Drink Plenty of Fluids

Living alone certainly has its good and bad aspects. My apartment was spotless over the weekend and now I don't know what happened to it. The good part about that is no one will see it in this unkempt state but the bad part is that I wish it would clean itself when I know that is quite impossible. My immune system has shut down on me and since I am not at home, I couldn't just go to the medicine cabinet to find the appropriate antidote or grab a cough drop from the telephone table drawer. Even though getting sick is a rarity for me, I speculate that I would not be able to make it through all the months away from home without acquiring the slightest sniffle here or there. This cold/cough/headache trio could not have dropped in at a more inconvenient time. I have a day before the ultimate peak run in my training. Friday is the 20 miler and the longest I will run before the marathon that I can see in the somewhat near future. Not only is it supposed to rain on Friday but it will be even more bothersome if I have to carry a box of Kleenex while my arms pendulate for over three hours. After a few restless nights and endless coughing and sneezing, I thought it was time give my immune system a pick me up. I headed to the store today to find anything that would cure me at this unfortunate time. Another good aspect: Not having to worry about seeing someone I know at the grocery store while under the weather . The bad aspect: Having a red nose that Rudolph would be ashamed to see, hair chaotically strewn about, and eyes that water nonstop. First, I saw the thermometers. I concluded that I would most likely benefit from having this in my apartment but I didn't feel like spending six dollars on the basic thermometer. Instead, I purchased the "Tiny Temp" Miniature thermometer at a "Tiny Price"! Who needs to buy the Not-So-Tiny Thermometer at a Not-So-Tiny price when you can snag this one that is "clinically accurate and easy to read"? Tossed that in my basket and continued down the aisle. I have heard many stories about Airborne and how it helps keep those immune systems in tip-top shape. I'd never personally tried it before but I saw it on the highest shelf, reached for the Pink Grapefruit flavor and kept going to find something for my scratchy throat and painful cough. I concluded the stuff that would make my throat numb would work just fine. I'd rather not feel it if at all possible. Okay, that's enough for now. I purchased the products and headed home in hopes that all of this combined would create a magical elixir to alleviate all of my symptoms at least until after my run on Friday. I tried out the bargain thermometer to start. 97.1 was my temperature. I'm going to infer that it could be off by one or two degrees. Hey, no fever for me! Next, I popped in a throat numb-er. I did not particularly care for the taste but it was not lying and my throat felt numb within a few moments. That stuff is genius! For the grand finale, the Airborne! I filled my water glass and dropped the pink tablet in as if I were performing a science experiment. The water fizzed and bubbles popped up every once in awhile. The water itself turned a light shade of pink but I was distracted by the yellowish bubbles that were forming a layer on top of the surface. I reluctantly took the glass in hand and tried not to think about the coating on top of this pink drink before taking a sip. Well, it wasn't a delicious glass of juice but it worked out alright. By the end of the glass, I think it was giving me more of a stomach ache than helping in my comeback to healthiness. Perhaps it isn't miraculous as to cure me of this rotten cold within a few hours but I will follow the same procedure tomorrow in order to be one hundred percent for that intimidating run on Friday! I'll fill you in Friday about how it went but mostly to let you know (cross your fingers) that my legs did not fall off!

Best,

Anne