Crisis Management

This past Thursday, I got a case of IBS, that's irritable bowel syndrome for those not in the know...not pleasant. It has been two years since my last flair up and back then, it lasted for close to 3 months. I was preparing myself for the long haul again but it miraculously diminished after 3 days, mostly because I think I have a grip on it now. Basically, you think about going to the bathroom 24/7 and I don't mean number one. Also, the thought of food and eating makes you nauseous; and if you do eat, you feel like puking and you can feel and hear the struggle in your stomach. Google it if you want to know more. I knew any plans for a social life would be out and then there was the problem of training. I had signed up to do a 10K on Sunday, a half marathon the following weekend, and then my last triathlon of the season in two weeks so I felt the pressure to train. Somehow I managed a 1:45 run with no water nor food but the last 10 minutes was pretty ugly. The next day, I managed a 45 minute swim before Mt. St. Helens blew. When Saturday rolled around, I was damn antsy, not being out of the house and no social outlet, I decided to go on a 3 hour ride. Let's just say one hour into it, I was in crisis management mode. My stomach was about to erupt, but I was bonking and needed food, but putting in food would fuel the volcano inside me. Yikes! So I drank a bit of water and took an electrolyte pill hoping that would do the trick with the bonk. All I had to do was make it up one more major climb and waiting for me at the top would be my throne. Climbing with a full load is not pleasant and after passing a chic on the way up, I must have looked vulnerable because she got right on my wheel. The last thing I wanted was company because I really needed the privacy to release some of the pressure in the form of gas but I couldn't drop her because I was bonked. I thought of turning around and saying, "look...if you must know, I'm gonna fart in your face the entire way up" but I just couldn't do it. Instead, I held it in and pulled her all the way to the top, where her boyfriend, had quite the smug look on his face when he saw his chic keeping pace with a pro looking dude. I'm sure I made his girlfriend look all that more appealing if you know what I mean. My reward was the bathroom and then some food. Then it was the bathroom again at the end of the ride, followed by a 4 mile run on the treadmill, 30 minutes of weight, the bathroom, and then a 2000 yard swim, and then surprisingly, no need to go to the bathroom. I was able to run the 10K the next day, pulling off a 37:39 on a very hilly course and finished 2nd overall in a weak field, but I'll take that considering...