Baby Steps

I met my doctor again on Friday (we’re on first name terms by now), and she gave me the results from the chest x-ray. Most of the pneumonia is gone, but I’ve still got a 2x3 cm area of residue in my left lung. Nevertheless, she gave me the go-ahead to go running, but I had to promise to take it easy. She said something along the lines, “run a distance that would be ridiculously long for me, but is awfully short for you”. I think I like that doctor, she understands. She actually offered to write me a certificate for yet another week off work, but I asked to be allowed to get back to work. I am bored stiff at home, and she didn’t object. But cycling to work is out of the question, Niamh will have to drive me in her car.

Coinciding with me finally being let off the leash is an improvement in the weather, and after lunch, when I knew Niamh had 40 free minutes before she had to collect the twins from school, I asked for permission to go running right there and then. After some negotiations (“Can’t you just run 1 mile?” “NO!”) I went out for three miles. I felt weird at first, almost light headed, but that went away. However, the heart rate was sky high and I decided to cut it short and turned around after just one mile, to make it a very short 2-mile run. I thought I ran so slowly it felt like standing still, but it was 8:21 pace, which was probably a good bit faster than what the doctor had in mind.

I got another chance Saturday morning, and even though a dark cloud was lurking in the background it never rained, so I got away with that. Somehow I managed to run a whole minute per mile slower than the day before, even though it pretty much felt the same. Again I felt a bit strange over the first mile, but I felt better with each and every step and decided to add a bit to my run. I was tempted to run all the way to Ard-na-Sidhe, which would have made it 5 miles, but decided to err on the side of caution and turned around after 2 miles. I was so happy to be back on the road, I can’t describe that feeling. Something was strange though. You would expect that someone who’s still recovering from pneumonia to feel it in the lungs first, wouldn’t you? Instead my heart rate was again sky high, both calves started to stiffen up towards the end, yet my breathing was so slow, calm and relaxed that you would have thought I was walking along at snails pace.

I have no idea how easy I’m supposed to take it, but taking it easy is what’s on the cards. I didn’t feel any ill effects from either run, and if the weather is fine tomorrow (apparently it will be), I’ll be out on the road towards Ard-na-Sidhe again, and I’ll see how I feel. In a few days I’ll have a much better idea how it’s going. I expect the heart rate to drop quickly, and if it doesn’t then I have to rethink things again. I’m still signed up for the Connemara ultra in April, but if I will be able to do it is rather questionable at this moment in time.

25 Jan

2 miles, 16:42, 8:21 pace, HR 162

26 Jan

4 miles, 37:18, 9:19 pace, HR 156