RunningAHEAD - Topic: running sick

dogrunner

posted: 1/5/2008 at 6:09 AM
modified: 1/5/2008 at 6:12 AM

I've been sick for about 4 days and the thing I hate most is I have not been out running...

Mostly head stuff and achy at first but now chesty and tired. What I'm wondering is....what's the longest you've taken off running (aside from a running injury)? I don't want to get sicker but this is driving me crazy!!

BeeRunB

posted: 1/5/2008 at 7:24 AM

I've taken as much as 2 weeks off from running, either for injury or just a rest. I've also been a bit sick this week, along with some serious jetlag (Taiwan to Providence), and my resting heart rate has been 14 beats over normal. When I see this, I'll cut my miles down to 2-4 per day (and rest) and run at a very low heart rate ( a slow jog). I find that if I just run a little, and very easy, it makes me feel better without adding to the stress the body is already experiencing. It helps maintain fitness. Total rest won't hurt. You can maintain fitness over a week's time. Keeping track of resting heart rate is a good practice. It is a good tool to help guard against overtraining, as well as knowing when it's time to add higher mileage back in after an illness. I just finished Paula Radcliffe's book. She mentioned how she'll rest or run easy and slow on days when her resting heart rate is 5 beats or more over normal. Even if it means not doing a scheduled hard workout that seems so important. It's important to maintain health while getting to your goals. This is a great tool in managing stress. Take care. get healthy and I will, too! --JImmy

Clams

posted: 1/7/2008 at 10:59 AM

I say give it a go. My rule is to take time off if I have a fever, but to run through it if it's just a cold. Maybe ease up a bit - go slower, shave off a mile or two depending on how far you typically run. You never know - the fresh air and positive mojo from getting out there might be just what you need to start recovering.

spaniel

Feeling the growl again

posted: 1/7/2008 at 2:12 PM

I was just sick and took a couple days off when it had me too tired to tackle it. Once I had a LITTLE bit of energy I forced myself to run as it does a great job of helping to clear out the sinuses and stuffiness of a cold.

"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

meerkatstango

posted: 1/7/2008 at 5:50 PM

I'm not a big fan or running sick. I agree that it can clear your sinuses but IMHO it's just symptom relief. Your body needs rest to help you recover. That being said during the rare cold I do get I tend to take walks. I think it's more to get out of the house than anything though. Feel better soon though whether you run or not!

Rachel

NJPhil

posted: 1/8/2008 at 8:41 AM

I have been feeling sick since the 4th and haven't run since the 2nd. Although I would love to have run or rode my bike over the last few days, I think rest was the best thing for me. I'm still not 100% and don't plan on doing any type of exercise until I feel better and take an additional day off. I've tried exercising while sick before and it only seemed to prolong my illness, YMMV.

MrFinn

Prince of Fatness

posted: 1/8/2008 at 8:55 AM

It depends on how sick I am. I find that if it is just a common cold it makes no difference whether I run or not. I recover from the cold in about the same amount of time, so I usually go out and run. Like others I find that running temporarily relieves congestion, etc. I may reduce mileage and / or intensity a bit. For flu-like symptoms, fever, digestive issues, etc., that's another story. I think you do more harm than good by running in those cases.

Not at it at all.

dogrunner

posted: 1/8/2008 at 9:35 AM

back to running and feeling much better...thanks.

Jennicap

Ex-Smoker turned Runner!

posted: 1/8/2008 at 9:41 AM

I also run sick... as long as I have some energy and don't have a fever I'll run. I have noticed that if I sweat enough and drink enough fluids I can sometimes flush the cold out pretty quickly. Hope you feel better!

-Jen
2010 Goals! Get back into running after having my son miles miles miles!

JakeKnight

posted: 1/8/2008 at 10:12 AM

I've never been sick enough that a short, easy run didn't make me feel at least temporarily better. I don't care what the doctor says. I'm going running.

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
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OnceADCV

posted: 1/8/2008 at 11:14 AM

I'm dealing with a stuffy nose right now, but I'm running through it. Its when the stuffy nose progresses to either the achy/chills phase or the I feel like crap phase. I also check to see if I'm running a temperature anything over normal (anything over 98.6F). If my body temp is off, then no running. If its normal and I don't feel like utter crap than I go out on an easy run (low HR). If its just a stuffy nose then its a normal day.

running sick (Read 898 times)