After suffering from the death-flu for days, this is the first day that I have felt “normal”. Very very normal. I woke up and I had a "normal" amount of energy (none). I smelled “normal” (I’d started to become paranoid about continuing to stink after I had just showered because I couldn’t smell the clean). I experienced a “normal” level of agitation that my bus to work was eight minutes late.

I haven’t tested my normalcy by running yet. The last day I ran was the day after I landed in Vegas. Not one lick of running since then. Drinking, yes. Even sick, there is drinking to be done. But no running. I keep telling myself to go to the gym. It’s time. Just once. Once you go, you’ll keep going.

I’ve already missed the first running event of the year (The Shamrock) because of the trip. Now, I’ll likely miss the second, The Bridge to Bridge, and quite possibly missing the third, The Race for the Roses. As I recall, this time last year I wasn’t running very much and still took third in my age group in the Race for the Roses 5k (the half-marathon wasn’t in the cards last year, and sure as hell ain’t in the cards this year).

The weather isn’t helping, either. Before Vegas, I was running nearly every morning with the dog. The mornings were usually cold, but dry. Now that I’m back, it’s been raining for, like, 73 straight days. The parking lot at my apartments is a lake and I have to make sure the car has enough clearance to just make it out the driveway.

So now I’m convinced that if I just start going to the gym, I can jump start myself back into running in time for all the spring/summer events. I haven’t decided to run the marathon this year. I want to, but I’m not all hyped up for it this year like I was last year, when my participation hopes were dashed by a ill-timed trip to DC. Part of me just wants to show up and just do it. This is stupid, because if I don’t train, I’ll be injured for the rest of the year, and quite possibly, will never want to run again for the rest of my life.