Grumpybutfun Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Well, I finally got the crud since everyone at work decided they would come to work coughing and sneezing all over me. In a couple of months, I am entering a triathlon that I am training for...swimming, running and biking. My doctor said I can train and be okay, but my wife insists that if I rest for a few days I will get over it quicker. What say ye LoveShack? Any knowledge in this subject? I really don't want to miss a single day of training especially since I am behind schedule on my biking regime, but I also don't want to stay sick either. Thanks for reading, cough, cough, sneeze, sneeze, Grumps 1 Link to post Share on other sites
TaraMaiden Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 'Coughing and sneezing all over you' is probably NOT what did it. Air-borne germs are actually less likely to bring infections. Far more likely is the untold millions of bacteria they all carelessly left everywhere, via TOUCH, after coughing and sneezing into their hands and hankies.... Bacteria of these kinds can survive on surfaces for anything up to 6 hours. Airborne bacteria dissipate quite quickly, although air-conditioning systems have a LOT to answer for..... Take 3 days off work. Dose yourself up with fortifying vitamins and supplements, and train - if you feel like it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Haydn Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 The misses is right. Put your feet up. Hot soup and rest. There is a chance if you train while chesty you could make it worse. Or sweat it out in a sauna? Well, I finally got the crud since everyone at work decided they would come to work coughing and sneezing all over me. In a couple of months, I am entering a triathlon that I am training for...swimming, running and biking. My doctor said I can train and be okay, but my wife insists that if I rest for a few days I will get over it quicker. What say ye LoveShack? Any knowledge in this subject? I really don't want to miss a single day of training especially since I am behind schedule on my biking regime, but I also don't want to stay sick either. Thanks for reading, cough, cough, sneeze, sneeze, Grumps 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Eau Claire Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Depends. I'm a nurse. Usually a cold isn't an issue. Go knock yourself out. It might put you in a better state of mind. In general, no fever...no issue. However...if you have a fever or congestion in the lungs then best to rest. The jury is out on this one. No consensus. In general a healthy adult isn't going to get over a cold any better by resting. The opposite with the flu or lung issues. I personally treat a cold as an inconvenience. If you take something to stop a runny knows, drink more fluids. Most importantly, take your temperature to make sure you do not have a fever. You know your own body. If you don't feel right then stop training. On the positive side, if you are in shape, you recover quickly and back to your routine. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
regine_phalange Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Poor Grumpy! If it's only coughing and sneezing and your tempetrature is ok, I guess it's something mild. Maybe you could exercise, but without wearing yourself out. Instead of running out in the cold, maybe a treadmill or a static bicycle would be better. Swimming may not be a good idea because chlorine may irritate your nose. Drink warm water with lots of honey and lemon (its a miracle for coughing),orange juices, chicken broth. Get well! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Toddbt12y1 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 You actually break down your bodies immune system when training. That means, that you will have a harder time fighting off an infections. As you may stress your immune system. I'd wait a few days out. You'll probably do more harm than good. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
EasyHeart Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Cardio weakens your immune system. It takes ~3 days for your immune system to recover from a hard cardio workout. IF you just have a cold, then it's okay to still lift weights, but don't do any cardio. If you have the flu (which is going around most of the US and Canada), don't do either one until you recover. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Emilia Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Depends. I'm a nurse. Usually a cold isn't an issue. Go knock yourself out. It might put you in a better state of mind. In general, no fever...no issue. However...if you have a fever or congestion in the lungs then best to rest. The jury is out on this one. No consensus. In general a healthy adult isn't going to get over a cold any better by resting. The opposite with the flu or lung issues. I personally treat a cold as an inconvenience. If you take something to stop a runny knows, drink more fluids. Most importantly, take your temperature to make sure you do not have a fever. You know your own body. If you don't feel right then stop training. On the positive side, if you are in shape, you recover quickly and back to your routine. Agree! My rule is, if everything is wrong only from neck up, I'll train, if there are additional issues from neck down I won't. Same with fever, mildly higher temperature I'm not worried about. I've noticed that I got over colds faster if I caught them with training at the very beginning. A good fast interval run would burn things faster. I'd never risk that with anything serious though. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 IMO, if you've been otherwise healthy, back off the biking to a lower, aerobic, intensity and observe results. Maintain hydration to the 'pee clear' level. At my age, I'd be concerned about co-morbid infections and/or pneumonia, but such are unlikely for a younger person in good health. When I was younger, I trained while recovering from colds and flu and, while fatigue appeared to set in more quickly, training didn't appear to extend the recovery time or exacerbate symptoms. I would cut out the hill work and back down to the 120-130 range on the flats to stay aerobic. What I did note was that I sweated more (this varies by person) so maintained a higher intake of fluids to remain hydrated. Good luck. