Down & Out

It is nearly four o'clock in the morning. The alarm will be sounding soon, but I have been awake for nearly three hours. Insomnia, my old nemesis, has come back for a visit, and, while I would be pleased if it would leave, I would be more pleased if this fracking cough/sickness that has had me down the past week would make like a tree and leaf me alone.

Heading into last week's Austin Marathon, I was feeling fine. I'd no time to run that week, due in large part to prep for the Regional Swim Meet, but I felt pretty groovy, nonetheless. The same could not be said for N---. The poor lass came down with a cold three days away from the big event for which she had been training since September. Me, being the sympathetic husband, made her run anyway. Happy Valentine's Day and everything, huh?

N--- finished her first marathon, though far off from the time she sought. Finishing it at all, though, as sick as she was, was nothing short of awesome; my wife is tough. Me, I too finished, though nowhere near my target time. On the upside, I'll not have to worry about travel arrangements & such to Boston this year. Because of my lack of training, my body was severely worn down and I caught whatever it was that N--- had. Since, I've been coughing, hacking, and unable to sleep in the same bed as the now-healthy N---, as I don't want to keep her awake or re-infect her.

After several days, I opted to go to a doc-in-the-box last night (getting a regular appointment with my work schedule is near-impossible) and got a prescription for a steroid to dry up my sinuses (what the doctor says is causing my cough). The medication appears to be working in that my sinuses feel better, and I am coughing less. However, I began tossing & turning some four hours after sleepy-bye time and, rather than risk waking N--- or -- heaven forbid! -- the cat, I got up and have been biding my time since. Emails have been sent, some research papers have been graded (I ran out of pencil lead, of all things, and could not continue; oh, the luck), and I've pored through most of the new issue of 'Triathlete.' All that was left was to write to you, dear reader, and share my pathetic ponderings.

Now that all of that has been done, I can maybe catch an hour or two's sleep before N--- rises to hit her bicycle training. Depending on how I feel, I may join her in the garage for a bit (yesterday's trainer session was not productive [refer to previous comments regarding illness, feeling sorry for one's self, etc.]), if for nothing else than to watch awesomeness personified.

That's the news, folks, and I am out of here. Thanks for reading.