Sick

I'm sick, and not in a good way.

I ran three miles Tuesday morning, but that's it, I'm down for the count with a raging sore throat and a cold. You know the kind of sore throat where it hurts to swallow, or breathe? I'm holding my breath right this minute.

The last time this happened was on my birthday, in Miami, at a networking conference, in a luxury hotel, where I almost met Craig of Craig's list but I didn't, since I couldn't talk.

I've tried this FAIL-SAFE sore throat cure: Gargle with 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in warm water every 1/2 hour. One more day, and then, that's it. I'm ripping my throat out.

Besides being hopped up on cayenne, I'm hopped up on antibiotics, on lozenges, on Benadryl. I'm drinking water and juice like it's going out of style, and have only gone to work for half days. I'm sleeping like it's my job. Except when I can't sleep because my throat hurts too much. I read an entire book yesterday, Baldacci's The Camel Club. (Rating: good for when you're sick.)

I did get to watch the World Track and Field Championships in Osaka. Did you know there's this crazy women's race called the Steeplechase that involves women running seven laps around a track, jumping hurdles AND water, just like horses? I got very ticked off when they cut away from that to show me the Men's hammer hurling championship. Now there's a sick sport.

The thing about taking time off when you're sick is that it's tough to enjoy. You should totally take sick days when you're not sick.

Sheesh.

I have nine miles scheduled for Saturday. Just last Saturday I was very busy lecturing my little running group about how running once a week, which is what several of them told me they had done, was not gonna cut it.

Oh how I hate when my words come back to haunt me.

Meanwhile, I've been carefully studying this video for tips. Although I have a feeling that it's everyone else who needs to watch it.