Sick and Tired of being Sick and Tired

I've managed to get in three runs in the last week, counting tonight. I'm not even going to bother with the other two; just trust me when I say they were nothing to write home about. This most recent run wasn't much, either, but I feel like I should record SOMETHING.

Start time: ~7:30 PM
Weather: cloudy, 78 degrees F, muggy.
Time: 55:53
Distance: 5.36 miles
Pace: 10:25 min/mile


A little personal information about me:
 - I am 30 years old
 - I am a public high school teacher
 - this is my 7th year teaching in public education

I've heard it said that kids are simply vessels that diseases use to travel to adults who would otherwise remain healthy. Working in schools has exposed me to every illness creeping across the planet, and my immune system has gotten stronger over the last seven years because of it.


So why is it that one little cold has floored me for 10 days?


Hacking. Coughing. Sinus congestion. Body aches. It feels like the symptoms have been changing on a daily basis, and every time I'm no closer to feeling more like myself. I even had to start the new school year coughing into my elbow every five minutes. I've finished three prescriptions and only now feel like I'm past the worst.

So today, when I thought I could manage a strong run, I went for it. Yes, I coughed every now and again, (in fact, I just coughed while typing this), but it was worth it to get out and move my legs.


And I decided to try some hill sprints today.

Lexington is a city that boasts some impressive hills (just ask anyone who's ever finished the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon at Keeneland), so it's a great place to work on strengthening tendons and ligaments, increasing running power, and all the other benefits of hill training.

Sisyphus, eternally pushing his boulder uphill. What my run today felt like after a few miles. 

In an effort to train for all my upcoming races, I hit a hill I've dubbed "Long, Tall, and Handsome". It begins with a short dip, inclines sharply, then does a slow, gradual incline for roughly half a mile. Maintaining a consistent pace on this hill is HARD, which I guess is why I sent myself there today after nearly a week off of running. Maybe I thought it was what I needed to whip myself back into the game after 'taking it easy' for too long. 

Hopefully, by my next post, I'll be 100%. It's been 15 days since my last long run, and I'm itching to get out there. Until then, feel free to leave me a message with any routes you like to take, products you swear by, or any other running-related rant.