Welcome to Wednesday Word, a weekly linkup for everyone, not just health and fitness bloggers. Each Wednesday you will have a single word prompt to write about.  Let your imagination run free and share with your readers your interpretation of that word, or simply use it as inspiration for your post. Today’s word is delirious…..  I’d love to have you link up, and if you do, please remember to follow my six simple rules.

WednesdayWordDelirious2
 

Delirious – very excited;
not able to think or speak clearly
especially because of fever or other illness
~ Merriam-Webster

  

Several years ago, my friend Ed ran the Western States 100 Endurance Run and became somewhat delirious early in the race between miles thirty and thirty-five. Ed noticed that runners he had previously passed were now passing him and he didn’t have it in himself either physically or mentally to pickup his pace. Not sure that he would even make it to the next aid station, Ed pressed on hoping not to be carried out on a stretcher. Sheer gutting it out got Ed to that next aid station where volunteers realized that Ed had been drinking water exclusively and hadn’t had Gatorade or a similar sports drink. To get the much-needed sodium into him quickly, they fed him a salty soup. Ed’s symptoms of confusion, severe exhaustion, and inability to communicate what was wrong were typical of an electrolyte imbalance, and went away almost immediately once he ate the soup. These imbalances can often happen to people sweating profusely, while not properly replacing lost sodium and potassium, two of the most important electrolytes. 

I suppose you could say that Ed experienced two types of deliriousness that weekend – first he was deliriously happy to to be running in the Western States 100 after having qualified at the JFK 50-Miler and then he became temporarily delirious due to his electrolyte imbalance. Fortunately the latter was a pretty quick fix and Ed perked right up, and added Gatorade to his hydration practice for the rest of the race. Ed went on to finish the race in under twenty-four hours and earned the coveted belt buckle – bringing on, I’m sure, another round of delirious happiness!

 

What makes you deliriously happy?

 

Grab My Button!

Deb Runs
 
 


Next Wednesday’s Word: Juxtaposition