Back At It After a Week Off

After a week off from any major physical activity, I resumed my marathon training schedule.

My previous workout was Friday, March 7 - a mere 40 minute BodyFlow yoga class. That afternoon, I left work early (I arrived early, so I left early), went home and took a 2 hour nap. Something was wrong, because I NEVER take naps - just ask Scott. By 7pm, I knew something was wrong and that I wouldn't be able to run my scheduled 18 mile run on Saturday.

I spent the next three days in bed, sleeping, or hacking and coughing, completely exhausted from the virus that overtook my body. I had a constant headache and by Sunday I couldn't breathe through my nose, even after taking copious amounts of Pseudophed - sure sign of a sinus problem. Normally after a day or two of rest, I start to feel significantly better. Not with this cold. I even called in sick from work on Monday. I don't recall the last time I did that.

Tuesday, I dragged myself into work - I had a meeting to run and other stuff to finish. The first two hours were not pretty, but then I started to perk up. I'm still hacking and coughing - folks down the hall stopped by to make sure I was OK. I'm taking decongestant meds every 4 hours, sucking down water, lemon-ginger-honey tea, soup, giving myself nasal rinses and wondering if I would ever feel "normal" again. Or more importantly, when would I be well enough to resume my running?

Finally, on Wednesday, I could tell I was starting to recover. My head is still plugged, but the coughing has subsided a bit (my co workers might beg to differ, but the coughing was no longer waking me up and night and stealing my sleep).

Wednesday night I make the decision that I'm going to run on Thursday. The catch - Thursday morning's projected temperature of 10 degF. Dan sent me an email stating he would start at 5:15 (ouch) if I wanted to join him and Naresh. Then I received an email from Naresh stating that he was flying out to Oregon and he would most likely forgo the morning run in favor of one at his destination. 10 degF in the frozen Champaign tundra vs. 60 degF in green Portland - I knew Portland was going to win out. I also knew that 10 degF would not be good for my mucus filled lungs, even with Dan's company.

Saving grace - Andy offered up a treadmill option at the Y. We met up at 5:45 for a quick 35 minute run. While I hate, hate, hate the "dreadmill", it was the right option that morning. I had company and didn't have to keep up with Andy's tempo pace (of 7 minute miles). My last previous run had come exactly a week before. The 35 minute, 3.5 mile run was nothing for the record books, but I ran the entire thing and didn't experience any coughing fits. Progress.

Miso Soup I ate while I was sick. This stuff is great when you're not feeling well.