I’m Not Sick
Categories: Running While Sick
If I could make it just one more week, it would be an entire year since I was last under the weather. If I recall, and I certainly do, that one was a doozy upper respiratory infection that left me wheezing and gasping for weeks.
Now it’s everyone around me. Not an hour goes by without hearing about the king of all flu strains that’s taken the country by storm. First the Caveman was sniffling. Then Thing 1. Now Thing 2′s complaining of a sore throat and something with her ear.
Thru it all I’ve stood fast. Heavied up on the fruit and veggies, fish oil, Vitamin C and Quercetin. Slept like a champ and even attempted some guided meditation in hopes of staying as stress free as possible as those around me dropped like flies.
But last Thursday I didn’t feel the greatest. My run suuuucked. 6 tempo miles turned into a 3-mile plod/walk. We all know what’s going on here. So since then I traded running for yoga, light weights, corework and a spin class or three.
According to Men’s Health, here’s when to push through and when to rest:
Symptoms above the neck. Sneezing, sniffling, scratchy throat:
Go ahead and workout. This is most likely the common cold and it may even do you good to get in some activity. But don’t go overboard: Vigorous activity like running and high intensity intervals can actually suppress your immune system.
Symptoms below the neck. Hacking cough, chest congestion, muscle aches, chills, upset stomach:
Take some time off. You’ll recover faster if you rest rather than work through it.
For the record, I’m not sneezing or sniffling. While I still don’t have full blown congestion or bodyaches, over the past day or so my voice has taken on the husky rasp of a smoker. I’ll sit here and refuse/deny I am sick at all. Sigh. But I’ll lay off the running (begrudgingly) for now.
Do you take time off from working out when you’re sick? Do you ever get sick? Are you a king/queen of denial like me?
I feel your pain! All the girls I nanny for we’re sick this past week and I woke up feeling like I have knives in my throat
Good luck staying germ free!
Oh man! I hope you’re feeling better.
I usually work out unless I physically can’t. Like if I’m vomiting or have body aches, etc. It’s worked out so far.
ughhh, feel better! I am the say way. I never stay home from work. Sadly, it usually backfires and then i end up full blown sick. I couldn’t even imagine having kids around, upping the germification….
I’m not even going to comment because I will jinx myself if I do. I’m super impressed at your willpower to hold back when need be, hoping you feel better soon!! xo
I’m rarely sick (sad thing is when I am it usually lasts forever). I felt the beginnings of a cold (or worse) Saturday after my outdoor run. Yesterday I spent the day lounging (and watching lots of mindless TV). Today I feel better – good enough for a solid work-out – but not 100%. Hoping to keep pushing through!
I hope you are able to get back at it soon – awful when the MOM is sick!!!
I so feel your pain! I got sick earlier this month and I think the best thing I did was to lay off the running and rest. It was not fun but I recovered quickly! Fingers crossed for you!
Yes, absolutely I take off when not feeling well. I am not one of those crazy runners who does themselves more harm than good by trying to “push through” it, and I have had to send clients home when they come to their session sick. I certainly don’t have time to be sick b/c of someone else, and if I don’t work, I don’t eat! =P
I do hope you feel better and use this time to relax and take care of yourself.
I typically workout through it. Last weekend I didn’t feel well and we still ran 10 miles (cut out 2) with our friend, even though I had alternated between hot and cold the night before. We did end up cutting one of our runs last week, though so I could recovery to 100%.
I hate skipping runs, and now that we are marathon training I’m less likely to cut anything out. But I will if it’s necessary.
Feel better!
I had a mean stomach bug yesterday and barely left the couch! I’m debating doing something easy today, but it will likely be another rest day… I do tend to follow those guidelines. Above the shoulder, I can handle. Stomach stuff, definitely resting!
I’m feeling your pain! Bith of my kids are sick so I feel like I’m just waiting for the cold to hit me. If it does, I’ll listen to my body when it comes to exercise. If I’m achy and just feel miserable, rest is best. Best if luck to you in staying germ free!
I developed Influenza A last week. I don’t get a flu shot because I never get sick. Now I know why people get the flu shot, and I’ll get one from here on out. I’ve been down and out for a week, losing a week of training. I figure attempting to do anything that requires heavy breathing isn’t going to work when I can’t even talk without coughing.
I hope you avoid it!
I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. It depends on how bad I’m feeling as to the status of my workouts. I’m sick so much that I’m seriously thinking ofwriting a post regarding my birth defect, ongoing illnesses, etc, to explain to people why my workouts are so sporadic. We’ll see. I do prefer to live in a fantasy world where I’m one protein shake away from a six pack. LOL!
Sorry you’re not feeling well! I know that I have asthma and allergies so it makes it that much easier for me to get sick. I take LOADS of supplements and use a ton of sanitizer praying I avoid being sick. I have to get the flu shot yearly too. Fingers crossed! Happy prayers your way
Hope you and the kiddos recover quickly! As a teacher, it’s been just brutal to see these kids dropping like flies…ugh!
The news of your awful flu season even made our newspapers. Ughh! There’s not much you can do once the germs take control – just sit back and strap in for the ride. I hope it’s short-lived.
I follow the magazine suggestions. I also let my mood tell me how much is enough. If I do exercise, I run slowly and don’t go very long.
Hope you don’t get the full blown flu. I’ve been meaning to get a flu shot and keep procrastinating.
Sorry you aren’t feeling well!!
Sometimes i take the time off. A lot depends on whether or not I think my legs could also use the rest time. If I feel so bad that it’s more painful to run, I will stay home a day or two, but if it makes me feel better to run, then run I do!
Get well!
I got sick at the start of the year. I couldn’t workout and I was just miserable. After feeling like crap for 10 days, I finally went to the doctor and got meds for a sinus infection.
I hope you feel better soon!
ohhhhhh, I hope you don’t get it! I volunteered at my kid’s school the other day, GERM CENTRAL! Bring on the hand sanitizer!
I’ve been known to take time off when I’m pretty bad. Then again, I’ve also been known to plow thru a run 5 minutes after puking up lucky charms!
I follow the words of my high school track coach, “the only time you don’t run is when you have a fever or stomach flu”. With that said, when I have a fever-less cold I take it easy, generally speaking, it speeds up my recovery process and gets thing loosened up. My cure for just about everything is a nice easy run.
I hope you feel better soon
I go with your reasoning, above the neck = ok to train, below the neck = rest up
Lemme tell ya! It’s been a year since I’ve been sick and my kids brought home a stomach bug that took me out for nearly a week. I could have cared less if I ever ran again I was so ill. At least I’m better now but it was horrible.
When I get a cold it’s almost always bronchitis. I normally try and run through it because I’m stubborn but only to make things worse. I usually end up with a fever too and with that I won’t be running anywhere. This time of year stinks.
I hate being sick, and yes,like you, I live in denial as long as I can. Fortunately I rarely get sick. (I knocked wood right after I typed that.) My husband was struck down with the flu this month. All my nurturing instincts kicked in to high gear. “Need anything? I’ll just throw it in from the door.”
Hope you’re feeling better.
Gaye
Bummer! Rest up and hopefully you’ll feel 100% very soon!
Ugh this just happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I hadn’t been sick in a year and I got a cold. Not too bad and didn’t last very long though. Hope you feel better soon:)
I hope you can keep it at bay! I am like you–if I feel it coming on for sure, I back off the running. I have found through trial and error that pushing on just leads to a longer lay off. I have friends who do push through and seem to manage surprisingly well, but I think we all need to know our bodies and what does/doesn’t work. Feel better soon!
How are you now?