Ran a 10k - Official Thread (4 Viewers)

[tri-man 47]

I’m not sure enjoying/loving it is accurate. At least, not on a day-to-day basis.  Let’s face it, running usually isn’t fun and is sometimes dreadful.  For the “hardcore folks” it’s also going to mean altering sleep schedule, impacting social life (“no, I’m not going out drinking tonight. I have to run 20 miles tomorrow morning), being tired a lot, dealing with nagging injuries, etc.

For me, the reward is the pride of challenging myself to physically achieve goals that require a lot of dedication, hard work and even some acquired wisdom. It’s a long game.  I also like competition so it’s nice to have an outlet for that.

As @gruecd said ...nailed it.  

As to the health aspect, I agree with the general statements that about 30 minutes a day, several times a week, is sufficient for good health.  Doing more than that gets into other motivations.  My workouts have been my distraction/hobby as a break from the other busy aspects of life.  I enjoy the solitude of it (though it is fun to catch a run with grue, Juxt, Brony, and others when the opportunity arises).  As it turns out, I've been decent enough to be reasonably competitive at it, and I enjoy that part a lot (like Juxt).  I didn't particularly envision that I'd be going so strong so late in life here, but that's been quite gratifying.  This has been a much longer game than I imagined it would be, and the AG changes have been a very strong carrot over the last 15 years or so.  Each new bracket brings renewed motivation ..and opportunities.  Add in a couple of grandsons and thoughts of when I can run a block, a mile, a race with them ...

 

[gianmarco]

BTW, I don't think @Juxtatarot got enough recognition for his treadmill workout yesterday.

After a sub 8 minute "warm up" of 2.5 miles, dude ran 9 sub 6:30 min miles and then another 9 even faster close to 6 min miles.

You'll see me do a 100 mile race with @SFBayDuck before I attempt anything remotely close to that on a treadmill. 

 

[ChiefD]

I run because my hot neighbor asked me 6 years ago if I would be interested in running a half and needed someone to train with. Seeing as how I am not a moron, I said: “Sure. Why not?”

24 pounds lost and a complete lifestyle change later, I cannot go back to the guy I was becoming. Now instead of being a cranky old drunk man I am now a cranky old tired runner.

 

[Juxtatarot]

BTW, I think think @Juxtatarot got enough recognition for his treadmill workout.

After a sub 8 minute "warm up" of 2.5 miles, dude ran 9 sub 6:30 min miles and then another 9 even faster close to 6 min miles.

You'll see me do a 100 mile race with @SFBayDuck before I attempt anything remotely close to that on a treadmill. 

Thanks but it was more like 6:36 then 6:30. My watch measures treadmill runs inaccurately.

 

[Osaurus]

Dreadmill work is commendable 

 

[gianmarco]

Thanks but it was more like 6:36 then 6:30. My watch measures treadmill runs inaccurately.

Then I retract my statement. Not impressed.

 

[Brony]

Dreadmill work is commendable 

Today was the first day I considered it. If I had more time this morning, I would have been on there. No traction on fresh powder on this mornings run. 

 

[tri-man 47]

Today was the first day I considered it. If I had more time this morning, I would have been on there. No traction on fresh powder on this mornings run. 

FWIW, fresh powder is when Yak Trax work the best.

That said, from YT runs over the past weeks, I've got a nice ding in the skin over the bone that's on the inside of my right ankle.  At times, as the feet get twisted on the snow, my left shoe grazes that right ankle bone.  But with YT on, that can be an unpleasant contact.  And now with the sore spot, it's even worse.  I cover the spot with band-aids and a wrist band during runs.  It'll probably heal in, oh, June.  I really need to give the treadmills a fresh try.

 

[ChiefD]

FWIW, fresh powder is when Yak Trax work the best.

That said, from YT runs over the past weeks, I've got a nice ding in the skin over the bone that's on the inside of my right ankle.  At times, as the feet get twisted on the snow, my left shoe grazes that right ankle bone.  But with YT on, that can be an unpleasant contact.  And now with the sore spot, it's even worse.  I cover the spot with band-aids and a wrist band during runs.  It'll probably heal in, oh, June.  I really need to give the treadmills a fresh try.

I thought of you today on my run. We had a light dusting of snow and sleet last night, and there were some areas where the sidewalks had been cleared. I saw these odd looking tracks on the snow, and it took me a minute or two to figure out what they were. 

