Running While Sick, When You're Not Sick of Running!

One day last Fall, I knew I was getting sick. I had body aches all over and pushed through the work day. And I'm ashamed to admit, I rushed home to squeeze in a quick 3-mile run before I got "too sick." This was not a smart move. That night I was wrapped in chills and body aches which progressed to an illness that lasted over a week.

Stress, whether it's emotional or physical, can prolong an illness or injury. Our very own, Dr. Jeff Waters, weighs in on the topic, "Running when ill does produces stress to your body. If you’re already cranking out immune cells, antibodies, and cortisol to get rid of some pesky germ and you already have a fever, you will not be able to accommodate the buildup of core body temperature while exercising. You put yourself at risk for heat related illness and are impairing your body’s immune reactions."

So what do we do about training when we get sick? Do we keep training, modify or rest? I know you love this answer, but...it depends.

Here is a "rule of thumb”:

If your symptoms are neck and up: headache, sore throat, sniffles, sneezing...then it's OK to run. But listen to your body. If you have significant fatigue with these symptoms then you may want to modify your distance and speed or intensity. Rest, hydrate and properly recover between workouts.

If the above symptoms are accompanied with a fever, nausea or you have any symptoms below the neck like chest congestion, a severe cough, or vomiting then you should NOT run. Take the week to stay hydrated, rest, get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, and practice good nutrition.

If you have severe symptoms like chest pain, breathing problems, an extremely high fever, or a fever that lasts more than a couple days, then you need to take a trip to the doc!

Depending on the severity of your illness, a walk may be a good alternative. Again, listen to your body. You probably aren't going to feel like walking with a 101 degree fever and a nasty, bronchial cough. But once the fever subsides and you start to regain a little bit of energy, a walk is a good thing! In the cold, wear a light layer over your mouth - like a bandanna, neck gator, or equivalent to add humidity and keep the cold out that constricts the airways a bit.

If you tolerate a walk, try a shorter distance run at an easy pace and see how you feel. If that goes well, then you can resume your training plan distances with easy effort. For your first long run back, I suggest cutting the out and back distance in half and doing it twice if you feel good. If it doesn't go well, you won't be stuck far from home base.  If you stopped training for more than two weeks then you might need some coaching advice to get you back on track.

Don't try to go back and "make up" what you didn't do while you were sick. If you have any questions about returning to your running plan after illness, contact Coach Amy. I’m happy to help modify your schedule to keep you on target for your goals.

The best way to keep yourself on the road and out of your sick bed is to wash your hands, eat well, get adequate sleep/rest, do not kiss your barfing spouse, and when someone is coughing near you without covering their mouth, hold your breath and run away (don't forget to give them a nasty look).

Listen to your body during cold and flu season, be kind to it and run happy!