I hate you mucus

With being inactive for much of this week, there really hasn't been much to say. I'm a day away -- probably two -- from going back to the gym. Since my sickness peaked on Wednesday, I've been slowly getting better every day. A Z-Pak, Mucinex, Vitamin B, lots of water and, newly discovered last night, Breathe Right strips are making life a little easier. I was amazed at the Breathe Right strips -- I've been missing out. I think I'll have to try one out on a run. With a little one in the house, getting extra rest is out of the question, so a quick recovery isn't happening. At this point, it's a matter of not getting something else right now.

I did run a half mile with my dog yesterday and I felt OK, but I have some more stuff to get out of me before I attempt doing anything for more than 5 minutes. With the progress I've made, I'm confident I can get back into a routine this week.

I was wrong; I am sick

Last year after my marathon, I felt this way, but put off going to a doctor for a while. This time around, with a newborn in the house, I wasn't going to wait. Sure enough I have an upper respiratory infection. I essentially have no voice, am coughing occasionally, but I have no fever. My head is a little swimmy though.

So I'm on the same meds as last year that worked pretty well. I do feel better tonight than I did this morning. As long as I can get a little better every day I'm not too worried. I will lose a week of any kind of working out besides some short walks with my dog, but at this point I don't care about that. I just want to get healthy. It's needless to say, but the 8k is out this weekend. And depending on how the next few days go, a Turkey Trot may be out of the question too. I'm not giving up hope yet!

Sick? No. Just worn down

If you could hear me talk right now, it sounds like I have something stuck in my throat. It's the deep sexy losing-my-voice sound. I ask myself if I'm sick or am I just worn down with the baby ... or am I having side effects from my weekend flu shot. The one and only other time in my life when I got a flu shot, I immediately got sick. It's been downhill ever since I got it Friday.

I haven't gotten a workout in for a couple of days, so the 8k is out this weekend. I'm setting my sights on a Turkey Trot if we travel to see my family on Thanksgiving. I'm actually taking better care of myself from an eating standpoint than I usually do, so I'm not worried yet about losing my endurance that I got rolling in the past few weeks.

This seems to happen every year to me -- it's like my body saying hey, it's almost winter, don't do anything. With a gym membership in my pocket, that's not going to happen this time around.

A hodgepodge of post-race thoughts

I could write a lot about a variety of things right now, but instead here's a shorter list of things on my mind right now. Also, I've inserted some of my photos from the weekend to show some of the amazing sights.

Taking a break
I have not had a full, complete two-day break from running in almost three months. Even through my tailbone injury I managed to get in a few tenths at a time. The last time I went more than two days without running at all was June 10-12 when I was in the Outer Banks. You'll have to excuse me this week as I don't even think about having a running motion for a few days. Today I had a great walk with my dog and I MIGHT go for a run after work tomorrow. Otherwise, it's been nice having a break since Sunday morning.

Going Garmin free
On my walk with my dog this evening, I didn't take my Garmin. I've been so obsessed with my miles -- even walking miles -- that I feel like my Garmin is just a growth on my arm. I don't even know what bag it's packed it right now, and I may not bust it out at all this week. I'll estimate my miles based on what I know about my neighborhood or use mapmyrun.com. I need a break from looking down at my watch so much.

Post-race soreness
Despite shutting it down the last half of the Rock 'n' Roll Half on Sunday, I still have sore legs and am tired. It's not nearly as bad as usual, but it's oddly comforting to know that I put enough effort in early on to be sore. Just because things went bad doesn't take away from three months of training, and I'm exhausted both mentally and physically. I think I'm entitled to do whatever the hell I feel like doing this week.

A tale of two races
Despite the fact that I was 17 minutes slower this weekend than the Shamrock Half in March, there is something special about what happened a couple of days ago. A friend of mine called it a character-building race. He's so right too, and right now I probably don't even know how right he is. It was a learning experience in so many ways, and I'm strangely glad that it played out like it did. In March, I was hurt. I was mad as hell and I was determined to get back on my feet this summer. When I did, I turned around and fell on my butt, but I stayed determined to keep training and fight through it. When the humidity hit me like a brick wall on Sunday, it was just part of my story of things trying to prevent me from finishing this race. But I finished dammit. Unhurt and not limping across the finish line.

