In Need of Some Pixie Dust...

So 4 weeks ago this weekend, I ran my first double digit run.  I was on top of the world and knew 100% that I could take on Princess Half Marathon in February.  Fast forward to today and I feel like everything I have been working for over the past 19 weeks (4 months!) has totally imploded.  While that might be a slight exaggeration, my confidence in my ability to finish is on really shaky ground at this point.  I am in some serious need of some pixie dust.

So what happened?  Just after my long run, I knew I was about to get a cold.  I NEVER get sick, or if I do, it rarely gets worse then a sniffle and I am better in a few days.  I started taking Zicam and Mucinex like a crazy person but to no avail.  By that weekend, I was officially ill.  I knew it was a sinus infection and went to the doctor for antibiotics.  Around the same time, the weather here in Maryland took a turn for the Arctic.  With high temps of 20-25 degrees (really?!), there was no way I could run outside.  That is just too darn cold!

With my medicine kicking in and feeling better, I tried to run on the treadmill.  And my sciatic pain was back!  Reminder: I am a pretty fit 27 year old.  WTF body?!  I had this same issue when I started training back in October and bought new shoes.  The pain went away so assumed it was fixed.  But I have recently amped up my session with my personal training, who focuses heavily on squats, sprinting and other more explosive movements.  Apparently my body does not like mixing long distance running with total body training.  UGH!!  Even when I am not moving, just sitting, I can feel the tingling in my upper thigh/lower butt (TMI?).  But when I run, this becomes a terrible pain in my calf.

So I took some time off, refocused my efforts on running and less time with my trainer, and made a better effort to hydrate.  Last Thursday, I was feeling back on top of the world.  I could tell the muscle that was irritating my nerve was calming down.  No more sickness and the temperature was back to normal.  Friday night, I took the last of my medicine.  Saturday I woke up and met with a potential wedding photographer (we ended up booking her and I am slightly obsessed).  And I knew that something was not right.  By Saturday night I was back to sniffling.  And by Sunday, I could barely move.  I did my best to cheer my Ravens on to an AMAZING victory.  But I knew I was getting sick again, and at an alarming pace.  I went to the Dr on Monday and was given another 10 days of medicine but this time the antibiotic is super strong.  Yesterday it spread deep in my lungs and I now have a disturbing cough.  All of this with 2 WEEKS before the RACE!!!!!!

To say I feel a bit defeated or derailed is an understatement.  I feel a lot better, but definitely not myself.  I cannot smell or taste anything and cannot currently hear out of my right ear.  I desperately need to get in one more long run, since my last one was 4 weeks ago.  But I also know I need to let my body rest.  I am so frustrated!  I have used more sick days in 2013 already then I did in all of 2012.  Plus, most of long distance running is mental.  And I am not in a good head space to push out 13 miles.  Unfortunately, it is too late to defer plus we have spent a lot of money on the Disney vacation itself.  So, I guess I will have to see how I feel in 2 weeks and hope for the best.  Even if I have to walk most of it, that's better than never trying in the first place.  I am running another half in March, so hopefully I can use that one for a personal record.  Even though my first half is not going according to plan, heck, I will be in DISNEY WORLD!  And I plan on having fun with the other 20,000 princesses who will be there running or walking by my side :)