WAYNE'S WORDS
February 18, 2005
Topic: Getting Sick

One of the hazards of my job of teaching kids is you get sick from them. They're like little mobile blobs of viruses and bacteria.
I went to the Doctor today and found out I have the flu.
It was a very humbling experience to have to wear a surgical mask as I left the office. People totally avoided me, the receptionist threw my appointment card up on the counter as to say euuu, stay away, don't touch anything close to me.
We all get sick. It's a bummer because it really sets you back in your training.
Today I was so weak I probably couldn't walk a ½ mile without feeling like shit.
What it does for me is to force me to realize that we are all very susceptible to set-backs, illnesses, injuries and I hate to say it, getting old.
We're not robots, we build ourselves up, we get stronger, but at times we break ourselves down too much and have to start all over.
The old body systems will break down, germs and viruses will get into your body and for most of us the injuries and illnesses of over-training are always present.
When I feel like this, I really appreciate the times that I can wake up with no aches or pains, go up to the Y, crank out a couple of miles in the pool and then hop on the bike and do an hour of spinning class.
Right now that idea is so foreign to me, I can't comprehend being able to do that.
I think the greatest hindrance to peak performance, to doing your best, is fighting the never-ending battle against injury and illness.
It's such a fine line between having a hard workout and completely breaking yourself down so you're more prone to injury and illness.
The best advice I've gotten is to listen to you body. If you don't feel right, don't force yourself through a workout, because if you do the workout and you injure yourself, there goes a couple of weeks of training that you'll have to make up.
Next week I'll be back into it, starting to build my mileages and time back up, but what sucks is it will probably take me a good two weeks to get back where I was before that little SOB high fived me and gave the influenza virus.
I think that kid will be getting an F in PE, if I can ever figure out which one it was.

Until next time,
Stay Healthy

Wayne
whuckshold@yahoo.com