Blessing for day #75 of 2015: I ran a half but I'm not sick 2 days later!

The Shamrock Shuffle Half Marathon is perhaps the first race in a year I have run after which I did not get sick!  Austin Half Marathon: sick the next week.  Christmas Run: sick before, during and after.  City of Trees Marathon: sick before and after [also was a terrible race for me].  Zeitgeist: sick the week after.  Idaho Wine Run: sick before and after.

I don't even have hives!  Don't ask.  All I know is that the next day after most of my half marathons and all the marathons, I get non-itchy hives everywhere.  They stay for a couple of days then leave.  But I don't have them!!


I have been doing some things to take care of myself that apparently, though they were a news flash for me, have been well-known and practiced among grown up people for years:

The ominous Berry Vanilla Puffs

• Sleeping more than 6 hours a night
• Taking Zinc
• Stop doing things when my throat feels scratchy
• Lounge around for large portions of time the day after a hard run or race
• Cut out processed sugar.  My last cereal binge was last Wednesday night  [yes, this is a really long time for me] AND I didn't eat the entire bag AND I haven't touched it since.  I've left it sitting on my kitchen counter as a warning.  As long as it is just sitting there I am reminded to eat an apple or down 3 Lara Bars real quick [a better choice than Berry Vanilla Puffs, even if they are organic]
• Sleep really well the night before the race
• Don't cram a bunch of things into the day of the race that are stressful
• Relax
• Not eating stuff I'm allergic to
• Take it easy

I'm so grateful I'm not sick!!  And I'm so grateful for Zinc tablets!