I just finished one of the worst runs I’ve experienced in a long time. It was likely the combination of lack of sleep, old age, stomach problems, jet lag, back soreness, and stiffness. I was a mile a minute slower than my slowest mile times and wanted to stop before each painful stride. Somehow, I made it through the 5k course and extended my running mission to 3,747 consecutive days, after seriously considering turning around at the half-mile mark and just running the minimum. I guess the thought of running that half-mile back seemed equally daunting, so I just kept chugging along the normal route. Many times after the first mile, I settle into a comfortable pace, but today it was a struggle right up to the last few steps.

My wife and I just returned from Thailand, so she woke up at 2:30 a.m. and eventually gave up trying to get back to sleep. I was up about every hour-and-a-half to go to the restroom. There was a sense of both relief and disappointment when the 6 a.m. alarm finally went off. I felt particularly sorry for my working wife who has a string of meetings today. I might at least get nap later, as even now I’m feeling sluggish and uninspired. To make matters worse, I’ve written all of this once already but my Word Press program crashed, failing to save any of the morning’s ramblings. This is take number two, so I’m just as frustrated with my writing as I was with running.

I looked up the symptoms of jet lag on the Mayo Clinic website. It’s certainly one of the hassles of travel, particularly after crossing multiple time zones. In the case of this trip, we were also dealing with the International Date Line and fourteen hours difference on the clock. It feels like the flu or a really bad hangover! Here are the key issues:

  • Disturbed sleep — such as insomnia, early waking or excessive sleepiness
  • Daytime fatigue
  • Difficulty concentrating or functioning at your usual level
  • Stomach problems, constipation or diarrhea
  • A general feeling of not being well
  • Mood changes

It also points out that the symptoms escalate when travel is in an easterly direction and through multiple time zones, as was the case with our return trip from Phuket. My wife’s body clock was telling her that it was not 2:30 a.m. but rather 4:30 p.m. the next day. For me, it was hard enough just to deal with the one hour Daylight Savings shift from a few weeks ago. It will take awhile to establish normal sleeping patterns, and consequently my daily running habit will also continue to suffer. It looks like we both have a lot to deal with, as we transition from total relaxation to utter disruption.

My mood changed quickly this morning after realizing that I would have to re-write my thoughts. I’m certainly not as patient as I might be with a good night’s sleep, and every task today will be like climbing a mountain. For example, my wife just called about next week’s trip to Chicago and flight changes I’ll need to make to coordinate with her corporate itinerary. It’s just another hassle to add to my growing list including vet appointments, mail delivery, taxes, budgeting, 401k changes, will preparation, broken eyeglasses, the need for a chiropractor, and dry cleaning issues. I still don’t feel well and stomach problems persist, so I’m not functioning at a usual level, as the Mayo Clinic findings support. My computer continues to drag – just like me. It’s simply jet lag and will be over in a few long days.