Post-COVID

Apparently COVID affects everyone uniquely. For me, there were about three days that felt like hell, followed by a rapid recovery. My symptoms peaked from last Saturday to Monday, then eased through Tuesday and Wednesday. I tested negative on Thursday.

Getting the virus was a harsh reminder of life priorities. At the apex of my symptoms, most of my material possessions ceased to matter again. That, at least, was refreshing.

I guess we often fool ourselves into thinking that we can purchase our way into permanence. Maybe that’s part of the lure or a “high quality purchase.” If the item lasts forever, we’re more apt to feel like we will as well. A shirt that disintegrates in three washes is oddly a reminder of ones own vulnerability.

It just takes one brutal virus to eliminate the hope of eternal life. If we’re dust in the wind, then we’re truly on borrowed time, and our possessions should be considered rentals at best. What price it is to pay for a house full of nice things that eventually end up in a dumpster.

My phone often shows me photo memories of times spent in China. I poured through some of these old photos more closely today and realized that I really liked that version of myself. He was less willing to give a damn about the quality of clothes, for example, and more apt to focus on having memorable experiences. He didn’t give a damn about “fit”. Clothes kept you warm, or shielded you from the sun. That was it, and it was freeing.

I don’t think it’s too late to go back to that version of myself. It doesn’t mean going back to China, but rather rejecting the materialism inherent in corporate America. It means accepting that your time on earth is brief, so you might as well enjoy it rather than constantly seeking false means of insurance against its end.

Injuries and Setbacks

My plan was to began preparing for an October 1st marathon starting the first week of July. However, a few setbacks derailed those plans.

The first issue stemmed from a timed mile event in late June. I completed a timed mile (about 1600 meters) in 4 minutes and 44 seconds, which I was happy with because my goal was to break 5 minutes. However, I found myself limping after the finish. A tweak in my groin became a lingering pain that steadily worsened over the next week, and I naively attempted to run through it, which only exacerbated the pain. I went to an orthopedic and was informed that I strained my groin.

A few weeks of rest and physical therapy followed, and suddenly it was August. I resumed running. I told my marathon coach that it seemed practical to have a “Plan B.” Less than two months didn’t seem like long enough to prepare for a marathon, so I switched my goal event to a later date. I signed up for another marathon on October 28th, and switched my October 1st event to a half marathon, with the intention to use the event as a training exercise.

Then, a week after resuming running, COVID hit me for the first time. Three plus years after the onset of the pandemic, COVID was the last thing on my mind. I had returned from a vacation in Utah and was suddenly running a fever. I was inside when the fever hit me, resting under a cool A/C. An hour later I had the chills. Then I had a sinus headache, and a sore throat. Then my bones ached.

The next day, I tested positive for COVID.

That was all last weekend. Now I’m hoping that the worst of COVID is behind me and I can resume running. This running cycle has been a stark contrast from the last one. The last one went off without a hitch, whereas this one seems to abide by the saying, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”

There is plenty of time left to develop fitness, however, so I don’t think I’m anywhere near the point of giving up.