Hitting the Bottom

It's been six days since Kona, and I woke up early this morning feeling like my throat was constricting (from my allergies).  I was quite worried, until I remembered that I was about one week out from my Ironman.  It is very typical for me to bottom out about a week after an ironman.  If I go back to the beginning of the year, I was in a really bad place for awhile after doing the 100 mile Snowdrop event.  It's quite common for me to go through a phase where I start thinking that I've got a terminal illness.  I went swimming yesterday and couldn't resist doing 100 yards hard.  100 yards. 1 minute and 26 seconds. It was a mistake.  I was wiped out the rest of the day.  My wife properly asks why we do such a thing to our bodies.  To a degree, she's correct.  On the other hand, as I recover, I will be even fitter than I was before. I just need to be patient.

No matter how many times I go through this, I typically forget about hitting the bottom, until it actually happens.  I don't fully understand the physiology of this, but it certainly may be adrenal in nature.  My allergies and sinus infection aren't helping, although on a positive note, I think it's now mostly the allergies.  I've always been prone to having more allergies when I'm very fatigued, which most likely relates to a decrease in my immune system function from training and, in this case, after a major race.

Of interest, I've gone back and forth over the years with supplements, and wonder if they might help. Of course, that's my body talking at this moment.  As soon as I feel better, it won't matter as much.  It's also very humbling to hit the bottom.  I can only wonder what people who suffer from any number of chronic illnesses feel like at a given moment, and how they manage to get along.  My wife's one of those people, and it's moments like this where I am even more impressed with how she's managed over the years.  I guess I understand. She can rise to the occasion for the things that matter the most to her, which have always been her kids.  She gets it done.  In many ways, I'm the same. If I needed to do something for my wife or kids right now, I would. On the other hand, we have to pay attention to the impact of not getting adequate rest. That's the key to making sure that I don't stay at the bottom!