Bold Moves

Rest. That dirty, “4 letter word” to runners! Yet that is exactly what the doctor said I must do. Rest. It was Feb 6th and I was suffering from severe chest congestion and was having great difficulty breathing. I am rarely sick; not even a sniffle. Yet here I was in great distress and resorting to visiting the doctor. I knew that I needed something stronger than Vitamin C! So as the doctor ordered a breathing treatment for me then and there, my Hubby took the opportunity to completely nark on me! He told the Doc, “You’d better be more specific about what rest means; she ran a half-marathon in this condition Saturday!” The Doc looked at me and said, “You ran a half-marathon even though you knew you were sick??” I managed to feebly mumble yes while trying not to make direct eye contact. She then began to be very direct with me about what ‘rest’ meant! She diagnosed me with pneumonia…I apparently ran my race with pneumonia! In hindsight, that wasn’t a wise thing to do…but runners are a stubborn lot and I am no exception.
The photo shows what approaching the finish line looks like in 12 degree weather when you can hardly breathe. I seriously considered a DNF at mile 11 as the medic vehicle was oh-so-inviting. The beautiful runner in pink is my dear running buddy and Angel for that race, Deb. She sacrificed her time to stay with me and ensure that I didn’t face plant on the course. She was an endless source of encouragement and energy, especially the last 2 miles where breathing became the most difficult for me. In a weird sort of way I am still glad that I ran. I finished the race with my slowest time ever, HM #20, but I was not the last finisher!
After the race I spent the next week recovering and fully resting. By Feb 13th I returned to work although not fully recovered. My Doc made me check in with her several times to assess my lungs and ensure that progress was on track. As of today, my lungs are still not clear so running is still off limits. I am actually following her guidance to the letter so that I don’t relapse. But the weather is unseasonably warm now and it is taking every ounce of my self-control NOT to go for a “little run.”
I am optimistic that I can resume running next week. So today I registered for my next race, in April.
Rest means rest. For now….