MISSING: IMMUNE SYSTEM; REWARD IF FOUND

MISSING: IMMUNE SYSTEM
 29YO, F, HEALTHY EATER, TRIATHLETE
MISSING IMMUNE SYSTEM SINCE JAN. 1, 2010.
RESPONDS TO "DAILY VITAMIN," "ECHINACEA GOLDENSEAL" AND "FRUITS AND VEGETABLES"
IF FOUND, PLEASE CONTACT AUTHOR OF THIS POST.
***REWARD***

I'm sending a plea to my missing immune system to come back or be found. Since coming down with pneumonia, I've been wooing it with tons of fruits and vegetables and rest. Alas, I find myself sick with a sinus infection again. Where did my immune system go? When will it return? And what is this delicate line between pushing yourself and overdoing it?

As I train during race season I face that quandry all the time. Striking the balance between going hard -- either in duration, intensity or schedule-wis --and consequently getting a little sore or tired and going hard and getting injured or worn down to the point of being unhealthy constantly plague me. I generally can avoid the latter. Apparently not any more.

My definition of "going hard" has changed. I last wrote about how great it was to do yoga/pilates/core work for an hour in the mornings, and then last week I resumed swimming followed by core work at the gym. That was fine, until an overnight trip to New York. On day two, I hit a wall and felt really exhausted, despite getting a full night's sleep. And then I sat on a delayed plane for a couple hours and inhaled airplane air.

Whatever the cause -- not being able to handle New York's fast paced with still-recovering lungs or sitting on that plane -- I'm sick now. I hate this.

We have a dream vacatin planned less than a week away, and I want to be healthy by then, dammit. I have five days to feel better.

I'm considering wearing a mask during the flight. Sounds crazy, but apparently I can't risk it. This sucks!