When I first started having asthma problems every cold I got turned into a bad cough. My pulmonologist always focused on treating the nasal congestion to prevent the mucus from heading down to my lungs. So I always take a nasal decongestant when I get a cold, even though I don't like the side effects, and I sleep on a pile of pillows so I'm almost sitting upright. And Cold-Eeze (zinc losenges) seems to help if I start using them as soon as the symptoms start. I also make a point of resting my voice to avoid laryngitis, ever since I ended a cold with a paralyzed vocal cord a couple of years ago.

I rode 40 miles on Saturday. The morning was sunny and warm but it soon became cloudy, actually good riding weather because it wasn't too cold or too hot or too humid. Towards the end we had some light rain, but it didn't last long. One person joined me, and together we met up with another friend for a portion of the longer ride that he was doing. All in all it went well. I think the saddle problems I was having are gone; I did have some soreness for a couple of days but after three weeks off the bike that's not unusual. The important thing is that things seemed equally sore on both sides, with no unusual inflammation on the right.

We appear to still be in a rainy pattern, so I'm not sure what I'll be able to accomplish this week. I think there will be some dry periods, but am not sure when they'll occur or how long they will last.