Caping but not running

Home away from home

I rarely get sick. As a matter of fact, I cannot remember the last time I had so much as a cold. When I do get sick, it's usually during the last week of the year. I always take the time between Christmas and New Year's day as vacation time. It may be due to transitioning from weeks of intense business to being free of work, but I've suffered my worst colds, flu and even a bout with pneumonia during that time.

My favorite view

My vacation had been going along nicely. I was running every day and looking forward to spending a few days on Cape Cod. My last run before our trip was at the local high school track and I ran well. That usually happens when I run more frequently, in this case five times in a row. We'd rented a house in Barnstable, MA, and my running plans included a visit to the Shining Sea trail in Falmouth. I was also hoping to run on the local roads near our rental house.

Wild turkeys in Falmouth

Our house was located on the north edge of town and overlooked the water. Growing up, I spent almost every summer at the Cape and was excited to duplicate the experience with my family. I naively assumed that driving from Barnstable to Falmouth would take 15 or 20 minutes, but when we headed over there, I realized it closer to an hour's drive. We had a great time in Falmouth, but I conceded to not running the rail to trail path the next day.

Nobska lighthouse, Falmouth

We covered the Cape out to Chatham and enjoyed the clear off season roads. The wind and cold on Wednesday pushed us to the edge of our comfort zone but we spent a lot of time outside. My son started feeling rundown by midday, but he was a trooper and stayed with us into the evening. By Thursday morning, my daughter and I started experiencing the same symptoms. I'd hoped to do an early morning run by our house before we hit the road, but I was in no shape to do that when I woke up.

Barnstable at dawn

Jiffy Pop. Too bad I burned it.

Chilly air and hot coffee

We left for home before 7:00 AM on Thursday. Fortunately, my wife has an amazing immune system and was able to pilot us back to LI without a problem. I spent the next couple of days feeling increasingly worse. My son started recovering by Saturday and that alleviated some of my concern that I was dealing with the flu or pneumonia. My daughter and I have been recovering on parallel tracks but progress has been slow. By Saturday morning, it was clear that I would not be in shape to do the January 1st Hangover Run with my Runsketeer buddies.

That was a good call because on top of my coughing and congestion, I was also experiencing significant lower back pain. I avoided taking any OTC remedies and rested as much as I could. This morning was a different story. My coughing has lessened and my strength has improved, but not enough to run. My daughter's progress has mirrored mine and hopefully we'll both be feeling much better tomorrow. I probably won't get out for a run again until next Friday, but if that's what it takes to beat this thing, I'm okay with that.