Karmic Slap

I'm sick. I haven't been sick in over a year. Thinking that I was beginning to discover my new superhuman hero immune system that had lay dormant until it was realized post-Race Across America, I set out for a test.

I went to Vegas. Drank until I had to drink more to keep going, I stayed out until the not so wee hours of the morning, coming in for a brief rest when most are headed out to work. I ate crap and more crap and ate some more, just for good measure. I took a cab with my buddies to In- and-Out Burger and then came back to the hotel for a drink or eight. Red Bull gives you wings. Red Bull with top shelf vodka gives you loud, gregarious and mildly ridiculous wings. Wings that take you over and above and around until 5 or 6 in the morning.

I punished my body after coming back from Vegas. Wanted to teach a lesson to myself. I rode about 40 miles on my singlespeed road bike and then went to the gym to continue the lesson. I ran a 5k indoors and lifted and then swam 12 laps. It felt terrible and wonderful.

Then I went out the night before my latest shift, drank some more, got home much too late, slept for two hours and then went to work yesterday where we had what I would call a "mega fire," a fire that is big and punishing and smokey and dangerous. I was on the ladder truck doing "truckie" things, like the aptly named Vent Enter Search, which is basically an activity where you intentionally enter burning, smoke filled spaces, without a hoseline, looking for victims. I ascended high above the fire with my Captain so that we could get a good look at the fire and also to drop some water onto the top of the fire. Ever been up above a burning apartment complex at 70 feet with smoke and heat just an "armslength" away?

So today I'm sick. Apparently my superhuman abilities to refute sickness came at the hand of good living, enough rest, respect for my body and an understanding that when both ends of the candle are burning eventually the fire goes out.

Next time...more wax.

TC