They were one of about 3 other sets of running tracks I saw today. Two of those people I saw yesterday out running on a bitter cold morning.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Sorry to hear the weather is still teh sucks where a lot y’all are. The atmospheric river that pounded us for a week or so has finally moved out, and today was sunny and nice. Hopefully stays that way for awhile, as the trails are still just muck and running water in lots of places. 

I was encouraged to participate in some “cross training” by my lady this morning, and combined with puppy sitting two other dogs and getting a few things done around the house it was noon before I got out for my planned 20 miler. As the last big run before my first race of the season in 2 weeks, there was no way I was missing it. So I drove out to Pt Reyes to mix up the scenery a bit, and knocked it out. Not feeling awesome, some aches and pains, but got it done on a beautiful day. Pics on Strava, so I’m not rubbing it in even more here. 

 

[SFBayDuck]

You'll see me do a 100 mile race with @SFBayDuck ......

Sweet, I’ll put together some options and send them over to you. 

 

[The Iguana]

It was ironic to me for two reasons:

- timing, as yesterday I was reading a book that has a chapter on exercise that talks about its benefits except for weight loss.  I assume most in here are not overweight so it doesn’t apply.  Just weird timing 

- we are spending pages on injuries, fatigue and difficulty- nothing wrong with that and in the long run, like you say, the benefit probably outweighs the short term “pain” but I will say if your goal is just health then I think there’s arguments against.  I don’t say this to discourage anyone, everyone in here is inspiring - I’m dying that I can’t get out and do some running

I'm overweight - actually it hasn't been that long since I went from officially obese to "just" overweight. I have a ways to go to get to "normal" - about another 20 or 25 pounds. For me, the group aspect of this is huge. I went from 245 down to 202 a couple years ago doing crossfit. The exercise helps but the community aspect of doing this is the real motivator, IMO. The more I run and have goals out there to meet, the better I do overall with life choices - eat better and more deliberate, more productive at home and work, better mental health... all that leads to better physical shape, etc. 

All that said, running marathons, half-marathons, ultra marathons, tri's, and the like have often been proven to not be the greatest idea from a "healthy" aspect. The risk of injury as well as the stress it puts on your body is pretty high. If your only goal is "be healthier", there's other ways to do it that are probably technically better for you. But for me, it's always been about finding something that makes me passionate so that I want to get out there. It can often be hard to find "that thing" that drives you to live better/healthier. For me, right now, that thing is running long distances. There's something fun about seeing how far I can push myself - to run farther, to run faster... in short to try to "be better than I was before: better, stronger, faster". Who doesn't want to be the bionic man, after all! 

 

[The Iguana]

To go along with that I’ll tell a brief story - for those following along for a while know I’m a novice compared with most of you.  I’ve never been a individual sports person but played more team sports.  

I’m 44 now so going back 25 years ago I was a skinny mofo (probably around 135 and 5’10”) and started my journey to fatass-ness.  I got there around my 28th birthday - no clue how much I weighed back then but I was a mess.  I started working out with some co-workers who introduced me to running, cycling and swimming.  We did a sprint triathlon and I was somewhat hooked - and eventually did a half IM when I was 31.  I weighed 169 for that race - my diet was still horrible but with all the training I was able to offset it.

I continued my fatass journey after that until the last several years where I’ve yo-yo’d both with workouts and diet and weight.  I’ve talked ad nauseum about this in other threads so won’t go in to detail other than to say just last week I was back to 169 - after 13 years and many struggles.  It’s been a painful journey both physically but emotionally.  And honestly some of the folks in here have inspired me - so thank you for that.  I feel like I now understand things about diet, health and fitness that I never did before - I feel in control and it’s a wonderful feeling.  

And I do hope to get back soon to train for some triathlons - not sure I’ll ever do a long distance one again but I’ll definitely do some sprints if my body can handle it.

I've told my story numerous times, probably in here. Short version is that I'm 6' and weighed a scrawny 150-155 when I graduated HS, where I ran XC and track. Within a year or so I was about 180, which is a decent weight for me. Over the years I have run, not run, played lots of rec league sports, and such. I stayed about 180-185 until my wife got pregnant for the first time. I gained more weight than she did, broke 200 sometime in 1998 and have never been under 200 since. My "high water mark" is about 245, which is really unhealthy for me.

