Deja Spew

[The first two paragraphs of this entry were written on the plane yesterday with the intention of adding it post swim but jet lag has found me a spare 30 minutes so it is being added pre-swim. Also this particular keyboard has very small keys for my fat fingers so apologies for spelling mistakes].

It's happened again. Two challenges undertaken and twice I have been very sick two days beforehand. At least I now know what is causing it - my own stupidity. I am pretty sure I have essentially been poisoning myself with nuts and seeds by eating too many in one go from a sudden panic that I have not put on enough calories to face cold conditions. The symptoms are consistent (if you don't like stories about bodily functions go to the next paragraph now). I wake up fine, about an hour later I start doing sick tasting burps and another couple of hours later I start to be sick - painfully but not violently. This can continue for hours with good spells when I have to try to get everything done (pack, drive etc) and bad spells when I am bent double and feel like somebody has hit me in the stomach with a baseball bat. Then comes the moment of most pain and yet, perversely, the moment I most look forward to. The "big one", when my stomach empties itself with such power that bile leaves through any facial cavity it can find (including eye sockets). Then calm - like the flicking of a switch all the pain and discomfort is immediately gone. Today the "big one" came at 5am - two hours before setting off for the flight.

So now I know what is causing it it should never happen in the future. That is my hope but my fear is I have gone Pavlov's dog on this and sickness will be part of my build up to each challenge. Health food should come with warnings. I might do a documentary style film where I only eat nuts and seeds in excessive portions all the time until I am so ill somebody insists I go to McDonald's.

Additional paragraph - quick pre-swim update. The wetsuit arrived and it fits so that is one worry down. I have spoken to Gary and he is all set so that is two worries down. Gary told me that he took a group out yesterday and the water was so rough they could not finish the swim, so that is one worry back up. Gary also told me that the route we are doing is the one that follows the Escape from Alcatraz Ironman Triathlon swim, which is worry neutral. So 2-1 to less worries, I'd have taken that result at the start of play, y'know.