It’s been years since I’ve been sick.

And then…Sunday happened.

After Saturday’s awesome 18-miler I was happy and excited about how well this training cycle is going. I spent the rest of the day eating and casually drinking with the boy and some friends. I went to bed earlier than I normally do on a Saturday night. I was asleep by 11:30 PM & was feeling tired but not wiped out (which usually happens after a long run). But I woke up on Sunday around 9:30 AM with a massive headache and extreme congestion.I spent most of the day watching TV and catching up on movies that were nominated for the Oscars (Ok, Argo was definitely worth the hype). It was just what I needed but I still went to bed feeling “blah”.

I managed to fit an easy run in on the treadmill on Monday. It was actually nice out and I was really tempted to head outside for the 6 quick miles but I didn’t feel up to it. Sweating it out at the gym sounded much nicer. I actually didn’t feel terrible during the run but my throat was uncomfortable and running without ummm…breathing…isn’t possible or recommended. (Who knew?!)

Tuesday, the symptoms swapped. Instead of massive nasal congestion, I had super sore tonsils. 1st Lesson of the Day: gurgling salt water before consuming your first cup of coffee is not advised. It leads to massive taste bud confusion and, in generral, a yucky post-coffee salty taste in your mouth. 2nd Lesson of the Day: do NOT use Kleenex with Vicks lotion to wipe your eyes. That’s just…painful.

Rest was definitely mandatory yesterday. I had a 10-mile workout on the schedule. I really don’t like missing a workout but it had to happen. I felt really run down & wiped out at the end of a workday (even if shortened by an hour or so). I fell asleep by 10 PM last night and woke up around 6:30 AM. It was a small huge victory that I had showered, eaten breakfast, and sipped my first cup of coffee by 7:30 AM this morning. (I celebrated the little wins.) I’m still not sure how that happened considering how I’ve been feeling.

Needless to say, my mileage will be considerably lower this week than it has been all cycle. And I’m going to have to be okay with that.With a 10k to race this Sunday, I’m not happy that this cold decided to show up this week, but as Coach reminds me “better this week than Boston week“. Ok, fiiiiiiine. You’re right, Coach! (This is where my stubborn nature rears its ugly head.)

Lately, I’ve been focusing on my nutrition and what kind of supplements I’m taking. I’ve always been conscious of this but I just want to make sure I’m being smart. Just in the last few months, liquid iron has helped me with low-energy levels and adding EFAs to my diet has reduced inflammation following tough workouts and long-runs. I haven’t had a blood test done in awhile but I know that adding more Vitamin D wouldn’t be a bad move either. Everything in balance, right? Kristy shared this awesome resource with me today on how to prevent and treat cold/respiratory issues today. Definitely taking some pointers from the article.

In the meantime, I’m going to continue to consume throat lozenges, use sinus spray, take Nyquil to sleep, drink orange juice, and take Emergen-C at regular intervals until this thing decides to leave me. Until then, easy runs and limited physical activity.

Who knows?! Maybe this rest is exactly what I need to run a badass race on Sunday!

– J