Back on Track

I had big plans for February. I had set career, personal and running goals. On February 9th I developed a minor cough in the later afternoon. I hit the gym that evening for a spectacular 45 minutes cardio session. By 9pm I was not feeling well. I woke-up incredibly sick on Friday morning and ran straight to the doctor's office to ward off another one of my usual sinus infections. Wrong. I was a statistic; one of the hundreds in the area that week that came down with the 2007 flu. The doctor told me there was nothing he could do. I would be sick for 7 to 10 days with a residual cough for 2-3 weeks. He sent me home with instructions to stay in bed and take Tylenol for the pain. Guess what? Doc was right.

Needless to say I've hit a bump in the marathon training. Two days ago I attempted my first workout since falling ill. I did 30 minutes of early morning yoga and am STILL sore! My cough was considerably better that day, however. The good that has come from being so sick; I will not be able to complain of sever muscle pain no matter the intensity of the long runs to come. The identifying characteristic of this flu is the accompanying sever muscle pain. For nearly 4 days I was in so much pain that I could not sleep and was unsteady on my feet. Once returning to work, I found out campus doctors were prescribing hydrocodon for the pain! (I see an off-campus doctor.) The statistics are astounding. Our department sadly lost one elderly professor to the flu this year.

So I have now had a week back at work and am trying to get my life put back together after not doing much for 7 days. I am starting to return to my prior habits and incorporate exercise again. I am going to ease into it, however. This is unlike me, but the residual cough and unseasonably wet weather makes me leery of developing an upper respiratory infection, common to distance runners. Today, its horseback riding. It will be nice for us both to stretch our legs after the cold winter we have had. Next week, it's back to the gym with the goal to get in 3-4 days of exercise.