I’m writing this on Sunday 21st June 2015. This last week has been horrendous, training wise.
I should have seen it coming: Start of the taper? Tick. Lots of things I’m HUGELY looking forward to? Tick. Tired from not getting quite enough sleep due to marathon training combined with ‘normal’ living? Tick. Oh, and don’t forget: working in an office full of people taking turns in sickness? Tick. That’s right, you guessed it – I got sick. It all started, or had the inklings of starting, last Sunday, after that kinda-rubbish attempt of a long-run. Come to think of it, that should’ve been a tell-tale sign of things to come, but hey-ho, I persevered with the day. Until that late afternoon, when those dreaded swollen glands in my neck surfaced and my first thought was: ‘f*ck no! Not tonsillitis, not when I’ve got so much happening right now!’
Arrghhh, this always seems to happen when I’m either really looking forward to something, or about 2-3 weeks out from a race, or both, come to think of it (be it that I’m usually really looking forward to a big race!). So, I shouldn’t have been surprised. But still, it’s been a shocker of a ‘surprise’ illness. Due to me being so prone to tonsillitis (and after a particularly nightmarish case of this one Bali holiday back in 2010/2011 ish I am more than a little paranoid now) I got to the doctor’s quick-smart only to be reassured that antibiotics were not needed (phew) but that REST would fix me. Oh joy. Just what every runner wants to hear. Anyway, I’ve given my all to said resting this week, along with consuming copious raw garlic, turmeric and honey concoctions (recipe below!), and bucketloads of vitamin C via fresh fruit and veggies. But am I fixed yet??? Well…. kind of. But it’s STILL hanging around. Not cool ‘random virus’, not cool at all… It’s just so, very, frustrating…..
As for the foods and concoctions just mentioned - I probably say or think this every time I get sick, but I must, must, MUST continue with them after I’m 100% better too, that way I am less likely to even get sick next time. Just like everything, this will be a habit, but will be a habit well worth cultivating if it stops me getting ill before a race or an event I’m looking forward to.
And what is the thing I’m really looking forward to?!?? There are a few things at the moment, the main ones (that I can write about on here anyway) are that: 1) Husband is actually coming over for a visit!!!!! He will be here in one weeks’ time (and I’m kinda ridiculously, giddily happy about this. A lot.); 2) my book launch party is all set to go ahead next Sunday (with said Husband making it, just in time, woohoo!!); and: 3) the Gold Coast Marathon is in just TWO weeks’ time!!!
So many good things are happening, and I’m generally feeling that old cliché ‘high on life’ or ‘drunk on life’, take your pick. If it weren’t for this annoying (and at times, debilitating) random virus, everything would be a-ok and so beautiful. Maybe I shouldn’t have actively committed to ‘the taper’, in my mind? Then I could have somehow tricked my mind and body into not launching me into a full-fledged mainly-taper-induced illness (I googled it. Apparently its thing. Loads of people get sick when they enter the ‘taper’). Anyway, the theory now is that a week or so off your overall training, at this point, won’t make any difference to your strength and stamina and running on race day (providing the cold or bug is gone by then), but that doesn’t stop the frustration at not being able to get out there for your usual runs.
Ohwell. The night before last, I at least got to feel like I was heading out for a run, even though that’s not at all what went down: it was my beautiful friend’s 21st birthday party and the theme was ‘Alter Egos’, hmmm… what to go as? (once I’d managed to get out of my sickbed and get some much needed Panadol into me that is). Alter egos could be your opposite self, yes? OR, who you would like to be if you could snap your fingers and swap lives with someone? Anyway, whichever the answer to that one is: I decided MY alter ego would be….. wait for it…… a runner! But hold on, not just ANY runner (coz that wouldn’t be an alter ego yes? That’d just be me….), no no, my costume was that of a Champion Professional Ultra Runner! This meant I could basically wear my winter running gear (it was cold last) plus my medals from the two ultra events I have completed before, plus my TRAINERS, to a party – great plan for me, as it was one of the comfiest of comfiest party outfits. Here is a shot from the night, so you can see this extremely innovative ‘costume’ of mine.
