This stomach bug is for the birds...

Not exactly sure what has been going on with me lately but my stomach and body are super mad at me. Monday, I got hit with by far the worse stomach bug/flu I have ever had in my life. I come down with the sniffles, coughs and etc, a couple of times a year, due to the fact I work in the general public, especially during the holidays, BUT I never get a stomach issue. Well that never became a reality this past week. Monday I was hit so bad, I was down for the count all day, literally head in bowl for the whole day. Tuesday, I started to feel a little bit better, but was so weak, I slept for most of the day and that was it, but I had to admit, the rest was nice. Yesterday, I went to work and actually put in a 10 hour day because I felt I had so much to catch up on because I was out for all of Monday. I woke up yesterday with the idea I was going to do a short run, I am stubborn and believed I was okay and it was a phase, everyone told me just rest, its okay to rest. When I got up yesterday, I was still not right. My stomach was in pain, felt tight, and just was queasy, so stomping my feet like a child on the inside, I stayed indoors and didn't run.

All day at work, I felt just off. My stomach really was bothering me. I wasn't even hungry. All I ate at work was a Questbar and a Bottle of Ginger Ale, not diet either, which killed me. The Questbar was all I had and was able to get down. I didn't even eat it, until almost 6:00 o'clock, something is really off. I got home and the pain was settling in even more. My amazing boyfriend, picked me up the biggest bowl of chicken noodle soup with some saltines. How lucky am I??!! I ate it slowly and it seemed to help for a bit. But the pain was there and I just wasn't myself. I went to bed and as per a lot of peoples request was to use my day off today as another rest day, not the 10 miles I had previously planned.

So here I am, not running, and resting.

I hate the fact that is my day off and I wasn't up at 5 to go run 10 miles. I know physically I probably couldn't do it. My stomach is still queasy, I still feel very low on energy and my appetite is still not there, I truly feel out of it. But mentally I am there, mentally I am putting on my shoes, running those miles, feeling the sun and the wind, taking it all in, but I know my body needs it, the rest that is, but my pride not so much. I pride myself that I run at least 3-4 sometimes 5 times a week and in my training I have moved up to 10 miles, but this week has been such a slap in the face. I have never gone a week without running 4 days in a row, this is all new to me, this eager feeling but in my gut knowing  I shouldn't.

Running is my passion and it does take a toll on your body. So when the time is needed and right a rest day is well needed. I never want to do this to my body again, yes, this is all out of my control, this stomach bug came out of nowhere and I want it to remain out of a sight forever. I can tell you though, I can not wait to lace up my running shoes and go. I'm hoping today is the last of this horrible bug and I am fully 100% back to normal tomorrow.

So this sounds like a baby rant, but I had to get it out there. I am usually a strong person, but when I get sick, everything goes down the drain and I am a total baby.

How do you handle rest days??