Still I Dream

It's been the best of times and the worst of times. I refer to my week off. It's been off.

Monday started with me lounging around the house, sore and exhausted from Sunday's journey run, and getting absolutely nothing done. I felt like a bum. But I did need some rest. I got it.

Tuesday, however, started with a kidney stone attack which kept me in bed most of the day. I did feel better in the afternoon and went to DSU that night where I swam

1,450
800 decline 1-4 by 25s
4 X 50 @ 1:00 all out
600 breathing 3, 5, 7 by 50s
8 X 50 @ 1:00 all out
150
Total: 3,750 yards = 3,427.5 meters.

Wednesday was more kidney stone agony. I have had many of these over the years and consider myself an expert at passing them. This one, however, was worrying me. I was trying to avoid a trip to the emergency room which carries a price tag of over $10,000. Yes, I have insurance, but I know from the experience of my wife how expensive that still is and how aggravating it is trying to find out what you really owe. One group threatened to turn us over to a collection agency. We paid then several hundred dollars only to find out the insurance company had paid them in full. Now they "don't do refunds." I could go on and on. It's a living nightmare. So are kidney stones.

Thursday, Thanksgiving, we always go to the in-laws in Carroll County. I had planned to run all the way, about 15 miles. Unfortunately, I was on the bathroom floor most of the morning, dry heaving over the commode. I missed my run. I missed the Thanksgiving meal. I missed my grandchildren. I was all alone except for Jeff and Luvie who both knew something was wrong with me. Luvie followed me everywhere I went and rubbed his head against me incessantly. It made me cry, and I thanked God for his affection.

That night I did feel good enough to go to Mom's and watch the Egg Bowl with my brother, his family, and my children. We won! For four of the past five years, Mississippi State has beaten Ole Miss. Let me honestly report that Ole Miss fans are the worst losers on earth. Really they are. Maybe it's just that State fans have more experience at getting beat than our instate rivals do. Long-time Mississippi State fans are not fair weather cheerers and are unusually humble. Ole Miss fans, on the other hand, are often obnoxious, arrogant, and sore losers. I'm sure this offends some genuinely good people who cheer for Ole Miss. If you are one of those rare Rebels, I sincerely apologize to you, but not to those whom this description accurately summarizes.

By Friday I had gained weight and could feel myself growing soft. But since I had no symptoms, I went out for a little run in the evening and shuffled 3.13 miles. Once again, I was amazed at how much fitness I had lost. I still have a shot, however, at The Great Noxapater Journey Run during the Christmas break. If I can find a span of warm weather, I will take a stab at it. I wish I could nail down a date, but this time of year that is an impossibility for me. Sunday's run left me with a sore patella in my left knee. It wasn't the distance (a few weeks back I did a 30-miler with no problem) so much as the weather. My body does not like cold weather and my knees absolutley hate it. I wore a pair of tights that day and a pair of leg warmers over that, not to stay warm but in an attempt to keep the knees protected from the chill. It wasn't enough. There is simply no way I could do a multi-day journey run in cold weather with cold weather being defined as anything 50 or below. It won't work.

But still I dream.