For those who aren’t metric savvy and can't visualize length in terms of meters, think of a yardstick, which is about equivalent. One billionth the length of a yardstick isn’t very long. It is, however, roughly the length of a rhinovirus (no relation to the big mammal) which is the cause of the common cold. It enters our body, not unlike the little creature in the movie Alien, through the nose or eyes (not through the mouth so you can kiss someone with a cold with little fear of catching it). Once on board, it enters cells in upper airway and the reaction to this invasion results in the symptoms of a cold: runny nose, sneezing, hoarseness, etc. At least it doesn't come bursting out of our chests, which would not only be messy, but make us take colds a little more seriously. It is amazing that something so small can so affect something so large, especially when that something large has a host of defenses against the small invader. This week I returned home from a great weekend in the frigid north (Virginia) to visit daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, Emerson. It was cold and rainy. Even though wet, cold weather does not cause colds, the enforced proximity of staying indoors allows cold viruses to be passed along more efficiently and I got one. Within 24 hours, my throat was scratchy, my voice hoarse, and my nose was sniffling.
One of the ironies about the symptoms of a cold is that they are not caused by the virus, per se but, rather, by the body’s defense mechanisms. Symptoms do not reflect a weaker immune system. Instead, they are a sign of a strong, working immune system.
In our present culture, we are so driven and bent on being productive that we don’t let a simple cold stop us. We go to work sniffling, sneezing, and coughing. Of course this increases the odds of passing this on and this explains the cold epidemics that periodically sweep through our workplaces and schools.
Small things can derail our plans in any area of life. In training for a marathon or ironman triathlon, small things become huge. A minor muscle strain or cold at the wrong time can derail a training plan. That can happen with anything aspect of life where we make plans which are always subject to the vagaries of our existence on this planet. Weather, other people, events outside of our control, and other circumstances seem to conspire to thwart our best efforts to stay on track. Sometimes, it is our own internal, self-created obstacles that impede us: lack of discipline, lack of motivation, disorganization, and even negative “self talk” (you know what I mean- it is that conversation we have with ourselves that does something like this: “Oh, why bother today, I don’t feel like doing this”, or, “who am I kidding, I’m not going to be able to do this”.)
So, how do we avoid these obstacles to our progress? Well, I don’t think we can always avoid them. I think the trick is to roll with them, admit that there are times we won’t necessarily feel like doing, or be able to do, what we would like, and move on. Perfection isn’t the goal. Progress, even if slow and halting, is.
Florida Ironman Training Log:
The pesky cold virus derailed plans for a productive training week. The trip to VA last week was an interruption, albeit a joyous one, but I worked around that. I just did not feel up to the rigors of working out through the midweek as it was an effort just to get through the work day and drag myself home. I canceled my plans for joining the Masters Swim at the NTC and my session with Karl. Fortunately, the cold was mild and resolved surprisingly quickly, making me feel that I am on the right track with my diet, rest, and training thus far. There will be better weeks ahead.
Week’s training summary:
Mon. 2/25- Swim at Y, 1425 yds, Total time 45.20 min
Tue. 2/26- Sick, no workout
Wed. 2/27- Sick, no workout
Thu. 2/28- Sick, no workout
Fri. 3/1- Run, 6 miles at 8:42 min/mi, total time 52.12
Sat. 3/2- Bike, 24.36 miles at ave. 14.9 mph, total time 1:38:10
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