2009 Cross Nationals… good-bad-ugly!

I tried to get well and was actually feeling a little better in time to start the Masters 30-34 race on Saturday. I didn’t have a horrid start position and while I got swarmed a bit at the start I was able to methodically move into the top ten. While I expected the course to be typical of Bend—lame, it turned out to be quite challenging and fun albeit a little short and lacking any open power sections which are more to my advantage. Needing only a couple more laps to crack the top five I had to settle for 8th on the day.

Saturday night was stricken with a terrible fever. Staying with a friend, I became so cold that I couldn’t stand it. I got up in the wee hours and crawled into a hot bath that couldn’t touch the chill. I ended up passing out in the tub and only succeeded in waking up my gracious hosts. I literally stumbled back to bed hacking pink froth from my lungs. I piled every blanket and piece of clothing I could on top of myself only to pass out again. This time I awoke completely saturated in sweat but still chilled to the bone. This went on for most of the next three days until I summoned the strength to visit the urgent care and get some heavy duty antibiotics to combat the double pneumonia that had taken over my lungs.

Needless to say I wasn’t able to contest the Elite race on Sunday and thus concluded my season. It was the physical low ebb to what has been the most tumultuous year of my life and a disappointingly up and down ride! I stayed indoors the last couple weeks of the year and felt like a caged animal—ravenous to prove it all wrong but totally unable to do so… Thanks for all your support this year. Hopefully the new decade will bring hope and success to us all!