I should have seen it coming: Start of the taper? Tick. Lots of things I’m HUGELY looking forward to? Tick. Tired from not getting quite enough sleep due to marathon training combined with ‘normal’ living? Tick. Oh, and don’t forget: working in an office full of people taking turns in sickness? Tick. That’s right, you guessed it – I got sick. It all started, or had the inklings of starting, last Sunday, after that kinda-rubbish attempt of a long-run. Come to think of it, that should’ve been a tell-tale sign of things to come, but hey-ho, I persevered with the day. Until that late afternoon, when those dreaded swollen glands in my neck surfaced and my first thought was: ‘f*ck no! Not tonsillitis, not when I’ve got so much happening right now!’
Arrghhh, this always seems to happen when I’m either really looking forward to something, or about 2-3 weeks out from a race, or both, come to think of it (be it that I’m usually really looking forward to a big race!). So, I shouldn’t have been surprised. But still, it’s been a shocker of a ‘surprise’ illness. Due to me being so prone to tonsillitis (and after a particularly nightmarish case of this one Bali holiday back in 2010/2011 ish I am more than a little paranoid now) I got to the doctor’s quick-smart only to be reassured that antibiotics were not needed (phew) but that REST would fix me. Oh joy. Just what every runner wants to hear. Anyway, I’ve given my all to said resting this week, along with consuming copious raw garlic, turmeric and honey concoctions (recipe below!), and bucketloads of vitamin C via fresh fruit and veggies. But am I fixed yet??? Well…. kind of. But it’s STILL hanging around. Not cool ‘random virus’, not cool at all… It’s just so, very, frustrating…..
As for the foods and concoctions just mentioned - I probably say or think this every time I get sick, but I must, must, MUST continue with them after I’m 100% better too, that way I am less likely to even get sick next time. Just like everything, this will be a habit, but will be a habit well worth cultivating if it stops me getting ill before a race or an event I’m looking forward to.
And what is the thing I’m really looking forward to?!?? There are a few things at the moment, the main ones (that I can write about on here anyway) are that: 1) Husband is actually coming over for a visit!!!!! He will be here in one weeks’ time (and I’m kinda ridiculously, giddily happy about this. A lot.); 2) my book launch party is all set to go ahead next Sunday (with said Husband making it, just in time, woohoo!!); and: 3) the Gold Coast Marathon is in just TWO weeks’ time!!!
So many good things are happening, and I’m generally feeling that old cliché ‘high on life’ or ‘drunk on life’, take your pick. If it weren’t for this annoying (and at times, debilitating) random virus, everything would be a-ok and so beautiful. Maybe I shouldn’t have actively committed to ‘the taper’, in my mind? Then I could have somehow tricked my mind and body into not launching me into a full-fledged mainly-taper-induced illness (I googled it. Apparently its thing. Loads of people get sick when they enter the ‘taper’). Anyway, the theory now is that a week or so off your overall training, at this point, won’t make any difference to your strength and stamina and running on race day (providing the cold or bug is gone by then), but that doesn’t stop the frustration at not being able to get out there for your usual runs.
Ohwell. The night before last, I at least got to feel like I was heading out for a run, even though that’s not at all what went down: it was my beautiful friend’s 21st birthday party and the theme was ‘Alter Egos’, hmmm… what to go as? (once I’d managed to get out of my sickbed and get some much needed Panadol into me that is). Alter egos could be your opposite self, yes? OR, who you would like to be if you could snap your fingers and swap lives with someone? Anyway, whichever the answer to that one is: I decided MY alter ego would be….. wait for it…… a runner! But hold on, not just ANY runner (coz that wouldn’t be an alter ego yes? That’d just be me….), no no, my costume was that of a Champion Professional Ultra Runner! This meant I could basically wear my winter running gear (it was cold last) plus my medals from the two ultra events I have completed before, plus my TRAINERS, to a party – great plan for me, as it was one of the comfiest of comfiest party outfits. Here is a shot from the night, so you can see this extremely innovative ‘costume’ of mine.
