Back to Square One?

Will I have to practice every day for the rest of my life to keep up a "high standard"? It seems like every time I take a few days off, I immediately go back to square one again. Thirsday was the first class in a week and it showed...I was so weak - it wasn't stifness that was the problem - as I thought It would be - I simply felt really weak, especially in my legs. I usually do the awkward serie without any problems, but last night it was tough. I had to really struggle not to fall out of the poses.
As I came home from work yesterday I felt like I was about to get sick and sure enough I started sneezing and feeling as if I had a fever. I went to class this morning anyway, thinking that I might just sweat out whetever it is I have caught. I did that once before, I had just a little fever and I went to class and even though I was just lying doown most the class it still felt good and after a day or two I was well again. Today wasn't as easy, I was weak as hell and I had to lie out on almost the entire floor series. I knew it could be like that and still I got pissed off at times when I couldn't do the poses.Sometimes when I watch how other people in the room constantly improve in their practice, I feel like such a loser, as if I'm not going anywhere at all.
I know I have come a long way compared to where I started out about a year ago, but sometimes it feels like it's such a slow process. If you take an old drinking glass that has an air bubble in it and then look at the same glass 50 years later, they say the bubble will have moved because glass is actually liquid. That's how slow the whole yoga process feels to me at times. I want results and I prefer to see them soon and often and - again - that is one of the things I have to work at. Whenever there is someone new coming to the studio and I get to talk with them, one thing I always mention is how much practice has helped me develope patience...man I have to start putting the money where the mouth is and actually do just that. LET IT TAKE TIME - IT'S ALL FINE!

Today, in an otherwise really bad class, I managed to do a nice triangle pose and my teacher saw it and gave me credit for it, which made me feel like such a fake - like a kid sticking out his tounge at someone when mom is turning her back.

This is going to be a slow weekend, I'm not going to do anything but relax and focus on getting well again. And I will practice tomorrow night, it can't possibly get any worse than it was today.