California Dreaming

  Well, I have not posted since the first run of the new year.  I have had a great start to the new year with my training.  I have posted 3 weeks in a row at 80-84 miles.  My intervals have been right on and none had felt too difficult.  I ran my first tempo in sometime two weeks ago and knocked it out of the water (5:13 pace over rolly grass for 6.7 miles).  That was completely haulted however by a bout of bronchitis along with flu-like symptoms.  I worked out on wednesday night and "got through" the workout.  I hit all of my splits but it did not feel smooth like it should have.  I had a constant burning in my chest and it hurt to breath in the cool air.  I woke up on thursday and felt terrible.  I forced myself to go to work and got through the day.  I went to bed early thursday night (did not run).  I woke at 3am on friday morning and felt like death.  I knew then that this was going to be a battle similar to the one i encountered over spring break last year.  I took off work to sleep all of friday.  I woke up saturday morning at 9:00am after a 12 hour slumber.  I literally have been borderline hibernated for the last two days.  I took another nap from noon until 4pm.  I have a big appetite and have been drinking so much water I am peeing every 30 minutes.  I do the right things when i get these bronchial bouts... I just want to find out one helpful tip:  How do i avoid them all together and what causes them???  I am seeing a new allergist for one because my current one sucks something awful...  I am also going to see a respiratory doctor as well as a nutritionist. There is a link between frequent bronchial infections and acid reflux (which runs in my family).  If I can pin point that as a problem and get that fixed, who knows! 
   Bottomline, I don't have time for these unwanted barriers in my training.  I am out to get something that takes time out on the roads, trails and track.  Not in bed.
   My next race is February 5th in Mission Bay Park, San Diego California.  The USA Cross Country Championships/World team trials has been the race I have been focusing on since Christmas.  Throughout my long naps, i have been dreaming of california.  Racing through the bright green grass, sharp turns around palm trees, the distant noise of waves breaking and 70 degree sunny weather.  A top 30 finish would be nice and doable, however i have a small mountain to climb to get healthy from this without relapse.