Hour 60

it is only fitting that i started to post about the impaired mental processing that comes with the third night….
.
then i accidentally lost the post and couldnt find it.
because the third night issues are not running issues.
they are issues caused by being essentially awake for three days.
.
there are visual issues.
swimming dots and double vision.
there are problems of over-processing visual information.
a stump becomes a bear.
a mailbox becomes a clown….
.
these are popularly referred to as “hallucinations” by runners,
but they are not really hallucinations
you know they are not bears and clowns.
but you have to look closely to figure out what you really see..
and,
worst of all,
is impaired mental processes.
you have difficulty focusing
difficulty performing simple mental tasks
god forbid you try to work any math problem in your head.
.
and, ultimately, difficulty remembering what you are doing.
.
the runners who have managed to get at least some naps
will have a better chance of functioning well enough to keep running.
those who do not manage to sleep at all are going to run into problems.
which is where i stand right now.
35 minutes of cumulative sleep since saturday morning.
it is about time for a nap.