Slowly turning a corner- first day out of bed. Foster Mom Michelle helped me keep myself under control (it seems left to my own devices I just run myself into the ground). An easy zone 1-2 ride with lots of talking made the morning a good one. My lungs are still fighting the lingering infection, so I was happy to spend the rest of the day reading and watching Star Wars. I still haven't left the couch. Life is good.
Living a more minimal life has been on my mind quite a lot lately. Less junk, less expense, less need. Dave and I have been working on this slowly over time. I have been getting pretty good at it in some areas: I buy very few clothes, I drive used cars until they die, and I really don't mind that our furniture also graced our college house. Our bedspreads don't match, but they work. We are debt free except for the house, which is a little ghetto but almost paid in full. But, one thing that bothers me is looking around my house and seeing so much junk. Junk everywhere. An attic full of STUFF. A garage full of STUFF. We have 2 refrigerators that are just sitting in the garage. Time to get them on craig's list. We have all of these wedding gifts (kitchen gadgets and such) up in the attic. Why? Why did I think I needed that STUFF?
I don't need it and I don't want it. I want to look around and see order and purpose.
I don't know how we accumulated so much. If we don't use it, we need to lose it.
So, I am on a mission to sell or give away stuff and free up space and energy in my life. A junky home is a reflection of a junky life. Time for me to clean house in and out!
After 20 days of misery, I finally have some meds to crush this bronchitis. Yes, I said 20 days.
Normally I don't wait so long to take care of my body, but this time I played it wrong.
I think I have a really strong body as a whole, but I have always had lung/respiratory/sinus issues for years and years. My immune system is historically weak when it comes to treating these things. No amount of fitness seems to matter.
I KNOW not to let sinus infections turn bad. Some people wait it out, do the netty pot, take some OTC crap, and they are fine. This just doesn't work for me.
So today when I finally got in to see the doctor, he just stared at me when I told him how long I have been battling this. "But, Damie, you KNOW that you can't let it go on this long. If you move from a sinus infection to bronchitis you have a lot of trouble. WHY were you waiting?"
Um, because I feel pressure from all of the cool kids that I should never have to take antibiotics because tough/healthy people don't take them?
I am not allowed to do this again. In the future, my doc gave me 3 days max then I have to come see him.
Thank goodness- antibiotics are now in my hands and I am not going to listen anymore to people that try to tell me to battle out bronchitis. Trying to be tough really just makes me do stupid things sometimes. I still feel awful, but I am so happy that I am getting ready to feel better!
I think I have accomplished 4 bikes, 2 swims, and 2 runs in the past 2 weeks, and they were all so, so awful and sick and dumb. Dang me for losing all of my fitness. I tried to run 1 mile this week with Dave. It was so miserable I started walking after 3 minutes and let him finish the run while I read a romance novel. (you are probably wondering why I had a romance novel with me in the first place, right? I always say be prepared :)
I was hoping to go on this huge racing bender in the next few months. Dave even approved the big bender. Benders are fun, when you are healthy! I am not sure if I will be able to really pull it out now, but I am going to try. Getting back in shape is not going to be pretty, but hopefully by Thurs/Fri I can be training a little bit again. And, what I lost in fitness, I gained in Olympic Trials watching, so the glass is still half full.
I haven't had much to put on the blog- no one wants to hear about work, and that is all that seems to be going on around here during the week. But, hello! The weekend is here! Yay!!!!
Friday night at the Humane Society was wonderful. I spent some good time with Mel, one of my new favorite love bugs (next to Shelby Angel, of course). She was a rescue that was chained up, completely starved, ears cut off and bloody, etc. But, of course she is so, so, so sweet! What a great dog! Not a mean or aggressive bone in her body, even though she was treated so poorly in her former life. Amazing resilience!
There is a sweet little video below of her loving a tummy rub (not my video, but one online). So, if you think you want a pit mix, but worry about temperment, check this awesome dog out. She is so stinking friendly and great! I could hang with her all night!
I swear I think about rescuing dogs every single day. (Even today on a bike ride I stopped for a dog, then Brandon and Ward threatened to leave me if I didn't start riding). It is somehow linked to my person....who I am supposed to be. I just haven't found the exact connection yet, but I am trying to stay open to finding the path.
On to training, although there is not much to report. I so badly want to be training hard right now, but I have been fighting an awful respiratory infection for 3 weeks that has been kicking my butt. I am dragging myself through some easy workouts when I can, and when I can't get out of bed, I just stay in bed! Unfortunately I have been in bed more often than not. Hopefully this will be resolved soon, as the first round of treatment did not work (another doc apt on Tues).
I am not going to tell you how hot it is here. Cooley will tell you with this post-ride picture.
I attempted to ride today. It is hard to know when to try to train when you are sick. I decided that if I could get out of bed, I should try. I always find it hard to know when I am hurting myself by training through being sick and when I am just being a weenie. I guess I would rather err on the side of the former.
Tonight I got to celebrate at a fundraiser for my high school friend Elizabeth (in the middle) as she battles cancer. The tumor is now gone, but she still has 6 more months of chemo. Being with her tonight was inspiring- her strength as a wife, mother, and friend has been amazing.
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