Rock 'n' Roll 2009
A few hours after finishing on Sunday, I said I highly doubt that I would return for this race. But by that night, when talking with my friend Vicki who ran it last year, I realized that I have to go back to Virginia Beach on Labor Day weekend next year. It's more than a year away and right now that seems like forever and a day away, but that 2:06 is already burning a hole in my feet. It's a course record for me that just can't hang around.

So ... what's next?
Ah, the question runners everywhere are always asking themselves. Well, I'm not 100 percent sure. The Virginia 10 Miler is coming at the end of the month in Lynchburg, and I've been thinking about doing it again for two years now. It's a unique race on an extremely hilly course ... it's the race that got me so hooked on longer distances. I have to get through the next couple of days and recovery runs to see how I feel before I make a decision, but right now it's the only race close by that makes sense. Despite wanting to redeem myself in a half marathon, I don't want to venture too far from home with a baby on the way in November. Plus after two half marathons that didn't go as expected, I want to get that distance out of my head for a while.

I'd like to do some shorter races this fall. I haven't done a 5k since August 2007 and I haven't had a good 10k in a long time, so I'm kind of itching to get back to what got me hooked on running in the first place.

So ... what's next after what's next?
It's kind of weird to think about 2009 already, but looking ahead, the Rock 'n' Roll Half is the only "big" thing on my radar screen (see above for all that). After that, I'm totally open to thinking about doing another marathon next fall. I've already looked at how the calendar plays out and it's ideal to just keep training after Labor Day weekend to perhaps do the Richmond Marathon again. It's just not happening this year with a baby on the way. Plus I haven't forgotten about the nagging injuries despite feeling great right now. There's something itching inside me to have a half marathon that I'm 100 percent happy with before doing another marathon, so mapping out my plans for next year will have to wait ... probably until a year from now.

Lastly, a HUGE thank you
I just wanted to extend my sincerest thanks to my wife, my mom and stepdad, my friends and my fellow bloggers out there for your support in the past few months. I've had so much going on personally and professionally, and I could not have made it without all the support. I could have easily just given up hope on a lot of things, but everybody has played a role in keeping this train from running out of steam. Thank you!! It'll be time to keep it going in a few days.


By the way, I'm in the blue waving my hands in the photo below. It's one of the very few times I've actually done something for a photo during a race. I'm looking forward to seeing the official photos because I actually put my hands up in the air for one.

It's not a clothes hanger

David, this is the weight machine. Weight machine, this is David. For the past year-plus I've been one of "those" people. I bought a home gym in early 2007 -- I just HAD to have one. "I'll use it. I need it for cross training," is what I always said.

Well, using it once every couple of weeks doesn't really count. At least I've never hung any clothes on it. But I'm determined more than ever to finally make this home gym part of me. I want to become one with this thing ... or least use it two to three times a week.

This week is the beginning of breaking into a routine. I made a spreadsheet with each of the exercises and squares to include the number of reps I do, as well as which weight I use. Day one yesterday was a reintroduction to this beast. I did at least two sets with each exercise to get a feel for what was comfortable so I'm not going into it blindly next time. By "next time" I mean Wednesday, not two weeks from now.

Lifting weights has always been my weakness, but once it becomes routine I know I'll like it. In 2004 when I first lost weight, I lifted about once a week, but about mid-way through that year I got into it twice a week. Then toward the end of the year I just kind of stopped and have never gotten into anything regular -- generally lifting about once or twice a month.

Speaking of losing weight, I also am getting back into the regular routine of having a "weigh in" day on Fridays. I'll detail this more later, but am posting now to hold me accountable.