I have done various things over the years with mixed results - lots of hiking, some running, crossfit, who knows what else. The most successful run I had was a few years ago getting into crossfit at work - they put a "box" here in the office and eventually I caught the bug with a bunch of co-workers. Went from 245 down to 202 (briefly). Basically ended up floating right at 205 for quite a while. But then I switched roles at work at made a lot of bad excuses and got out of it again. I eventually drifted my way back up to almost 240 again. When I actually started tracking in July, I was 235. I started the running journey in September. I'm currently down to about 208 and have a dream, once again, of being under 200 for the first time in more than 20 years. 

As long as I stick to the plan, and avoid excesses of eating (biggest part), given my current rate of loss, I might just barely break the 200 barrier before the Carmel race. 
 

 

[MAC_32]

Sorry to hear the weather is still teh sucks where a lot y’all are. The atmospheric river that pounded us for a week or so has finally moved out, and today was sunny and nice. Hopefully stays that way for awhile, as the trails are still just muck and running water in lots of places. 

Normalization's kicked in here - it was dry from sometime Thursday until yesterday afternoon for the first time since early January.  'Great running conditions' entered my head despite it not getting out of the 20's all weekend. Stuff you don't say in November.  Got a couple inches yesterday and still coming down off-and-on now, so it'll probably be a slow coupleafew days.  But Thu-Sat may be a better version of this past weekend - dry and in the 30's.  The slow crawl out of winter - three days on, three days off...

 

[jb1020]

I'll add to the conversation.  I need to be healthier, that's 90% of my motivation in running.  I come from a family that has just terrible health.  Both my parents have had multiple heart issues in their 50's.  As soon as my wife got pregnant I started to get my #### together.  Its still a major work in progress, but its headed the right direction.  I had one of those stupid football coaches when I was in high school that had me convinced I wasn't worth a #### unless I weight about 275.  Stayed around 250'ish thru college.  I'm right at 200 now so I can't complain.  Still have some way to go.

I see running as mostly fun now, and not a dreadful workout.  The motivation to be healthy is still there, but at this age (36) I've come to the conclusion there's not much a guy like me can compete at and I've always loved to compete.  All these local races are pretty fun and can get the competitive juices flowing.  

Ran a 5K this past weekend.  I was pleased with my time, but a little disappointing at the same time.  I guess I need to push myself harder, but I get nervous during the race and think I'll be walking at the end.  

25:16 was my time.  Big improvement from last year at 26:44.  

I felt like I had pushed myself, but my HR suggests otherwise.  163 was the average.  My 5K PR was 7 years ago and just at 22 min, but my Avg HR was 181.  Max was 193.  

Is this a situation where I just need to HTFU and push myself?  

I finished 19/136 overall which is good, but only 5/8 in my AG.  If I had been 34 or 40 my time would have won my AG.  Its a race my company sponsors so I know a lot of the guys...and I beat all the guys I know.  

 

[MAC_32]

Is this a situation where I just need to HTFU and push myself?  

Nah, you just need to string several weeks together like late summer/early fall but not get injured this time.  Then htfu and the time will just fall off.  Risk didn't outweigh the potential reward Saturday since that was really just week #6.

 

[gianmarco]

Btw, heading to Colorado for a ski trip this weekend (driving Sat/Sun, arriving in the afternoon) and will be staying there for 5 days.  Going with all the kids so I'm not sure how much/often we'll be able to get out, but looking forward to at least one run there.   If any of you by chance have been to Copper Mountain, any recommendations would be appreciated.  It looks like there's a nice bike trail that goes out a few miles right next to us so I'll probably hit that.  Elevation of close to 10,000 feet so this should be interesting. 

 

[Osaurus]

Btw, heading to Colorado for a ski trip this weekend (driving Sat/Sun, arriving in the afternoon) and will be staying there for 5 days.  Going with all the kids so I'm not sure how much/often we'll be able to get out, but looking forward to at least one run there.   If any of you by chance have been to Copper Mountain, any recommendations would be appreciated.  It looks like there's a nice bike trail that goes out a few miles right next to us so I'll probably hit that.  Elevation of close to 10,000 feet so this should be interesting. 

Copper Mtn is solid.  I was near there last October. Your lungs are going to be loving life.  Take some time and acclimate a bit before you hit it. Take it from someone who used to live at 7,200 feet.

