infectious
distance running--and to a lesser degree, cycling--has always taken its toll on my immune system. workout for 2-3 hours in 80-degree weather, and you're left very vulnerable to colds and other viruses over the next 24 hours.
swimming has added an interesting variable to this equation: the constant exposure of your sinuses to waterborne pathogens. combined with said weakening of immunity, the two make a downright potent combination.
i have been suffering from sinus congestion for the past 11 days. i have been suffering from a wicked sinus infection for the past 4 days. it has cost me time off from work. opaque colors come onto my tissues 'round the clock; it seems i've been living each day for the sole purpose of going to bed "just to see how better i feel when i wake up." i snack on antibiotics and decongestants the way movie-goers snack on popcorn. i wake with my eyes crusted shut. it's a miserable existence. i miss my health.
for the first time in five days, i went for a swim with sandy's class (i felt pretty good this morning when the morning alarm sounded). not too surprisingly, i felt sluggish. the hues of deep eddy's water reminded me of my own mucus, which made my hardened stomach turn nauseous as the fluid slipped the length of my outstretched body. it didn't exactly build my confidence for this saturday, either.
barring a miracle, my goal for my first ever competitive mile has been reduced to "just finish"--an ironic return to my original goal when i registered for the event over a month ago. however, that goal didn't have the "hindered by illness" rider, which is a new horizon i never really considered. i can't be too disappointed.
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