My Body Spoke to Me!

The Morning Cramp

One morning at work, I drank some cold water and felt a cramp in my stomach shortly after. I attributed it to my usual habit of drinking warm green tea. Dismissing the discomfort, I carried on with my day, looking forward to my long run.

The Sluggish Run

I started my run feeling good. The weather was warm and the thought of ending with a swim at the beach kept me motivated. However, 8 kilometers in, I started to feel sluggish and my muscles ached. I wondered if it was the Delayed Onset of Muscle Stiffness (DOMS) from the strength training I'd done two days prior.

Trapped between transport stops, I had no choice but to continue. I noticed empty banana box in the middle of the road and, after waiting for traffic to clear, picked it up to prevent a possible accident. A city council truck driver told me to throw it in the back of his truck, which I did. After this, my sluggishness disappeared and I continued my run, now only 3 kilometers from the ocean.

The Refreshing Swim

The cool ocean water felt refreshing. I floated on my back, looking at the sky and the mountains. But after my 15-minute swim and on the bus ride home, I felt queasy and my muscles started to ache again. The walk from the bus stop to my house felt longer than ever. I ended up taking a warm bath with magnesium salts and bath soak.

The Feverish Recovery

Needless to say, I was flat out for two days. My temperature had shot up to 38.79 degrees Celsius. I took meds and fluids as I realized that was the best option.

The Lesson Learned

In retrospect, I didn't listen to my body. Though I didn't want to miss out on my training run or swim, I should have. The outcome might have been the same, but it's always better to listen to your body.

Did I listen to my body? NO. I thought I knew better, also I did not want to miss out on my training run nor the swim. Should I have listened? YES. Would the outcome have been different? I am not sure, I do however know, listening to your body is always best.