Exercise is never easy and the limits to how much one can exercise will vary by person. With age comes a decrease in this range and your risk of injury tends to increase. Injury recovery increases with advancement in age. At this point most of you are like duh, I am ready for something interesting that I don't already know. Wait for it. When exercising, there is always a level of discomfort. Unfortunately, our bodies are built in a way that its this level of discomfort that must be endured for a period of time in order to increase performance by rebuilding itself stronger from its previous state. Many will say that capability of exceeding this pain threshold the longest makes for elite athletes during and in preparation for competition. The interesting part becomes in that you can push too far, do not let the body rebuild or recover, or cause physical damage that requires extended convalescence.
My coach sent out an email about a week a go with a statement I found to be interesting. He asked us if you know what is pain and what is hurt, you should. With the type of training we have been doing this line can be blurred and often more so by our mindset but its one that you must be cognizant of. A hamstring can be sore or it can be pulled or even worse detached. All of these have a consequence. Knock on wood, I have not had serious physical issues such as others I have known who endured stress fractures, torn rotators, meniscus issues etc. Failure to recognize the onset of physical ailments can seriously compromise an entire season. With my age (I hate typing that) injury can be a total derailment to the goal. Its also partly why I chose to pursue this now. You never know where you will be physically in a year for the next race.
My issue for the week began with a tickle in my throat during the Superbowl. NO it was not due to the power outage. That tickle quickly progressed in to a full cold early Monday AM. Following my ride at 5:30 AM I went straight to CVS and collected my walking pharmacy in an effort to reverse the onslaught. The good news as of this Wednesday AM is that the tide was somewhat stymied. I have congestion, bit of hack here and there, and lungs definitely not full go but I am functioning with no increased symptoms and feeling OK. I have also maintained every planned workout so far including 4.5 miles outside last night in the 32 degrees. I am being very cognizant of all my symptoms and their level of intensity so as to not push myself to a level of sick that will cause extended circumstances or worsen my health. I am in hopes of maintaining till Friday where I am scheduled for a full rest and recovery day that will push me back to a better place or closer to healed. Therefore, I would say I have pain but not hurt. Albeit medicating for the pain.
Current Regimen:
Mucinex
Cold Ease
Extra Vitamin Dosages
Extra Rest
Plenty of Clear Liquids (had to take a pee break twice while typing this)
tea with honey
Vicks Vapor Rub
Eating Tons of Fruit
Chicken Noodle Soup
Extra Electrolytes
Steamy Showers to loosen chest and head
Any other sure fire cold remedies are welcome for me and all to read in this season of crud.
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