Ad finem

Last week:

Monday - 11km
Wednesday - 11km
Friday - 17 km
Sunday - 6.5 km

I don't know how many of the fuckers displayed on the photo below have been living inside of me the last 6 months, but judging by the way I felt after taking the medicine last night, it was a lot.

Bilharzia is treated with a medicine called Praziquantel. The treatment is taken in one go. One big tablet for each 10 kgs you weigh. They are incredibly bitter so it is essential to swallow them whole and very quickly. And if they make you feel really sick shortly after eating them, then it means that they are killing the parasites.... As a bonus, an extremely unpleasant and bitter taste stays in the mouth for the entire day after taking the tablets. Bon appetit Ole.

My 17 km run on Friday was an exercise in willpower. I had felt heavy all day and a few minutes into the run, an intense heart burn decided to accompany me. Whether is was the veggie curry I had for lunch or the bilharzia, I don't know, but the heart burn surged back and forth and put me on the verge of vomiting a couple of times. I passed by our house 4 times on that run. Each time the temptation of stopping had to be overcome. It turned into one of those runs where completing it without walking becomes the only objective and finishing time and style, completely irrelevant. I got myself, my lead shoes and my heartburn back to the house in a little more than one and a half hours, feeling exhausted and nauseous. For me it is absolutely crucial to complete runs like these. Not only does it provide a unique feeling of accomplishment, it puts the determination and will power to the test. And if anything, that's what distance running is about. Determination and will power.

I'm not feeling great today, but I'll go for my scheduled 11km run this afternoon anyway. If nothing else just to prove to myself that I've got what it takes. Ad finem!


Marathon Madsen