still a little down and out
Today is day five of this little cold that I’ve been battling…it started on Sunday night so I would like to think that it is on its way out, but each morning I wake up with a new symptom! Yesterday it was green phlegm (yummy!) and today it was a half hour sneezing fit and a little bit of a cough. The cough has seemed to have disappeared after clearing some of the mucus out, but it’s still gross. This was supposed to be a big 55 mile week for me, ending with a 20 miler this weekend, but lets just say I don’t really think that’s going to happen. With how well I was running, I was really looking forward to pushing myself this week and conquering a tough workout (7 mile tempo run…I was mentally ready to rock it…), but I guess that will be for another day. At least with how well I was running I should be okay to pick back up quickly and still do well at Boston. It’s just kind of a pain to have such setbacks in training, especially on key weeks!
That being said…any words of wisdom on coming back? I know I shouldn’t just right into 20 miles this weekend if I’m feeling better (which I HOPE and PRAY I am)…but is 15 miles okay? 16? Less? I have no idea! You would think I would know this by now, but I’m leaning on my fellow runners for some ideas. 
Let me know your thoughts!
As a side note, I would like to say that one of the benefits of knowing no one where you live is that you can go to the grocery store looking like a total slub (is that even a word? I think I just made it up!) and not care. I’m currently a mess in my sick-pre-shower look, but there’s not the slightest chance I would see anyone I would know, so away I went. This just proves that if I was back in Chicago, I would attempt to shower and be more presentable in case I were to in fact run into someone while out in public.
jury duty
About a month ago, I got a notice in the mail saying that I am summoned for jury duty. Having lived in Pennsylvania for not even a year, they sure got to me quick! I haven’t even registered to vote here yet! (I know, bad Susan.) Anyway, I have to call at 4pm to find out if I have to report for jury duty tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me, I really, really, really want to be put on a trial!! My hospital will pay me for up to 15 days of jury duty, so three week trial, here I come. It’s sad that I’m looking forward to jury duty, but it will give me a mental break from my job and, more importantly in my mind, let me live like a normal person, if only for a few days. Wake up in the morning and go to work? Not stay up until 2am on a regular basis? Have evenings free? What?? I look forward to a glimpse of what life as a 9-5er is like. Maybe I’ll hate it? Only time will tell.
This post, of course, will somehow make its way to the karma gods and will make it somehow so I will not be chosen for jury duty.
making faces
Get ready for this…I actually had a GOOD night at work last night. Shocking, I know. It was an even flow of busy without being crazy, and I had a funny patient who made me laugh. He was an elderly man who had a bunch of issues going on, and he wasn’t able to feed himself, so I got the joy of feeding him dinner. Usually I scowl at having to feed someone because it takes a lot of time, but I had some time to spare so I wasn’t eyeing the clock between every bite. I’ve been told that I make many faces throughout the day, and this patient must have taken notice since he started making faces at me…after awhile I realized he was mimicking me! I would raise my eyebrows and he would do that same…I’d scratch my nose and he’d scrunch his up and down. It was too funny. Maybe you had to be there…
Don’t say “I should be able to pick back up…” you WILL pick back up. And you will rock it. The end.
Oh wait no, not the end. If you were living in Minneapolis, it would be completely OK if you went to the grocery store sick and looking like a “slub” – we all have that Minnesota Nice thing going for us, and we’d understand.
p.s. I love old people.
I’m really happy to hear that you had a good day at work! That’s always good news. As for coming back, I say take it slowly and see how you feel. Maybe shoot for 10 to 15 miles and let yourself stop when you feel like you need to.
Hey Susan, I think it’s not about the mileage when coming back but really how you feel when you are running. Since you can’t predict how “recovered” you will be by this weekend, just play it by ear/feel. Plan for like 13 miles or so, and then see how you feel. Allow yourself some flexibility. If you feel good after 13, go for a couple more miles and see. If you’re still okay, then finish the full 20. If you start to feel exhausted/dizzy or just not good, give yourself a break and call it a day. You’ll save yourself the stress of worrying about it now.
Recover well, and I’m glad you had a good day at work. We all need that once in a while.
Take this week slow and listen to how much your body wants to run. I do the complete opposite, so take that with a grain of salt
What a cute old man!! I make crazy faces and I never realize it until there’s a mirror in front of me or I’m on video.
I’ll be crossing my fingers for you (in 6 minutes!!) hoping you get jury duty. I’ve always thought jury duty was cool and wondered why people hated it.
As for running? I’d say take it easy although my advice isn’t very legit. I told my runner friend last night that you ran 4 times around the WaDuke and then 5 miles to and from Sara’s apt. She was impressed/speechless and checked out your bloggy!
better to be sick now than for boston! make sure you’re back to healthy before you do any LR, you don’t want to knock yourself back. Wait a second, why am *I* giving you, the nurse, advice? I’m dumb. Nevermind. :p
Here’s hoping you make it onto a trial!!!
It’s those very interactions with the patients that make me enjoy my work. Yes, there’s definitely a lot of nonsense that gets in the way of those interactions unfortunately.
Good luck getting jury duty (I think this is the first time I’ve ever said that to anyone!).