Monday, June 2, 2008
Allergens
I told myself over the weekend that this would, in terms of sheer productivity, be a mop-up week: anything still hanging around the to-do list all these weeks would, before the end of the day on June 6, have a big ole X through it.
And then the allergies came along, stinging blasts from pollen and other airborns that have my eyes and nose leaking like sieves. Mop-up week, I asked for; mop-up week, I got. At the same time as this, I am easing off of the caffeine2 habit I got all junked up on while in Seattle. But deep down I believe caffeine stimulants help block histamines. Probably old fool's tale, but I might have to get after some coffee tomorrow to continue experimenting in the self-clinic. Also I picked up some Loratadine (i.e., generic Claritin) at the pharmacy while on a bike ride earlier this evening just in case. I can't pinpoint an exact cause for the allergies; never was allergic to much other than bee stings and poison ivy as a kid. Probably I'm allergic to summer.
I'm back on a fitness kick, too. For me that means I step out the front door and run as hard as I can until I am cramping up, half falling over, gulping desperately for air, and suffering those burning, explosive heart palpitations. And then I get the mail and walk back up the length of the driveway with my hands above my head (for maximal lung capacity) until I regain my composure. Sixty feet, 0 minutes, 6.31 seconds.
That was a joke. Seriously, I have been grinding out 2.5 miles, which include two decent sized hills. That and an evening bike ride--nothing too rigorous except that Is. is on board, so those few miles are only slightly more challenging than when I ride by myself, especially on the inclines. But I have a sports camp coming up next week and so I have a short little window to get back to a fitness peak where, at the very least, I can bounce a basketball, blow a whistle, and stand on my feet all day long.
That's about it. Monday's work-pace was good enough that if I can repeat it on Tue.-Fri., I will inflict permanent strikethroughs out the list of stuff that has been parked too long on the to-do list. Ahead: More mid-day jogs. And I'll try to scale back on some of my bad dietary habits, laying off the caffeine, the Desert Pepper Peach and Mango Salsa, and the Twizzlers black licorice, and instead popping Loratadine indulgently like candy (the allergies, you could say, are kicking my anise).
A slight chance for more blogging, too, although I have much much much too much to complain about, and I generally try not to do that here unless left with no other choice. So that I am not being cryptic: car repairs and Quality Matters course redevelopments (for PU) are giving me a hell of a time in addition to the allergies. At least it's June.
Posted by Derek Mueller at June 2, 2008 10:00 PM to Slouching TowardI've heard that allergies worsen with age. That's certainly been the case for me--I can't be in a room with roses without having a reaction(allergic, that is), even if the roses are far, far, away.
Posted by: joanna at June 3, 2008 12:43 PM"With age": That'd be me. ;)
Posted by: Derek at June 3, 2008 8:38 PM