Tuesday 4 April 2017

Training for Half-Marathon: Part 2A of 5 (brought to you by the letters H, F, M and D)

Day 4 of HFMD and I am bored. Husband took leave today and is out with Daniel (my mum kindly let him stay over last night, and the three of them are still showing no symptoms, thankfully). Andrew probably watched too much TV yesterday, and my hands hurt still (though my sore throat is more or less gone) so I am going to try and make this quick. 

I got a call from the boys' childcare yesterday afternoon, it was the manager checking in. There's been a mini-outbreak (about 6 kids?) at the infant care, but the kids have done well. She ended off her call by saying perhaps this was a good time for a break from everything for me - I wryly replied that I didn't think so, but after she hung up, I had a think about what she said and I realised she was right. This is the first time since going back to work that I have truly had a break, where I am not doing anything at all but sitting at home watching TV and lazing around in bed (vs heading out for a run or to the gym or NTUC). Although I forced myself to cook some porridge and do laundry yesterday despite the pain in my hands - you can give a mum HFMD but you can't take the mum out of her, huh. And there's still Andrew to look after but he can still be confined to his cot, no matter how unhappy he is about it.

I suppose it was inevitable, given the extent to which I was pushing myself in general, that I would succumb to this or some other horrible virus at some point. Husband says it could stand for HufFy Mummy Disease, or High-Functioning Mummy Disease. Not an inaccurate description, I think; I was super sian upon hearing that I was quarantined, and I'm probably down with it because of a lack of rest and doing too many things.

In any event: although this has derailed this week's training plan, I am thankful for the enforced break. I actually went for a short run, just over 5km, on Sunday evening - so that was a solid Week 1 of this training cycle, and I believe it has helped in the recovery (I usually go for a light workout when I'm at the beginning stages of fighting off a virus anyway). Also, and this isn't something I have wanted to share, I have been feeling the beginnings of plantar fasciitis in my right foot for a while, and although it's gotten better due to the yoga and stretching I've been making myself  do, I think it's good that I've been forced to lay off running. 

I don't actually doubt, despite the discomfort I am experiencing now, that I will be at the starting line come 30 April. Back in 2015 - if you remember, the haze went on and on and people were complaining left right centre about all the cancelled runs - I prayed that God would clear the haze for the Great Eastern Women's Run, which I had trained for through my year at home with Daniel. Up until the day before the run, the PSI was still in the 100s - but on the day of the run itself, it was 66, and the run went on. That experience showed me how much He cares about all the small details of our lives, even the trivial and vain ones. 

My current plan is to do a short run on Friday or Saturday, depending on how my hands and feet - my feet aren't that painful, but a bit tender - are doing. If you see me around, I look like I have had a really bad breakout on my face. But as I keep telling myself, things could be worse, so keep calm and give thanks. And watch Man Fire Food. 

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