Avoiding illness at all costs

Over the past couple days I've been feeling...well...pretty ok. I felt a little off on Wednesday evening and decided to skip the Thursday run just to be on the safe side. So here we are on Friday and this morning I felt even weirder. Sluggish, sniffley and hazy in the eyes. Screw it. I need to get the mileage in.

About 2 miles into the run this morning I was labored and exhausted. Breathing was hard and I wasn't sure I could keep going. Glancing at my watch I noted my pace was painfully slow (close to 10 min/mi). I just wasn't feeling it.

I got to mile 2 (a major intersection) which is a really easy point to decide to turn around an just go home but things were starting to feel a little better. I pushed through and mentally pushed aside my doubt and trepidation about perhaps being sick.

I kept my pace slower and after a while, I started to feel better and more controlled with the run. Until mile 8 anyway. Things started to fall apart and I knew this just wasn't my day. I had planned on going 13 but I know when to say when. I labored on through another mile and a half and just threw in the towel at mile 9.5. That's how discouraged I was...I didn't even want to go another half mile to make an even 10 miles.

I consider this a blip and will continue putting in the mileage this weekend.

I'm leaving Sunday afternoon to go to Seattle for the week - business awaits. If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know that travel and I don't mix well. It usually goes something like this:

me: Looking forward to spending time with colleagues, networking and having some fun.

Travel: That's what you think. I know how sensitive your sinuses are to air travel and the damp dank moist Seattle air.

me: Leave me alone. I just want to stay healthy.

Travel: But you know you're going to stay up too late, have some drinks while socializing and ultimately get sick. And I know you have a race coming up next weekend. No amount of vitamins or Airborne can save you!!! Sickness will find you.

me: You're the devil. Please just let me get through this week without getting sick.

OK, so that little dialogue sucked. There's a reason I'm a tech nerd and not a writer.

My only goal next week is to stay healthy, get plenty of sleep and not over-indulge in food or drink. Wish me luck.

Look for my Cave Creek Thriller 50k race report in a couple weeks.