Lastly, I haven't ran since the 10k. (Well, OK, I did do 0.2 miles yesterday with my dog and felt fine.) Last week was awful with everything since I was sick, but I'm feeling 200 percent better this week. I'm really feeling motivated to just rethink everything when it comes to fitness over the next couple of months. Running will still be my big thing, but lifting weights and biking are already nice change of paces for a short time. My eye will be on the big prize soon enough, but for now I'm content doing other things.

Breaking out of this cycle

Marathon. Sick. Right heel injury. Half-marathon. Left foot injury. 10k. Sick.

This has been the cycle of the past six months and it's time to stop. It seems by gearing up for the marathon last year, but body just went right along with it and never caved in to any illnesses or any major injuries. I think since November, though, I've probably pushed things along too much, and now my head is just clogged full of snot telling me to stop. Sure, I rested, but was it enough? At some point this winter, I think I got tired of running, but just kept going because it's what I've done for five years.

Now that it seems I'm back to square one again, it's time to really take a look at what's going. Simply put, I need a break from running and thinking about PRs and races. Fortunately, time is on my side since the next big race isn't until the last day of August. Once I get over this horrible cold or whatever it is, I'd like to focus on getting in good walks and jogs with my wife and dog and log some good miles on my bike at least for the next month. I want and need to lift weights a couple of times a week. I want to lose 10 pounds and keep it off. If I don't write it down, it doesn't happen, so here's to this blog holding me accountable...

The April blahs

Every April always brings some kind of sickness with it for me. So, it was like clockwork this weekend that after my race I allowed a cold or allergies or whatever to finally get the best of me. In a roundabout way, it's convenient -- I need to stay off my feet to heal up my left foot issues. So for two days, I've basically been doing nothing, including not wearing shoes. On the other hand, I'd rather not be sneezing and going through a box of tissues in two days. Thankfully, though, the weather has been miserable, so there really hasn't been a desire to do anything.

Normal running coupled with wacky weather

A sense of normalcy has returned this week, at least in my running world. Following a short 1-mile run on Monday with my dog, I put in 3 miles yesterday and 4 today. Everything is feeling OK, although my legs are a bit sluggish. It's just nice not to be sick. Everything will eventually come around to feeling completely right again. I'm just being very patient right now.

Today's weather was very surreal. At 7 a.m. on Dec. 12 it shouldn't be in the upper 50s and low 60s. All the leaves should be off the trees by now. The only things that made it even seem two weeks shy of Christmas were the decorations and the fact that I mistakenly wore a long-sleeve shirt. Sandwiched in between a very little bit of ice last week and temperatures in the 40s this coming weekend, it's early summer here in Virginia. It's not completely bad, but when the temperatures fall again, it's going to feel drastic. I'm sure those iced over right now would love to trade weather patterns. Sorry. I'll hang on to Florida for at least another day.

A month later

After two useless weeks, I finally feel normal this weekend. It's tough to say I'm at 100 percent (I'll say 91 percent today), but I didn't lay around and do nothing. I got in 3 miles yesterday -- the longest since 4 miles two Saturdays ago. I had hoped to do a 5k today, but picking up pesky leaves called my name today. Doesn't a couple of hours or so of picking up leaves count as a mile? I won't add it, but it was definitely a good workout.

So now that I've had two poor running weeks, I'm setting my sights on returning to normal this week. The extremely cold weather seems to be staying away this week from this part of the country, so it'll be a good transition to get back out there and then have a solid long run next week. I'm avoiding any week goals just yet since I've had so much downtime in the past month. Hitting 1,000 miles is still within reach, but I'm not going to focus on it too much until the end of the week. I know what I have to do to get there and if I stay healthy, don't get hurt and don't run into an Ohio blizzard near Christmas, I should hit it.

Once Christmas gets here I'll get focused on more specific mileage as I begin training for the Shamrock Half Marathon in March. I'm in much better shape now than I was a year ago when I started getting ready for this race, so I'm going to be very focused on beating this year's 1:44:23.

So a month after the marathon, I feel that my body has hit the Reset button. Getting sick has made me realize how important my health is. Staying healthy is much more crucial than any goal I have right now. Unlike previous down times, I don't feel like I've gotten out of shape. I have marathon training to thank for that. Now I'm just ready to move on and let this sickness be a story I tell years down the road.

