My taper was less of a taper and more of a complete stop in
the fast lane on the freeway. Following my epic speed session last week (15 x
0.5 miles @ 9.3 MPH (6:27 pace)), I started to feel a little scratch in my throat. I stopped running after that and even won a few early rounds in the
title belt: Me versus The Cold. But,
ultimately, the cold proved victorious.
On Wednesday, one week after the epic speed session, in denial, I ran 3.5 extra sweaty treadmill miles,
2 of them at race pace. I knew it wasn't a good sign when I was drenched and
dripping sweat after only 30 minutes – under normal conditions I would just be
hitting my groove.
Thursday, the cold was full blown. I couldn't go to work and
stayed completely horizontal all day, watching 8 hours of television, including
two episodes of DVR'ed Modern Family and The Voice, and then the entire first
season of Girls, the new generation’s Sex and the City on HBO.
Side bar: Modern Family, that is just a consistently good
sitcom. The Voice, hello Adam Levine! And don’t you think Christina is much
nicer this season, and way more articulate? Girls, I dig it. I would watch a
season 2. It is a comedy/coming of age story of four 20-something New Yorkers. Lena
Dunham, the starring actress, also writes and directs the show. Allison
Williams, who plays BFF Marnie, is great and absolutely steals the show.
 |
| source: IMDB |
Friday I went to the doctor who confirmed that I had a cold,
not strep throat. Regarding the race, the doc cleared me to run it, so long as
I didn't have a fever, body aches, or chest congestion, but he didn't think I
would feel up to it. And he told me "not to expect a PR, unless you are Wonder Woman." Interpretation: you’ll still be able to run and PR this race because you are Wonder Woman!
So while I was getting my cough medicine prescription at the
grocery store, I filled up my cart with the world’s healthiest foods and, in a
futile attempt to eradicate the cold, set about eating as much of them as I
possibly could while watching season 2 of Twin Peaks.
Side bar: Twin Peaks is so creepy! I can't believe who the killer was! There were so many clues, but I still didn't figure it out. The show is visually
stunning, and it has the best soundtrack. Other than the clothes, I
think the show is very modern. J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost, Fringe) should bring
it back as a new series.
 |
| source: IMDB |
But the food didn't help. By Saturday, every time I swallowed, my throat emitted lightning bolts of pain. I
knew that I couldn't race on Sunday. There was no way I could drink enough
water and eat enough food to properly prepare. I didn't even bother to pick up
my race packet. So I watched movies all day.
Side bar: The Graduate, The Help, Cheaper by the Dozen, Mr. Wrong, The
Sitter, and We Bought a Zoo… The Help was the best of the group. I liked Cheaper by the Dozen too, but
I was disappointed in the ending. Lesson: bratty kids get what they want. I thought
The Graduate was so boring, and Dustin Hoffman’s character irritated the crap
out of me, which is likely why he received an Oscar nom for the role.
 |
| source: IMDB |
Sunday – race day – came and went. As I watched even more
television and movies that I can’t even remember, I wondered if I’d ever
start feeling better. I walked a mile around the block and then, exhausted, slept for hours.
Now I am wondering if I have the blogger's curse? I was just bragging about how I crushed my training plan, nailed every workout, and did every thing right.
And how much fitness have I lost? I haven’t had a real run in 14 days. And this cold really
wiped me out.
When will I be able to start training again? I walked another mile today and was exhausted again. My “second chance” race is Vegas
Rock ‘n Roll December 2.
Will I be back to where I was pre-cold?
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