Setback # One

About 3 weeks ago I woke up in the morning with a slight sore throat. No big deal, I thought. I will just be sure to drink lots of water, eat healthy, and sleep. The sore throat slowly continued to get worse, at which point I figured I was getting my usual spring cold. It wasn't too much longer until I started to get a runny nose and cough. A week later I still had the same symptoms so I began to think I actually had allergies not a cold. Then I got a fever and a terrible cough. Next I started to tell that I had fluid in my chest. My cough was terrible sounding and my fever was annoying. I would totally soak through clothes and then I would freeze. I lived in the shower it seemed like.   Come-to-find-out I had developed bronchitis and since I waited too long to see a doctor I also got an ear infection. My mom got bronchitis as well but treated it ASAP so as to avoid the ear infections (smart lady). Two weeks later I still feel sick'ish.
   It's been a rough 2 weeks. I haven't been able to train at all and I can tell I have lost some of my cardio fitness as well as muscular strength. I feel like I am going to have to start my training all over again. It's such a frustrating feeling. Deep down inside I know I won't have to totally start over but it's still discouraging to feel the setback!!! I am sure this is just 1 of more setbacks to come in the next year of Ironman training. The important thing to remember is to keep going. Don't let setbacks get the better of you. Learn from them and use them to fuel the fire within to push harder and reach higher.
 So, setback number one, I can't wait for you to be history and to look back at the mishap and see how much you fueled my fire.
  My hope is to start training again this coming Monday. Hopefully by the end of the week-end I will finally be feeling 100%.
Stay well everyone.
Smiles, Alicia