Finally Feeling Better

Today was the first day that I have felt pretty good.  Since I returned from Arizona Jan 15th, I have been struggling with... well.... basically a whole lot of snot!  Chest congestion and coughing and hacking and sneezing.  I have no idea where all of this snot comes from. It seems to be perpetual.  This is particularly troublesome when one is running.  I have had major trouble in the last two weeks getting oxygen when I run.  It is like my lungs are filled with the crud and there is no room for the oxygen.  It gets worse when your nose is running and you cannot get air in or out through your nose.   Then, the goo get up into your throat and makes you cough, or hack up some goo or at least need to expectorate.  All that would be bad enough in and of itself, but when one is running, all of those things force one to stop breathing to accomplish them.  If you are running and stop breathing even for a second, your breathing becomes more and more labored.  The whole darned thing just gets more and more difficult.

Today I felt better.  I ran three miles at a decent pace... about 8:00 min. miles.  During these last two weeks I have forced myself to run, but my times have not been great.  Instead of 8:00/m I have been running more like 8:30-8:40/m.  Twice in the last two weeks I had to stop and walk during my runs.  I am a little concerned about how I will perform in New Orleans this coming weekend.  With my training runs being a bit shorter than usual and slower than normal, I am worried that I will not be ill-prepared for the race.  I have decided that I will maintain a goal of 1:45:00.  I ran better than that in Arizona, but I think given my poor training, I will be pleased with 1:45:00.

I think Valerie is under the impression that I am going to run faster and better this weekend because she started us on the Run Fast Eat Slow menu today.  I've got to say she has put in a significant amount of effort getting this prepared.  Days of planning, days of shopping, and days of cooking.  She even got up early this morning to make me breakfast before I went to work.  Todays menu consisted of scrambled eggs with spinach and home made bread toast for breakfast, oh and a beet smoothie, a quinoa salad, an apple, and sesame butter for lunch.  A snack of a home made muffin with all sorts of vegetables and spices that are supposed to reduce inflammation and heal muscles etc... and a special ingredient chai tea (antioxidants, spices, etc...).  Dinner consisted of more quinoa and kale and a steak and toast with cashew pesto.  All of it was really pretty good, however it was more food than I normally eat.  I do not generally eat four times a day.  I went for a run today so that I could run off some of the food I ate today.  I was full from breakfast at lunch.  I was full from lunch when it was time for my snack.  I had to eat my snack before I made it home for dinner.  Then I was still full when it was time for dinner.  All of these meals are good/natural foods.  There is nothing processed.  In the chai tea was hazel nut milk that Valerie made -- from hazel nuts, of course.  I enjoyed all of the food -- ALL of it!  I wonder if all of the good ingredients will help me perform better or if I will simply get fat from eating so much.  I hope that it is the former and not the latter.  I shutter to think what my Mii character will look like if I gain more weight.  The way he looks when he blows up makes me think that one day he may explode.  I hope that is not foreshadowing in any way.

At least I felt better today.  Most of the snot is gone and I was able to get some air.  So maybe I am over this persistent and seemingly interminable gunk.  Couple that with the new Run Fast Eat Slow menu and I might just have a chance this weekend.  Off to New Orleans on Saturday, healthy or not.