Running with Mono

Two weeks ago, I found the reason I had been feeling so crappy lately: I have mono. Mono is a virus that is transmitted primarily through saliva- sharing drinks, meals, etc. Once you get mono, the virus is always in your system, but it is just inactive. It can be reactivated through physical exertion, compromising the immune system, and high stress. People that are infected with mono typically are exhausted all the time; and the only real remedy is lots and lots of sleep and rest. It can last from weeks to months and the severity of the symptoms range greatly.

It's affecting my running- I can't run on flat roads!

According to my blood test, this is the second time I have had mono, however I cannot remember when I would have had it the first time! My guess is that I got it reactivated either right before my CCC race (I was sick ALL raceweek) or the race pushed my immune system and bodily stress over the edge with the lack of sleep, physical exertion, weather, etc. The lines are blurry between race fatigue and mono fatigue, so I am unsure as to when I got it. However, my doctor said anywhere from four weeks ago to 2.5 months ago. I also apparently have Lyme disease, which is bacterial infection most commonly transmitted by tick bites (guess I should go bushwacking to find new trails!). It can be cured by early treatment of doxycycline antibiotics, but it also causes great fatigue. So, in short, there is a small party of virus and bacteria in me that is raging so hard I need to sleep all the time.

My heart was happy here

My best friends

I don't have too drastic of symptoms though. I'm tired, mostly in the afternoon, but with naps and long nights of sleep I'm fine. I can handle my schoolwork and my training and work. If I do too much in a day without much of a break then I get super fatigued, but I am exercising the concept of listening to my body. If I feel like I am digging myself in a hole or my run feels like more of a drag, then I will just turn around and wait for another day. Two wednesdays ago I was supposed to do mile repeats hard with a HR monitor to see where I was at. I only did 3/4 of the ones assigned. The third one was so much slower and I was so spent by then. During my recovery jogs in between I literally felt like I was going to fall asleep. So I stopped and just did my cool down. Thursday I did not run. I was so stressed and had three big tests spread over an 8 hour period of straight class & lab. It just wasn't going to happen when I got out of class at 8pm. All that weekend I was so exhausted and didn't have the time to run the miles given with all the sleep I needed.

These fall colors, unreal!

This past week I put in all my required miles, which felt like such an incredible accomplishment! However, my wednesday workout was again crap. But I am working on that! This weekend I took a little getaway to Tahoe. After work on Saturday night I drove up to the mountains and crashed on Rory Bosio's couch (She is the most generous and sweetest!). She had just finished a hospital shift so she spent the day sleeping in and other activities while I joined my coach Meghan Arbogast and Mark for a run. It was a lovely "22" miles (garmin read 21- were calling it 22) from Spooner lake, up to Marlette Lake, through the aspens to Snow Valley Peak, then back along the TRT course to Spooner.
My heart was soaring with happiness to run through the lovely trees, the fall colors, the glistening lake and smooth granite. I danced through the first 13 miles smiling, laughing, and skipping along.  However, I hit a wall of exhaustion. I normally never feel any fatigue from the altitude, but this was definitely due to my compromised immune system. My legs were fine, but I felt like I was sleepwalking at some points! It was a fabulous day and I loved running with Meghan. The next morning, I got to do a short loop in Rory's backyard up Donner pass and it was great! I felt way better and like I could do that loop again and again. It was sad to leave the mountains and head back to SLO, but it is like I am emotionally recharged.

Meghan charging ahead

Queen on her throne

It's hard because I have so many goals and obviously want to be the best I can be in several areas- school, running, and my job. It's hard that I am not consciously in control, my immune system is. I can't force myself to study for more than four hours at a time, which sets me back in the competition for As. My workouts, which before gave me such joy and accomplishment, are crap and a struggle. My long runs aren't all that long and I grow more tired as the miles go on. However, I guess this can be a sort of character building experience. It is so emotionally vexing to not be in control and frustrating to be trying so hard, but to no avail. It is also hard to deal with since I have not done anything in terms of causing injury, but I guess abide by time. A lesson in patience, which I am so bad with. I'll give it my best effort, but I guess eventually it will show.