75 percent

Did running cause me to get sick? That's a serious question I've been thinking about these past two days. Did the high of the marathon cause my body to just shut down? I've done lots of reading on post-race depression and what people go through following big races. It's not that I really feel sad or anything, but everything changed following race day. There wasn't as much reason to get out of bed. So that leads me to wondering if because I slowed down, everything else in my body slowed down with it.

I guess you could say I'm at about 75 percent now. I ran 2 miles this morning, but certainly would have like to have gone at least 3, if not 4. I know not to push it, and I didn't really feel like pushing it. The end of this illness is in sight; it's just taking much longer than I ever thought possible. I've only been sick like this a couple of times in my life, so it's hard to take it easy.

Just like the marathon, this past week and a half is difficult to describe. It's like it has given me too much time to think about things, but no time to sort anything out -- that's one reason I like to run. I don't have that "out" that I'm used to having. I hope by this weekend, I can break out of this funk.

I won't be doing the 8 on the 8th (a quick shout out to Non-Running Nancy), but I hope to run more than 2 miles at one time. There's a 5k nearby on Sunday that I might do. As long as I continue this slowly steadiness of feeling better, I should be up for it.

The end is slowly getting here

Between about 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. I feel pretty good. But now I have an annoying dry cough at night (that has slowly gotten better since it started at the end of last week) and I wake up feeling like I have a hangover. There's a slow improvement every day, but it's enough to not have much energy to run in the mornings. Just a walk/jog routine with my dog is all I have in me. It's better than nothing I guess. In between the a.m. woes and p.m. annoyingness, I'm doing pretty good. My voice my say otherwise, but unlike last week, I feel I can think more clearly and I get through the day without many problems. I guess this is what it really means to be sick.

Missing out on a tradition

For the past three years on the first Saturday of December, I have ran in the Bedford Christmas Classic in Bedford, Va. Even though I moved to Richmond a few months ago, I had every intention of making this race my first post-marathon event. I think it would have been a perfect chance to return to the 5k distance that I first fell in love with.

But as you've probably already read, the snot in my head had other plans for me this week. Two days after getting on a prescription, I'm finally feeling worthwhile today. There's not as much cloudiness in my head. I was sluggish this morning, but by noon and a quarter box of tissues later, I took my sad-looking dog out for a walk. Poor thing hasn't had his usual walk/runs this week. We even ran for 0.7 miles, which felt pretty good. It had been a week since I last ran -- my longest running drought since September 2006. Even though it wasn't even a mile, it does a lot for my confidence. My legs still work and they felt great! And I think the full week off helped me fully recover from the marathon. On Thanksgiving and on Saturday, I had some discomfort in my right heel and my left knee, but nothing major. I stress discomfort over the word pain. Perhaps completely taking time off is the medicine my lower half of my body needed to get back to running again.

So, on a day that I lost a 3-year-old holiday tradition, I feel like I've actually gained a lot when it comes to running. Now, about those 1,000 miles I want to hit ...

Gasp! I went to the doctor

I've taken pride in not having to see a doctor because I'm sick. When I have fallen ill, I've always managed to have it go away with a day or two. But this week has been different. I just wasn't getting better, despite never having a fever. So yesterday after I work, I dragged myself to the doctor's office. With my head clogged worse than a stopped up drain and my chest actually being fairly clear, it seemed I had the doctor perplexed as to what to give me.

So he gave me an antibiotic and a decongestant that he described as three times as strong as Sudafed. And sure enough, a few hours later my nose was clearing itself out like Niagara Falls. So instead of getting a medicated sleep like the previous few nights, I was up every hour blowing my nose. But today I have felt better despite being tired. I sure don't feel like getting out there and running for at least another day, but the end of this mess is in sight. I think this is my first time since my freshman year in college 11 years ago that I've been on a prescription.

