I guess if there was a good week to catch a nasty stomach bug during training, this was it. ...and even though it meant missing my long-run this week, a lost 20 miler isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. That's what tapers are for, right?
Interestingly enough, a couple decades back the practice of "carb depleting" was all the rage in distance running. Simply put, this theory claimed if you completely starve yourself of carbs (think Atkins) for a few days the week before a big run, your body will then increase it's capacity to absorb/store them in the days immediately following the starvation period. When timed properly in the days leading up to a marathon, lots of folks said the resulting increased glycogen stores helped them run faster races. True or not (much has been written on both sides), the theory is still out there and some folks still practice it.
All of this relates to me this week since I couldn't eat anything for the better part of two days, and my glycogen levels are probably where those of someone practicing this method would be. Of course, since I've also been depleted of every other nutrient, I'm in no shape to run for another day or two, but it will be interesting to see how I feel on my long run this weekend once I reload my carb stores (and everything else).
I've never been tempted to test this theory by choice, but given the circumstances, at least I can try and find some silver lining to this bout of the plague and see if I can't learn a little more about carb loading.
Week Log:
Monday - Off Day
Tuesday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Wednesday - 4.3 miles - Treadmill Death March
Thursday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Friday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Saturday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Sunday - Too sick to run (missed 20 miler)
TOTAL MILES: 38.3 Miles
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