two weeks

I am now at the two week milepost for this crud. I'm not as bad as I was before I started an antibiotic nine days ago but it seems to have lost any magical ability to get me healthy. I have five more days of antibiotics. I guess the inhaler has been helpful for the past four days yet I am still coughing. It is very annoying. Good or bad, I do have a doctor appointment for Wednesday next week for blood work and EKG for my annual physical. Will they scrap my blood work if I have all these drugs coursing through my system?

Worst of all is that I have not run since Monday morning and have no intention of doing so until I lick this thing. Acquaintances have told me about the weeeeeeks they spent trying to beat it back. I am not a happy camper.

My only consolation this week was I made travel plans for July. 7-12 Chicago. 12-23 Rhode Island.

Roller coaster

Just when David was getting his groove back he woke up yesterday with the same degree of sick symptoms he complained about a week ago. We are in regression. Things are so disturbing that they cannot even write in first person, in fear of one committing self-inflicted harm upon one's self. The doctor has now prescribed an inhaler. No rush like that since college. Wait. Ignore that last comment. He's obviously delusional.

It's getting better all the time

Okay old folks... what hit song sung by who from the 60s is that a first line from? What album? (Google cheaters need not answer)

I got up at 530 to run this morning. It was about time. It was not an easy run. I just knew I had to go out and run somewhere. While running, I realized I was going to have to pace myself back to my pre-ill form so that distracted me for awhile. I figured I would go 3 today, 4 on Wednesday, 5 on Friday and anything between 6-10 that feels good on Saturday/Sunday. In fact I just got off the phone with one of my prinicipal pals - Dave - and made a date to run with him and Justin on Saturday morning at 600. I'll see if I can finagle my other two principal pals - the girls - to join us. Gosh, I think I'm forming a running club here.
So all that's going through my head while I ran this morning; at the same time that molasses was running through my legs and my lungs too, it seemed. The first two miles were slow and I felt better in the third mile but was still weak. It'll get better all the time now. By noon, my legs have that fresh feeling that you get after a hard run. It was a hard easy run. Progress.

Staying alive

Here I sit itching to be healthy and run. Every time I lie down I have to get up; and when I get up, things in my lungs want to be free. It's not been pretty but I am making headway. I called to see the doc and he said no but phoned in a scrip. I have an antibiotic and I am taking it. I mowed the lawn this morning but felt tired afterwards. So tired I took a nap. Hence the horizontal-vertical account. If I behave the rest of today (do nothing) I will run a distance tomorrow and see if I have any lung capacity to work with.
Meanwhile, I am inspired by Susie's great run today. You will be too.

In contrast to my header there was sad news this week. My boss at my former employer of 23 years died at his desk on Monday. He was 55. He was my peer for most of those 23 years until he became my boss in 2001. I left for a better-paying character-challenging job 18 months ago but kept in touch. The sports world was shocked. The church was packed. The media was all over it with eulogies. A sad loss. A good man and friend to many. Left a 6-year old daughter and wife.
Which reminds me. If any of you are around for my funeral, make sure they play some Tom Petty ("Free Fallin'") in the line up of pre-service tunes.

Trying to recover

I never get sick so I forget how to be good and do what I should.
Everything has been there for me to get over whatever I have. Warm sunny days. Three days off. No appointments, dates or calamities to address. So what did I do? Friday I pitchforked about four yards of mulch into a wheelbarrow and covered the beds. I did another three yards worth on Saturday. Then the truck came with a yard of stones for another area. I backwashed the pool.
I did not take it easy enough Friday and Saturday but when I woke up this morning I felt good. Until I got up with the intention to go running. I hacked and other unattractive things until my lungs settled down, then went to Park Avenue to see who was running. I got there just before 700 to see Marty taking off up the street. Jack, Tim nor Chris were to be found. I drove around the block and was heading home when I caught a glimpse of Tim getting out of his car so we went out for a slow run of six miles. I was okay for about three miles before I realized I was very tired. I ended up walking for a spell too. It took us 55 minutes (10 minute pace) including the walking so I met my pace of the past two weeks but I am one pooped runner.
When I came home I showered and fixed breakfast for everyone. Then I got back into bed. I had promised Mrs. T we'd go to the beach but it was too late, soe we went for a slow relaxing bike ride. It was fun. It had also been about a year or more since we'd gone for a ride; ever since son C backed up over the air pump in the car. I bought a new one a few weeks ago so now there is a cross training option in the garage.
The last thing I did before blogging was take a nap. I guess I should lay low this week. Fat chance.

GO JEFF GO ... i mean go jeff go.

Phoned in sick.

Yup. I'm sick today. Phoned it in. Now, it's 84F out there with the sun shining. Mrs. T is off to work. Son C is at school. Pool looks good. Read the paper. I think I'll just relax and do some thinking.
The week from hell ended yesterday with the conclusion of our big event that took all manner of scrambling with 20 different people to get their material and presentations together, follow through on all the event arrangements and make it happen. It was a success by many measures; not so in others, but it's over and I'm worn out.
I woke up at 430 Thursday morning fretting over details I had already taken care of the night before. I decided the best thing I could do besides roll around in bed was get up and run so I popped out and did a quick five miles. It made me wake up, exhale some of that stress and physically pumped for the day. I cranked the 5-er in 44:30 which suited me fine. The key was to get out there, since I had skipped on Tuesday.
I have no run dates this weekend (yet) but I will try and put in a double digit mile run one day, if I feel a little better (I really am under the weather). The beach might finally beckon with its forecast 88F temps, although it is Easter weekend and the beach will be packed.

