Well isn’t this just great.

Bronchitis again. Back in Canada, I used to get bronchitis when I was in elementary school. I had a flair up again in senior year of high school, but since then, it hasn’t been an major issue.

Then I moved to Japan. For whatever reason, be it to incredibly dryness of the air in Kyoto winters, or my body still using all of its immune resources to fight colds, leaving none left for bacteria, or maybe over the years I’ve just become more susceptible. Whatever the case, every year since coming to Japan I’ve had to deal with this, sometimes twice a year, and as far as kendo goes, it makes it very very difficult.

I should have known that something was up after practice on Monday. I was absolutely exhausted. Way more than I should have been, even taking into account 6 rounds of mawari-geiko on a bum leg. It took a lot of effort just to ride my bike home afterward, and I all but called it a night as soon as I got home.

For the rest of the week I was just as tired, and progressively, my throat became dryer and itchier, something that no amount of water could fix. By Friday, I was hacking, and there was nothing that could be done. I can do kendo to an extend on a pulled groin, but a pulled groin and bronchitis at the same time is impossible.

Instead, I’ve been focusing on arm and core strength at home with suburi and push ups, and mostly keeping warm under the kotatsu with lots of water, tea and Benylin. After coughing up what can only be described as glue this morning, I think going to kendo would be a bad idea today, so I will stay home and try and get this under control as quickly as possible.