It sucks to be ill!
New post at The Running Bug, ‘It sucks to be ill‘.
I am ill, and boy do I feel sorry for myself. Like a typical male, I don’t do illness well!
Having spoken with the doctor, it would appear that I have had some kind of infection for at least the past month which, at least, explains the ups and downs where my health is concerned. If that wasn’t bad enough, at the beginning of the week, I started to feel really ill, with the kind of excruciating throat pain that makes swallowing agony. It appears that a number of factors may have conspired against me. Anyone who has read this blog before will know that my trusty treadmill gave up the ghost at the beginning of September, just in time for my planned September daily run routine which saw me run an eventual 25 out of 30 days. As a result of this, I ended up running outside in all weathers. Normally, I would have mixed it up a bit more with some outside running and some treadmill running.
It would appear that my running style/technique may have had something to do with my illness. I had not really thought about this before but, when I run, I breathe almost exclusively though my mouth and, as the doctor pointed out to me, this means that the air misses out on the filtering that nasal hair offers. I have tried to breathe in through my nose but, for some unknown reason, it does not come naturally to me at all! As such, I might have to employ some kind of shield whilst out running on the colder days. An internet research opportunity lies ahead.
Sitting here writing this post, I would just be happy to be able to breathe through my nose and I look forward to the day where I feel less congested. In fact, thinking about it now, don’t you just love that feeling that follows being ill – you may know the one I am referring to, where you wake up one day and realise that you feel great again, almost superhuman, having previously been dragged down by the lethargy of illness.
If you have read my previous posts, you will be aware that I pledged to run every day in November (for Movember) and in December (for Marcothon). As ridiculous as it sounds given the above few paragraphs, I have remained true to my pledge. Fortunately, my replacement treadmill arrived on the 31st, just in time for Movember. Given my ailments, my running has understandably been confined to the treadmill and I will certainly not break any speed or distance PBs right now. However, regardless of how crap I feel, I am determined to stick to my running pledge.
If the truth be known, it actually provides a bit of a lift, possibly through the release of endorphins, but most definitely in the form of a temporary reprieve from the general bunged up feeling that I have in my head.
Hopefully things will be back to normal in time for my next post. In the meantime, feel free to share any thoughts on the merit (or otherwise) of running whilst ill. One thing that is far from normal is the growth on my face, again as a result of a pledge for Movember. I have the semblences of something recognisable as a moustache forming. I am still far from convinced that I suit a moustache, but it is early days – 26 days in which to grow to love it (unlikely), or at which point I can shave it off (almost certainly!)