An Interesting Week

It was a very interesting week indeed.  Just a few hours after establishing a PR on a 13.1 mile training run, I haver chest pains and shortness of breath and ended up at the ER.  Seven hours later and after many tests completed in between episodes of being almost completely unable to breath, I am diagnosed with pericarditis, a swelling and irritation of the thin sac-like membrane that surrounds your heart caused by a viral infection.

The good news is that as a viral infection it just needs to run its course in one or two weeks.  The bad news is that I have the Team Ortho Monster Dash 1/2 marathon in just 6 days and the New York Marathon a week after that.  The former is the fifth of five events I have signed up with Team Ortho for the year and one in which I have been engaged in no small amount of trash talk with another runner, who we will call Daniel, and to which I can't possibly not show up.  The later is well, the New York City Marathon.

During my time at the ER, I had a chance to be fed, and this being a blog about food and running I thought I should give them an appropriate review.  With a co-pay of $100 for the ER, I thought the price of the meal was pretty stiff.  More so given the quality and lack of choices.

The appetizer of ice chips lacked flavor and was the only item served for several hours.  The only other item served as hors d'oeuvres was pasty like syrup that tasted like medicine, since it was.  These are probably planned to make anything following it like heaven.

The main course was a turkey sandwich on wheat (no chips other than ice chips) although it was served with a nice cold carton of 1% milk, a suggestion of the sommelier/nurse.  The bread was fresh and the turkey moist.  If the mayo and mustard were home-made, it must have taken them quite a long time in the kitchen to put them into the little pouches.  This must be the reason why it took so long to bring the sandwich.

Dessert was a vanilla pudding served in a plastic cup that took a lot of work to open, more so given their insistence on me wearing an oxymeter on my index finger at all times (perhaps a hidden camera strength test?)  Again, after seven hours waiting, it tastes pretty good.  Still, I would definitely advice against visiting this establishment at all cost.  While the service was excellent (particular kudos to nurse Bridget who waited on us), it was rather slow.

Anyway, I leave the ER still with some shortness of breath.  It was interesting that instead of mints, they give you Ibuprofen that you have to take for a whole week.  I did and it did nothing for my breath.

Six days later, my doctor clears me to run the Monster Dash on Saturday.  I am wearing a mast created by artist extraordinaire Mat Ollig, which surprisingly neither bothers me during the run nor affects my performance.  I give it all my might and it pays off.  While my official time is yet to post (interference thanks to my insistence on running wearing chips from all the Team Ortho races for the 2011 series).  I finish 13.1 in record time for a 1/2 marathon race.  My final time is 1:42:53 (7:47 min/mile).  Most important, 15 seconds ahead of my trash talking buddy (a good 15 years my junior).  Then again my time is not yet official, so the tables could soon turn.

The race was indeed terrific.  The course was changed just a few weeks before the race and moved from Minneapolis to St Paul.  The new course was all downhill (I believe they said 400 foot drop) and vey fast.  Notice the green line on the elevation chart below.  It was also very well organized with lost of entertainment (including the costumes worn by the runners) and with excellent weather.

 
This race also served as a retirement run.  I retire my shoes after 400 miles and my pair of Saucony Hurricane after 71 runs had reached that milestone (pun absolutely intended).  They were good shoes and accompanied me for four of the five Team Ortho races.  May they rest in peace.

To top it all, we followed the race with breakfast at Elsie's, a bowling alley that has become a post race tradition of ours.  Their breakfast is traditional American, but perfectly executed.  I opted for the off-the-menu Eggs Benedict with sausage patties instead of Canadian bacon (as if that was really bacon).  This breakfast has proved to replenish all the carbs and calories lost during any distance run.

So an interesting week indeed.  Now another week of tapering before the New York Marathon.  Hoping for less excitement there.  I leave you with some of the costumes we saw at the race.  Not even the best ones, but a fair sample I was able to capture at the finish line as we were waiting for our friends to join us.

Three devil girls who agreed to post with me

The drag while running with this must have been incredible

One of my favorites

Of course I had to capture this one.  Was her name Siri?