Fri 2/28 - off

For the second day in a row, woke up with my throat so swollen it felt like it had almost closed off. Great fun. Safe to say I've never blown my nose so many times in one day either. That easy jog on Tuesday was maybe not the greatest idea in hindsight.

Thu 2/27 - off

The fun continues. Typical afternoon catnap turned into a 2+ hour snoozefest, awoke not knowing what time or day it was. The cold seems firmly entrenched and not feeling up to any kind of exercise. I suppose the body has its ways of saying when it's time to take a break, and this is as good a time as any. I have to wonder if the illness would have happened without the egregious lack of sleep last week though.

Wed 2/26 - off

This zero snuck up on me, not that it should have really. In fact I'm paying the piper for the massive lack of sleep during last week's vacation, as the cold symptoms started to pile up with plenty of nasal congestion to go along with the sore throat. When I started to feel vaguely febrile late afternoon I knew it would be wisest to take the day off. As it ended up I went to bed a full hour early, a complete no-brainer despite being totally unheard of.

Tue 2/25 - PM 60 minutes easy

Rockland Ave to Levittown. Feeling a bit better than yesterday which isn't saying much. The sore throat seems stuck at a low-grade level, not getting any better or worse, but nasal congestion has joined the party. Difficult to sleep, even to take a nap in the afternoon. Made for a less than energetic run, just out puttering as usual. Right leg feeling like garbage as well, hamstring feels tweaked and of course the usual sticking points in glute/piriformis and calf. I had thought of extending yesterday's day off into a more substantial break but wanted to get out there even for a low key jog. Whether that's a good idea remains to be seen. Cold conditions firmly entrenched and show no signs of abating anytime soon.

Mon 2/24 - off

Much needed zero, as the bubble finally burst on my overextended under-rested vacation schedule. Still a worthwhile experience, but more draining than I'd like particularly the last night of hardly any sleep followed by about 12 hours of travel. Got home from work today too tired to do much of anything, went down for a nap and woke up 90 minutes later and that was that.

Sun 2/23 - PM 40 minutes very easy

Back in Maynard. Not nearly as much melting of the snowpack as I would have liked in my absence. Dead flat tired from a long day traveling, as such no energy to speak of and felt like I was barely moving for much of the run. In fact didn't get very far at all, Winter street to Tiger Drive was it really. Beginnings of a sore throat coming on.

Sat 2/22 - double, 75 minutes total incl. 5k road race

AM - 50 minutes incl. 5k road race. The sandbag tour hits the road, to Green Valley which is a relative term in the desert. Legs heavy and sore after yesterday, the previous three days actually, not that I expected any different. Hoping merely to make the trip worth my while which it was in the end, although the race itself was another 18 minute dud like the last one in Acton. Similar dubious course length and split pattern, with the first two miles going in just over 12 minutes followed by the third "mile" being 5:30. While the course did grind inexorably up from about the quarter mile mark until about halfway before coming back down, it didn't feel at all like I was changing gears, or running fast for that matter. Merely surviving. If anything I've slept less during this trip than I was in the weeks leading up to it which doesn't help any. Overall win was there for the taking but I couldn't hang with a guy doing a workout in training shoes. Cooldown was a very easy 15 minute jog. Entire event took place in as synthetic and plastic an environment as I've ever seen, i.e. a gated golf course community. God's waiting room, southwest division. Right calf and hammie not as bothersome as I thought they'd be.

PM - 25 minutes very easy shakeout to Santa Rita park for stretching. Legs stiff and wooden to start, felt much better after stretching but still quite sore. Last run in Tucson for the trip.