Pass sickness, Pass! I have many runs to do

Before the Mt Mitchell Marathon, I had been feeling ill all week. The kind of ill where you are not sick enough to not run, but no matter how early you go to bed, getting up is almost impossible - this was my curse last week before the marathon. Although I knew I was beginning to feel sick, I tried to ignore it. I ran less miles during the week, and the ones that I did run were slower. Fortunately, because this was the week before the marathon, I was able to get away with such low mileage. And, at the marathon, even though I woke up feeling less than ideal, my excitement was high to really challenge myself on this beloved course - and I did.

So, with that good run, I have been feeling the consequences. Again, this week, the inability to get out of bed. The sleep, sleep, sleep & the morning slowness and feeling of flu like symptoms have now magnified. Before, they were slow undulations, and ignorance was a valid tool. This week the flu-like symptoms grab me and pull me down.

My first attempted run was on Tuesday, and, again, feigning ignorance, I could not understand why my legs felt fine, but my aerobic capacity was of a sedentary person. It was perplexing, but then, after talking with a good friend, I remembered my sickness - my silent and slowly draining sickness. So, on Wednesday, I gave in and pouted. But, on Thursday, after somehow getting through a day of work feeling half-dead, I rewarded myself with - a run - what else?! (all you runners support me on this one). It was slow. I made sure it was slow - I just needed to move - with this holding on sickness, I needed to feel alive and strong - the way I was last weekend - to anyone who knows me and the way I run - you would have been horrified. I was slumped over, and I had a hacking cough. I sounded like a smoker who was trying running for the first time in 10 years. I shuffled up hills and look terrified on the down hills. Somehow I made it back to my house and collapsed on the couch - I was so proud. Proud that I had pushed through and been on my feet for almost an hour - no matter that is was not aesthetic to the curious driver as to this supposedly out of shape person - proud that I had made it through another great run

As, I usually end my posts - ode to running. To the sport that allows the freedom to run anywhere and almost anytime.