 

[SteelCurtain]

If health is the primary push and want to limit possible injury, I think swimming is the sport where you get the most cardiovascular benefit without beating up your body too much.

The problem is....you are swimming.  I have zero interest in swimming.  I know some people ( @tri-man 47, etc) enjoy it, but I have no desire to hop in the pool for a workout.  I'd rather do the elliptical....and I hate the elliptical.

 

[gianmarco]

Copper Mtn is solid.  I was near there last October. Your lungs are going to be loving life.  Take some time and acclimate a bit before you hit it. Take it from someone who used to live at 7,200 feet.

I wonder if a week there will help with my race the following week (if I end up doing it).

 

[Osaurus]

I wonder if a week there will help with my race the following week (if I end up doing it).

Doubtful.  You would need to spend way more time than that to get the effect imo.

 

[The Iguana]

Doubtful.  You would need to spend way more time than that to get the effect imo.

Shhh.... mind over matter, placebo effect, IMO.

Yes, you will reap major benefits, a new PR is a given! Go get you some, BMF!

 

[MAC_32]

Btw, heading to Colorado for a ski trip this weekend (driving Sat/Sun, arriving in the afternoon) and will be staying there for 5 days.  Going with all the kids so I'm not sure how much/often we'll be able to get out, but looking forward to at least one run there.   If any of you by chance have been to Copper Mountain, any recommendations would be appreciated.  It looks like there's a nice bike trail that goes out a few miles right next to us so I'll probably hit that.  Elevation of close to 10,000 feet so this should be interesting. 

If you think you've had enough fluids, you haven't. If you think you're running slow enough, you aren't.

Keep those two things in mind and you will be fine.

 

[gruecd]

As long as I stick to the plan, and avoid excesses of eating (biggest part), given my current rate of loss, I might just barely break the 200 barrier before the Carmel race. 
 

Congrats on your success so far, and best of luck with this!  For me personally, the consistent exercise is the easy part, as it's part of who I am.  Healthy eating, though....I feel like that never gets any easier...

 

[-OZ-]

I’m not sure enjoying/loving it is accurate. At least, not on a day-to-day basis.  Let’s face it, running usually isn’t fun and is sometimes dreadful.  For the “hardcore folks” it’s also going to mean altering sleep schedule, impacting social life (“no, I’m not going out drinking tonight. I have to run 20 miles tomorrow morning), being tired a lot, dealing with nagging injuries, etc.

For me, the reward is the pride of challenging myself to physically achieve goals that require a lot of dedication, hard work and even some acquired wisdom. It’s a long game.  I also like competition so it’s nice to have an outlet for that.

Makes sense. I'm personally more into all this for the health benefits, but maybe if I were better at all this I'd change my mind. 

Honestly, I've never been out of moderately decent shape. Largely because I went from HS sports to college sports to the Army, along the way grew a reputation for being in shape which I work to maintain.

As @gruecd said ...nailed it.  

As to the health aspect, I agree with the general statements that about 30 minutes a day, several times a week, is sufficient for good health.  Doing more than that gets into other motivations.  

I think we're defining health benefits differently. I need 5-10 hours a week to reach the health status I'm aiming for. 

If health is the primary push and want to limit possible injury, I think swimming is the sport where you get the most cardiovascular benefit without beating up your body too much.

The problem is....you are swimming.  I have zero interest in swimming.  I know some people ( @tri-man 47, etc) enjoy it, but I have no desire to hop in the pool for a workout.  I'd rather do the elliptical....and I hate the elliptical.

Agreed. But I think you're missing out. Helps a ton that I swam early, lifeguarded and taught swimming throughout HS and into college, played water polo in college. Basically grew up near the pool or lakes. Nowhere near elite or even really fast for swimmers (decent for tri) but it's mostly enjoyable. Not the same as trail running or cycling, but it leaves you feeling really good afterwards. But it does take a while to get into it.

 

[tri-man 47]

The problem is....you are swimming.  I have zero interest in swimming.  I know some people ( @tri-man 47, etc) enjoy it, but I have no desire to hop in the pool for a workout.  I'd rather do the elliptical....and I hate the elliptical.

