I haven’t been posting as regularly as I do… because I haven’t been running. I came down with a persistent cough in April, and have now been sick for over a month. I felt a little better, and was only taking cough syrup at night, and not during the day also, so I decided to participate in a favorite local 5k on Sunday.
It took me 36 minutes to run the 3.1 miles. My last 5k in January I finished in 27:49, and this particular course I did in less than 30 minutes last year pushing the double jogging stroller. Needless to say this was not even close to what I expected. I then went home and slept two hours before lunch, and three hours after lunch. Thank goodness my in-laws were in town! Greg, who has also been sick but is more recovered than I am, ran his slowest 5k by several minutes.
A trip to the doctor’s office yesterday earned me a prescription for antibiotics, an inhaler, and a stern directive not to run until I haven’t coughed for several days.
My doctor thinks based on my changing symptoms that I actually got two or three different viruses, not recovering in between them. (Ahh, the joys of preschool kids bringing everything home.) She recommended a little more sleep, and a little less overscheduling – a tall order given my new volunteer position (I’ll be co-president of the local mother’s forum next year, and it’s been wonderful but busy preparing volunteers for the transition!).
I’m reminding myself that this too, shall pass.
Not running means I have a little more time in my week, which is helpful.
I won’t be able to run the 10k I’d signed up for at the end of May, but at least I wasn’t training for a half marathon this spring.
It’ll be an opportunity to start fresh once this lingering cough gives way – which will hopefully be soon, now that I have an inhaler and antibiotics helping it move along.
So let me remind myself, once again, NOT TO RUN WHEN I HAVE A COUGH. Even if it’s been a month and I’m going stir crazy. Maybe ESPECIALLY if I’ve been sick for a month.
I should read my own blog: http://www.iamrunningthis.com/should-you-run-while-youre-sick/
Hope your running is going better – stay well!
Ugh this spring has been a rough one for a lot of us! Hope you kick that cough and get back to feeling like your speedy self! Drink extra water too, the antibiotics I was put on in April for a sinus infection really dehydrated me! Feel better!
Good point – thank you! I’ve definitely felt under-hydrated. Trying to remember the probiotics, too!
I hope you feel better soon, Kelly!
I need to sing you the Seinfeld song:
Get well, get well soon,
We want you to get well.
🙂
🙂
Oh no! I did this same thing in Jan/Feb. I had an awful virus that we thought was bacterial (it wasn’t) and I kept running on the treadmill…I ended up giving myself Reactive Airway, the symptoms are similar to asthma but it doesn’t respond to asthma meds. It took months to go away….and it came back with the first cold morning run of the Spring. Its definitely triggered by cold air so I have to be careful now…I think I found a combo of things that will work for me but I wish I’d just let my body heal instead of running through it almost 6 months ago!
Oh that’s horrible – it’s been a bad year for viruses. You couldn’t have known that was going to happen, that’s the hard part. Sometimes with a lingering virus you just can’t stand to wait for it to go away to keep living your life, including running. Hope you have a warm summer and it goes away for good!