Seriously. The most chilling word combination I could have ever imagined in my life.

Saturday, I ate an Asian Tuna Salad from a local spot here in Raleigh.  So there was some raw fish involved.  And when you play with fire (raw fish) for long enough, eventually, your good luck runs out.  And mine did on Saturday night.

Saturday around midnight, before I found drunky moneky in the street (see the post), my tummy started aching.  Which isn’t totally rare for me, I was a colicky baby, and it never left me.  I popped a Gas-X (sorry, TMI, I know), and lay down on the couch.  And woke up in agony a few hours later.  It wasn’t just gas.  And it just got worse and worse and worse, especially after I got back home around 4 am.  I played games on my iPhone.  I used the facilities.  I tried to read (but the room was spinning).  And I couldn’t sleep a wink.

The problem with food poisoning, besides the fact that it freaking blows and it’s miserable, is that it dehydrates you, and in my case, rendered me completely unable to safely run my long run on Sunday.  Not wanting to completely derail my training, I hydrated all day Sunday, nursed the nausea, and woke up around 5 am on Monday to run long.  And despite the itty bitty bit of nausea I still had, it went really well, and took my mind off the profound misery I’d suffered for a few hours.

If you find your self suffering from food poisoning and you’re mid-marathon training,

• Take time off.  You’re horribly dehydrated and the last thing you want is a fainting spell or a stint in the hospital to completely sideline you.
• Hydrate.  It’s absolutely disgusting, and you’re probably not in the mood, but you’re pooping and vomiting all your water, electrolytes, and nutrients out.  Your body needs those to heal and get back to activity.  If you can stomach a few swallows of watered-down Gatorade or Nuun to replace some of those electrolytes, even better. 
• A friend reminded me of those one.  The BRAT diet.  Bananas, or broth, rice, apple sauce, and toast.  You’re really not going to want much else, but these bland foods will keep your body focused on healing, and not digesting something ridiculous that you’ve chosen to eat.
• Keep it bland for a while.  Everything.  Don’t try any new, interesting workouts.  It’s not the time for nachos.  Don’t go to hot yoga.  Don’t go to crossfit.  Keep the workouts simple for the next week or so.   Go to bed early.
• No beer.
• And while you’re sick, wash your hands.  On top of the misery you feel, you don’t need more disease from throwing up and the other thing, and not washing your hands.

No more raw fish for me for a while.  Woof. Woof. Woof.