One Step Forward, Two Steps Backwards or A Pathetic Cold Strikes (Warning Extra Long Post)

[OldManRunning]

I haven't posted for a couple of weeks although I've been lurking and making the odd comment of encouragement on others posts.

It seems that every time you feel you've made progress the running Gods decide 'you're getting to cocky and say have that'. That being the most annoying laziest cold in the world. It only affected one nostril and then intermittently, when without any warning a flood of tons (anagram) would gush out before you could get a hanky out. The feeling accompanying it was like, well if anyone has ever used cold suppressants such as Sudofed, that drying out of the sinuses and slightly detached feeling. But all in all not feeling too bad so ventured out for a 30 minute recovery run but stayed local to home just in case. Well it wasn't my best run but it did what it was meant to do however when I stopped I started to cough. I coughed and coughed and coughed. My night's sleep was inerupted by sporadic bouts of coughing. Next day nothing other than the irritating sinus and loads of 'tons'.

Thursday came and it was my first club night session as a member so as I was feeling OK I joined their confused dot com run. They were also doing a stretch and flexibility session in the hall, but I chose to run. It turned into quite a hilly 6k run with loops around the housing estates. Worse still with the indoor session going on I discovered I had become the slow runner bringing up the rear. Anyway I survived and had a good, although very tiring, run. Then the coughing started but luckily abated relatively quickly. Bring on Saturday and parkrun. We'll it lasted 600m's and I was really struggling to breath so listened to my body and stopped. I thought of trying to 'Jeff' but the weather wasn't good so decided to quit. It was strange how when not running nothing seemed amiss.

Even though I know that it was the best option to stop it doesn't stop the gremlins making you feel like you 'f'. I won't use the whole word and it's not bad language.

I rested then before the next club night, a track session, went out for a 10 minute trot beforehand at a slower pace just to make sure I felt OK, otherwise I would just go home.

All went OK and I enjoyed the club session with another warm up run, stretching, a 1,2,3,4 pyramid. Not realising it included a 3,2,1 after finishing 4 and more stretches. Felt tired and elated, funny how those two combine. Completed about 7.3k with both of them.

Thursday Daughter2-OMR and I did a gentle 5k which put me back on the start line of parkrun. Daughter 2 was being paced for a PB so I stayed well away but bumped into an old friend who I used to play pub football with back in the day. We chatted and started together. I had been determined to take it easy and also not to start too fast after the week before's debacle and my wish came true as my old friend did start very slowly. We carried on chatting but I was finding it difficult to keep my stride shortened. After about 200ms my friend told me he was walking for a bit as that's what he normally did so I wished him the best and settled into a nice pace and finished in 31.41. Feeling quite happy as I acheived my goals, start slow, steady pace, no walking, finish. 😁👍

Tuesday this week I skipped running as I had an appointment at the cardiac clinic after a problem last March. My ECG wasn't perfect and my blood pressure is high and I have to go for a heart scan and drink alcohol within the prescribed limits. However the positives were my weight was good, I've never smoked and I'm exercising regularly with my golf and running. Yes running, the nurse didn't say a word about an OMR running. She was very nice and gave me a thorough examination. No untoward noises in my valves or lungs. The nurse added an extra tablet to my prescription and told me to check my BP twice a week. Never mentioned taking it easy for now until things were sorted which I'm sure she would have if she thought it was an issue.

Anyway I attacked Thursday's club night run feeling positive and completed 6.3k. Yes I was smiling again when running Tim 😁

Please remember this is my medical advice so not to be taken as generic for everyone.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

That was a lazy cold but it sounds like you've outrun it now. You are speedy too

[OldManRunning Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you WillowandSola. Feeling a lot better now 😁👍

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to OldManRunning]

That's great, 😊

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate]

Great post, thank you... and by the way... not an extra long one.. have you read mine!!!

These colds... weird and wonderful and real hangers on! Blimey ? MissUnderstanding and I have both had a really rough time with them... and although wonderfully, she is really back on track, mine is nearly but not quite.... gone!

Trying to decide whether you should run, can run or not can be tricky...but you do seem to have got it right.

Your appointment went well? The positives are good and the awareness of ither issues are positive too? I had an appointment, as you know, from my Active 10 walk report, for my general MOT preliminaries My possible issues would arise from a history of heart disease on my paternal side.. but we do what we are able don't we? Like you.. alcohol, within levels, never smoked, really healthy eating regime and plenty of exercise, but still have to have these regular tests

I am so glad your run went so wll and that you are feeling happier about that too.. a good run... and your lazy cold? Well you certainly out ran it. Well done you!

[OldManRunning Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks Oldfloss 😁 Forgot to mention healthy eating, that was another positive too. My frustration at the moment is the MOT, can't even get through to surgery to book an appointment 😔 but plenty of positives in life 😁

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

There have been some absolutely miserable colds about! I’m feeling miles better and the runs are happening-hopefully 13km this weekend. I’m still coughing at night though nearly three weeks later. That’s meant needing some epic afternoon naps! It’s horrible when something so seemingly insignificant as a cold really knocks you out of the blue. If I’d had covid, I would have been mentally prepared for a slow recovery but I thought it would just have been a few days of sniffling when it turned out to be so much worse! Felt like it would never end this time last week! Thank goodness it’s better now.

Wishing you a full recovery Oldfloss -hopefully it won’t be long! And to you too OldManRunning . It sounds like you’ve got some helpful medical people keeping a good eye on you! I think personally, I’d ask their advice about running hard next time but that’s just me and my tendency to err on the side of super cautious with these sort of things. I love your description of feeling tired but elated after your pyramid run-that’s exactly how intervals make me feel too! Totally relate to feeling a bit rubbish about cutting a run short too-you can know in your head that it was 100% the right thing to do but still beat yourself up about it. Stupid gremlins.

What you’ve been able to do with your runs is nothing short of inspirational! Whatever you’re doing, sure you’re always holding on to that smile! ❤️🏃‍♀️💪

[OldManRunning Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thank you MissUnderstanding. It was only when driving away that I thought about pushing the point on running, always seems to happen like that 😂

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to OldManRunning]

I think you’re in very good company there!!! Happens to me all the time!

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

Fab post, so glad you're feeling better and are able to run again. I'm sure as long as you keep being sensible it'll be ok. As you say, the nurse would have warned you to take it easy if she thought it was a problem. Take care 🤗

[OldManRunning Graduate10 in reply to Beatlesforever]

Thank you Beatles forever 😁🏃🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

[Sulley101 Graduate10]

I know exactly what you mean about the “running Gods”! I hope you can shake off the annoying cold soon. It looks like you’ve still managed some impressive runs 😁. I’d be over the moon with that 5k pace too 😁.

[OldManRunning Graduate10 in reply to Sulley101]

Thank you Couchpotato101 😁