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Eau Claire Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 IMO, if you've been otherwise healthy, back off the biking to a lower, aerobic, intensity and observe results. Maintain hydration to the 'pee clear' level. At my age, I'd be concerned about co-morbid infections and/or pneumonia, but such are unlikely for a younger person in good health. When I was younger, I trained while recovering from colds and flu and, while fatigue appeared to set in more quickly, training didn't appear to extend the recovery time or exacerbate symptoms. I would cut out the hill work and back down to the 120-130 range on the flats to stay aerobic. What I did note was that I sweated more (this varies by person) so maintained a higher intake of fluids to remain hydrated. Good luck. Note. Do not generalize 'cold and flu'. They are VERY different. The former is a usually an inconvenience. The latter can be fatal whether a healthy 18 year old or a healthy 70 year old. Do not work through the flu. The flu is influenza...it kills healthy people every year. (Not to be confused with the stomach flu which may be a million things). 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Toddbt12y1 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Thank God my hospital forced me into a flu shot. Usually get sick off them, but not this time. Grumpy, you should indeed get a flu shot every year if not. They say if you get sick off the flu shot, you would have gotten the flu anyway. Plus I didn't wanna walk around my hospital wearing a ninja mask 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Grumpybutfun Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Wow, you guys rock! That was quick. Okay so I took my temp and all is well on that front. No body aches or chest cold...bronchial issues. My throat is killing me and I have a headache. Tara, I still maintains my coworkers coughed and sneezed on me on purpose because I have been working them hard on a new project. Don't confuse their revenge with the facts. I did. Come home after going to the doctor, as I am nicer to them than they are me. Haydn, not chesty at this point but if I get there my wellness center does have a sauna so good suggestion. Also, my wife just made a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. It is simmering. Eau Claire, I normally think of a cold as an inconvenience too but my throat and head is really achy. Any tips on that, medical professional? Regine, thanks for the get well wishes. I have drank enough oj to sink a battleship. The honey idea is a good one. I will do that after I eat my soup. Todd, what you wrote is exactly what my wife said so I compromised because she gave me no choice No training today regardless of what I want. I am to recline in lazy boy and catch up on prime time tv. Apparently we are catching up on Sleepy Hollow and Almost Human. Easy Heart, cardio weakens your immune system, huh? Who knew? I need to bike 12 miles so I guess that is Out for a few days. Emilia, I agree with your assessment, but the sore throat and headache is making it complicated as my wife is worried about infection. The doctor did mention that I needed to keep an eye on my throat as it is raw and red. I have to go back if things don't improve. The timing of this stinks. Carhill, yes, the intensity of the training would be severe as I need bike training on rolling hill roads. My endurance is at level, but I am working on the speed. The six month plan is pretty easy, but the biking isn't something I do everyday like running and swimming (friend has an indoor lap pool he lets me use) so I don't want to get behind. Hydration is naturally a real concern even if I am not sick...pee clear is a good rule of thumb. Thanks everyone. Resting and training tomorrow. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Note. Do not generalize 'cold and flu'. They are VERY different. The former is a usually an inconvenience. The latter can be fatal whether a healthy 18 year old or a healthy 70 year old. Do not work through the flu. The flu is influenza...it kills healthy people every year. (Not to be confused with the stomach flu which may be a million things). I'm fully aware of that and was relating my personal experience as a healthy 54 year old male who trained through both conditions. Link to post Share on other sites
MidwestUSA Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Another nurse here. One day of doing absolutely nothing. In bed, swaddled, chicken soup and OJ. See how you feel on day two. Even if it's just a cold, that one day down cuts my recovery by days. First thought to mind when I saw thread title: 'well, why wouldn't you take the train when sick?' 3 Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Carhill, yes, the intensity of the training would be severe as I need bike training on rolling hill roads. My endurance is at level, but I am working on the speed. The six month plan is pretty easy, but the biking isn't something I do everyday like running and swimming (friend has an indoor lap pool he lets me use) so I don't want to get behind. Hydration is naturally a real concern even if I am not sick...pee clear is a good rule of thumb. Totally forgot this but the cold and flu thing just reminded me. When dealing with serious symptoms but wishing to continue the body routine, I switched to my indoor training apparatus, which is essentially my road bike on rollers, a lot like you see professionals warming up with, and wore my monitor to help keep my heart rate down. Boring as heck but it respected both the desire for training and the body condition at the time. The main changes were no physical activity when experiencing high fever (bed rest) and watching heart rate and body temperature more closely. I lived alone during those years and a bad outcome would have left me dead and undiscovered for days so safety was a concern. Being married, you have none of those issues but your health is important to your family so respect that factor as well. My original information came from my internist, who did my routine physicals prior to and during training, and who was a triathlete himself and in far better shape than I was. Of course, my mom thought I was nuts. