The bloody toe

So the sore throat is all but a memory.  Although, singing to some Jackson Browne in the truck, this morning- it’s evident that I’m not back to full on that front.  My body feels tired, asthma is a breath away, runny nose in the morning…lots of mucus.  Other than that, I’m in a much better place, now that I can eat, speak and sing without major pain in my throat.  I’m not quite to the point that I can exercise without a problem…and Wasatch Back is only a few days away.

Starting around last Saturday (so about 8 days ago), my throat was so sore that I went to an urgent care on Sunday.  I was prescribed a ZPAK, which is an antibiotic.  After three days, it didn’t seem to be helping, so I went to another doctor and was prescribed amoxicillin and Magic Mouthwash.  MM was supposed to numb my throat (which it did) and the amoxicillion was a stronger antibiotic.

Finally, a week later I am not hurting so bad.  In fact, I’m almost better, throat-wise.  But now I feel like I have a cold or something.  Tired, asthma, morning sniffles, etc.  Just a heath update, is all.

I’m only 12 hours away from the gun going off and panicking.  Some questions are coming up as the time draws nigh, but as I get the answers (even if that means learning in the middle of the race), I’ll post them.

1. When do I put on the wetsuit?  Do I drive to the race in it, or do I put it on when I get there?
   Answer:  I put it on when I got there.  Worked just fine, had plenty of time.
2. What do I do with my wetsuit when I hit T1?
   Answer:  We draped it over the transition bike racks (good to have your name in it)
3. Why didn’t I buy a floor pump, when I first thought I should?  My front tire is slightly low and I’m not sure what to do about it…
   Answer:  Nothing I could do then.  Needed to have a bike pump.  Rode with a low-pressured tire.
4. How in the heck do you affix the bike number?
   Answer:  Going with the Staple to the Top Tube Method method.  This actually worked great.
5. How do you affix your helmet number when your helmet is not “sticker-friendly” in the front?  Answer:  Scissors and clear tape, my friend.
6. Got this inhaler…is there a place to store it during the swim?
   Answer:  Did what I’d read others do.  I put it on the inside of my wetsuit leg, just above the ankle.  It worked well and I forgot about it during the swim (also, I was lucky to have brought it, because I used it in the middle of the swim).

I need to record my newest, yet not dibilitating injury for this blog.  About two hours after the Bidwell Classic, on Saturday, my right ankle started to hurt.  It got to the point that it hurt to walk at all.  I tried stretching it out, icing, and massage.  Eventually, I resorted to icing, stretching and ibuprofining, every day, which seems to be working.

Yesterday, I ran with Lynn in Libery Park, amidst ankle and asthma issues.  I led the first lap, keeping about a 9:30 minute pace.  We completed our first lap, got a drink from the fountain, while Lynn complained about the first lap being too fast.  He led the second lap and PICKED UP THE PACE by another 10 seconds per mile!  So he must not have been feeling that bad.  We did a 3rd lap at about 10 minutes pace and then cooled down, walking/jogging a half mile.  So that’s a 5 mile run.

Initially, the run consisted of me trying to ignore the pain in my right ankle.  I soon forgot my ankle and concentrated on the more important task of breathing, which I was really struggling with.  I know that if I go out too fast, sometimes I really struggle with my asthma for a while.  But still, it seems like I was having such a hard time.  At one point, I really wanted to stop.  But I tried a little Nelson Mind Over Matter and make myself push through it.  Lynn could hear me wheezing through his music in his headphones.  So I’ve got some asthma issues to work through.

Today, I woke up, feeling pretty congested (I still am), but definitely better.  My asthma was pretty strong last night, but I only had to take my Pro-air inhaler two times in the middle of it (compared to 5-6, a few nights ago).  So I think that I’m getting better.  This is the first time that I’ve actually tried to keep a journal of how my astham/cold/sickness bout has gone.  I’m hoping that if I can do this for a few more years, I’ll have a better understanding of why it happens (is it seasonal?  weather-related?  etc?)

