routines = positive outcomes

So I felt bad to have not blogged at all as promised throughout my training process. In order to entertain my readers I thought I'd make my 12 mile run fairly dramatic for you...so I almost past out. Just to give you something to read about...how nice of me right?
OK...so the drama was unplanned and unwelcome but did happen just the same. This morning was PERFECT for a 12 mile run - decent temperature, low humidity and good cloud cover with a slight breeze - can I order that for labor day weekend in VA Beach please? The 12 miler was great - I felt good, other than my one hip which was a pain in the @#$%* but I finished feeling good - mentally and physically!
My title for the post is what I learned today - keeping to routines equals positive outcomes...deviating from them are not quite as good of an idea.

My routines -
RUN and follow coaches directions for walk breaks/speed etc. -check!

Eat fruit punch sports beans every 45mins or so to refuel along the course - kinda check! (first mistake seen in hindsight - I ate my beans at 45 mins and 1hr 40 mins...I should have eaten them again at 2:25 but I knew how close I was to being finished at that point so I decided to save my dollar bag o beans and skip the food.)

Return from run and eat some goodies at the park - check! (I had an awesome blueberry muffin from Cafe scossa and some meat and cheese.)

Wait for other runners to finish and head to the bagel bakery for an ET bagel with egg, bacon and cheese - OJ and large coffee. (THIS IS WHERE IT ALL WENT WRONG!)

Since my full marathon bagel bakery buddies had to run an extra 6 miles more than me today and because a friend from PA was coming to visit so I'd be short on time to eat at the bagel bakery - I opted to go home and shower, head back to the park and wait for my girls then eat breakfast. This planned worked out fairly well until after 20 mins or so after arriving back at the park showered and feeling refreshed I began to feel light headed and nauseas. If you know ANYTHING about me, you know NOTHING is worse to me than feeling like I'm going to puke. I tried breathing through it and then told Lea Ann I was feeling weird. She tried to get me to sit but I refused. Then I felt like I was going to be sick so I tried heading for the car - I wanted to save face and not puke in front of people. I took about two steps before she arrived with water and made me sit only seconds before my legs gave out anyway. I felt like I was in a tunnel and everyone's voices got fuzzy. Amy ran over with wet paper towels and ice - we went over who they could call to come get me and what I ate since I stopped running - roughly 90 mins ago. They decided it was low blood sugar. I shared that I had not gone to the bagel bakery right after as I have been doing now after every run each season and it all clicked. After some orange slices and grapes - and sitting with ice on my face and neck I felt MUCH better - and needless to say took myself to the bagel bakery. I didn't even make it out of the parking lot before my oj was open and half gone!
I arrived back home to my friend sitting in front of my house waiting for me...oops on timing! I was SO thankful for Amy and Lea Ann this AM - for figuring out what was wrong with me as well as helping me through it. I am SO thankful that didn't happen at home or while I was in the shower - or driving for that matter. That's the one thing that really hit home today about living alone - no one would know if I wasn't ok! Scary.
Other than a decent headache and normal stiffness/soreness in my knees and hips I am feeling just fine.
What lesson did I learn - DON'T skip the sports beans at the end of a run just to save $1 and stick to your routine - I wanted so bad to wait for my girls to eat but waiting 2 hours was NOT what my body needed - and it clearly showed me that today.