After 46 hours of nonstop standing this weekend at the record-breaking Interfraternity Council/Panehellenic Dance Marathon, dancers say life is basically back to normal -- it's just a little painful.

Catching up on sleep was a priority for some dancers, who skipped class in favor of sleep.

Dancer Philip Yinger (junior-biology) said he slept for nearly 24 hours after Thon.

Simon Holowatz, community health educator at University Health Services, said exhaustion is a serious issue.

"[Dancers] can try and get a lot of rest [beforehand]. The reality is you can't save up sleep. There's a sleep debt that people create," he said. "No one knows what the long-term effects are of not getting enough sleep."

Still, some dancers say they feel better after a long night of sleep.

"Today I'm feeling wonderful except for my left heel hurts a little bit -- that's it. Not much pain at all," Yinger said.

Lack of sleep and physical weakness caused mental confusion for some dancers.

"Honestly I'm, like, freaking out," Yinger said during Thon on Sunday morning. He described the feeling as "sensory overload."

"I don't know what's real and what's not," he said.

Looking back, he said, "It seemed like you were looking through a magnifying lens. It seemed like everything was more clear and bigger. I felt like I was moving in slow motion."

Dancer Christine Lack (junior-elementary education) spent the day sleeping and relaxing as well. The only pain she said she had was in her baby toe.

Exhausted, Lack said she fell asleep on the ride home from the Bryce Jordan Center.

Today, she showered, cleaned up her bag from Thon and looked through her Dancer Mail, which she was too dazed to read during Thon.

During Thon, "everything felt like a dream. It was kind of hazy," she said.

Lack said she does recall everything that happened during the weekend, but when it was happening, it didn't seem real.

She remembered reaching out to hold her friend's hand for stability and touching his hand jolted her back to reality.

Prayer helped Lack make it though the weekend. As a dancer for Campus Crusade for Christ, Lack said prayer "is such an intimate way to feel better and connect with God."

For dancer Jerry Livingston (senior-political science), hydrating and eating helped him make it through all 46 hours.

Today it's "back to business as usual," Livingston said about his job as president of Council of Commonwealth Student Governments (CCSG), which keeps him on his toes. After sleeping, a shower and a Three Stooges marathon, Livingston headed to the office to start on some CCSG work.

Both Lack and Livingston had scratchy voices from yelling over the noise at Thon.

Yinger, Lack and Livingston all plan on attending class today and getting life back to normal.

Holowatz said that dancers will probably not suffer any long-term damages.

One dancer was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center, Thon Overall Chairperson Michael Funk confirmed. However, he would not divulge many details. He did say, "she was in great condition," though she was kept at Mount Nittany for the duration of Thon as a precaution.

While many dancers suffered in the short term, they continued to push through until the end.

Livingston said it was worth it.

"I knew [Thon] would be life-altering and it was," he said. "It was one of the best honors I could have ever had in my entire life."