A torrid time and the alternative Orange Run

Last week PIB hit me hard, in fact I'll rename it DOPIB - For those of you that don't know this phenomenon then you probably haven't done a long distance endurance event that entailed a big build up, huge amounts of anticipation, camaraderie and ultimately euphoric filled success. The down side is PIB (POST IRONMAN BLUES) or in my case this year DOPIB (DELAYED ONSET POST IRONMAN BLUES).

I had a torrid week, eating rubbish food (and lots of it), having drinks after work most nights and the only training I managed was one pathetic spin class. Oh woe is me!

I had it all worked out in my head though, I'd let it go on as it was until Saturday morning and then BANG back out on the bike with the group and a swift 4.4k brick run straight afterwards and then all would be right with the world and I'd be back on track. The only spanner in the works was a farewell drink on Friday night for a buddy heading off to Sao Paulo.

Drinks started at 5 p.m. and finished at about 1 a.m. Ooops! My alarm went off at 5 a.m. on Saturday morning and I dutifully got up and headed for the bathroom - it took me no more than a few minutes to realise I was somewhere between still being drunk and a hell of a hangover setting in. I SMS'd KK with my apologies and returned to bed - I spent the rest of the day nursing a hangover and feeling like an even bigger looser than I had all week. WHAT AN IDIOT.

Sunday morning came around, the alarm went of at 5 a.m. and the excuses started flowing through my brain but somehow I had to break this vicious cycle and soon found myself driving to Bukit Aman car par for a 21k run. Today was the Orange Run and since their tag line is FOREIGNERS NOT WELCOME I donned my orange Nike running kit and did my own alternative "Orange Run" alone to Sri Hartamas, round the petrol station and back again.

I felt awful but pegged on anyway only to get to the petrol station realising I'd forgotten to bring any money - a long drink out of the forecourt water tap and images of Cholera, Typhoid or worse ensued and it was back to Bukit Aman again. I was back at the car, although the last 3k were miserably hard and everything hurt but to my amazement it was my fastest ever run on this course.

So I'M BACK - although as I write this on Monday morning I'm very, VERY, very sore. Not to worry, this just reminds me not to let things slip quite so far again (not for a while anyway).