Cough It Up, Sir Phlegming

Whether or not there is a definitive positive correlation between the two, in my personal experience, regular exercise and losing weight has bolstered my immune system's response to illness. When I taught in Japan, without fail I would contract a cold after my monthly kindergarten class because, and I say this with as much love as possible, children are cesspools for disease. It didn't help that for the first couple of years I was overweight and inactive outside of the necessary physical demands of teaching and commuting to my schools.

Once I began running regularly and losing weight, I noticed a stark decline in how often I fell ill, to the point where I would contract a cold maybe once a year. Occasionally my allergies would flair in the form of itchy, watery eyes, usually in early spring and early fall.

For the most part, my ability to combat illness remains as strong as ever, though my allergies have been exacerbated since returning to the States.

That said, Covid sucks. Like how can people stand to endure falling ill all the time? Catching a cold's bad enough--hell, allergies are bad enough--let alone the flu or an upper respiratory infection. I'd be a downright germaphobe if I still got sick as often as I used to with Covid adding to the wonderful cocktail of illnesses floating about.

Saturday through Tuesday was great. I transcribed a full session in just a couple of days; figured out how to record my Beat Saber attempts, which I haven't been able to import to my PC yet; beat my high scores yet again for both "Ghost" and "Light It Up"; got a few solid workouts in...and then I felt the beginning symptoms after Tuesday's lower body workout. Muscle soreness on top of Covid? Oh, buddy.

My fiancé was sick from Friday, but the test he took Saturday was negative. I took the test on Wednesday and returned positive. Makes sense when you think about it. I was exposed to more concentrated amounts of the virus because we live together, whereas the place where he works might spread just enough to make one sick but not be enough to tip the scale on the test.

To be clear, the both of us still wear masks out in public precisely for this reason: we don't want to be the cause of others falling ill, just as we ourselves do not want to contract the cold, flu, or what have you. This habit was ingrained within me in Japan, and it is one I continue to perpetuate proudly. It baffles me how many Americans balk or become offended at the mere suggestion of donning a simple piece of cloth over their mouth and nose whenever they're feeling under the weather. Is wearing a mask uncomfortable? You bet it is. However, just like exercise, the more you do it, the more you grow accustomed to the feeling, but I digress.

With all that exposition out of the way, my overall update for this week is small, and I'm taking a planned week off through next week since I've reached the end of my productivity journal. I always use the following week to reflect and let myself rest mentally from the constant tracking. I find that doing so allows me to start the next 13 weeks with renewed focus.

This Week's Obligatory Cat Pic: Salad

(The way she looks is how I've been feeling for the last 72 hours)