Beyond the pool: I spent summers at a small cottage on this lake outside Grand Rapids.  Dad would drive into the city for work and we'd play all day.  This is the lake my family now returns to for the July 4th week each summer.  Swimming here is heaven.  Spring-fed lake (so very clear and calm); all private ownership (so lake rule of no motorized boats before 9 am), about .6 miles from our cottage centered along the road at the bottom to the far point in the cove up at top.  Pull on the wetsuit first thing in the morning and either walk around and swim back, swim across and back, or when in good shape, triangulate the whole lake.  Add in the country roads for biking and running as well as some paved and dirt trails ...good times.

 

[SFBayDuck]

I wish I knew how to swim. 

 

[The Iguana]

Agreed. But I think you're missing out. Helps a ton that I swam early, lifeguarded and taught swimming throughout HS and into college, played water polo in college. Basically grew up near the pool or lakes. Nowhere near elite or even really fast for swimmers (decent for tri) but it's mostly enjoyable. Not the same as trail running or cycling, but it leaves you feeling really good afterwards. But it does take a while to get into it.

I love to "go swimming", i.e. be in the water. Swimming laps, however, is another story. I kind of like to do it but it's not something I've ever done for very long and thus have never been good at it and it seems it takes A LOT of work to get any good at it. We joined the Y a while ago and we go often. When we first went, one of the things I did was start swimming some laps in the winter. At first I thought, "maybe I'll try my hand at a sprint tri". Then seeing that a "sprint" still involves a half mile swim and realizing how many laps that is and I lost the fire before I ever really had it. 

Maybe some day... 

 

[The Iguana]

Congrats on your success so far, and best of luck with this!  For me personally, the consistent exercise is the easy part, as it's part of who I am.  Healthy eating, though....I feel like that never gets any easier...

Never. I used to always be active enough to keep up with my eating. Then kids... Between finishing eating their meal after being done with mine and no longer making time to play basketball or do other usual hobbies/activities like hiking, I quit being able to keep up with my food in-take. 

Growing up and being told repeatedly to be part of the "clean plate club", things like eating out are a danger for me. I'll eat till the plate is clean every time if I don't make a conscience effort to stop. And then if you put dessert in front of me... YES, have some!

 

[ChiefD]

Beat THIS all you fast effers. 

 

[The Iguana]

Beat THIS all you fast effers. 

I just showed this video to my dog, a border collie/mini australian shepard mix, and he said he could beat that time if he wasn't tethered to a boat anchor every time he goes out for a run! You can see a couple photos of Oliver on my strava profile.

 

[The Iguana]

I actually posted on here a while back that I wonder how fast/far my dog could run with someone else. I know I'll never hit his limit on speed. So far, we seem to not have come close to hitting his limit on distance either. Last Saturday we did 8 is just under 64 minutes and he showed no signs of stopping. This week he actually showed how much of a BMF he is - at just past 8 miles he started to slow down and I thought maybe I had found his breaking point. He was behind me and I looked back and he had a bit of a limp and I thought "oh know, what did I do?" I hit the pause on my watch thinking we would end it a little early and walk home, hoping he was ok.

After a little scratch behind the ears and a short walk, he started pulling on the leash, ready to run. I looked down and said "you sure buddy? we can walk" and he was like "let's go dude, we have to finish this ####!" So we finished the last 3/4 of a mile and had a little walk/cool down. When I got home, my wife helped check him out. Somehow he had cut his back foot a little on something during the run. A little soap and water to clean it up and he's fine. 

 

[gruecd]

I wish I knew how to swim. 

Same.

Actually, I can kinda sorta swim, but I absolutely cannot tread water. I sink like a rock.

 

[Brony]

I wish I knew how to swim. 

I used to be a lifeguard, but admittedly, I'm not good at swimming.  Even in my good running years, I could crank out 15 miles with little effort but be totally gassed swimming 20 yards.

Partly with my ankle hurting last week (improved fortunately) and partly going a little crazy home all day, I ventured into the pool last week.  We have indoor/outdoor pool in our neighborhood clubhouse and no one uses it in winter.  This was probably the first time I tried to work on breathing and swim mechanics.  I made some improvement over 2 sessions, but still got a long ways to go.   While I'm not working, I can see doing this a couple times a week.

I don't mind swimming per se, but I generally don't like any exercise that involves driving to another location, changing, getting scummy, and driving back home.  So inefficient compared to putting on running shoes and going out the door.

