Hachoooooo: Simple remedies for a sinus infection/chest cold

I was going to be damned if I completely missed out on the long run this morning with the bunch of folks training for Chesterfield.

I’d been hitting the cold/sinus infection/whatever it was hard with 5-minute steam bowls throughout the day, probiotics. But on Friday, when I was texting with Steph, she reminded me of the power of the essential oils, which she uses for everything. Why didn’t I think of that? I wondered. Essential oil books literally make up approximately 1/10 of my library at this point. I rubbed a mixture of olive oil, peppermint, lavender and sweet orange on my chest and, I kid you not, almost immediately, the wheezing in my chest disappeared.

When I saw Steph that night at a friend’s house for the Phish web cast, she pulled out her Vera Bradley bag of essential oil goodies, all from doTERRA, that she’d promised to bring. She recommended eucalyptus, just right under the nose, as well as the Breathe mix, which I applied to my wrists. I’d avoid eucalyptus straight under the nose next time—I’d mix it with a carrier oil and put under the nose next time.

Between the steam bowls, probiotics, dairy-free diet, fresh air (just bike and walk, no running while it was in my chest) and the essential oil treatments, I woke up this morning with wheeze-free lungs. I’m not feeling perfect but I was able to get out for a 5-6 miler (…I didn’t have my watch and the run was a little discombobulated) and I’m stoked. I’m definitely still coughing some, but it’s a drier cough, and feeling on the road to recovery.
Bonus for the day: Maureen’s suggestion to check out Senita Athletics (per their Web site “Stylish, affordable active wear.”

OK OK. 50K.

It’s been years since I signed up for a race I had to train for.

I did the Marine Corps Marathon and the Philly Marathon and didn’t train a lick. This was a terrible move. I was hobbling and cursing myself for weeks. I swore I wouldn’t sign up for a race until I could commit to training for it.

And I really wasn’t planning on signing up for anything this year. But a whole host of people I love are running various distances at Chesterfield Gorge the end of May and it finally just seemed like I might as well too.

This time I want it to be different though. This time I want to know I’ve done everything I can to ensure my body doesn’t get injured and that I can finish happy and strong.

I’ve got 14 weeks (I’m docking myself a week, as I’m getting my ass handed to me by whatever nasty cold is walloping the nearby population) and the first step is picking some reasonable training plan as a guidepost. I’m not planning to stick to the letter of the law, but I need help as it’s been a long time.

I was slowly building a nice base when I tweaked my knee, which has healed now, but I feel like I’m essentially starting from scratch.

Nick said he’d help me look at a couple options. Here are a few of the sites I found:

50K Training Plan - MapMyRun I love this one, a collab w UnderArmour as it gives strength, recovery, stability exercises too. What I’m not sold on is the mileage and rest. Respectively, it seems low and there seems to be a lot of rest days in there.

David Roche’s article in TrailRunner Mag This one’s more tailored to an ultra over 50K but I like the mileage here better.

How to Train for your First 50K Not quite a training plan, but a good jumping off point with some ideas, esp for long run approach.

I’m leaning towards a mix of the two — taking the multifaceted nature of the top one and mixing the long-run approach of the bottom two.

And just like that, I’m getting excited.

Sure on the Sherb

For years, at least two, my buddies Kenz and Dan have been encouraging me to come with them on the Sherb trail in the Whites.

After my experience with Friday Night Lights, I was all aflutter about back country and eager to finally jump on the bandwagon. I rented gear through the same shop I was able to use for Friday Night Lights, Kenz being kind enough to pick it up for me Saturday AM.

It ended up just bein’ me and Kenz as Nick was sick and Dan was traveling at a conference for work. We hit Moat on Saturday night, which was packed (we lurked around tables until we got one, making friends with another couple who was also lurking, and we all shared a 4-seat high-top) and we had a leisurely AM with a 9am move-out to the Sherb.

“ There’s no place for pride or ego in the backcountry.”

— Steph F, ultimate badlass

It was a bluebird day, and warm, unlike the previous day, and for that, I was so grateful. The parking lot was jammed. I realized quickly I forgot my water bottle, a rookie move, but Kenz offered to share, that gem. She explained on any other trail, she’d make us go get some but she wasn’t concerned for this one. We double and triple checked our other gear and got a move on. It was nice gearing up in the light this time as opposed to the dark, as FNL had been.

The trail was fairly busy. We adopted a mellow pace going up and chatted the whole way, talking about how the sport had gotten more popular.

I’d spent a couple weeks running Mount A, the most elevation nearby to me, to try to prepare for this day and though I’d taken a couple weeks off because of a tweaked knee, I still think it helped. I could see why Kenz and Dan’s fitness level is through the roof doing their Sherb laps, and why they in the past historically trained for the winter season by doing the Harvard stadium stairs. It’s 2.5 miles of ass kick, though I spent most of my time in first tier riser rather than the max.

We got up to the top, tried to do a quick transition and we were off. Kenz explained there’d be mogul-type parts, which is a challenge for me. The plus side? The snow was amazing. Fresh and perfect texture. I just kept shouting as we went down.

I’m a huge fan of human-powered activity rather than motorized. And knowing we’d gotten our asses up the hill ourselves for the run just felt like such a victory.

I was so grateful to Kenz for bringing me that day, and for being patient with me. I also had the words of my bud Steph F in mind as I went down, a Sherb veteran: Just take it slow and use all your tools and be honest with your group about how you’re feeling-don’t be ashamed or afraid to the be conservative one and ask folks to slow down. There’s no place for pride or ego in the backcountry.

Going out with a friend who knew my level, and having had a pep talk with Steph F and friends, gave me the confidence I needed to go into the day, take it slow and have fun. I was wooping and hollering and so so happy.