Colds - fight or flight? - Health + Injury

26/09/2002 at 09:17

Well Doc its like this... my body's way of telling me it doesn't like training for marathons is to give me a cold. A severe one nearly wiped me out just before London this year and now, in the final run-up to New York I'm struggling against another embryonic one.

I'm flinging Vit C, echinacea, zinc, and cod liver oil down me but I think if anything they're only delaying the inevitable. So, do I stop fighting it now and let it come and be done with and throw my final preparations off track, or do I keep on with my fingers crossed, operating at about 75% of what I should be doing and risk a last minute wipe-out again? Decisions, decisions!!

Xerxes

26/09/2002 at 12:15

My view is that none of the stuff you are chucking down your throat are any good, and are not delaying or accelerating the inevitable. Drink plenty of hot drinks and live life normally. If you can run, run, if not, rest and/or do some other exercise for a few days. I ran through my last cold with no ill effects. I actually felt much better following a run, and the cold went after a couple of days.

26/09/2002 at 14:12

spoken like a true chemist!! Thanks Tim, I'll carry on running because I have no real option with NY only 5 weeks away but had to quit after 3 MILES!!! this morning.

Nessie

26/09/2002 at 15:00

I would suggest that if you only managed 3 miles, your body is sending out some pretty clear signals. If it is just a cold, a couple of days COMPLETE rest, with plenty of fluids and some aspirin (if you can take them, paracetamol of not) will do you more good than harm.

Parky

26/09/2002 at 15:46

Remember its better to get to the start 90%fit and 100% healthy than the other way around.

I read that somewhere ....

26/09/2002 at 16:47

thanks folks for your suggestions

The Evil Pixie pirate

pirate

26/09/2002 at 23:04

Obviously try the traditional alcohol and hot curry remedy too!

Twin Dad Twice

27/09/2002 at 00:48

The body is a funny thing: you'll probably get back into your training feeling better if you take a few days rest now than if you try to run through it. Maybe we can log a cold as cross-training!

Fell Running

27/09/2002 at 21:40

Risking repeating myself here:-

Don't run if you are sick. Even if you think its "just" a cold.

A cold is a virus, like the flu is a virus. A virus is a virus - treat 'em all the same. Rest and fluids, with Paracetamol if you feel too cr*p.

Salutary tale no 348: I had a sore throat and a sniffle about two months ago. A low grade cold in other words. Didn't even take a day off work. The guy at the next desk picks it up and goes down like he's been sandbagged. OK so he wasn't particularly fit, but my "Cold" was his "Flu".

Sorry to nag - just take it easy. You can't "Scare" a cold away by running. It'll go when its good and ready.

polabear

02/10/2002 at 11:55

I, too, am extremely fed up. I caught a cold a couple of days after doing quite a strenuous 13k. That was last Friday and here I am still on the wednesday as sick as a pike.
Will I be able to do the GNR? My long yearned for dream? I really cannot say at the moment. I am feeling a little bit better today and am praying that I will be ok for Sunday - this is my dream but if I have to sit at the sidelines or even walk the course - so be it. It is not something in my control at the moment. I just want to be well again!

newKat

03/10/2002 at 09:36

Is the general concensus not to run with a cold then? I'm just coming down with something and should be running today, do I give it a miss and wait until I feel a bit better?

Xerxes

03/10/2002 at 10:34

The consesus seems to be if just a head cold - go with the running. If affects throat and lungs, then do not.

A cold is only a cold - most of it is psychological in my opinion. Think positive and drink hot drinks. If you don't V-rap will be after you.

Spans

03/10/2002 at 11:46

My advice to you would be don't run, even with a head cold. I did at the beginning and 3 weeks later I am still suffering and not running at all at the moment...

Xerxes

03/10/2002 at 14:29

Mine went away after a few days. I treat colds with the contempt they deserve. Nasty sniffly little things.

Spans

03/10/2002 at 17:19

oooohhhh get you! I obviously do not have quite the right attitude yet with regards to colds, do you have any training tips?!

Kezza in Singapore

03/10/2002 at 20:27

Depends how bad the cold is! If I'm really feeling low I don't run, but if it's just the sniffles I usually find a few miles makes me feel better and clears my head. But if I'm coughing or have a bad throat.....no way.

Xerxes

04/10/2002 at 09:20

Exactly FANY! Hurrah!

Dewifach

04/10/2002 at 15:24

Having contracted two foul colds in the space of 3 weeks (that's what you get for marrying a GP) I sympathise with Polabear re. the GNR, which I'm also snuffling my way around on Sunday. One thing about the GNR: if you haven't got a cold before you start, with 47,000 runners in close proximity to you before the gun goes off you're quite likely to pick one up before the day's out.
Sorry for the "cold comfort"!

Bionic Ironwolf pirate

pirate

04/10/2002 at 20:50

At the risk of being boring - I'm going to repeat the same thing I've said in answer to several other postings. If you have a temperature DON'T RUN! Same thing if your morning pulse shows a dramatic increase. 5 ex-runners I know are ex because they didn't rest when they should have - you're risking an infection of the heart muscles and there's usually no way back to complete running fitness after that. 3 others died!

If you just have sniffles but no fever, then go ahead if you must, but take it easy. I think it's better to rest a couple of days - after all if you're doing the GNR then it's too late now for any more training anyway!

Nick.M

05/10/2002 at 08:20

Many thanks for the words of comfort, I shall just mumble around Newcastle tomorrow, I don't have a temperature but I can't stop coughing so it might just be the great North Walk, things like this really p**s me off though, you spend all year aiming at a goal & it all goes heads up right at the last moment, such is life.

I better go now as I'm starting to rant a bit & I am talking to myself while I type.

No sleep till Gateshead!!!!!!!!!!