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Grumpybutfun Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Thank God my hospital forced me into a flu shot. Usually get sick off them, but not this time. Grumpy, you should indeed get a flu shot every year if not. They say if you get sick off the flu shot, you would have gotten the flu anyway. Plus I didn't wanna walk around my hospital wearing a ninja mask I get a flu shot every year as a part of my winter health physical. My wife is a stickler for preventative medicine. She also likes to hover when I am sick since the kids are all gone. Save me. G 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Toddbt12y1 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 I get a flu shot every year as a part of my winter health physical. My wife is a stickler for preventative medicine. She also likes to hover when I am sick since the kids are all gone. Save me. G Let me put my Isolation Ninja mask on. I will sneak in, and save you in the cover of darkness. I will take you to China. There, you will train under my master, Zil. There he shall teach you the art of escapist wifest. Lol 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Shepp Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 You actually break down your bodies immune system when training. That means, that you will have a harder time fighting off an infections. As you may stress your immune system. I'd wait a few days out. You'll probably do more harm than good. Nice science there Todd! Sounds convincing! I've always kept training for no particular scientific reason other than 1) I like to deny being sick for as long as possible 2) I go stir crazy indoors, 3) I like that pumped feeling exercise gives you, makes me feel better and 4) my grandad always told me you sweat out viruses and colds by exercising, providing you drink loads of water. He is the same man who taught me pushing through the pain barrier will fix your broken rib - I don't think that did the healing process much good tbh 4 Link to post Share on other sites
Toddbt12y1 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Nice science there Todd! Sounds convincing! I've always kept training for no particular scientific reason other than 1) I like to deny being sick for as long as possible 2) I go stir crazy indoors, 3) I like that pumped feeling exercise gives you, makes me feel better and 4) my grandad always told me you sweat out viruses and colds by exercising, providing you drink loads of water. He is the same man who taught me pushing through the pain barrier will fix your broken rib - I don't think that did the healing process much good tbh I was actually told the same thing. But after research, and looking this thoroughly through. You use proteins and other nutrients that would otherwise go to fighting off a virus of some sorts, to rebuilding damaged muscle tissue, after a work out. Sorry distracted this is not well written. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Emilia Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Emilia, I agree with your assessment, but the sore throat and headache is making it complicated as my wife is worried about infection. The doctor did mention that I needed to keep an eye on my throat as it is raw and red. I have to go back if things don't improve. The timing of this stinks. Sounds like it's best to rest. I'm lucky in that I recover quickly from symptoms like that and can do some training with a sniffle. Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Never missed a day at the office or the gym because of a common cold..Resting does absolutely nothing for me as I actually clear a little bit of congestion when I move around. I actually feel worse just lying around. Go figure... My colds are pretty infrequent and normally do not last more than 2 or 3 days-max. Ill drink hot tea with lemon and honey to soothe my throat and buy a few packages of Halls so I dont get too stuffed up..Never had a flu shot and never took an antibiotic in my life. I am noticeably less strong when I get a cold, so I just tone it down a bit, but Ill still hit it all the same... YMMV TFY 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Els Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 You probably won't keel over if you continue training, but IME rest is a huge factor in the recovery time of the common cold. A day of rest can really speed recovery up. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Grumpybutfun Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Resting yesterday was a good call. I got up this morning feeling loads better, so I called a couple of the guys in my MMA group who are participating with me in the triathlon and we biked the 12 miles this morning. Biking is my weakest part of the triathlon so that is what I am concentrating on this week. Felt weak and congested, but I made it competitively. In fact I made my best time and my endurance was good considering. I then came home and crashed. However, I feel great and my headache and throat feels much better. I can deal with the rest. It was fun being lazy yesterday, being with my wife and playing board games and taking a leisurely walk around the park. I haven't watched so much tv in years. Klondike on Discovery was especially good as I like history. I also watched The Poisoners Handbook which was on PBS, which was excellent on how forensics was established tracing poisons in historical murders. My little wife was the best nurse ever as I can be rather restless when sick. She was definitely in her element caring for me and being charming doing it. Thanks for all your suggestions and information. It was really helpful. Back in the training. Grumps 2 Link to post Share on other sites
pink_sugar Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Your body is likely trying to fight off a virus and your immune system isn't functioning as well. Go by how you feel. If you feel lethargic or fatigued...rest! If you simply just have a sore throat or runny nose, but otherwise feel fine, no big deal. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyjuan Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 If I ache from head down, I don't train. If it's just a head cold I usually do light training 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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