 

[Brony]

I finished 19/136 overall which is good, but only 5/8 in my AG.  If I had been 34 or 40 my time would have won my AG.  Its a race my company sponsors so I know a lot of the guys...and I beat all the guys I know.  

If I learned anything from watching TV and movies in the 80s, it's that you shouldn't beat the company executives in running, biking, obstacle course, or any other competition at the company picnic. 

 

[gianmarco]

I'd swim if we had a pool. You can't grow up in Florida without knowing how to swim. But everyone there has a pool. Here it's a completely different story.

 

[Brony]

Copper Mtn is solid.  I was near there last October. Your lungs are going to be loving life.  Take some time and acclimate a bit before you hit it. Take it from someone who used to live at 7,200 feet.

Yep, we hit Copper Mountain during our Breckenridge trip last year, but that was in the summer time. Cool place.  There's probably short running paths on the Copper Mountain property, but I'd be surprised if they cleared long paths off property.  Just walking hills at that elevation is a hefty workout.

 

[Brony]

Beyond the pool: I spent summers at a small cottage on this lake outside Grand Rapids.  Dad would drive into the city for work and we'd play all day.  This is the lake my family now returns to for the July 4th week each summer.  Swimming here is heaven.  Spring-fed lake (so very clear and calm); all private ownership (so lake rule of no motorized boats before 9 am), about .6 miles from our cottage centered along the road at the bottom to the far point in the cove up at top.  Pull on the wetsuit first thing in the morning and either walk around and swim back, swim across and back, or when in good shape, triangulate the whole lake.  Add in the country roads for biking and running as well as some paved and dirt trails ...good times.

so Michigan has both heaven and hell?  interesting

 

[Juxtatarot]

If I learned anything from watching TV and movies in the 80s, it's that you shouldn't beat the company executives in running, biking, obstacle course, or any other competition at the company picnic. 

Yeah, he’s probably the executive.

 

[Brony]

Yeah, he’s probably the executive.

Great run boss!  We'll get you next year!

 

[tri-man 47]

so Michigan has both heaven and hell?  interesting

Hah!  Yes.

 

[ChiefD]

I was thinking about trying some swimming but couldn't find a speedo that had #BMF on the front.

 

[tri-man 47]

I was thinking about trying some swimming but couldn't find a speedo that had #BMF on the front.

I have one, but it's stretched to more of a   B  |  \/  |  F  due to my amazing contours.  

 

[gianmarco]

I was thinking about trying some swimming but couldn't find a speedo that had #BMF on the front.

So you got the one that said #SMF?

 

[gianmarco]

I have one, but it's stretched to more of a   B  |  \/  |  F  due to my amazing contours.  

I got one that just had the B and the F. 

The M just naturally appeared. Except when it's cold, and then I'm just someone's BestFriend.

 

[The Commish]

Ok...so I am back on this horse...after allowing myself to be derailed by a tree falling through my house and a move to Florida, it's time.  Started back working towards a 5K today.  This time, before I started I scheduled a race in April...though it's with my kids and one of those inflatable races, I figured I had to start somewhere.  The next step would be one of the 5 billion races they have the rest of the year.  If I don't kill myself doing this one in April, the sky's the limit right?

 

[ChiefD]

Ok...so I am back on this horse...after allowing myself to be derailed by a tree falling through my house and a move to Florida, it's time.  Started back working towards a 5K today.  This time, before I started I scheduled a race in April...though it's with my kids and one of those inflatable races, I figured I had to start somewhere.  The next step would be one of the 5 billion races they have the rest of the year.  If I don't kill myself doing this one in April, the sky's the limit right?

Correct. Step one is to not die whilst running. 

 

[The Commish]

Correct. Step one is to not die whilst running. 

And it's often the trickiest.....been talking a lot of smack to the kids about "winning" the race.  If I'm being honest, as of today, I might not make it past the second obstacle.  A lot of work to do  

 

[gruecd]

Grinding through peak mileage weeks while battling a nasty cold is the suck.  And having my wife in my ear telling me that I should skip my runs and "take care of myself" so that I can "get better" isn't helping.  That is all... 

 

[SteelCurtain]

Grinding through peak mileage weeks while battling a nasty cold is the suck.  And having my wife in my ear telling me that I should skip my runs and "take care of myself" so that I can "get better" isn't helping.  That is all... 

My wife pretty much gave up on me years ago.  The benefits of being married a long time I guess.