I have refrained from explaining my bathroom experiences this week up till now because they haven't really been a factor, but I have been noticing some problems.  I was prepared to go into cornfields to pee, or whatever needed to happen, but this whole week I haven't had to.  I spend the day drinking literally gallons of water, only to make it all the way home before even having an urge to urinate.  And I have been surprised that despite the massive amounts of fluid I try to take in, at the end of the day my pee is not just yellow, its brown.  I know that this is a sign of dehydration, and thats why I kicked up my fluid intake, but today the harsh realities of the week all came down on me.

I woke up groggy, which is to be expected at 4:00 am, went into the bathroom to take care of necessary business to avoid pooping in a cornfield, and found myself very nauseous.  I threw up several times and my body was shaking and felt extremely week.  I continued getting ready, taping up my feet and scrapes, packing the bag for the day, etc.  After drinking some gatorade, the nausea hadn't gone away, and I threw it right back up.  

That is when I had to make the difficult decision to stay home today.  I was fairly certain that my nausea wasn't from the gas station sandwich, since food poisoning usually comes on quicker than that, so I did some internet research as to why I was feeling the way I do.  I went through some ultra-marathon websites looking for people who had similar symptoms and I think I found an explanation.  Keep in mind, this is a self diagnosis, but it seemed to fit perfectly with my symptoms and causes.  I found that my nausea and light headedness as well as weakness may be from a combination of things:  obviously dehydration is a factor, as well as heat exhaustion, and I also found out that when going extreme distances the myoglobin produced by muscles breaking down can build up toxins that kidneys can't handle.  When combined with low electrolyte levels, the toxins in the kidney can basically make it so your urine is over-concentrated and makes you sick.  I wouldn't go as far as to say it was acute kidney failure, but I also wouldn't rule it out, especially if I had continued with the ride today in the heat.  

It is now 8 pm and I have spent the day resting, drinking gatorade as my stomach allows, and trying to eat things that will replenish my energy.  I can't say I feel 100% better, but I feel like after I get another good nights sleep tonight, that getting back on the road for the final day tomorrow is not out of the question.  I will be packing my gear, and preparing my board for the final ride after I finish this post.  I can't let myself end the ride today after all the miles I've put in.  Tomorrow is going to be rough, lots of hills and heat, but I have to give it a last effort.  Anna has the day off, so if I run into complications I can always call for help, but I feel like if I start early and take my time all day that I should be able to make it.  

It has been hard sitting at home today wishing I was riding, especially with the finish coming into basically my hometown today, but I really just don't think it would have been smart to ride.  I have added up the mileage for the week, and provided I finish tomorrows ride I will still have ridden enough miles to cross the state at its widest points.  Iowa is 310 miles across, and finishing tomorrow will put me at 316 miles for the week.  RAGBRAI snakes around and is 454 miles this year, so although I haven't completed RAGBRAI in its entirety, missing monday and friday, I will still have essentially skated the state in a week.

Thanks to everyone who has been encouraging me along the way.  The texts, emails, and pats on the back have made every mile just a little easier.  Hopefully I will b