A forced training hiatus – i.e., against my will.

Three weeks ago we flew back from Cleveland, OH – 3 days later my husband was sick with a respiratory bug of some kind. Several days later I had it. Fever, cough, sore throat, headache and the worst part: absolutely no energy whatsoever. The fever and sore throat went away after several days, both the cough and “absolutely no energy” remained.

Antibiotics and over the counter meds didn’t kick it. Time did – or seemed to. Last Sunday, since we both felt relatively good, we took a 32 mile bike road. Flat roads – easy pace (14.8) – nothing to put ourselves back – or so we thought.

Three days later – today – I’m sick again!  Sore throat, cough, and “absolutely no energy” at all. I have chills too, resisting taking my temperature.

I can’t afford this!!  I have my first ever triathlon event coming up next month and I need to train! I’m doing the half ironman distance Aquabike (Redman Triathlon) on my birthday, September 24th.

Prior to this setback my training had been going perfectly. I biked 440.8 miles in July despite being out of town almost a week and not riding. I swam a total of 9.5 miles too. I felt strong and great!

I don’t know what to do. The doctor says to rest and recover. I hate that! I suck at lying around. Really. But on the other hand, I find myself not feeling like doing much else.

I have to get back in the pool, and swim in the lake since I haven’t done an open water swim yet. I’ll be okay on the bike, 56 miles I can do pretty easily. A 1.2 mile open water swim is another story. I have to start swimming again but I need to be well or I fear I’ll just get sicker and weaker.

The ride Sunday (plus 3 hard days of clearing downed limbs from our lot after the big storm) may be why I’m relapsing now. In the past three weeks – I’ve been sick for 2+!

What to do… press on and train and run the risk of getting worse or rest up until I’m well and then hit the training again with perhaps less than 4 weeks to do it (and taper)?

Any doctors out there?  Nurses?  Any one with advice or special healing potions??

The hot weather – temps over 100 – started early this year.

It isn’t even officially summer and yet we’ve had several days of highs in the low to mid – 100’s. 

And the wind. UGH. High winds to blow that hot air around.  I can certainly understand how the dust bowl happened.  Thank goodness for those few heavy rains we had last month. 

What do do when it is too hot and windy to ride?  Now days I’m swimming.  I swam .5 miles today in 33 minutes. I’ve swam every day this week and can see some progress in my stroke and breathing. 

Haven’t registered for the Redman Half Aquabike but am leaning that way.  I have roughly 3 months to get my swimming up to the 1.2 mile distance. 

Because of my rotator cuff tear in my right shoulder I’ve been building slowly on my distance and continue to ice my shoulder after each swim.

I have to practice swimming in a lake since Redman is a open water swim (ows) in Lake Hefner.  Open water swims are much more difficult than pool swims, so before too long I have to take to the lake.

Any swimmers out there?