I inspired myself today. I wasn't even sure whether I'd be able to run. I've been sick with a chest cold; but I was really determined to get well by today so I could do my big 5 mile run - the longest distance I'd have ever gone.
I've been self-medicating with tons of water, hot tea, ibuprofen, Doctor Kessler's Vapors, and a homemade soup with magic powers. The soup's this sort of Thai variation on Jewish chicken soup that I concoct. It contains chicken stock, fresh roasted chicken, baby spinach, funky Chinese mushrooms, a whole head of roasted garlic, three additional fresh cloves of minced garlic, two tablespoons of spicy Thai chili paste, a tablespoon of coconut butter, coconut powder, lemon juice and frozen shrimp in their shells. Also, if you can, you should add fresh ginger and scallions but I simply couldn't leave my apartment yesterday to go buy some. Anyway, the soup did its magic and got me well enough to strap the shoes on.
I went down to the gym in the afternoon, hoping to run at least 3 miles, and then see how I felt. Since this is a chest cold, my breathing's impeded. I had no idea what to expect and I didn't want to reverse whatever progress the soup was making on my overall recovery! I warmed up for half a mile by walking and then restarted the machine, which only allows a maximum of 60 minutes before it goes into cool down mode. I knew I'd never finish 5 miles in 60 minutes and so assumed I'd have to start the machine over again sometime before the end.
After 1.6 miles of jogging, I was red and nauseous. I was running next to a friend from the building who was in the process of speed training at 8.2 miles an hour. He saw me struggling and told me to put the fan on high, and also suggested I make smaller goals like 3 miles. (He gave me all these instructions by the way while running at 8.2 miles an hour! Are you kidding? While I'm about to barf on myself at 5.2 mph.)
The short-goals strategy worked and then I got nauseous again at 3.6 miles. Funny thing was, my stupid, incorrect, piece of crap Nike+ thing was telling congratulations I had just half a mile left to go when in reality, on the treadmill, I wasn't even at 4 miles yet. Lies! So that thing just doesn't work at all and when I went to hook it up tonight to the Internet, the Nike site was down and all my information was lost anyway. One gadget I guess that was purely a waste of money. Oh well; I tried!
Mile 4 was the easiest. I ran at 6.2 most of the way and then walked and started again a few times until I realized if I ran really fast, I might make it in just over 60 minutes! I ran like the wind! I just couldn't believe I was going to finish the 5 miles at all, let alone at a respectable time! In the end I needed just over one minute more to finish, but please - I'm thrilled! I burned 600 calories in all and I don't think I've even eaten 600 calories yet today! Guess I should make something for dinner now that my liquid garlic infusion is all gone! Hmm... what do I want to spend 600 calories on!? It's like shopping. I could get into this.
After working out I stretched a reasonable amount and then put on a bathing suit and sat in the sauna and roasted myself for 30 minutes. Bad, sick, congested sweat poured out. When I emerged I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and thought for a split second it was someone else - my body has changed that much already; maybe not so perceptible to someone who doesn't know me well - but to me, it's major. Awesome!
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