I went out for my usual 8 mile run on Saturday morning and ended up coughing up blood at the side of the cycle path.
And things had been going so well.
Two weeks ago I remembered that my officially licenced, rare promotional Fantastic Four watch has a stopwatch on it.
Up until then I'd been monitoring my running times by checking the time on the clock in the
kitchen when I left and then checking it on my phone when I'd reached my destination. Hardly an ideal arrangement I know, rendered even more void once I'd realised that there is a 5 minute disparity between each clock.
So anyway, now I had a stopwatch and could accurately gauge my progress.
Two weeks ago I ran my 8 miles in 59 minutes. Last week I did it in 55.
Wow! I was getting somewhere!
And what's more, last week I was beginning to feel like a machine again when I was running. Just like I did during my marathon days. Where I'd settle into a good, solid pace and feel like
I could keep it up all day. I'd zone out and the pain would disappear and nothing could get in my way.
Awesome.
And then, this week........
.
Even though I left the house at 07:30 it was hot, but I was doing it. I was keeping up a good pace and I was watching the clock and I was set to knock a couple of minutes off last weeks time.
Then, about half way along my route on the cycle path, something flew down the back of my
throat, causing me to gag.
I wretched up phlegm and thought that I'd gotten rid of it, whatever it was. So I started running again. A minute or two later I gagged again and coughed up more phlegm.
Jesus, it hurt.
I had a drink and tried to carry on but something was still causing me to gag. This time I was coughing up blood. Not just phlegm with some blood in it, but actual blood.
MY BLOOD!
What the hell had flown into my gob? And what's more what the hell had it done when it was in there?
Was it a wasp?
 |
| Heavy Metal Band W.A.S.P. |
No, not that kind. This kind...
 |
| actual wasp |
Had it stung me?
HAD IT LAID EGGS???
Was I going to go home later that day and have something explode out my chest whilst having my tea like John Hurt in Alien?
 |
| Alien chest burst |
By this time my legs had turned to jelly.
This was worrying
I had to get home, and the quickest way to do that was by getting to town to catch the bus. Which was what I was doing anyway. Only now I couldn't run. So I carried on walking
. I coughed up blood maybe three or four more times.
Once I realised that maybe I was finished up chucking I tentatively tried running again. It was slow and painful but at least I was running.
Eventually, I reach Wind Street without any more unpleasantness and checked my time. I had done it in 1 hour and 1 minute, which wasn't too bad at all, considering.
Anyway, my throat is still sore. When I swallow it feels kind of scratched. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this, and if it doesn't get any better I'll have to make my usual decadial visit to the doctor's.
Hopefully next week, barring any more insect/windpipe incidents, I can get back on track and shave a few more minutes off my route. Because the 10K is sneaking up on us pretty damn quickly and want to run a damn good time.
Damn good.
Hopefully then it will be a bit cooler too.
Until next time,
Rhydd.
PS. Later that day I fell out of a tree and cut myself to ribbons.
Just thought I'd mention it.
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