Metro to Mountain Journal

Yesterday I was sick. I kept hoping that I would get up and write; but just didn't feel like it. Oddly enough, I think I found out what might have been the problem ...

Monday, after posting Metro to Mountain, I ran, walked the dog, played catch with the dog, went to Lowes, and then finally went to the grocery store. Somehow in the rush, I had forgotten to eat lunch and found myself grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Going down the snack aisle there was a store brand bag of Chec mix type of cereal/snack that was on sale. I went for it.

I was starving by the time I got home and opened the bag of mix and started eating while I was working on a map. Yuck. The mix had some kind of fake cheese coating. I thought I was getting the regular or traditional flavored mix so I was disappointed; but I was really hungry so I continued to eat the mix. I ate approximately three servings.

Amy came home at five and shortly after I started feeling bad. I did not eat supper. I just laid on the couch with an upset belly. I was freezing cold and could not get warm. Amy piled blankets on me and eventually even brought out the heating pad. I was sick.

I spent the night in the bathroom. Amy spent the night worrying about me. And Jake, the dog, spent the night confused why I was up, but not playing with him.

There was one other time recently that I can recall when I experienced the same type of symptoms.

In the summer of '09 when we were climbing the Colorado 14,000 foot peaks, we had only four peaks to go and we were familiar with each of them. We had just finished Castle Peak near Aspen and were headed toward Buena Vista for the Harvard/Columbia duo. While in town we did laundry for the last time and Amy got a burger from a local restaurant. They did not have any veggie options, so I stopped at the grocery. I bought a bag of flavored corn chips and proceeded to eat the entire bag.

Normally, I would never eat a big bag of chips, but I was craving salt and calories, so corn chips seemed like a good answer.

The next morning we were up and walking before the sun rose. We were acclimated and fit or we would have probably started at an even earlier hour, because climbing both peaks is a big day. I did not feel good leaving the trailhead and struggled as we climbed. I never got sick to my stomach; but wished I had. Finally, I made it to the top of Harvard; but still had to descend and then climb Columbia. There were many times on Columbia that I thought I was not going to make it; but just to be honest about it, that was not an option. We were in an isolated and very remote section of the mountain. The only good way off of the mountain was over the top. I belched my way to the top, one burp at a time, as Amy patiently waited on me.

After summitting we were caught in the rain on the descent. (If I had been moving normally, we probably would not have gotten wet.) Finally, we reached the vehicle. During my day long struggles I decided that it was my overindulgent bag of flavored corn chips that almost did me in. I swore off the chips.

Now, two years later, I found myself in a similar predicament. I would assume that I am allergic to the food dye that was added to the chips. Regardless, the bottom line is that we should not eat over processed foods, you just never know what you might be allergic to.

So yesterday, I did not feel as bad as I did while climbing Columbia and probably could have written; but Amy wrote me an excuse. She is a teacher, she can do that, you know! : )

Happy feeling better trails