in sickness and in health

Thursday night I found it hard to swallow any food or water. After a trip to the emergency room where, I was unable to speak much, the doctor told me I had laryngitis and pharyngitis (never heard of that before), and prescribed me some antibiotics. The throat got better, and then a nasty flu ensued and back to the doctor's it was. Another trip, and various other antibiotics later, here I am! As good as new! Not.

I don't care much about taking medication. For the most part, I try to avoid Western medication like the plague, but if I am sick and unable to workout, I will take whatever I can get be back on my feet again. Needless to say this hasn't happened yet - I have yet to fully recover. I know my body probably needed a break, but my mind did not. My mind is constantly pushing me to do more, to do better, and so to swim 25 laps and feel exhausted, makes my mind yell at me and say some pretty harsh things.

That coupled with the fact that so many things about my body are psychosomatic. If I don't work out, I can suddenly see fat where it wasn't before. I know, this is not real, but that's how it feels for me, and feelings are as real anything else you will encounter. So, while I was devastated I could only swim 25 laps yesterday, those 25 laps meant I crashed at 9 p.m, right after I had taken my nightly dose of antibiotics. 

My throat is better today, but I am still extremely drowsy (and I just took my lunch dose) and restless. I missed classes that I love yesterday (at the studio), and today I will miss another. 

But, being sick has made me realize how wonderful it is to workout. And I am sure in 2 weeks, at some point, I will have to drag my butt for a walk or a run, but for a while at least  I can not wait to get back to it. Plus, tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and that can only mean one thing...

...like every year since college, I must learn about will-power and strength all over again. My best friend from college and I give up things that we are addicted to. This usually means we pile up on these very things on the days leading up to Lent, and then find it even harder to give them up once it actually starts. 

This Lent, I have chosen to do something a little bit different. Instead of saying, I will not, I'd like to put a positive spin on the words (credit here goes to what I am learning in my Health Coach course), and instead say: "this Lent, I will avoid processed sugars, and I will swim at least thrice a week, and run at least 16 km/week." 

This might not sound like much, but given my full-time job, my training, my classes and my ridiculous desire to occasionally be in something other than sweats and work out pants, it is enough. I promise.  

Today, will hopefully be my first jog/run in a week (!) and I sincerely hope it doesn't make me any sicker physically. Because mentally, I know it will put me at ease.

Other than being sick, there are some interesting developments which I will share later on today or at some point tomorrow (once everything is finalized so as not to jinx them).

Let's do this then, shall we? Let's use whatever excuse we need, religion, family, friends, career, to get fit and get active. Let's not allow our sadness and our weakness to be the reason we eat that double chocolate chip muffin; let's not allow how other's treat us determine how crappy we will treat ourselves. Let's not let a bad day turn into a worse one because we chose to cry it away, or sit on our tushes and feel bad for ourselves. 

Get up. Get out. Get some fresh air.

Had a crap day? A worse week? Make yourself better. Work out harder.

Good luck!