Life after quadruple bypass: The Good, The Bad, & The Sickly (THIS runners perspective on the common cold)

We've all had it. We have list of a Aliases for it. The Crud, The Junk, A Cold, The Snots & some even call it "Cooties". Whatever the name, I got it. For the first time in more than 5 five years I got a cold. It's absolutely normal for me to get my semi-annual sinus infection. I can usually count on getting it once in the winter and once in the summer. Just part of the territory when it comes to being John Gillespie. But, what I thought was a sinus infection setting in, turned out to me a cold that took me of the road for 5 days. For a full 120 hours I was completely useless to the running society. I felt like I had been hit by that freight train that I've heard so many others talk about. I wasn't ready for a reunion with the common cold but the virus was certainly ready to play catch up after all the time we'd missed.

But, this time was different. I laid around the house constantly worrying about losing all the ground I've gained during the last 2 years of working on my run. In my mind I'm thinking that if I don't get back out on the road I'm gonna lose it all! I'm thinking this as my nose is glowing red like an airport beacon and my head feels like I have an active bowling ally between my ears. I'm drinking NyQuil like it's Gatorade at a marathon water station and I have a cough that has left my throat feeling like ground beef that has been soaked in diesel and set a flame. Yet, I still worried about my conditioning, of the loss thereof. I'm looking at my facebook friends posting the results of their runs and feeling jealous and disappointed with myself for not do what I need to do to maintain my conditioning.

Why was I being so hard on myself? God only knows! In my mind, I KNOW that 2 years of conditioning won't be lost in 5 days. Yet, I still feel like I'm letting myself down. Common sense dictates that the body will not lose conditioning so fast that all my hard work is lost while I sit there on the couch watching the sparrows fling about in the front yard. But, I still had a guilty conscience sitting there by my pile of used tissues.

Why indeed? Why did I feel so bad about not running in spite of my sickness? After a nice 5 miler this morning (on the other side of my cold), I felt the answer. I LOVE TO RUN!!! I DO!!

I know! Not revelation knowledge to anyone who knows me. But, I lose sight sometimes. And I know I'm not the only one. So when I was sitting there in the midst of my pity party wiping my nose and coughing up the unmentionable mess that results in such a virus, I'm feeling bad not because I'm concerned about losing all my hard work, or that my body will forget how to do fartleks. No. I'm just mad. Mad that I can't get out there and enjoy the euphoria that comes with a good solid run. Plug in my music, put on my shades, start my TomTom and run. That's it! I just want to run!

So, the next time sickness takes you out for a few days, don't fret about conditioning. Don't feel like you're gonna lose everything you've worked for. Just rest. The road will wait and welcome you back when you're ready. Just the same way it did this morning when I got back out there. I'm not full speed yet. But, give it a couple of more runs and I'll be back on track.

Though, I have to admit. It was tough to fight of the urge to get in some speed work during my run this morning. You can see where I started off fast intending to do 1 mile fartleks. But, came to my senses and chose to ease back into things.