On the eve of my trip (flying out Sunday the 2nd) I’m getting over a relatively mild cold. Yesterday morning I woke up with stuffed up nose and a mild headache. Over the course of the day I felt worse and worse. I went out to the store to buy a thermometer and I had a fever of 102.6. The headache was definitely moderate but I wouldn’t call it severe to the point that I couldn’t do anything. Obviously, given the news over the last few months, the first thought is “OMG SWINE FLU” but I didn’t have a cough or any of the other flu symptoms and I felt good enough to go out to the store. I’m told that a typical flu-infected person will basically be laid up in bed for days with fatigue, stomach problems, etc. I didn’t have any of that. Also, my nose cleared up by midday so my only symptoms were a headache and fever. I called my Mom (a doctor) and she basically told me it sounded like your run-of-the-mill virus and that the fever was causing the headache. She also told me to take ibuprofen. By the time I went to bed, the fever was down to 100.0 and the headache was mostly gone. I woke up this morning with a mildly worsened fever but I’ve been feeling better as the day has gone on. The “fever” is now in the mid-99s and the headache is gone. So I think my Mom’s suspicion that it was a common virus is probably correct. I’m really hoping I’m still feeling better when tomorrow rolls around and I have to sit on airplanes for like 20 out of 24 hours.

Other than the sickness stuff, I’ve been doing the usual things to get prepared to leave. Charge up stuff, clear out the fridge, etc, etc. I also took my car to the car wash and snapped this picture. They have a pretty cool see-through car wash here:

Other than that, I’ve been doing some work things and spending a lot of time in the gym. I’ve been going to a gym in some form since I was about 12 years old so I guess it’s been 15 years now. For the first 8 or so, I focused just about 100% on strength training. Over the last 7 years, I’ve gone back and forth between more cardio and strength. It seems like I get into grooves for a few months at a time where I do mostly one or the other. Lately I’ve been in a cardio groove because I’ve finally decided that I need a smaller body type for optimal lifespan expectations. I’ve been six feet even for like 15 years now (maybe coincidence with when I started lifting, who knows… Either way I’m fine with being six feet tall so I don’t really care if it stunted my growth). Over at least the second 7.5 years of the 15 years I’ve been lifting I’ve been over 200 lbs. At my peak, I was over 250 (I know, really gross). Right now I’m settled in at like 205 but I think I need to be around 185 with my current muscle mass to be in optimal shape. There’s a reason why you don’t see obese old people. And why I know I’m not at high risk for heart disease and other problems at the age of 27, if I keep going in the 200+ weight range those problems are going to sneak up on me pretty fast. So, long story short, I’ve been doing a lot of cardio although I am still lifting because I want to maintain my current muscle mass. I’ve also been focusing for the first time in my life on flexibility. I’ve made huge gains in under a month of doing a regular stretching routine so I’m pretty excited to keep it up.

I don’t know how much I’ll be able to blog from South Africa but I’ll definitely take a lot of pictures and video for when I can get online.

Also, if you have a few hours, you should really read this: http://basketbawful.blogspot.com. Start with Part 1.

Related posts:

1. Grand Cayman
2. Happy 2010 Everyone
3. I guess we have to leave at some point…
4. Seriously?
5. End of a chapter