love to figure out what the hell is going on with my digestive tract, I am about to cut myself down to a few, easy to digest, non-allergenic foods and see what happens.
    I was feeling sick enough I almost skipped my evening workout, telling myself that it was Drill Night and I could take the the day off from workouts. Instead, being the lunatic I am, I decided to do an hour upper body and core workout with resistance bands, kettle ball, barbell and slosh tubes. I was feeling a little ragged, but had a decent workout despite it all. Granted, sporadic dizziness and my delicate stomach made me disinclined to make my normal post-workout, uber-healthy-chock-full-of-goodness-protein-laden smoothie. Instead I ate 5 cornchips, a small banana and a spoonful of peanut butter. Not my optimal dinner, but it was all I could manage.
    It was Drill Night at the fire station, my favorite night of the week. I debated calling in sick, my whole body was feeling wonky, but I knew I had to sack up and go. We haven't been able to do much beyond rig checks and meetings the last 4 weeks, so it was great to be able to practice gearing up. Once I was at the station, going through the rig check, playing with the fire trucks and SCBAs, I managed to ignore my rebellious body and focus on the tasks at hand. Despite it all, I put in my best times on gearing up in full Turnouts and SCBA. We have to be able to gear up in 2 minutes or less to pass the academy, tonight I hit PBRs: 1 min 52 sec and 1 min 47 sec, putting in the best times of anyone. I realized as we were setting out gear that it was much like the transition area of a Triathlon: set out the gear in a comprehensive manner, visualize the routine, don't rush and fumble, find your race pace. It helps me keep a level head, and work smoothly. True, when the day comes that I am putting on my gear for a real call, I am sure I will be far less composed, but practice makes perfect.
    60 hours until my next race, I am excited, eager, feeling ready. The wonky stomach is a bit problematic, but I will figure it out. The important thing is to relax and find my race pace.