Sick sick sick zzzzzzzzzzz

Being sick is rough.

 

Ok, ok..I’m a big baby.  But seriously.  After an annoying on-again/off-again cold that made me hold back and not push myself on workouts for a couple weeks, I got full-out sick and barreled over and basically did nothing for a week.  I managed a couple things – an easy 2 hour ride, for example, then suffered on an hour run that I really should not have done – but all things considered it felt like a totally lost week.

 

This week I’m feeling better.  Definitely not totally better, I’m still coughing (sometimes uncontrollably) and have a red nose from blowing my nose so much…but, better.  For the most part, I can breathe, and I think I should be able to hit my workouts.  Will still scale back, but at least I can do them!

 

Swam this morning.  Probably good it was so many 25s (16x25, 12x25, 8x25, zzzzzzzzzzzzzz) because I got to catch my breath briefly (and cough) and not drown.  And man, oh man: as much as I hate swimming, and as awkward as I felt in the water after a week off, it felt SO GOOD to swim and get my heart rate up a little bit.  It just felt so right.  Those are the moments I really know I’m an athlete, deep down—even while sick, I just feel more myself when the blood is moving and my breathing is harder and I’m working and pushing and going!

 

Anyway, we’ll see.  Supposed to do some race pace intervals on the bike tonight but I might have to scale that back a bit.  As much as I want to be training and make up for lost time—I’m not all the way better yet.  And I do NOT want to get more sick again.  I just want to be healthy!!!  So, I’ll scale it back if I have to.

 

Ironically, the biggest things that ironman (and ironman training) taught me have been: how to be patient, and how to go with the flow.  Yeah yeah, don’t laugh.  I’m still working on it ;) but really, it used to be SO hard for me to cut back and listen to my body and know what it needed to do and be patient and wait and let things happen.  But I trust myself now (Sunday was not a good example of this), and for the most part, I’m ok with taking the time to get things right.  Deal with things as they happen.  Go with it.  Do the right thing even if you don’t want to.

 

That being said, after talking to my coach, it sounds like I may not run the half marathon this weekend.  This is a bummer.  We are all going down to Long Beach this weekend (me, Allen, Mac, Katie, Nico, Mel, Eric) and Allen, Mac and I are registed for the half marathon, and Katie, Mel and Eric are doing the full.  It’s Allen’s first, which is cool, and I obviously want to run it but…it’s not a big deal to me. After a brief shock as my coach mentioned the possibility of not running, I realized—I’m actually ok with that.  I’m not super attached to it, it’s not like it’s been a focus for me… so, I’m surprisingly ok with it.  I’m annoyed to pay to be registered and not do it but…whatever.

 

The hands-down #1 priority for me right now is getting to Cabo and having the best race I can have down there.  If I were 100% healthy and totally on top of my training etc etc etc, then yeah, I could do a half marathon and call it my long run and that would be that.  But, that’s not the case.  Even if I’m not sick at all by the time this weekend rolls around (and I’m not even convinced that will happen), it might be too soon.  Too soon to push and stress my body to do it.  I hate that 13.1 miles is “pushing myself” because it shouldn’t be, but…let’s be honest.  I’m not running that great right now and after being sick, yes, it would be a push.  Maybe just a push to my immune system, but a push nonetheless.

 

So, we will see.  If I don’t run, I’ll get to cheer and chase the runners and take pictures, which truthfully sounds like a lot of fun too, soooooo it’s not too bad.  There is also a “bike tour” where they let you bike (20 miles of) the course before the race in the morning.  We have another friend who lives in Long Beach who is doing that, and she said she has a bike I can borrow and we can do that.  So that’s an option.  Biking seems to be better for my lungs these days.  We’ll see.

 

In any case, Cabo is now in 18 days!  That’s like just 2.5 weeks!  This weekend will be in Long Beach, then one weekend at home, then CABO and RACING and AHHH!  Focus, Rosanne!!