Anyone up for a swim?

As Reality Sets Back In...

The Pacific Ocean.

I don't quite know how to out into words how deeply I have been affected by my stay in the mountains. It has been just over a month since my race and nearly 2.5 weeks that I have been back in San Luis obispo CA. Every night I dream I am still in the Alps. I climb higher. Snow is crunching under my shoes as the morning sunrise filters in. I laugh and smile, filled with joy to be sharing this moment with a friend who is just ahead. At the top of Brevent we rest a moment, make breakfast plans and then take off down the endless switchbacks at top speed. We are dancing, leaping, singing... I have picked nearly a bouquet of flowers and placed them all in my hair. "J'aimerai une cappuccino et croissant" echoes through my mind...
Waking up is hard. It's hot and stuffy in my apartment and I look out my window to see the neighborhood frat stars picking up red cups in their backyard. Sadly, there will be no croissant or sunrise mountain summit. My day will instead be consumed with frantically studying and desperately trying to remember how to draw the chemical mechanisms for glycolysis.

Sunrise Summit in SLO instead

It's really hard to be back from a magical dreamland place. As a young, imaginative, impressionable, wide eyed person, I was drawn in by the allure of the people, the tall mountains, and euro culture. I have already begun to plan my return.
But I must accept it and find joy in other things for the time being. My memories and dreams serve as motivation to finish my undergrad degree, work hard and diligently at my job, and gain more running experience so I can soon be back in France.
It hasn't all been terrible; I really shouldn't be complaining. I go to a very good school with great trails. My job was waiting for me when I got back, and everybody I work with makes me so happy all the time. My classes are very fascinating (which also makes them incredibly hard) but my professors are supportive and super cool.

Girl Power Rocks!

Since the race, I have felt exhausted all the time. To quote Rory, "I feel like I am dragging a piano behind me". At first I thought I wasn't recovering well and that the race had taken a lot more out of me than I thought. Then I thought, okay. A month later? It must be my iron. I have been sleeping whenever possible: long nights and naps all the time. Turns out, I have mono. This explains quite a lot- while I have had some quality training sessions, many of my runs have been dragging, slow, hard and I haven't been able to hit a groove. It's very frustrating, as this is my escape back into the dreamland, and I have so much work to do with my busy school schedule.

Workout Wednesday!

Despite the sickness, I am still kicking. I'm highly functional. I've been hitting the track weekly and the fast pace is exhilarating and consistent. It's exciting how "comfortable" it feels. Though it most always means I am wicked sore the next two days! I am also back to long runs with Tera Dube, my boss and super rad ultra runner. Just this past Saturday we ran 20 miles out at Santa Margarita Lake, which is just outside of slo. It was beautiful and all new trails! Yippee! A couple of other women (and one guy; girl power yeah!) joined us, including "Lil D" Denise Bourassa. I felt like a wuss for dragging at some points since she just finished the Ultra Grand Slam in a dominant fashion, but her ultra experience is so widespread and she is a pro, after all...

Oh Oh those summer nights!

I am psyched to continue working with Meghan as I prepare to tackle the TNF endurance challenge 50mi in December. (Fun fact of the day: TNF EC 10km in 2011 was my first trail race. Boy was it a big time learning experience!) though I am still not 100% and this mono is seriously putting a damper on my training volume & quality, I can't express how happy I am to have Meghan as my coach. I've never felt stronger or been able to execute training quite like this before. My race was unreal and I attribute my ability to finish it to the great coaching & melodious way we can work together. 2015 is still in the works, but we will come up with something challenging, adventurous and exciting!

New trails lead to new views

My beautiful RNA isolation 2nd to right.

Well, I have a genetic engineering biotechnology and metabolism midterm this Thursday so I must get back to studying... Stay tuned! Très bisous!