I was going to wear shorts today, but there was a chilly breeze swinging 'round my hips that made me dash upstairs to change. Plus.....running leggings / tights are so damned comfortable for us chaps and I'm sort of addicted to "the look". Today was yet another run in my MyAsics Plan - run three I think it was? Anyway, a 7K jog was the order of the day. The sun was being a bit boisterous, popping behind the clouds every so often thereby lowering the temperature in a rather selfish manner, but I still decided to wear shades today - to stop the breeze making my eyes water if nothing else.
I slept fine. I rose carefully, checking my wheezing chest for signs of coughing. All was good until I reached the bathroom and with my toothbrush stuck inside my gob I started coughing violently. I felt sorry for the mirror, but I cleaned it up good and proper before setting off downstairs to make my juice. Mrs Dan had recently put the plastic plunger thing that pushes the vegetables through the juicer into the oven to "dry off" - not thinking that it might melt!!! The plunger now looks like some sort of bizarre adult toy and is completely useless. Therefore I had to use a carrot to push my carrots, ginger and lemon through the damned machine!! Anyway, juice drunk.....I was off.
More coughing on my warm up walk. Damn and blast! It's soooo annoying, especially as this is the end of Week 6 of this infection. Anyway, before long I'd pressed START on Gertie Garmin and I was off. I knew that I would have a few "episodes" during this run and I was fully prepared to stop and walk if necessary until I recovered. Episode 1 came at 1.5K and it brought me to a halt. Once recovered, my watery eyes blinking uncontrollably, I set off again. Gertie Garmin was bleeping constantly at me to tell me to speed up - "Ohhhh f*** off!" I told her sternly. "I'm doing the best I can!"
Everything below the waist was feeling fine (that reads decidedly dodgy doesn't it?) - legs, hips and ankles. I didn't start to feel tired until about 6K in fact, so at least my fitness levels aren't that too far askew. Stopped a couple more times to relieve my chest as it heaved and spluttered through manic coughing fits, but I was carrying water with me and I took a restorative slug from my bottle. I've been carrying water with me since getting back to running because I get so damned dry in my throat. It is annoying to have water sloshing about in my plastic bottle as well as it being a certain "weight" which I could do without carrying, but I really wouldn't want to be gasping out on the Thames Path without some water to sort me out!
I think I had three walk breaks / cough breaks and my finish time this time round was 44'52. Not too bad considering I walked three times, but I was glad to have completed this run. I felt mentally better having achieved the distance because I still don't feel much like a runner yet. I will eventually, but for now I'm plodding and making the best of it. As I said to Mrs Dan when I got back home - my running is like physiotherapy for my lungs!
Hope you all had a spiffing Bank Holiday. I'm listening to the cricket - or at least, it's on in the background. I don't really listen too closely, as frankly, the old geezers (Tuffers, Blowers, Aggers and Boykers) tend do confuse the hell out of me talking about things like "that was a good length", "he caught that one, right in the unmentionables". But you know it's summer'ish when Henry Blofeld says "My dear old thing!"
Thanks for reading.
Yer pal
Dan.
Written by
danzargo
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Ah it must be summer, the twack of leather on willow and all that. Don't feel like summer! I was on the sea front this morning. Bracing or what! I was going to parktake of my annual ice cream but thought better of it. Brrrr
You still sound chesty Dan! Time that beggar was kicked into touch. You're right though a run is physiotherapy and should joggle things up a bit in the old chesticles dept.
They reckon crisps is a good steriliser for the throat and helps cut through mucus. A nurse told my sister that in hospital post tonsilectomy. It's not my old wives stuff!
Hope you are back to 100% and firing on all cylinders soon, you must be exhausted with all that hacking. Bet Mrs D is a bit hacked off too
Mrs Dan is beyond frustrated at my coughing. I don't blame her poor thing. I'm not a crisps fan really, but might try a packet of plain to see if that works. Thanks MW. And you're right...I'm knackered with all the hacking.
Good to hear you're out and about Dan. That cough is sure taking its time to go but it doesn't seem to be stopping you from delighting the neighbours with a glimpse of your shapely thighs as you speed past. Take care m'dear. Hopefully it won't be long before your chest is completely clear and you can start posting those amazing times again.
Ahhhh boPeep! Thanks. Yes, someone on this actual forum mentioned "The 100 Day Cough" which put the sh**s up me! I am hoping it will be way less than 100 days....
So glad you're out there and finally getting over this bug. Each run will be better than the last and I do really believe you are helping your lungs to get rid of the disgusting gunk!
Dan, the bug you have sounds like the one I got in November and just about shifted by February, although my throat still feels like it could start to irritate and set off a cough given the slightest opportunity. That followed on from my Achilles tweak in September and I only got back to where I was in September a month or so ago, but as you know slow and steady wins the day.
That is extremely interesting. Clearly it is some sort of super bug, that sets up shop in your lungs for the long term. What with that and your achilles - you've had a pretty ***t few months! But as you say......slow and steady is the mantra to have.
100 day cough is apparently another term for whooping cough. Her last run was November and is now chomping at the bit to try 1km. Anything is better than injury couch. I have told her that you are on the mend and it is encouraging her to go out. Trouble is once she regains fitness she will leave me for dust. At present I can think I am the faster sibling.
Are you still coughing Dan? That's awful! I've just had a horrid cold for one whole week, on its way out now, and that was bad enough!
A slightly annoying colleague of mine had 'adult pertussis' aka whooping cough last year (she is militantly gluten-free, although she's not coeliac, but anyway I digress). I think though if you can go out and run 7k and only cough three times you are definitely on the mend.
So you brush your teeth BEFORE your power juice? Doesn't that mess with your tastebuds?
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