It's been an interesting way of ending November. This was the month that my ultimate running goal came true with the marathon. My post-marathon mileage hasn't been as much as I was hoping and this week's big ZERO certainly doesn't help my pursuit of 1,000 miles. At the same time, I know this week has made sure I'm fully recovered from my 26.2 mile journey. My monthly mileage was 56.3, my lowest since April when I had just over 50 miles. April, oddly enough, was the last time being sick really impacted my running. April was when I started this blog and a few days later woke up with a fever of 101 and missed a 5k I had signed up for. I was sick in September too, but I think life got in the way more than a sickness for a few days.
My yearly total is stuck at 935.1. I'm probably about 15 miles or so short of where I'd like to be to make hitting 1,000 miles easier. Running 65 miles in December is achievable, but staying healthy is goal No. 1. I also have a voyage to Ohio planned shortly before Christmas. If I can avoid staying/getting sick and avoid a major snowstorm, 65 miles shouldn't be an issue. It's only an average of a little more than 16 miles a week, and I was hoping in December I'd be at close to 25 miles a week anyway.

At this point, common sense will be the best thing to see me through the end of the year.

Not the way I wanted to hit 0 miles

So, what I thought would be one day off from worked turned into two and now on Wednesday afternoon I've nearly lost my voice, but actually feel much better. Better now than a few weeks ago, right? All plans of running the 5k on Saturday have been put on hold unless I somehow get rid of this chest congestion by then. I'm not giving up hope, yet, but I'm not going to worry about it either. If it happens that's great, if it doesn't, then oh well. My No. 1 running goal this year has been met.

This sickness has brought an unexpected running void into my life this week, but I certainly realize that my overall health is much more important than any other goals I have at this time. While 1,000 miles is certainly in reach, having a successful half marathon in March is more important than running myself into a hospital.

I want to run, but my body has other plans

The body has a unique way of telling you to stop. On Saturday morning, I woke up with a sore throat, but didn't feel bad. I quickly took some medicine, including a powerful throat drop, and felt fine. So in the nice cold morning, I went out for a nice, steady 4 miles. Later that afternoon, I started feeling bad.

So Saturday night, I didn't feel that great, yet I didn't have a fever. Yesterday I did nothing. I slept for a couple of hours in the early afternoon and watched a lot of football. I didn't feel all that bad, but some minor sore throat lingered. Then today, it's the same. There's very little fever, but I don't feel like doing anything but sleeping. I was already planning to take a half day off work for something else, but I've turned it into a full day off. My brain wants to go, but the rest of my body is saying no.

It seems my quest for 1,000 miles has slowed, but the end really is in sight. I'm just not going to run while not feeling well and then ruin my chances. I'm also eager to set some goals for 2008, but like I've said before I'm waiting until I hit 1,000 miles. Also, this weekend I'm hoping to run in the Bedford Christmas Classic 5k. There's also a 10k that day, but it feels too soon after the marathon to run hard for 6-plus miles. Meanwhile, it's time to get some more rest...

Running while sick ... just avoid it.

It's a bit strange that I started this blog on a Friday and then the following day I woke up with a temperature of 101 degrees. I was supposed to get up and run a 5K that day. I was hoping to use that as a test of my endurance following a half marathon in mid-March. It would've made a good second post on my thoughts of a 5K vs. a half marathon. Instead, it was my first race I've signed up for and missed. It had to happen sooner or later though.

That leads me to thinking about what runners should do when they get sick. For me, three days later, I'm still feeling sluggish and don't feel like pushing anything. That's what you're supposed to do, right? "Take it easy" is what everyone says. But I feel this bond to hitting the pavement several times a week and it drives me crazy to "take it easy." But you can easily do more damage to yourself when you run when you shouldn't is pretty much the standard. It's best to let your body fight the fever and whatever else is going on. Some people will disagree, but the few times I have gotten sick in the past few years, I usually feel a lot better running a week or so later than I did the week up until getting sick. Earlier this winter I had a bad cold for a couple of days, took a few days off and then a week later I was running the strongest I had ever ran. Running is just funning that way.

For more reading on running while sick, click here for a story on Runner's World's Web site.