I actually got to go for a (much-needed) run this morning, when my body finally felt fine, even though I still have disgusting head-cold symptoms. Really felt like some salty ocean air coupled with those running endorphins would help, and it did. I’m almost back to feeling 100% now. No doubt helped by my new favourite drink: Golden Milk (AKA, turmeric + coconut milk + honey). Turmeric is one of nature’s best medicines and has been used for centuries as a potent medicine. It is a strong antioxidant, a powerful anti-inflammatory, it improves endothelial function, prevents/slows Alzheimers’s, helps arthritis sufferers, and even prevents cancer from both forming and spreading and can destroy cancerous cells, amongst many other things. However, the key active compound in turmeric is its curcumin, which the body does not absorb readily, and to make this more readily bioactive and therefore to reap the many benefits of this vibrant, wonderful spice/medicine, there are a few things you can commonly do to it: 1) eat it with black pepper, 2) heat it, or 3) add some kind of fat to it. By making Golden Milk, you are essentially opting to make the curcumin more readily available to be being absorbed into your bloodstream, as you are satisfying number 2 and 3 there. (You could even crack in some black peppercorns to the finished product for maximum curcumin absorption, but I don’t reckon this would be to everyone’s taste.)
This is my basic recipe for making this amazing healing (and delicious) drink:
- Coconut milk (either a full cup or half a cup, depending on how creamy you would like your hot beverage to be – I generally make mine with half&half: half coconut milk and half water).
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp honey
Super easy – combine all the ingredients in a pan and bring to boil; then simmer for a few minutes while stirring the bright yellow concoction thinking happy thoughts. Sip and enjoy! (Whilst thinking about how much GOOD the drink is doing to you.)
This is my basic recipe for making this amazing healing (and delicious) drink:
- Coconut milk (either a full cup or half a cup, depending on how creamy you would like your hot beverage to be – I generally make mine with half&half: half coconut milk and half water).
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp honey
Super easy – combine all the ingredients in a pan and bring to boil; then simmer for a few minutes while stirring the bright yellow concoction thinking happy thoughts. Sip and enjoy! (Whilst thinking about how much GOOD the drink is doing to you.)
Now, all I’ve got to do, is keep drinking the above drink, keep getting enough rest/sleep, and hopefully there will be NO remnants of this nasty illness by next Sunday (28th June), which is the day of my book launch party. Of which I am SO excited about! No kidding. This is actually one of my dreams coming true hey, so I hope I’ll be able to hold it all together and not be a nervous mess on the day. Public speaking being not exactly my forte, I think I’m going to have to remember my ‘teacher voice’ from China to get me through, as I am hoping to give a short speech/intro about the book, and then read a couple of short passages out from the book (bearing mind that most of the book is pretty debauched and filthy, so I’m still deciding exactly which bits would be ‘safe’ to read out, hmmm…). But, everything seems to be coming together and is on track and all organised for next week, so now I just need to wait patiently (hah) for a week’s time, and pray that everyone who said they can come will show up to this book launch party of mine! Oh, and that I don’t get so nervous that I faint or anything.
If you’re in the Newcastle area next Sunday, please come along! There will be raffle prizes, music by Ryan Patrick Daley (which I am STOKED about!!!! This is perhaps the part I’m most looking forward to!), delicious platters of food, $2 beers and wines, and you’ll be able to pick-up your own exclusive, signed/personalised copy of Bacon Sleep Sex. It should be a great afternoon. It starts promptly at 2pm, at the Albion Hotel, Wickham. Hope to see you there!!
If you’re in the Newcastle area next Sunday, please come along! There will be raffle prizes, music by Ryan Patrick Daley (which I am STOKED about!!!! This is perhaps the part I’m most looking forward to!), delicious platters of food, $2 beers and wines, and you’ll be able to pick-up your own exclusive, signed/personalised copy of Bacon Sleep Sex. It should be a great afternoon. It starts promptly at 2pm, at the Albion Hotel, Wickham. Hope to see you there!!
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