Running and Bronchitis

Running and Bronchitis don't mix well. It's not exactly a Rum and Coke or anything with Pepperoni and Mozzarella. Well, my lungs were like mozzarella. Maybe a little more to the yellow side of things, but definitely gooey.

I haven't run in a couple of weeks. I went out Saturday early evening and logged an easy 2.5 miles. I wanted to see what I could handle. Would my lungs be too hard pressed for oxygen? Would my legs be jello after 2 weeks off? Not too bad really. I jogged it. I was probably doing 12 minute miles. I felt great. I did feel one of my toes get irritated during the run, but not painful. When I got home, my runner's toe was just about to fall off.

Tonight before I started another run, I pulled off the dead toenail. What's underneath is fairly hardened already, but it's black. Which means I will continue to go through this toenail on, toenail off thing. Oh well. It doesn't hurt.

I did an out and back which I had never run before. It finished raining just prior, so it was nice and cool. Probably in the mid-70s. That's cool for Florida, folks! It felt like I ran around 10 minute pace. It took 44 minutes. No warmup; no stretching. After looking up my route on gmap-pedometer.com, it appears that I ran 4.5 miles. That means my pace was 9:46 per mile. That's pretty close guessing especially considering I haven't run in 2 weeks and I haven't used a watch while running in 6 months or more.

I wish I could run 8 minute miles that effortlessly. Well, my breathing was never hampered by coughing up phlegm balls and I didn't feel asthmatic, so I think I'm on my way to healthy. I may not be ready for speed work, but I don't have any races lined up anytime soon, so steady miles will do for now.