Global warming is not getting it done this year. Our predicted high today of 33 is 50 degrees colder than a year ago. Granted, last year's winter and spring was crazy mild, but this year we continue to be stuck in a proverbial ice age. Another bit of pleasure that comes with this weather is illness. Last week, Wednesday, I got that sinking feeling that a cold was on its way. By that evening I was in full onset of respiratory distress. As luck would also have it, I had two days of out-of-town business travel to do. So I packed up my traveling pharmacy and headed southward for my business trip to western Tennessee.
The solitude and mind numbingly long drive gave some respite to my conditions. Therefore, when I arrived, between the milder temps in the upper 60's and a hotel treadmill that was older than me, I decided to take my scheduled run outside. Now my locale was not exactly a posh urban oasis. It was actually a rather small and quite rural Tennessee town that I was not familiar with at all. The hotel sat on the main stretch of highway so my roads were rather limited for running. Therefore, I changed to quickly my running clothes and jumped back in the car for a little recognisance on the area to locate a good running area. No to my surprised, options were rather limited. I did come across a pseudo park/baseball complex that gave as much promise as anywhere. So I hit the paths in and around the park. As I progressed along I came across a rather substantial cemetery that was adjoining. Hmmmm, nice paved paths almost too numerous to count, and little to no traffic, we had a bingo. I had found it a rather interesting running oasis with good visual distractions. As I ran amongst the headstones, you had interesting names, dates, monument configurations, and families plots to distract my from my efforts. I would not suggest this be the new fad but if your ever in a pinch to find good running locale try where they are all "laid" out.
Where as my run was good my health was not. Shortly after getting back to the hotel and for the entire Friday I felt just destroyed. Saturday was to be my first organized running race of the year. It was the Shamrock Shuffle 10k in Carmel, IN. Both my wife and I were to race. I had not mentioned that we were sharing the same ailments. We went to bed Friday with full anticipation that we were going to be a no show for the race. Much to both our surprises we awoke feeling not too shabby. We would give it a go. At the start of the race it was rather pleasant with conditions of 50 degrees, sunny and no wind. Shortly into the race I felt surprisingly very good and comfortable while clipping along at a great pace. Strangely, by the second 5k lap the weather had turned much cooler, cloudy and windy. It was serious foreshadowing. I finished the race well by placing 10th overall. Despite the preexisting conditions we were both really pleased with our performances. The turn in the weather made us bolt for the car quickly. Reality set back in quickly and my pleasantries quickly turned to utter distress as I proceeded to try and hack up a lung the rest of the weekend. We both ended up fully in firmed in the house for the St. Paddy's weekend.
My bronchial issues were severe enough that after conferring with my coach we decided it best to take a couple extra rest days to try and bounce back healthy rather than to continue to train and extend the illness. I missed two scheduled workouts. My first misses since I began training. As of today, I am now back to my program and closing in on 90% healed.
So from running amongst the dead to feeling like a dead man running my journey continues here in the ice age.
No comments:
Post a Comment