The Cleveland Half Wheezies

My calves and I are itching for a recovery run!

So, then, why have I let two days pass? Well, I have the Cleveland Half Marathon wheezies.

Part way through Sunday’s race, I started feeling a little chest-wheezy, and I teetered on the brink of something all day Monday. Am I getting sick?

I’ve heard that a few other people had similar symptoms, so I thought I’d share the gross details as a kind of PSA.

It was almost impossible to breathe deeply on Sunday and Monday, and I felt just plain beat, a little achy (more sick achy than post-race achy) and just almost, almost, almost stuffy. This must be some kind of running pneumonia, eh?

I came home after work on Monday, made some chicken and brown rice soup, slurped it down and napped away until How I Met Your Mother. Then I just slouched on the couch, sending notes to friends on Facebook until it was time for bed.

We’re still in Stow until we move this weekend, so I had to do the way-early morning thing again, and I had one heck of a time peeling myself out of bed. I’ve been slogging down hot tea all morning and think I’m seeing this thing break. Away with the wheezies!

Moral of the story: I think I’ll take a slight jog tonight and start looking for recovery hereafter. I mean, I do have to train for a marathon here….

You’re Not Welcomed Here…

…is what I said to the momentary cold, flu, allergies, whatever that wiped me out for most of Tuesday.

I woke up really whipped and wrote it off as carried-over exhaustion from the weekend’s running. But by 10 a.m. it felt like much more than that. My throat hurt. I felt on the verge of being stuffy. My head went fuzzy from time to time. It was all I could not to nap at my desk. I still don’t know how I kept my eyes open.

My race-week schedule had me running some short distance (5-6 miles) on Tuesday, and I promised myself I would do it. After a short nap.

I fell asleep around 5 p.m. and was CERTAIN I would wake up with the flu. This thing just didn’t seem shakable. And when I woke up an hour later, I still felt like poop. So I ate.

What do you do when you’re under the weather? I know there’s the old feed this/starve that, but if my stomach is even close to A-OK, it’s getting fed. Perhaps it’s the spike in blood sugar or sheer hunger-related satisfaction that makes me feel better (if only for a moment). Whatever it is, it works.

Two soy butter and fruit spread (a.k.a. peanut butter and jelly) on toasted multigrain English muffins later, my stomach was happy! I picked up my computer and plugged away at work to the tune of the Indians game. And two hours later, I felt almost fine.

Which leads me to ask (pardon the language): WTF?

It’s like my body just wanted to give me a race-week scare. “So, you think you’re ready for 13.1 miles? Ha! Try it sick as a hippo!”

Most people who know my "I'm not sick and I don't need to rest.... ever" attitude will be surprised to learn that I didn't run. You read that right. I stayed in. I rested. What do you know? I feel better. I think.

This morning wasn’t as bad as Tuesday; I hope the progress continues. The rain, however, seems to be in on the joke, and it will likely dampen tonight’s miles.

Oh well. I only have tonight and Thursday night runs before I rest. And then, I don’t know, maybe I’ll take a 13.1-mile stroll around Cleveland on Sunday. Just for kicks and pride.

This is the Flu That Never Ends…

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly two weeks since the half marathon and, therefore, just as long since this sickness began. I’ve lost my voice and about 30 pounds in mucus over the past two weeks (too much info?). I’m still wholly convinced that this is a ploy by my body to keep me from running.

And it’s been working for the most part. This week I walked for about 3-4 miles twice at 14-15:00/mile, and have felt pretty peachy before, during and after each walk. At least my yoga and weight-training have never been better. My calf feels a little sore in the morning sometimes, but nothing as painful as pre-half times. In fact, it used to hurt to the touch, which made it really difficult to stretch, do yoga or even scratch my leg.

So, can you keep a secret? I tried running for about three strides on Tuesday night. It felt great. No pain at all! But I’m sticking to my prescribed healing period. My mantra has been what Landon said to me the last time I was injured: the miles I forsake now while healing will be fewer than the miles I would miss if I didn’t let my injury heal. And if all else fails, I can always become a speed walker and go to the Olympics.

Review Time: The Neck Test

I had my running bag in tow when I visited my mom this weekend with the hope that I could wake up early on Sunday and take a jog. But then there was that snow. I was too sick yesterday to do much more than complain, so I missed that day as well.