But in the meantime, this also marks the first year, that I’ve exercised through my asthma and colds.  Pretty cool.  I didn’t die.  Apparently, I can keep exercising and won’t end up in the hospital.  This is somewhat revealing.  It would have been a better test if I didn’t have shin problems.  I would have run a lot more through the illness.

So since I’ve been keeping track of my illness, I’m impressed by two things:  1.  I’ve been able to run a few times, though some very tricky asthma problems.  2.  I have been sick for over two weeks.  This, however, I think is typical for me.  My asthma goes through some crazy cycles and appears to be seasonal.  It will go away, eventually.  It always does, every year.

So the difference is:  I haven’t gone to the doctor for it, this time, and I’ve been running, even when it feels difficult to do so.

But I have an appointment scheduled with the much hailed Dr. Toronto for early next month.

Did anyone catch that my post’s title would make a good Facebook status update?

So tomorrow is the second race in the Winter Series races.  It’s a 10K.  In two weeks, the final race will be a 15K.  I’m sort of taking a chance, here.  I’ve (and this is going to sound strange to some) always wanted to run a race, sick.  Part of running, for me, is to challenge my body to do things it’s never done.  I’ve heard about people who race sick and have always marveled that someone would put themself through it.

I am currently dealing with a series of things that should make tomorrow challenging.  My left shin, which I’ve waxed eloquent about for a few weeks, my right knee and its IT Band issues, my asthma has been very strong for a month (inversion), and finally, I’m all stuffed up and feel like I have a cold/allergies.  So it’ll be interesting to see what I can accomplish in this state.  I’m no hero, folks.  I just play one on the street.

This might be a good time to mention that, now that’s it’s 1:17 AM, today is Valentine’s Day.  I’m so thankful to have a wife who supports me in my running.  There are not many women who can handle someone who keeps so many hobbies and extra-curricular activities.  Wendy has been a great supporter of my sport, ever since we married in 2001.  Thanks Wendy, and I love you.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

And Happy Valentine’s day, everyone!

From today’s Salt Lake Tribune:  “Not only are people in sensitive groups urged to take caution — the very young, the very old and people with heart and lung problems — but even healthy people are advised to limit their exertion outdoors.”

So we’re dealing with a few issues, here.  Yesterday I went for a 5 mile run.  As soon as I started (within one minute), my left shin was aching.  I thought I was going to turn around and go home, but I’d spent so much time preparing for my run (winter running requires some prep work for me), that I kept going, anyway.

By the time I hit the halfway mark, I wondered if it was going to get bad enough that I’d have to call Wendy to have her pick me up.  But when I imagined her having to pack the girls in the car just to come pick me up two miles away, I decided to gut it out.

I made it home, and even sprinted the last half mile.  However, in the sprint, my right IT Band started to flare up.  So we may be dealing with that, again.  So I’m glad that I got the miles in, but am concerned that I’m breaking down, a little.

I should also mention that our local news advices us to stay inside because of the nasty polution problems we’re having.  That might explain my functional suffocation and taking my inhaler 4-5 times on the run.

All in all, I’ve had better runs.

Just remembered my last affliction:  I’m using some Powerstep insoles that were sold to me at the 26.2 running company in Highland.  My right insole sits a little closer back to the heel than my left foot, and as a result, kills my arches.  I almost took it out on the way back home.  So I’ve got some things to work on before my next run.

…let me start over.

I was sitting here, reading some articles on the Runner’s World website.  I noticed that my lungs were tightening up (I’ve been dealing with asthma for the last few weeks).  My bag was in the other room and contained my inhaler.  So I decided (out of laziness) to wait a few more minutes to go and get it.

That’s when I stumbled across this Runner’s World article on a yoga excercise for asthma.  I tried it, and you know what?  It seemed to work.  Weird.  I’m a little psyched out, so it’s hard to tell if it’s something that works, or whether it’s psychological.