Thursday, March 15, 2007

The rhinovirus smackdown

Remember yesterday, when I said:
"I'm telling myself that I might have a cold on race day, and would that stop me from showing up at the starting line? No way!"
That will teach me to boast.

I got ready to drive down to my running road and the skies parted. It wasn't just a little sprinkle – it was pouring rain. Remember that I wasn't eager to do this run anyway. I went back in the house, changed to shorts and a t-shirt and thought I would just suck it up and do the tempo run on the treadmill. While listening to the rain. Grrrrr.

I walked the first mile, no problem, cranked the speed up to 4.8mph [which is a 12:30 pace, as prescribed] and barely made it through another mile. I had to stop once to blow my nose and twice to drink water and I pushed myself to keep going until I'd been on there for 30 minutes and then I gave up.

Today I'm supposed to do one of those "easy" four-mile runs. I'm not promising anything.

After I got off the treadmill in utter defeat, I showered, changed into comfy yoga pants, wool socks and a sweatshirt and finished knitting the ski cap. It was 72° here yesterday afternoon, and I was freeeeeeezing! I thought about trying to just walk outside, but I really was so, so tired, and so chained to a box of Kleenex, that I just settled into the couch. By 7 p.m. I'd moved to my bed and I didn't wake up until 8 this morning.

I do feel better this morning, proving that I needed the rest. Or that I'm lazy – you make the call. But I don't know if I feel better enough to run. That's probably pushing it.

Don't you just hate whiny posts?

I wasn't too sick to take pictures of the cap. I know it would look better modeled by my son-in-law than by wadded-up plastic grocery bags. But he's in another state. I hope he likes it as well as he did the first one. I know I do!

Forty-four days until race day.

2 comments:

Jack Sprat said...

Debbi:

Congrats... only the truly HARD CORE push themselves to keep physically active when they're feeling sick! Lots of us might just throw in the towel and grab a box of donuts. You, by contrast, not only had a Plan A, but also had a Plan B. My guess is you're secretly becoming an athlete. Yep. You!

I sure hope you feel better soon!

-J

M@rla said...

I LOVE whiney posts! I hope you get through this awful thing faster than I did, it seems to have knocked down half the country.