And here I am on Tuesday, longing for the swim and/or run I should have had today. Whenever I’m ill I weigh the benefits of exercising and consistently come back to the “neck test.” It’s the only thing that leads toward the right thing to do:

Doctors and people who know more about these things say that of your cold is above the neck (sneezy, runny nose and headache), you can exercise and could benefit from a short, easy workout. On the other hand, colds that affect your body below the neck (hacking chest cough, upset stomach, fever), resting is the right choice.

So it happens: I’ve been resting. I’m actually itching to get outside and run. It’s been three days!

This has been one crazy year: I have never been sick this many times. In fact, I’ve never been sick as much as I have been since I began working in my current office. They keep telling me that my biohazard suit will harm morale and that wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves on a regular basis would bum people out. So, I guess I should just build my tissue fortress and keep it their. Either that or I need to get one of those bubbles the Bubble Boy had on Seinfeld.

I have confidence that I will be able to get in the swing of things during the latter half of this week—we’re supposed to crawl out of freezing temperatures this week. And maybe then I can get back into the Nike race ;-)

For now, I suppose I’ll go take some rest with my fingers crossed for less hacking, sniffling, sneezing, aching and groaning. It would be nice if my legs would do more running than my nose.

Please Don't Let Them Take Me, Too

My office sounds like the triage area in a plague movie.

There’s the guy down the hall who hacks these full-body cough-and-snorts at least 1-2 times a minute (I was keeping a tally). No wonder my nerves are shot! And with the students back, a chorus of sickly coughs rings constantly throughout the building.

I think I may be the only person who has not yet been sick.

Now I’m wondering whether the hint of chest cold I feel is really something or just my typical dose of hypochondria.

Despite the threat, I went swimming late in the workday for a mere 2,100 yards:

• 500 yards free
• 5 x 200 yards alt. IM and free
• 500 yards free
• 100 yards free warm down

My energy was lagging (between the snowstorm and still-problematic sleep patterns), but my primary excuse for cutting the swim short was time. Of course. But for an excellent reason: I gave myself a good 40 minutes in the pool before I had to head home to take Neil out for his birthday dinner! And he was very grateful for all of the birthday wishes. Thanks to everyone!

It was fairly easy to take a running rest today. Not only was it too cold to walk to and from my car in the nearby parking lot at work, the track at the rec. center was packed with ROTC folks again. And we all know what happens when ROTC and I coincide.

But I swore that place off last month anyway. I’m an outside runner now! (My goodness was it easier to say that earlier this week!)

Less than a month from today, I will be in Portland becoming a bigger Web nerd than I am at the be-a-bigger-Web-nerd-than-you-already-are conference. Rumor has it, however, that Portland is swell and has plentiful running terrain.

I’m actually looking forward very much to the running possibilities and to hunting down the home offices of Tin House, one of the best short fiction publishers of all time. Hey, we all have our vices.

And, finally, as an example of my mental running health, I have slipped into second place in my Nike challenge (someone new logged 21 miles this morning) and I didn't even think about running today.

OK, I did think about it. But I didn't have my shoes.

Don't Worry: This Blog Has Been Disinfected

It was another early morning at the rec. center, where I ran 3 miles to take my countdown to 15 miles by next Thursday.

And it's been a difficult day. Not only have I ended up with something very flu-like, but I pulled something in my calf avoiding a rude ROTC cadet on the track today. The rules of passing on a track are similar to rules on the road. They also closely resemble rules of common sense. You've heard of it.

So, I'm rounding 2.5 miles when a fresh-running cadet rounds the far-end of the track and passes from the slow, inside lanes. But he didn't just pass, he hopped right in front of me and then slowed down. I had to stumble a few times (I was boxed in on the outside) to avoid tangling feet with him. It only took a few strides to have enough of that, so I sped up and passed the mo' fo.

A lap later, however, he did it again! This time I stumbled hard trying not to tackle him, and then I pulled something. I ran ahead again, but I think you know what happened next. Grrr.

The lesson, kids: don't pass people when you're not running faster. Even if they are female.

Please excuse my bitterness. It's been rough. I'm going to get some rest now with the hope thatI won't have to miss swimming Thursday because of illness!