For the last week or so I’ve had a cold. It snuck up on me with no warning, last Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday morning I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill. I had a great run – very fast (for me), averaging 4:57 minutes per kilometre. I felt fine while I was running, my heart rate was not elevated, and I felt great when I was done. I went off to work and had a good morning. While I was on the subway coming home, I suddenly got that feeling of pressure in my face that usually heralds a cold. By the time I went to bed that night, I had cold sweats and felt absolutely awful.
Since then the cold has ebbed and flowed. Right now, it is flowing. My throat hurts, my head is throbbing, my nose is running, and my eyes are oozing. I look – well, let’s just say that I don’t look my best right now.
As always when I get sick, I have been fretting about my inability to run. I have been thinking about the races I am registered for and wondering how I will train for them if I’m sitting here with a snotty nose. The truth, of course, is that this is only a cold, and it will be gone a matter of days from now. I will no doubt be doing short runs again by the weekend, and by next weekend I will in all likelihood be well enough to go for a longer run with my running club.
Despite the fact that I always turn into a pathetic crybaby when I have a cold, my attitude has made a more positive shift this morning. Yes, I’m still fed up with the cold, but I’m feeling excited about running again. It’s a positive kind of excitement. It’s not the kind of excitement that says, “Go out and run no matter what, even if you feel like crap.” It’s the kind of excitement that says, “Rest and get better, and then you’ll be able to really enjoy yourself when you’re back on the road.”
So that’s what I’m doing. I’m resting, drinking orange juice, taking vitamins and supplements.
My anticipation to get the running shoes back on is a great incentive for me to get better.