Almost forgot

I almost forgot to write up my weekend run before the week from hell rolls over me.
Friday, I went to sleep early enough to wake up at 430 and be rested and ready to run Saturday morning. I had a bagel and coffee, read the paper and, of course, was two minutes late for the appointed run date with Susan and Patty. They were kind enough to wait for me.
They allowed me to be the run tour guide (Last week I took their lead). I offered a 9, 10 or 11 mile route that would be somewhat familiar to them. Indeed it was.
We took my Sunday morning route that I used to do with Chris, Jack and Tim back in December and January. It goes through the high rent/mortgage district but in the 6 a.m. mooneless morning light there's not much to see. In fact, in mile 4, Susan tripped on a manhole cover on the uneven brick street around Lake Knowles and took a tumble, falling on her hip. We got her back up and she said she was okay and good to go. We let her walk it off for a little while to make sure she wasn't falsely assured. Sure enough she was fine.
Around mile 7 we paused at my usual Gatorade cooler stash and shared a bottle of Tangerine Rain. On we went and when 10 miles was done we all felt quite fresh and exercised. Our time was slow but it didn't matter. We just kept moving, getting to know each other a little more than last week. It is some comfort to all work in the same field although my role is a far cry from theirs. I can't imagine being a principal. They must have to be so mean.
Both ladies had events at their school yesterday which is why we ran so early. There is a lot of redeeming merit in being fully tested for ten miles and then on your way home by 8 a.m. Susan had a carnival at her elementary school where there was to be a dunk tank. She assured me she was not going to be one of the dunk tank targets unless someone provided her a full wet suit. Nobody did so she was off the hook. I might have thrown down a few bucks to throw some balls to dunk her. I can remember being the dunk tank antagonist a few years ago at a big party on the field of the Citrus Bowl. I took great relish in throwing taunts at the tossers and passers by. Anything to get them to part with the money. It takes a special talent to be a dunk tank jerk.

Had to let off some pressure

I popped out of bed this morning at the sound of the sprinklers, assessed the time I had between then and a 7:30 breakfast and decided I needed to run off some high blood pressure. At the oral surgeon the other day (long story) my BP reading was 130/80 or so. A stressful spell of work has had its effect.
Anyway I was out the door and cruising at tempo pace in a hurry. I kept it up for four miles too. At my split miles I looked at my watch and could only say, "Oooh!" So from slug to sprinter in two days is a curiosity in and of itself. I made it around at an 8:15 pace per mile and felt excellent.
I went to the breakfast and it was a hospital's celebration event about 100 people in families who followed a plan to live and eat better. They collectively dropped 200 inches off their waist lines and 1,100 pounds ... in eight weeks! If you'd like to know the title of the book let me know. I'll look it up. I sat there smiling since I felt so good after my run. I ate french toast with syrup, scrambled eggs, canteloupe and some turkey bacon. Yum.

Sluggish

I went to bed quite early last night to try and catch up on what's been lost by DST and other distractions. I woke up early enough to go for a run so I dressed out, had a banana and a glass of water; then hit the streets. It was still fairly dark out and very quiet. I headed south through Baldwin Park and found myself laboring a little with a congested feeling in my right chest. Since it was on the right side I ruled out a heart attack. Wait, let me think about that. Yes. Not a heart attack. Must be a strained muscle or something. I had it last night too.
Anyway, I poked around the Park and logged four miles in 36:05.8 which is just over a 9 minute mile pace. The banana kept reminding me it had not been in my stomach 40 minutes ago so I downed some water quickly to quell the vicious thing. The run was nothing special but the miles are in the book. Count it.
Congratulations to you Florida Gators on the basketball championship. Well done.

Ratings down hard

March Adventurer count: 982; down 364.
Jan 1226, Feb 1346, Total 3554

Circulation editor on probation for poor performance. Lack of running attributed to drop.
Cadet p0rn was only riveting highlight of month but will not become regular feature.

Dimer

I worked the latter half of the past week to set up a run date with the two principals I met at the race last weekend. The best time turned out to be Saturday morning at 530. 530 came early afer Friday night's late-running birthday dinner party for a long-time friend. I shut my eyes at 1100 and opened them at 430. I was determined to not oversleep.
I had a half bagel with peanut butter and water on my way downtown. Sue and Patty were there and not necessarily more than that. It was early.
We started out with Sue leading the way on their usual route. It covered a lot of roads I have run but in slightly different sequences so, in one sense, it was new. We slipped through the gate at a local botanical garden and ran a shortcut through to a nearby neighborhood. When we had almost reached the six mile mark we stopped for some Gatorade I had stashed behind a wall near my house (always trying to display some sense of anticipation and consideration). Opting to go the longer leg of two options back to downtown, I led the way east and around Lake Virginia. We finished up at just shy of 9.5 miles. Sue and I felt like we could have gone for more. Patty's back was hurting a little.