Vaccination

With three vaccinations 💉 planned this month, each on a different day, it’s going to be busy for my immune system. It will mess up my marathon preparation, so I’ll pick another one than on the last Sunday of October I trained for.

Got invited for a COVID booster 💉 shot. Clearly people don’t want such stations in their neighborhoods or city centers, so it’s hard to get to, unless you own a car. That’s saying a lot in the Netherlands. It’ll take the whole morning (5 hours) to get there and back home.

Got my festive covid booster on second Christmas day. Had to travel a bit to get there. Previous times were a brief walk from where I live. 💉

I’m happy I chose the safe route by limiting my running to solo runs at a slow pace. Of those who just kept training with others (despite it was not allowed at the time) a few (still) suffer from long-covid. I escaped that fate, though I don’t envy those runners who got it. 💉

Today I’m fully vaccinated against COVID-19. I need to remain careful, but at least I’ve reduced the risk of being hospitalized or die. Still, I’m experiencing a great feeling of gratitude towards all scientists who made this possible and joy from hope for the future. 💉

Two months ago I needed two full days to recover from my 💉 Now barely a full day, though I felt more tired after my 🏃 than I usually do.

Only two weeks before I’m fully 💉 vaccinated, though I expect a Pfizer “booster” later this year if new variants threaten a fourth pandemic wave occurring.

🏃 10 times 200 m, with 200 m recovery as intervals. Afterwards, I saw my ♡ drop to 45 bpm. Must be the anticipation of being 💉 later in the day. It also used to happen on days I ran an important race: less appetite, lower heart rate, and a deep calm.

It seems my cautious approach to 🏃 is starting to 🐻 🍎 Not only could I run 9 km in 62 minutes, I also ran 1 km in 5:35 min, in an attempt to train my lactate threshold. Now my 💉 has been brought forward by 6 weeks (because of new variants?), I’ll be able to run in a group sooner.

Now it’s two weeks after my first 💉 I thought it safe enough to do some masked shopping (no not that kind 🔫 🤡 of shopping) in my local town. On my way back I walked through a park, back home to my two feline buddies, still locked up in a cage.

My first 🏃 after being vaccinated 💉 with AstraZeneca. I had a head wind in the first half. On my way back home it went like clockwork with the wind in my back. The pouring rain didn’t bother me, since I could empty my head after two stressful days of pain and recovery.

The AstraZeneca vaccine certainly has side-effects, though mild in most cases. In my case these are pain/stiffness around the injection point, fatigue, and a higher resting heart rate (15 bpm higher than normal). I don’t feel like running. Good then that I stocked up earlier. 💉

I had to shop for some heavy 🐈‍⬛ stuff, and without a car, a Dutch bike is a good alternative 🚲 My arm was still stiff from the 💉 yesterday as well as I felt a bit dizzy, but luckily no headache 🤕 nor a fever 🤒

And… 💉 I had to wait 15 minutes afterwards to be sure I didn’t get an averse reaction. Next one will be in three months.

Early bird catches the worm, so to speak. Today’s 🏃 was easy enough and I felt good, despite too short a night. I suppose I’m a bit anxious because of the vaccination 💉 shot later today.

Tomorrow I’ll get my first ever COVID-19 vaccination, so I want to remain as fit as possible. Today’s 🏃 proved yet again that I am. 💉